Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Welcome to another edition of RV Travel’s Daily Tips newsletter. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and living tips from the pros, travel advice, a handy website of the day, tips on our favorite RVing-related products and, of course, a good laugh. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you. Please tell your friends about us.
NO NEWSLETTER TOMORROW
We will not have an issue of this newsletter tomorrow (Christmas). I know, I know. We’ll miss you, too. (Be sure to watch the video below: “Pets read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.'” We bet it will make you smile.)
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Page Contents
Today’s thought
“This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays!” —David Dellinger
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is Christmas Eve! It’s also National Eggnog Day!
Tip of the Day
A safety tip on “aging” tires
Sharon Brown, one of our faithful readers, said she owes much of what she’s learned about RVing to attending training sessions at RV shows and reading newsletters like ours (shameless promotion!). She shares this thought about tires: “I would NEVER keep tires more than five years. Actually, I have become a nerd and if the tires are over four-and-a-half years they get dumped. Even if the camper is new and was sitting in the lot, as mine was, the tires still may need to be replaced. I was shocked to read in a forum that was discussing what the best tires are for a travel trailer. A gentleman, obviously not too informed, said that he had the best tires and they have lasted over 20 years. Wow, what was he smoking??” Amen, Sharon!
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
See more through your RV window awnings
RV window awnings typically have two positions – deployed or stowed. When the window awning is deployed it can cut your viewing area in half. But half the fun of RVing is the scenery, isn’t it? Here’s a swift trick to solve the problem.
Yesterday’s featured article: Trailer goes out of control. Dash cam catches it flipping over.
Reader poll
Quick Tip
Keep your ceiling light covers in place
RV fluorescent ceiling light covers often pop off on bumpy roads. Get out your tube of acrylic or silicone sealant and put a dot on each end and in the middle of both sides of the jumpy covers. Let the goop dry, then reinstall the shade. The dried goop should provide enough friction to keep things in place.
Protect your RV “pigtail”
That 7-way connector on your travel trailer or fifth wheel is a critical component. When not plugged into your tow rig, the thing is susceptible to the onslaught of dirt, rain and even bugs. Here’s a plug cover that slips right over your precious plug and keeps out the crud. One user says, “This works perfectly to keep the plug on my RV clear. I remove it when not in use and place it in my ‘RV emergency tool kit.’ This way, it’s not knocked around when driving.” Learn more or order.
Random RV Thought
When selecting a campsite in a campground with a looped layout, select a site on the inside of curve in the road so headlights of passing vehicles will not beam at you at night.
Website of the day
The best Christmas cookie recipes!
If you haven’t baked cookies for Santa yet, you still have time! Here are 78 of the best Christmas cookie recipes. Hey, forget Santa. Make them for yourself!
The new 2020 Rand McNally Road Atlas has arrived!
Read more about why you should always have this with you here.
And the Survey Says…
We’ve polled RVtravel.com readers more than 1,500 times in recent years. Here are a few things we’ve learned about them:
• 24 percent keep their valuables in a safe inside their RV.
• In a month-long period, 19 percent will have a campfire at least one night.
• 38 percent call their spouse/partner “Honey.”
Trivia
If you were to eat Christmas dinner in Japan, you’d most likely be eating KFC chicken (3.6 million families do!). Since 1974, KFC has been promoting its chicken as a Christmas meal, with the slogan “Kentucky for Christmas.” Long lines form outside the restaurants for people waiting to get their traditional KFC chicken dinner.
If Santa were to visit every house on Christmas Eve, how fast would he have to travel? You’d know if you read yesterday’s issue!
Best-selling printed directory of free and inexpensive campgrounds. Click
Flat tire repair kit. Use in an emergency. Click
Space heater uses less than two amps! RVtravel.com has one, loves it! More
Leave here with a laugh
(Highly recommended by Diane. Thanks for finding this, Emily!)
Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.com
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY!
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RV Daily Tips Staff
Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Managing editor: Emily Woodbury. Senior editor: Diane McGovern. Advertising director: Jessica Sarvis. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
This website utilizes some advertising services. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of this potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.
Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter.
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This newsletter is copyright 2019 by RVtravel.com
I love pet videos and this one was sent to the family. Absolute furry adorable.
I hitchhiked as a teen and picked up hitchhikers early in our marriage but the wife is now very uncomfortable about picking up hitchhikers. I still do occasionally when on my own.
Merry Christmas, and thank you for your dedication to providing us all with such good, solid information every day! Yes, I always leave the site “with a laugh”, but I’m also ALWAYS better informed about at least one thing, usually more!
Best wishes for an exceptional 2020 🙂
OK. I have to put this in here: “Picked up a hitchhiker. He seemed like a nice guy. After a few miles, he asked me if I wasn’t afraid that he might be a serial killer. I told him the odds of two serial killers being in the same car were extremely unlikely.” 😆 😆 —Diane at RVtravel.com
In general, we would never pick up a hitchhiker in today’s world. However, on our last RV trip this past Fall, we we pulling off the highway to get gas and were stopped waiting to merge into the road when a guy knocked on our window. He looked pretty respectable so I rolled down the window. He said he ran out of gas and asked if we could give him a ride. We had just passed a vehicle on the side of the freeway so we chanced it and gave him a ride to the gas station. He was very nice but, like I said, we were taking a chance…
The safety tip on “aging tires” Is based on generic thinking. Sure if u buy cheap tires any age is probably riskey. If u run Michelin’s on a motor coach and use it quite a bit verses storing quite a bit contact Michelin. They will tell u based on proper care and inspection your use may be extended substantially. Most knowledgeable tire people will also tell u tires that come on new trailers are poor quality junk— negotiate for better tires at purchase – get a better safety value.
I have both hitch-hiked and picked up hitch-hikers (in the past). You take a chance when you pick up a stranger, but you also take a chance when you accept a ride from a stranger.
As far as picking up hitchhikers go, I draw the line more along “apparent distress” combined with a hard-to-define evaluation of the situation… I will almost always pull over to check they are equipped and working on a solution (have a jack and tire iron to change that tire? Have cell service if they prefer a tow?). I’ve physically changed a lot of tires FOR weaker folks. Most folks gratefully borrow the jack and like to do what they can once they have the tools. If someone JUST wants a free ride, I probably wouldn’t oblige — but I’ve had people stop often enough to HELP me that I try to return those favors.
RVT may have already done a poll on this, but since most people seem to be reading “hitchhiker” as “needing assistance” maybe RVT will do a poll on further forms of assistance. I’ve helped with assorted RV repairs while staying at campgrounds, and I’ve welcomed strangers (up an entire unprepared boyscout troup) into my camp during really bad weather. You have to be careful not seeming RV-arrogant when inviting swamped tent-campers to come dry off and warm up with a cup of coffee, but I don’t have the sense to let that stop me from offering. Countless kids have played games under my awning during rainstorms. RVing is as much about meeting other cool folks as avoiding the cruddy city folks. 🙂
Without your newsletter I would not have had the opportunity to learn so much. Thank you!!!!
Happy and Safe Holidays to the staff!
Back in 1966 a friend and I hitched home (150 miles) from college. We were both clean-cut and
dressed well. We had five different rides and made it home in about the same amount of time
if we had driven ourselves. Never had to wait but a few minutes between rides. Met a couple
real characters. Would NEVER think to do it now OR pick up someone in today’s world.
Your opinion of “today’s world” is kinda sad… I wouldn’t routinely pick up hitchhikers either, but I would certainly stop for someone who appeared to need help (including a modest ride up to town). Granted, I am 6’2″, 260, and often armed — but that’s NOT why I’d stop : the truth is that despite all the media hype, the world *IS* massively safer than ever. Contemporary crazies get more airplay, but there’s fewer of them than ever.
As a Canadian where guns are only in the hands of the criminal element, I will be dead meat should I pick up or stop for someone concealing an evil intent. North of 49 the bad guy/gal holds all the cards, and when they get tripped up there’s an army of lawyers paid on my nickel posed to argue their case. Socialism at its best folks!
I envy my American friends who have every right by law to get the first shot in when threatened.
Wolfe I agree with you 100%, finding it very hard to believe there’s a human among us with a beating heart who wouldn’t stop for and/or help someone in obvious need.
Your comment bout “contemporary crazies” is dead on. As they say “if it bleeds it leads”.
I would pick up a military high in uniform. With that Merry Christmas to you and all and a Happy and safe New Year. Very thankful we can say Merry Christmas.
In the 50’s and early 60’s I hitchhiked and picked up hitchhikers occasionally. No more unless it were a matter of life or death.
Funny this hitching thing came up.A week ago an Arizona man was hitching and 2 women stopped and picked him up in Utah . He stabbed them , one seriously before they were able to overcome him and push him out. He was arrested for attempted murder.
Sorry that the world has come to this. I’m sure that many people could use a lift but no way today would I pick up a hitchhiker
Five minutes of pure joy. Merry Christmas to all the pets in the world – and all the humans, too.
Merry Christmas! Thank you for this newsletter! The hard work is appreciated!
Merry Christmas Chuck, Gail, and staff at RV Travel. Hope next year is your best year ever!
We have stopped for members of the military, but not in RV. When I was in the Navy we would hitchhike around the SF Bay Area. I remember when I was 12 yrs old and returning home in our station wagon to PA after a day at the beach in NJ. There was my parents and 6 of us siblings. My dad stoped for a solider, who commented that many solo drivers passed him by. He sat on the step that accessed the back. We drove him to his parents home, a total of about 50 miles.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all staff of RVTravel and the RV community.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to everyone at RV Travel! Thank you for a wonderful year of newsletters.
Best to everyone, especially the folks who put RVTravel together . It’s an amazing piece of journalism.
Several comments.
Thanks to Sharon for her piece on tires. All six Michelins failed on our 2017 Class C this summer. I wrote about that before in this forum. All six replaced in Reedsport OR, at Les Swaubes. Mileage 33,000 kms (about 20 miles) So the crap they build tires with today -beware- have them inspected regularly.
I was amazed to read some Japanese eat at KFC, or that the chain even exists in a country where the people seem so particular about dress, protocol, and just about everything else. I forced the last piece of that greasy stuff into me about 15 years ago.
I used the thumb to get around the country plenty in my youth, and felt a need to pay back the favor, which I did over the years. I would only pick up a hitchhiker under rare and unusual conditions today. I stopped picking up HH’s when working in Calgary and young women started to roll guys for money, under threat of screaming out the window they’d been molested by the male driver. That stopped hitchhiking in that city for good. I think the council of the day banned the practice after that anyway.
Two summers ago the CEO and I decide to take the old road up White Bird hill in Idaho, with our Motorhome. This is a brutal old road, but a lovely one. We wanted to stop and walk the place where Chief Joseph, and his people started his trek with the army on his tail. Anyway about half way up we came upon a young lady walking her bicycle, packed to the gills with her belongings. Turned out she was a lone female from Australia trekking across America by bike. She had misjudged the long brutal climb and had run out of water. She didn’t have a drop with her. It must have been 90F in the shade. She had her hand out and we stopped. Boy I’ll tell you I haven’t seen anyone so close to failure than that poor kid. We filled every container she had, stuck around until she’d drank enough to stabilize, fed here some cheese and crackers, and bid her well. This all happened about 3 in the afternoon, I suggested she find some shade before continuing to the top and on to Grangeville, or go back down to White Bird spend the night then leave in the cool of the morning . She insisted on continuing to the top. I had no way of helping her beyond that, we couldn’t fix her bike to the back of the motorhome. I’m sure she made it to her destination that day, but since I’ve wondered how she made out. I’m pretty certain that day will be etched into her memory for life. I answered the poll saying I have but wouldn’t again pick up a hitchhiker, but that isn’t quite right. I (with my wife aboard) would pick up someone in dire need such as that young Australian. I think that would apply to anyone coming upon such a situation.
Merry Christmas to all, stay safe – wave or say hi to a stranger – maybe we’ll meet someday under unusual circumstances.
6 tires. wow. that must have cost you a bundle! It’s easy for me having a small travel trailer with only 2 tires and that is why I am a nerd about tires. One bad tire and it’s all over for me and probably my truck too. I know of two people that lost their entire rig. I just hope that never happens to me.
When I count the tires on these Class A’s I would definitely go broke!
Yes that was my article from a while back. I did get some flack from a few telling me I did not know what I was talking about. That’s ok. Just another opinion.
Well Sharon, I think your and anyone else’s opinion on this topic is worthy of some serious thought. Yes the tires were expensive, so would having one blow on that lonely lovely road between Reedsport and Eugene, with me and the CEO of 51 years ending up with a Class C motorhome on our head at the bottom of a canyon.
As a collision repairer/vintage vehicle restorer, spending a lifetime in the biz, I can tell the world, I’ve seen dozens of vehicles that’ve had a tire blow at speed, ripping the body of the vehicle severely.
Most recent one we witnessed was 2 summers ago as we headed west out of Boise Idaho, near the Stage Coach rest stop.
Along there we found ourselves in a long line of traffic, when we got to the problem it turned out to be a vintage travel trailer which had lost the left tire, ripping the lower rear side right off the old rig. That’s one Shasta I suspect will never see another campground. I also strongly suspect the driver of the Ford half ton towing it was recklessly travelling at the posted speed (80mph) or exceeding it to do that much damage. Its amazing the driver controlled that unit and got it stopped before it caused a calamity around him.
Best wishes to you and thanks for the reminder about how little separates us from disaster.
Thanks for all you and your writers do throughout the year. Enjoy your day off on Christmas.