Monday, February 10, 2020
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.
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Today’s thought
“You can talk with someone for years, every day, and still, it won’t mean as much as what you can have when you sit in front of someone, not saying a word, yet you feel that person with your heart, you feel like you have known the person for forever…. connections are made with the heart, not the tongue.”―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Umbrella Day!
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News for RVers.
Tip of the Day
How to tell if your black tank is almost full
Factory-installed tank sensors are wholly inaccurate. Previous polls on this site also substantiate this information. Deposits of paper and “other” things get stuck on the sensors. A perfectly empty tank can still read full as a result. Some folks have tried other methods such as dishwashing soap, ice, hot water, and other methods that may work with mixed results. Continue reading.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
RV Electricity – This week’s J.A.M. (Just Ask Mike) Session:
Can I hook up two surge protectors? Mike explains all about basic and advanced/EMS surge protectors, and whether you can use more than one at a time.
• Sign up for Mike’s monthly RV Electricity Newsletter.
• While you’re at it, be sure to join his popular Facebook group, RV Electricity.
• Read more of Mike’s articles here.
Guide to state firearm laws hot off the press for 2020
The 2020 updated edition of the Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States has recently been published. The annual guide contains information about the firearm laws of all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico, and how to prepare, carry and transport your weapons during local, intrastate and interstate travel. Learn more here.
Is your RV furnace burning your money?
“How much money will you spend to heat an RV?” is a frequently heard question in the RV world. Russ and Tiña De Maris discuss the many variables involved in calculating the cost, and how to most efficiently and inexpensively heat your RV. Learn more.
Reader poll
What did we learn about you from our reader polls last week? Find out here.
From Chuck Woodbury’s Roadside Journal: At what age is a person elderly?
ADVERTISEMENT
Be like Mike! Use theatrical tie line at the campsite
Mike Sokol says: if you’ve never used theatrical tie line, then let me tell you how great this stuff is for hanging all sorts of things around camp. We use this if we need to lash a tent down to ground stakes, hang lights from an awning or secure a surge protector to a pedestal. I would say you should get at least the 300 ft. spool for RVing, and I like the 500 and 1,000 ft. spools for my own gigs. But I assure you, once you use real theatrical tie line, you won’t want to use anything else. Get some here.
Helpful resources
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION.
• ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NATION.
• WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
• CURRENT WILDFIRE REPORT.
• LATEST RV RECALLS.
Quick Tip
Clean your Plexiglas shower door without scratching it
If your RV shower door is Plexiglas, it’ll scratch real easy. Here’s a recipe/directions for cleaning without scratching: To an empty spray bottle add 1 cup of water with 1/2 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent. Add 1/4 cup of vinegar. Mix contents GENTLY. Now spray the Plexiglas with a light, thin mist. Let sit a few seconds and wipe clean with a soft, lint-free cloth. Wipe in large circles. Repeat as necessary.
USED BY RV TECHNICIANS!
Protect your RV parts from rust and corrosion
T-9 is the RV technician’s choice for attacking corrosion, loosening rusty parts & flushing out old lubricants. It permeates metal crevices & seeps deep inside assembled components to leave a durable protective coating, lubricating without dismantling equipment. It won’t wash off in rain or mud. T-9 will not harm paint, plastic, rubber, fiberglass or vinyl. It can be used on engines, wiring, belts & is safe on electronics. Boeshield T-9 was developed by Boeing for lubrication and protection of aircraft components. Learn more or order.
Random RV Thought
Make sure you exercise your RV generator at least once a month. Let it run for 30 minutes with many power accessories turned on. Have you exercised your generator lately? If not, it’s time!
Website of the day
Camping hacks (from the dollar store) that you need to know
We see a lot of articles similar to this, but we’re shocked at how many times we said, “Oooooh! That’s a good idea!” while reading this one. There’s some good stuff in here, folks. Check it out.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• RVer Safety: Making that difficult decision – Firing a weapon in self-defense.
• How to wear a cowboy hat.
• Ah, camping! Your own outdoor movie theater!
#890-1
Don’t scream, just fix the screen!
This roll of screen repair tape is just what you need to fix those torn or ripped screens in your home or RV. Don’t waste money on a new screen! Cut as much tape as you need, stick it over the torn patch and you’re good to go. Learn more or order here.
Trivia
The Empire State Building in New York City has its own ZIP code. Even though the building sits inside the 10001 ZIP code, if you want to send mail to the building you’ll have to address it to 10118.
Leave here with a laugh
A woman noticed her husband standing on the bathroom scale, sucking in his stomach. “Ha! That’s not going to help,” she said. “Sure, it does,” he said. “It’s the only way I can see the numbers.”
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.
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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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cruze control is used only on the open freeways no mater the weather. not very useful on back roads.
using it helps in keeping a steady speed.
now if weather is bad i just park and wait it out. when i am driving my pu truck with fiver in tow. for work there is no stopping under any conditions. and yes i have driven in very bad weather / road conditions. no not for the usps, just would rather not get fired for not making my delivery’s.
the past 40 years i have lived on the rd.
Larry, my ‘mantra’ when I was a working trucker was: “When the weather gets treacherous it not about making it on time, it’s about making it – PERIOD”.
I never use cruise control – towing or not.
Agree
Cruise control works well for me pulling the 5th wheel, making for a much less stressful drive, keeping me below the tire speed rating, and avoiding tickets! I find it most useful on multi-lane highways where other vehicles can get around me, or on long straight, lightly traveled, stretches of 2 lane highway, like Hwy 95 in Nv! Light rain is fine, but I avoid any conditions that would allow hydroplaning, and never in freezing or snowy conditions.
VINEGAR YES ! AMONIA NO ON PLEXIGLASS. Many people don’t know that using a glass cleaner ( like windex ) will actually turn their plexiglass foggy . The ammonia reacts to the plastic and will permanently destroy its clearity
Use cruise on the interstates so as to keep a steady pace but not on 2 lane roads. Will use in light drizzle as long as conditions appear to be safe. Always try and leave a good safe distance between vehicles
“camping hacks” has lots of good cheap ideas. thank you.
I liked the cotton ball – petroleum jelly fire starter idea. I will try it – at home in our fireplace!
Never drive when the roads are wet with the cruise control on. If you hydroplane you can lose control. The cruise will not stop and you can spin out of control.
I never use the RV’s cruise control. I like to always be in full control and am afraid that CC would cause a level of relaxation that could be dangerous in some situations when driving.
I rarely use cruise control. With full acceleration to get up to speed and maximum downshifting to slow down it gives the worst fuel economy. I never use it when towing.
I use CC on flat roads, disengage it on hills. Even where interstates have over passes, the cruise doesn’t want to let the MH lose a mile an hour or two.
I hit black ice going up hill on a sunny morning with cruise control on at 100 Km/hr (60 mph) in a 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 HD. Before I knew it, the truck had automatically shut off the cruise and compensated for the slippage. Never even left my lane.
Would I have been using cruise if I expected black ice? No. However, modern vehicles have come a long way. They are designed and built to overcome our transgressions.
I was going to say much the same… CC was a nightmare in rain or snow before ABS and ATC… now i’m not as sure where the average driver ranks against the machines… no, i’m sure… 😉
As for black tanks, we have bath and a half floor plan, sensors work OK, also both toilets are directly over the tanks, so you can look into the tank and see how full. Just be quick about it…
Both toilets are directly over the tank??? Really? I’d like to see that floor plan.
The Dollar Store storage hacks is a great article. After 18 years of RVing, including seven full-timing, we have become very efficient at storage. I especially liked the idea of using a pill container for spices. We cook a lot and carry lots of spices, but we never use an entire bottle.
CC is a tool, works great, keeps your speed consistent which translates to better mpg and others on the road very much appreciate it, however like any tool it’s how and when you use it that matters.
So, I answered yes but not towing. I use no CC when towing regardless. CC is OK in very light rain or drizzle and I may use it then on flat roads. I live in the Ozarks and there are not a lot of areas for its use anyway around home. Our roads are so crooked we check at intersections to make sure it is not the same road we were just on before the last curve around the hill.
I keep seeing ads for paper guides to the firearm laws. Those guides can be out of date on the day of publication – no matter how careful the author, editor and publisher may be. That’s a fact.
I use the application, “Legal Heat”. Always up to date and always at hand.
Suggestion: one of your reporters should take a look at it.
That is a very good point. The guides are like road maps, they may not be up to date. That being said, the guide they show above is one of the better ones I’ve found, and it gives you a good base to start from, but definitely its up to the gun owner to follow up and make sure nothing has changed since publication.
I only use cruise control when traveling on open, flat and dry roads, especially when driving the motorhome and towing!
Once I accelerate to speed, I set the cruise control. Don’t use it in high winds, down pours, mountains or snowy conditions and too much traffic. Very easy to turn on/off. Cruise control is turned off while accelerating and slowing down.
Makes for a more relaxing drive and better fuel economy. I am using a Class B RV.
If one is a leadfoot, CC can save gas… I’ve found that my gentle foot actually saved considerably more gas – I accelerate slower, ALLOW slowing down moderately for hills, and engage the MDS which CC seems to defeat.
Wow, did I enjoy the Website of the Day. I kept scrolling down and was amazed at all the information from around the world and right here at home. I definitely bookmarked this as we loved the articles on beach camping with an RV. Thank you!
Yeah…I use Cruise in good & bad weather but that goes hand in hand with common sense. I’ve drove Motorhomes over 40 years so I pretty much know When,Where & How and never had 1 incident.
Here’s a travel stop for rv’ers that’s no frills:
https://mobilerving.com/the-buzz-articles/features/rv-self-park-rv-parking-route-66-missouri?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-rv-bunch&utm_content=RV+Bunch+Newsletter+2%2F10%2F2020
Using cruise control – use common sense. There is rain and then there is RAIN. If the weather is that bad should you be on the road?
Random RV Thought exercise your RV generator at least once a month. Let it run for 30 minutes. That doesn’t even sound right. This is our second class “A” motor home & the manual say’s 2 hours with at least 1/2 of the load!
Snoopy
I use my cruse control all the time but it largely depends on the situation around me as to if and when to turn it off. I use it when traveling on the highway, but if I get into an area with a lot of hills I will turn it off and use my foot to regulate my speed to keep the transmission form shifting back and forth and also from keeping the engine from reaching excessive rpm’s.
My truck does not have cruise control
That statement really adds to the conversation, thanks.
On current 89 Toyota don’t use cruise at all. Even slight uphill make it kick down. More trouble than it’s worth.
I use cruise control when in an area of fairly flat terrain (a lot of the East, South and Midwest). I turn it off when traveling in traffic or mountainous areas. I also turn it off when going downhills. The tow/haul mode will downshift when I use the brakes. CC wants (going down to pick up the speed then downshift) I don’t want the two controls fighting.
I guess the cruise control debate is depending on what you’re driving and towing. if you’re at the limit, then most people don’t like to use CC. We have a 250 diesel with a 28′ TT – the truck generally doesn’t know the camper is there – CC all day anywhere.
Propane fills – get what you are really paying for – buyer beware! There’s a reason exchange places are ‘cheaper” than a real gas supplier, and many refill places are more costly than your propane dealer. My wife works in the propane/grill/fireplace business and has educated many on this. A 20 pound cylinder gets filled to hold 20 pounds of gas; about 4.23 gallons. Many exchange places short fill with as little as 15 pounds, sometimes 17 pounds, in a 20 pound cylinder. The market place will refer to a “BBQ fill” and recently stating they are 15 pound fills. Buy your gas from a reputable source that weighs and checks your tank (cylinder) for leaks and inspection due dates.
LP tanks have a date stamped into the collar and that tank will be good for ten years, then need re certified every five years after that. Her work charges nothing for this. The latest standards now have a check of the O-ring in the throat of the valve and if it is cracked or damaged the valve assembly will need to be replaced. You may want to check your own for damage.
I seldom use cruise control. Just like I avoid my towing button if the conditions are right. I would rather manually change speed and gearing according to the road ahead. Get off the gas pedal when going down hill and slowly accelerate before heading uphill. Learn to use inertia. Since my truck only shows average MPG I bought a plug-in that shows my actual MPG. Once you learn to use all the info and actually drive your vehicle you’ll be amazed at how better your mileage. I figure I save at least 2.5mpg plus I pay more attention to conditions around me.
We were told by several friends (OTR drivers) to never use CC in the rain driving our Class A. They’ve driven a lot of miles safely. We listened. Not too long afterwards a good friend was driving in the rain, in a car, using CC. His car hydroplaned, left the road and hit a utility pole, killing his wife and seriously injuring him. He was ticketed and told the cruise contributed to the loss of control. I can’t speak to the validity of that statement but I do know that we no longer use CC in any vehicle once it starts to rain.
Interested to see thoughts on using T-9 which is advertised in this article. I’m considering using this for my slide gears and for the hydraulic cylinders on the levelers. Any thoughts or concerns?
I’m not comfortable using cruise control. I’ve never used it.