Monday, March 30, 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
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” — Henry David Thoreau
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Virtual Vacation Day! (How fitting!)
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News for RVers.
Coronavirus Updates for RVers
Coronavirus Updates for RVers
Because so much is happening, and so fast, we are separating our daily coronavirus news updates into its own file.
There is so much interest now on how the virus is impacting our lives as RVers, our staff is devoting more time to keeping you informed of critical matters that affect how you use and travel with your RV.
Read today’s coronavirus news updates for RVers.
New Facebook Group: How the coronavirus is impacting RVers. Learn about park closings, cancelled rallies and RV shows — and more. Your input requested.
If you are a member of an RV club or are affiliated with an RV-related event would you please let us know if its gatherings, meetings, etc., are cancelled or postponed because of the coronavirus? We’ll pass along the info to our readers. We appreciate any news related to RVing that’s being affected by the virus. Please submit it here. Thank you!
RV Life in a Coronavirus World: ‘Our plans gone in an instant’
We have asked RVtravel.com readers to tell us how they are adapting to life these days. Here is one story.
Tip of the Day
RV Doctor: Repairing dripping bathroom faucets
(We are rerunning this popular article by Gary Bunzer, the ever-popular RV Doctor.)
Dear Gary:
How do you repair the bathroom faucets? I have a two-handle faucet in the bathroom that looks to be all metal and they constantly drip. How and what do I replace? —Mike R.
Dear Mike:
The most common cause of dripping faucets is debris or mineral deposits becoming stuck in the assembly, so let’s not be too quick to condemn an innocent faucet! All faucets are presumed innocent until proven faulty in a court of law! Or at least until proven faulty. Continue reading.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
What don’t you know about the Grand Canyon
For more than a century, tourists from all over the world have visited the Grand Canyon to experience its awe-inspiring vistas. On February 26, 1919, the Grand Canyon became a national park. As we celebrate more than 100 years of protecting this special place, check out 13 great facts about this Arizona icon. Learn more.
Reader poll
Readers tell us
Do you take the coronavirus threat seriously, or believe its dangers have been way overblown? Find out what you and fellow RVers said here.
New book a must-have for state park campers!
This newly published book, “50 States: 500 State Parks,” is a must-have for all state park campers and explorers. The book is a beautiful visual journey through America’s best state parks. Whether you’re looking for stunning vistas, rare wildlife, a dose of history, or an enjoyable hike, the state parks offer an array of experiences. Learn more or order.
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
Wash out your water heater!
A lot of people overlook washing out your water heaters a minimum of once a year. It’s simple. Your Suburban water heaters usually have an anode rod. It takes a 1 1/16 socket to remove it. Your Atwood water heater only needs a plug, no anode rod.
Also, after you clean your water heater do not (do not!) turn it on right away. Make sure water is back in your heaters before you turn it on or you will burn up the motherboard. Give it about a half-hour before turning it on. If your faucets are not running well after cleaning, remove the screens on each faucet and clean them.
— Thanks to Steve Korsvall for the tip from the RVtravel.com RV Advice Facebook page.
*Note: This water heater tank rinser from Camco is an RVtravel.com staff favorite. It cleans and removes sediment that collects at the bottom of your water heater, which ultimately extends the life of your heater.
Random RV Thought
If you smell your toilet when driving your motorhome down the road, it’s because the odor is being drawn into the RV and not outside via the roof vent. The solution is to get an inexpensive 360 Siphon Roof Vent. It works for all RVs even when the RV is not moving, like in a campground. Keep the stink away.
Inflatable foot rest is comfortable for couch and passenger seat
Now that’s cool! Miss your favorite recliner no more! This inflatable foot rest is perfect for lounging on the couch, in the chair by the campfire, or in the passenger seat for long drives. Take it on a plane ride, or take it to the grandkids’ sports games (we know those can get long). It weighs less than 1 lb. and folds down small for travel. Learn more about this comfy foot rest here.
Website of the day
Delicious canned tuna recipes
This might not be the most exciting website we’ve ever listed here, but we’re thinking there’s a good chance you’ve got some canned tuna in your pantry right now. Are we right? Here are 31 delicious recipes for that tuna, so get to cookin’!
How to easily see elevation gain along your route
The Geeks on Tour learned the hard way, years ago, about elevation gain and burned brakes. But now it’s super simple on Google Maps to learn about the elevation changes on a selected route. Learn how here so you don’t make the same mistake.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Don’t make these mistakes at National Parks.
• How to minimize “thermal checking” damage to your RV’s fiberglass.
• RV Shrink: Expect the unexpected when traveling.
#900-1
Trivia
The average U.S. household has 300,000 items in it. Wow! (Not us RVers, right?)
Use handy silicone lids for cooking & storage
Use on the stove or to seal containers instead of using plastic wrap or foil. They’re BPA, Phthalate and PVC free and heat resistant to 440 degrees. Press down gently in the center of lid for an airtight seal. Use to replace missing or broken lids. Use on leftovers and to keep salads and fruits fresh! Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
If a cow doesn’t produce milk, is it a milk dud or an udder failure?
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 2020 by RVtravel.com
According to my farmer neighbor, if it can’t give milk it is hamburger.
When I clean out my water heater each fall – I remove the front or spray end of the hose nozzle. There are four small holes under it which produce 4 blaster streams of water. With the end removed – it easily fits into the Atwood drain hole. Flushes lots of stuff out! – (Stand off to the side!)
Question for you Chuck. How do believe the virus and it’s economical issues have and will change RVing in the short term of up to one yr and the long term from one to five years.
That would be an interesting question to also ask dealers, RV bankers, and the RV builder and camp ground owners.
Denny, I think it is going to be an incredibly tough year for the industry, which others are saying as well. I suspect it will pick up again in a couple of years, but may take a few more years to get back to record sales. But I am no expert on this sort of thing, so this is just one guy’s opinion.
Hmm… I should have mentioned that the stink isn’t coming from your toilet, its coming from your sink/sinks.
Cloudmaster Don
With reference to your Random RV Thought column I offer the following thought:
“If you smell your toilet when driving your motor home down the road, it’s because the odor is being drawn into the RV and not outside via the roof vent.” Please tell me what the pathway is for this. There is only one and that is the sink drain. The solution is not necessarily found by getting an add-on roof vent gadget. You will still have the stink when you stop. The problem is more likely to be that the water normally held in the under-sink “p” trap has sloshed its way down the drain and into the holding tank due to what I call highway bounce. The cheapest and easiest fix is to plug the sink with a good old fashioned rubber sink plug, Doing so, prevents the stink from entering your coach. Then, when you stop, pull the plug and run a cup or two of water into the drain. End of odor. That’s the method I have successfully used for ~ 100K miles.
Cloudmaster Don
San Diego, CA
I am confident saying installing a 360 Siphon roof vent on the toilet vent will take care of odors 90% of the time. It’s available at Amazon. https://amzn.to/2UUvN7T
Chuck, Please keep us readers informed and updated as to Gary Bunzer’s medical condition. And readers please keep up your prayers for Gary, his family and all who have been so touched by this terrible virus. I have no problem with being informed as to how our fellow RV’ers are dealing with this. Thanks RVT!
Gary, Chuck will report as soon as he hears anymore on Gary’s condition. Gary was a Seabee, as was my dad. Their motto is “Can Do!” — so in my message to Gary I told him he can do this! Soooo many people rooting and praying for him. Nicest guy you could ever meet. —Diane at RVtravel.com
Thank you. Yes “Can Do, and will Do”!
Yes!!! As of 6:00 p.m. PDT, no update. 🙁 —Diane at RVtravel.com
“Make sure water is back in your heaters before you turn it on or you will burn up the motherboard.”
It seems very unlikely that the ‘motherboard’ would be damaged, typically circuit boards don’t have that kind of power on them. It’s the heater element that will be burned up if there is no water.
Correct – I was going to say the same thing
You should take down your RV Coronavirus Page…it’s turned into a political hate thread
Is someone making you read it?
We’re snowed under with coronavirus stories but it doesn’t hurt to provide information geared directly to RVers that’s of little interest in the general media. Just skip over the stuff you’re uncomfortable reading.
I have a tendency to agree with you Rick. I’m not possessed with this in anyway, and find that without even searching there’s enough material in all other forms of media to keep those wishing to keep informed (or scared to death) well versed on new developments.
Personally, although we take the threat seriously, we refuse to become consumed by it.
A steady diet of coronaV will not make my day or our life one bit better. We have removed ourselves from the known dangers of close relationship with others. Shop only for needs once a week and so on.
Endless columns of doom and gloom will not be part of our existence.
In Canada some authorities are taking seriously about long term mental health issues that are bound to crop up when people are held to isolation for extreme periods of time – those folks do not need to be fed more to make their situation worse.
Rick, the virus page appears no more a political thread than any other questions or articles that RV Travel posts. There appears to be a troll under every bridge we cross in these internet days. RVT, continue to keep me posted on the news. The constitution protects free speech for people, not those little creatures hiding under bridges.
I predict the virus will greatly affect everyone’s life until a vaccine is developed, hopefully within 6-12 months. As an example, school systems that are now shut down will never reopen until Its leaders are assured students are safe, and that will require successful vaccine immunizations. Anything less than that will be just plain stupid.
You may have to explain burning up heater motherboards… you damage heating an empty tank but the controller is at less risk if filled.
If your cow doesn’t produce milk, it might be a lot of bull.