Tuesday, April 14, 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
“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Reach as High as You Can Day!
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: A feel-good story about spaghetti and meatballs
We have asked RVtravel.com readers to tell us how they are adapting to life these days.
“With all the horror stories about Fulltime RVers getting put out of the campground they are at or campground price gouging, I just wanted to tell you about one of the few good RV campground owners out there…” Continue reading Louise’s story.
Tip of the Day
Why use a brake controller?
Question from an RVtravel.com reader: “I’ve been looking into buying a travel trailer for taking my family camping. I keep running into information about brake controllers. I’ve towed boats on trailers for years without any such thing as a brake controller — what gives? And how do they work, anyway?” Read Russ and Tiña De Maris’ explanation here.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
One couple’s top five RVing frustrations
Mike and Jennifer Wendland publish the excellent website/blog Roadtreking, “Celebrating the RV Lifestyle.” Although the Wendlands are enthusiastic about their lives as RVers, Mike takes an opportunity here to describe the couple’s top five RVing frustrations.
Yesterday’s featured article: What day is best to fuel up the RV?
Reader poll
Stay out of the grocery store – order your pet’s food online!
It’s safe to say that Amazon has pretty darn near every brand of dog and cat food in North America, and at great prices. Shopping for your pet food at Amazon is quick and easy, and the prices are hard to beat. Check out all the dog food brands here and cat food here.
Quick Tip
Check roof vents in case of stinky holding tanks
Stinky holding tanks driving you bats? It’s smart to occasionally check your roof vents to make sure they aren’t blocked with debris, bird nests, etc. Many RVers find vent caps such as the 360 Siphon roof vent that help “raise the stink” out of the tanks are really helpful.
Random RV Thought
There is nothing better than waking up in your RV to the smell and sound of your significant other brewing a morning pot of coffee. Mmm.
Website of the day
Bizarre museums to add to your next road trip
This list of 15 bizarre museums from Fodor’s Travel is even entertaining just to look through. Once all these museums open back up, you’ll have to plan a visit!
Views from quarantine: What’s out your window? Send us a photo!
Since we’re all stuck inside together (well, not actually “together”), we might as well enjoy each other’s views! Where are you reading this? What is the view out your front door, window, campsite or porch? Click here for info and maybe we’ll publish your photo.
ADVERTISEMENT
Come into the light!
Our favorite electricity guy, Mike Sokol, uses this Caterpillar pocket light for just about everything. He writes, “I bought one of these CAT CY1000 Pocket COB Lights a few months ago and liked it so much that I also picked up one for my dad. I’ve dropped it a bunch of times, and it still keeps working, like any of the other tough-as-nails CAT products.” It easily clips on to your belt, shirt pocket, or anything magnetic, so you can work hands-free. Chuck and Gail bought one too and love it! Learn more or order.
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:
• 11 percent would drive down the road with their dog in their lap
• 49 percent say either they or their partners use a sleep apnea machine
• 53 percent have Verizon Wireless as their cell phone service
Recent poll: For self-quarantining couples: How are you getting along? Tell us here.
Trivia
Extreme ironing is a real sport. Phil Shaw founded the action-packed sport in 1997 and, surprisingly, the sport has become quite popular. An article on Geek.com writes, “According to the Union of International Associations (UIA), the sport involves pressing shirts with an iron and board in extreme conditions. Popular extreme ironing locations include steep boulders, mountain summits, and ocean floors.” Read that article here. New hobby, anyone?
*Adolf Hitler’s last name was almost something entirely different. Get a giggle out of it in yesterday’s trivia section.
Leave here with a laugh
Random thoughts of a wondering mind:
• What if my dog only brings back my ball because he thinks I like throwing it?
• The word “swims” upside-down is still “swims”.
• If you replace “W” with “T” in “What, Where and When”, you get the answer to each of them.
• Do twins ever realize that one of them is unplanned?
—Thanks to George Bliss!
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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Regarding the survey results about folks letting their dog sit in their lap while driving. Though I was encouraged with the low percentage, it makes me sad that anyone would do it. When folks are involved in a car crash, unsecured pets become projectiles. [Actually humans also are projectiles if they are not fastened with a seatbelt. Most humans get tossed about within the car if not secured. The unfortunate ones are tossed through a window. As a retired police, I’ve seen my fair share of bad crashes.] The other major issue are the air bags. Either the steering wheel air bag or the passenger air bag flying out at around 100 mph, and hitting them, will most definately kill your pet. It does not take much for airbags to deploy. I’m not sure of the lowest speed they will depoly, but most definately they do at 35mph.
We use pet car seat for our small dog which she is teathered to . It fits over the head rest and is also secured around the seat with a strap. There is a strap to teather her to her harness. I’ve seen products for larger dogs as well. My dog loves her seat and looks out the window.
I haven’t taken a walk, just to take a walk, since my Drill Sargent got me up at 5:00 am said something about a forced march. When we got to the end of nowhere, we turned around and came back. I didn’t see the point. Now… getting out of the RV at the far end of the parking lot and going to the back of Home Depot, looking for a nut and bolt, ….. that’s a walk.
When I throw a ball, my dog looks at me and says, “Boy, that was stupid – now you have to get up and go get it.” She’s got me trained well.
“What if my dog only brings back my ball because he thinks I like throwing it?” That is the reason he brings it back. A dog is a pack animal, he thinks you are the pack leader, and his brain is programmed to serve the pack leader. Cats are not pack animals; that’s why they do whatever they want to do.
When we bought our current class A motor home from a former owner and after a few days in the driveway it had a horrific holding tank odor inside. I couldn’t figure it out – until investigating under the kitchen sink! The wall section under the sink was a wire pass-thru for the coach wire harness bundle which was open to the holding tank drain area. Further checking revealed the drain hose/ tube had no cap on the end! An emergency fix was to cover the end with a peanut butter jar lid with an oil filter gasket inside – put over the end. Problem solved! (That jar lid is still there – 12 years later!)
About the guy who questioned why use a brake controller … do you really want him on the road towing a trailer while you and your family share the same road while using a brake controller and a weight distributing hitch with anti-sway. This is not a question of “to each his own” when putting others health and lives at stake.
The De Maris’s explanation was good but should have included that in most jurisdictions brakes are a requirement and towing without would probably void their insurance if they got in an accident. The lack of use could result in a fatality.
“Random RV Thought”, isn’t that the truth, so RV’ing, LOL!
I was walking daily until COVID came along. Can’t wait to get back to it.
Are you being directed by your local authorities not to take walks? That seems peculiar.
It’s unfortunate that you can’t continue walking. It’s strongly encouraged in our community, as long as people stay 6+ feet apart on the multi-use paths.
My daily walk(s) help to keep me sane. My county has over 22,000 tested cases of Covid-19 so far. So I wear a mask outside and make sure to keep my distance from other walkers or runners. I am trying to make myself in better shape in case I get the virus so I can recover. I don’t take any unnecessary chances. We are very fortunate to be retired.
Since the link to the “Extreme Ironing” video was not working I did a quick search on YouTube and found this one (among many).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLf4FTDUB2k
I think I’ll take a pass on this. Now, “Extreme Napping”? I could go for that one . . .
I don’t like normal ironing much less extreme. How do they run an extension cord under water?