Issue 1325, Thursday, April 23, 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
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Keep A Poem In Your Pocket Day!
New Facebook Group: How the coronavirus is impacting RVers. Learn about park closings, cancelled rallies and RV shows — and more. Your input requested.
RV Life in a Coronavirus World: A cold beer, a sunset, and a lot of cleaning
We have asked RVtravel.com readers to tell us how they are adapting to life these days.
“How quickly plans can change. Recently retired and newly full-timers, this winter was to see us tour southeast Arizona and attend our first-ever FMCA Convention. Well, we are currently at Desert Trails RV Park, south of Tucson, where we came for a week… over a month ago…” Continue reading Dave’s story.
Tip of the Day
Why filter perfectly good water?
By Greg Illes
Why filter perfectly good water? The answer to that question is another question: How good is “perfectly good”?
Many RVers use the water that the RV park supplies, straight from the tap. After all, that water comes from treated sources and should have no problems. Right? Maybe, maybe not.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
How long can canned food last?
Do your food storage lockers hold hidden contents that were placed there shortly after your rig rolled off the showroom floor? Just how long can you keep canned foods before they either go completely off the chart or turn into something not so delectable? Find out here.
Yesterday’s featured article: All your trailer brakes should lock up at the same point
Reader poll
Quick Tip
Watch where you point your vents!
Got “pointable” air conditioning vents in your RV? Be careful how you point them! If you accidentally aim them at your thermostat, you may find the a/c system cycling erratically. The same is true for heater vents blasting at the thermostat.
Remember to maintain those slide seals!
If you’ve heard a cracking or popping sound when extending your slideouts, it means your seals are sticking and/or drying out! Using a seal conditioner about every 8-12 weeks is recommended to avoid drying and cracking. Once they begin to wear and show damage, they are no longer working to their fullest capacity. We recommend using Thetford Premium RV Slide Out Rubber Seal Conditioner – it works like a charm.
Random RV Thought
Before you head out on your next grocery trip, phone your neighbor and ask if there is anything they need that you could pick up for them. You may save them from exposure to a bad germ, which is a very good thing.
Website of the day
Things to do with your travel photos
Now that you’ve got some free time…how about revisiting some travel photos from past trips? Here’s a neat list of five things you can do with those photos. (Hint: There’s a cookie involved!)
Every RVer needs a “Bragging Map”
The stick-on maps for the RV are nice, but only people IRL (In Real Life) will see it. If you make a digital map, you can show it to everyone. You won’t believe how easy it is to make your Visited States Map. Learn how.
Save money with these reusable silicone bags
Never waste money on plastic bags again! This 4-pack of reusable silicone food bags have an airtight seal and are leak-proof, keeping food fresh for longer. Easily freeze the bags, and even run them through the dishwasher once you’re done using them. This plastic bag alternative won’t harm the environment, and instead provides a solution that you can wash, rinse and reuse to your heart’s content! 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:
• 16 percent say they’ve been on the road in their RV more than 100 days in the last 12 months
• 32 percent say their slideouts have failed badly enough that they needed it/them professionally fixed
• 52 percent spend more time on the Internet than they do watching TV
Recent poll: Have you received your government stimulus payment yet? Tell us here.
Trivia
It’s not just us humans who have accents… Researchers from Dalhousie University in Canada and the University of St. Andrews in the U.K. have found evidence that shows whales in the Caribbean have a different “accent” than whales in other oceans.
*In San Francisco, it is illegal to do what on the streets?
A.) Sing a song by The Beatles
B.) Juggle
C.) Feed the pigeons
We told you the answer in yesterday’s issue!
Leave here with a laugh
Here’s some “Upbeat News” for you. Editor Chuck Woodbury found this online advertisement for a news story hilarious…and we can see why! See it here.
Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.com
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY!
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Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
Oh, and if you missed the latest Sunday News for RVers, make sure to catch up here.
RV PARKS OPEN FOR BUSINESS:
These parks are open for business for self-isolating and have asked that we spread the word.
Big Chief RV Resort, Burnet, TX
Walnut Hills Campground and RV Park, Staunton, VA
Oakwood RV Resort, Fredericksburg, TX
Larsson’s Crooked Creek RV Resort, Hill City, SD
Own a park you’d like listed here? Send the park name, web address and city and we’ll include it here. Send to editor@rvtravel.com. No charge.
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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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This newsletter is copyright 2020 by RVtravel.com
I am immuno-suppressed and have been since my stem cell transplant 11 years ago. I am also 68 yrs old and have been going through chemo for the past 3 years due to a relapse. I stopped shaking hands 11 years ago and just bumped fists with others. Now I don’t even do that.
I’m really enjoying the “RV Life in a Coronavirus World” articles in each issue.
Thank you.
I had just reviewed the article on the RV water filter with inline fittings made by Pentek #150071. It should be noted for anyone interested that this unit is supplied with a cancer warning sticker on it. I, for one, would not want to put myself or my family at risk with the purchase of such a product..
Your RV, car and truck comes with a similar sticker. Just about everything with plastic, paper, glue, leather, carpet, vinyl and so on has some sort of bound known possible carcinogens. I know you’re not drinking your RV, but you are breathing any off gasses.
Many items have the sticker ““Contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause [cancer] [birth defects or other reproductive harm]” or something close to that. You also see that in many ads. California makes their own determination of what products get this label. It’s not agreed upon by the FDA. I always use pentek filters. They’re a trusted brand.
Shake hands – yes I always have – except not now – so will no doubt go back to shaking hands. I only remember from the movies – but the Indians had it right with the raised right hand and saying “How” as a greeting. (A lot of them passed on because of a smallpox epidemic). I would guess they didn’t do any handshaking until the white man came along!
I am an introvert and rarely shook hands before. Now I have a good excuse. My wife the extrovert is going nuts, while I am enjoying the whole shut down thing.
As a square dancer, we give/get lots of hugs. I miss my hugs. The hugs are usually shoulder hugs, not full face hugs. Some hug, some don’t, and I’m betting the huggers will get back to hugging at some point!
I have never liked shaking hands with anyone, so I would avoid it if I could. Now I think more people will understand if I don’t shake their hand. Sometimes my husband would just give people the peace sign when it was the flu season. I think that will be the best thing for me!
I prefer the most simple RV so most repairs can be made without complications. I do not trust slides even though they are wonderful for space, but I cannot imagine being stuck in the boonies with a stuck slide. No thanks. I like the idea that “Less is Best” motto giving me fewer problems to deal with.
Really not a problem. Learn how to manually bring in a slide when it fails. Owners manuals explain this although time consuming, it works fine. I only know this because I tested it, not because of it failing. Two slides same RV for 15 years.
Maybe its new RV’s with the problem.
God gave man kind a immune system, it has served me quite well for 66 yrs now! If I feel that my immune system is being compromised then I may change my greeting method. I work in construction and still offer my hand , about 50 percent of men respond in same!
Regarding slide-out seals- Can you talk about how to reach the seal along the top of the slideout when it’s covered by the little retractable tarp, and you can’t reach the seal from inside the coach?
I can do the sides just fine.
Good question, same concern.
You can use an extension pole (like your washing pole) and attach an old sock to it that is covered in whatever substance you use on your vertical seals. You may have to come in from both sides, but it is very doable.
At a yard sale I purchased a three prong garden/weed rake. I cut 1 prong off and cut the remaining prongs down to just smaller than the width of the seals. File all the sharp edges down and round off the remaining prongs. I then attached a piece of wood round stock to the handle to make it reach a little over half way across the longest slide. I attach a microfiber towel in the prongs and can slip it on both sides of the seal and wipe it clean and then apply silicone to lube the seal. I will be looking for another one when this whole mess is over and yard sales come back around so I then can have 1 for cleaning and 1 to lube.
Web page of the day article.
“Things to with your travel photos “
We put our travel photos on a electronic photo frame. That way we can see them all the time. Many good memories come to mind as each photo appears on the screen.
Why can’t Americans adopt Thailand culture by greeting people with a Thai Wai instead of shaking hands? Makes common sense to me. https://tinyurl.com/vjsqdjm
I think it will be a long time before Americans adopt bowing to each other.
I think it’s because Americans have a tradition of warmth and trust, so the act of touching one another is far more personal than a wai. Of course a hug is much more personal than a handshake, but a handshake is always appreciated as acceptance, or acknowledgement, or even as important as a binding contract!
Regarding the Quick Tip about AC and/or heater ducts blowing on thermostats, I would like to add that other heat sources can cause the same effect. The thermostat in our 2017 Coachman Chaparral fifth wheel is about a foot away from the hot air exhaust for our counter top ice maker. I noticed that the comfort level didn’t always seem to agree with the thermostat setting. Relocating either item (the ice maker or thermostat) is not easily doable so I’ve learned to just compensate a few degrees when setting the thermostat. I also bought a separate indoor thermometer that is placed on the opposite of the room to help me gauge how much “correction” to use on the thermostat.
In a previous 5th wheel (1999) the thermostat was located directly above the TV shelf. This was before flat screens and the heat generated by the TV caused the thermostat to either run the AC of furnace temperature off. I made a deflector to divert the heat from the TV around the thermostat, problem solved.
Also make sure the t’stat wire penetration is sealed. While running the air one hot day the trailer was getting quite cold. My wife had the stove hood fan running while cooking. The t’stat was reading 86 while the trailer was getting colder and colder. Pulled t’stat from wall and hot air from frig compartment was being sucked in behind t’stat. Sealed wire penetration and problem solved.
My wife and I have an Allego Bus, we traded our first coach for this one because the pathway from the front to the back (bedroom, bathroom area) was widened to allow for a wheelchair. The shower, toilet and wash basin areas have grab bars. It’s perfect for my wife and I even use the grab bars now and then. We have already looked into a lift at the entrance door. It’s not needed quite yet however.
I think it’s too soon to decide about shaking hands in the future. Still too much we don’t know about this virus. So I didn’t vote, ask again in a year or so.
When this Covid is over, I’ll probably shake hands as I used to do. But… I’ll be much more conscious of using the hand gel until I can get my hands under soap and water. And I already AM much more aware of how many times I push my hair back from my face!
Where’s that headband…..?
Hair?
Chuck, in your travels, does anyone customize RV’s? While wandering the local RV show, I noticed no wheelchair lifts, all doorways were the same size and ceiling height is decreasing. Difficult to find a truck without a center console that eats available space. The world is designed for 5’6″ tall and skinny.
Winnebago makes wheel chair motorhomes complete with chair lift and open interior.
Don, my wife uses a power chair when we are out & about. We’re also FT in a 38′ DPMH. Adapting a MH for a mobility challenge is something the school bus industry has been doing for a long time. When you feel the need to modify your coach look to a vehicle mobility shop for help. I’m in Wichita KS. We have company here called Kansas Truck Mobility. They are a school bus dealer & adaptive access specialist. In your area that’s what to look for.
We have a friend in a motorized chair. He had a lift added to his motorhome. Not sure where he found the installer, but it is possible.
Several manufacturers make wheelchair accessible models, they may not be at a RV show. Newmar, Entegra, and Winnebago are the manufaturers I’m sure of, and there may be more….
The water quality article is misleading and contains some totally false statements. Testing at the end user’s tap as well as at the treatment plant occurs. This article is a slap in the face to thousands of municipal water professionals and licensed operators who work very hard daily at all hours to maintain water supply sources and distribution systems, and most important, make it safe to drink. Yes, in some places the source may not be the most palatable, even though it is safe for consumption. However, one cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Actually you can. We’ve run a lot of nasty tasting local water through our ZeroWater filter’s and it’s worked every time. Tastes like bottled water after that.