Issue 1341
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.
If you shop on Amazon, please visit through our affiliate site (we get a little commission that way – and you don’t pay any extra). Thank you!
[activecampaign form=34]
Today’s thought
“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Pizza Party Day! (Maybe next year, eh?)
New Facebook Group: How the coronavirus is impacting RVers.
Tip of the Day
Product review: Secure your keys in HitchSafe receiver safe
By Bob Difley
Do you ever fear that you may lose your keys during a hike? According to the best thieves, there is no perfect place to hide your keys in your campsite or on your RV that they can’t find. But HitchSafe may solve that problem.
The HitchSafe HS7000T Key Vault slides into your hitch receiver and locks. When open it is large enough for not only keys, but also an emergency credit card, cash or driver’s license. Then hide its existence with an ordinary-looking dust cover that conceals and protects it. Learn more.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Mice invading your RV? Lion poop to the rescue
Through the years, we’ve written about a dozen ways to keep mice, squirrels and other rodents out of your RV. Some work, some don’t. Nobody seems to agree on the absolutely best way. Well, maybe this is IT! There’s one way to keep these pests (and even bigger ones like possums and bears) away from your RV, according to RVer Jeff Schwartz. Check this out!
Yesterday’s featured article: Full-time RVing: Compatible with partner?
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- Watch out for mice in your spring RV cleaning
- Too many dashboard accessories?
- Husband says “No” to danger; wife says, “Let’s go!”
- Rain coming? Shut off that cruise control!
Reader poll
Do you own a record player?
Tell us here!
Readers tell us
Have you cancelled camping reservations for the summer? See what fellow RVers who are in the same boat as you said here.
Run your RV air conditioner with a small generator
When the temperature heats up and you’re boondocking with only a small portable generator for power, you’re out of luck running an air conditioner. That is, unless you have a state-of-the-art SoftStartRV. It’s inexpensive, simple to install, and makes running your A/C possible. Don’t miss watching the short video by RV electricity expert Mike Sokol. Learn more or order at a special discount.
How a paper cup can save the day at an RV sewer hookup
Here’s a quick tip that could save the day for you down the road. Watch the video.
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.
• NEW DIRECTORY OF RV PARKS WITH STORM SHELTERS.
Quick Tip
Must-have safety equipment
Prepare for a breakdown or flat on the roadside – carry a set of warning triangles like commercial truckers use. Folding ones don’t take much space, but their reflectors help out at night. Be sure to place them well behind your rig to give traffic plenty of warning of your presence. Thanks to George Bliss (retired RCMP, BTW) for the tip! (Editor: Here are some at Amazon.com.)
Random RV Thought
It’s a good idea to keep a Post-It note with your RV’s height by your steering wheel or somewhere on your dashboard. Many bridges and underpasses are plenty high for your RV… but many aren’t…
AND THE SURVEY SAYS. We asked readers of RVtravel.com if they believe Facebook has made the world a better (or worse) place. Here is how they responded.
Website of the day
Spring clean with everyday household items.
How to spring clean your RV or house on the cheap by using what’s in the cupboard. There’s some great info in here!
NEED RV PARTS? Anything you might need is here at Amazon.
Clubs and useful organizations
PLEASE NOTE: We may receive an affiliate commission if you join any of these.
• Harvest Hosts: Stay free at farms, wineries and other scenic and peaceful locations for free. Save 15% on membership.
• AllStays: The best website for RVers! Your membership will become your RV-bible.
• Overnight RV parking. Directory of more than 14,000 locations where you can stay for free or nearly free with your RV. Modest membership fee.
• Boondockers Welcome. Stay at homes of RVers who welcome you in their driveways, yards, farmland or other space on their private property. Modest membership fee.
• Escapees. Best Club for RVers: All RVers welcome, no matter what type of RV, make or model.
‘Earthquake Putty’ keeps stuff in place
Do you have items in your RV you like to keep in place — on a table, bedstand or counter? You need this. Collectors Hold Museum Putty is designed to keep items secure in earthquakes! Hey, a moving RV is a constant earthquake! Apply some of this to the base of the object then lightly press it to the surface. Later, it comes off clean. Learn more or order.
Trivia
Bananas don’t grow towards the ground, they grow towards the sun. Since the fruit grows against gravity, the bananas develop their familiar curved shape. This unique process is called negative geotropism.
*Is humming good or bad for your sinuses? We told you the fascinating answer yesterday.
Leave here with a laugh
I’m terrified of elevators and I’m taking steps to avoid them.
Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.com
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY!
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.
Become a Member!
This newsletter is brought to you Monday through Friday by RVtravel.com and is funded primarily through voluntary subscription contributions from our readers. Thank you! IF YOU APPRECIATE THIS NEWSLETTER and others from RVtravel.com, will you please consider pledging your support? Learn more or contribute.
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.
Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.
This newsletter is copyright 2020 by RVtravel.com
A paper cup at the dump station….Ewwww…
Totally unsanitary and not air tight. the donut will simply sit on top of the drain letting sewer gas flow between donut and drain.. get a drain elbow with 3″ 4″ threads…. for sanitary reasons…spend the money. $14.95 amazon
Camco Easy Slip Elbow and 4-in-1 Sewer … – Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com › Camco-39144-Easy-Elbow-Adapter
Buy Camco Easy Slip Elbow and 4-in-1 Sewer Adapter with Easy-Slip Rings -Securely Connects RV Sewer Hose to Dump Station (39144): Water Heaters, .
He did say that this was a one time temporary use for dumping, not long term use.
The article said this was in an emergency and just to dump one time.
After my hubby drove away with the hydro still hooked up (more than once) I made him a sign. It was a heart shaped “honey do list” it was clipped to the sun visor hanging low enough that he couldn’t miss it. He would make sure all things were complete before driving away. Not rocket science but it worked.
Some may have a use for the hitch safe, but I found that the fake Coca Cola can or other fake food can stored in the fridge is never looked at. What burglar would take the time to check every can in the fridge or cupboard to see if it’s actually food or drink in there.
Click here and see other options;
https://www.thehomesecuritysuperstore.com/collections/diversion-safes
Thanks, Bob. If someone wants to order some of these fake food containers for hiding items from burglars, you can order them from Amazon.com and help support RVtravel.com in the process (for no extra cost). Thanks! https://amzn.to/2zBIdux 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Actually, I don’t believe any of those will work when you lock yourself out of your truck. Those are in-home solutions.
The tip was for when you go off and lose your key. The Coke can in the refrigerator won’t do any good.
Re: the hitch safe, i’m not concerned about losing my keys as much as damaging them. The transponder key to my truck costs many hundred to replace and the truck will NOT start without its voodoo (no physical keyhole for engine).
As a result, I frequently keep keys in a plastic bag inside my pocket when camping lest they get wet hiking/canoeing.
For access, a physical key will unlock doors but cant start the engine so in extreme cases like ziplining or serius swimming, I’ve locked the key hidden inside the truck and carry only an indestructable doorkey copy tied into my clothes.
I have found the rubber donut will not stay in most sewer drains no matter how hard I press down. Any tips for that
Not only did I put the Height, but also the length, width, and especially our weight on a post it on the dash. See my husband may “know” that but I don’t always remember. This helps with the roads or bridges with weight limits as well as the height.
The ad for earthquake tape was timely today. We here in NV had a 6.5er this morning at 4am near Mina, NV.
Hope all is well & everyone is safe!
Snoopy
I heard about that this morning! We are in NE Las Vegas right now, and we didn’t feel A THING! Tonopah and Mina are not that far away, but I guess it rolled more westward than southward. 6.5 though … that’s big enough to have been felt. We’ve felt smaller ones down here in LV and BC.
Chuck, How about a class on Propane tanks and the “automatic changeover regulator” ?
A “class”? Not sure what you want, Donald. In the meantime, here’s a very recent post from Russ and Tina De Maris on automatic changeover regulators, in case you missed it: https://www.rvtravel.com/understanding-your-propane-regulator/ 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Geez there is less and less in this newsletter every day. The hitchsafe is 100% worthless to the majority of readers that pull an RV. Who wants remove and store a heavy WDH to use one of those things. Or if you pull a fiver who can get to the receiver anyway? Plus it’s just paid advertising. Warning triangle, earthquake putty just more of the same you’ve been showing the same two adverts for months.
Not one line of original material in this thing and there wasn’t yesterday either and darned little over the last few weeks.
This makes me think I’m wasting my time and I’m a paid subscriber.
If you are not happy, go somewhere else, He is in Quarantine in one place for over a month, what have you been doing,? Probably sitting at home, while he and Gail are stuck in a RV with no place to go, so think and put yourself in that position before you complain, I love reading his posts every day,
The real problem, as I see it, is YOU!
Why all the negative comments? These stories or advertisements are meant for those who might be interested. but not everybody needs to use them.
I have had the reflector triangles for over 20 years and needed them only 3 times.
This is an upbeat site and while I respect your opinion, the rest of us don’t need your negativity. You would be doing the rest of us a favor if you did drop out.
Kite
Some people wouldn’t be happy with egg in their beer and foam on the bottom, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO READ IT! There is some info that I find repetitive and useless to me as I all ready have that knowledge but I don’t have a conniption fit over it because it appears in the newsletter. Advertising helps pay the bills, I see advertising everyday in everything I see, most I ignore, some I look at, but no one is holding a gun to my head forcing me to look at it. May I suggest you check your surroundings, if someone is forcing you to look at the commercials you may need to change your location. Have a good day if you can stand yourself.
Then unsubscribe. I can not believe the nerve of the editor for not checking with you and your tastes! The nerve of him for attempting to appeal to the general public.
I take it you haven’t had your SNICKERS, light-up man & go smell the roses!
Snoopy
Sorry you’re so upset with us and our newsletters, agesilaus. You are correct that a lot of the content in the RV Daily Tips newsletters has been published before, but there are a lot of readers who may not have read it, or may not remember it. And, like Chuck says, after 20 years, how many different ways can we tell readers how to empty the black tank? But there is some new material in every newsletter — we just put the majority of it into the bigger RV Travel and News for RVers newsletters on the weekend.
The HitchSafe post is not “paid advertising,” per se. Yes, there is a link to the product at Amazon, and we might make a couple of dollars from it if anyone orders it, but that’s it. We put that post in the newsletters in case anyone is interested – we know it won’t apply to 100% of our readers, or even a majority, obviously. The Amazon ads that are included are for those who haven’t seen them, or for those who might think, hey, I want one of those. We get a tiny commission on each item sold, and it helps pay our bills.
If reading the RV Daily Tips newsletters upsets you so much, may I suggest you just read the members’ editions of the Saturday and Sunday newsletters. Those include lots of new material, and since you’re a paid subscriber, you receive the issues without the advertisements. Thank you very much for being a paid subscriber, BTW. Take care, and stay healthy. 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Diane you are great, you should have been a politician.
Ha! Thanks (I think), John, but I don’t think so. Sixty years ago I even felt guilty just selling Girl Scout cookies to my relatives every year for 10 years. Not sure what that has to do with politics, but that’s what just popped into my head. 😆 —Diane at RVtravel.com
I get a little frustrated at the old stuff too sometimes … but not because it’s old. It’s usually something I haven’t seen before, since I’m fairly new to RV’ing and this newsletter.
I get frustrated because THE COMMENTS below the articles are old. I figure I don’t need to waste my time responding to someone from 9 months ago or 2 years ago when they’ll never get the benefit of my personal pearls of wisdom.
But it’s not something to get steamed over! Diane, you shouldn’t have HAD TO make any kind of conciliatory statement. Sad that you felt you did. You ROCK!
Thanks for your understanding and your kind words, Connie. Have a good night, and stay healthy. 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Yes, there is some duplication of ads, but they can also be reminders. Last week there was one for rodent repellent. Ok, looks like my coach won’t be used much this summer, so I ordered it up. That little ad may have saved me hundreds of dollars in wiring repairs. And not all readers are long time readers, so these may be all new information for them. Get outside, take deep breaths and enjoy the sunshine. Life is good. It’s been better, but will be again…
Thank you, Alpenliter. And that’s another reason why we cycle through the Amazon ads — in case someone wants to order something and can’t remember where the ad was. Glad you got your rodent repellent before the rodents get to your RV’s wires! And thank you for supporting our ongoing endeavors! Stay healthy! 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Agesilius, the Hitchsafe “ad” is not paid advertising. Yes, we run some of the same Amazon ads repeatedly because people buy the product because it is useful. And we have a dozen paid advertisers, which, like with any publication, furnish revenue to help us pay our bills. We have a staff to pay, other expenses, too. We are not a charity so we need to earn our livings one way or another. And it is simply not true that there is less in our newsletters today than in the past. If anything there is far more, not to mention that ten years ago we published 52 newsletters a year and now we publish more than 400. What would you do differently if you were the publisher? And, for the record, only 5 percent of our readers pay us even a penny to read our newsletters, even though some read what we do daily. If more did, we’d be less reliant on advertising. No “original” material in this issue? That is so untrue. All that said, it’s probably best for you to get your RV reading material elsewhere. Sounds like we are not valuable to you anymore.
Rather than a post-it note on your dash for the rig’s height. Use a LARGE size tape on a tape writer and post it on the upper part of your windshield. Up high and Right in Front of you. You are going to be looking UP at the bridge that you are thinking about going under anyway. Also post it in feet AND meters so you are covered no matter where in North America you are driving.
I only have mine in feet, anyplace that writes in “silly millimeters “ I don’t go.
My wife and I have traveled by motorcycle and/or RV in 40 different countries. The “silliest” system out there is feet & inches! And let’s not forget Fahrenheit; unlike Celsius, which is based on the two phase changes of water, it has no basis in reality.
I’m sure all of Canada cheers at your comment.
No, I think they would say “I’m sorry”
Darn it, Dave, get out of my truck! That’s exactly on what and where I posted my clearance information, although putting it on the glass visor is just as much because the thermal tape didn’t stick to the textured dash very well.
I would add be careful where you put stuff on your windshield. Never know when some cop, just looking for anything, could write you for “obstructed vision”.