Issue 1342
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
“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National No Dirty Dishes Day!
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News 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.
Tip of the Day
Get your feet wet: Rent an RV
RVing can be a lot like checking out the swimming pool. Some folks are brazen enough to launch themselves out into the water like a cannon ball, others gingerly stick their toes in the water and make a gradual immersion. If you want to try out the RV lifestyle without major financial risk, consider renting a rig and trying it out. Here are some tips on what NOT to do.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
RV Electricity – This week’s J.A.M. (Just Ask Mike) Session:
Taming the air conditioner energy hog. A reader asks Mike if there is a big a difference between 30-amp and 50-amp power, and why air conditioners are such energy hogs.
• Join Mike’s Facebook group, RV Electricity.
• Read more of Mike’s articles here.
Want cold food & drinks? Keep your RV refrigerator happy!
Chris Dougherty, certified RV technician, wrote this article while serving as RVtravel.com’s technical editor.
RVers are fortunate to enjoy a wonderful lifestyle – and the equipment that makes it possible. This includes the RV absorption refrigerator, which is completely different from the machines we have at “home.” Here are some things you can do to help keep the RV refrigerator running at peak efficiency for many years. Learn more.
Reader poll
How many miles have you driven or towed your RV in the last 30 days?
Please tell us here.
☛Don’t be hot this summer in your RV!
New product allows you to run your air conditioner at times you couldn’t before. Great for boondockers with only a small generator. Learn more.
Are you an RV water whiz? You need these gadgets!
If you’ll be camping in a park with “city water,” that is, water from a faucet, there are some good accessories to keep in your RV storage compartment. These can make your visit easier – even safer – for your rig. They’re inexpensive and you’ll bless yourself for having them when you need them. Continue reading.
Readers tell us
Are you taking more naps now than before? Find out what fellow sleepy RVers said here.
Remove ticks easily from people or pets!
This highly rated Tick Twister Remover Set will remove ticks, large and small, without squeezing them, reducing the risk of infection. It does not leave the mouthparts of the tick in the skin. It’s the safest and easiest way to remove ticks and in just a few seconds, and it helps prevent Lyme Disease. Keep one of these in your RV. 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.
• DIRECTORY OF RV PARKS WITH STORM SHELTERS.
Quick Tip
Your RV’s holding tank is alive!
Enzyme-based, bacteria-infused blends prove to be the most effective type of tank additive. These blends digest the odor-causing molecules at the source inside the waste tanks, eliminating odors rather than masking them.
Some treatments may consist of harmful chemicals like formaldehyde. Avoid these if possible. Many state parks, campgrounds, and dump stations ban RV holding tank evacuation because of this.
To a certain extent, RV holding tanks are living, thriving environments. Antibacterial soaps, detergents or DIY treatments can destroy the “good bugs” that are beneficial in helping the elimination of odors.
Avoid black tank blockages by using copious amounts of fresh water during each flushing of solid waste. Be sure to cover the bottom of each holding tank with fresh water after each evacuation. Do not store the RV for lengthy periods with contents still in the tank.
Dirty contacts? DeoxIT!
Here’s a comment from our electrical specialist, Mike Sokol: “I’ve used DeoxIT for decades on my pro-sound gear. We use it on speaker connectors, power connectors such as cam-lok and twist-lock plugs (just like RV power), volume controls, gold-plated circuit boards (like in RV refrigerator control boards), etc. There are several different versions of DeoxIT depending on if you want built-in lubricant for potentiometers, or gold contact refurbishing or simply oxidation removal.” Learn more or order.
Random RV Thought
This is a good habit for motorhome owners to get into: When you plop down in your seat in the RV (driver or passenger), the first thing you should do before you start the ignition to drive away is to stand back up and go check that the fridge and all cupboard doors are closed. If something is open, you’ll have a big mess on your hands.
Website of the day
Ways to make money from the road
Here’s a list from our friends at Wholesale Warranties that features different ways couples have found to make money while on the road in their RV. The RV-related businesses these people run are pretty neat, too.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis: The “Profit” or the “Destroyer”?
• Hard to believe an RV park hookup could be so stupid!
• What to do in the event of an RV accident.
#911F
Have a screen with a tear or rip? This screen-repair tape is amazing!
Trivia
The pleats in a chef’s hat, technically called a toque, represent a chef’s level of experience. The more pleats, the more the chef had mastered. At one time there were 100 pleats, which meant that the chef knew how to cook an egg 100 ways. Chef’s hats today don’t have 100 pleats, but they do still signify a chef’s level of experience.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. We publish one each weekday in RV Daily Tips and in our Saturday RV Travel newsletter.
Leave here with a laugh
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
I have an issue with your article
“Are you an RV water whiz? You need these gadgets!”
The plastic item that you are calling a pressure regulator is nothing but a water flow restriction!!
They do nothing to regulate water pressure. i wish we could stop calling them regulators.
They may reduce the pressure when the water is flowing at a full flow, but the minute you stop the water usage, the water pressure goes right up to what the campsite is supplying. A water regulator will have a spring loaded valve in it that can be set to a specified pressure. when the water flow is off, the valve will close as long as there is sufficient pressure on the outlet side. It will open proportionately when there is water flow to attempt to maintain the proper pressure on the outlet side.
It is actually a regulator, there is a spring loaded valve inside. Yes, it is poor quality, but it is incorrect to call it a restrictor. I have seen others dismiss the barrel shaped devices saying they don’t regulate pressure. Yes, I have tried them, they will reduce pressure, but they are junk.
Tom, it’s Chrome because I use that browser and I do have to hit the back button to go back to the newsletter. Of course, I use my phone to read the Daily Tips so it may be different on a computer.
When I used to click on a link here it would open in a new window (tab). Now it just comes up in the same tab in place of the newsletter and I have to hit the “back” button to bring the newsletter up again. Is this happening for others too, or is it because I recently had to change from Firefox to Chrome for my browser? Any input much appreciated – I am NOT a computer guy. Thank you!
I noticed the same about a week ago. I use Chrome and open the link with a right click, then choose “Open link in new tab”.
Sometimes the links open in the same tab and sometimes they open in a new window, it’s not consistent.
Right click the link > select open in new tab > voila! Takes only 1/2 second more time
Or press and hold CTRL while left clicking
Hi, Tom. I’m not a computer person, either (I call myself a computer idiot — which is even worse than computer illiterate!). But we were advised (very strongly) by our IT folks recently that for links which go to locations outside of our website we should have them open in a new tab. For links that stay within our website (like to another of our articles), we shouldn’t set them to open in a new tab. Something about the analytics for our website and also that it should improve the user experience. Kim, our IT dude, says, “Any person can 2 finger click or right click on ANY link on our site and open it in a new tab.” Sorry for the confusion and inconvenience. We’ll see how this goes. 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Thank you everyone – your tips were very helpful and I appreciate it!
Love the pet pictures. Makes me smile every time.
We take the motorhome out once a week or so, get take-out, and eat out in our own dining room”.
Re napping, could mean u suffer from sleep apnea. Yes I have it, but it’s controlled with CPAP machine – get tested, could save ur life!
Took a trip to Long Beach, Calif and stayed 2 weeks at the Golden Shores R V PARK. Very nice, quiet, only 1/3rd of the spots were occupied.
Been there a couple times. Very nice small park on the water and walking distance from waterfront eateries as well as a short drive to the Queen Mary.
Towed it to Firestone to get wheels balanced and tires checked.