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Issue 1467
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
“The secret of life is to let every segment of it produce its own yield at its own pace. Every period has something new to teach us. The harvest of youth is achievement; the harvest of middle-age is perspective, the harvest of age is wisdom; the harvest of life is serenity. —Joan D. Chittister
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Louisiana Day!
On this day in history: 1906 – Theodore Roosevelt is the first sitting President of the United States to make an official trip outside the country. He did so to inspect progress on the Panama Canal.
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News for RVers.
Tip of the Day
New to RVing or want to improve backing up hand signals? Read this
By Nanci Dixon
I am always looking for better ways to communicate clearly when guiding my husband in backing up the RV. We have finessed signals over the years from flapping like a chicken (his words, not mine) to much more definable signals.
I just found these two videos, “Hand Signals For Backing Up Your RV” and “This Far To Go” on YouTube and tried them out during our last parking event – maneuvering our 40-foot motorhome into a tight spot complete with low trees, tall water posts, electric pedestals and an unmovable picnic table. Continue reading.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Today’s RV review…
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2021 Newmar Canyon Star 3719 Front Diesel Motorhome. As he reports, Newmar continues to deliver beautifully made motorhomes that really do reward the owners with outstanding interiors and good craftsmanship. Learn more.
Tony’s reviews from this weekend you may have missed:
• Keystone Cougar 24SABWE travel trailer
• 2021 Jayco Jay Feather Micro 166FBS travel trailer
For previous RV reviews, click here.
Is this your RV?
If it’s yours and you can prove it to us (send a couple of photos for comparison), tell us here by 9 p.m. Pacific Standard time today, Nov. 9, 2020. If it’s yours you’ll win a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
If this isn’t your RV, send us a photo of your RV here (if you haven’t already) for a chance to win in future issues.
We’ll have another photo in tomorrow’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter (sign up to receive an email alert so you don’t miss the issue or those that follow). Some of these photos are submitted by readers while others were taken by our editors and writers on their travels around the USA.
RV Electricity – This week’s J.A.M. (Just Ask Mike) Session:
Water heater woes…
Dear Mike,
I’m an RV newbie with zero experience, but I’ve just noticed that my hot water heater takes a lot longer to heat up on electricity than when it’s set on propane. Is there something wrong with it, or is that just how it works? —Penelope
• Join Mike’s Facebook group, RV Electricity.
• Read more of Mike’s articles here.
Dog scratches its way through RV door
What can we learn from the photos in this article? That some dogs will do just about anything to get out of an RV if left alone? Or do we learn that some RVs are so cheaply made, including their doors, that a dog can, with a little effort, scratch its way out to freedom? Check out the unedited photos.
Reader poll
Do you change the oil in your RV or tow vehicle yourself?
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
Used motorhome shopping most-wanted checklist
Some items to consider: Has great curb appeal. Looks good and is something you can be proud to own and drive. Feels modern when you step into it. No purple velour on the walls or seats. No puke green shag carpet, no burnt orange refrigerator. Has no unusual odors: no tobacco smells, no food smells, no pets odors, and absolutely no wet, mildewy smell. Has a real bathroom, one that you can stand up in without bumping your head. And a real sink with a vanity. Has a real shower – large enough to stand up and move around in. Has a full-size refrigerator that runs on electric and propane, with enough room in the freezer to hold at least six microwave dinners. Has a large kitchen area with enough counter space to prepare food. Has a dinette where you can sit and eat meals or use a computer.
Has a comfortable couch with reading lights above and long enough to stretch out on. Has a side entry door – no rear door entry for me. Has enough room inside for me and my traveling companion, with sufficient storage space for all that we carry. Is new enough that it has modern safety features like driver and passenger air bags. Has less than 40,000 miles. Is easy to drive, easy to park, has no squeaks or strange noises, handles well on the highway, in the wind and when big trucks pass by. Is not so long or wide that it is difficult to drive and restricted from some national parks. Is mechanically reliable – with wide availability of parts – and can be worked on just about anywhere in the country.
When I find a motorhome that satisfies all of the above, I can be pretty sure it will be one I’ll enjoy. And when I get ready to sell it, it’ll likely appeal to a lot of potential buyers, and will sell quickly. —From Buying a Used Motorhome – How to get the most for your money and not get burned. Available on Amazon.
The cutest camping decor we’ve ever seen…
You’ll make everyone jealous! These battery-operated mini LED kerosene lanterns are by far the cutest piece of camping-themed decor we’ve ever seen. These string lights are perfect for both indoor and outdoor lighting. Wrap them around the trees, patio decks, door frames, or windows for a party, holiday or summer decor. We’re ordering some for ourselves here…
Website of the day
50 ways to make money from home
This article will get you inspired, that’s for sure. Visit this page to learn 50 ways you can make some extra cash without leaving your couch. Really! It’s true!
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• What is this truck?
• RV Tire Safety: Is it against federal regulations to change tires on an RV?
• RV Shrink: RV cabin fever – First-time snowbirds are bored out of their gourds.
#939F
Trivia
Men, watch out! In U.S. National Parks, men are 75% more likely to die a camping-related death than women. Yikes!
‘Earthquake Putty’ a favorite of RVers, 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! To use this, pull off what you need, roll until soft, apply to the base of the object then lightly press it to the surface. Later, it comes off clean. RVers love it! Cheap, too! Learn more or order.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Lucy and Ethyl. Eight-1/2-year-old Chihuahua/Shitzu’s. Sisters from the same litter.” —Robert Palesch
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
A mummy covered in petrified chocolate and nuts was just discovered in Egypt. Archaeologists believe it may be Pharaoh Rocher…
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.
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RV Daily Tips Staff
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Senior editor: Diane McGovern. Social media and special projects 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
In regards to the trivia, we all know most men die first, because they want too!!
The dog scratching through the door photo is great (not so much for the RV owners). Thanks for sharing that. We have 3 dogs. The first thing we did when we got our RV was to put panels on the inside of the screen door so they couldn’t blow through that door. Our main entry door is made of aluminum. No worries there that the dogs can scratch or chew their way through it.
Many dogs (other pets too I suppose) suffer from “separation anxiety”. This is a very distressing condition for both dog and owner. There are ways for both to learn how to lessen the negative results of this. Truly loving owners can find out more about this on the web and from a qualified vet who should not prescribe drugs as a 1st line treatment. It takes time and patience just like house training and canine ‘good citizenship’ training but it may help prevent disasters such as the one described.
Regarding earning money by working from home, isn’t that what a lot of people are doing nowdays because of the pandemic?
I read the article about backing up – sorry didn’t watch the videos though. I am used to marshalling aircraft (guiding/directing you get the gist) after having spent almost 29 years in the Cdn military. It really isn’t complicated! Use both arms-pretend you are doing a bicep curl-with palms ups, fingers extended. If the driver has to go left point your left arm down to the ground at a 45 degree angle while continuing “curling” your right arm. As the distance decreases have arms above head with both hands extended showing the closing distance. To stop make an “X” of your arms with fists closed. My husband is thrilled to have a partner who knows what she is doing.
Google it. It really works.
I’m a bit confused about the relatively recent addition of RV reviews by “industry insider Tony Barthel”. I initially welcomed his reviews in my never-ending quest to identify RVs that might buck the apparent industry race to produce the cheapest units possible with the highest ROI possible. What I find, however, is what appears to be “industry insider” bias in that all reviews seem to simply praise everything coming out of Elkhart. That seems completely inconsistent with the editorial bent to hold RV companies accountable. But, maybe it’s just me . . .
It’s not just you. These reviews would be better named ‘spotlight’, in that you get a heads up that here’s a random new model that might be worth a look. Though so far, nothing too innovative has been featured.
I think we all assumed when starting to RV that there was a sort of Consumer Reports you could look at to find a good model. But instead, there is a torrent of new models coming out every year, it just isn’t feasible to really analyze and test them, and by the time it was published, there would be a new one replacing it.
Perhaps there should be a column ‘Quest for Quality’ that hunted down the ‘good stuff’ that is being made, in a constantly changing marketplace.
I have the same feeling! Liking Wanderer’s suggestion of changing the section name to “Spotlight”. In a real review, I expect to see pros AND cons.
Ditto
Yup . . .
Yes, it’s a misnomer to call these reports “reviews.” They could instead call them an Overview or a Peek or a Tour or a Look At – anything that makes it obvious there’s no actual testing or review of the product.
👍👍👍
Agreed. They’re definitely not hands-on reviews; they seem to be little more than recitations of what’s in the manufacturer’s brochure or press release. Not valuable to me.
I skip over the “Reviews”. We’re very happy with our current rig and not in the market for anything different.
Interesting requests for Motor home. Most of the showers are not built for people over six feet tall or two hundred pounds. That’s why we have those crummy outside shower units.