Issue 1487
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
“After all,” Anne had said to Marilla once, “I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Illinois Day!
On this day in history: 1963 – Instant replay makes its debut during the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News for RVers.
Need a question about RVing answered? Our Facebook group RV Advice is an excellent place to ask it.
Tip of the Day
Maintain your battery with 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter
By Mike Sokol
A couple of years ago, I discovered that my dad was starting up and idling his backup car once a week for 5 minutes just to charge the battery. Other than that, he used it once every few months for maybe a 30-minute trip to town and back. What that does is allow a lot of unburned fuel to get into the engine oil, contaminating it. You’re also building up water vapor inside the engine and exhaust system, which can combine with the unburned hydrocarbons in the oil to form acid (IIRC Sulfuric Acid, but I need to confirm that with one of my chemistry engineering colleagues). This acid can attack your vehicle’s engine bearings as well as rust out your exhaust system prematurely.
What to do? Well if you can’t take your car (or RV) out for an hour ride to warm up the engine and boil out all the water vapor and unburned gasoline, then it’s best not to start it up at all. But you’ll still want to keep the battery fully charged (without overcharging). I bought this top-rated NOCO Genius battery maintainer and added the optional cigarette lighter adapter for my dad’s backup car that he kept in the garage. That way he could simply plug the battery maintainer into an always-on 12-volt outlet through an open window in his car without having to lift the hood or remember how to hook it up. I highly recommend this unit, with or without the 12-volt adapter plug.
Mike is the author of the highly-regarded book RV Electrical Safety.
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2021 Cherokee Wolf Pack 24Gold14 Toy Hauler. As he reports, “Unlike yesterday’s review of the Jayco Jay Flight SLX 8 265TH Toy Hauler, this one comes closer to what some think of as a traditional toy hauler.” Continue reading.
Tony’s reviews from this weekend you may have missed:
• 2021 Cherokee 294BH Bunkhouse Travel Trailer
• Jayco Jay Flight SLX 8 265TH Toy Hauler
For previous RV reviews, click here.
Is this your RV?
If it’s yours and you can prove it to us (send a photo for comparison), tell us here by 9 p.m. Pacific Standard time today, Dec. 7, 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
One battery tender for two 12-volt batteries?
Dear Mike,
I have two questions for you. I have two 12V batteries on my rig hooked up in parallel. Can I use a standard battery minder to keep them over the winter or do I need a special one for two batteries? And, what is the best way to connect them, bring them inside? Thanks for your help! —Kelly
• Join Mike’s Facebook group, RV Electricity.
• Read more of Mike’s articles here.
Why you should not refill disposable propane cylinders, with an exception
Some 40 million one-pound disposable propane cylinders are sold each year in the USA. National park visitors often just leave them in a dumpster – which in 2014 amounted to 23,000 of the little metal cylinders at Yosemite National Park alone, costing more than $1 each for proper disposal. So why not refill the smaller cylinders? There are several good reasons.
‘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.
Reader poll
How often do you buy a lottery ticket?
Roll the dice, then tell us here.
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
Compass points keep your rig cooler
“If your awning is on the south side, as mine is, we always park pointing/heading east so the smallest areas (front and back ends of the RV) get the east/west rising/setting sun during hot times. It also keeps our refrigerator on the coolest, north side. We also use Reflectix in all sunny windows to block out some sun heat.” Helping us chill out, our thanks to Becca Ray.
Mini dehumidifier removes moisture from RV
This mini dehumidifier from Pro Breeze quickly and efficiently removes moisture from the air. It is perfect for use in small areas like RVs. It extracts up to 9 ounces of moisture per day with a large 16-ounce capacity water tank that will automatically shut off when full. Very quiet, too. Learn more or order.
Website of the day
Big Rig Resorts
As their website says, “Big Rig Resorts.com is dedicated to the owners of those Big Rigs who seem to continually have a problem finding a place to park them. This is an RV Park directory to help you solve the problem.”
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Yikes! A holding tank pyramid!
• Wind storm uproots trees, crushes RVs. See video (may be disturbing!)
• RV Education 101: Establishing your RV’s pivot point
#946F
Trivia
Ever had to outrun a cockroach? If so, it would’ve been a close race. Cockroaches can run on two legs and can reach speeds of 5 feet per second! That’s probably not what you wanted to learn today…
MAKES A GREAT GIFT!
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 CT1000 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. Learn more or order.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is Nefe, our Savannah cat, walking on her leash through Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho. As she is still a kitten, she has been on multiple camping trips and has learned how to walk and hike with us on a leash. She even goes for motorcycle rides with us.” —Terryl Parry
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
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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Rather than the trouble , expense and possible danger of refilling a one pound propane cylinder,I chose a much safer alternative. I purchased a ten pound cylinder a fitting which fits perfectly in I cat litter container and goes great with my Traveler Barbecue.
Love your RV reviews!
While you’re celebrating the anniversary of the first football instant replay, you might also take a moment to remember the many who gave their lives for our country at Pearl Harbor.
Much appreciate this comment, thank you
I sent that blurb to a friend of mine who is a bug phobe. Love to creep her out.
I think you missed it for the history trivia for today. Remember Pearl Harbor!
A big thank you for all veterans who gave their last measure on this day. And to all veterans for their service.
The Trivia gave me chill bumps, and the Laugh picture made me LOL! Great recovery from the chill bumps.
Hey Mike, love your good work!
The thing about those NOCO and other digital charger/maintainers, is that they will keep a good battery charged, but don’t do very well if you want to recharge a low battery. They shut off when the volts come up enough to make the charger happy, even if the battery is not fully charged. I recently had a battery that was really discharged, had to switch to an old-school analog charger so I could “boil” the battery for a while to bring the specific gravity back to normal.
I just cannot shake the image of the cockroach, in an athletic shorts and shirt running upright and knocking itself out trying to run under the refrigerator.
Hah, now I can’t get that image out of my head
Regarding the NOCO Genius battery maintainer… So do I understand you correctly that with the 12v assessory plug-in adapter, one can just plug the battery maintainer into that and it will trickle charge the battery without have to put the clips directly on the battery? I have a more powerful one for my one ton Dodge Ram with the same 12v assessory adapter, but never knew I could just plug it into the “cigarette” 12v receiver and charge the battery that way.
You need to use the cig lighter socket that is hot all the time even when the truck is shut off.
Thanks Thom!!!
Ikea, how not to spend a whole day assembling!
Laughing at your “Leave here with a laugh”, funny!
I have used Reflectix in my Aliner, it leaves a film or stain on plastic. maybe on glass too. What do you use to clean the clear plastic windows?
I am a cat lover and love the picture of the day. We take 4 cats with us but they can get out of a leash in a blink of an eye🐱🐱
Does that include a harness?
Yes we have tried a couple different harness. They love watching squirrels and birds I feed. Back of couch gets a good work out while they watch all the activity🐱🐈
I keep a dog harness on my 2 cats each time they are riding in the RV with me. Easier to grab them. Only one will walk on a leash — she doesn’t get out of the harness.
We have a small solar panel that is used as a trickle charger in our truck. Surplus from VW, who used them to maintain their charge levels in shipping cars. Lucky find.
Instead of a battery tender, I have a 25 watt solar panel, (https://harborfreight.com/lawn-garden/outdoor-living/solar/25-watt-solar-panel-63940.html) and a 100 watt Solar charge regulator (https://harborfreight.com/lawn-garden/outdoor-living/solar/7-amp-solar-charge-regulator-96728.html). I have them connected directly to the house batteries with clips. I also have a small USB outlet that displays the battery voltage. So far they are at full charge whenever I’ve turned them on.
That’s another great way to do it, especially if your RV isn’t close to an electrical outlet.