Issue 1504
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.
Happy New Year’s Eve! Stay safe tonight. Wear a mask and don’t drink and drive! Thank you for being a part of our year here at RVtravel.com. You have made it wonderful and we are so grateful for your readership!
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Today’s thought
“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” —Rainer Maria Rilke
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is New Year’s Eve! It’s also, of course, National Champagne Day!
On this day in history: 1907 – The first New Year’s Eve celebration is held in Times Square (then known as Longacre Square) in Manhattan.
Tip of the Day
Nifty do-it-yourself bike rack saves money
By Jim Twamley
No need to spend wads of cash for a commercial bike rack for your rig. My friend Ed Grabman used a little imagination and made this do-it-yourself bike rack out of some 2 x 4s, bolts and screw-in hooks. Learn how easy it is to build!
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2021 nuCamp T@B 400 Travel Trailer. As he reports, “The 400 line has virtually all the comforts of most any travel trailer and a few especially inviting features….” Learn more.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the Heartland Big Country 3702FB Fifth Wheel? If you missed it, you can read it here.
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. 31, 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.
In the past week two readers claimed their prize: Frank S. of Lincolnton, NC, and Ken W. of Sequim, WA.
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.
You want to tow this behind your truck?
Is this the world’s largest travel trailer? Is it the amazing creation of a man who built it in his backyard from spare aircraft parts? With his tongue firmly in cheek, Chuck Woodbury tells you the story, and teaches you a little lesson when he wraps up.
Yesterday’s featured article: RVtravel.com editor talks about great places to RV in the West
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
These SO prickle our fancy! Check ’em out.
Reader poll
Will you celebrate New Year’s Eve tonight?
Fill up that champagne flute then tell us here.
Quick Tip
One, two, three, hoist!
“I attached a nautical rope (it has a loop on one end) to the handle of a small bucket. Then, with the necessary tools for the job in the bucket sitting on the ground beside the ladder, I carry only the end of the rope up during the climb. Then, safely kneeling or sitting on the roof, I can hoist the bucket up (and back down) safely to get my tools to do the job.” Thanks for the tip, Judy Glazier!
Website of the day
Become an RV Inspector
If you own an RV, you know how important an inspection is. Why not become a top-quality RV inspector yourself? This post from Living the RV Dream is a great place to start.
LAST DAY TO SAVE!
Stay FREE at more than 1,400 wineries and farms
Stay overnight for free at more than 1,400 wineries, farms, breweries, etc.! Harvest Hosts is an alternative to traditional campgrounds, where members can taste great wines and micro-brews, eat fresh produce and stay in peaceful settings. Now though Dec. 31 (today), save 20% on a membership by using code HHFRIENDS20 at checkout. Learn more
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:
• 15 percent say they’re considering selling their RV within the next year
• 59 percent have eaten at least one hamburger within the last week
• At a restaurant, 59 percent would prefer to sit in a booth over a table
Recent poll: How important is a $600 government stimulus check to you?
Trivia
More than 120,000 girls have joined the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts since the programs became available to them in early 2019.
*Business attire took a big hit in 2020, due to so many people working from home. What percentage decline did the retail industry see in sales of men’s suits? Yesterday’s trivia answers that.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is Keo, our 5 1/2-year-old rescued Shih Tzu mix. He loves traveling in the motorhome, not so much the car. When I’m not in the passenger seat, this is his favorite vantage point. He’s very good at adapting between staying in the motorhome or being at our stationary home. For years he would not go down the stairs in the motorhome, but while out camping last month, we decided to eat outside and that was all the incentive he needed: FOOD. He’s a great companion.” —Kathy Verdino
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.
SAVE MONEY!
Don’t toss away good batteries!
Most RVers rely on battery-powered devices while on the road, whether flashlights, radios or cameras. But sometimes you just can’t tell how much life a battery has remaining so you toss it to “be sure.” This small, inexpensive tester will alert you in an instant to the condition of a battery, saving you money from needlessly tossing ones with plenty of remaining life! Works on AA, AAA, C, D, 9V and button-type batteries. Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
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.
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
The Battery Tester noted above costs $9.00 (Amazon) but for another $10.00 get this Battery Daddy Box
https://www.amazon.com/Ontel-Battery-Organizer-Storage-Tester/dp/B089F9YDFC/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=battery+organizer&pd_rd_r=972de74c-9af7-4b43-8ede-06761d5af956&pd_rd_w=J4GFT&pd_rd_wg=7nmIM&pf_rd_p=0ec05f25-9534-48fe-9c3e-40b89957230e&pf_rd_r=VV30E4QXDY19VF91FD76&qid=1609447581&sr=8-5
which includes the above tester and hold 180 assorted Batteries. I bought 2, one for home the other for the RV.
Heck, Bob, I can’t afford all the batteries to put IN the box!! 😳
Re; Tip of the Day…redneck bike rack! LOL!! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!
Can anyone recommend a rear view camera system for a Class B+?
I really like my 4 camera, you can do just a single camera, from rear view safety. On our 42′ fifth wheel I did add a 30′ extension cable to get the antenna closer to the truck. The only hard part was figuring out where to put the display head.
Cat asked for a recommendation.
And Matt did recommend one. Good Lord, people are sure getting touchy. Must be all the hibernation we’re being asked to do.
I checked out a back up camera to use as a rear view camera but found out you can only have them on intermittently, as in just when you’re backing up, or they over heat and burn out.
These comments and questions are often very useful. It would be nice if this section was in a forum format such that previous input would be saved, posters could be notified of replies to there comment/question, more searchable. Possible?
BoinLV, If I understand your request correctly, RV Travel may provide that capability already.
If you look just above where you add your comment, you will see a selection titled: Subscribe. It has a triangle (drop down) button. If you add your e-mail address, it will allow you to get notified for all future replies (comments and questions). It is a two step process, where, once you subscribe, you go to your e-mail account and verified that you want to receive updates. I hope I am not mistaken about your request.
Thanks, BadWolfe. That sounds correct, although I don’t need to do that, being staff. 😉 The “Subscribe” term probably confuses folks who comment. I wish there were some way we could make it more clear, but I don’t think we have any control over what that button is called. Wishing you and yours a Happier and Healthier 2021! 🙂 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Love it! (the fact you don’t need to subscribe).
Ya, that is the whole problem with communications. How to provide clarity, but not overwhelm people. Engineers will write 1,000 page documents, then people like Mike Sokol informs us with just 3 words! I have some funny stories about communication (at least I think they are funny). There is a whole science about designing human interfaces. Companies like Apple are the closest to following that type of design. Bottom line, you guys are doing great.
Thank you, BadWolfe. BTW – I love wolves. My “kids” (now 44 and 41) usually give me a wolf-something for Christmas, so I have quite a collection. This year was no exception, and I got a beautiful piece of metal artwork that one son cut out in a couple of minutes on his CNC plasma table (that he custom builds). Have a great day and a safe and fun New Year’s Eve. 🙂 —Diane aka Mountain Mama at RVtravel.com
I have NEVER seen Mike Sokol limit his responses to just 3 words!! Or even just 3 paragraphs! 😳😀
I liked the Quick Tip about hoisting supplies to the RV roof. I’d like to know how how readers handle the hose when washing the roof. If not secured, gravity will pull it off the roof. I tried standing on the hose with one foot to free up both hands while scrubbing with the brush. Also tried hooking the hose to the antenna and tying it to my ankle. There must be a better way. Any suggestions?
I have a spray nozzle on my hose and I just hook the trigger onto something on the roof….usually an AC cover.
I just hooked the spray nozzle to the pocket of my shorts.
Make sure your belt/or suspenders are tight!!
I just pull up enough hose to hang over the opposite side of the RV until needed, use it and then hang the hose over the side again, repeat until finished.
The women that run the Girl Scouts sued the Boy Scouts to allow girls to join the Boy Scotts when that happened the had to change the name that’s been the norm since 1910 to Scouts. Now the girl scouts are suing the Boy Scouts because they are reducing their attendance rolls and affecting their bottom line because too many girls are joining the Boy Scouts. Like in life you just can’t win with them. But along with the young girls comes their mothers and the ridiculous changes that have to be made to accommodate them. Several friends in the organization have quit because of this.
100% correct. And it is not allowed ( denied in court ) for boys to join the girl scouts. Discrimination at it’s finest.
That is absolutely ridiculous!! Girls shouldn’t be in Boy Scouts. If anything, maybe the Girl Scouts should revise their teachings so as to be more “in-line” with those things of more interest to the girls.
It isn’t a comment but a question. I trust your recommendations and would like to know if there is a good dash cam that you recommend. We live in and tow a fifth wheel six months a year and I am seeing increasingly more aggressive driving on the road. I think a dash cam would be a wise investment.
I think it’s kind of a crap shoot. We’ve gone through 5-6 dash cams and they all seem to ‘go south’ after a period of time. Whatever you decide on, try to get one with high(er) resolution so maybe you can see license numbers.
Buy one with a 4” screen, I don’t know what the name brand is but I bought 3 with 1 1/4 and 1 1/2” screens that you could half see and only lasted a few days. I’ve had this on almost 3 years, can see what’s on the screen and it cost less than $50.
So please look at your camera for a name. That would help us all
There are several good ones on Amazon. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Make sure that you get one with a larger screen and wide view. I just got one for around $40. You will need to also purchase an SD card with some cameras. Compare features before you buy.
I own two ROVE Stealth 4K PRO Dash Cams. One for the car and one for my motorcycle. The dash cam I use for my motorcoach is called a Street Guardian SGZC12SG which I have had for many years now. They no longer make that model. The ROVE & Street Guardian are some of the best dash cams you can buy.
We’ve been considering front/rear dash cams for a while too and for the same reason. There are so many choices and prices. I’d love to see an article on this subject to help me shop. After that, how about a guide to a remote black tank valve for the tailgaters?
I saw a bumper sticker on the back of a motorhome that stated “back off or I’ll flush”.
My wife and I purchased an Escort (the radar detector folks) M1 dash cam. Excellent clarity and you can set it to record different length videos. It will record for that amount of time, then automatically start a new clip of the same length. It loops over the oldest videos after a set time. That way you never run out of SD card space and if an “event” happens, you can press a button on the unit and that video will never be erased. You can control from you phone, review images on the phone or computer, too. Easy to send videos as well. It’s been great.
I think that is the most important consideration, how are you going to save a video if something does happen. It can be very difficult with the cheaper ones.
I’ve had a dash cam for several years now and have some really good (or perhaps described as bad) footage. Don’t go cheap. My latest one I got from Amazon. It’s an AZDOME Model GS63H. I see it’s on sale right now for $98.99. I’m really happy with it. It has GPS which is a nice feature when you’re travelling long distances and then try to figure out where you took the footage. Most Dash Cams only take a 32GB mini SD card and this one takes a 64 according to the manual. The manual comes in about a 4 font but is available on line and I downloaded and printed it. You have the option to have the camera shut off when your vehicle is shut off and will come on when you start the vehicle plus several other options. I bought a 64GB card at WalMart and that SD card didn’t work so I went back to the 32GB. That will give you (guessing) about 6 hrs of recording time. So you don’t loose an “event” I carry extra SD cards and swap them out to save an event. Do not change SD cards with the camera on.