Issue 1525
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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Page Contents
Today’s thought
“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Puzzle Day!
On this day in history: 1886 – Karl Benz patents the first successful gasoline-driven automobile.
Tip of the Day
The right voltage is critical to the life of your RV
Steve Savage submitted this article to RVtravel.com when he was a Master Certified RV Technician with Mobility RV Service.
We were camped and the Progressive Power Management system I had plugged into our camper killed the power to our fifth wheel. When I went outside to check the box, the system provided me a readable code that told me why: The voltage to our camper was too low. What does that mean and why is it important to have the right voltage? I’m glad you asked. Continue reading.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
RVelectricity
Livestream event on Lithium battery charging, and much more
Sign up on YouTube now by clicking here for Mike Sokol’s live streaming event next Tuesday, February 2, 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, with Dennis Wieske from Progressive Dynamics, one of the leading manufacturers of RV battery chargers and power centers. Mike explains what they’ll discuss here. They’ll be taking live text questions from the audience.
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the 2021 TruckHouse BCT Overlander Camper. As he reports, “The fact that TruckHouse built a camper to fit it [the Toyota Tacoma] using innovative build materials and then outfitted it to go off-road is smart.” Learn more about this neat off-roading RV here.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the 2021 Winnebago Voyage 3134RL 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, Jan. 28, 2021. 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.
This past week three readers claimed their $25 Amazon gift card: Grant C. of Tacoma, WA, Bob & Debby O. of Box Elder, AZ, and Tina S. of Titusville, PA.
We’ll have another photo in tomorrow’s 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.
Dramatic geology and history abound at Red Rock Canyon State Park
The 50-site campground at Red Rock Canyon State Park is tucked into the base of colorful desert cliffs where Kawaiisu Indians hunted small game. The park’s prominent buttes, steep cliffs and colorful rock formations served as signposts for Native Americans for thousands of years. Twenty-mule-team wagons stopped for water, and it’s been the location of several movies. Read more.
Yesterday’s featured article: RVer wants buying advice. Isn’t it obvious this RV is bad news?
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Hahaha! If you have a young grandchild or know someone who just had a baby, they need this!!
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- Dump your holding tanks from inside your RV
- 2021 Toyota Tacoma Review: Nightshade Edition shines
- Ford recalls 3 million vehicles for airbag danger
- Appreciate – but don’t mess with – the desert coyote
Reader poll
How often do you ride a bicycle?
Pedal on over and tell us here.
Quick Tip
Save money outfitting your RV kitchen
Do you need pots, pans, dishes or silverware for your RV? You have several choices. The most common way is to stock up at your nearest big box store. The second is to borrow from your supply at home (few RVers do this). The third choice, which will save you a lot of money, is to visit Goodwill or another thrift store to buy what you need. It’s easy to supply a kitchen this way and you’ll pay a fraction of what you’d pay buying “new” – and your purchases will support a worthy cause.
USED BY RV TECHNICIANS!
Protect your RV parts from rust and corrosion
T-9 is the RV technician’s choice for attacking corrosion, loosening rusty parts & flushing out old lubricants. It permeates metal crevices & seeps deep inside assembled components to leave a durable protective coating, lubricating without dismantling equipment. It won’t wash off in rain or mud. T-9 will not harm paint, plastic, rubber, fiberglass or vinyl. It can be used on engines, wiring, belts & is safe on electronics. Boeshield T-9 was developed by Boeing for lubrication and protection of aircraft components. Learn more or order.
Website of the day
Lonely Planet: North America
You may be familiar with Lonely Planet already (their guidebooks are great!), but if you haven’t spent time exploring their website, we suggest you do. It’ll spark the wanderlust, that’s for sure…
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.
Trivia
Every single minute, 2 million searches are performed on Google. Wow!
*How many parts are there in a car?
A) 4,000
B) 16,000
C) 30,000
We told you yesterday.
Lap desk puts your back to rest!
If you find yourself using your computer on your lap, reading your Kindle on the couch, or having a hard time holding that heavy hardback, you need this lap desk! Staff writer Emily uses this when she works and highly recommends it. The desk has eight adjustable levels and even has a stopper to hold objects upright. Great for those who have lower back pain or terrible posture. Learn more or order.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is Vinnie, adopted from the CO Prison Trained K9 Companion Program. He has been to a dozen, mostly Western USA, states, is very adaptable and loves meeting new doggies at RV park dog parks and hiking.” —Laura Stephens
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
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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.
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This newsletter is copyright 2021 by RVtravel.com
Garage and estate sales are even better than Good Will. We have acquired much of our RV equipment that way. Also, stores like Big Lots have new pots and pans at similar prices to GW, although we use GW sometimes.
I agree, we have found a lot of good things for RV at garage sale and estate sales ourselves. Thrift stores are left over from garage sales that nobody wanted.
One thing I did notice. We have a progressive unit on our camper and leave it plugged in with the AC on during the summer months. The AC went out last year. As we were going on a trip with our pet we bought a temperature, voltage monitor alarm.
After we returned home there were times duing the night that we would get numerous notifications minutes apart that the powers was off then on because it was fluctuating right at the upper voltage limit.
Now wonder if that on and off cycling is not what killed the original AC.
Measuring the voltage it showed about 130v but the progressive reads it at 132.
Steve Savage’s tip of the day, about low voltage from the RV park pedestal, might have included mention of the Hugh’s Autoformer as a solution. I’ve been using one for years and it definitely solves the problem. Look it up.
Could have also mentioned to warn your neighbors too, not just think about yerself. But being a “technician”, maybe he is thinking of the possible extra $$ he can make repairing things around the park. :-/
A lot being said about Goodwill Industries. Take a look at many so called non profits and look at what they pay their top people and what actually goes to the people that they are supposedly helping. General Brian Peddle of the Salvation Army is in the 200-300 thousands category, is that too much, I don’t know? When these non profits are put under the microscope about salaries for their top executives they usually respond “we need to pay this to attract the right people” or something to that effect. Without getting political look at the Clinton Foundation for how much goes out to people they are supposed to be helping, ask the Haitian’s about their contributions. The simple fact remains no matter what, non profits will always be scrutinized for how much they pay their top executives.
I guess we are in the very few category as we use pots and pans from our home kitchen.
Either duplicates from getting married plus whatever else we need for our trip. Haven’t really bought anything just for the RV.
“Goodwill Industries International is a 501(C)(3) Nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 53-0196517.” As such it is a non-profit charity. That doesn’t mean it can’t make a profit, it just doesn’t have any stockholders/owners to distribute them to. In North America it works through 156 autonomous community-based organizations – also 501(C)(3)s. These are free to spend their share of their revenues on whatever community programs they choose to support. That said, sometimes non-profits are accused of over-paying their executives. That’s up to their boards of directors as there are no “owners.” Any organization that uses .org in their website name has to be a non-profit of some type.
As for the .org on their web site they MUST be non profit, is not true.
My company’s email and web was a . org and I assure you I wasn’t a non profit. Wanting my name and “appraiser” in the address, necessitated the .org, it’s all that was left.
Get one of the new Autoformers- it will solve your over/under voltage problems plus offer you surge protection.
Tip of the day, I think there is some mis-information in there! I was reading it when I saw this statement! “I stopped using my power management system and monitored the voltage with my multimeter.” I’m having trouble with the thinking of that to actually disconnect his PMS & use a volt meter to monitor his voltage.Surly Steve Savage ment something else or I didn’t understand it right!?
Snoopy
I totally agree and commented earlier before I read this. His explanation of the problems it causes is off too, i.e. a relay does not care about low voltage, if it gets too low, it will ‘shut off’ and that is it. But a AC motor will burn out if exposed to the low voltage. I would not want that technician working on my equipment.
Does Vinnie have a teardrop tattoo?
Good morning! Great point on saving money on your RV kitchen! I like the 3rd choice as well ” visit Goodwill OR another thrift store to buy what yA need.” We only have goodwill in our town and they have quite a selection. People DONATE and or purchase at EXTREMELY cheap prices. I would rather donate than throw it out and many people will purchase there because its all they can afford.
Yes! Another tip is to make clear glass your ‘china pattern’ (if you prefer it to plastic). That way you always have a great selection of glasses, bowls and plates at thrift stores. I only have room for a few of each so it’s silly to buy and carry a full set. Just get what you actually need at a thrift store.
I think the order of the three choices should be reversed. A thrift store/garage sale FIRST, then home and then a ‘bigbox’ store. Please people, quit buying just for the sake of buying, reuse.
I have used a voltage monitoring device for years and would never hook up to a pedestal without one. It has saved my RV at least four or five times from low voltage and burning up my electrical system. Like a water regulator don’t leave home without it, you can not trust RV parks utilities.
This is still America. Start a business, hire people, make money. Is McDonald’s a worthy cause? If you don’t like a business, don’t shop/donate. It does not make them a bad business… this is still America.
Good article about voltage issues. I keep ignoring getting a tester to keep in the RV. One built in to the system would be great. In this digital age it shouldnt be difficult to have one that stores a few hours of history to read in case you suspect a problem. It would also help monitor the generator.
Mike Sokol recommended this outlet tester that shows the current voltage and if there’s a wiring problem. You can leave it plugged in all the time in a visible outlet. It doesn’t have an alarm. https://amazon.com/dp/B081ZL5PCV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_A2B4YQTE36BW0DJDZW1B?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
As for the trivia question google searches are declining. Folks have had enough with the tracking and senor ship of google. I have removed it from all my devices. I use duckduckgo search engine.
Me too, Travis. Also moved over to “Brave”.
Me too. Went to DuckDuckGo about 10 years ago on our computers and our phones.
Same here.
Same here. Using DuckDuckGo definitely cuts down on the random ads popping up everywhere else from the google tracking software.
Google’s tracking is bothersome, but they still seem to have the most comprehensive searches. I switched to StartPage – they pay google for their searches, without retaining them or any metadata about you. Also consider Brave browser.
Good Will is NOT a worthy cause. The owner is a multi-millionare who has gotten rich from donations from the ill informed. A small local thrift shop or a church would be a far better choice. Either buying or selling, Good Will does not get MY business.
I feel the same way, I’ve seen to many stories about how they treat the employees because of their handicaps. I donate to Salvation Army, they are the ones who show up to help during tragedies, you’ll never see a good will truck at a tornado or hurricane relief center. Good Will has done a good marketing job of convincing people to donate and then allow them to shop for the same thing someone else donated. You can’t beat their business plan, get products to sell for nothing, clean the dust off, put it on the shelf for 10000% profit.
Agree completely. Salvation Army has one of the highest uses of donations for stated purposes (lowest “overhead”)
And then they ask if you want to “Round UP!” No thanks.
Goodwill is an American nonprofit 501organization that provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people who have barriers preventing them from otherwise obtaining a job. The current CEO made his money in the USA financial sector. If one doesn’t like a “business plan” write the company and or moan to the appropriate source or start your own business, don’t deprive the needy of items you are going to throw out any way.
He said he’s donating to the Salvation Army John. Didn’t say he’s throwing things away. Good Will isn’t the only game in town.
Very good article on the right voltage for your rv. As a seasoned rver, I have met many who have no idea this can be a major issue, causing many problems you don’t want to have. Now with so many newbies joining the ranks many more uninformed are going to learn the hard way, just my opinion.
But the article is wrong in a few ways on what problems low volts cause and what you should do about it. Hint: If the protection shuts you down, DO NOT bypass it and continue to use the power… warn yer neighbors instead!
Goodwill all the way!
Diane, you really need to check Goodwill out thoroughly.
Bob is correct. Goodwill is not a charity but business for profit. You donate your stuff to them for free then they sell it and keep the money.
Exactly right, my wife of 4.5 years and her family have always been big fans of Good Will until I came along and busted their bubble and exposed them for what they are. Dianne is a perfect example of Good Will’s scam
Yes, Good Will is NOT a charity. They donate nothing to help anyone but themselves. I will not go there.