Issue 1527
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
“Sit in a room and read – and read and read. And read the right books by the right people. Your mind is brought onto that level, and you have a nice, mild, slow-burning rapture all the time.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Tater Tot Day! It’s also Groundhog Day!
On this day in history: 1925 – Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska, with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod Race. Do you know the story?
TONIGHT! Livestream event on Lithium battery charging, and much more
Sign up on YouTube now by clicking here for Mike Sokol’s live streaming event tonight, 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.
Tip of the Day
Need hospital care? Your RV may be welcome
By Jim Twamley
Many hospitals have designated RV parking for when you need hospital care. In fact, many have hook-ups that patients and family members can use for free. Often the idea of a designated spot for parking RVs comes as an afterthought, so hospitals may have sites grafted into an existing parking lot. In cases like these, electric is great, water sometimes, but don’t expect to find a sewer hookup. Continue reading.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2021 Safari Condo Alto F2414 Travel Trailer. Tony writes, “I think that this trailer points in a direction we may see other manufacturers forced to go. This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone mention aerodynamic testing, but it’s going to become increasingly important, especially as electric trucks come on the scene.” Read more here.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the 2021 Fleetwood Bounder 33C Anniversary Edition? 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, Feb. 2, 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.
Last week two readers claimed their $25 Amazon gift card: Tina S. of Titusville, PA, and Rodger H. of Prospect Heights, IL.
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.
How to minimize “thermal checking” damage to your RV’s fiberglass
By Floyd Mayberry
“I have seen posts on various RV forums inquiring about RV fiberglass damage known as ‘thermal checking.’ I had never heard of this issue before experiencing it and have discovered the same to be true for most RV owners. I recently went through a massive and expensive repair to correct this type of damage, so I thought I’d pass along my experience.” Learn more.
Yesterday’s featured article: RV renovation tips to get you started
Do you have a story for us?
We welcome your submissions, whether an article, short tip, news item, press release, poem, or an idea for a topic you believe is just perfect for this website. Or, if you would like to submit a complete article (up to 700 words) please do so, and attach a photo if you wish. We’ll look it over. Hey, you may find a home with us as a regular (paid) contributor or columnist. Learn more.
Reader poll
How long ago did you buy your first RV?
Try and remember, then tell us here.
Quick Tip
Faucet water pressure low? Try this!
“I was de-winterizing my rig and started to sanitize my fresh water holding tank. I noticed while on either city water hookup or the pump, the water coming out of the kitchen and bathroom faucets was not as strong as it was last season. When I checked the aerators, they were full of debris/plastic parts. I turned on each faucet while the aerator was off to flush each line, cleaned the aerators and reinstalled them. Lo and behold – the full pressure was back!” Thanks, Chris M., for the “high pressure” tip!
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
You won’t bug out about this! This will sure make things easy…
Website of the day
Airport Parking Reservations
Yes, yes, we know you’re RVers, not necessarily flyers… But this website is good to know about for those times you do have to fly. You simply plug in which airport you’re departing from, and the site tells you all the cheapest places to park nearby.
These February stargazing events are out of this world, and one of them is happening tonight! 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:
• 23 percent would call themselves a neat freak
• 89 percent would always bend over to pick up a quarter off the ground
• 14 percent eat cereal for breakfast every day
Recent poll: How happy are you with your present RV?
Trivia
Every day, your heart creates enough energy to power a truck for 20 miles.
*How much does the average person spend gambling in Las Vegas?
A) $47
B) $447
C) $1,047
We told you in yesterday’s trivia.
Wow! This is so handy!
What a great idea! Hook this on your steering wheel and you’ll have an instant ergonomic desk. It’s very light, but sturdy enough to support a laptop, lunch or notepad. It mounts quickly on the steering wheel and is easily stowed in the back seat pocket. We love this! Learn more or order.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Our three-legged pup, Capt. Jack, gets real excited on travel day.” —Ken Knobel
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 dung beetle walks into a bar… “Is this stool taken?”
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 2021 by RVtravel.com
I just watched several videos on YouTube about the “Critter Catcher”. Only one person used it correctly. They emptied it into the toilet. Insects, like mice, need to be ‘terminated’ when caught. My experiences with roaches is – the Critter Catcher will not be able to catch 50 mph streaking roach. IMHO, that is.
I have told you a thousand times to stop exaggerating! But really, the true speed of a American cockroach is a high of 3.4 mph, but if they were human sized, their speed would be about 200 mph!
Great ‘Leave here with a laugh” in my opinion! Thanks!
Thank you for the quote, Joseph Campbell always makes me feel better.
We got one of these and it destroyed the steering wheel leather covering. Don’t be fooled. It’s not worth the damage they cause
I have a comment about the website of the day about airport parking. A few years ago we took our granddaughters to catch a early morning flight at Kansas City. We were a couple of hours away and would have had to leave my son’s home where we were visiting at 2:00am for the flight. I called air port parking to see if they had parking for our motorhome so we could bring them in it. We found we could park in long term parking as long as we wanted to as long as we paid. We did not even need to be doing airport business to stay there, so we went up the day before and stayed at the economy parking lot. We found airport longterm parking a good place to park overnight when needing to spend a night in a city area when a campground is not available.
Great suggestion. Just wondering how many airports have height restrictions getting into or out of long term {especially the large metro airports}.
PDX long term is open to the stars, well lighted and security patrolled with buses every few minutes if you just want to go wander around the airport for something to do and some exercise. About 600 sites … I’ve seen it near full but even then there was plenty of room. Used to take my RV up there the night before my 6am to Vegas for a 3 day convention at ease that my rig was in a fairly secure location. $12 a day last time I used it.
Capt. Jack’s smile made my day!
The article on thermal checking described how it happens and the author’s expensive ordeal repairing it, which was interesting. I wish it would have had more information on “minimizing thermal checking”, as implied by the title. Our 15 year old motor home has a little bit of the checking showing now, so I would like to know what I can do to slow it down or avoid it. Right now, it’s well waxed and stored indoors, but during a large part of the summer it’s either being used or parked in our driveway.
He said not much can be done other than always have it stored in a shady place and not purchase a motorhome with dark colors.
That is the secret, don’t buy a dark colored RV even though it’s beautiful as it will cost plenty more later.
As well, dark colors just soak up the sun and heat up your RV. A friend bought a new 5th wheel that was almost black on the front end and parked it with the front bedroom facing south. Even with 2 air-conditioners running he couldn’t have his afternoon nap as the bedroom got too hot.