Issue 1585
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
“The storms will come and the winds will rise and the gusts will threaten to pull you from your roots. Let the winds come. Let them rage and know that you will not break in the breeze, you will bend. Bend. Always bend because you are made of more strength than you know, because you are better than the breaking.” —Tyler Knott Gregson
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Picnic Day!
On this day in history: 2005 – The first-ever YouTube video, titled “Me at the zoo”, was published by co-founder Jawed Karim.
Tip of the Day
Sniffing out RV smells and how to eliminate them
By Gail Marsh
We’ve all been there. You come home to your RV after a day out and what greets you as you enter? A smell. And not just any smell. A horrible smell. It’s not always easy to identify the cause of the smell and harder still to eliminate it. Maybe these tips will help…
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 2108TB Travel Trailer. See what changes Winnebago made to their 2021 line of towables, and see what Tony likes about them here.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the 2021 Winnebago Voyage 3639BHL 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 time today, April 23, 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 cards: Jay M. of Runnells, Iowa, and Phil R. of Aiken, South Carolina.
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.
Facelift your RV with new carpet or flooring
One of the biggest ways to make your older RV feel new is to install new floor coverings. Face it, after a fair amount of living in your RV, those “show every spot of dirt” carpets that manufacturers so thoughtfully install begin to look a bit “doggy.” Can you replace it, or will you need a professional to help? Much depends on the design of your rig. Learn more.
Yesterday’s featured article: 22 tips for choosing the best campsite
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- California State Parks adds new automated dump stations
- Campground Crowding: Crowds lead RVers to alternative camping options
- RV demolition: The quest to renovate a water-damaged junker
- Ford F-150 pickup truck honors never stop coming
Reader poll
Do you exercise for fun on your own or as part of an exercise/workout program?
Turn that treadmill speed up and come tell us here.
Quick Tip
With electricity expert and veteran RVer Mike Sokol
My son Kevin, the pastry chef and teacher, came home the other day (don’t they always) looking for the bar of “yellow lye soap” to get a big grease stain out of his pants. I remember my grandmother using a yellow bar of Fels-Naptha lye soap on my grandfather’s work clothes (he was a coal miner), and on our skin if we got into the poison ivy. (The formula has since been changed.) According to Chef Kevin, many kitchens and bakeries still keep a bar of Fels-Naptha lye (sodium hydroxide) soap handy for serious grease stain removal. I looked it up and it’s still available at a lot of grocery stores as well as online on Amazon (of course). Here’s a link if you can’t find it locally.
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
These are sooooo funny. You DEFINITELY need to keep them handy.
Website of the day
The Best RV Campground Near Hiking Trails
Tie up those hiking boots and get out on the trail! Here are the 10 best campgrounds near beautiful hiking trails to check out.
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.
• 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.
Recipe of the Day
Betty’s Thai Basil Stir-Fry Chicken
by Betty Bramanis from Sydney
Using Thai basil in this chicken stir-fry adds amazing aroma and flavor to the dish. Thai basil has a savory, anise-like flavor which is completely different from the Italian basil (used in pesto). This stir-fry is sweet and salty with savory chicken and crunchy cashews. Serve with rice and enjoy! If you want to add some spice, top with a little bit of garlic chili sauce.
Yummy! This sounds delicious! Get the recipe.
SEE YESTERDAY’S YUMMY RECIPE: Nine Layer Greek Dip
LAST DAY to sign up! Don’t miss out! Learn from more than 30 RV industry experts in this FREE 2-day virtual event. Learn more.
The latest news headlines for RVers. For a complete recap of the most important news affecting RVers, be sure to read our Sunday RV Travel Newsletter.
Fight Brewing Over Proposed South Carolina RV Park: A proposed 50-site RV park in Spartanburg County, South Carolina has residents up in arms. A firm called T Tree Farms proposed the park on 38 acres of land near Landrum, SC. Nearby residents don’t want trees cut down and any development to occur in an area not governed by the same rules as other local housing developments. They also say they’ve got concerns about safety, sanitation and traffic since RVs would have to travel down two-lane highways to reach the RV park.
Dometic Gobbles Up Valterra Products: It’s always good to know where your parts come from. Dometic is the dominant name when it comes to supplying the RV industry with everything from awnings to refrigerators. Now, the industry giant is set for another growth spurt. The company announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Valterra Products. Valterra is a prime supplier of essential items like RV faucets, lighting, levelers and more. Valterra had sales of $94 million in 2020, up 12% over 2019 sales figures.
Big RVs Get a Break in Montana: The State of Montana has upgraded its allowable maximum travel trailer length from 40 feet to 46 feet. Governor Greg Gianforte recently signed a bill into law that updates the definition of both motorhomes and travel trailers and does away with a former limit of 320-square-feet of gross trailer area. The new law will go into effect October 1, 2021.
Michigan Woman Gathering Info on Rustic Campgrounds: Paige Lackey, an AmeriCorps member working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, is spending the summer touring the state’s rustic campgrounds. Her goal is to improve the DNR’s database of parks and improve online information for other campers. She’s be collecting fresh GPS data for better mapping and snapping photos to help campers research locations.
California Shows Diesel Pushers Some Love: California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) has backed off of a proposal that would have required diesel motorhomes registered in other states to acquire a CARB annual certificate in order to operate on the state’s roads. The certificate would have required a smog check once you arrived in Golden State. If your diesel pusher is registered in the California, you’ll still need to submit periodic emissions testing data, which is basically the smog check used on all other vehicles in the state.
Trivia
600 Americans die each year from falling out of bed. Hey, if you’re sleeping above the cab, buckle up!
*At one point in time, cars were viewed as a “green” alternative to what other type of transportation? Check out yesterday’s trivia for the answer.
Secrets of RVing on Social Security
Author Jerry Minchey takes you on a journey that lets you discover how you can travel around the country and live the fascinating RV lifestyle for far less than it costs to live in your sticks-and-bricks home. Among other things, he shows you step-by-step how to enjoy the RVing lifestyle while traveling and living on just your Social Security income. Learn more or order.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Cuddles has been camping with us since found on our street as a kitten, and now full-time since 2016. She is 16 years old and stays indoors.” —Lee Kissell
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. No blurry photos, please! Please do not submit your photo more than once. Thanks!
Leave here with a laugh
I call myself a social vegan. I avoid meet.
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 2021 by RVtravel.com
I remember growing up and seeing fels naptha soap at my grandmothers home. Then when cleaning out my mothers home after her passing I found a sealed bar of that soap. I have it no idea what to do with it and it gets grease out and poison ivy? {bleeped}? Poison Ivy? Seriously. Would have tried that last year when we cleaned out the over grown brush around the house. Boy did it find us. Itched for weeks. Thanks for the hint. May try it.
Today’s leave here with a laugh was pretty lame.
I wouldn’t be writing this if it wasn’t for the blip in RVTravel Breaking News segment where you said Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill increasing the max. trailer length from 40’ to 46’. Here are a few of the 197 bills he signed since taking office a few months ago. He signed a bill eliminating the Judicial Nomination Commission, granting himself sole power to appoint judges. He signed a bill which allows Montanan’s to carry concealed firearms without a permit almost anywhere in the state including banks, bars, college campuses, etc. He signed 2 bills into law which will restrict voting. He signed a bill into law which prevents local governments from adopting ordinances that require affordable housing to be developed as part of large build operations. He signed a bill that prohibits state and local law enforcement in Montana from enforcing federal bans on firearms, ammunition and magazines.
He’s ruined Montana as far as I’m concerned. Him and his ilk. My home state but will never spend a penny there again except gas and a Johns Pork Chop sandwich in Butte. (Maybe a pasty at Joe’s or noodles at the Pekin.
Sad situation. I’ve thought about moving home base but it’s a tough call. I’ve lived here all my life & hate to give up my view of the mountain peaks that surround me. Six more years of him and his New Jersey ways and his $186 million attitude sucks.
Why 6 years?
(From Canada)
Because the length of the elected term for the governor of Montana is 6 years.
Thanks for the CARB update. Maybe common sense is making a comeback.
When it comes to government I question that. But kudos to CARB.
Can you imagine the lines trying to get smog checked? Insane.
I can’t blame states for requiring a smog check, With people ‘hacking their chip’ on diesel trucks. Since there are plenty of ads in RV/Motorhome magazines for Diesel Pushers to ‘tune’ their rig as well – and with the ‘Rolling Coal’ crowd, it trickles down to the rest of us. That said, it used to take 5 minutes to get a smog check when we had them here in the Puget Sound, and they could be done at weight stations.
Regarding the Fels-Naptha, don’t you just hate it when you find a product you like and then somewhere down the line it’s discontinued or in the case of Fels-Naptha the formula is changed and it doesn’t work like it use to.
You got that right. I used to use Glass Wax years ago on any and all glass. Absolutely the best I ever found. But alas no longer available.
Agreed .. But my grandparents used to make lye soap and it could melt skin if not used properly.