Issue 1605
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
“Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Pizza Party Day!
On this day in history: 1927 – Charles Lindbergh touches down at Le Bourget Field in Paris, completing the world’s first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
Tip of the Day
Stop guessing! This water meter won’t let you overfill your tanks
By Kate Doherty
On our first trip out three years ago, when it came time for us to refill our fresh water tank, we waited until the fresh water overflow spilled over, letting us know the tank was full. That meant we guessed and babysat the process. And after voiding our black tank and flushing, we needed to add a few gallons of fresh water into the black tank. One neighbor who came over to chat said count to 100. Another said he uses his watch and times one to two minutes. Both individuals meant well, but when water volume and pressure differ from park to park, campground to campground, trusting their methodology was unreliable.
So how does Kate avoid overfilling their tanks? Click here to find out.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Yesterday’s tip of the day: Tips for keeping an RV washing machine odor-free
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2021 Venture SportTrek ST271VMB. There are two surprises in this trailer – check ’em out here.
Did you read Tony’s preview yesterday of the Fleetwood Frontier diesel pushers? 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, May 21, 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 2 readers claimed their $25 Amazon gift cards: Patti Schneider of Milton, Florida, and Sumner Schachter of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
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.
At Wally World, some RVers are slobs
Russ and Tiña De Maris are annoyed by RVers who overnight in Walmart parking lots but don’t treat the place with respect. “Witness a large bag of garbage, presumably left behind by someone who couldn’t muster up the decency to drop their stuff off in an appropriate trash container,” they write. Read more.
Yesterday’s featured article: Avoid drowsy driving: It’s a killer
????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
*Insert laughing emoji here.* This one made us laugh out loud.
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- No chips for new trucks means big bucks for used trucks
- Utah RV dealership customers say they’ve been cheated
- Monster new 2021 Cadillac Escalade: Is more better for RVers?
- Canadian RVers struggling to start camping season near home
Reader poll
How far have you hiked in one day?
You don’t have to hike to tell us, just click here.
YouTube Video of the Day
“Five lessons I learned in five years of RVing”
Carolyn of the YouTube Channel Carolyn’s RV Life, has lived on the road in an RV for five years. She’s traveled alone in 30 states and put 70,000 miles on her small Class C motorhome. In this video, she shares the top lessons she’s learned in her travels.
Quick Tip
Cleaning the RV awning
When cleaning your awning, use a commercial RV awning cleaner. Spray the cleaner thoroughly on the awning fabric, roll it up and let it sit for several minutes. This helps to distribute the cleaner over the entire surface of the awning fabric and allows the cleaner time to work. Open the awning and thoroughly rinse both sides of the fabric. Tip from Mark Polk, RV Education 101.
Portable iron takes up little space, is highly rated
This small, rapid-heating steam iron is perfect for the RV, where space is at a minimum (and heck, how many clothes will you iron anyway?). Its 420 watts is plenty of power to remove wrinkles from almost any fabric and the anti-slip handle improves grip. And for about $20, a great deal. Learn more or order.
Website of the day
The Best Hipcamp for Every National Park
If you’re looking for a nice, secluded camping site near any national park, check out this list from Outside (some of them are cabins though).
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
Pizza Casserole
by Cathie Valentine from Graniteville, SC
A quick, easy, and delicious casserole recipe all busy cooks should have in their recipe box. Basically, whatever you love on your pizza you can include in this casserole. So, it can be easy or elaborate – whatever you have time for. In the Test Kitchen, we used all the suggested veggies and loved it. The mixture of ground beef and pork really adds a different flavor. Pepperoni mixed in gives the casserole a little zip. Mozzarella cheese bakes to bubbly perfection. We opted to add mini pepperoni on top to make the casserole pretty, but that step is not needed. Super yummy!
Since it’s National Pizza Party day, you should make this for dinner! Get the recipe here.
SEE YESTERDAY’S YUMMY RECIPE: Blackened Chicken Breast With Fettuccine Alfredo
Trivia
How long does it take you to fall asleep at night? If you said about 7 minutes, you’d be like the average American – who takes 7 minutes to fall asleep each night.
*If you think an octopus has eight arms, you’re wrong. See why in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Josie is a rescue dog who is extremely shy around other people, but she loves her motorhome!” —Terri Murray
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!
Drink the water…anywhere!
We carry our LifeStraw with us everywhere. This little straw filters out 99.99% of bacteria and parasites in any water source. Carry this lightweight lifesaver in your backpack hiking (you won’t have to carry pounds of water, hurting your back), when you travel (sure, you can drink the water in Mexico!) and keep it in the pantry in case there’s ever an emergency or natural disaster. We couldn’t recommend a LifeStraw more. 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.
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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
There was someone I knew who did just that. Put his sunglasses behind his head. Freaked me out every time I saw that. As for cleaning the awning? We use Dawn dish soap. No chemicals in the ground water. Pure and natural. Heck if they use it for oil spills on birds then its good enough for the awning and it really does a great job cleaning.
Most detergents are biodegradable now, that doesn’t make them candy helping the groundwater or ‘no chemicals’. Use sparingly and responsibly.
I hiked up to Pikes Peak one time. The hike down was the worst .
How do you time yourself falling asleep? Every time I try I fall asleep and lose track of the time. Lol
My thoughts exactly
Exactly
Longest hike…..The Grand Canyon, South Kaibab Trail from South Rim down to the Colorado River, along the Tonto Trail, back up the South Kaibab Trail in one day. 26 miles in 12 hours.
Brad, we’ve hiked that segment in the Canyon, plus others multiple times. Did you hike counter clockwise down S Kaibab to the Tip-off, then along the Tonto, and then up the Bright Angel trail? I think that’s something like 14 miles. (Or did you return back up the South Kaibab.) We love hiking there, but carrying a large pack has gotten more difficult as we age!
I love the daily recipes. Not being the best cook in the world, i need all the ideas I can get!
But as a full-timer now, I would very much like to see recipes by other RVers…. what supplies and utensils they have on hand, what multi-use appliances they keep in their RV’s limited space, etc. Even creative decorating ideas (spice storage, utensil storage, etc.) …. beyond the obvious: drawers and cabinets.
Regardless, thanks for the daily smiles and brain engagement!
I have a large canning jar that I put all the utensils I need for cooking in it and right by the stove in a corner. This way there is no looking for the right item. I even made a cozy for it too.