Issue 1631
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
“You always pass failure on your way to success.” —Actor Mickey Rooney
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Tapioca Day. Or, if you’re not a fan of tapioca pudding or Bubble Tea, then maybe you’d prefer to celebrate International Body Piercing Day.
On this day in history: 1953 – Workers assemble the first Corvette in Flint, Michigan.
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News for RVers.
Tip of the Day
Don’t forget casinos for overnight stays
It’s getting more difficult to find a campsite on the fly than it was even a couple of years ago. With so many new RVers on the road, campgrounds and RV parks are filled up. Securing a campsite often means making reservations months in advance. So where can you find a place to call “home” for a few hours without planning three months in advance? Casinos!
These two comments from the Facebook group Casino Camping illustrate what you might find.
“While traveling from Florida to Maine, we stayed at our first casino last night. Mohegan Sun Poconos in Wilkes-Barre, PA. It is right off I-81. The casino welcomes RVers per their webpage. There are no hookups and there is no requirement to join the casino or spend money but, of course, we did. We would stay there again.”
“The Kewadin Casino in Christmas, MI (upper peninsula), has 12 RV spaces on the side of their parking lot. These spaces are just lines on the pavement and the spaces are very narrow and short. I’ve stayed here many times in the past and it was always free. This year you have to check in with casino security and pay $15 cash. The sites only have electricity. No water and no dump station.”
A good resource to bring along on your trips is the guidebook “Casino Camping: Guide to RV-Friendly Casinos” which lists many casinos that offer either traditional RV parks or free overnight stays in their parking lots.
Read our popular column, Casino Camping, here, filled with reader favorites.
Today’s RV review…
Today, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the Grand Design Imagine 2800BH Travel Trailer. He writes, “‘This is my favorite trailer of all the ones I’ve seen,’ said a friend in the RV world. I was surprised by their gushing over the Grand Design Imagine 2800BH.” Continue reading Tony’s review to see the RV worth gushing over!
Tony’s reviews from this weekend you may have missed:
• RV Women’s Alliance Drab to Fab trailer project
• Dub Box USA Dinky Dub Trailer
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, June 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.
Last week two readers claimed their $25 Amazon gift cards: Warren May of Tallahassee, Florida, and Scott Kosa of Sedro Woolley, Washington.
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.
Not enough power to run your air conditioner? Think again!
When the summer heat arrives and your 110 power is from a small portable generator or a 20-amp household hookup you’re out of luck running an air conditioner. That is, unless you have a SoftStartRV. It’s inexpensive, simple to install, and makes running your A/C possible when you never could before. Learn more and watch a video where RVtravel.com publisher Chuck Woodbury explains how the product works.
RVelectricity – This week’s J.A.M. (Just Ask Mike) Session
How do I set my meter for 120 volts?
Dear Mike ,
I just bought a cheap meter and want to know how to set it to check my outlet voltage. I’m paying an electrician to hook up a 30-amp outlet on my house. But I’m a little paranoid to plug my trailer into it without checking first.
I asked the guy at the store and he said to set my meter to the ~200V AC scale and and that would work. Is he correct? —Diane
Mike Sokol explains, in layman’s terms, how to correctly set a volt meter to check your outlet voltage here.
• Join Mike’s Facebook group, RVelectricity.
• Read more of Mike’s articles here.
Idea: Listen to the RVtravel.com podcast while you’re talking your morning walk.
Video: How to measure your RV before buying a cover
Many RVers store their RVs outdoors for part of the year. Exposure to the elements, of course, can speed up the RV’s aging process. This two-minute video from the folks at RVCoverSupply.com provides a quick overview of how to measure an RV to get a good fit for a cover. If you’re in the market for a cover for your RV, watching this will be of help.
Reader poll
How often do you watch DVDs compared to five years ago?
Curious RVer minds would like to know. Respond here.
Quick Tip
Charging your batteries while boondocking
Charging your batteries with your generator is an annoying process – especially to your neighbors – that takes hours of continuous running. And charging them by having your engine idling, though the military consistently does it, will use a lot of fuel and wear out your engine – and you probably don’t have a pentagon-sized budget to simply replace things when they wear out. If you plan on doing a lot of boondocking, invest in solar panels or a wind generator – and install an extra battery or two as well. —Bob Difley
Website of the day
Consumer Reports – What’s your car worth?
This website shows you the current market value for your car. If you’re planning on selling (or thinking about it) check this website first.
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Oh, boy, every time we see something like this it just makes us want to pack our bags and go!
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• 2021 Honda Ridgeline gets rugged new good looks
• Campground crowding. RVers would rather quit than fight!
• Pay attention to passing motorists’ warnings of trouble
Recipe of the Day
Strawberry Shortcake Red, White & Blue Bites
by Catherine Thompson Floyd from Burlington, MI
These sweet little bites made our taste buds so happy! They taste like inside out strawberry shortcakes. The cake and strawberry combine to make a great filling. Quick and easy to make, they’ll be adorable at your parties this summer. We loved this super easy recipe. It’s one the kids can help with too. We recommend preparing these at the last minute to make sure the whipped cream does not deflate.
These would make such a great snack or dessert on the 4th! Get the recipe.
Recipes from this weekend:
• Country Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Squash
• Cheddar Burger Appetizers
Trivia
So what’s the difference, you may ask, between grilling and barbecuing? In American English usage, grilling refers to a fast process over high heat while barbecuing refers to a slow process using indirect heat or hot smoke, similar to some forms of roasting. In a typical U.S. home grill, food is cooked on a grate directly over hot charcoal. But when barbecuing, in the United States, the coals are dispersed to the sides or at a significant distance from the grate.
Remove ticks easily from people or pets!
It’s tick season! This Tick Twister Remover Set will remove ticks, large and small, without squeezing them, reducing the risk of infection. It does not leave the mouthparts of the tick in the skin. It’s the safest and easiest way to remove ticks and in just a few seconds. Helps prevent Lyme Disease. Keep one of these in your RV. Learn more or order.
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Penny & Bambi. Two of the most active 1-year-old miniature Labradoodles you can imagine. Great, loving dogs. Good travelers.” —Carole & Gordon Remala
Pet food at Amazon. Big selection, great prices!
Dog cooling beds. Help keep your furry friend cool this hot summer!
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
What’s in a [business] name? RVtravel.com publisher Chuck Woodbury tells the story about how he thought “Better Than Average Builders” was a terrible name for a construction company. He had spotted the name years ago on the company’s office in Kingston, Washington. Then years later, in a small town in Montana, he came across what he thought was an even worse name — Trial and Error Construction. “I have a feeling the company didn’t last too long,” he said.
Stupid RVer Tricks! Oh, what some of them do! Watch and [maybe] weep!
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.
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This newsletter is copyright 2021 by RVtravel.com
I have a question for the Just ask Mike column
what is the very best volt meter without going overboard for RVers?
Hi, Dr. Mike. Here’s a recent post of Mike’s regarding meter kits. https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electricity-jam-get-a-meter-kit/
I’ll also forward your question to him (in case he doesn’t see it). He’ll reply to your comment if he has any information in addition to what’s in the attached post. Thanks for asking! Have a great day. 🙂 –Diane
The Southwire meter kit in my article that Diane linked to is a solid performer and has everything you need to troubleshoot nearly every RV electrical problem. And all for $30. Southwire 10037K Electrical Test Kit with Full-Function Multimeter, Non-Contact Voltage Detector, and Outlet Tester, Includes Test Leads and Batteries. Here’s the link on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Tj7Vya
In the north, BBQ is a verb, in the South, BBQ is a noun…….and a way of life.
For the past two weeks I haven’t been able to open the survey question box. Coincidentally we changed phone service to att at the same time.
Is that an rv travel problem or is it my phone? Can Anyone help me ?
Dale, we have received no other complaints so it must be on your end.
Hi, Dale. Sorry you’re having problems with the polls. I asked one of our IT folks, Jessica, and she said that since we haven’t heard anything from anyone else, it’s not on our end. She said that sometimes it’s the individual’s spam filter or popup and cookie blockers. Sometimes script blockers and ad blockers interfere with our polls since they are from a 3rd party site. If you have one of these, try to turn it off and see if that fixes the issue. There might be different security settings on your new phone service. Good luck! 🙂 –Diane
For a couple of years now, I have had to open the survey in a different link and wait (sometimes for several hours) for the survey to load. Sometimes I hit refresh. That is on my laptop (with Spectrum service). Usually I can go to the newsletter on my phone (with ATT service) and the survey will open right away. So, I do not have any advice other than to open the survey link and wait a bit to see if it loads. Good luck!
Speaking of newbie moves, here’s one I hope gives you a grin. What’s wrong with this picture? We were camped at a water and electric only campground recently. One morning I spotted a Class C pulling his blue portable waste tank to the dump station.
Could be the “newbie” may be smarter than you think. While staying in a place that had only a dump station, I would fill my portable black tank the first week I was there, then when my RV tank got full I would drive down to the dump station and dump them both. Saving me from having to make that trip every week.
“ Happy RVing and hope to see you down the road”
Ray, I don’t get why that is unusual. Can you explain a little more what you found amusing about this?
I am noticing that what ever you say could come from the south or the north. Like flap jacks or pancakes. Soda or Pop or soda pop. Just depends on the lingo.
We used to live in Kingston, and I can assure you that Better than Average Builders did just fine. Can’t vouch for Trial and Error, though! LOL…
No such thing as a useful wind generator for RVs.
Wind generators need to be high above obstacles in unturbulant air.
I think that a spinning blade on top of an RV is a bad idea. Solar is much safer…
The term “Bar-b-que” is defined differently in the north than in the south. In the north, any cookout. In the south, pulled pork.
RE: The grilling/barbequing article. Getting that petty about the definitions will get you un-invited to the “cook out” real quick. I think everyone around here uses those terms either way. However, smoking meat is entirely different story.
The names may be terrible, but they did get your attention. On purpose of course.