Issue 1678
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
“For those who know the value of and exquisite taste of solitary freedom (for one is only free when alone), the act of leaving is the bravest and most beautiful of all.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Burnt Ends Day! (These are those smokey “burnt ends” of brisket BBQ. Yum, yum, yum!)
On this day in history: 1897 – The Tremont Street Subway in Boston opens, becoming the first underground rapid transit system in North America.
Tip of the Day
18 things to know about avoiding collisions with an animal while driving
By Gail Marsh
It might be as big as a moose or as small as a mouse. No matter where you’re going, be ready. Ready for the unexpected animal, that is. You need to be ready for a deer to jump out from the ditch, directly into your highway lane. Be ready to avoid rear-ending the car that’s suddenly stopped so a turtle can cross the road. Be ready for a turkey vulture to take flight into your windshield. How do I know that it’s important to be ready? All these things have happened to us as we’ve traveled in our RV.
Yikes! Read these helpful tips here… and be ready!
Yesterday’s tip of the day: These small insect screens keep wasps and bees from colonizing your RV
TEARDROP SHOP, your one-stop resource for parts, gear and accessories for small travel trailers including T@B and Little Guy. Click here.
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the Northstar 600SS Pickup Camper for midsize trucks. Tony thinks this is a “pretty slick option for the right midsize truck.” See why in today’s review.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the Forest River Sabre 36BHQ mid-room 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, September 1, 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 three readers claimed their $25 Amazon gift card: Ruth Ann Foore of Toledo, Ohio, David Needham of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Greg Allen of Pasco, 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.
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook” as well as the Managing Editor of the RV Repair Club, a one-stop go-to online resource for RV enthusiasts. He is also the owner of Passport Media Creations, which has developed several RV dealer and safety training programs.
In Dave’s column Monday-Saturday he addresses a reader’s technical question with his expert advice. You’ll learn a lot!
Is it necessary to level a travel trailer?
Dear Dave,
Can you talk about leveling a travel trailer? The stove, refrigerator, counter, floor, bathroom door? How important is it with modern refrigerators? Not sure I’m going to change habits, but retirement gives you time to think of “the right way.” Thanks for all your advice! —Bonnie
Did you miss Dave’s column yesterday where he answered the question: How do I prepare a fresh water tank for use?
Products we tested – and which later failed
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Over the years we’ve had the opportunity to try all sorts of products. … We usually report fairly soon after we’ve tested those products and give you our impressions. Flipping back in the old test notebooks, we thought we’d come forward and fess up about a couple of products we tested and felt were “pretty good” at the time – but now, with the passage of time, maybe weren’t quite as up to snuff as we thought. Read more.
Yesterday’s featured article: Add another room to your RV with this brilliant mod
Reader poll
Do you get a lot of thinking done when driving or towing your RV?
Steer over this way and tell us here.
Helpful resources
• CURRENT WILDFIRE REPORT
• CURRENT SMOKE AND FIRE REPORT
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION
• ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NATION
• WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
• LATEST RV RECALLS
• DIRECTORY OF RV PARKS WITH STORM SHELTERS
Did you buy a lemon RV? Here’s more about RV lemons and lawyers who will represent you if you need help.
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
This isn’t slimy, or gross, or weird… in fact, it’s quite cute! Cute things like this are our cup of tea!
Quick Tip
Don’t inadvertently mess up your shower
A common question people ask Josh Winters (Josh, the RV Nerd) is, “Should I seal it up between the tub and shower wall panels in my travel trailer or fifth wheel?” At a glance it certainly seems like this is an area RV builders “forget to seal.” But hold on … don’t do it! Josh explains in this one-minute video.
“Why I love my RV”
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, RVtravel.com readers tell in their own words why they love their RVs.
From Rich Mantz
2019 Cruiser MPG 2120RB
“King size bed! A lot of usable room and counter space for a smaller trailer (26 ft.). Only 5,000 lb. dry weight, so easy to tow. The vaulted ceiling and large open interior make it feel much bigger. Great for my wife and three dogs with plenty of room for friends to come over for dinner and cards.”
Tell us about your RV. Come on, do a little bragging! Click here.
Collapsible salad spinner is perfect for RV kitchen
Salad spinners tend to take up a lot of precious, limited RV kitchen space. This Prepworks spinner folds down almost flat, so you can keep it nice and organized. It’s got an easy-to-use crank handle, which quickly dries lettuce or other veggies. You can use the nicely designed outer bowl as a serving dish, so you’ve got two in one, and it’s dishwasher safe. No clean up! Learn more or order.
Website of the day
24 of the Most Scenic Places to Camp in the U.S.
How many of these 24 beautiful places have you been to? How many of them have you camped out? Boy, we wish we were at some of these right now!
RVtravel.com Podcast Episode 22
A Newmar recall that could save your life, this week on the RVtravel.com podcast. Brought to you by Clear20 water filters, TearDropShop.com, Campgroundviews.com, RVTravel’s Who Makes What guide to manufacturers and RV brands.
Listen to a 20-second clip of the episode.
Listen to the full episode here.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• What are the best cars to flat tow? We review some options
• New RVer turns his fifth wheel into an RVer’s technology dream
• This bizarre accommodation on wheels welcomes RVers, others
An alternative to RV parks: Stay at more than 2,000 farms, wineries and other scenic and peaceful locations for free. Save 15% on membership. Learn more.
Recipe of the Day
Yam Biscuits
by Jan W. from Apollo, PA
We were truly amazed at how wonderful these biscuits are. They are fluffy, delicate, and tender. Perfect for fall, there’s a faint hint of cinnamon in them. We tried them with butter and cinnamon butter and loved both. Great for breakfast or alongside sliced pork.
Cinnamon butter?! That’s the magic word! Yum! Get the recipe.
See yesterday’s recipe: “World Famous” Slow Cooker Meatballs
Trivia
Ever seen cash money in a TV show or movie? Well, it’s not real, and it’s certainly not counterfeit… so what is it? To be legal to use on-screen, prop money must only be one-sided and less than 75 percent or more than 150 percent the size of a real bill. Next time you see it on-screen, see if you can tell if it’s bigger or smaller!
*What other being experiences rush hour traffic? If you’re wondering how that’s even possible, read yesterday’s trivia for the answer and explanation.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is our travel buddy, Coffee Bean, or ‘Bean’ for short. She is an 8-year-old BeaBull (half Beagle/half French Bulldog) that is always ready to ‘go for a ride!’ We take her everywhere including camping in our Eagle Cap truck camper and cruising on our Mainship trawler. She has been as far south as Florida and as far north as upper Ontario, Canada. We retired this year so she will be doing a lot more exploring in 2021.” —Chris and Cheryl English
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!
Pet owners: Here are a few excellent resources to find a veterinarian while on the road. Keep this handy!
Here’s everything to do if you lose your pet. This is an excellent resource!
Sewer fitting grip help! Gadget to the rescue!
If you find the bayonet mounts for your sewer hose connections are getting a bit hard to twist off and on (hate to say it, but it sometimes comes with age), here’s a tool that might help. An adjustable oil filter wrench, made to get a grip around automotive oil filters, can also provide a handy grip and plenty of leverage on the bayonet fitting of your sewer hose, and the termination cap as well. Here’s one we recommend.
Leave here with a laugh
Reader Judith Glazier sent this to us and wrote, “Came across this sign outside a restaurant in White Sulphur Springs, MT.”
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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RVtravel.com Staff
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Associate editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editors: Russ and Tiña De Maris. Senior writers: Nanci Dixon, Tony Barthel, Mike Gast. Contributors: Mike Sokol, Gail Marsh, Roger Marble, Dave Solberg, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, Julianne Crane, Chris Guld, Machelle James, James Raia, Kate Doherty, J.R. Montigel, Clint Norrell, Darian Armer and Chris Epting. Podcast host and producer: Scott Linden. Special projects director: Jessica Sarvis. Moderators: Gary Gilmore, Linda Brady. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
Honorary Correspondents: Loyal readers who regularly email us leads about news stories and other information and resources that aid our own news-gathering efforts.
Tom and Lois Speirs • Mike Sherman • George Bliss • Steve Barnes + others who we will add later.
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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Not sure about all of the places in the link about best places to camp but I’ve been to Carlsbad twice. You can not camp there. No camping allowed. There are places within 25-50 miles but no camping there.
Commercial campground right at the entrance and boondocking on BLM sites all around. Stayed four nights on BLM site a couple of miles from the entrance. Very convenient!
Thank you, RV travel.com, for featuring our fifth wheel in your “Why I Love My RV” yesterday. I started to thank you yesterday, but there were so much negative rhetoric in the Comment section, I decided to wait until today. Incidentally, that photo was taken at the USFS Mogote campground near Antonito, Colorado (our home state). The campground has access to a mile of fly-fishermen’s paradise on the Conejos River and just downstream from a Gold-Medal, catch & release segment of the river.
Quote if the day was truly pathetic!
Or at best “lame” IMO
Agree.
You can easily buy prop money that is full size.