Issue 1699
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
“Blessed are the weird people: poets, misfits, writers, mystics, painters, troubadours, for they teach us to see the world through different eyes.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Chewing Gum Day!
On this day in history: 1939 – NBC broadcasts the first televised American football game.
Tip of the Day
You’ll be surprised by these 5 ways to use chewing gum in or around your RV
It wasn’t allowed in school, yet the underside of every desk contained some! What’s that? Gum!
In this fun article celebrating National Chewing Gum Day, Gail Marsh shows you five ways to use gum in or around your RV (these are brilliant!) and tells you about some of her favorite (and hilarious) childhood gum memories. Click here to read.
Yesterday’s tip of the day: Is it worth it to inflate tires with nitrogen?
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2022 Sabre 37FLL fifth wheel. As he reports, “Until I saw how it was used, it didn’t occur to me how really workable this floor plan is for a traveling family. Multiple people can literally have their own private spaces if they want, but there are also nice spots to spend time as a family.” Learn more and take a look around.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the Tiny Honda N-Van Compo camper? If you missed it, you can read it here.
For previous RV reviews, click here.
????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
It’s not often that we say something is better than coffee… but THIS is definitely better than coffee.
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 30, 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 one reader claimed their $25 Amazon gift card: Tim Nowak of Elkhart, Indiana.
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. 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!
Why do I need to keep the shore power cord plugged into the onboard electrical box?
Dear Dave,
When I purchased my (used) Coachmen Prism, I was told to keep the shore power cord plugged into the onboard electrical box except when plugged into shore power. It’s difficult to access and I really can’t understand why it’s necessary unless I’m using my onboard generator. It’s a 2008/2009 Coachmen Prism Class C with Freightliner diesel power. Any info would be appreciated! —Doug
Did you miss Dave’s column yesterday where he answered the question: How does a weight distribution hitch work?
Two guides to free campgrounds will save you $$$
Discover thousands of designated camping areas in the West and in America’s Heartland — real places, not big box store parking lots. Included are areas managed by various agencies — federal, state, local, etc. Learn more about West edition or Heartland edition.
Propane safety made simple – Part 1
The old joke talks about the fellow unexpectedly hurtling toward earth after being tossed out of a plane. Struggling to figure out the rip cord on his parachute, he spots another man flying upward toward him. “Hey!” he calls out. “Do you know anything about parachutes?” “Nope!” shouts the upwardly moving character. “Do you know anything about propane stoves?” Enough silliness. Learn about propane safety here.
Yesterday’s featured article: Letter to the editor: “Perspective is an amazing gift”
Reader poll
Have you ever been paid for an article you wrote for publication?
Come on, writers! Tell us here.
Quick Tip
Use photos for memory!
When planning and preparing for a trip in our motorhome, we find taking photos of the inside cabinets, closets, refrigerator, and storage bays a week in advance is very helpful and time-saving. We refer back to the photos to make shopping lists, gather all of the things we need, and then load the motorhome. The photos can also be a reminder of items that need to be removed from the RV.
Thanks for the tip, John Wilkins!
Be like Mike Sokol, use silicone!
Mike says: Never use any kind of petroleum-based products on rubber or plastic components in your RV, such as your trailer connector. Doing so will break down the plastic and/or rubber components causing them to swell up and eventually disintegrate. The proper treatment is silicone-based. We use a lot of Heavy Duty Silicone in our shop for general connector cleaning and lubrication. It’s also useful on rubberized door sweeps and such. You can get some of your own here.
Website of the day
50 Great Articles and Essays about Travel and Adventure
Put on your reading glasses, grab a blanket and kick up your feet, these are some of the best essays about travel of all time. Happy reading!
RVtravel.com Podcast Episode 26
Rip it out and start over, says Brian Pursel of “RV With Tito.” Find out why, this week on the RVtravel.com podcast. Brought to you by Clear20 water filters, TearDropShop.com, Campgroundviews.com, and RVtravel.com’s Who Makes What guide to manufacturers and RV brands.
Listen to a short clip of the episode.
Listen to the full episode here.
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:
• The highest percentage of voters wear a size XL T-shirt, followed by large, XXL, medium, larger than an XXL, and small.
• If RV parks metered electricity usage, 22 percent say they’d definitely be more careful with their usage.
• 37 percent insure their RV on a policy with another vehicle, not by itself.
Recent poll: Would you rent your RV through a peer-to-peer rental company like Outdoorsy or RVshare?
Camco vent insulator is a necessity for all RVs
Is your RV too hot in the summer? Too cold in the winter? Camco’s vent insulator and skylight cover features a thick layer of foam which helps stop heat transfer, keeping you warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Installation is easy. The insulator is designed to fit standard 14″x14″ RV vents. Learn more or order here.
Recipe of the Day
Sesame Green Beans
by Joeyjoan K. from Clarkston, MI
Serving a sesame peanut butter sauce with fresh green beans is an excellent pairing. The warm sauce is bursting with sesame and peanut butter flavor. The sauce is a bit spicy but the fresh green beans cool the bite down a bit. We really loved the sauce – it elevates basic green beans. You could use this sauce for fresh spring rolls and steamed dumplings too.
We want to slather this sauce on everything! Get the recipe.
See yesterday’s recipe: BBQ Crock Pot Beans
Trivia
Several major battle scenes in Mel Gibson’s movie “Braveheart” had to be reshot because some extras wore sunglasses and wristwatches in the original takes.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Whitney is the Queen of the RV! She is an 11-year-old Persian. New to full-timing, she is amazed at all the different views out the window. The lioness rules the roost and is a social media favorite amongst friends.” —Marc DiLeo
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!
Camping with the Corps of Engineers
Many RVers consider Corps of Engineers campgrounds to be the best in the country. This guide is just for RVers — boat-in and tent-only sites are not included. Of all the public lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has some of the best parks and campgrounds available. In fact, it’s the largest federal provider of outdoor recreation in the nation. 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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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, 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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I take a photo of my trailer and vehicle license plates before every trip. Can’t tell you how many times it has saved me during registration. I also take photo of any multi-part repair. That way I am assured that I will know how to reassemble.
And you can’t beat the videos available on You Tube.
Whitney the wild lion is precious! Thank you😀
I’m wondering if Whitney is shaved to resemble a lion for health/sanitary reasons or is it for the social media aspect the owner mentioned? Just curious as to what would make someone do that to their cat or dog.
Long hair cats can have some issues with knotting hair (painful) and keeping the back end clean. I know several cats who love to be shaved.
I’ve had 2 long hair cats and they were high maintenance. They were terrified when they heard the razor turn on in order to remove a mat. I can’t imagine putting them in a state of fear to shave them to look like a lion or some other figure.
The first televised NFL football game was actually on October 22, not the 30th.
We used to clean RV’s that had been in dust storms. It was the 80’s and no phones with cameras, for quick reference. We used Polaroid cameras to make sure everything was back in the proper place.