Issue 1714
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.
If you shop at Amazon.com we’d appreciate you using this link. We get an itty bitty commission if you buy something, but they add up and help us pay our bills (including our hard-working writers!).
Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.
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Page Contents
Today’s thought
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Reptile Awareness Day!
On this day in history: 1879 – Thomas Edison applies for a patent for his design for an incandescent light bulb.
WRITERS WANTED: RVtravel.com is looking for writers. Should have professional writing experience. Good pay for the right person. Freelance position. If interested email editor@rvtravel.com.
Tip of the Day
Adjusting trailer brake controllers
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
A regular RVtravel.com reader sent in this question: “I have a question about brake controllers and travel trailers. How do you adjust them? How do you know if they are too tight or not adjusted correctly?” These are great questions, and we can offer some suggestions.
Yesterday’s tip of the day: You can do way more with leaf blowers than you think! Here are 6 other ways to use them
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2022 Keystone Springdale 282BH. Tony writes, “There’s a lot to like about this camper and this configuration in particular.” We think the interior is pretty snazzy for a trailer like this! Check it out and take a look around.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the AT Overland Aterra XL? 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, October 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.
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
Should a hitch ball be greased or not?
Dear Dave,
I’m replacing my 2” ball and ball arm for my 5-year-old 3500-pound camper. I would like to know your opinion of the question “to grease or not to grease” a hitch ball. I started out greasing the ball and got it on myself half the time. After a year or so I stopped greasing it. It’s not really too badly scarred, but it keeps coming loose so I’m purchasing one that is welded to the arm. —Douglas
Did you miss Dave’s column yesterday where he answered the question: Why does the electric tongue jack only work intermittently?
Join the RV Repair Club!
Special offer: $3 for one year premium membership (reg. $65.). Get a full year of streaming access on any mobile device to hundreds of premium RV how-to videos, great projects, and repair and maintenance tips from RVing experts including RVtravel.com’s Dave Solberg. Learn more or join for $3.
Basement storage disorganized? Fix it!
By Jim Twamley
No matter what type of RV you own, storage will be an issue. Over the years I’ve used everything from elaborate storage compartment organization units to stackable plastic storage bins and cardboard boxes. I still use all of these because they work. Check out these great ideas.
Yesterday’s featured article: Design flaw allows squirrel family easy access into RV’s roof space
Reader poll
Have you ever spent more than a day in New York City?
Hail yourself a cab and come over here to tell us.
Quick Tip
Double your covers, double your space
Sink covers are a classic “mixed blessing” in an RV because they are nearly useless while preparing food because they totally eliminate access to the sink. However, they may, in fact, almost double your work space (kitchen counter). Cutting larger sink covers in half will allow the cook access to the sink without sacrificing all the surface area plus actually extend the countertop work area – a definite win-win! Thanks to Ron Jones, AboutRVing.com.
3-in-1 NOAA radio, flashlight and charger is a must-have for RVers
This emergency hand-crank radio is a necessity for RVers. Keep it somewhere safe – you never know when it will come in handy. The 3-in-1 radio is also a bright LED flashlight and a smartphone charger. The radio can be charged via solar charging, hand cranking or a USB plug. You’ll want to buy one here.
Website of the day
The best places to go camping near NYC
Today’s poll got us thinking about campgrounds near New York City. If you’ve never spent time in the Big Apple, perhaps stay at one of these nearby campgrounds where you can go explore the city on day trips.
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:
• 60 percent (that’s a lot!) own an Instant Pot, and 23 percent say they use it all the time.
• 38 percent say they’re very loyal to one tire brand and only buy that brand.
• 3 percent strongly dislike their given first name.
Recent poll: Do you think much about giving up RVing?
Recipe of the Day
Cheese Dip That Will Make You Famous
by Crystal Wilkinson from Surprise, AZ
Cheese dips are always a party favorite. This one is so good people will be asking you to bring it to every party. It’s creamy, tangy, and full of cheesy goodness. For testing, we used half cheddar cheese and half jalapeno jack in ours with green onions. We like how you can adjust the ingredients to your liking. This warm dip is super easy to make, too.
We’d like to be famous for cheese! Get the recipe here and be famous too!
See yesterday’s recipe: Crab Cake Sandwiches
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Trivia
More than 90 percent of all wildfires in Maine occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., when the temperatures are warmest and when the wind picks up and the relative humidity drops.
*How did the beloved Addams Family get their start? Yesterday’s trivia tells you this timely answer.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Anya is a 9-year-old Dalmatian. She loves to travel. She likes playing with her toys and tennis ball. She likes taking long walks. She is good with other dogs.” —Joseph Eafrati
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!
RVT DOGS ON VIDEO! You’ll love this — two minutes of cute dog photos owned by RVtravel.com readers. Watch. And they stay tuned for parts two, three, etc.! Coming soon: RVT readers’ cats!
????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
OMG! Just in time for Halloween, these are amazing.. ly terrifying!
Leave here with a laugh
Two young cousins were at their uncle’s wedding. One of them looked over to the other and asked, “How many wives can a man have in his life?” His cousin answered, “Sixteen! Four better, four worse, four richer and four poorer!”
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, Randall Brink, 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 • Tom Hart + 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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In reference to inflatable skirting. Good luck for nothing with air filled in nothing more than a swimming pool floaty is going to keep pipes from freezing. You’ll still have to provide continuous heat.
I put folding shelf brackets on the end of my kitchen counter and fold them up to hold the sink cover when I need to use the sink and need extra counter space. The cover is not attached just sitting on top and fold the brackets down when not in use. Actually I have a bungee cord attached to the cabinet and slide it behind that when not needed. I use the sink to hold “stuff” when I’m traveling so it doesn’t move around.
Edison and the incandescent light bulb – that is only 142 years ago. Just two lifetimes ago and about the time my grandmother was born. And we have come so far so fast that the newest generation is asking “what is an INCANDESCENT light bulb?” Scary
Every day I see the Is This Your RV? feature and am again mystified by it.
The title of the feature asks Is This YOUR RV? Well, it can’t be mine if it belongs to someone else. And clearly in the photos it’s someone else’s RV.
So maybe what you mean to ask is Do You Own This Same Brand/Model RV? That would make more sense to me.
I’m not complaining so much as explaining 😉 Thanks for a great newsletter!
Jim
Hi, Jim. No, we really mean “Is This YOUR RV?” We couldn’t afford to send out a prize to everyone who owned a similar RV as pictured. So, if you haven’t already, send in a picture of YOUR RV, and then watch for it in a newsletter and maybe you’ll win the prize. Have a great day. 🙂 –Diane
Thanks, Diane, but I’m pretty sure you have said that several people have won the gift certificate for a certain RV shown. How can that happen if it’s one person’s RV shown?
Hi, Jim. We have that feature in our newsletters seven days a week, with a different RV, owned by a different person, each day. When we list the winners, we list them for the previous week, not just the previous day. So, technically, we could list seven different winners each week: one for each specific RV owned by one RVer each day. Does that help clear up the confusion for you? Have a good night. 🙂 –Diane
Thanks for explaining, Diane – now it makes sense to me and I appreciate your quick replies! Keep up the great work, appreciate it.
You’re welcome, Jim. I’m glad that helped to straighten it out for you. Have a great day! 🙂 –Diane
Odd to have more counter space in my Aliner than I do with my Airstream.
Like the Leave here with a laugh today , just what a kid might say. or a person divorced, (Big smile)
Thanks for the short article and suggestion to cut the sink cover in half. This makes sense! We have a double sink, one side larger than the other. An extra 10 inches of counter space would definitely be a win!
I made a cover for each sink. Like you said, a little extra counter space comes in handy.