Issue 1727
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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Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.
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Page Contents
Today’s thought
“I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Louisiana Day!
On this day in history: 1906 – Theodore Roosevelt is the first sitting president of the United States to make an official trip outside the country. He did so to inspect progress on the Panama Canal.
Tip of the Day
Tips for getting a stinky RV fridge smelling new again
To avoid a stinky RV fridge, when unplugging your RV from power and turning off the propane to your fridge it is important to remove all food, wash and dry out the refrigerator and freezer, and leave the door ajar. This is important for winterizing your RV or preparing it for storage, but it’s also important to do if you plan on selling your RV.
What can you do if you didn’t properly prepare the fridge before storage or something really stinky has penetrated its walls? What can help get rid of those terrible scents? Find out here.
Yesterday’s tip of the day: 14 little-known (but helpful) uses for aluminum foil
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new 2022 Opus OP15 overlanding trailer. As he reports, “The trailer lines they make are specifically targeted at those who are serious about going places where there are no roads, so you get the kind of design elements that reflect this.” Check it out.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the 2022 Coachmen Leprechaun 298KB? 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, November 9, 2021. If it’s yours you’ll win a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
Last week two readers claimed their $25 Amazon gift cards: Mark Bush of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Ali Fiddler of Reno, Nevada.
We are discontinuing the contest at the end of November. We’ll have a brand-new contest. This contest will return again after a break.
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.
Can I run a residential fridge on a 190w solar panel and a battery?
Dear Dave,
I just picked up my first trailer, a Wildwood FSX 179DBK. It has a two-burner propane stove, microwave, and a fridge, but no oven. Not knowing any better, I assumed the microwave was also a convection oven but, surprise, it is not. I thought the 11-cubic-foot fridge was a dual-service fridge. During the inspection, my inspector found it was not but it has a 300-watt inverter connected to a 12-volt line. He also pointed out that none of the 110v outlets will work unless I am connected to shore power or to an inverter generator.
Questions: Is that normal? Am I better off changing our fridge to a 12v or a dual propane/electric fridge? I was planning on boondocking Nov.-Feb. near Phoenix, AZ, with a 190w solar kit on top of the RV. Is that setup on one GMS battery enough? —Randall
Read Dave’s response and learn about some helpful solar resources.
Did you miss Dave’s column yesterday where he answered the question: Why does the fresh water tank overfill when hooked to city water?
What’s better for you: Class C motorhome or Class B van conversion?
Here’s a question that some new-to-RVing wonder about: “I’ve never had an RV before, and I’ll be traveling alone with my dog. I’m intimidated by big vehicles, and I want fuel efficiency but comfort, too. What do you think about a Class B motorhome?” Here are a few things to think about.
Yesterday’s featured article: Buying a rental RV – Good idea?
Reader poll
How many people did you seriously date before getting married?
If you can remember (try!), tell us here.
Quick Tip
Two more handy hitch ball hints
Dick S. chimes in on covering hitch balls. “I simply use an old tennis ball, slit just enough to pop over hitch ball. One more use for these old balls besides throwing them for my Lab to retrieve and chew up!” Thanks to Dick – and his dog!
John Z. adds to that tip: “Wrap a length of glow in the dark tape to the cover to help avoid walking into it in the dark and limping away.” That idea beats having to wrap gauze around your leg after smacking it in the dark! Thanks, John!
Portable, collapsible camping shovel is good to keep in RV
This portable folding shovel is great to keep in your car or RV in case of an emergency. This shovel also features a saw, bottle opener, nail extractor, hoe, fish scaler, emergency whistle, fire bar, and a hammer. Now that’s handy! The handle extends so you can choose the length of the shovel, and the shovel folds up and fits in a waist pack with a belt loop. It’s the perfect gift for the outdoor enthusiast! Learn more or order for a great price.
Website of the day
Louisiana State Parks: Camping
Since it’s National Louisiana Day we figured we’d share the Louisiana State Parks Camping page with you. Look at some of these parks – they’re beautiful! Have you camped at any of them?
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:
• When asked to pick an international destination, the highest percentage of voters said they’d most like to RV around Canada. Next on the list was New Zealand, followed by France, Iceland, and then Mexico.
• 15 percent have had a campfire at their campsite within the last week.
• 71 percent say they can never envision owning an RV with two bathrooms.
Recent poll: How well can you drive a manual transmission vehicle?
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Well, we know what we’re buying for every kid in our life for the holidays! This is so much fun and something we wish we had as a kid!
Recipe of the Day
Southern Goulash
by Jeanette Wrobel from Hendersonville, NC
Jennifer’s Southern Goulash is fantastic! There are so many versions of goulash and, in the Test Kitchen, we were a big fan of this flavorful one. The fresh onions and bell pepper add a lot of flavor, but it’s the spices where the real flavor comes in. Follow her measurements and you’ll have one delicious meal. The recipe only uses 1 pound of ground meat and is hearty enough to feed a family. Have this handy for a quick weeknight meal on a budget.
This picture is making us drool! Sounds good! Get the recipe.
See yesterday’s recipe: Ham & Cheese Low Carb Breakfast Muffins
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Trivia
The sex of an alligator is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. How interesting is that? Unlike us humans, alligators do not have a sex-defining chromosome that determines the sex of their babies. If the incubation temperature is at or higher than 93 degrees F, the alligator will release male hormones. If it is below 93 degrees F, it will release female hormones.
*Which famous pop artist’s stage name is the result of an auto-corrected typo? We told you in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Turbo is a Chihuahua born on Valentine’s Day, and Elvira is a Miniature Schnauzer born on Halloween. They both have many miles with us and love to travel.” —Curtis Levinberg
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!
Here’s everything to do if you lose your pet. This is an excellent resource!
Tank Blaster to the blasting rescue!
RV expert Dave Solberg writes: Clean your black water tank out thoroughly. If you are getting sewage smells after dumping, it indicates the black water tank still has sewage in it and might not have the proper chemical. I would suggest using Tank Blaster by Thetford for a thorough cleaning, as recommended. Then, when dumping, you should dump and fill at least twice.
Leave here with a laugh
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury.
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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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Laugh of the day reminds me of the time my mother got called into the sunday school office because of what I wrote. I am trying to remember but it went something to the tune of my mommy loves to suck on a bottle drinking beer. Its her favorite thing to do before bed. Sadly she is now departed and I did find that paper and I plan to give that to my daughter when her children try to embarrass her some day.
I’ve had a miniature Schnauzer and now have a Chihuahua (lost my Schnauzer in 2015) (got my Chihuahua in 2017). I must say that I think Turbo is a super name for a Chihuahua! We call ours Minnie (her name at adoption, aged 3-1/2 years). Minnie was born on Christmas Day, we think!
Leave here with a laugh was great.
Hitch tip. I mounted one of those clamp on receivers on the trailer tongue. After we unhitch the hitch gets moved from the truck to the receiver on the tongue. While we are in transit the empty bike rack ride there. The bike (a tandem) rides in the trailer strapped down to the table.
Love the Laugh today! Hilarious!
Best laugh of the day.Kids say funny things.
Leave Here With a Laugh is priceless!!!
Agreed.