Issue 1759
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
“A joy that is shared is a joy made double.” —John Roy
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Pfeffernusse Day! Yummmm…
On this day in history: 1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
Tip of the Day
Curing the curse of hard water RV plumbing issues
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
For folks who live up in the Pacific Northwest, the curse of “hard water” probably never enters your vocabulary. It never did for us – until we started spending time in the Desert Southwest. We quickly learned how much trouble a few “mineral deposits” in the water supply can create. Deposits in pipes, fittings chewed up, a whole host of plumbing nightmares.
There is a way that can help you counteract the negative aspects of hard water. Some swear by “the vinegar treatment.” Once a year, so say the resident experts, pump a solution of white vinegar and water into the RV water system, allow to stand overnight and dissolve hard water deposits. The dilution rate usually is set at 1:1 white vinegar to water. Continue reading.
Yesterday’s tip of the day: Use the off-season wisely to get ready for next season’s trips
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new aerodynamic trailer, the Snoozy II. As he reports, “I think Snoozy II has done a good job building a trailer that is absolutely worth considering for those who want something smaller that’s well made and different in style and function.” Learn more.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the 2022 Wildcat 260RD fifth wheel? If you missed it, you can read it here.
For previous RV reviews, click here.
Is this your RV?
We are continuing this feature by popular demand!
Click here to see if your RV made it into today’s issue.
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.
Should I shut off my inverter during storage?
Dear Dave,
I have been told that when being hooked up to shore power you should turn off the power to the inverter to keep from charging the battery. Is this true? Thanks. —Robert
Did you miss Dave’s column yesterday where he answered the question: Furnace issues: I’ve replaced the sail switch but now it runs intermittently, why?
Will moth balls repel mice from your RV? Here’s the verdict
Theories abound about ways to keep mice and other rodents out of your home or RV. Some RVers say dryer sheets like Bounce will repel the creatures, others say Irish Spring soap will do the trick. And there are a dozen other ideas of what will keep mice and other rodents from taking up residence where you don’t want them. One of the most touted methods that some RVers swear by is using moth balls. Do they work? Find out in the short video here.
Yesterday’s featured article: “I smell mold in my RV. What should I do?”
Words of wisdom from this book:
Never underestimate the power of a simple courtesy.
Reader poll
Will you do something tomorrow for Christmas Eve?
On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer… Oh, sorry, tell us here.
Quick Tip
It wasn’t me; I have proof!
When coming into a new RV park, you should consider taking a cell phone photo of your site before you pull in. Take another cell phone photo when you leave the site. This will prevent unscrupulous RV park owners and managers from trying to say you damaged something on the site and they want you to pay for it! Believe me, they are out there! Thanks for the tip, Jeffrey Torsrud!
Website of the day
11 weird and wonderful Christmas traditions from around the world
Yep, some of these are weird and some of these are wonderful, all right! It’s fun learning about how the rest of the world celebrates, though.
ORDER NOW. PRICE GOES UP $20 JAN. 1
Use your air conditioner in low-power situations never before possible!
The SoftStartRV is a game changer. Here’s what it can do:
• Run one air conditioner using only a small portable generator.
• Run one air conditioner on 20-amp household current.
• Run two air conditioners (with two SoftStartRVs) on a 30-amp hookup.
• Run an air conditioner or two using your onboard inverter system. Read more.
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:
• 62 percent say they walk regularly for exercise.
• 80 percent always or almost always put additives in their RV’s black water holding tank.
• 42 percent say they always or most often buy their groceries at Walmart while on the road.
Recent poll: How much time in total do you think you’ll spend RVing in 2022?
Recipe of the Day
Christmas Reindeer “Crack”
by Carol Hankins from Trinity, NC
Make this easy and delicious Christmas crack a new holiday tradition. It has a wonderful combination of flavors. What makes this different for us is the addition of Bugles. They are extra salty. When coated with the white chocolate, we kept picking those out of the mix. Overall, this treat has the perfect sweet and salty combination. It’s pretty when served. Wrap in cellophane bags for a homemade gift.
Need a last-minute gift? This is it! Get the recipe.
See yesterday’s recipe: Asian Chicken Salad Sandwich
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Trivia
Bing Crosby’s classic song “White Christmas” is the best-selling Christmas song of all time, and also the best-selling single of all time.
*How tall was the world’s tallest Christmas tree and where and when was it displayed? Find out in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Abe Lincoln is a Greyhound that loves camping. He knows when we are packing to go on a trip and he will pace back and forth from the door to the living room. When we are not camping he likes to sleep in his bed in the picture.” —Travis Mathna
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!
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Ain’t this the gosh darn truth! Say it louder! We think a lot of you will relate…
Leave here with a laugh
How do you wash your hands on Christmas?
With hand Santatizer!
What do you call an elf who sings?
A wrapper!
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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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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I just use D Con. They usually find their way back out to find water. Even if you find a dead mouse or two in the spring, dead ones don’t do as much damage as live ones.
Talk about weird holiday traditions. I was watching a television show thru the roku device app and saw a commercial that I didn’t think much about until I noticed the gentleman was Asian. And it was a KFC commercial. And it was in Japanese. I thought OK what ever until I got a newsletter about weird holiday traditions that was then this commercial made sense. In 1972 thru a successful marketing campaign thru KFC became a holiday tradition to get a bucket of chicken for Xmas. It stuck. So if you want luck get a bucket of chicken for Xmas. My daughter says the Japanese pick up on the weirdest of habits. Especially American. Go figure. As for White Xmas? My mother every time she heard it would say that song played until April it was so popular. So on her birthday one year we played it instead of happy birthday. Never did that one again. Merry Xmas one and all.
The mouse repellent demonstration was interesting. I bought a box of mouse repellent packets so I went out to the camper to check on them today. I must say that the mice really liked the natural fragrances and had a good time eating them.
I heard they love Irish Spring soap. I guess they must want a luck of the Irish?
Nice to learn some FACTS about keeping mice away. Always better to have actual data rather than more “old wives tales”.
Quick Tip…..
I also use today’s Quick Tip when renting U-Hauls or rental cars….Take a photo of the fuel gauge and odometer before you leave the lot and when you return.
All plans for family get together have been canceled due to covid. New parents trying to protect their babies.
I like Japan’s idea for our Christmas Eve dinner. Gonna try it. Haven’t had “The Colonel” in years.
I just posted on how that one got started. As for KFC? I get the sides and make the chicken ourselves. Healthier.
The tip about checking the campsite for damage is a good one. We stayed at one campground where the cable connection was ripped out of the pedestal. We informed the owners and they came an repaired it right away.
On another note. I was backing into a spot and the sewer connection was only about 4 inches from the gravel pad, about 2 closer than the pedestal. I did run over it and cracked the flip up cap. Went right to the onwer and told them what happened. She told me not to worry, it happens all the time and they were working on moving all the connections.
If you do cause some damage, let the owners know right away. Most will thank you.
My we are all so chatty today!
Are we all Christmas weary?