Issue 1771
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
“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Save The Eagles Day!
On this day in history: 1901 – New York: Automobile Club of America installs signs on major highways.
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News for RVers.
Tip of the Day
You’ll be surprised by these 19 unusual uses for wax paper
By Gail Marsh
It was in use long before the plastic, zipper-type sandwich bags made their appearance. It had its own designated place of honor, right inside the kitchen drawer, proudly positioned right next to the box of “tin foil.” I’m talking about wax paper, of course. I first remember using wax paper during recess at school. My friends and I would dutifully rub wax paper over the entire surface of our playground slide to make it “slicker.” Boy, did it work great! We practically flew down that waxed slide.
You might be surprised at the other ways this special kitchen staple can be used. Here are several ideas…
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the Airstream International 25FB. This Airstream has wonderful aerodynamics and many options to add on, including a desk and a rear hatch door. Pretty neat, eh? Check it out and see what Tony thinks.
Reviews from this weekend:
• BruderX EXP-4, an overlanding champion from Down Under
• A sneak peek at Tiffin’s Class B, the Cahaba
For previous RV reviews, click here.
CONTEST! Is this your RV?
Win a $25 Amazon gift certificate if today’s RV photo shows your rig
Every day we post a photo of an RV either submitted by its owner or by our editors as they move about the country.
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.
What maintainer do you recommend for my RV’s batteries?
Dear Dave,
I would like to get a solar battery trickle charger. There are lots of options for maintainers, and lots of opinions by RVers. What is a good system to charge two group 27 lead acid batteries? I also live where we get a fair amount of snow and have some gray sky days. —Franklin
Did you miss Dave’s video on Saturday where he offered advice about storing a motorhome over the winter? If you want to watch it, scroll down in Saturday’s newsletter.
RVelectricity™ – J.A.M. (Just Ask Mike) Session
Can I connect my 30-amp RV to a 240-volt generator?
Dear Mike,
I am helping my brother with an issue where his Cat RP5500 generator trips a GFCI breaker on the generator when he plugs in his travel trailer. When he plugs the trailer into shore power (his home), it powers up and everything will run without issue. He is borrowing the Cat generator from a friend. The instant he plugs in his TT into a 120-volt 20-amp outlet the GFCI breaker trips on the generator. … Read the rest of the question and Mike’s response here.
Mike’s Saturday column: How much energy do you need to power RV appliances? Part 2
This video could save you from danger during a tire blowout
Chad and Tara of Changing Lanes take wonderful care of their tires. They protect them with UV spray, they check to make sure they’re properly inflated, they constantly check the tread wear and the dates, they don’t drive fast, and they have a TPMS installed… yet they still had a tire blowout. Watch the video for important safety tips.
Reader poll
Towable owners: Did you buy a vehicle to tow your present RV?
Tow on over and tell us here.
SAVE MONEY!
Don’t toss away good batteries!
Most RVers rely on battery-powered devices while on the road, whether flashlights, radios or cameras. But sometimes you just can’t tell how much life a battery has remaining so you toss it to “be sure.” This small, inexpensive tester will alert you in an instant to the condition of a battery, saving you money from needlessly tossing ones with plenty of remaining life! Works on AA, AAA, C, D, 9V and button-type batteries. Learn more or order.
Quick Tip
Do you level your RV?
That’s a question repeatedly posted on RV forums, regarding leveling an RV when stopping at the end of the day. Here’s a typical response: “I try to get it relatively close unless it’s just for an overnight stop – in which case I don’t bother.” Unless it’s an overnight stop? ALWAYS level your RV. Another comment tells you why: “I’m on my second Dometic 4-door. I level meticulously every time I stop to camp and I check level every morning. I refuse to go through all that replacement again.” RV refrigerators need to be level to work properly, and to prevent damage. No absorption-type RV refrigerator has ever read the fine print that says, “Don’t count the damage caused by operating off-level if it’s only overnight.” Seriously, damage to an RV cooling unit is cumulative, and every “only overnight” adds up. Can’t level? Shut off the fridge.
“Why I love my RV”
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, RVtravel.com readers tell in their own words why they love their RVs.
From Rick Sorrenti
2018 Newmar Ventana 4369
This is our second Class A coach and the quality of our latest is impressive. Interior appointments are outstanding with all the conveniences of our sticks and bricks home. The ease of maneuvering a 43’ coach couldn’t be easier with its Comfort Steer. All this aside, the ability to pick up and travel this wonderful country, explore its beauty, meet people from all walks of life and have opportunities to be away from the daily stress has reinforced us that our decision was correct.
Tell us about your RV. Come on, do a little bragging! Click here.
Website of the day
Soak Your Winter Blues Away in America’s Most Beautiful Natural Hot Springs
If eyes could drool they would at all these photos. We want to go to all these hot springs!
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Okay, so… tell us why every single RVer doesn’t have one of these in their RV or tow vehicle?!
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Finally! A phone mount for car or RV that works and keeps us safe
• How much money can you really make work camping?
• Electric vehicles could change the way we camp
Recipe of the Day
Scalloped Potatoes with Smoked Sausage
by Amy Alusa from Chico, CA
No cheese? No problem! These easy potatoes have all the creaminess you’ve come to expect from scalloped potatoes without using a bit of cheese. (Oh, and the addition of smoked sausage is de-lish!)
The addition of smoked sausage to scalloped potatoes? Brilliant! Get the recipe.
Recipes from this weekend:
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
• Southwestern Egg Rolls
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Trivia
The Prohibition-era’s most successful enforcement officers made their arrests posing as… What? Police officers! Yup! Izzy Einstein and Moe Smith were the most successful Prohibition-era enforcement officers. They were responsible for nearly 5,000 arrests between 1920 and 1925. Their secret? Honesty! They’d walk right up to speakeasies and announce they were police officers looking for a drink. Bouncers and bartenders thought it was a gag. After all, what kind of officer would walk right up and announce themselves like that? The two officers would walk in, order a round of drinks, take a sip, and sneak the rest of the drink into bottles in their overcoats to serve later as evidence. Done deal!
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Koda is our Husky. He’s been full-timing for four years. He’s a great traveler and loves to be outside in any weather.” —Paul Jacobs
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!
Recently published Tourist Trains Guidebook great for train-lovers
If you love riding trains, you need this recently published Tourist Trains Guidebook. This new edition describes more than 500 popular train rides, museums and train destinations across the U.S. and Canada. We’d choo-choo-choose this as our favorite train guidebook! Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
Words of wisdom from this book:
Youth’s biggest mistake is its lack of originality.
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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Finally, another topic other than whether or not to throw toilet paper in the black tank or in a conveniently placed receptacle near the commode. OR…do you even use the commode or make the short journey to the bath house.
Now, some of you seem very meticulous about leveling the fridge. So, what about driving in the mountains with the fridge (not “frig”) on. Long, slow inclines and then long, slow declines. You think that fridge is level?
Per the mfg it don’t need to be perfect level, a rule of thumb, if its comfortable for you in the rig its good for the fridg.
Spoken like a good fridge salesman!
Are you sure you have a Dometic or Norcold ABSORBTION fridge?
Half a bubble off is ok. That is what I have been told by several RV specialist from inspectors to repairers.
Half a bubble or less has worked for me for years.
Hi, Vanessa. Sometimes I think I’m half a bubble off. Just sayin’. 😆 Have a good evening, and a healthy and terrific 2022! 🙂 –Diane
My Norcold manual says 3 degree side to side, and 6 degrees front to back as max out of level.
Leveling:
“Seriously, damage to an RV cooling unit is cumulative, and every “only overnight” adds up.”
Please support that statement, I don’t think it is true. The damage is done when the coolant stops circulating, how does that damage accumulate?
I level within 1 degree most of the time, I have a nice app on my phone called Bubble Level which shows the level in x and y directions. It has revealed that my counters are not all level with the whole RV, but not by much. I hadn’t thought of putting it in the fridge but will try that.
As an example the recommended max out of level for Norcold fridges is 3 degrees side to side and 6 degrees front to back, which is very noticeable when standing in a RV.
It’s like arterial plaque which builds up a little at a time. Every time you run your fridge more than the 3° to 6° off level a bit of ammonia sulphate sticks to the condenser tube, usually at the bends. This either eventually clogs the tube or corrodes it to the point of leaking.
If your fridge performance drops off noticeably then look for yellow powder in the burner area. A sure sign you need a new condenser (about a $300 job if you do it yourself).
Mystery Product.
I can see it now. Driving down the road with a “tray table”. It’s bad enough seeing drivers on phones, munching on a sandwich and drinking a from a Big Gulp cup. This thing just makes it easier, and more dangerous.
There’s probably going to be comments about only using it while parked.
I was thinking this is a perfect item for when we go to the drive-in movies.
Perfect for all the drive through meals we have eaten since covid.
Concerning RV Refer Level. The single most expensive appliance in RV, be particularly {bleeped} concerning leveling. Use the Freezer bottom as point of level. If it’s level, the rig should be. The single most important thing you can do to keep refer in shape, aside from blowing out dust and debris twice a year from the outside. Use a leaf blower and stand back 2-3 feet. High volume air, low pressure. Better than compressor, which is high pressure, but low volume. Residential refers are not as critical, but again, more level, better for all. Read owner’s manual on leveling your RV the correct way, my last one is way different than this one. Things change, make sure you do it correctly.
I have had several RVs and only found two that the fridge and RV were level together. The first thing I do when I buy a new to me RV is level it to the fridge, then I put levels on the outside to show me when the trailer is level by the fridge. I’ve had as much as 6 degrees out between RV and fridge, most of the time it’s less than 3 degrees. Personally I don’t want the work or expense of replacing my fridge.
Instead of leveling the whole RV why not level only the fridge…seems like a good engineer could design an easy system in a day.
I need to sleep on a level bed and hate having doors that flop open or closed. Being level solves many issues for me besides the fridge. Stuff (batteries, pens, etc) rolling off counters, slideouts are supposed to be level before operation (per operators manual) water drains evenly…..
+1
With practice, it doesn’t take long to level my TT. Back in, check level, estimate height needed, pull forward, add height, back up.
I agree, I can estimate front to back level by eye quite accurately, side to side I find more difficult. You soon get used to the number of blocks needed under the tires to level based on the spirit level though, I do sometimes wish I had a half height block, guess I should make one from wood.
I use an app on my android cell to show me level front to back and side to side. Great tool; called Bubble Level. There’s a bunch of of them on Google Store.
That’s a great idea. If the fridge was suspended from above it would always hang perfectly vertically. A simple locking mechanism at the bottom could lock the fridge in place during travel. That same lock could be used to clamp the unit once it’s vertical so it doesn’t sway when the door is opened and closed. Let’s get to work on this!
Too bad RV fridges are not mounted on gimbels like those in many live-on boats.
I put an electronic level in the fridge freezer. Got it level to less than 1° off both Front/Rear and sideways. I then applied two small levels (Front/Rear and Side to side) to the dash where the driver can see them. This way when I park I know how close to level I am.
Re: the mystery product. I don’t have one, because my coach doesn’t have cup holders… 🙂
Does anyone know or can suggest replacement cup holders for my class A. Thor used such junk plastic plus they are too wide and not deep enough. IDT that this tray table would be able to lock in.
Thanks
The flip ups work perfect for us….one on driver side, one on passenger side. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=flip+up+cup+holder&crid=TN0IPNMY7LQI&sprefix=Flip+up+cup+holder%2Caps%2C135&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_18
If you have the type that is alongside the couch, Google ‘folding cup holder’. Eyeball the list to find one that looks like yours.
I love “Today’s Thought.”
Re. Quick Tip: I don’t level the RV but I do only operate the refrigerator while it is within spec. typically 3 degrees in one direction and 6 degrees in the other. This is a lot of off level and yet within operating specs! I use level bubbles in the two directions with marks for the limits for a quick check, and a digital degree level for a final check if close to those marks.