Issue 1772
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
“The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day!
On this day in history: 1908 – Grand Canyon is named a National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Tip of the Day
How can you fix an out-of-kilter RV slideout?
By Chris Dougherty, certified RV technician
Dear Chris,
I have a 2011 Keystone Cougar 5th wheel. My main slideout started coming together about four inches sooner at the top than at the bottom. It does close all the way but then tries to come off the floor on the bottom. Can it be adjusted? But the bigger question is: What caused this? —Jim C.
Yesterday’s tip of the day: You’ll be surprised by these 19 unusual uses for wax paper
VISIT RVTRAVEL.COM IN QUARTZSITE!
Please visit RVtravel.com at the giant Quartzsite RV Show, coming January 22-30 in the Snowbird Capital of America, Quartzsite, Arizona. Our own Tony Barthel and his wife, Peggy, will be holding down our booth outside the big tent, hosting the media and (hopefully) meeting many of our readers. Be sure to enter our contest where you can win swell prizes including two SoftstartRVs and a DuraLite 100-watt portable solar kit from Go Power!. “Be there or be square!”
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the East To West Ahara 325RL fifth wheel. As he reports, “East to West’s Ahara line has been awarded for a number of things by a number of people. Considering that this is a floor plan that just about every fifth wheel manufacturer uses, that’s saying a lot.” So what is it that makes this fifth wheel stand out? Find out in today’s review.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the Airstream International 25FB? If you missed it, you can read it here.
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.
Owner’s manual says I can run roof AC on 110-volt power. Shouldn’t it be 30 amp?
Dear Dave,
We have a 28 foot Zinger made by Thor. Even though the owner’s manual says you can run the AC on a 110 outlet, I’ve heard that this will shorten the life of the unit, as opposed to running on a 30 amp. I also heard that you should never run the AC on low because it’ll freeze up. Is this true or false? Thanks, Dave. —Ron
Did you miss Dave’s column yesterday where he answered the question: What maintainer do you recommend for my RV’s batteries?
What if disaster strikes and you can’t get back to your RV?
By Barry Zander
The rains came. We didn’t think they would stop. Almost 11 inches hit the west face of Mt. Lemmon towering above Catalina State Park in Arizona. We were there. When it did finally stop, we looked out and saw a 50-foot-wide river of rushing water between us and the exit road to the highway. Too deep and swift to drive or wade across. We were trapped, possibly along with pets in RVs of our fellow campers. What happens if a natural disaster occurs and you can’t return to your RV? Get some tips here.
Yesterday’s featured article: This video could save you from danger during a tire blowout
Reader poll
Have you ever performed CPR on someone in a medical emergency?
Please tell us here.
For Lovers Only…
Listen up, romantics. If you have a special someone you’d like to surprise with a secret message right here on this website (could be your wife, husband, partner, child, neighbor, friend, etc.), submit it to us here. Don’t use their real names, use a special name that only they’ll recognize. Oh, how fun it will be when they read it! You’ll make their day! We’ll feature these in our upcoming newsletters, so keep your eyes open.
Example:
From: Putz
To: Honeybee
“My love for you is as big as my belly! Love you forever, my honeybee.”
Easily clean those stubborn bugs off your RV
The Microfiber Mesh Bug and Tar Sponge has millions of tiny fibers embedded in the microfiber cloth that grabs and holds the dust and dirt. It is so effective it even cleans without chemicals, saving both time and money. The secret of this sponge lies in its unique, double-layer microfiber mesh. Older nylon bug sponges can harm your clear coat, but this one is completely paint safe. Learn more or order.
Quick Tip
Dealing with merging freeway traffic
Longtime RVer and RVtravel.com reader Snayte has a viewpoint on ramp freeway merging. “I do not change my speed when a car is coming down the ramp. You have no way of knowing what they intend to do to merge. I maintain my speed and let them figure out if they want to speed up to get in front of me, or slow down to get behind. More than once I have been slowed to almost a stop while entering the freeway because a car in front of me and the car on the freeway were both slowing to let the other in. Meanwhile, the car behind me is about to run into everyone because he is looking back for an opening to merge into.”
Website of the day
Skip Cannon Beach And Visit These Oregon Shores Instead
Cannon Beach and Seaside are two of Oregon’s most popular beach towns, and while they are beautiful, there are many more miles of shoreline to explore. Find some ideas 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:
• 4 percent receive more than 100 emails (not spam!) on a daily basis.
• 38 percent do not own a pet.
• 14 percent say they never remember their dreams.
Recent poll: How easy is it for you to spend a couple of days alone?
Recipe of the Day
Happy Tummy Chicken & Noodles
by Teena Hval from Milwaukie, OR
Teena’s chicken and noodle soup is comfort food at its finest. Whether you want something to help you get over a cold or just to warm you up, everyone will enjoy this soup. The noodles are the star. They taste homemade and are very tender (try to find them if you can). Carrots, celery, and onions are a staple in any good chicken soup. This version also adds garlic and a bay leaf for additional flavor. Serve this delicious and easy chicken noodle soup with your favorite crackers and your tummy will be very happy.
Mmmm… we’re saving this to make soon! Get the recipe here.
See yesterday’s recipe: Scalloped Potatoes with Smoked Sausage
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Trivia
The Audubon Society was originally founded in reaction to women’s hats. In the late 19th century, it was fashionable for women to wear hats made with hundreds of feathers or even entire taxidermied birds. In London, it was common for hat makers to place single orders for up to 400,000 feathers at a time. One order required feathers from nearly 200,000 herons! Bird lovers started to take note, and George Bird Grinnell, the editor of Forest and Stream magazine, founded the precursor to the modern-day Audobon Society, even though it would not fully incorporate until 1905. Because of this, many states adopted laws against the hunting of birds for these feathers and ended the craze.
*The Prohibition-era’s most successful enforcement officers made their arrests posing as… What? Yesterday’s trivia tells you this interesting story.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Here’s Marie sitting up on the sofa, looking out the great big windows of her humans’ brand-new Forest River Vibe. She’s a rescue pup, whose mama was 1/2 Chihuahua, 1/2 Yorkie; not sure about papa but he must have been black and white. Marie is six, loves to wade in creeks and rivers, and chases squirrels relentlessly. She’s a great traveler looking forward to more time on the road.” —Jamie Haeuser
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!
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Now this is cool. Crackling fire included (say what?!).
Leave here with a laugh
How to write “I changed a lightbulb” on your resume:
“Single-handedly managed the successful upgrade and deployment of a new environmental illumination system with zero cost overruns and no safety incidents.”
Words of wisdom from this book:
Let anger die quickly.
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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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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For all these wonderful merge answers, a good recording dash camera and a better lawyer.
I drive a 40 foot MH towing a car, I have found that using a turn signal to get off a freeway, merge because a lane is ending or for any other reason is just an invitation for someone to speed up to cut us off. Just had that the other day with a right lane ending due to construction and going down to 1 lane, plenty of signage stating right lane ends up ahead. I signaled to get over only to see some {bleeped} way back speed up to get around me blowing their horn and showing me their IQ. If these idiots want to endanger themselves and earn the Charles Darwin Award let them do it on a isolated road so they don’t harm others.
That happens more often than not even with just a car. It seems to be a challenge for the driver behind to see if he can cause you to slow to a crawl especially on a hill behind a semi. Ya gotta love them for now you can’t get back up to speed again. I do my best with mergers as I can. Whatever seems safe.
That’s a common event in urban areas. If there’s enough room to safely move over what I usually do is turn on the signal at the same time I start the lane change. That way they don’t have a chance to accelerate and block you. I’m not an aggressive driver but sometimes that’s the only way to be able to move over. I’ve driven that way in the NYC area for decades.
The “changing lanes” video was very helpful. Thank you.
Pertaining to the article Owner’s manual says I can run roof AC on 110-volt power. Shouldn’t it be 30 amp. Yes you can run the AC on a regular 110 volt outlet however the outlet should be rated at 20 amps. It is easy to tell a 20 amp outlet by looking at it, one side of the outlet will have a vertical and horizontal place for the plug. Not only should the outlet be rated at 20 amps so to should the extension cord be rated at 20 amps which will have a male end that will match the plug with the vertical and horizontal slot. When using a 30 amp service you are using only 110 volt, I cannot speak for all RV’s however all appliances in the ones that I have had are rated at 110 volts.
The biggest problem with merging is that quite a few merge lanes are way too short and tightly curved. By the time that I can see oncoming traffic in my wide-view mirror, the lane is ending. (The worst are in rural Texas west of Fort Worth on I-20.)
I’ll slow down or speed up for merging traffic IF I can’t move over. BUT I do it well before the merge point so there’s no chance of confusion.
Although merging traffic has an obligation to yield, there’s an obligation on through traffic to avoid a collision if possible.
If there’s a vehicle in front of me on the ramp, I slow down at the start so there’s separation between us. Then I accelerate to freeway speed. I don’t want them doing something stupid close in front of me and it’s easier for widely separated vehicles to merge.
I agree. When driving my 65′ long 44,000 motorhome/toad and entering a freeway from an on-ramp, many of which are not typically long enough for me to accelerate to freeway speeds and I’m forced to rely upon the vehicles to make room for me. In addition, speed limits are not enforced and traffic on a 65mph limit is usually doing close to 75+, there is just no way I can get up to that speed (nor do I want to). I suspect loaded big rig trucks have the exact same problem.
So as Irv mentioned above yes, merging traffic has an obligation to yield, there’s an obligation on through traffic to avoid a collision if possible.
A little common courtesy goes a long way.
Acceleration lane? What lane? In too many places in the southwest, getting back on the highway is a blind upward approach to the highway coming across the overpass, with a sharp right turn onto the highway. Any meaningful acceleration has to occur on the highway 🙁
The first time I discovered this, the bad accident was only avoided because the oncoming 5th wheel had an alert driver and the left lane was open. What was normally the right way to get back on an interstate was totally wrong for that spot on I-25. Instead of accelerating up the ramp, through the turn, getting up to speed in the acceleration lane and then merging onto the right lane of the interstate, I find I have to be prepared to come to a stop because of little or no merge lane or view of traffic. If the overpass is too much of a hump and the onramp too close to the bridge, you won’t be able to see the traffic coming far enough out to know you have time to get on the highway and get up to highway speed.
Bad engineering
And I drive a fairly quick Class C, so I don’t know how all of you towing or driving slower rigs make it back onto the highway safely at those types of entrances. I now keep an eye on the left lane and to be prepared to move over or slow down if you are already on the highway trying to accelerate. Not your fault the highway was built to put you in that position.
Just remember they are properly termed acceleration and decceleration lanes rather than on and off ramps. All you need to know.
Approaching an entrance ramp, if I can, I move over one lane, if not, I maintain my speed and let the others figure it out! Normally, one can tell just how fast that car or cars are entering the interstate! It’s not rocket science!
You’re correct, the way ramps work is you maintain speed and it is the one merging in’s job to match the speed of an opening to merge in. Not their job to approach like “outta my way, look out here I come”
Concerning CPR question. Was volunteer EMTA 30 plus years. TV shows victims waking up while doing CPR. That is not going to happen. Paramedics revive approx 4% via CPR with the aid of IV drugs. John Doe citizen and I, as an EMTA have approx. 2% revival rate. There is a 98% possibility the person you are doing CPR will not survive. My point is to think safety before attempting CPR. Do NOT put your safety at risk for a process that has a 98% failure rate. This may sound terrible but better one dead than 2.
Jim, as a prior Medic First Instructor, you are spot on!
The leave here with a laugh sounds like a politician, a whole lot of nothing about something simple. That’s why we voters mess up by sending lawyers to represent us. That’s why reading the disclaimer on the aspirin bottle takes so much room, instead of saying Caution taking to much can be harmful. It takes a full page separate sheet explaining if you take to much they’re not responsible. I know we live in an age of little common sense but this stuff is ridiculous.
Since it is “Leave here with a laugh”, I read it as something cute and comical, not something to be criticized.
Agree, it looked like a current or former military member wrote it! I’ve seen a lot of similar descriptions of accomplishments over the years. It was meant to generate a laugh, not a complaint about lawyers!
Thanks, Cat. It’s a funny coincidence that I was walking at the track with my friend last night and she mentioned that the porchlight on her house, which she purchased 10 years ago, finally burned out yesterday. So I copied that joke and sent it to her and said she is now qualified to put that description on her resume. (Although she’s already in management at T-Mobile.) She got a good chuckle out of that. Have a good night. 🙂 –Diane
ooomph.
wow, bob p, you disparaged not only the joke but politicians, voters, lawyers, aspirin bottles, and common people.
whew.
need to lighten up a bit, bob p. 👀😁
My issue is with the cars merging that take their time speeding up. And then expect the traffic to slow way down to accommodate their slow speed. You should be up to or close to the highway speed in order to merge. Let’s use that accelerator people!
I agree. People coming down the ramp need to be at or near the speed of traffic and maintain that speed after they merge. Too many speed up at the last minute then slow down when they are finally on the highway.
Then you have the ones on the highway that refuse to move over to the left, if they have room.
I recently had one coming down the ramp that accelerated at the last minute to get in front of me. I had to brake hard and almost hit the guard rails on the left. This is one reason dash cams are a necessity.
They should be standard equipment in all vehicles.
We should be teaching people to speed up to match the speed of people already on the Interstate and to smoothly merge into the hole in the line of traffic. However, as long as we have a “Speed Kills” mentality pervasive in our “highway safety departments” we will continue to stress the concept that results in people slowing down on the approach to a speed that is 20 to 30 mph slower than the traffic on the highway and then simply driving into the traffic forcing people to slow down to let the incompetent driver enter before they eventually speed up to match the rest of traffic. If you are not comfortable with driving at 60 mph you should stay off limited access highways. If you don’t understand that you should not stop while in a Roundabout to let someone onto the roundabout and if getting on a roundabout you should merge with the traffic already on the roundabout but you should not wait for all the l traffic on the roundabout to exit before you can enter, you should not drive there.
Here in California I often encounter drivers entering a freeway at no more than 45 mph which they hold so that others need to slow down behind them. Only after slowing the freeway traffic will they begin to accelerate to highway speeds. Many younger drivers have told me that it my responsibility to get out of their way as they enter the freeway. Guess this is the way our young drivers are taught in the driving schools. Many times I simply move to the middle lane so as not to have to deal with the hazards caused by those coming into highway traffic at low speeds.
Expect the unexpected. I’ve had on-ramp drivers immediately ahead of me slow to 35 while merging into a 65 mph freeway, leaving me stuck to cope with a slow merge. On another occasion while pulling a 58-foot trailer (long haul trucking) I had a woman in a 9-passenger station wagon full of children, not looking as she merged. I had to brake hard to avoid her colliding underneath my trailer. My favorite is the slow camper merging at 45 mph just ahead of my truck. When I signaled to change to the center lane to safely avoid the camper, the cars behind me accelerated to cut me off. Do whatever is needed to compensate for the idiocy and aggression you encounter, and avoid wrecks. (There are precious few “accidents;” most are wrecks caused by inattention and aggression.)
Um…National Step in a Puddle etc. Day?
Gonna be tricky…4 below zero here
If I am caught in the right lane (where I am generally driving most of the time) I do not slow down or speed up to allow the incoming vehicle to merge onto the highway. Plus, sometimes I even use my air horns to wake the driver from their ignorant stupor to alert them so they can slam on the brakes before running out of road or into my coach. Most of the time the really good drivers realize the situation way ahead of time and put the pedal to the metal safely merging onto the freeway.
Tip of the day – When entering a highway the driver must yield the right-of-way to drivers already on the highway. It’s a very simple rule and if followed by everyone the traffic already on the highway will flow smoothly without incident. However too many drivers already on the highway feel the need to adjust their speed to accommodate the driver entering the highway which causes way more problems than it solves.
This is probably due to driver-Ed not teaching the definition of merge. To many times a car approaches the interstate in a state of stupor where they don’t know what to do. When I went through drivers-Ed back when the interstate system was just 3 years new we were taught to accelerate to a speed that matches highway speed and blend in, now the come out the entrance ramp at 50 and expect you to move over and let them in before they accelerate. The same situation exists when leaving the main road, the entrance and exit ramps are long enough to allow ample distance to accelerate to highway speed and exit before braking. Even DW gets onto me because I don’t apply brakes until I’m on the exit ramp. This is supposed be common knowledge but I guess it’s not. Watch the truck drivers they know how to drive!
Learning to drive now means learning how to sync your phone with the entertainment system, how to start the car and how to put the car in gear. Beyond that, most folks have no concept of the rules of the road.
Where I live, yielding like that just to be nice is against the law. It’s stupid regardless of where you live. I try to use a different lane than the one with the on-ramp.
When I’m pulling our camper I’m usually in the right lane as I’m only driving 63 mph. Many times on ramp traffic is only going 45-50 mph when they run out of ramp, I don’t brake to let them in because I usually have a semi coming up fast behind me. They have to brake then when they pass me they usually give me a symbol that they think I’m number 1. I’m not at fault they are but they don’t understand the definition of MERGE. You would think a 5 letter word wouldn’t be that hard to understand. I’ll bet they know the definition of every 4 letter word they’ve ever used. Lol
Agreed 100%!