Issue 1777
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 thought
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Michigan Day!
On this day in history: 1896 – An X-ray generating machine is exhibited for the first time by H. L. Smith.
Tip of the Day
Brilliant camping hacks and tips using steel wool
By Gail Marsh
I used to think it was smart to pack some steel wool along when camping so that I could scrub our cookware and grill grates. I had no idea how many other ways that steel wool could help out around the campsite. Here are some surprising RV hacks for steel wool that I’ve discovered. I bet they’ll surprise you, too!
Yesterday’s article of the day: In memory of Martin Luther King Jr., a historic site tells an important story
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new Coachmen Prism 24FS. As he reports, “Overall, the Prism is a nice rig and there are some positive aspects of how they’re building them including using Azdel substrates in the wall, PVC roofing and many other touches.” But Tony has a question for you: Are Sprinter Class C RVs even worth considering? Learn more and answer that question for yourself by clicking here.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the Coachmen Chaparral 336TSIK? 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.
Why does only one side of the circuit breaker work with 50-15 amp dogbone?
Dear Dave,
I have the 50-amp to 15-amp adapter which my dealer sold me. I run a good-sized 100′ extension cord from the adapter to my regular garage outlet (standard 110v outlet) that is on a 20-amp circuit. With this configuration, only half of my distribution panel works in the RV. That half has no outlets in the RV energized on it (including the refrigerator, microwave, TV) and the two batteries for the 5th wheel will NOT charge (but the A/C over the bed will work and the washer-dryer plug). …
Read the rest of Gena’s question and Dave’s response.
Did you miss Dave’s column yesterday where he helped a reader with this issue: Stinky black water tank smells coming into the bathroom. Help!
RV sales people: Which customer service approach wins the sale?
By Keith Ward
I’m shopping for my very first RV (gulp). That means tons of Internet research, including forums, YouTube videos, etc. It means budgeting, and not buying more RV than I can afford. It also means talking to multiple RV sales reps. And boy, they are not all the same. … I’ve been working with two reps in particular, representing the top contenders for the travel trailer I’m going to get. I’m shocked at how different the reps are, and how much better one is than the other. Read more.
Yesterday’s featured article: Where are all the black RVers? Why the outdoors isn’t as inclusive as you may think
Reader poll
How many slide outs does your current RV have?
Extend ’em and make room for us, then 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.
Here are a couple of responses.
To: Coyote
From: Bear
“The Bear is always SO grateful he found and tracked Coyote to her den – and invited her to stay in his.”
To: Nynns
From: Your Mariah Mechanic
“You have been and continue to be my sunshine and my Proverbs 31 wife for an amazing 45 years. Love you!”
Quick Tip
Scheduled roof maintenance pays dividends
Having a schedule of physically inspecting your RV roof every six months is a good idea. Left unrepaired, roof tears or bad sealant around roof openings can let water get through, right down to that chintzy particle board or other roof substrate. Left long enough, water can infiltrate the sidewalls. Mold, mildew, and huge repair expenses are the only outcome. Get up there and clean the roof with mild soap and water. Some RVers apply a protectant, too. Check all the seals, around vents, antennas, and end-caps.
Website of the day
10 Of The Best Road Trips You Can Take In Michigan
Since it’s National Michigan Day, we thought we’d share this page from Only in Your State. These aren’t your typical road trips either. You’ll want to check this out.
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:
• If they became suddenly very rich, 23 percent say they would immediately buy a new, high-end RV.
• 8 percent believe we will most certainly establish a base on the moon within the next five years.
• If the speed limit is 60 mph, the majority of people, 56 percent, say they will stick to the speed limit – not any faster, not any slower. (If you’re curious, 14 percent will go faster and the remaining 31 percent will go slower.)
Recent poll: How comprehensive was the walk-through on your new RV?
Recipe of the Day
Orange Cream Cheese Bread
by Jen Frame from Sequim, WA
This orange quick bread reminds us of a super-rich pound cake with a subtle orange flavor. The loaf is super moist and tender – almost has a creamy texture. Nuts add a little texture, and feel free to add more if you love nutty bread. Drizzling orange juice on the top crust was our favorite part.
We’re adding this to our “to-make” list. Yum! Get the recipe.
See yesterday’s recipe: Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
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Trivia
Goldfish (the fish, not the snack) haven’t always been gold. They used to be silver, with a very occasional fish having a mutation making it red, orange or yellow. In around 618-907, the Tang Dynasty began keeping these small carp in ornamental ponds. Around that same time, people began isolating the fish with the unique gold color to breed them. This worked, but it wasn’t really until 1162 when the empress of the Song Dynasty ordered construction on a gigantic pond specifically to breed red and gold variants of the fish. The rest, they say, is history!
*Why is it that when you say one word or phrase over and over and over again it starts to sound weird? We told you in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Our 1.5-year-old chocolate Lab loves to travel in the RV. Unfortunately, she likes to be either laying on the dashboard or if our Vizsla, Major, isn’t sitting in the co-pilot seat she takes that over.” —Bill McGough
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!
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Oh, this would be so much pun, er, fun, to use! Bring this over to our campsite, won’t ya?
Leave here with a laugh
Soooo cute!
Words of wisdom from this book:
What you have been taught to believe is not as important as what you know.
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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There’s a place east south east of Grayling that is a historic legend. I believe it has a French name that I don’t recall . Wish I could remember the name. There’s write ups as mysterious amount of deaths happened here .
Foundations & a cemetery are all that’s left.
If someone knows the name they can do a search and read about it.
Oddly enough we canoed & camped this area for many years & never heard about it. A lady at a laundromat in grayling told us about it.
Very creepy stories
Hopefully someone chimes in with the name
Never went there the mere stories were enough for us.
Interesting links in this issue of rv travel
Hi, Jeff. Is it Pere Cheney? I just Googled “mysterious deaths east southeast of Grayling” and this is one of the websites that popped up: https://www.awesomemitten.com/ten-haunted-places-in-michigan/ Here is another website: https://www.mlive.com/travel/2016/10/michigan_ghost_towns.html And here’s the link in Wikipedia for that town, if that’s the one you were thinking about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pere_Cheney,_Michigan Take care. 🙂 –Diane
Quartzsite
What happened to the Quartzsite updates?????
It’s on the weekend; I don’t recall which day, but I saw it this last weekend.
They’re in the Sunday newsletters, Jim. (In fact, I just got off the phone with Russ, our “on-site reporter.”) Have a great day. 🙂 –Diane
“Check It Out”
Huh? I think I’m missing something. –Diane
Weeds are unwanted plants. Why ‘get to know them’?
A weed is any plant growing in a spot you don’t want it.
To a rancher, a weed is any plant that domestic livestock won’t eat. If it takes up space on the landscape and isn’t forage… it’s a weed.
Love the “land seals”!
Yes, me too!
Yep! Pits are awesome! Uber expressive and very loving. Wouldn’t trade my PitMix-rescue for ANY purebred!…no offense intended to the purists but…Heinz 57s are the best!
re: your Michigan day link: Ford Motor Co., which is finishing up its renovation of the “abandoned” Michigan Central train station, as offices and a potential hotel, probably will not like you traipsing around its building. There are also other issues with the link. Looks like you stumbled on some clickbait, and don’t know it. A little fact-checking will save you and others embarrassment and a trespassing ticket.
Did you read the linked article?
“While it’s fun to observe these decaying structures from outside, please remember that trespassing is against the law”
Thanks, bill. Well, I see it was from a year ago, so some info might be out of date. It’s always prudent to check ahead before you go anywhere, anyway. And, technically, you could potentially label any link as “clickbait” – right? You put a link in because you want someone to click on it. Hmmm. Have a great day. 🙂 –Diane