Issue 1788
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.
If you shop at Amazon.com we’d appreciate you using this link. We get an itty bitty commission if you buy something, but they add up and help us pay our bills (most importantly our hard-working writers!).
√ DID YOU KNOW? The first issue of the RVtravel.com newsletter appeared more than 20 years ago, in September 2001.
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Today’s thought
“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.” —Hugh Downs
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is Groundhog Day! Come on, Phil!
On this day in history: 1925 – Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska, with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod Race. Do you know the story?
Tip of the Day
RV Mods: Stretching your basement storage
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
It seems like we can never have enough “room” to carry all the stuff we find a use for. With the invention of fifth wheels and tall motorhomes, “basement” storage came into vogue. For some, it was like the luggage storage bays on a Greyhound bus!
But basement storage, being what it is, isn’t always the most usable area for practical storage. Oftentimes, basement storage is just a large, open area, where small objects can mysteriously vanish into their own “black hole.”
Here are a few ideas on how to make your basement storage a bit more useful.
Yesterday’s tip of the day: Awning tear? Don’t dispair—fix it yourself
Today’s RV review…
Today’s RV review…In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel writes, “I was wandering through the displays of RVs at the [Quartzsite] show and while looking at the 2022 Alliance Paradigm 385FL I thought to myself, ‘Self, if I were to ever get a big rig, this would be the rig I would get.'” See why Tony likes this fifth wheel so much in today’s review.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the Forest River Surveyor 240BHLE? 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.
How often should I lubricate my RV’s slideout mechanism and with what?
Dear Dave,
How often should your RV’s slideout be lubricated and with what? —Leigh
Read Dave’s detailed response.
Did you miss Dave’s column yesterday where he answered the question: At what temp should I be worried about exposed water lines freezing?
So did they want a motorhome or a fifth wheel? Don’t try this at home!
You probably know at least one person who has trouble deciding what they want. Do you know anyone who has had trouble deciding what type of RV they want? Motorhome or fifth wheel? Well, if you know the person who designed (we say design lightly…) this RV, you do. Check this out.
Reader poll
Do you eat sushi?
Grab your chopsticks and tell us here.
Helpful resources
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION
• ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NATION
• WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
• LATEST RV RECALLS
• DIRECTORY OF RV PARKS WITH STORM SHELTERS
• THE BEST RV TRIP PLANNER APPS AND TOOLS
Did you buy a lemon RV? Here’s more about RV lemons and lawyers who will represent you if you need help.
Quick Tip
Tie down that countertop container
Tie down that countertop containerDo you keep your spatulas and other kitchen tools in a cup on the counter? They’re handy until, of course, you hit the road and they hit the floor. Here’s a trick from Russell and Gretchen Berquam: “In the kitchen, we are able to keep the large cooking utensils on the counter, even when we are driving down the road. Since the utensil holder would never stay in place in motion down the highway, I fastened it to the countertop. I mounted a post in the countertop 3/4-inch high and 5/16-inch in diameter. I used a wood screw with a long nut for the post, but a short piece of tubing would also work. Next, I drilled a hole in the utensil holder the same size as the post on the countertop. I slide the holder down over the stud and fill with spatulas, spoons, scrapers, or whatever. The holder is easily removable for counter cleaning. Since the hole in the utensil holder is a snug fit on the stud, it stays in place even on the roughest roads.”
Roadtrippers makes trip planning fun and easy
It’s the #1 road trip planning tool for a reason! With Roadtrippers, RV trip planning is a breeze! Make your own itinerary or view pre-made trip guides, find local things to do including roadside attractions, parks, scenic viewpoints and more, see how much fuel you’ll need and what it will cost, collaborate with friends and family, see live traffic conditions and much, much more. Sign up and receive $5 off with code BTR5QTP. Learn more here.
“Why I love my RV”
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, RVtravel.com readers tell in their own words why they love their RVs.
From Susan Smith
2008 R-Vision Trail Lite
“Our 2008 R-Vision Trail Lite may be only 26′ long, but it is just the right size for my husband and me. When we walked into it at the used RV dealership we knew this was the RV for us. We have lived in it for nearly a year now and still love the floor plan, the fact that it doesn’t have slides, was in great shape for an RV of that year, and it’s easy to park and drive. Our first RV was a 20′ 2000 Leisure Travel Class B Camper Van, but we found after a year that it was ‘too small’ for us. So we traded it in for a 30′ 2006 Gulfstream Yellowstone Cruiser Class B+ RV with 3 slides, but after a year we found it was ‘too big’ for us. So the next year we traded it off for the R-Vision, and it is ‘just right’ for us. And, of course, her name is ‘Goldilocks.'”
Tell us about your RV. Come on, do a little bragging! Click here.
Website of the day
National Park Foundation
The National Park Foundation does so much for our beautiful National Parks. Learn about their work, how to support them or ways to get involved on their website. They also have tons of NP news and information.
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: Gypsey Lady C N
From: Wanderer
“Think of you every day for the last 33 years. Still in LOVE!”
To: Schatzie
From: The Princess
“Your sweet heart and forever love were worth traveling the world and waiting years to find you. I love you forever and a day.”
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Is the demise of mom-and-pop campgrounds really such a bad thing?
• The sand struggle: A trick to keeping it out of your RV
• Is this stupid RVer behavior or not?
Recipe of the Day
Pot Roast Nachos
by Giselle Gonzalez from Bronx, NY
Easy to prepare, easy to double for a crowd… and these pot roast nachos are easy to eat! This spicy dish is a great alternative to your typical game day fare. We love how flavorful the shredded pot roast is. We highly suggest making your own chips. They’re delicious and stay crispy when the pot roast and other nacho toppings are piled on.
MMM! Will you make these for us, please? Get the recipe.
See yesterday’s recipe: White Chicken Chili With Salsa Verde
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Trivia
Rising nearly 700 feet, the Death Valley Sand Dunes are the highest dunes in California. Isolated from other dunes, they are an evolutionary island, home to rare and endangered species of plants and animals.
*There is a convenience store in the U.S. for every _____ number of people? Fill in the blank with yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Cooper loves to travel with us. He is a pointing dog and hunts with me in Washington, Oregon, and Arizona. He has traveled over 40,000 miles with us and is always ready to hit the road.” —Craig Webber
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 ??????
Not only does this sound REALLY good, but we also love the logo! All campers will!
Leave here with a laugh
I was walking down the street today when a tow truck driver pulled up alongside me and said, “Excuse me, I’m looking for the accident site involving a truck carrying a load of cutlery.” “Oh, I saw them a way back,” I said. “Go straight down this road for one mile, then take the first left, and when you get to the fork in the road you’re there.”
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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Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
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Help desk: Contact us.
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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Fork in the road. I love it. Need to remember that one.
Love Cooper the doggie 🐶 We just got an American Brittany Puppy, and look forward to her, Vada, going on many wonderful Motorhome Trips with us!
There are a lot of really cool looking coffee bags out there, but boy are they proud of their stuff!
Instead of drilling your countertop and your utensil holder…just use a glob of museum putty…..will not move once pressed into place….
Bingo – this is what we do. It’s been riding there for years like this.
OR glue a magnet to the bottom of the holder and then one under the counter. Works great.
Today’s “Why I love my RV” is a twin to our R-Vision. Ours is an ’06 and looks just like the one in the picture. It’s just the right size for two old people and a big dog. We call it the Magic Bus.