Issue 1796
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
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” —Charles Schulz
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is Valentine’s Day!
On this day in history: 1849 – In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes the first serving President of the United States to have his photograph taken.
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News for RVers.
Tip of the Day
Boondocking RV bathroom tips: Stay another day (or week) off-grid
By Cheri Sicard
When camping without the benefit of hookups, there are tips for every room in your RV that can help extend the amount of time you can spend off-grid before having to come in and reboot.
As I am generally not a fan of staying in RV parks any more than is absolutely necessary, I have accumulated quite a few boondocking tips over the years.
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new Forest River Wildwood FSX 190RT toy hauler. As he reports, “If there’s a pendulum that swings between a traditional toy hauler and travel trailer, the weighty thing at the bottom of the pendulum is going to point much closer to travel trailer than toy hauler with this RV, but that works for a lot of buyers.”
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.
Our toilet will not hold water in the bowl. What to do?
Dear Dave,
I’m new to RVing. I have a 2018 Winnebago travel trailer and no one told me how to store it. We are out at least once a month, but COVID made it a little harder to get out. Anyway, the O-ring in the toilet is leaking. Is there a way to change it? Our camp place said they have to take the toilet off to replace it. I’m pretty good with working on things. Is there something I can do or use to maybe rehydrate the ring? It’s the flange at the top that holds the water in the bowl. Thank you. —PJ
RVelectricity™
with Mike Sokol
Just Ask Mike (J.A.M.) Session: CarGenerator, Jackery, and chocolate updates…
Dear readers,
It’s Valentine’s Day, so I have a triple-dipped chocolate treat for you. This is actually three JAM Sessions in one. I’ll be visiting past, present and future articles, so hold onto your cocoa beans….
Read more of Mike’s articles here.
If you don’t like the view out your window … move
By Dave Helgeson, veteran boondocker
What’s the view out your window? Is it a reflection of your lifestyle and where you truly want to be in your RV? Or is it a compromise made out of convenience and lack of perceived options? Yes, 2020 and 2021 have been tough years for everyone, including RVers. However, there is no reason to despair as there are options you may not be considering! Here are some strategies to improve the view out your window.
Reader poll
Have you ever called the police about an incident in your campground/RV park?
At last! A directory of where to camp on public lands!
The 2021 edition of the Bureau of Land Management Camping book describes 1,142 camping areas managed by the BLM in 11 Western states. Details for each camping area include the number of campsites, amenities, facilities, fees, reservation information, GPS coordinates, and more. You’ll want this book if you camp or are interested in camping on BLM land. Learn more or order.
Quick Tip
Clean faucet before attaching water hose
Before attaching the white water hose, run the water through the campground faucet for a few seconds at high pressure just to wash off the faucet end and ensure no sediment, rust, or critters are inside the end of the faucet. Some RVers spray a disinfectant onto the end of the faucet and give it a few seconds to work on any residual bacteria. Rinse it off and you are ready to hook up. Thanks to Ron Jones at AboutRVing.com.
“Why I love my RV”
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, RVtravel.com readers tell in their own words why they love their RVs.
From Norm & Barb Bauer
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G
“When you start with an 8X20 travel trailer and have lived in three motorhomes all gas driven, it’s a wonderful feeling to now own a diesel pusher. Yes, there are new things to learn about diesel vs. gas engines, but the joy of reduced sound and increased power are well worth the cost difference. In addition, this motorhome has amenities that make our life very enjoyable. The washer/dryer combination is a real convenience. Solar charging and an inverter are great for those times when electric is not available. Something many diesel pusher owners don’t talk about is that they are more of a bus chassis and the turn radius is better than a gas motorhome. Providing routine maintenance and keeping the exterior looking like new are important and we do it.”
Tell us about your RV. Come on, do a little bragging! Click here.
Website of the day
U.S. National Parks by size
This list of largest to smallest National Parks by size (measured by acres) might surprise you. We would’ve guessed some of these would’ve been higher on the list!
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Take your ice cream cone out of your pocket! It’s illegal!
• RV Tire Safety: Are tire pressure recommendations changing?
• These are the home remedies we swear by for bug bite itching
Recipe of the Day
Twice Baked Potatoes for Valentine’s Day
by Chris Peterson from Atlanta, GA
Treat yourself to these tasty twice-baked potatoes this Valentine’s Day. This side dish only takes a few extra steps to transform a basic baked potato. The potato filling is creamy and cheesy. Sprinkling with bacon bits adds a pop of smoky flavor. Adding a heart-shaped red bell pepper on top is the perfect accent for Valentine’s Day.
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Trivia
Americans purchase about 145 million Valentine’s Day cards each year. It’s the second-largest holiday for greeting cards after Christmas.
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Emmett, Calvin and Bandit. These guys love camping! They are heading towards their travel trailer after some time at the lake.” —Sharon Moore
We love that your RV is the “Pup Hut,” Sharon! Amazing!
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 ??????
HA! No, but really, don’t do it… You do not want to pet the… well, you’ll see.
Leave here with a laugh
A gal goes to the local restaurant, buys a small drink for herself, and sits down to drink it. She notices a peel-off prize sticker on the side of her cup while she is drinking. After pulling off the tab, she begins screaming, “I won a motorhome! I won a motorhome!” The waitress runs over and argues, “That’s impossible. The biggest prize given away was a stereo system!” The woman replies, “No! I won a motorhome!” By this time, the manager makes his way over to the table. He too argues, “You couldn’t possibly have won a motorhome because we didn’t have that as one of our prizes.” Again the gal says, “There is no mistake! I won a motorhome!” She hands the prize ticket to the manager and he reads, “WIN A BAGEL.”
(If you don’t get it, read the end out loud.) Thanks for sending this to us, George Bliss!
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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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You mention cleaning off the water spigot before hooking up. We were camping at a state park and the group that was leaving had just finished dumping their sewer. Apparently, they didn’t have a hose to clean out the sewer hose, so they held it under the drinking water connection, but never cleaned it off.
After they left, I took some disinfectant over and made sure it was good for whoever was coming in. I do this at every place I go to before I hook my hose to the water pipe.
When storing my water hose I connect the ends together, stops dirt and critters from getting in there.
Win a bagel! Lol
Ditto to flushing the water line! After hooking up at an RV Park, we noticed that our water pressure was really low. When I checked the connection between the hose and the motorhome, I discovered a dead lizard smashed up against the water inlet filter screen! He must have been hiding in the faucet.
great joke today
The joke of the day is PUNNY, very punny.
That was a blonde joke when I heard it… LOL!
Don, if you’re old enough you’ll remember that almost all blonde jokes were converted from the old Polish jokes.
Yep. It was sent to us as a blonde joke but I “neutralized” it because Chuck doesn’t want to offend blondes (which I am, BTW). So, this way I just offended all females (yep, I’m one of them, also). 😆 Have a great day, Don and Tommy. 😀 –Diane
Thankfully, most folks understand that we are laughing WITH them, not AT them. I have tons of blond jokes, as well as quite a few elephant jokes. Remember them?
Hi, Lil John. Nope, I don’t remember elephant jokes, probably because my memory isn’t as good as an elephant’s. 🙄 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane
Diane . . . Why do elephants paint their toenails red? So they can hide in strawberry patches!
Cute! Actually, I have heard that one before. How about this one?
What do you get when you cross an elephant with a kangaroo?
Great big holes all over Australia.
Have a good night, Lil John. Happy (almost-belated) Valentine’s Day. 😀 –Diane
Oh, Oh Diane…You can breathe easy and not worry about those big holes in Australia as there are no Elephants in Australia (only in a Zoo). Good one though! Have a great day & evening…
Whew! That’s good to know. Thanks, GWM! That reminds me of this joke (which we’ve run in the newsletter):
A Texan farmer travels to Australia on vacation and meets a local farmer. They get to talking. The Aussie shows off his huge wheat field and the Texan says, “Oh! We have wheat fields twice as large.” Then the farmer shows off his cattle. “We have longhorns twice as large as those,” boasts the Texan. A few minutes later the Texan spots some kangaroos hopping through the field. “And what are those?” he asks.” “Don’t you have any grasshoppers in Texas?” asks the Aussie.
Have a good evening/night, and stay healthy, GWM. 😀 –Diane