Issue 1804
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
“And that’s the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Chili Day!
On this day in history: 1854 – A Penny Red with perforations was the first perforated postage stamp to be officially issued for distribution.
Tip of the Day
The things you must do before every RV trip
By Gail Marsh
Your rig is packed and fueled up. You’ve found your sunglasses and are wearing your comfy “long-haul clothes.” Your opened water bottle sits patiently in the cup holder and snacks are within easy reach. In short, you are ready to go! But wait just a minute! You’re not fully ready to head out on the road until you perform the following tasks. You must follow these things to do before every RV trip. They are important. Every time. For your safety, the safety of your passengers, and anyone who may travel along your same route—do not skip these simple, but vital actions.
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the new Coachmen Northern Spirit 2659BH bunkhouse travel trailer. As he reports, this is “a bunkhouse travel trailer with some really unusual features that could make a difference. In fact, this may be a good choice for those who want a larger bunk model and who want to bring along some adventure gear.”
For previous RV reviews, click here.
Stop RV Repair Bills from Ruining Your 2026 Travels
Say goodbye to rising RV repair costs when you protect your RV and your travel budget with Wholesale Warranties this new year. With 20+ years of experience, personalized coverage options, and 5-star customer support, we help RVers stay on the road. Save on costly repairs, enjoy flexible coverage including mobile mechanics, and travel worry-free all year long. Get your FREE personalized RV warranty quote today and enjoy peace of mind for every mile.
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 won’t my RV’s water pump prime?
Dear Dave,
We purchased a 2022 Winnebago Travato 59K in October 2021. We took it on one small trip to see if everything was working and now we’re on our first big trip. The first thing that’s gone out, and I’ve had nothing but problems with, is this new water pump all in one unit. I’ve had the technicians come up and look at it twice now. Each time they’re able to get it to prime and to work, but when it gets on the road apparently something goes wrong with one of the levers and we cannot get it to prime. …
Join Dave this weekend, Friday-Sunday, at the PA RV Supershow in Harrisburg, PA. Learn more.
I just spent $106 on a $3 shower replacement part…
By Nanci Dixon
It can be hard to find a part for your RV these days. With brick-and-mortar stores carrying a lot fewer items and online sales the new normal, finding a simple replacement part for an RV has gotten much harder. I just spent $106 to get a $3 plastic bracket that broke on the shower spray bar in my RV’s shower. What the heck?! Read more.
Reader poll
Have you ever ordered a pizza delivered to your RV?
Quick Tip
Possible cause of trailer sway
Reader Jim Schrankel read a story we carried earlier about reducing trailer sway. Jim rightly points out that oftentimes, sway can be attributed to too-little weight on the hitch. Industry recommendations range anywhere from 10 to 12 percent of your trailer’s weight should be on the hitch, but Jim likes his at 15 percent. Thanks, Jim, for keeping us (and our rigs) straight!
Website of the day
Raptor rehab centers in the U.S. and Canada
We think there’s a pretty good chance you point out raptors (birds of prey) on your RV travels: “Look at that huge hawk, Honey!” This list shows you raptor centers across the U.S. and Canada. Most of them you can visit, which would be pretty neat!
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:
• 56 percent say their financial worth is greater than it was two years ago.
• 32 percent would re-think staying at an RV park if they found out it was close to train tracks.
• 23 percent take their RV batteries out of the cold each year and store them in their garage or basement.
Recent poll: If money didn’t matter, would you rather drive across America in 7 days or fly in one day?
Recipe of the Day
Crock Pot Southwest Beef Chili Stew
by Jane Manna from Collinsville, CT
This lovely beef chili has a subtle sweetness that is a welcome departure from traditional hot and spicy versions. We love the big tender pieces of beef in this chili. Corn throughout is a nice touch of sweetness when you get a kernel.
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Trivia
According to the USDA, a sandwich is defined by the presence of… what? If you guessed meat, you’re correct. So the next time you eat a grilled cheese, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you can’t call it a sandwich! The USDA says that in order to qualify for a sandwich to be a sandwich, it must have at least 35 percent cooked meats and be no more than 50 percent bread.
*When are poison dart frogs not poisonous? Yesterday’s trivia tells you when you could be around these frogs and not have to worry!
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“I rescued Lily from Costa Rica in 2010. We were down there on vacation and she befriended us and slept on the porch of our cabana every night. She followed us everywhere. I believe she is a terrier mix (maybe some rat terrier). She has turned out to be a very sweet, loving girl. I am so glad I rescued her.” —Cecile Geary
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 ??????
This is too funny! Everybody can relate to this (and everybody will laugh at it!).
Leave here with a laugh
I’ve lost a lot of weight recently by just wearing bread on my head. It’s a new loaf hat diet I’m trying.
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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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I would prefer the the USDA concentrate on ensuring the safety of our food supply rather than insulting my grilled cheese “sandwich”. What am I supposed to call it, my grilled cheese plate lunch.
leave it to the government that can’t fix a sandwich !
Agreed!
And some people think the government needs MORE money! Someone in the USDA manages the all-important “sandwich definition” department! 🙂
And they could just refer us to the dictionary, which has a complete definition:
sand·wich
/ˈsanˌ(d)wiCH/
noun
an item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal.
There are RV Parks that are NOT close to train tracks!? OMG – who knew…
(Just kidding of course, but if we turned around every time we found that the park was near a RR, we’d spend half our time doing that)!
Totally agree! In the dozens of RV parks we’ve stayed in over the last few years, I’d guess that about 75% had tracks near by. It’s cheaper land for the owners/developers and, as long as the tracks don’t run directly next to the park, a sound machine at night has been a simple fix for us. (The sound machine also covers the noise from the campers who struggle to understand ‘quiet hours’)
After the first 6 trains go by you’ll never notice them.
KOA in Seligman, AZ presents you with a card saying “I survived the night of a thousand trains.”
Hey guys! Hard to believe, but my wife and I actually like the sound of trains rolling by. Bozeman Trail RV Park (MT) is one of our favorites.
Often it is not the noise but the vibration in the middle of the night that gets a little bothersome.
Why do folks who live in the desert never go hungry? Wait for it…………
Because they eat the ‘sand which is there’.
Circa 1955, 5th grade South Portland Maine
Rescue dogs can at times be the “best” or not. Kudos to you for taking the chance.
My daughter is a volunteer for Australian Cattle Dog Rescue (ACDRA). She does the relay trips to get the dogs to a new home and sometimes fosters the animal until it finds a permanent home. There have been some that have a hard time getting acclimated to a new home, mostly because of ABUSE, but after being with her four dogs for a while, they come around quickly with love and attention.
Having had nothing but some kind of rescue dog for the last 13 years, I am SO proud of Cecile Geary for rescuing Lily! It just makes me smile when I read that someone rescued a dog (I have one of those) or a cat (I have three of those).
What was your source that a cheese sandwich is not a sandwich? Their website shows they are: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/sandwich-recipes-cacfp
I’ll bet the people who remove their battery take it in the garage and set it on the concrete floor where it will totally discharge, it needs to have something between the battery and the concrete to prevent the battery from discharging.
That was true years ago before battery cases were made of plastic. Not true now.
Years
Bob hate to tell you but that set it on a concrete floor was 50 years ago or better. Since then it doesn’t matter if it’s on concrete but a lead/acid battery if not on a trickle/maintainer charger will lose voltage on it’s own no matter what it’s set on.
Not funny or I don’t get it…
Sorry, I replyed to the wrong post!
Loaf Hat Diet = Low Fat Diet
Agreed. Not Funny. Bob’s Your Uncle.
Hi, Jeff. Mike Sokol has mentioned “Bob’s your uncle” to me a few times. I reply, “No, actually Bob is my cousin.” OK. Not funny. Have a great day! 😀 -Diane
It sounds like a “low fat diet” – it was not the best joke that they have posted.
We actually enjoy being near railroad tracks. We are train lovers! Dwayne’s Fresh Jerky and RV Park in Bowie. AZ is a fave stop on our trips to and from Houston. Does this remind you of Bob Newhart’s skit, “Grace L Ferguson Airline and Storm Door Company”? Me too. The railroad tracks are RIGHT NEXT to the park. You can feel the vibration when they pass. Very inexpensive to stay here too.
Loaf hat diet = low fat diet
Tommy: Should you venture north – and like trains and tracks (as I do as a hobby), try the USACOE campground at Dickinson, ND. It is also the road crossing into the campground! So plenty of warning when the coal trains roll thru! – (About 20 or more a day!) (Now BNSF – formerly Northern Pacific tracks.) Very nice campground and swimming too! Take care – sleep tight!
Welcome to DFW. The RV show opens today, the sleet and freezing rain storm started yesterday. When we have the Byron Nelson, we get monsoon rainstorms. Tornado season is next.
Sandwich – two slices of bread with something in between. There, USDA, I fixed it for ya.
In my RV Supply catalog, I found a shower bracket made by Phoenix Plastics for $5 – $6 depending on finish color.
Dream on
Mods…this person is spamming your comment sections.
Your mystery product of the day (everything is figureoutable) is the title of a book by Marie Forleo.
Wondering how this formula affects the Big Mac, as it would be 33% meat, 12% condiments and 55% bread.
Lily looks very much like a Rat Terrier I had several years ago, and the Toy Fox Terrier I currently have. Both breeds make wonderful, loving pets.
I grow up 1 block over from train tracks in Amarillo, TX, so it is very comforting for me to hear trains at night.
We enjoy camping at Memaloose, an Oregon State Park, which is just far enough away from our home for us to feel like we’ve gotten away. It is next between I-84 and some very busy train tracks which border the Columbia river. Fortunately, there are no nearby crossings. We prefer the sites nearer the tracks than the freeway. The wheels on the tracks have a rhythm one gets used to, and we love the river view. The tracks on the Washington side are equally busy, and we enjoy watching the “toy trains” passing by over there as well. Deschutes Recreation Area, further east in the gorge is also near tracks. The whistles as trains approach the crossing take a little getting used to, but aren’t really a problem.
Being a school bus driver for over 16 years you see things in a whole new lite. As I approach my car I am looking it over. As I pass the trailer I go hmmm the tires look flat. Or wow this thing is filthy or as I pass it now? It is covered and god knows whats inside is a mess. Going to be a nightmare cleaning that thing out. And it is going for its inspection in a month. Camping World is going to love me. I am dropping it off and heading to NC to inspect our 2nd home. O yeah me. Can’t wait to move in in October.