Issue 1807
Welcome to RV Travel’s Daily Tips Newsletter, where you’ll find helpful RV-related tips from the pros, travel advice, product reviews and more. Thanks for joining us. Please tell your friends about us.
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Page Contents
Today’s thought
“The central dilemma in journalism is that you don’t know what you don’t know.” —Bob Woodward
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day!
On this day in history: 1872 – Yellowstone National Park is established as the world’s first national park.
Tip of the Day
RV Safety Tip: Merging into traffic… the right way
By Gail Marsh
It happened again. We’d just finished breakfast at a rest stop along the Interstate and were ready to get back on the road. We were not alone. Several other RVs headed out ahead of us. Work trucks and semis joined our lineup. We all approached the highway on-ramp, each vehicle eager to get back on the road. Morning traffic was light and moving steadily on the Interstate. That’s when it happened. The lead RV stopped. It came to a dead standstill. At the end of the on-ramp. One RVer, following the lead RV too closely, had to veer onto the shoulder to avoid causing a rear-end accident. The rest of us applied brakes and shook our heads. It was another case of incorrectly merging.
Today’s RV review…
2022 Heartland North Trail 21RBSS—little trailer, big features
Tony writes, “Today, this review is looking at the Heartland North Trail 21RBSS, a couple’s smaller travel trailer that has a lot of things I’ve seen people ask for, including a true king bed but in a trailer that is easily half-ton towable.”
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.
Can I run my refrigerator on 12 volts while driving?
Dear Dave,
Can’t I run my RV’s refrigerator on 12 volts while running down the highway and turn off my propane tanks completely? —Fil Patrick Peterson
SoftStartRV – Run an air conditioner with a small generator
By Dave Helgeson
Earlier this year I installed a SoftStartRV™ on my RV’s roof air conditioner. Impressively, the SoftStartRV allows me to run an air conditioner with a small generator. … I also promised a follow-up report after I had the opportunity to field test the unit over the summer under varying conditions. Here’s my report. (Hint: For me it’s been a game changer.)
Reader poll
Your tires have information molded on the sidewall about Load and Inflation capacity. Do you know what those numbers mean?
Quick Tip
Use your turn signals—cut down on accidents
A 2019 study by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) revealed that drivers miss using turn signals two billion times a day. By its account, the missed signals result in an estimated two million crashes per year. Think, then blink!
Website of the day
30 Best Delis Across America
Okay, sandwich lovers! This list from Cheapism was practically written for you! Warning: You will get hungry!
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:
• 10 percent say their current RV is too big for them.
• 71 percent make their bed every morning (and 6 percent never make their bed!).
• 49 percent say they or their partner are very capable of fixing things that go wrong in the RV, and that they can fix almost everything.
Recent poll: Do you read other RV-related newsletters?
Recipe of the Day
Butternut Squash Risotto
by Susan McGreevy from Port Jeff Station, NY
Risotto is always a bit labor-intensive… but SO worth it! This recipe is a terrific example of how good homemade risotto can be.
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Trivia
Envelopes are numbered according to their size. The most common business envelope, for example, measures 4 1/8 inches by 9 1/2 inches. In 1876, an envelope manufacturer named William Irwin Martin created a system to identify envelopes by size for a publication called the Stationers’ Handbook. Before that, envelope sizes were determined by individual envelope manufacturers, which caused confusion.
*Roosters wear earplugs! It’s true! See what we mean in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Oliver spent the first year of his life in a cage at a shelter due to a contagious disease. He was shaved head to toe four times. Never had contact with another animal. He has a remarkable personality, a beautiful coat, has traveled all over the USA, and is a big boy. He now celebrates his 11th birthday. Life is good.” —Diane Berke
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 First Aid: The basic kit you should carry with you at all times. This is important!
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
If you were in a bad mood, looking at this would cheer you up! No way you’d be crabby with this around…
Leave here with a laugh
Where does a cowboy cook all his meals?
On the range!
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
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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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Oliver looks quite relaxed! I think I’m jealous!
It seems to me that most people don’t know what those flashing lights are used for. Too many times they just ignore my turn signals. I would have had many accidents if I was not watching the bad drivers around me.
Diane Berke thank you SO MUCH for rescuing Oliver! It is people like you who “take a chance” on an animal and adopt it anyway who have my utmost admiration! I KNOW Oliver has had a fantastic 10 years with you even if year one was rocky! I am the furbaby mom to three rescued kitties and one rescued doggie! My cats are 17 and 17 and the newest one is (maybe) 4 and my dog is just 8!
I once told my brother when he was selling his Cherokee in CA. He could say turn signals like new, never been used.
We live in a town so small,no one uses signal lights because everyone knows where your going.
We live in a small tourist town. When the turn signal is used half-way through the turn, we know it’s a tourist. When no signal is used at all, we know they’re from here.
People from out of town don’t know.
The law says use turn signals at every turn–not just when you think you need to.
On turn indicators, I would be happy if they actually had working brake lights. In a state without any inspections, the amount of vehicles that have defective lights is amazing.
It seems that turn signals are optional equipment for cars operated in New Mexico or those drivers are either too inept or too lazy to use them. I only ask that they please communicate with everyone else on the road.
It’s not only New Mexico. It seems the more expensive the vehicle, the less the turn signals are used.
Another problem is people NOT cancelling the signal after a lane change. Automakers should add either a self cancelling feature or a chime when the signal has been left on after a certain distance or time.
I have a motorcycle that has the self cancelling feature.
I think it was the early 60s when automakers started including a lane change position on the turn signal switch. You just have to push the lever half way for the signal to operate, then when you release it, the signal stops operating. My Jeep also has that audible tone when the signal is left on. Don’t know how common that is.
My 2003 Chev Venture has a warning buzz when left on for 2 minutes.
My 2013 Chevy dings or some sound if you leave your turn signal on too long. I’ve only heard it once when I first got it and was trying to figure out, turn signal windshield washer, headlights, etc. It was the newest vehicle I had in 26 years and boy, was that a learning curve. Ding, ding, ding, – dong, dong, dong, – oh heck, now what have I done wrong. I want my 1960s vehicles back.
Hi, Kelly. I’m perfectly content with my ’97 T-bird (except for how it handles on slick roads – has a mind of its own!). But it’s the first car I’ve had that has power windows and a trunk I can open from inside. Woo hoo! 😆 Take care. 🙂 –Diane
Diane, my wife just loves her 1996 Lincoln Town Car with those 90’s bells and whistles. BUT, I’ve had to replace three power window mechs. Got tired of it and now I have rear windows sealed shut – don’t need them anyway. It IS a nice car. Keep on truckin’ in your Bird!
Haven’t had any problems with my windows yet. (Knock on wood.) And my car only has 100,000 original miles, so it’s doing pretty good. My son just put on a new gas cap for me because the original one had a slight leak and kept setting off a sensor. Works now. Then I have a ’75 Suburban with 80,000 original miles. Well, that’s mostly because it’s been sitting for awhile after my sons used it in the early ’90s. Gotta get it running again so I can drive it up to my mountain property. Have a good afternoon/evening, Kelly. 😀 -Mountain Mama (the license plates on my ’97 T-bird and Suburban: MTNMAMA and MTNMOMA)
My car is a ’96 Miata convertible. I guess ’96 must have been when I decided to stop aging. lol ’95 Ford van was traded for 2014 Class B. That’s as far into the future I want to go. lol Be safe out there.
Bob- you can’t protect people from themselves.
Lucky Oliver. Looks very content.
Thank you for giving him such a good home all these years. So often people want the “perfect” pet and do not look beyond the superficial. He has repaid your faith and kindness many times through years of companionship. Well done!
Looks like we need an informative article on tire pressure.
They do, Roger Marble a tire engineer has had a column in RV Travel for a long time and you’ve never noticed? Now I see where blind drivers come from.
Really Crowman, that was very RUDE of you to say that about Steve’s request! Perhaps he just came aboard or didn’t remember those articles. We all need some refreshing.
Snoopy
I see too!
“They do, Roger Marble, a tire engineer, has had a column in RV Travels for a long time.”
There. I fixed your comment for you. Two commas and a period took care of it. There was no need for the rest.
Steve, here is a link to a few of my blog posts (brought to the RV community by RVTravel.com). Enjoy. https://www.rvtiresafety.net/search/label/Inflation
Steve, do a search on RVtravel.com for “tire pressure.” There are nearly 14,000 articles on the website and likely a few dozen articles through the years on all aspects of tire pressure.