Issue 1831
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
“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Chicken Cordon Bleu Day!
On this day in history: 1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Note: Did you know this motel was turned into a museum? Read about it here.
Did you see the news? Click here to read the latest issue of the Sunday News for RVers.
Tip of the Day
RVing in severe storms? Do this, and definitely don’t do that!
By Gail Marsh
This past week produced day after day and night after night of severe weather. Tornado watches, warnings, and tornadic storms hit the Gulf Coast and Middle Atlantic states repeatedly. The timing could not be worse. It’s almost the end of the month. That means Snowbirds are heading back to their homes in the north. Folks from south Texas and southern Florida plan to travel right smack dab through the storm-inflicted areas. And all of those RVers have had to determine what to do when RVing amid severe storms.
Today’s RV review…
2022 Forest River Ibex 19QBS – Small but mighty
Tony writes, “In smaller trailers this shares a floor plan I really like for a lot of reasons. But there are some things about the Ibex that make me scratch my head.”
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.
When do you replace the water heater anode?
Dear Dave,
How do you know when it’s time to replace the water heater anode? —Timothy
RVelectricity™
Can you recharge an EV from a portable generator?
Dear Mike,
OK. I’ve seen the joke. Is it possible? Recently I saw the picture of an electric car with a generator plugged into the car, supposedly getting a recharge on the side of the road. Can this be done? It must be a custom connection on the little generator. Will it work or can it work in a pinch?
I know it’s a silly question that defeats the zero emissions concept. But let’s ask Mike… —Ken
• Read more of Mike’s articles here.
Are toxic chemicals in your RV making you sick?
By Tony Barthel
Could toxic chemicals in your RV be making you sick? In a discussion on RV Travel’s RV Horror Stories Facebook Group, a question was posed by member Toni Molloy to see if people had experienced health issues after buying a new RV. Quite a few had (at the time of writing this, there are 231 comments on the post). Continue reading.
Reader poll
What’s the maximum you would pay for dependable, screaming-fast WiFi at an RV park?
Quick Tip
Must-have safety equipment
Prepare for a breakdown or flat on the roadside – carry a set of warning triangles like commercial truckers use. Folding ones don’t take much space, but their reflectors help out at night. Be sure to place them well behind your rig to give traffic plenty of warning of your presence. Thanks to George Bliss for the tip!
“Why I love my RV”
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, RVtravel.com readers tell in their own words why they love their RVs.
From Bert Wilkinson
2011 Heartland Bighorn
“Our 5th wheel has all the necessary conveniences we enjoy while staying at different campgrounds. An electric fireplace helps with the morning chill. Lots of big windows to view what is around us. A hidden TV comes up to view and lowers to use the counter space. Lots and lots of storage area and a very big basement area. Two 30-lb. propane tanks with automatic change-over valve and both tanks in the same compartment together. Automatic leveling. Baggage slam storage doors on the outside compartments. Very easy to tow and maneuver. Heartland owners club and forum for very good ideas.”
Tell us about your RV. Come on, do a little bragging! Click here.
Website of the day
The 32 Best Donut Shops in America
Okay, now we’re drooling! We want a donut and we want one now! You will too, if you dare click this link…
Just published! 50 States, 500 Campgrounds
We love the 50 States books, and this one is no exception. They finally made one designed for us RVers (campers?). Inside you’ll discover some of the best campsites in the country, as well as RV resorts and glamping destinations in both the U.S. and Canada. Each destination has location info, contact info, open season and amenities along with nearby recommendations on things to do, see and eat. Learn more or order.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Campground etiquette: PLEASE turn off that noisy generator!
• Unlimited uses for coffee filters in your RV
• RV Tire Safety: Consumer Reports on RV tires. Helpful or fear mongering?
Recipe of the Day
Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu
by Connie Gereffi from Lumberton, NJ
We love chicken cordon bleu and this is a delightful twist on the recipe. It’s a delicious summer dinner and a different way to prepare chicken breasts. The prosciutto ham and Swiss cheese give the chicken a nice salty kick. Brushing mustard on top and adding the ham helps keep the chicken moist and the flavors melt into the meat. A very delicious dinner recipe.
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Trivia
You probably see a lot of Subarus on the road, right? Maybe you have one! But do you know what those stars in its logo mean? The largest star cluster visible to the human eye is the Pleiades cluster within the Taurus constellation. Although the modern name is derived from Greek, the Japanese know the cluster as “Subaru,” which means “unite.” When Fuji Heavy Industries created the car brand in 1953, they named it Subaru to honor all the companies who had merged in the past to form their great company, Subaru. Still today, the Subaru logo features six stars, a direct reference to the Pleiades star cluster.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Libby loved to camp, loved riding in the truck and was so happy touring this beautiful country of ours. Sadly, she passed the rainbow bridge in December 2020, so camping isn’t the same for us, but in my heart, there she is, laying there, enjoying our travels.” —Marty Gauthier
We’re so sorry about losing your friend, Marty. She had the cutest face!
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 ??????
We love this! We’re going to live by these words from here on out. You’d make passing RVers smile with this.
Leave here with a laugh
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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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EV batteries have a 10 year life. Replacement can run $10,000. The average of cars on the road today is 12 years old.
What happens when you go to trade I your 10 year old RV and they tell you it’s worth $10,000. Less because they have to change the battery to resell it !
You don’t have to worry right now, no EV has shown it can last 10 years, besides the trade in value is so low you’ll never notice the $10,000 reduction in value. If you live in the snow belt the wiring will be so corroded from the salt spray half won’t work anyway.
Libby was beautiful! So sorry, hard to lose our four legged family members.
Electric cars and Hybrids have been in mass production for 16 years now. To date we have recycled ZERO, NADA, NONE of the Lithium batteries. So tell me again how this is going to help the environment. We are just shifting the problem to a new source of destruction. Basically government hard at work.
Ask J.B., he has all the answers. (On his Q-cards?)
You are seriously un/misinformed. Lithium batteries ARE being recycled, because it’s cheaper to do that than try and extract new lithium from sea water. Also, not all batteries are sent to the recycler – the vast majority of them are RECOVERED and reused by everyone from classic car mod’ders to RV owners making their own Li-Ion battery sets. I mean, how do you think that the Li-Ion industry for RV power systems got its start??
Maybe watch “Undecided with Matt Farrell” on YouTube to get correct info, instead of listening to Tucker Carlson.
I purchased a pre owned well kept 2014 Keystone Laredo 5th wheel. I was not surprised to read a caution in the manual regarding formaldehyde fumes. So glad your article addressed this issue especially to those of us who are full timers like myself. I do plan on purchasing an air quality monitor that includes formaldehyde detection and its measurement.
Hopefully, due to the age of my 5th wheel much of the formaldehyde has dissipated. Even though I do not smell it, I am sure there is some remaining over the years. So glad your article addressed this issue for probably more than 50% don’t realize the toxicity of this chemical.
All this hype about charging cars, too long, not enough range, disposal of old. We don’t know enough about the future yet. It will come. I’d love an electric vehicle. Work is only 9 miles away x2 and say five miles for errands. So 23 miles a day. Wouldn’t even have to charge it daily. Would work for me! Sorry you have to spend your life driving. Maybe Its time to look for a different job. If climate change is caused by cars, and I think in some way it is, then the first step must be taken to reverse the effects
One thing our government hasn’t addressed is how an electric vehicle is going to pay for road tax. Can’t go for free
They all ready have that figured out, it’s called use tax, every year when you go to re-register your car you’ll take it to an inspection station ( another cost added) where they’ll register the mileage on the odometer and you’ll pay the tax on the miles you drive along with your registration fee. See they’ve got you covered.
Libby was very special. Please know you still have room in your heart, to love another dog. You will always love Libby in your heart and mind, yet each adopted animal is a true expression of love, BOTH WAYS, love from those who adopt and love from the precious doggie adopted! ❤️🐶. We know, our precious Sadie of 13 years in our family, died in September. We adopted Vada, an American Brittany, who is now getting to know the joys of RVing with more interesting places to walk, smell the great outdoors and enjoy the comfort of each other’s company.
❤️Libby
Voodoo Donuts/Portland, OR
Vancouver, WA, too. Gew voo-doo!
So sorry you lost your sweet Libby- she looks like a wonderful pal. Maybe by now another one has found you to escort you on your journeys.
Best Donuts my wife and I ever had were from the concession at the top of Pike’s Peak. We think it had to do with the high elevation and adjustments that had to be made with the frying temperature.
Yes, Roger! That was many years ago. With the new building they just built on PP, maybe they will consider making those again. They were very popular with all who made it to the top!
I for one cannot wait until those baggage slam latch doors become common place and we get to hear SLAM SLAM SLAM all day long at the campground.
Spoil Sport!
Get a high contrast vest or jacket. Put it on before you even get out to inspect the damage. The life you save maybe your own. Several live in my coach.
The whole EV recharging system is a joke right now. Maybe some decades down the road it may be possible but from the battery making, the power generating and the infrastructure for charging millions and millions of EV’s is simply not there in any foreseeable future. Wish it was but its dreams vs. reality.
I agree with these statements. A few others are disposal of spent batteries with their toxic chemicals. Special areas in landfills will be required, and the additional cost of disposal.
The number of level 2 charging stations available.
Charging an EV with a level 2 chargers takes 4-5 hours for a full charge. Can you imagine the line of cars waiting to be charged?
Think of the lines at gas stations in the 70’s.
Though the EV itself does not pollute, generating the power to charge them does. Millions of vehicles requiring billions of KWH of power. Solar power cannot replace the need for fossil fuel generated electricity. Not all areas of the country are conducive to generating power from solar. And again, solar needs batteries to store the energy during darkness and less than perfect sunshine hours. More and larger batteries to dispose of.
I have seen quite a bit of info lately about recycling the batteries. Level 3 chargers can recharge in around 30 minutes. True about the amount of chargers that need to be added, but I doubt there was a gas station every few miles when the first autos rolled out.
Actually, these EV batteries are worth a lot of money, even when they will no longer hold a charge. So I doubt that any will end up in a landfill. All the EV battery manufacturers I’ve talked to are working on recycling methods already.
There is no plan to add Level-2 chargers at “gas” stations. They would be installed at residences for your own overnight charging, as well as destination layovers like hotels (overnight) and restaurants (an hour or more), where you will likely spend time anyways. Plus I know of a number of businesses that offer free or cheap Level-2 charging in special EV-only parking spots. That makes the most sense logistically.
Plus these EV batteries will be recycled, not disposed of. The raw materials are worth a lot.
I think I’ll buy some stock in the companies that make heavy duty extension cords. There are thousands and thousands of car owners that done have garages or even driveways, that park by side of the street in front of their residence. The’ll need to “charge-up” at night.
If you have any left over you might want to invest in locks to keep people from stealing all those copper extension cords as they’re going to be heavy gauge wire. It’s not going to happen with 16 AWG cords stretched out over 250’ from their bedroom window to the car. Lol
Considering all the Debbie Downers, it’s a wonder transportation ever made it past the horse and buggy.
Agree, and I bet there was those who complained about the horse sh*t then too. 😃
It took a long time outside the major metropolitan areas. Just like it’s going to take a long time now. Read my previous post about infrastructure!
Subaru has always built good cars, but definitely march to their own tune. I think that their logo is actually the the constellation where you can find their home planet.
GO-GO-SUBARU !!!!
My family has had ~14 of them starting with a ’76 FWD 3 door coupe [which was converted dual fuel = gasoline and LPG]. Low maintenance, loooong life, great mileage. We now have a ’18 Forester Touring that we love.