Issue 1917
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.
Page Contents
Today’s thought
“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!
On this day in history: 1873 – The Clay Street Hill Railroad begins operating the first cable car in San Francisco’s famous cable car system.
Tip of the Day
10 ideas for smart, out-of-the-way RV shoe storage
By Gail Marsh
Athletic shoes. Hiking boots. Women’s dress flats. Men’s casual shoes. Steel-toed work boots. Slippers. Water shoes. Flip-flops. So many shoes! Help! We need to figure out shoe storage in our RV!
Assume that my husband and I pack just one pair of each type of shoe listed above. That means at any given time we have as many as 28 individual shoes that need to find a home in our RV. Yipes!
We’ve always abided by the rule, take your shoes off at the RV entry door. This rule has helped keep a lot of dirt, sand, pebbles, leaves, and more debris out of our RV over the years. The problem with our rule is finding where to put the shoes once they’re removed from our feet!
Today’s RV review…
2022 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1700BH
Tony writes, “This is a small trailer that has some good storage and some really well-thought-through design features. I like it. And the details in here show that someone at Winnebago who makes decisions actually uses their product. As mentioned, this will either be a great rig for a small family or not, but it has a number of really good features.”
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.”
How often should I lubricate my RV’s slide mechanism?
Dear Dave,
My RV has two slide outs. The bed is enclosed; however, the living room is exposed. How often should the arm underneath be lubricated? —Michael, 2007 Terry 305RLDS by Fleetwood
NEW
Quick RV Tech Tip
‘Can I increase my RV’s axle capacity to haul more?’
A reader wants to know if he can haul more weight if he increases the axle weight of his RV. Read Dave’s answer.
Video of the day
Join Jay Leno in the Decoliner, an amazing custom double-decker RV
By Cheri Sicard
The episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage” below features one of the most unique double-decker RVs ever made—if not THE most unique double-decker RV ever made. Jay calls it “the coolest motorhome I’ve ever seen.”
The custom-built Decoliner, designed by automotive wizard Randy Grubb of Blastoland.com (formerly Blastolene), starts with its stunning appearance. The Decoliner kind of looks like a streamlined Moderne-style chromed locomotive crossed with a cartoon-style submarine, complete with hand-blown glass portholes. All on wheels!
But that’s only the beginning of the unbelievable double-decker motorhome’s features.
How expensive is traveling with an RV? Here’s what you can expect
By Julie Chickery
Traveling by RV is a great way to see the country and it has many advantages. You can cook your own meals, sleep in your own bed, and use your own bathroom no matter where you are. You can save money, but it is important to note that traveling with an RV might be more expensive than you think. Many families purchasing an RV for vacations only consider the cost of the RV itself, and not the other expenses that go along with RV ownership. Learn about other expenses and watch a video, “How much do campgrounds really cost?” here.
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Oh, we absolutely think these need to be a requirement in the summer. Every single person should be required to wear these. Do you agree?
Reader poll
Do you most often buy your RV fuel based on brand or price?
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Quick Tip
Make your TV/cable connectors in basement storage more accessible
If the TV and/or satellite cable connectors are stashed away inside a basement storage unit (and probably under a “weather-tight cover,” too), you’re probably tired of skinning up your fingers and breaking your back when hooking up. Phil P. has a workaround. “What I did was get two short sections of cable that would reach to the outside of the trailer. That way I would only have to fight my way thru connecting to the RV once. I then put male adapters on the ends. I have one hooked to the cable input and one to the satellite input. It makes life a lot easier, and no skinned fingers!” Thanks, Phil!
On this day last year…
- Tip: RV bathroom often underrated in buying process
- RV review: 2022 Rockwood Geo Pro 20BHS Travel Trailer
- Ask Dave: Is it better to have the front of the trailer a bit too high or a bit too low?
- Featured article: This RV has its very own fire truck
- Recipe: Citrus & Feta Salad, Homemade Honey-Lime Dressing
Website of the day
The 40 Best Road Trips Snacks You Can Pack
Forget buying road trip snacks (even though we know that’s part of the fun!)—make your own! These 40 recipes show you how to do just that. Yummy.
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:
• 26 percent say they try very hard to limit their use of plastic.
• The highest percentage of voters, 26 percent, have visited between 40-50 states with their RV.
• 68 percent believe there should be “No Campfire” zones in campgrounds and RV parks.
Recent poll: Camping World RV buyers: How happy are you with your purchase? (more than 120 comments, and counting)
Recipe of the Day
Baked Potato Breakfast Skillet
by Lonna Weidemann from Helena, MT
From now on, you’re going to make sure you have extra baked potatoes so you can make this breakfast skillet. We used ham in the Test Kitchen, but any leftover meat will be great. This is a great recipe for using up holiday leftovers too. We loved the combination of peppers, onion, and spices. Serve this skillet alongside eggs and you have an easy-to-make hearty breakfast.
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Trivia
Of the 37 giant sequoia groves found on 37,000 acres of national forests in California, all but five have burned or partially burned in recent wildfires, and many giant monarchs – the largest sequoias in a grove – were killed. Since 2015, wildfires have caused significant destruction of the giant sequoia groves, and have destroyed nearly one-fifth of all giant sequoias in the last two years.
*What percentage of drivers know how to drive a stick shift? Find the number in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Buddy, 14, our old dog was slowing down. We bought two male litter mates, Roper and Festus, both Yorkshire Terrier puppies. They all love to travel.” —Sharron Fires
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!
Leave here with a laugh
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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 wonder about the accuracy of the facts in the Giant Sequoia trivia. I have no proof that it is not accurate it is just incredulous to me that these trees have lived through thousands of years of forest fires and yet now the fires since 2015 are killing them?? In fact Sequoia seeds need the heat from a forest fire to pop them open so they can germinate and the bark is very fire resistant. I have witnessed Rangers in Sequoia NP start fires in the groves to burn off forest floor debris and help the seeds propagate.
Clint this is a factual story. These fires are now so hot ‘that the fire resistance of the Red Woods is overwhelmed. Heard of Climate Change?
Regarding the TV and/or satellite cable connectors tip, although it is a great tip, and I’ve used it myself, I heard that with every extra connection you have in the cable you downgrade the signal.
Living with the laugh of the day here in hot humid FL.
GMC Motorhome equals Decoliner.
Close to the 1950’s GM custom designed and built Futurliner’s used in their Parade of Progress.