Issue 1928
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
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Black Cat Appreciation Day!
On this day in history: 1807 – Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat leaves New York City for Albany, New York, on the Hudson River, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.
COMING LATER THIS FALL: A new weekly newsletter: RV Tech Talk. The nation’s leading experts on RV repair and maintenance will discuss, both in writing and in live online discussions, what you need to know to keep your RV in top condition and to troubleshoot problems. Edited by Dave Solberg. Sign up.
Tip of the Day
Coyote camping: Your RV at home on the open desert
By Bob Difley
Boondocking around Quartzsite on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and called Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVA) is an easy and effective introduction to desert boondocking and snowbirding.
Support services and supplies are plentiful, and the great gathering of veteran boondockers, much like the mountain man rendezvous of 150-200 years ago, stand ready to help out if needed.
But once you’ve perfected your boondocking skills, plenty more snowbird/boondocking possibilities exist outside the LTVAs of Quartzsite in the Mojave Desert of Southeastern California (including some LTVAs in California, just west of Yuma) and the Sonora Desert of Southwestern Arizona.
Today’s RV review…
Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BRDS— a ‘flexibunkhouse’
Tony writes, “For this specific model, I like the fact that there is both seating and dining space for everybody who could sleep here. The kitchen is very usable and the Power Package is, as I have described elsewhere, game-changing.
“Overall, a nice set of features that didn’t need a lot of changes for 2023…”
Recent popular review: My 6 favorite no-slide couple’s camping trailers
Photo Contest
The 14th edition of our photo contest is here. Click to see if your photo made the cut, then vote in our poll for your favorite photo. Remember, the winner wins a $50 Amazon gift card! Read the contest rules and/or submit your photo here.
Click here to vote for your favorite
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 difficult is it to remove RV ceiling panels to access wiring?
Dear Dave,
How difficult is it to remove RV ceiling panels to access wiring in the attic? I ask, as mice have chewed through two A/C-related wires. Our RV has two Dometic A/C units. They are controlled by their “Comfort Control Center 2” thermostat, which can control two zones. One damaged wire is a 4-conductor telephone-style cable that daisy chains the thermostat’s control from one A/C unit to the other. The other wire is a temperature sensor for zone 2 (bedroom). I cannot use the old wires to pull in new ones as the mice severed them. —Mike, 2018 Keystone Alpine 3400RS
Video of the day
Tips for RV towing in the mountains
By Cheri Sicard
RV towing in the mountains, whether it be a trailer or a fifth wheel, fills many RVers with fear and dread. Especially beginner RVers.
I had a friend who would go hundreds of miles out of her way just to avoid towing in the mountains. It does not need to be that way.
Assuming you have the proper tow vehicle, towing in the mountains need not be difficult or overly stressful.
Beware the “death wobble.” It could happen to your truck
By Gail Marsh
The first time it happened we felt sure we were going to die. No kidding! Our Ford F-250 dually truck was humming down the road when, without warning, the front end began shaking. The front tires felt like they were jumping! The violent shaking of the front end matched the crazy, uncontrollable movement of the steering wheel. It jumped from right to left and back and forth so fast that I don’t know how my husband held on! Continue reading about this not-uncommon experience.
Reader poll
Do you take more photos with your phone or a dedicated camera?
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Well., you’d surely get a lot of looks in these! And your partner might think you’ve lost your mind… But hey, you’d just be clownin’ around!
Helpful resources
• CURRENT WILDFIRE REPORT
• CURRENT SMOKE AND FIRE REPORT
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION
• ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NATION
• WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
• LATEST RV RECALLS
• DIRECTORY OF RV PARKS WITH STORM SHELTERS
• THE BEST RV TRIP PLANNER APPS AND TOOLS
Did you buy a lemon RV? Here’s more about RV lemons and lawyers who will represent you if you need help.
Quick Tip
Control trailer swerve
The most unusual aspects of trailer towing involve swerve control. When a swerve starts, the natural instinct is to apply the tow vehicle brakes, but that is the WORST thing to do. Slowing down will help, but not by using tow vehicle brakes! Apply the trailer brakes independently until the swerve is controlled before starting to brake the tow vehicle. Unless the swerve is severe, the trailer brakes will correct it without any other action. From Trailers & Fifth Wheels Made Easy
On this day last year…
- Tip: Avoid disaster—Tighten those valve stems correctly!
- RV Review: Lance Camper 1985 Travel Trailer
- Ask Dave: Why won’t the furnace burner light in our Minnie Winnie?
- Featured article: A four-story tall RV… literally
- Recipe: Canned Salmon Patties (The Best)
Website of the day
The best places to go in Alaska: explore this stunning wilderness
This list from Lonely Planet will surely make you want to plan a trip to Alaska… right now. You may have never heard of some of these places and activities, so add them to your list!
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• 6 stories of RVers who got kicked out of campgrounds. Was it fair?
• Rig trouble? Beware the roadside rip-off
• Want to buy an RV? Buyer beware!
Recipe of the Day
Peach Bread
by Donna Walker from Murfreesboro, NC
Have extra peaches that are about to go bad? Use them in this delicious quick bread. The crunchy cinnamon and pecan crumble on top complements the soft and moist bread. There are bits of peaches in every bite. We bet you could even serve these as muffins or bake in a Bundt pan. An easy-to-make treat for any peach fan.
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Trivia
The Great Pyramid of Giza, constructed in 2560 BC, was the tallest man-made structure in the world for nearly a millennia. It wasn’t until the completion of the Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, that the Great Pyramid lost that title. The cathedral was completed in 1311 AD and the top spires stood around 44 feet taller than the Great Pyramid.
*What U.S. state’s official mammal is extinct? Take a guess then find the answer in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Aspen the Pomeranian is chillin’ out during the ride in our Airstream Atlas.” —Renee’ & Kerry Chelm
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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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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Driving in the mountains; trailer manufacturer’s should be shot for bringing a trailer to market without substantial brakes. They should be held to the same standard as auto manufacturers. Electric drum brakes on a 15,000 lb vehicle? Oh I have been there descending a mountain did my due diligence slow 10 mph release to cool then apply again and in a couple cycles no trailer brakes. No engine brake to fall back on. Downshift? A diesel? All i would do is over rev it. Luckily I ran out of mountain as it wouldn’t have been pretty. So I installed electric hydraulic discs. That should be a standard item. Trailers need the capacity to stop themselves under any condition.
Quick Tip Control trailer swerve, if you have the weight properly distributed you’re less likely to have any trailer swerve! Snoopy
It amazes me to watch news taken inside pot dispensary s
All those $50&100$ bills for something that’s going up in smoke.
I’ve never had the need nor the money for that
Plus right or wrong, there is a basketball star setting in prison because of it. Laws are laws until they get changed.
So “nearly a millennia” is “nearly a thousand years” right? And 2560 BC to 1311 AD is 3870 years. Seems the trivia is misworded.
Be careful you’ll upset someone’s apple cart if you point out mistakes.
Hi, Bob. It won’t upset my apple cart, even though I do the proofreading of everything that gets posted. I didn’t put that Trivia in, and don’t have time to double-check every single bit of information that every writer posts. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. So, no, I didn’t catch that error, although I wish I had. I realize I shouldn’t assume that everything is factually correct, but I just hope the writers know what they’re writing about so I can concentrate on the typos, etc. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane
A subject I haven’t seen reported; it is illegal to have pot on any federal land;national parks;national forests etc. Some hikers were just charged with possession in the White mountain national forrest. They got lost after having some brownies.
Got lost after having some brownies, that should be your answer why it should be illegal.
If they got drunk and lost should alcohol be illegal?
Just how many chemical intoxicants DO we need? And more importantly, Why?
I’ve noticed a lot of cry babies here the last couple of days. Why would you even concern yourself about some clowns that got lost?!? Jeez. This is supposed to be a carefree, light entertaining and educational newsletter. There’s enough Nazis on the other RV sites.
It is illegal on all federal owned land and buildings. I think the Federal Government does not even recognize medical marijuana.
Even in state parks, there is a limit to the amount of cannabis you are allowed to posses. Some states require you to be resident of that state.
The only reason it’s illegal is they have not found a way or the time to tax it.
That is correct. Gambling was illegal until the government got into lotteries and casinos.
Cannabis will soon become a federally legal substance once the bill passes in congress. Then it will be up to each state as to its legality or not. I am not a user or need it for medical purposes, but I do have a financial investment in a Canadian Cannabis Company that just may make me some money one day.
Hi, Phil. Our writer Cheri Sicard has written a couple of posts on where marijuana is legal. They may contain some answers to your questions: https://www.rvtravel.com/weed-illegal-19-states-cannabis-loving-rvers-avoid-1047/ and https://www.rvtravel.com/medical-marijuana-card-valid-rving-states-1037/ Take care. 😀 –Diane
Technically yes it is.