Issue 2010
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
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Pastry Day!
On this day in history: 1851 – The first YMCA in North America is established in Montreal.
Tip of the Day
You should be using broom holders in your RV (and not just for holding brooms!)
Broom hangers help keep brooms and mops tidy, but you might be surprised to learn the following tips and hacks for using broom hangers while RVing. Hint: These tricks have nothing to do with brooms!
Note: Broom hangers come in a variety of styles. Some feature self-adhesive mounting while others require screws to mount. The tips that follow generally suggest the self-stick type of hanger (like these), but heavy items may require a screw mount. It’s important to note the weight capabilities of the broom holder you intend to use. Also, check to see if the self-adhesive holder will adhere to the surface you intend for it.
CONTEST! Is this your RV?
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Every day we post a photo of an RV either submitted by its owner or by our editors and writers 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.”
Can weight distribution hitch bars get weak?
Dear Dave,
Do the bars on an equalizer hitch lose their carrying capacity over time? My old hitch had 1000# bars and the rig would porpoise a lot going over seams and humps in the road. I switched to newer 1200# bars and the ride is much better. —Larry, 2006 Vortex 224 FB TT
In the RV Shop With Dustin
In this new column, head into the RV shop with Dustin Simpson and his wife, Ashley, of California RV Specialists. Each Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Dustin and Ashley will walk you through what’s going on in and around their shop. They’ll share their favorite tools, gadgets, DIY maintenance projects, RV tech talks, what they receive in their inbox, and much, much more.
The benefits of RV roof vent covers and why you should have at least two in your RV
Did you know that RV roof vent covers help protect the vent lid, the vent lid seal and the roof vent sealants? It also reduces the inside temperature during the summer season.
With a vent lid cover installed, you can open the vent rain or shine. It also allows you to transport your unit with vents open, allowing fresh air to cool and air out your unit during travel. During the winter it will help protect the RV’s interior from rain, and it also allows you to let any musty air or smoke from cooking odors to escape year-round.
Video of the day
Mac charger repair—5 minute fix for iPhone or MacBook chargers
By Cheri Sicard
Have you ever found yourself on an RV trip and the charger for your MacBook, Mac laptop, or iPhone stops working? Have you ever wondered what a Mac charger repair would entail?
Wonder no more. In the video below, the team at Brain Hacks will show you just how easy it is to perform a Mac charger repair on your dysfunctional charger.
Rig on the shoulder? Move over or slow down! It’s the law
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
When a couple in a Jeep rolled down their window and started yelling at us, we took notice. We were rolling down Oregon’s I-84, and their message wasn’t misunderstood: “Your tire is completely gone!” We moved onto the right shoulder “breakdown” lane to eyeball the situation. Despite our hazard lights flashing, and our rather large travel trailer posterior hanging out there “in front of God and everybody,” traffic paid little attention. Doesn’t anybody know about “move over or slow down”? … How about you? Have you ever been in a breakdown situation and felt your rig or your life was threatened by traffic? Read more then let us know here.
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- 2023 “two-story” 5th wheel is enormous, but design is disappointing
- Cities around the U.S. begin cracking down on RV parking
- Preowned RV prices continue to dive. Are we heading back to “normal” territory?
- Beware the damaging dips: Our motorhome got stuck. Really stuck.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
We are just going to have to admit right now that we already bought one of these and can truly say that it makes a darn good product, and it’s RV-sized!
Reader poll
Do you have a generator with you on your RV travels?
Quick Tip
How hot are your wheel bearings?
Your axle wheel bearings will need occasional attention. Feel with your hand at the hub to check for one that may be running hotter than the rest. Note: If the bearing is adjusted too tight or is running without grease it can get VERY hot! You must pay immediate attention to a hot bearing. They will either need more grease or adjustment, but replacement may be necessary. This is an excellent application for an infrared thermometer that will indicate the temperature at whatever it is pointed.
On this day last year…
- Tip: They’re not just for shoes: Use shoe organizers throughout your RV!
- RV Review: 2022 Keystone Cougar 25RDS
- Ask Dave: Can I use tow vehicle battery and jumper cables to supplement my trailer’s house battery?
- Featured article: A good place to carry books in your RV
- Recipe: Christmas Crunch
Doctor’s order: Coffee!
This coffee mug is hilarious! It’s perfect for yourself or the coffee-lover in your life who just cannot live without coffee. This high-quality mug is made from ceramic and painted to look like a prescription pill bottle – it’s just what the doctor ordered! You can’t order this from a barista, but you can order one here.
Website of the day
The Gene Autry Show on Shout! Factory TV
If you’re a fan of Gene Autry, you may be familiar with “The Gene Autry Show,” which aired in 1950. Go back in time and watch the first 10 episodes of the show here. You’ll love it!
Clubs and useful organizations
PLEASE NOTE: We may receive an affiliate commission if you join any of these.
• Harvest Hosts: Stay free at farms, wineries and other scenic and peaceful locations for free. Save 15% on membership.
• AllStays: The best website for RVers! Your membership will become your RV-bible.
• Boondockers Welcome: Stay at homes of RVers who welcome you in their driveways, yards, farmland or other space on their private property. Modest membership fee.
• Escapees: Best Club for RVers: All RVers welcome, no matter what type of RV, make or model.
• RV LIFE Trip Wizard: Make your RV road trip planning easier than ever.
Recipe of the Day
Honey Baked Chicken
by Muna Escobar from Knoxville, TN
Need a new way to prepare chicken? Try this honey baked chicken. Very easy to make, and once baked, the chicken tastes similar to a General Tso chicken. There’s a bit of sweetness and spice. Simmering the sauce and pouring it over the baked chicken punches up the flavors when serving.
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Trivia
Netflix wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for the movie “Apollo 13.” After receiving a ridiculous $40 late fee from his local movie rental company after renting “Apollo 13,” Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings thought there must be a better way of doing things. Hastings explained he wanted to create a movie rental business by mail, but didn’t know about the invention of DVDs at that point. The rest, of course, is history.
*Speaking of Apollo 13, what does moon dust smell like? We tell you in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is Bowler, our 12-year-old Rottie/Shepherd mix. He is always up for an adventure, especially if it includes water he can wade in!” —Sonja Shoemaker
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!
Sewer fitting grip help! Gadget to the rescue!
If you find the bayonet mounts for your sewer hose connections are getting a bit hard to twist off and on (hate to say it, but it sometimes comes with age), here’s a tool that might help. An adjustable oil filter wrench, made to get a grip around automotive oil filters, can also provide a handy grip and plenty of leverage on the bayonet fitting of your sewer hose, and the termination cap as well. Here’s one we recommend.
Leave here with a laugh
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The name of the founder of Netflix, Hastings, made me smile. Our video rental store (and in several other towns in MT) was called Hastings.
How hot are wheel bearings? While I don’t have any data (no rv trailer I can use to run tests) I do have considerable experience with lubricating and setting wheel bearings on my race cars. I also have an opinion that people could use the temperature reading on your TPMS to give a possible indication of imminent bearing problems. Heat from bearings can easily be transmitted to the hub, then to the wheel as metal is a good conductor of heat. If you look closely at your TPMS sensor you will note the body is brass. The metal bolt-in-valve stem used also has a brass body, also a good conductor. So there is a good trail of heat-conducting metal from hot wheel bearings to your TPMS. I bet that few people keep a mental note of the TPMS temperature and while many think the TPMS is reporting the temperature of the tire, the reality is that rubber in tires is a poor conductor of heat and will probably be cooler than a set of hot wheel bearings.
Great leave here with a laugh today
On this day in history: 1851 – The first YMCA in North America is established in Montreal. ( Since when is Montreal in North America? )
Mexico City is also in North America.
Where did you think it was located.
Don’t take this wrong! Hot bearings are the result of improper care or overloading. Too many manufacturers put axles under a trailer that BARELY meet the GVW. A properly packed bearing should go 25 or 30,000 miles if not overloaded. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check them on a regular basis if you want . . . that’s smart. In over 50 years of pulling and hauling I’ve never had a HOT bearing. So much of good traveling is paying attention to routine maintenance and doing the job CORRECTLY. Wishing you all the best for your Holiday trips!!!
Born in ’47, I grew up being called Gene because Awtry sounds the same. My dad said there are 26 ways to spell Autry. Oughtry, Awtree, etc. There was a Lt. Joseph Awtry in the Revolutionary War. In the early days of the USA and especially the old west where schooling was not always available or wanted, the spelling of words and names were written differently as they sounded. Roy Rogers was picked up by the movie company because Gene was asking for more money than they wanted to pay at the updating of his contract.
How cool! Thank you for the link that allows me to see the Gene Autry show. It was a Saturday morning routine for me as a child. I may have enjoyed it more than the Roy Rogers show because it was broadcast earlier in the day and I saw it more often. Thank you!
Laugh of the day….good it isn’t flatlining….that would be mean.
The GPS Tracer is a great idea. Every RV should be equipped with one. It would helpe locate a lost or stolen RV. And the Police will like it too.
The “Quick Tip” of the day. NEVER put your hands on a HOT object! This can and will cause serious injury and/or nerve damage. If you must do this, and you do not have a LASER thermometer type, use the back of your hand or fingers. I did exactly what I was NOT supposed to do, and had some serious burns on my fingers, NOT GOOD! I quickly ordered my laser thermometer and keep it by my door step to check tires and axles on my stops. Safe travels!
The very brief wheel bearing paragraph deserves a bigger space and more detail along with watching tire pressures and conditions. At every stop I walk around our rig with an infrared gun and take temps of tires, wheels and hubs.