Issue 2018
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.
Today’s thought
“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Crossword Puzzle Day! It’s also the first day of winter—Happy winter solstice!
On this day in history: 1913 – Arthur Wynne’s “word-cross”, the first published crossword puzzle, appears in the newspaper the New York World.
Tip of the Day
Hats and caps out of control? Try this simple tip to keep them organized
By Nanci Dixon
Are hats and caps out of control and all over the place in your RV? Perhaps you have some in your closet, some in a cupboard, and some thrown about on your favorite recliner… Ours were. I’d open a cabinet and they would all fall out.
To fix my falling-all-over-me hat problem…
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 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.”
Where do I find fresh water in cold temperatures?
Hey, Dave,
Where can I find fresh water fill stations in the winter? Thanks! —Michelle, 2022 Coachmen Cross Trail 23XG
In the RV Shop with Dustin
Talkin’ RV Tech Short: When do I release my RV slide-out button?
If you have questions, we have answers! Join us LIVE every Wednesday (that’s today!) at 4 p.m. PST (7 p.m. EST) for Talkin’ RV Tech. Here is an excerpt from one of our recent shows where one of our viewers wanted to know when he should release his RV slide-out button.
Question: When extending or retracting slide outs, when should I release the button? I usually count three seconds after the slides are fully extended or retracted before releasing the button. Am I damaging the hydraulic motor holding for that long?
Today: Live video chat
Dave, Dustin and Zach answer your questions about RV repair and maintenance
On today’s live Talkin’ RV Tech, our three tech experts will answer your questions from our online video studio about RV Repair and Maintenance from 4-5 p.m. Pacific time (7-8 p.m. in the East). So join them and pick their brains via chat. Ask questions or just lurk and soak up all the valuable information.
Watch and ask questions here. RV Travel on YouTube • RV Travel on Facebook • California RV Specialists on YouTube.
Keep your glove box organized for once!
This glove box organizer will change your life! Find what you need quickly, when you need it. It has six pockets inside and out for your vehicle or RV’s manuals, insurance cards, registrations and more. It even has space for a pen or tire gauge and comes with a notepad. Learn more or order.
Video of the day
Stylish vintage Shasta trailer renovation on a budget
Join the team from Playing with Sticks as they completely restore their 13-foot Vintage Shasta Compact trailer. According to them, this is a simple remodel within the grasp of almost anyone.
The transformation from dark and dreary to bright and homey is astounding!
What’s ready to fall off your RV (literally fall off)?
By Dave Helgeson
What’s ready to fall off your RV? More specifically, what is ready to fall off from under your RV? The past two summers we have set out with our RVing friends for an extended RV trek. Both trips almost ended as soon as they started. … Find out why, and what you should check on your RV before leaving for a trip so it doesn’t happen to you, here.
Reader poll
Is the holiday season a highlight of your year? Or not?
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Trip planning for 2023? Getting ready to make campsite reservations? Well, this will certainly help you!
Helpful resources
• 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
Fifth-wheelers, beware hitch chucking!
Because fifth-wheel hitches are anywhere from 14 to 18 inches above the bed, they can be susceptible to chucking, where the coupler jaws grab the king pin. This is mainly a problem with less expensive setups. If you spend more on a better fifth-wheel hitch that adjusts to keep a tight grip on the king pin, chucking is all but eliminated. —From “So, You Want To Be an RVer? And Enjoy the RV Lifestyle? [Revised].” Available on Amazon.
On this day last year…
- Tip: 2022 Cherokee Grey Wolf 29TE
- RV Review: New battery, fuses are good, but why don’t lights and switches work?
- Featured article: Downsizing: An emotional roller coaster
- Recipe: To Die For Beef Tacos
Website of the day
Strangest Town Names in Florida
We know many of you are in Florida right now, so we thought you’d get a kick out of this. Some of these are so funny! This website, Florida Travel + Life, has some other great articles, too, if you’re in Florida now or will be soon.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• A popular lesson put into play: Don’t let first impressions fool you
• Several of my friends are quitting RVing. You can probably relate to why they’re doing so
• Basic RV etiquette that isn’t always talked about, but makes all the difference
Recipe of the Day
Christmas Breakfast Brie Pastry
by Brad Heintz from Seabrook, TX
The perfect baked Brie appetizer for special occasions. Or enjoy it on Christmas as Brad’s family does. Sweet and salty, roasted pecans and brown sugar complement the rich, creamy cheese. It’s beautiful when baked and presented thanks to the golden brown puff pastry. Raspberry not only adds a pop of color but also a nice fruitiness. We served with crackers and green apple slices for a festive plate. An easy and impressive appetizer for a holiday party.
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Trivia
The French word “cahute” means cabin, which morphed into our word “cahoots.” In early America, you were “in cahoots” with somebody if you were camped out together in one shelter.
*Who invented Dorito chips? It’s a fascinating story. Find it in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“We were asked recently to pet sit for a dear friend who got called away. We weren’t sure about traveling with her but she sure took to RVing with us. She loved riding on the built-in desk and loved the little ‘doggie window’ on the passenger’s side.” —Skip Floraday
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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Skip good for you helping your friends out! Now the big question: are you going to adopt or receive a pup of your own!? Puppy Love & Kisses! Safe Travels Always
5th wheel “chucking” isn’t due to play between the hitch and the king-pin (except maybe very rare instances). It’s due to the weight of the trailer pushing and pulling on the hitch assembly as the trailer goes over bumps in the road. The only cure is a hitch or king-pin assembly that will absorb those forces. There are several out there, and I suspect that any of them will greatly improve your ride while towing a 5’er. Personally, we got tired of all the hassles of a trailer, and “graduated” to a diesel pusher. We’ve been very happy glampers ever since.
Everything has a frequency. That is what enables a singer to break a crystal glass with their voice. Bumps in the road (think washboard on gravel) on asphalt, sets up a cadence at a given speed. Usually that’s at the posted speed limit which most traffic adheres to. Your vehicle and trailer don’t ride over these bumps at exactly the same time and that throws out the tempo of the truck and trailer wheels passing over the bumps. Simply cutting your speed (sometimes by half) will get rid of the chucking, then regain your speed and usually things will be fine for a while at least.
‘Usually that’s at the posted speed limit which most traffic adheres to”. Really??
Drop Stop looks interesting. Everything slides to and falls through the seat belt mechanism.
They have worked as advertised in my vehicles. Well worth, as I am always dropping something.
Regarding strange names of towns, I believe it has been settled that PA wins the award hands down.
https://wanderwisdom.com/.amp/travel-destinations/pennsylvania-town-names