Issue 2021
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
“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Candy Cane Day! Oh, and happy Boxing Day!
On this day in history: 1963 – The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” are released in the United States, marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level.
Tip of the Day
Handy tricks for using plastic wrap while RVing
By Gail Marsh
Plastic wrap can be frustrating to work with, so I’d decided to save space and aggravation by removing it from our RV. Then I remembered all the unusual ways that it comes in handy, and I pushed the box back into the RV kitchen drawer. Here’s hoping some of these tips and hacks will convince you to use plastic wrap while RVing, too.
Keep the RV fridge clean
I love this hack! Begin with clean refrigerator glass shelves. Cut plastic wrap a bit longer than the length of the fridge shelf and then apply the wrap. Smooth the surface and tuck the extra wrap under the shelf. If a spill occurs, simply remove and replace the plastic wrap. (Hint: This tip also works with RV shelves. I place cling wrap directly on the shelving and follow up by adding a “grippy” shelf liner.)
CONTEST! Is this your RV?
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Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
I winterized the RV and it still froze. Why?
Dear Dave,
I recently incorporated a temperature controlled 100w ceramic heater lamp, designed for a fish tank, into my water closet, hopefully to keep the manifold and other nearby exposed lines from freeze damage. I always blow the lines and then pump antifreeze thru all of the faucets via the winterize setting in the manifold. But that apparently wasn’t enough for the manifold in the Big Freeze we had here in 2021. In addition, my 5th wheel has an underbelly and I’m thinking of cutting a strategically placed hatch to install another heater of the same capacity while it sits in storage during the winter months. Any thoughts? I have to wonder why underbelly heaters are not built-in. This coming storm will be its first real test. —Ray, 2015 Jayco FLQS 339
In the RV Shop with Dustin
Cool Tools: Kill A Watt measures watt/amp draw
Every Wednesday (except this Wednesday!) we meet for a livestream called Talkin’ RV Tech. We not only answer technical questions, but we also share what we like to call “cool tools.” These are tools and gadgets that we actually use! We also believe they will be helpful to you.
Here’s a clip of one of our latest videos where we discuss the Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor.
Learn more about this “cool tool”
Video of the day
Hot Rod RV: Incredible vintage trailers on the move!
If you love vintage trailers and if you love vintage hot rods, have I got a video for you! In Hot Rod RV you can sit back, relax, and watch a virtual parade of vintage trailers, all towed by equally impressive vintage hot rods!
This road-trip road should be number one on your bucket list
By Chris Epting
If there is a bucket list for roads, Highway 1 on the California coast must certainly place near the top of the list, if not at the number one slot. Sometimes, those of us living in California tend to take it for granted. After all, there are far more quick and efficient routes when traveling between Los Angeles and San Francisco. But there is not another one that even approaches its grandeur and jaw-dropping beauty. Continue reading.
Reader poll
Do you plan on visiting a U.S. National Park in 2023?
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?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
You’d make a lot of friends with this! And we really mean it! If we saw you in this, we’d want to be your friend!
Quick Tip
Water pressure regulator tips
Water pressure varies from campground to campground. Some have in excess of one hundred pounds per square inch pressure. Modern rigs are designed for less than fifty. If you do not use a water pressure regulator, you could rupture an interior water hose. Believe me, you do not want to clean up after that, not to mention the expense of a very difficult repair. Most folks don’t know the difference between pressure and flow, but you should.
“Flow” is a measure of volume of water delivered in a period of time, usually measured in gallons per minute, or gpm. The poor shower is caused by low flow, as are most other RV water supply problems. “Pressure” is a measure of the force of the water, and it is measured when no water is flowing (“static” pressure). It is measured in pounds of pressure per square inch, or psi. RV plumbing systems in an RV fresh water system are generally tested to a pressure of 100 to 125 pounds per square inch (psi), but to prevent warranty problems, RV manufacturers may recommend only 40-50 psi. Unfortunately, this may not provide the shower you’re looking for. Most house plumbing operates at about 60 psi, and this can be adequate for RVs, too.
The cheaper pressure regulators are really water flow restrictors, and you will notice the restriction when you have to dance around under the shower to get wet. The best way to go is with an adjustable water pressure regulator with a pressure gauge so you know what water pressure is entering your rig. There will be an adjusting screw to raise or lower the pressure. I set ours between 45 and 50 pounds psi. Get one of these, available at RV parts stores or on-line. You’ll be glad you did. —From “So, You Want To Be an RVer? And Enjoy the RV Lifestyle? [Revised].” Available on Amazon.
Website of the day
oldest.org
Explore the categories on this website and you’ll have tons of fun! Learn about the oldest restaurants in America, the oldest racetracks in America, the oldest royal tiaras of the British Empire (yes, really!), and pretty much anything else you can think of. Click on the categories across the top to explore.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Sheet metal, ladders and glue … Missing RV parts aren’t always the big stuff
• These are the spare items you should always have on hand in your RV
• RVer asks: Do we have to recertify motorhome LP tanks?
Recipe of the Day
Pimento Cheese Stuffed Chicken
by Renee Klevenhagen from Midland, NC
Pimento cheese is a Southern staple. Stuff it inside a chicken breast and you have a delicious and easy stuffed chicken recipe. Cut into the juicy and tender chicken, and the cheesy center oozes out. We love the crunchy Panko outer layer. So much yumminess!
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Trivia
Did you know that Southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park has a VIP campground? Does that sound unfair to the rest of us? It shouldn’t. The “VIP” label refers to “Volunteers in Parks”. The campground is a hidden gem used by volunteer individuals and groups of the national park.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Bella is nine years old and enjoys traveling and camping with us. She’s been out west to South Dakota, all through our home state of Virginia, West Virginia and the Carolinas. She loves to hike in the mountains, and explore lakes and the ocean. She recently got to visit New England, and loved Acadia NP in Maine.” —Bill Alberts
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!
A Year of Us: One question a day for couples is lots of fun
Having a journal like this is such a wonderful way to bond with your partner. It only takes a few minutes to fill out each day, and it will be something you’ll be so happy to look back on years down the road. A Year of Us: A Couples Journal, asks daily questions that spark everyday conversations. Kick-start 2023 with something like this. Learn more or order.
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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Bella is a well seasoned traveler and she certainly shows that she enjoys each trip.
Great leave here with a Laugh 😃
When it comes to Journaling, DH & I keep ours filled with our RV travels! Re-reading all of the older Journals is one of our favorite past times. It is so easy to write each day while RVing. We each contribute and enjoy each others’ entries for the same days.
Leave here with a laugh – Well Duh, yah, a bar of Ivory soap and you are good to go.
Bella is beautiful, but if you think South Dakota is “out west”, I think you’re missing some geographical knowledge.
Hi, Ron. I think compared to their home state of Virginia, South Dakota does seem like “out west,” at least in the direction from their home. Have a great day, and a terrific 2023. 😀 –Diane
South Dakota is out west if Chicago is in the Midwest.
Regarding the “Water pressure regulator tips”, I would challenge that statement “Modern rigs are designed for less than fifty.” In the real world everyone is worried about liability in making a statement which might come back and bite them in their ‘tail light area’. For me, 45 is too low for a decent shower. I run my adjustable regulator between 55 & 60 psi and have not had a problem in 50 years of RVing. Big thing too is to turn your water off at the campground connection every time you’ll be away from the RV for an extended time ie: an hour or more. A ball valve makes this so easy.
Loved the joke !