Issue 2043
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
“Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Florida Day!
On this day in history: 1915 – Alexander Graham Bell inaugurates U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
Tip of the Day
Navigating diverging diamond interchanges in your RV
By Gail Marsh
Driving your RV down the road demands your full attention. This is especially true when you come upon an unfamiliar road configuration like a roundabout or a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI). Like most everything else with RVing, it’s a good idea to learn as much as you can ahead of time. So here are some tips for navigating diverging diamond interchanges in your RV.
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.”
Wire from converter to batteries—How long can it be?
Dear Dave,
My inverter is under the bed in the back and the batteries are about 20 feet upfront. I’m told this is too far away because of the voltage drop. I’ve looked at many RVs that are like mine. Most inverter specs say 5 feet max. Is this a problem? —Mike, 2019 Thor Windsport 27B
Prevent costly mistakes with these RVminders
Check out these RVminders and easily prevent costly mistakes! These bands wrap around your steering wheel and remind you to check things before you drive away. Never leave the steps or ladder down again. Antenna or satellite down? Slide locks in place? Doors, vents and windows closed? Compartment locks locked? Hookups disconnected? These are so easy to use they should be in every RV! Check ’em out.
Video of the day
How to use a compass
By Cheri Sicard
It may seem basic, but if you never went to scouts and nobody ever showed you, how are you supposed to learn? By watching the video on how to use a compass from outdoor experts at REI, of course!
Everyone, young and old, should understand this basic survival skill, so why not sit down and watch the video with the entire family?
Five important things to ask before you buy your next RV
Lemon Law attorney Ron Burdge has some very important advice for anyone who is in the market to buy an RV. He knows what he’s talking about after helping countless hundreds of RVers avoid financial disaster related to the purchase or use of a defective RV. Read more.
Live today: RV repair and maintenance advice
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. You will learn soooooooo much!
Watch and ask questions here. RV Travel on YouTube • RV Travel on Facebook • California RV Specialists on YouTube • RV Travel on Linkedin
Reader poll
Did you ever have a teacher who significantly changed your life?
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
Clean your Plexiglas shower door without scratching it
If your RV shower door is Plexiglas, it’ll scratch easily. Here’s a recipe/directions for cleaning without scratching: To an empty spray bottle add 1 cup of water with 1/2 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent. Add 1/4 cup of vinegar. Mix contents GENTLY. Now spray the Plexiglas with a light, thin mist. Let sit a few seconds and wipe clean with a soft, lint-free cloth. Wipe in large circles. Repeat until clean.
On this day last year…
- Tip: Dead RV battery issue leaves owner in the dark
- RV Review: Cherokee Wolf Pup 16FQ-BL
- Ask Dave: How close does the pressure on each set of duals need to be for equal wear?
- Featured article: DANGER: Beware of camping with only one road in and out
- Recipe: Easy Low Carb Chicken and Mushroom Stew
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Ever done something that you probably shouldn’t have done? Well, that’s probably everyone reading this right now… But maybe you won’t get in trouble if you have this.
Website of the day
The 10 Best Websites to Play Free Jigsaw Puzzles Online
As RVers, we don’t have a lot of free space to do large puzzles. That’s where online puzzles come in handy! This list shows you the best websites to do free puzzles online.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• RV boo-boos – Really high-centered 5er
• Should the battery disconnect switch be off during storage?
• RV Hacks, Tips, & Tricks
Recipe of the Day
Super Bowl Taco Showdown
by Pat Thompson from Memphis, TN
Truth be told, we could sit down in front of the big game and make quite a dent in this delicious taco salad all by ourselves! It’s easy to make and very filling. Adding Italian dressing makes this different than other taco salad recipes. It’s surprisingly delicious and brings a hint of tangy flavor.
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Trivia
The term “loophole” used to refer to what? Castle architecture. Loopholes, also called arrow slits, were narrow windows carved out of castle walls that allowed defenders to shoot attackers.
*The iconic Coca-Cola bottle is shaped to look like what? You’ll never guess! Find the answer in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is my second ‘foster fail,’ Argo. He climbs up the ladder to his bed in the cab over my Class C. He looks back when he gets to the last rung as if to tell me ‘Goodnight.'” —Debie Johnson
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 “cool tool” indeed: The Magnetizer/Demagnetizer
This gadget, recommended by Dave Solberg and Dustin Simpson, instantly magnetizes or demagnetizes steel tools and other small parts. You can convert any tool blade to a magnetic retriever of things like screws, nuts, and metallic particles. No batteries or electricity required. Never lose a screw again! Read more about it here, or buy one for yourself here.
Leave here with a laugh
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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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Interesting history of the Coke bottle:
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/company/history/the-history-of-the-coca-cola-contour-bottle
First day of camping, reminds me of my Backpacking days in the early seventies.
I am impressed with how Argo climbs the ladder to his bed. But I am curious to see how Argo comes down the ladder.
50 years of driving and never heard of a DDI. Very interesting and looks like a good idea.
Between DDI’s and traffic circles makes me appreciate interstates in SD.
I agree with Dave. Please let us know how a 3 day warranty can imply that it is a 4 year warranty.
For the article written on buying an RV. Having the dealer write that they guarantee a warranty of 3 days: seems to imply that this results in a warranty of 4 years “in most states”. Not sure how 3 days gets to 4 yrs……… or did I read incorrectly?
Warranty of MERCHANTABILITY for four years. Not an extended parts warranty, per se. The dealer has essentially stated that they warrant the RV is fit for it’s purpose, even though that’s not what it sounds like to a non-lawyer…and then that triggers meanings in state laws that extend the merchantability legal concepts. This would be a HUGE thing in a lemon law case, I suspect.
AT LEAST THAT IS THE WAY I READ IT. I’M NOT A LAWYER.
Many contracts have terms denying any warranty of merchantability ( although some states don’t allow that), so I wonder if by having it hand written by the dealer is what legally resolves what may be conflicting terms unless specifically stated in an order of precedence clause.
As a cat lover, I really like that picture of Argo looking back. That’s the look one of our former cats would show when we called her name – sternly. “Who – me”?
Didn’t drive my RV on it ( drove my car) but Rt. 32 in Orange County NY has a DDI located next to the Woodbury Commons Outlets in Harriman , NY. It feels strange crossing over and driving ‘towards’ traffic but it does work . It could be slightly confusing on your first time thru it but it is labeled with a lot of directional signage.