Issue 2079
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
“And she said, ‘Don’t hate. Hate is like a poison you make for your enemy that you end up swallowing yourself.'” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Panda Day!
On this day in history: 1802 – The Army Corps of Engineers is established to found and operate the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Tip of the Day
Tips for overcoming RV claustrophobia
By Gail Marsh
Do you ever feel a bit claustrophobic inside your RV? It can happen. For some folks, that “closed in” feeling can become intense. In some cases, it can even be a deal-breaker! Here are some tips to help you overcome RV claustrophobia.
Feeling claustrophobic? Here are some outside suggestions
Often claustrophobic feelings can be lessened or even eliminated by simply going outside your RV for a while. But then what? Try these suggestions…
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.”
My RV’s 6-volt FLA batteries are dry, but service manager says they should be good
Dear Dave,
In the fall I purchased a slightly used one-year-old motorhome from a dealer. The original owners made one 350-mile trip in it, decided it was too much for them, and parked it for a year before trading it in on something smaller. Knowing the RV had sat unused for a year, I insisted all batteries be checked (one 12V engine battery and six 6V house batteries). I also had a 340-amp solar system installed and wired to charge the batteries even with the battery disconnect off. The dealer said they confirmed the batteries were good.
I made one short trip and put the RV in storage for the winter. Recently I checked the batteries and discovered two of the 6V batteries were low on water and four were dry … the plates were fully exposed. …
Continue reading Jim’s question and Dave’s answer
Video of the day
The top 5 Georgia state parks to visit
By Cheri Sicard
The team at Camp Travel Explore put together a virtual tour of their top five picks of Georgia state parks. It turns out state parks in the Peach State have a lot to offer travelers. And, to be sure, there are many more than just the five featured in the video below. Be sure to leave your favorites in the comments.
What if vehicles had different horns for different things? This guy created just that
By Sandi Sturm
My husband, Wayne, does all the driving, so far, of the motorhome. On more than one occasion over the years he mentioned how he would like to have a special button to push on the horn to blast people into consciousness. Well, he used different words, but you know what I mean. This engineer came up with some great alterations for car horns. Each horn means something different, and they’re actually, dare I say, polite? Check this out.
Did you miss yesterday’s Full-Time RVer newsletter? If so, make sure to read it here.
Reader poll
How would you describe the reliability of your RV’s automatic levelers?
Quick Tip
Easy way to get water out of sewer hose before storage
Putting away a recently used sewer hose can make a wet mess. After rinsing the hose, leave the “output” end of the hose connected to the drain, and starting at the RV-end of the hose, push a couple of feet of hose toward the output end. This forces the water out of the pleats of the hose. Wait a moment, and then repeat the process until you’ve pushed the hose together, and the water out. Now store your hose without the watery mess.
CAN YOU GUESS? What percent of more than 2,200 RVtravel.com readers do not own a cell phone? Is it about 9 percent, 5 percent or 1 percent? Find out.
On this day last year…
- Tip: Here’s how having an “outside bin” keeps your RV’s interior cooler
- RV Review: Jayco Seneca 37K – A bigger hammer
- Ask Dave: What’s all the noise when using Power Gear jacks?
- Recipe: Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Like it says… If you can’t get a date, grow a mate!
Website of the day
Best Irish Bars in the U.S.
If you’re getting ready to drink some Guinness tomorrow for St. Patrick’s Day, why not do it at one of the best Irish bars in the U.S.? “Sláinte!”
And the Survey Says…
We’ve polled RVtravel.com readers more than 1,500 times in recent years. Here are a few things we’ve learned about them:
• 74 percent say their credit rating is excellent.
• 16 percent always or usually always carry tire chains in their RV or tow vehicle.
• 75 percent have given a public speech to more than 50 people.
Recipe of the Day
Guinness Beef Stew
by Malinda Coletta from North Providence, RI
A robust and thick beef stew recipe that’s perfect over mashed potatoes. The meat and carrots are cooked to perfection in the Guinness. Adding pearl onions and fresh thyme adds fantastic flavor. Honey is an unusual stew ingredient but it adds a bit of sweetness to the stew. This is a meal to put on the stove and simmer on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s the perfect stew for a cold day but does take a little TLC.
Trivia
It is illegal for the U.S. Treasury to print any living person on its currency. The story goes that back in 1866 the Superintendent of the National Currency Bureau, Spencer M. Clark, issued a 5-cent bill that featured his face. Clark wasn’t exactly well-liked because of several scandals he had been involved in, so shortly after the release of his 5-cent bill, the next appropriations bill was amended to include a prohibition against putting the face of any living person on any currency. Now you know!
*Adding what to your coffee will keep it warmer longer? You’ll never guess! Find out in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Big Puss and Little Puss. My babies traveled with us for six years. They had a great time. Went cross-country and to Yellowstone. This picture is when I told them to ‘sit.’ They were 19 and 21. Both gone. Loved them to death.” —Elaine Theroux
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
Tell these jokes tomorrow:
What do you call an Irish spider?
Paddy long legs
How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time?
He’s Dublin over with laughter
Why can’t you borrow money from leprechauns?
Because they’re always a little short
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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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Those two cats look like the one that lives under my house and torments my one dog. She has chased it out of the yard but still would love to see it live under someone elses house. I have to make sure she knows not to try to go thru the fence.
Then what do you do with the towel ?
My wife and I went into a Irish bar in New York for lunch. The only thing in the bar that was Irish was the whiskey on the shelf.
What do you get if you cross an Irishman with a redwood?
Patty O’Furniture.
now THAT’s funny.
What beautiful cats and their memories Big Puss and Little Puss, so precious! Thank you for sharing!
The sewer hose hint is great; thank you! Cats were so cute. The jokes are groaners to just the right degree. 😎
I really liked the 3 horn article. We don’t need any more distractions while driving but I think I could use this quite often.
I miss Tony’s articles.
I’m sorry for your loss, Elaine. They both looked so healthy at 19 and 21, what was your secret? I’ve had older cats, 18+, but they never looked that good, even with regular vet care.
I suspect this longevity is primarily in the genes. As my late brother used to say … Choose your parents wisely.
True! 🙂
Re: Mystery Product of the Day
That was funny, but some of the “recommendations” were even funnier.