Issue 2086
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
“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” —T.S. Elliot
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is International Scribble Day!
On this day in history: 1794 – The United States Government establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates.
Did you see the news? Click here for the latest news for RVers
Tip of the Day
RVers, don’t leave home without it: 22 genius hacks for using Vaseline
By Gail Marsh
You probably have some in your RV’s medicine cabinet right now. Its generic name is “petroleum jelly,” better known by the brand name Vaseline. While you wouldn’t want to spread this jelly-like substance on your morning toast, there are many helpful ways Vaseline can be useful to RVers.
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.
Please note: This contest will end at the end of this month (i.e., this Friday). It simply does not generate enough interest for our staff to continue putting their time into it. We’ve enjoyed it (and loved seeing all of your RVs!) and know those of you who have participated have, too. We apologize to those whose RVs weren’t randomly chosen out of the thousands of submissions. Now we’re off to think of another contest idea…
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
Why not use West System Epoxy to adhere components to RV roof?
Dear Dave,
I’ve seen videos of folks using different adhesives to glue down various components on the RV’s roof and other places. Is there any reason why epoxies like West System are not used? I’ve used it extensively on any boats I’ve owned for repairs and construction as well as an adhesive. Works great. So why not on RVs? Thanks. —Mike, 2022 Thor Freedom Elite 24HE
In the shop with Dustin
Setting up your vehicle to be flat towed
My store, California RV Specialists, is one of only a few qualified companies in the state that specialize in RV tow bar braking systems. Flat towing a vehicle behind your motorhome is a popular choice for transportation. Below is some of the info you need to know to outfit your vehicle to your RV.
Video of the day
Avoiding payload problems: How much can I tow?
By Cheri Sicard
If you have ever wondered: How much can I realistically tow?—wonder no more.
The team from Keep Your Daydream (KYD – one of our reader favorite RV YouTube channels) is here to help with the video.
How much you can tow is about far more than the tow capacity…
Would you be able to travel across the country without road signs?
Road signs are taken for granted these days. But they tell us what city is approaching, what gas stations are off the next exit, and where to switch highways to get to that world’s largest potato. This video explores the invention of the road sign and why they are the color and shape that they are today. Fascinating!
Reader poll
How often do you cook outside (grill, BBQ, campfire cooking, etc.)?
Quick Tip
Nighttime blackout help
“Day and Night” shades not giving you enough “night”? One RVer sews up dark cloth panels with a pocket across the top, sized to fit the window. She attaches the panel, via the pocket, to a tension rod across the top, hidden under the valence.
Website of the day
festivalnet: Find Festivals In the U.S. & Canada 2023-2024
This website is great! Click on your state, or a state you’re headed to, and you’ll see all the fairs and festivals coming up. You’ll find so many fun things to do.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
- Hanging up the keys? Park models could be the answer to high living costs
- RVers discuss ways to save on high fuel prices
- Surfing or searching – Where to find truth about RVing
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Remember how today’s poll asked you about cooking outside? Well, ladies, we bet you need this while you accomplish that task!
Recipe of the Day
Spring Salad Stack-Up
by Tam D. from The Dalles, OR
In spring and summer when cucumbers and tomatoes are at their freshest, this is a super easy salad to whip up. It’s like a pasta salad meets a summer salad. But with the addition of tuna, it is a great light meal if you’re serving a crowd or a potluck. The pasta is lightly coated with dressing and that’s the base for the salad. Chunks of cucumber add a nice crunch and tomatoes add to the fresh feel. It’s very basic, so you could add many more ingredients like shredded cheese, black olives, and red onion… the possibilities are endless. A quick, easy, and tasty salad.
Trivia
Most people assume Robert Jarvik invented the artificial heart. The truth is Paul Winchell the ventriloquist actually invented and patented the first artificial heart. In addition to starring on his own television show, he voiced famous cartoon characters including Tigger for Walt Disney’s “Winnie The Pooh.”
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“We rescued Tank and Chloe, both English Mastiffs, last month after traveling back to Texas from southern Florida on our winter trip. We used to travel with four mastiffs (mom and three siblings) but just lost the last one to bladder cancer in early February. Tank is seven months and Chloe six months. Both are adapting quickly to life on the road as we work our way back to the farm in Pennsylvania.” —Mark Willis
Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. We publish one each weekday in RV Daily Tips and in our Sunday 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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Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
Editorial (news): chuck@rvtravel.com
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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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I save money on fuel using Gas Buddy.com “Plan Your Trip”. Recently went from Akron OH to Perry GA and their suggested stops were almost always the lowest-cost gas on the route.
Talk about signs, when we were young and traveling across country, we just Loved the Burma Shave little signs! I was so fun to get to see them as we drove state through state to our destination! So cute and clever!
Those big dogs, Tank and Chloe are such lovely, sweeties!😊🐶
The last place to I know of to still see those signs is on Rt66 through Arizona. They were on a section from Kingman east, all good 2 lane road. We traveled west to east enjoyed seeing them a few years ago probably fall of 2020.
The company that bought Burma Shave way back is putting the signs up all over. They want to continue in the states that will allow it. I love them!!
Sorry to see the “ Is this your RV “ contest ending. I always hoped I would be picked. Lol.
William, many people agree with you. We may compromise and run it only on certain days. We have some other contests planned that should be fun.
Do I understand that it is being cancelled due to lack of interest? Seems strange as I submitted a pic of my coach years ago and I enjoy this newsletter every day with my morning coffee and have never seen my coach presented. That tells me you must have thousands of pics available. How is lack of interest possible? I sure hope you reconsider this contest, even a couple of times a week would be great. Looking forward to seeing your new proposed contests.
Looking forward to, and can’t wait to see what you all come up with.
Same here. I look to see if our Montana is shown every single day.
Me too.
William, I really enjoy that contest as well. I sent a picture in 2020 (it took about 2 years) but finally on Valentines Day this year there was our old Montana at it’s home base here in central Ky. I sent the original picture in that same morning,but it was never recognized, or responded to,but it was really neat to finally be picked. I too really will miss that article
Sorry, Steve. As mentioned in reply to your previous comment about this, I checked with Jessica, who is in charge of our contests. Apparently you had not clicked on the button where it says to respond if it’s your RV. She sent me a screenshot of emails received at that contest address during that period of time and there wasn’t anything received from you. By the time we heard about it in your previous comment, it was waaaaay past the deadline. However, we may be bringing this contest back on a less-frequent basis, so you may get another shot at it since you didn’t collect the prize the first time. Again, our apologies. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Love the morning reads (and listens). Most take more than one cup of coffee to complete!
It’s funny you asked about needing signs when traveling, when we travel (getting ready to now) many times you can’t see the signs mostly due to tree branches are in the way, or the sign isn’t far enough in advance to see. We use street view on computer to map out our route to know where we have to turn, so it’s less of an issue. Once in awhile we catch one hidden .
we use blackout curtains, mostly in the summers, to helps cut costs, but it also helps my husband sleep.
If I remember right, back in the day, Paul Winchell was involved with a lot of stuff like that besides ventriloquism, which he was arguably the best.
Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney!
The quick tip is what we have been doing for quite a while. I also put snaps down the sides to hold the material against the window frame. We bought ready made room darkening curtains and cut to length. This also keeps heat and cold at bay.
For blackout shades on our windows, my wife sewed Velcro around 3 sides (all but the top) of a square of fabric, and stuck the other half of the Velcro around the window. Works great – lets no light through!
“Most people assume Robert Jarvik invented the artificial heart”. I sure did . . . 🙂
Me too, now I know 🙂