Issue 2089
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 learn from failure, not from success!” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Take A Walk In The Park Day! Enjoy!
On this day in history: 1822 – The Florida Territory is created in the United States.
Tip of the Day
Easy ways to make your own lightweight fire starters
By Gail Marsh
One of the best parts about camping in the springtime and fall is that a campfire feels so good! You’ve still got time before summer’s heat forces you to forgo this camping tradition. All you need are a few tips for making your own fire starters…
- Soft starters. Coat cotton balls in petroleum jelly for a great fire starter. This starter is lightweight and you most likely have the ingredients right in your medicine cabinet. Store the starters inside a plastic zip bag for easy transport, or make ‘em as you need ‘em.
- No mo’ wining. Fill a mason jar (or any tightly sealing container) with rubbing alcohol. Put wine bottle corks into the jar to soak until they are needed.
- Stuff it. Here’s a free idea! Save your empty cardboard tubes. Fill a tube with dryer lint. Store the starters inside a zip-tight bag. You’re welcome!
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.
Okay, okay, we heard your comments loud and clear. We will NOT be ending this contest at the end of the month, but instead, we’ll run it three days a week. Make sure you open your newsletters every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday to see if your RV has been featured (beginning this Sunday).
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
Dave is tied up today, but will be back tomorrow.
Will you be near Monroe, WA, this weekend? If so, come say “hi” to us at our RVtravel.com booth at the Washington State Evergreen Spring RV Show (near Seattle)! More show info here. If you want, camp overnight at the fairgrounds RV park.
We’ll be selling a number of books and videos and other products for a small donation — a fraction of the products’ price — with 100% of all proceeds (every penny) going to the Sky Valley Food Bank in Monroe, the site of the RV show. At least 1,300 families in the area do not know where their next meal is coming from. We hope to help a little.
Video of the day
Dewinterizing an RV for beginners
By Cheri Sicard
Keep Your Daydream, one of our readers’ favorite RV YouTube channels, teamed up with Ronnie from Airstream Nuts & Bolts to produce a terrific video to walk beginners through the proper steps needed for dewinterizing an RV. They even made a checklist you can download. (See the comments under the video on YouTube.)
In the team’s eyes, dewinterizing an RV involves more than just the plumbing system that has been hibernating throughout the cold months. It’s also about giving the entire rig a good once-over to make sure everything is up and running as it should be.
Pests on your pets: The best meds to use to keep ’em off!
Ewwwww, pests on your pets like fleas, ticks and mosquitoes are gross and annoying. Your cats and dogs are exposed to these every day, even if they are indoors. When your vet urges you to keep your pets on flea and heartworm preventives, they are looking out for your pet’s long-term health and not just preventing itching and irritation. … Read how to protect your pets from pests here.
Reader poll
What do you do most nights after dinner?
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
We’re sticking with a theme today. Can you tell? But, in all seriousness, if you’re not familiar with this you’re going to want to be.
Quick Tip
Expanded showering opportunities
Got a BIG family or lots of traveling companions? You may find that the RV shower and associated gray water holding tank just aren’t big enough for the whole mob. Consider picking up a “solar shower” system. Heated by the sun and used outdoors, it’s great for showering down after a swim. There are several to choose from at Amazon starting at less than $20.
On this day last year…
- Tip: Driving an RV: Why it’s important that all adult passengers know how
- RV Review: 2022 Solera 32DSK, a plain wrap Class C
- Ask Dave: Where are the black tank odors in RV coming from?
- Featured article: Miss your sewing machine? This one was practically made for an RV!
- Recipe: Greek Pasta Salad
Website of the day
20 Epic Day Hikes in the National Parks (USA)
Since it’s National Take a Walk in the Park Day, we thought we’d encourage you to go outside! All of these can be done in a day (although some are much more strenuous than others), so tie up your hiking boots and get out there!
Make sure you don’t miss yesterday’s brand-new Full-Time RVer Newsletter.
Click here to read.
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:
• 63 percent carry a shovel with them on their RV travels.
• When eating out, most people choose to eat out for dinner (40 percent) followed by lunch (34 percent) and then breakfast (12 percent).
• 34 percent of voters do not wear any rings on their fingers.
Recent poll: What size bed do you have in your RV?
Recipe of the Day
Ham With Peachy Brown Sugar Dijon Glaze Annette’s
by Annette W. from Lincoln, NE
This ham recipe is peachy! Pineapple is typically used with ham so using peach added a new – and great – flavor to the ham. The peach flavor also makes this feel more like an Easter ham (although it’s so good, you may opt to serve it at Christmas, too). The idea of placing the ham, and keeping it, in a Crock Pot while preparing the rest of your holiday meal is super. Just another reason why we love this super-easy ham recipe.
Trivia
Some researchers claim that the largemouth bass is the most intelligent freshwater fish, able to distinguish and avoid a particular type of lure after only one encounter. And did you know that the largemouth bass is the most popular freshwater game fish in the U.S.? Indeed, it is.
*Why is the Coca-Cola brand color red? It’s interesting, and we tell you all about it in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is Rambo, our Goldendoodle. I think he has been the happiest about us upgrading to a travel trailer from our tent camping days. He enjoys his comfy bed by our electric fireplace and sleeps like a baby now.” —Christa Roberts
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!
Keep insects and bird nests out of your RV furnace
Wasps, mud daubers, birds and rodents pose a serious threat to the furnace on your RV. They can enter through the furnace vents. Their nests can interfere with air flow and cause serious damage. Camco’s flying insect RV furnace screen fits Duo-therm and Suburban furnace vents. Camco offers several furnace screens so check which one will fit your vent. Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
CONTACT US
Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
Editorial (news): chuck@rvtravel.com
Help desk: Contact us.
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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This newsletter is copyright 2023 by RV Travel LLC.
Good for you Rambo! Your Furparents finally got the hint to upgrade your camping style. CONGRATULATIONS to this loving Furever Furfamily! Enjoy and always Safe Travels! Rambo you are awesome and a handsome pup!
One encounter with the right lure may be all it takes to become a meal. I’m not a catch and release guy!
Ditto! Glad you are continuing this fun feature!
Can you send more than one entry?
Hi, Sandi. We’re glad that you’re glad (along with lots of other readers) about continuing our “Is this your RV?” contest. As far as sending more than one entry, I don’t have anything to do with the rules or the wording on the contest, but this used to be included in the information: “If this isn’t your RV, send us a photo of your RV here (if you haven’t already) for a chance to win in future issues.” So, I don’t think more than one entry is allowed. The winners are picked randomly, so if someone sends in more than one entry they would have an unfair advantage. But thanks for asking. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Very pleased with your decision to continue Is This Your RV!! Power to the people (and those who listen to the people).
And power to those who “are” the people (i.e., maybe as opposed to AI?). 😆 We’re glad y’all are happy with our change of plans, Cee. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
🙂✌️☮️
Cool that you are keeping the “Is this your RV contest” Also cool that you told us which 3 days of the week it will be in. I read every day, but most organizations would have made this random to drive engagement everyday even when the contest is not there. Keep being awesome.
Hey, Snayte. Thanks for the great idea… to just post randomly and then everyone will have to look every day. Just kidding! 😆 Thanks for your kind words. And you keep being awesome, also! Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I keep getting pop up ads that cover the entire screen. Thought the members edition was ad free .
Sorry, James. The members editions which are ad-free are the bigger Saturday and Sunday issues, not the weekday RV Daily Tips newsletters. That would take way too much time to make two editions of every single newsletter. But thank you for being a subscriber. And I hope you can just click to turn off the pop-up ads. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I love Rambo and don’t even know him. Great camping spot too! Looks like the desert somewhere.
Is this your RV…always been one of my favorite parts! Happy to know you are keeping it at least 3 days per week!
The “thought” from Bram Stoker is unexpected given that he wrote Dracula.
It’s also silly. We learn from both failures and successes.
Agreed. Failure is mearly a measurement of successes. Moreover, failures are a variable in the equation for the measurement of success. One cannot exist without the other. Up cannot exist without down.
Please untie Dave.
We need a protest in front of HQ with signs, “Untie Dave.” 😉
I’ll make the signs.
I’ll carry TWO of them!!!
Snoopy
You made my day with the Mystery product! I own it in all variations but most recommend it in unabridged audio for road trips. It is a great companion for those long days! Everyone will enjoy it!
And don’t forget to bring some Hostess cupcakes to snack on …you’ll know why when you get to that part!
DONUTS!!!! One of our favorite things to do on trips is to look for donut shops in the morning. Some of the privately owned ones have incredible DONUTS!
P.S. Only good with a cup of coffee.