Issue 2093
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
“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Read A Road Map Day!
On this day in history: 1792 – United States President George Washington exercises his authority to veto a bill, the first time this power is used in the United States.
Tip of the Day
Maximizing the efficiency of your camping cooler
By Gail Marsh
Having a reliable cooler or ice chest is a must for any camping or RV road trip adventure. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your cooler and keep your food and drinks cold for longer.
Coolers are not created equal! There are high-end coolers built to retain ice for days, while less expensive models may only keep ice for a few hours.
CONTEST! Is this your RV?
Win a $25 Amazon gift certificate if today’s RV photo shows your rig
Every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday 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.
Don’t forget! Yes, we brought this contest back by popular demand, and now it’s appearing in Wednesday, Friday and Sunday newsletters.
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
No power is coming from my RV’s onboard generator. Why?
Dear Dave,
The Onan generator starts and runs perfectly, but when I start it, it’s not powering up the RV. —William, 2017 Fleetwood Flair LXE
In the RV shop with Dustin
Why we recommend RV slide toppers
Should all RVers with slide outs have slide toppers? Dustin says, “Yes!” He goes over the pros of the toppers, the cons, as well as how to install them and why they’re worth it.
Video of the day
9 special challenges of renovating Airstreams
By Cheri Sicard
The title of the video below on YouTube is a bit misleading as it asks, “Why is no one renovating Airstreams?”
I think it is safe to say that many people are and have been renovating Airstreams. But, that being said, renovating the classic silver bullet trailers do present some challenges that you are not likely to encounter when renovating other types of trailers.
Unusual souvenirs across the U.S. prompt one question: Why?!
By Gail Marsh
It’s the last day of your trip and you realize you still haven’t purchased a souvenir. Hubby and I usually opt for a T-shirt, locally crafted Christmas ornament, or a refrigerator magnet featuring a local landmark. It doesn’t matter that the magnet won’t stick to our stainless-steel RV refrigerator. It’s the last day to get something. Anything! … Read about some unusual souvenirs here. Do you have any that are weirder? Let us know in the comments.
Reader poll
Does your RV feature a Murphy bed?
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
Keep your sink drain clean to avoid “stink”
Working in the RV galley generates all kinds of small waste particles. If they go down the sink drain, they can form a “stink generator,” and they can foul up your tank level probes. Go to the hardware store and obtain the appropriately sized stainless steel sink drain screen. Clean it out frequently — by tossing the contents in the trash, not down the drain.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
You’ve certainly seen these before, but have you ever seen ones like this?! We want these! They’re way better than the regular ol’ plain boring ones…
On this day last year…
- RV Review: The Encore RV ROG square drop is built with zero wood
- Ask Dave: What is the recommended care for standard stabilizer jacks?
- Featured article: Snow bike kit expands e-bike function—Fun and practical!
- Recipe: Oven Omelet
Website of the day
The Best Camping in Oregon, From Crater Lake to the Oregon Dunes
If you’ve never camped in Oregon, there’s no way you won’t plan a trip after reading this and seeing these photos. It sure is a beautiful state…
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
- Cushing’s syndrome in dogs. Should this reader be worried?
- Does Camping World refuse to repair older RVs?
- Snowbirds, it’s time to change your RV’s water filters
Recipe of the Day
Louisiana Carrot Souffle
by Janis McRae from Central, LA
This carrot souffle tastes like dessert, not a side dish. It’s sweet, light, and creamy. Serve this at your holiday meal and we guarantee you can get kids to eat their veggies. This copycat recipe does taste like the souffle you can find at Picadilly restaurants.
Trivia
North Dakota’s Lake Sakakawea has more shoreline than the California Pacific Coast.
*What are the westernmost and easternmost states in the United States? We bet you don’t get it right! Check yesterday’s trivia to find out.
Amazon Best Sellers. See what’s hot today!
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Sam likes to camp and meet new friends. Everyone thinks Dobermans are mean and dangerous but really they are big loveable babies.” —Bryan Smith
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!
RVers who carry a firearm should pack this along to save them from trouble
A new edition of the annual Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States is hot off the press. This 2023 edition covers all the basics for armed travel. What is legal in one state could be a felony in another. This book should be used as a reference before entering a new state so you know what to expect as you approach. Clear writing gives you the basics for every state. Plus, each state is rated for its relative freedom, based on its gun laws, from zero to 100. Read more about the book here.
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
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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Adorable puppy. Dobermans, rottweilers, pit bulls all get a bad reputation because People are stupid. It’s not the breed, but the owner. Of course if you train any breed of dog to fight it will think that’s what is supposed to do and be aggressive. If they are raised gentle they will be gentle regardless of breed
Sam is a Dobie and is handsome! TY 4 sharing your Furbaby!
The pet of the day looks like a black dashound. And yes, Dobermans can be dangerous, (as can any dog).
Scars on my right hand and left leg testify to that.
Any DOG is Dangerous if provoked. Just like a human being, you can be harmed by a human and that doesn’t mean ALL humans are dangerous by nature.
The recipe of the day, Louisiana carrot souffle should taste like desert as it has THREE cups of sugar & a stick & a half of butter! I usually print out any recipes that I like & show them to my wife & if she likes them she will make it, but I wouldn’t even try to show her this with all that sugar. Hmm perhaps I’ll make it, sounds easy nuf!
Snoopy
Holy moly. Just bake it in a pastry shell and throw on a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s one way to get the grandkids eating some veggies.
We haven’t used a cooler in over 20 years. They’re just dust collectors in the basement now.
Don’t use pink stuff..Repeat don’t use pink stuff. Buy the cheapest 100 proof 1.75 Ltr vodka. Cut it in two add just a pinch of red food coloring. Poor it in your water tank and run it through all faucets. Excellent winterize…no taste and you can use it over and over again.
Hummm… how do you cut a bottle in two?
That poor deer. I hope it recovered quickly and fully from whatever injuries the RV imparted. As to the RV, I hope the owner’s insurance company totaled the RV and that the replacement was enjoyed for many years and thousands of miles.
Don’t forget to add the pink stuff to your drains when winterizing. They will freeze if you are not careful.
It seems unlikely that water in a trap would not have enough room to expand preventing any damage. But when running the pink stuff in the lines I usually get the traps filled before shutting off the water.
Best place to buy the sink screens is the $ store.
…….and flea markets.
Food scraps don’t go down the drain as they will sit on the bottom of the gray tank and most likely will not flush out when you dump. This means it will lay there and rot causing fowl odors. It’s just as easy to dump the scraps into the garbage can and empty the garbage and keep the fowl odors in the dump.
Of course you should dump the scraps before placing dishes/pots in the sink. However, there’s still a lot of food particles going down the drain, even with a drain screen. Better to get a Scotch Brite pad (the green ones) and cut out a circle the same size as your drain. Put the cutout circle pad in your drain to stop all food particles and even hair from going down the drain and it still allows the water to drain. At the end of the day, when finished using the sink, lift the pad out, let it dry overnight, then use an old toothbrush to scrape the food particles off into the trash then reinstall. You’ll be surprised how much stuff goes down that drain. I have one in all my drains. Easily replaced when the time comes.
Still giggling over the Leave Here with a Laugh, good one!
All too true!
My wife and sedan had that unfortunate encounter last October. Three months and $14k later car returned good as new. The only thing that upset me was she didn’t put that big buck in the trunk and bring it home for processing!
It is startling when you get it all loaded, headed down the road, and the big buck awakens from its stunned state inside the vehicle = NOT fun, I read 🙂
Very well done accident drawing. I wonder what the driver’s face looked like. 🤔 🤣
I’m glad they brought back “IS THIS YOUR RV”? FIRST THING I look for. Would like to see it seven days a week though.
Yep Tom, me too! I have always liked OLD but WORKS better than NEW and IMPROVED!! just saying……