Issue 2112
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
“Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.” —Mallory Hopkins
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is World Tuna Day! It’s also National Teacher Appreciation Day—Thank you, teachers!
On this day in history: 2000 – President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.
Tip of the Day
Finding a good service department is one of the most important parts of RVing
By Gail Marsh
We all have our “must-have” lists when purchasing a big-ticket item. We use these lists because they help narrow down our choices when, say, buying an RV. You may not want the same features on your RV that I do. That’s okay. Everyone is different. But one feature that all RV owners will undoubtedly want (and need eventually) is a good service department. Is that “must-have” on your list? It should be!
Continue reading and learn how to find the best service department
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
My RV’s rubber roof has a few bubbles. Should I be concerned?
Dear Dave,
Our roof is by Alpha TPO. We clean it as recommended 4 times a year with Dawn mixed in a bucket of water and a medium brush. Before I get to the issue, I will say the roof is discolored from leaves. We have a bubble bigger than a nickel but slightly smaller than a quarter on the driver’s side (kitchen) and three barely noticeable ones on the passenger side (dining table and theater seats). I brush off any dirt or debris on the inside (part still inside) where the bubble is at. I pull the sides in partially to clean the part under the chain and motor. Should we be worried about these? We live full time in the RV, moving every 2-4 months doing volunteer work. —Liz, 2022 Dutchmen Astoria 3173RLP
RV Video Tour
The most luxurious off-road RV? Touring the Palomino Pause XC20.2
By Cheri Sicard
J.D. from Big Truck Big RV is here to showcase a groundbreaking off-road RV. It may look like a travel trailer, but it is unlike any other you have seen and J.D. thinks it just might be the perfect off-road RV!
In the video below he teams up with Shane from ROA Off-Road Experience Center to tour this unusual trailer, built by a company most people do not associate with off-roading, Palomino.
Video of the day
RV slide maintenance: Do’s, don’ts and tips
By Cheri Sicard
The team from Keystone RV Center has produced a great video on RV slide rooms including RV slide maintenance, important do’s and don’ts, and tips to keep your RV slide working and in tip-top shape!
According to our host, Junior, there are three rules to the RV slide room…
Questionable RVing features: What were they thinking?
By Dave Helgeson
Have you ever wondered, “What were they thinking?” when you encountered a feature “designed” to enhance your RVing experience? My college years were spent earning a degree in architecture. My professors taught me and other students how form follows function. … This concept must be rather ingrained in me for when I encounter a poorly “designed” feature intended to support RVers in their travels I wonder, “What were they thinking?” or, more concisely, “What was the designer thinking?” … You won’t believe some of these RVing features Dave has encountered in his lifetime of RVing.
Reader poll
How often do you eat cereal for breakfast?
Quick Tip
Do you level?
That’s a question repeatedly posted on RV forums, regarding leveling an RV when stopping at the end of the day. Here’s a typical response: “I try to get it relatively close unless its just for an overnight stop, in which case I don’t bother.” Unless it’s an overnight stop? ALWAYS level your RV. Another comment tells you why: “I’m on my second Dometic 4-door. I level METICULOUSLY every time I stop to camp and I check level every morning. I refuse to go thru all that replacement AGAIN.” RV refrigerators need to be level to work properly, and to prevent damage. No absorption-type RV refrigerator has ever read the fine print that says, “Don’t count the damage caused by operating off-level if it’s only overnight.” Seriously, damage to an RV cooling unit is CUMULATIVE, and every “only overnight” adds up. Can’t level? Shut off the fridge.
On this day last year…
- Tip: 12 RV travel tips to make life easier
- RV Review: The PullKitchen Longitude turns a pickup into a camper
- Ask Dave: New-to-us Class A was stored 7 years. Questions about tires and generator
- Featured article: He bought an RV with $20,000 worth of damage. His warning to you…
- Recipe: Shrimp and Grits
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
If someone saw your internet search history, what would they think? Well, maybe because of this the whole world knows about it…
Website of the day
A Visitor’s Guide to National Park Reservations
This page from the National Parks Conservation Association gives you all you need to know about visiting National Parks that require reservations this year.
And the Survey Says…
We’ve polled RVtravel.com readers more than 2,000 times in recent years. Here are a few things we’ve learned about them:
• 29 percent have ordered pizza delivered to their RV.
• 50 percent have used their RV’s first aid kid for something minor, and an additional 4 percent have used it for a serious injury.
• 36 percent say they get spam text messages daily.
Recent poll: How would you define an “affordable” campsite for a 1-night stay?
Recipe of the Day
Shrimp in Buttery Garlic Sauce
Shrimp in Buttery Garlic Sauceby Baby Kato from Beautiful Shore Country, NB
Want an impressive dinner that takes no time to make? Then this shrimp in garlic sauce is for you. The garlicky, buttery sauce soaks into the spaghetti for a wonderful bite. After being quickly sauteed, the shrimp are soft and flavorful.
Trivia
The Rictus Scale, not the Richter Scale, measures earthquake news coverage. While the Richter Scale is used to assign value to the energy released by earthquakes, the Rictus Scale, proposed by Tom Weller, measures the media coverage that follows the earthquake. The Rictus Scale values range from 1, meaning it maybe gets one small article in a local paper, to 5, an event resulting in international news coverage, network specials, and books.
*Where does the word tabloid come from? Yesterday’s trivia tells you all about it.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Mazzee Grace is a 3-year-old Poodle Chihuahua (PooChi) rescue that adopted us in 2020. A highly intelligent dog. She loves to play ball with herself when Mom and Dad are busy. She is a great family dog, is crazy about carrots and green beans, and her favorite toy, named Grizzy. Mazzee loves doing zoomies anywhere that allows her enough space, which includes our Class A motorhome!” —Becky Johnston
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!
Attach items in your RV without using nails
This new, super-strong double-sided adhesive tape will hang most objects in your RV without using nails. Works on wood, metal, plastic, aluminum or glass surfaces — indoors and outdoors. Use EZlifego tape to keep carpets in place. And it’s easy to remove and use again later. Highly rated. Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
Oh, and if you missed the Latest News for RVers, make sure to catch up here.
If you shop at Amazon.com we’d appreciate you using this link. We get an itty bitty commission if you buy something, but they add up and help us pay our bills (most importantly our hard-working writers!).
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.
RVtravel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of this potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.
Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.
This newsletter is copyright 2023 by RV Travel LLC.
On this day in history, May 2, 2011 Osama binLaden killed, then buried at sea.
Good riddance to bad garbage. Religious zealots like him are nothing but trouble.
Agreement. 👍👍 Seal Team Six, a job well done and a job done well with a .223 in the forhead, Never forget 🇺🇲.
Mazzee Grace is ADORABLE!
Mazzee Grace sure is a zippy pup! She has the innocent look that hey come play & the she will let loose and be the winner of Playtime! Thank you for having her as your Rescue and it appears she RESCUED the two of you! Happy Fun Travels with lots of LOL moments!
Once we dumped our old (and dead) RV fridge and went to an ac fridge, we went to leveling for OUR comfort, not the fridge’s. A compressor fridge doesn’t need as meticulous a leveling as the RV fridges.
Mazzee Grace is the cutest dog I’ve seen!
I think the unicyclist is using the dogs to increase his level of training challenge for himself. Keep in mind he only went up to two dogs after he could handle one. Just imagine when he is ready to try three!
Level? yes. Perfectly level? no. Even my auto-leveling system very slightly tips the the trailer to direct A/C runoff to the non-entry side. Our refrigerators are still running fine after 6 years, used continuously about 6 months every year.
Your poll on what you consider affordable for overnight cost, it’s hard, as many have a different definition of affordable. Many people boondock, as we use to, at Walmart or Cracker Barrel which we consider affordable, since we are not using anything but a spot and they get our business. Now you really can’t find much affordable, sites have gone to at least $45 and up a night. We found some that were over $100. I guess that’s why spend more time at one place than most, monthly rates more affordable tho many have raised them or stop doing monthly all together. As my husband states, it’s just a spot, as we pay for electricity and don’t generally use any amenities. We know people need to make a living, but expensive places are making a killing at our cost. That’s the lifestyle tho.
We don’t travel full-time but are on an 8 week trip right now that will take us through 20+ states. We try to avoid staying in parks unless we are staying in a touristy area such as southern FL or UT. Being able to avoid overnight park costs compensates for our fuel costs, making the RV cost effective compared to flying, motels and restaurants.
CeeCee OH MY GOSH, IF you enjoy Boondocking, Utah has so many and easy access to boondock. Just know that if you go to the North Rim – Jacob Lake area it usually opens after May 30. This year it will not open until after June 3rd due to a great winter.
Lake Powell has Boondocking as well. Utah has so many other hidden gems too.
Happy and Safe Travels Always!