Issue 2151
Welcome to RV Travel’s Daily Tips Newsletter, where you’ll find helpful RV-related tips from the pros, travel advice, RV videos, product reviews and more. Please tell your friends about us.
Today’s thought
“I had already found that it was not good to be alone, and so made companionship with what there was around me, sometimes with the universe and sometimes with my own insignificant self; but my books were always my friends, let fail all else.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Barcode Day!
On this day in history: 1977 – Elvis Presley held his final concert in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Market Square Arena.
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Tip of the Day
Why RVers need a sightseeing bag
By Gail Marsh
My husband is impulsive. His “let’s go” attitude often leaves me breathless. That’s because I’m more of a planner. I like to methodically take my time, conduct research, and therefore be prepared. Our differences might have become problematic as we RV around the country, but I discovered the genius of having a “sightseeing bag” always at the ready. Here’s why RVers need a sightseeing bag.
What’s a sightseeing bag?
I was familiar with an RV “Getaway Bag” for use in an emergency. (You can read Nanci Dixon’s great article about it here.) However, the idea of a sightseeing bag was all new to me. A fully prepared sightseeing bag is filled with essentials that you may want or need while away from your RV for a spur-of-the-moment day trip, last-minute tour, or impulsive bike ride.
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
How do I find what’s causing the water leak in my RV?
Dear Dave,
While city water is hooked up to my RV, the water starts to leak, causing the living room floor to leak. What could this be? —Jason, 2001 Tiffin Phaeton
In the RV shop with Dustin
How to prevent front cap and side wall damage
Join Dustin Simpson in this video and you will see mistakes that the manufacturer made during the building assembly of the unit. If these mistakes weren’t made, there wouldn’t be so much front cap and side wall damage.
Video of the day
Creepy! Nevada’s Lovelock Cave’s unexplained red-haired cannibalistic giants
By Cheri Sicard
Back in 1911, while mining for bat guano, two men exploring Nevada’s Lovelock Cave made a shocking discovery. The men found more than 40 human skeletons, some of which were abnormally large.
According to this video from The History Channel, some of the skeletons measured between 7 and 8 feet in height, something unusual in ancient civilizations.
5 qualities of highly successful RVers
By Nanci Dixon
These five qualities of highly successful RVers are ones that can make a camping trip worthwhile. They are the ones that can make RVing fun and fulfilling. The successful RVer can turn on a dime and take a trip from misery and turn it into a lifetime memory. Do you possess these five qualities?
Reader poll
Walmart “campers,” do you ask the store for permission to stay, or just stay?
Quick Tip
Neat tip for parking your RV
From David C., regarding how to back up a trailer or fifth wheel: “I went to Harbor Freight Tools and bought some cheap orange-colored straps. I marked the length of my driver side slide so I would know where to place it. I then stretch them out so I have a visual where I want the tires. I store these straps right behind the driver’s seat for quick access. Parking is so much easier. The only time I have problems is when I get too lazy to pull them out, thinking ‘this will be easy.’ I usually end up cockeyed in the site with no reference line.” Thanks, David!
Website of the day
47 Easy 4th of July Crafts
Can you believe it’s almost the 4th of July? Where did the time go?! Here are 47 incredibly fun and creative craft ideas from Country Living to make your holiday even more patriotic. You could easily make these in your RV.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
If you’re into these things, you’re going to love this. If you don’t like these things, you’re going to hate this. You’ll have to take your chances!
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
- Foss State Park is a hidden gem campground (and it’s empty!)
- Carry business cards with you while RVing, even if you’re retired
- How to make EASY, delicious pan pizza in your RV
Recipe of the Day
Squash Patties
by Donna Brown from West TN, TN
Squash patties are very tasty in the summer when summer squash is in season. We ended up using a combination of yellow squash and zucchini. When pan-fried, the edges get a little crispy, and the natural sweetness of the squash comes out. Enjoy them sprinkled with a little salt. Or, serve with sour cream or ketchup. It’s surprising how similar to latkes these squash patties taste.
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Trivia
Ironically enough, alcoholic cocktails were popularized in the U.S. during prohibition! Funny, right? When the U.S. government banned alcohol, drinking went underground… and so did alcohol quality. Moonshiners and bathtub-gin makers flourished, but their stuff, made quickly, tasted quite foul. Those visiting speakeasies mixed that bottom-shelf gin (most popular at the time), with juices, syrups, and bitters to take out the yuck-factor. And so was born the cocktail!
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Oreo (15 years old) is with us for the third time while our U.S. Air Force daughter is stationed overseas again. She tolerates the RV travel, but enjoys watching people and creatures from her dash carpet.” —Alan Keller
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!
• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. You’ll love it.
Pet First Aid: The basic kit you should carry with you at all times. This is important!
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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How many people turn off the water supply to their house before they leave on a trip of any length? Buy a water shutoff “key” at any hardware or home improvement store and shut off the water at the street meter. Or, if you have a shutoff valve in the garage, that works too! When I return from a trip, I just turn the water back on. I never worry about returning to a water leak event.
I ALWAYS turn the water off no matter the season. No risking taking here.
Yep…always turn it off. Private well so it just takes flipping the well pump electrical off.
Yes, that does it. We’re leaving it on right now as we have an automatic watering system for the garden. When we’re gone in winter it’s always off. Quick and easy to flip the breaker.
Winter seasonal trip- While we still heat the house (50F), my checklist includes shutting off the house water, opening taps to drain the lines and RV anti-freeze in the various waste traps.
While we do flip the water pump breaker when leaving in winter (private well), we do not bother with draining lines or putting anti-freeze in traps. We have a wifi thermostat and check the temp. daily. If it drops too far it will even email us. Then we’ll have to have the neighbor come over and check the furnace. Advantage of rural living–helpful neighbors and good relationships with local furnace and plumbing guys.
What if you have landscaping that is on a timed watering schedule? Doesn’t rain enough here
We do the upstairs and turn off washing machine. Leave the downstairs bathroom and kitchen on for daughter who checks on the house and uses it as her “office” when working in our area.
During the summer we turn the well pump off. Wintertime I drain the lines and put RV antifreeze in the washing machine hoses till I see it coming in the tub, put some in the dishwasher and set to drain, all sink traps, drain toilets and add antifreeze. Set thermostat to 45-50 degrees.
My parents once bought a beautiful Victorian fixer upper house that was destroyed in the inside when the furnace failed and all the water lines froze. It was the first year the previous owners left for Florida in the winter!
“Neat tip for parking your RV” Maybe for some people. For me, how could it be hard?!? I’ve done it a thousand times. Ha. (And it’s still a pain in the shorts!)
Backing should be easy, unzip the top of your head, lift out brain, rotate 180 degrees, reinstall. Or the more preferred way, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel( I know this is not normal), now which ever way you move your hand and steering wheel that is the direction the trailer is going to go. Once your brain grasps this you can move your hand back to the top of the steering wheel and back just like a truck driver. Easy peasy!
ELVIS is my favorite all-time singer. There are many tribute artists. Many are in Branson, Missouri. But the best tribute artist is DONNY EDWARDS. He looks like Elvis, walks like Elvis, Talks like Elvis. And most of all sings like Elvis. He spends most of his time in Las Vegas but does shows other places. He come to Texas twice a year. Once in the summer and once in the winter at ROCKBOX THEATER in Fredericksburg, Texas. He is from Lake Jackson, Texas. If you are an ELVIS fan treat yourself. You will love the 2 hour concert.
We couldn’t agree more! We’ve seen Donny perform many times including twice in Las Vegas where he lives. Nicest guy you would ever want to meet and the best Elvis Tribute Artist!
Jeff and Molly
Alan gets it right. Cats “tolerate” humans and their activities. They don’t love anything but food and sleep. We had two cats for 17 years each (overlapping two years). The word “indifference” comes to mind.
An old saying comes to mind as well. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
Ain’t that the truth
Parking and backing is just as easy as driving. I drove 18 wheelers for about 25 years thru all kinds of weather and all over the 48 states. New Orleans to california every week. That was 80,000 lbs. Driving or pulling my rv is a piece of cake. Not as long or as heavy.
Parking tip. When space is limited….parking for race events where you have a 20 x 40 space or a tight rv park site (we try to avoid), we use a kids arrow & put a suction cup on the end. Stick on the widest slide out. Makes it easy for me to direct my husband so we can line up the edge of the slide when extended.
In today’s poll. 23% seldom or never ask permission to camp in Walmarts parking lot. That seems ludicrous to me. Possibly why Walmart is shutting down overnight parking at many store.
Back in the prohibition days, the bootleggers used stills made from car radiators. These radiators contained antifreeze that was never cleaned out and were allowed to be part of the alcoholic beverage. Also copper leached into the distilled product further contaminating the alcohol. But it didn’t stop there, there was many contaminating substances that went into the brew altering the health of the imbibers. A time when having the fortitude to not drink saved one’s life.
Good expansion on the trivia notes! Let me guess..you’re an industrial hygienist…
My middle name must be Outlier. I neither loved or hated the Mystery Product of the Day. I won’t buy it, but because I see no point to owning one, not because I hate it.
It goes without saying.Someone did not proof the magazine before releasing it to the public. Most Walmarts will call the police if their policy states no camping on premise. I know Colorado is one of them. As for the squash patties? They can also be called latkes. Latkes do not have to be potato. Now I am getting hungry.