Issue 2174
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.
Page Contents
Today’s thought
“What’s the good of living if you don’t try a few things?” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Chili Dog Day!
On this day in history: 1866 – The first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable is successfully completed, stretching from Valentia Island, Ireland, to Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.
Tip of the Day
These simple hacks make RV life simply better
By Gail Marsh
It’s the simple things in life, or so the saying goes. Here’s another saying: Simple hacks can make RV life simply better. I like that one! Here are a few simple hacks that I’ve learned to add to my RV life that make RVing life better and simpler.
Finish it with ice cream
Now here’s a tasty hack worth trying! When you’re almost out of Nutella, add ice cream directly into the container and enjoy a tasty treat. Same goes for that all-but-empty jar of jam or peanut butter!
Trash can hack
When removing the trash bag from your RV’s trash can, suction can make the job more difficult. Remedy this aggravation by making holes in the sides of the can near the bottom. (Hint: An electric drill makes quick work of this hack.)
Continue reading more brilliant tips
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
Soft floor in front of RV’s kitchen sink. How do we fix it?
Dear Dave,
Our RV’s sink had a cracked pipe and when we turned the water on it went everywhere. We shut it off immediately. But we then worked on the sink and the water had gotten on the floor. We noticed two days later it’s soft in front of the sink. How can we fix this? —Lindsay, 2015 Forest River Flagstaff
RV Tours
Tour Optimized Overlanding’s unusual gull wing popup truck camper
By Cheri Sicard
Without a doubt, one of the most unique truck campers I have ever seen, Optimized Overlanding’s unique gull wing popup camper marries elements of teardrop trailers and popup campers for the best of both worlds. In the video below, Mike Henderson from Optimized Overlanding takes us on a tour of the popup camper on the Adventure Van Expo YouTube channel.
Video of the day
Ditch the hookups: Best dry camping tips to make boondocking a breeze
By Cheri Sicard
Ready to ditch the hookups? The team from Called to Wander produced the video below with 20 dry camping tips that work whether you are boondocking for free, in primitive campgrounds like in national forests, at Harvests Hosts, or even when moochdocking on a friend’s property.
If you have never tried dried camping I urge you to do so. You will be well-rewarded with beauty and experiences you could NEVER have in an RV park! Not to mention, dry camping is low-cost and oftentimes free.
All RVers own a “whiskey stick,” but we bet you don’t know its history!
By Gail Marsh
You probably have at least one, perhaps more than one “whiskey stick” in your RV. And no, a whiskey stick is not used during happy hour! The whiskey stick (also known as liquor stick or bubble level) has an interesting history. Once you know it, you’ll think of it each time you check that your RV is level. Guaranteed. This is very interesting!
Reader poll
Do you ever stay in a hotel/motel on a long RV trip?
Quick Tip
Hanging out with mops and brooms
Most RVs aren’t equipped with broom closets. Got a basement storage compartment long or wide enough to stick those sticked-tools? Stick ’em up to the ceiling by attaching spring-loaded broom clips to the lid of the compartment. Here’s the ever-RV-popular Command Strips version, available on Amazon.
On this day last year…
- Tip: Keep those prescription costs down
- RV Review: East To West Ahara 365RL fifth wheel—standing out
- Ask Dave: Black tank smells but not until a few days after dumping. Why so late?
- Video: Cool it! The best practices when using a generator for RV air conditioners
- Featured article: We got into an accident. Here’s what we learned that may help you
- Recipe: Honey Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches
Website of the day
Everfest
For those of you who enjoy going to festivals (music, food, cultural, historical, seasonal, film, etc.), this website is for you. Everfest lists every upcoming festival around the country—search by festival or category. If the dates aren’t listed, copy the festival to Google and you’ll see the dates there.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
We bet nobody has ever told you to smoosh your cat before! Well, do it! Smoosh the cat!
And the Survey Says…
We’ve polled RVtravel.com readers more than 2,500 times in recent years. Here are a few things we’ve learned about them:
• 35 percent are currently making payments on their RV.
• 20 percent would describe the workmanship on their RV either “poor” or “terrible.”
• 66 percent do not wash their underwear by hand while on a long trip. (We hope they wash it another way!)
Recent poll: As a young child, did you ever fear that a monster was under your bed?
Recipe of the Day
Grilled Honey Maple Pork Chops
by Treva Orange from Tracy City, TN
If you want a new pork chop recipe for summer grilling season, give these honey maple ones a try. They are tender and so juicy! The combination of honey, maple, and cinnamon is delicious. Once grilled, it caramelizes on the pork chops making them sticky and sweet.
Trivia
There are more species of oaks on a single hillside on the banks of the Alabama River than anywhere else in the world. The Mobile River Basin makes Alabama home to more species of freshwater fish, mussels, snails, turtles and crawfish (or crayfish) than any other state.
*Back in the 1930s it was “cool” to get ____ tattooed on you. Can you imagine?! Nobody would ever do that today! Well, never say never but… Fill in the blank by reading yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Doodles the Boston Terrier. She traveled with us all over the Southeast. She came to us at 9 weeks old. She loved to travel with us, never causing any problems. Sadly our little girl left us a couple of months ago and left a very large hole in our lives. She was not LIKE a family member, she WAS a family member.” —Patricia Watson
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.
Brand-new book! Van and RV Camping in State Forests
Our friends at Roundabout Publications have done it again—they’ve published another helpful book for RVers. This one is for RV camping at 585 camping areas in 298 forests across 25 states. Save money by camping on public lands managed by government agencies. Having this book will save you money! Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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Zrytec with a hangover in the morning. Otherwise I am out like a lite in under a few minutes.
I can be asleep in less than 10 minutes. However, if it takes longer than that, I pop one Tylenol PM and out like a light in a few minutes. The only downside is you’re more groggy than usual when you wake up.
It’s called Ambien!! Asleep in seconds. I dissolve it under my tongue.
Doodles the Boston Terrier looked like such a sweet, loving dog! Please keep that picture in your warm memories of her.
Today’s laugh pretty much sounds like me!
Laugh reminds me of my late wife who complained that I would go to sleep in the middle of a sentence I was telling her. She claimed I didn’t have a conscience, what that had to do with it I’ll never know.
I’m sorry Patricia for your loss of Doodles. All animal lovers know how heart wrenching it is losing a beloved pet. You gave Doodles a loving and wonderful life. 🐕🐈⬛🙏❤️
The “todays laugh” is just about right🤣. As for sleeping at a motel/hotel while RVing, why would you, you are towing your own bed. I’d rather have my bed, my pillow and my house (RV).
When it’s -10 F outside sounds like a reasonable time to get a hotel room for us.
Being a Snowbird leaving home at near 0 Fahrenheit in January our Montana is winterized and cold. Even after 2 long days of driving and entering warmer temperatures the chill is still within the trailer. Being at our destination on the 3rd morning allows time to open it up and air it out climatizing it to the surrounding warm weather and dewinterizing it. So yes we do require Hotel/Motel stay.
Same with us Al. I have hooked up the 5th wheel at 40 below to head south. Staying in the 5th wheel for the first two nights is not practical. Same with heading home from Yuma when it’s still cold in the north. It’s much easier to winterize before leaving Yuma and just skedaddle towards home. A couple of nights in a motel is worth the money. Be sure to ask for senior rates if applicable.
After 4-6 weeks or so of travelling in our Class B campervan, a nice hotel with all the amenities can be a nice treat.