Issue 2185
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
“We’ve got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Son’s and Daughter’s Day! (If you like indie folk music, check out this great song called “Sons and Daughters” by The Decemberists.)
On this day in history: 1942 – Actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil receive a patent for a frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) communication system that later became the basis for modern technologies in wireless telephones, two-way radio communications, and Wi-Fi.
Tip of the Day
Is it safe to camp in a desert wash?
By Bob Difley
Setting up your boondocking campsite in a desert wash is considered by many RVers to be foolhardy and should be avoided. Many real-life stories circulate about hikers being washed away in flash floods, and boulders, trees and splintered RVs tumbling down washes ahead of a raging torrent.
But these tales do not in themselves prove that every wash (“a dry creek bed or gulch that temporarily fills with water after a heavy rain, or seasonally” –Wikipedia) is unsafe to set up camp. To make an informed decision whether to camp in a wash, you need to study several factors about the wash.
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
Why are RV’s taillights different brightness, and no brake lights?
Dear Dave,
Our issue is when the back lights on our RV go on, the left one is brighter than the right. But the bigger issue is that the brake lights don’t go on at all. Thank you in advance. — Kathy, Fleetwood Expedition 38K
In the RV shop with Dustin
Everything you need to know about cleaning your RV slide out topper
Cleaning your RV slide-out topper is an essential maintenance task that helps keep your RV in good condition and extends the lifespan of the slide-out topper. The topper is a fabric cover that protects the slide-out from debris, leaves, and water when it’s extended. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cleaning your RV slide-out topper…
Video of the day
How to fillet a trout in 30 seconds!
By Cheri Sicard
There are many ways to fillet a trout, but in the video below the team from Inland Outdoors is going to show you how to fillet a trout in just 30 seconds!
If you are new to trout fishing, you need this video as they show how to clean, gut, and fillet a trout.
Their method for how to fillet a trout is the quickest and neatest I have ever seen.
How it happened: How Buc-ee’s convenience stores got so famous
RVers see a fair share of roadside pitstops. But one stands above the rest. Far above. That’s Buc-ee’s roadside stores. First, realize that your Buc-ee’s visit will not be your ordinary “fuel-quick-and-get-back-on-the-road” kind of stop! Instead, this roadside mega-store will cause your jaw to drop. Your eyes will go wide, and you may even forget your urgency to locate the restrooms! No, really. “Go big or go home” might be an apt motto for the Buc-ee’s brand. They’ve certainly upped the ante among convenience stores. Read on and you’ll see what Gail Marsh is talking about.
Reader poll
How old were you when you met your current spouse/partner?
Quick Tip
Learn how to fix your RV—by hiring a repairman
One of the best ways to learn how to fix things on your RV is to hire a mobile RV tech when you have a problem that would normally require you to take your rig to an RV shop. One of the big advantages of using a mobile RV tech is that you get to watch what he’s doing and you can ask questions. From RVing: Less Hassle—More Joy: Secrets of Having More Fun with Your RV—Even on a Limited Budget Available on Amazon.
On this day last year…
- Tip: How well do you know your putty tape?
- RV Review: Wildwood FSX 176BHK, a unicorn
- Ask Dave: Having RV axle issues. Should I change my 6K axles to 7K?
- Video: Do you REALLY need special RV toilet paper? Compare and see!
- Featured article: All the RV lingo you need to, and should, know
- Recipe: Cheese Biscuits (Gluten-Free)
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Ummmm… sure! Yeah, yeah, that’s okay… Or is it? Bah! What the heck?! Do you know anyone like this??
Website of the day
Wi-Fi Map
This works better as an app and not as a website, but it’s incredibly helpful for those looking for free Wi-Fi. The app lists thousands of places across the U.S. where you can find free Wi-Fi.
Clubs and useful organizations
PLEASE NOTE: We may receive an affiliate commission if you join any of these.
• Harvest Hosts: Stay free at farms, wineries and other scenic and peaceful locations for free. Save 15% on membership.
• AllStays: The best website for RVers! Your membership will become your RV-bible.
• Boondockers Welcome: Stay at homes of RVers who welcome you in their driveways, yards, farmland or other space on their private property. Modest membership fee.
• Escapees: Best Club for RVers: All RVers welcome, no matter what type of RV, make or model.
• RV LIFE Trip Wizard: Make your RV road trip planning easier than ever.
Recipe of the Day
Asparagus Chicken Wraps
by Paula Collier from Taylorville, IL
Oh my, these are so yummy! The sesame ginger marinade really gave this chicken great flavor. We made sure to add it to the chicken while cooking, like Paula suggested, and basting it just added to the great flavor. The bacon had a nice smoked flavor and the asparagus is tender yet still had a nice crunch. Delish!
Trivia
The waffle iron played a part in the first pair of Nike shoes. Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman needed a design for his shoes and began playing with mixtures of rubber and latex to create grippy soles for athletes. Inspired by his wife’s waffle iron design, he used the iron to make molds for shoe soles that were both grippy and had protruding nubs on the bottom. The combination worked perfectly, and Nike’s first shoe, Waffle Trainers, were cooked! Er, born…
*What are the three most popular birthdays, and are they in the most popular birth month? Yesterday’s trivia tells you.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Introducing ‘Malley’ (named after the 16th Century Irish Pirate Queen—Grace O’Malley— because of the ‘patch’ over her left eye). She’s a ‘SHIMOO’ (Shih Tzu, Toy Poodle and Maltese mix). She’ll be a year old next month and loves going on walks (leashed) with her mama, exploring the campgrounds and meeting her fellow campers wherever she goes.” —Jim Van Riper
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.
Leave here with a laugh
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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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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Also no edit function.
What happened to the Newest first/Oldest first option? I like to read the post in chronological order oldest first.
Also, it took that guy 3 minutes to filet that trout, not 30 seconds.
How to filet a trout in 30 seconds? Sounds like the same person who can hit a deer at 250 yards and still miss the toilet but yet up cutting himself. Interesting.
Thank you, Emily! I’m not sure that the story of Bill Bowerman creating waffle-soled shoes is quite right. Ultimately, there was a shoe known as the Waffle Trainer (I had two pairs, the first of which was a Nike Boston upper with a waffle sole.). However, I think that the first shoes that Coach Bowerman created for his runners at the University of Oregon were cross-country racing flats. They worked both on courses with a combination of soft surfaces (usually grass) and hard surfaces (e.g., gravel, asphalt, concrete), and on tracks. The initial commercial product was called the Waffle Racer and had University of Oregon colors — a green swoosh on a yellow nylon upper.
Meet my wife at age 6 did not date till in service. Going on 57 years married.
Love of my life
RE: Quick Tip – Learn how to fix your RV: Yep learned from a Mobile Tech, learned from other RVers, learned from YouTube, and have learned a lot from publications like RV Travel.
Yes to all you said Jim, and sometimes even learn something new from the comments sections !🙃
I met my spouse when I wa sa mere 14 years old. We dated thru high school and then married. Been together for 61 years and still going strong