Issue 2218
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
“You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads… may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Day of Forgiveness.
On this day in history: 1825 – The world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives, the Stockton and Darlington Railway, is ceremonially opened.
Tip of the Day
Ways to make your RV feel more like home
By Gail Marsh
I was feeling a bit homesick the other day. We’ve been work camping for several weeks now and while I love living in our RV, I sometimes still miss home. I was contemplating the calendar (counting down the remaining days) when it hit me. I loved our RV, but our RV just wasn’t loving me back! I needed to make the RV feel more like home.
Who lives here?
Here’s what I mean. Because making this trip had been a rather quick decision, I hadn’t packed along our Nix play (digital photo frame). The sentimental, handmade quilt for our RV bed didn’t come along with us either. (It was the hottest time of the year, so who needs a quilt, right?) Even the calendar I’d been staring at was from a bank! Why hadn’t I packed the calendar that our grandkids personalized for us? As I gazed around our RV’s interior, I quickly realized that it might as well belong to a stranger. Nothing (and I mean absolutely nothing) gave even a hint about us or our personality. It was as sterile and cold as an operating room.
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
Will my standard solar panel keep my RV’s batteries charged during storage?
Dear Dave,
I have 5 AGM batteries in my newly purchased motorhome. Do I need to remove them for winter storage? I live in Colorado Springs and winters aren’t terrible, but it does at times get below O°. My RV is in a storage lot and I don’t have access to 120V. The Winnebago has a trickle charge solar panel, but I don’t know if that’s enough to keep my batteries from freezing. Thanks, Dave!! —Wayne, 2003 Winnebago Journey DL
RV Reviews
Tony Barthel is at the huge Elkhart RV Dealer Open House getting all the insider scoop for us on the newest RVs. You can read all about it in the RV Travel Newsletter on Sunday. Be sure you’re subscribed because you don’t want to miss it!
Click here to read Tony’s previous RV reviews
In the RV Shop with Dustin
RV roof replacement tips
Join Dave and me up on the roof of a 2019 Grand Design Reflection in the video below. I’ll explain California RV Specialists’ tips during a roof replacement and what makes our installation different from manufacturers’.
Video of the day
How to properly care for your RV water heater
By Cheri Sicard
When it comes to their RV water heater, a lot of RVers make the mistake of neglecting proper maintenance, which can lead to expensive water heater problems down the road. I have to confess to being one of those RVers, so I learned a lot from the video below from Enjoy the Journey.Life. If you haven’t been showing your RV water heater the proper love and attention it deserves, you might learn, too.
RVers, these poisonous plants could be lurking nearby. Look out!
By Dale Wade
With all of nature’s beauty, it has a nasty side. Along with the myriad of beautiful plants come a few of which you should be aware of. On your treks through the woods pay attention to those that can poison you and your pet through touch, smell, and taste. Here are some commonly occurring poisonous plants that we, as RVers and outdoor enthusiasts, need to know about and avoid.
Reader poll
Are you an only child?
By far the coolest bottle opener for RVers!
Look at this adorable vintage trailer bottle opener! You’d be the star of the campground if you opened everyone’s beer or soda with it! It’s a magnet, so you can always find it on your fridge, and it comes in two colors. It would make a great gift too! Learn more or order.
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
Cold weather and batteries
Planning on some winter camping? Bear in mind that the colder the temperature, the more resistant to charge your rig batteries come. It’ll take longer to charge them, and if you run your RV furnace, you’ll be eating up plenty of juice.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Well… wow… this is surely RV-sized! Actually, it’s more like teardrop-sized! We didn’t know they made them this small, but boy, this would come in handy and wouldn’t take up any space!
On this day last year…
- Tip: 2023 Keystone Cougar 22MLS—a better favorite
- Ask Dave: How do I clean my slide room seals and topper on a permanently parked RV?
- Video: 10 American-made mini campers under $10,000
- Featured article: Does tire over-inflation cause so-called “blowouts”?
Website of the day
The Best National and State Parks in Texas
OK, y’all. It’s time to get yourself down to Texas and start exploring some of these beautiful parks! We’ll meet you down there (and we’ll join you for some BBQ, too)!
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
- Bicycle modification helps mobility-challenged couples
- Visit Wedding Row in Las Vegas
- The Southwire Elite Power Station provides impressive amount of power to RVers
Recipe of the Day
Caramel Apple Pecan Bars
by Sharyl Maacks from Newfane, NY
Caramel apple flavor in bar cookie form… love, love, love! These aren’t the type of cookie bar you can eat with your hands. They’re ooey gooey, so you’ll need a plate. They have a crunchy cinnamon crust and a caramel apple center. Each bite tastes like fall. Serve with a scoop of ice cream and it’s the perfect autumn dessert.
Trivia
In old England, 10 families equaled a tithing. 10 tithings equaled a shire. Each shire elected a reeve. That “shire reeve” came to be known as a “sheriff.”
*Why did Taco Bell airlift 10,000 tacos to Alaska in 2012? Well, it’s a funny story… Read about it in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Our sweet 6-month-old boy, Kona (Bernedoodle), is a great traveler and loves to see the sites of our travels. Not so dog-friendly yet. He enjoys people.” —Jeff Roller
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.
Make sure to have this First Alert EZ Fire Spray in your RV
The First Alert EZ Fire Spray portable fire extinguisher is easier to use and discharges 4 times longer than traditional fire extinguishers. With an aerosol nozzle and portable size, it’s suited for the kitchen, car, garage, boat or RV. The formula wipes away with a damp cloth & is biodegradable. Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
Even though this is a few years old now, you’ll love this! Watch Jay Leno’s interview with this incredibly charming, hilarious, 100-year-old woman.
Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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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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Yes, she certainly was funny. She did not act “old” in the least. Thank you for sharing this wonderful video!
With all the hail storms we have been having, does anyone make a stainless steel screen to go over the top of a RV ?
Ha! Good idea, Donald. It would have to be a pretty heavy-duty screen. I just read about the 5 1/4″ chunk of hail found on August 8 in Kirk, Colorado. Yikes! Also, golf ball to baseball-sized hail in different parts of the country. I Googled “stainless steel screen for roof of RV” and all I got was bug screens and vent screens.🤔 Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
To make your RV feel like home, you can get pictures which stick to the walls, no framing needed. I’d post a picture, but unsure how.
RV bottle opener. Does anyone use these openers anymore. I just tossed a small box of openers in the trash of every inconceivable style keeping only one church key. I can’t picture spending that money on such item no matter how cute.
The RV bottle opener looks to be about as useful as my Reef flip flops that have a bottle opener on the bottom of them.
Aloha Tommy !!!
What an amazing lady
Absolutely
Great trivia today. 👍
Loved that video! What a wonderful way to start off the day!
Wonderful video! Thank you for sharing with us.