Issue 2223
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.
Today’s thought
“Travel is fatal to prejudice.” — Mark Twain
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Cinnamon Roll Day!
On this day in history: In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, which orbited Earth until 1958, inaugurating the Space Age. (Were you around then? Did you see Sputnik? Please tell us about it for a story we plan to write. Email your experience to Chuck Woodbury at chuck@rvtravel.com.)
Tip of the Day
Is your RV packing on the pounds? Try these 10 steps to shed some rig weight
By Nanci Dixon
I recently read an old article by Greg Illes about RV weight and decided it was time for our RV to lose some weight, too. Along with us over the last few years, our motorhome seemed to have also gained some weight.
Here are a few tips to help ease the load:
1. Dedicate time
Pick a time when you have the desire and stamina to go through your stuff. Dedicate at least a few hours a day, or one full day, to sorting.
2. Create piles
Create a couple of piles: A toss, a donate, and a “maybe” pile. The toss pile is for that stuff you know nobody would want and you can’t believe you have held onto for so long. For example, my wood salad hands with three missing “fingers” went into the toss pile immediately! Donate is for the usable stuff, and the “maybe” pile is your “can-go-back-and-change-my-mind” pile.
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
What is the scheduled maintenance for RV roof sealant? How hard is it to replace?
Dear Dave,
My fifth wheel is about three years old, and I live in it full-time. While periodically checking my roof, I noticed that some of the sealant around the vents is starting to look aged, but not cracked. How often should I apply new sealant (Dicor) before having to remove the old material and replace it completely? And how hard is it to remove? —Peter, 2021 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS
RV Reviews
This is different: The category-busting Timberwolf 16ML
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of something very, very different—the Forest River Timberwolf Mini Loft 16ML. … The best way to describe this trailer is as a very compact park model … something that stirred up a lot of attention at the RV Open House, including by competing manufacturers within the Forest River family. There was everything from quiet admiration to near scorn. But, suffice it to say, nobody was ignoring this.
In the RV Shop with Dustin
What to know about RV floor replacement
Whether your RV floor has a leak or a stain, or you simply want to update the look of your unit, replacing your flooring can be a costly option. Our shop does RV floor replacement, but 95 percent of the time it’s because a catastrophic event occurred and insurance is footing the bill.
This is also my warning for consumers who are shopping for a used unit. RV floor replacement isn’t that simple or cost-effective! Make sure you watch the video below.
Sewer fitting grip help! Gadget to the rescue!
If you find the bayonet mounts for your sewer hose connections are getting a bit hard to twist off and on (hate to say it, but it sometimes comes with age), here’s a tool that might help. An adjustable oil filter wrench, made to get a grip around automotive oil filters, can also provide a handy grip and plenty of leverage on the bayonet fitting of your sewer hose, and the termination cap as well. Here’s one we recommend.
Video of the day
RV Instant Pot recipes: Baby back ribs in under 1 hour!
By Cheri Sicard
Join in this fun online RV cooking class from The Spicy Apron YouTube channel. In it, our hostess Heather shows us one of her favorite RV Instant Pot recipes and makes baby back ribs in under an hour!
And not just any baby back ribs. Tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs that will enthusiastically bring the whole family to the table. This is super quick and easy and you can make it any time in your RV. The Instant Pot does most of the work with just a few short minutes of prep from you.
Around the campfire: Who’s to blame for lack of quality RVs?
Terrible RV quality. This ongoing theme runs rampant throughout RV blogs, forums, social media threads, and (you guessed it) around the campfire. But just who is to blame for the lack of quality RVs? Read what RVers had to say in this discussion around the campfire, as recorded by Gail Marsh.
Reader poll
Are you shy?
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.
Brand-new book for county park camping
Roundabout Publications and the Ultimate Campground Project have published the first edition of “Camping in America’s County Parks.” The 192-page directory profiles 2,068 RV, van and tent camping areas at 1,408 parks in 42 states. Inside, maps pinpoint campgrounds with information about staying, including types of restrooms, showers, dump stations and RV length limits. Rates, contact and reservation information is also listed. Read more about it here.
Quick Tip
Stop slideout plumbing leaks before they start
Responding to a story we posted regarding water damage to RVs, Dave Telenko pointed out an area of concern that some RVers might miss. “Another spot to check is the kitchen slide—not only the pressurized water, but the drain line that flexes back and forth every time the slide goes in and out. On our 2017 Forest River 34Q, there was such a leak. The problem is the mating of a soft flexible hose (bilge hose) into standard ABS (house plumbing) pipes with a compression-type fitting. It didn’t work and leaked, and would never work. I put a piece of metal on the inside of the soft hose and then tightened up the fitting. It was tight. I tried to pull it out and no way could I do it.” Thanks, Dave!
On this day last year…
- RV Review: The Ember 221MSL isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty close
- Ask Dave: When connected to city water, why does gray water tank start to fill?
- Video: EEK! How to get rid of mice in an RV
- Featured article: Is this stupid RVer behavior or not?
Website of the day
Enjoy the magic of fall at these 10 amazing festivals across the U.S.
Happy fall, y’all! Have fun at these fall festivals across the U.S.!
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
OMG! Okay, some readers may find this wedding-related item incredibly funny. But we guarantee that a whole bunch of readers will find it in very bad taste. That said, manufacturing this and selling it is perfectly legal. When you see it you may utter, “Only in America.”
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
- Is your RV a death trap? For some RVers, the answer could be “yes”
- Reserved but vacant campsites: The campground’s side of the story
- Around the Campfire: RVers wonder if the perfect truck exists
Recipe of the Day
Elaine’s Homemade Healthy Granola
by Elaine Douglas from Vancouver, B.C.
This homemade granola has great flavor. It’s salty and sweet thanks to the maple syrup and honey. Fresh from the oven, it has just the right amount of crunchiness. A healthier snack or breakfast option. Enjoy with some milk as cereal, sprinkle on top of yogurt, or just grab a handful when you want just a little something.
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Trivia
The yo-yo took off in popularity in the U.S. in the 1920s. Filipino bellhop Pedro Flores caught guests’ attention by playing with one at a Southern California hotel. (Yo-yo means “come come” in a native Philippine language.) Flores saw a business opportunity and began manufacturing the toys. Donald F. Duncan—father of the Good Humor ice cream bar—first saw a yo-yo in 1928. A year later, he bought out Flores. Duncan’s company staged contests where yo-yo “champions” could make the toy “walk the dog,” “shoot the moon,” “rock the cradle,” and go “around the world.” The yo-yo first appears on Greek pottery in 500 B.C., but historians believe it’s been around even longer.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Shelby (Vizsla/Pitbull mix) loves to ‘go for rides’ in the RV. She is a rescue from Oahu, Hawaii. Three years ago she had a hip replacement. Now she runs and plays pain-free and lives her best life on the road. Her favorite activity is to retrieve sticks out of the lake.” —Terra Boroff
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!
Leave here with a laugh
A traffic cop had a perfect hiding spot for catching speeders. But one day, nobody exceeded the speed limit. He soon learned why: A 10-year-old boy up the road a quarter mile was holding up a large hand-painted sign: “RADAR TRAP AHEAD.” Further investigation led the officer to the boy’s accomplice, another 10-year-old 100 yards beyond the speed trap with a sign that read “TIPS.” At his feet was a bucketful of change.
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
Editorial (news): chuck@rvtravel.com
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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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Your included ad on life insurance is very misleading. For 60+, 5K costs you $36 and change for whole life and $46 and change for 4K for term ins. C’mon, your ads should be vetted and useful.
I suspect those are Google ads…not RVTravel ads. Most all the Google ads are based on outright lies or gross misrepresentations to get people to click on them.
Not in defense of RVTravel.com but I think you’ll find those ads are inserted by google. I know I also hate them, I recently responded to an ad for late model unsold Ram trucks under $10,000 that listed a local dealer. The dealer didn’t have any trucks that met that criteria and when I suggested they were false advertising they wanted to know where I saw the ad, now that ad is no longer being ran.
I am sorry but the Fall Festival list is totally bogus and the person who devised the list apparently had never gone to Helen, Georgia for the “Octoberfest” Celebration. The entire Town was built with a Bavarian theme and they have an entire large Hall that has celebration, Music and Dancing, every night during the Month of October. It doesn’t get any more festive than it is in Helen, Ga.
Chill Ed D. Why would you say the list is totally bogus? The article is about 10 amazing fall festivals. It DID NOT say they were THE ONLY festivals. There are several other cities that have fall festivals. That would be a really long article if every city that had a fall festival was listed.
Chill yourself Charlie Sullivan! I do not pay any attention to polls. That is what this article is based on. You can make a poll say anything you want by taking it in the demographic that suits your poll! Have a good day Charlie!
Good morning, Ed. Sorry your favorite Fall Festival location didn’t make this list. However, your comment about the list being “bogus” and about “the person who devised the list…” is “bogus.” The list was from USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards for the 10 Best Fall Festivals for 2023, so obviously had much more input than from just one person. But your listing the celebration in Helen, Georgia, will now make the public more aware of it. They also didn’t include Oktoberfest in the “Bavarian” town of Leavenworth, WA, which has annual attendance of about 50,000. That surprised me, but not to the point of calling the list “bogus.” Anyway, have a great day, and a great Oktober.😉 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I never pay any attention to articles that claim they were voted on as the favorites because you have to consider where the polls were taken and if the people polled were people that attended these particular festivals. Just like political polls, I pay no attention!
We really enjoyed stopping by in Leavenworth for a couple of days at the end of last March, first of April! Took my son’s car over from Spokane looking at possible areas to maybe move to. We watched the NCAA college basketball finals at “The Library” to watch our home team, and were joined by the local crowd who treated us just like locals ourselves. Thanks for the memories !!
I love Leavenworth. Always a very special place to visit. I used to take my kids over there for the weekend and spend one day exploring up along the Icicle River. (I know a place where you can find garnets in the ground by there.) Then we’d spend one day going through the shops in town. Now it’s just over Stevens Pass from my semi-remote mountain property. (I just visited with my cousin and his wife on Friday, who were in town from Spokane on their way down to Oregon.) Have a good evening/night, Bill. 😀 –Mountain Mama
Thank you, you too,!
Thanks, Bill.🤗 –Diane
Hi Diane. I really enjoy it when you reply to people.
Awww, thanks, David. That’s very kind of you to say.😊 I really like interacting with our readers this way. Otherwise, it’s just me and my computer screen “interacting” all day long.😉 Have a great day.🤗 –Diane at RVtravel.com
There is a difference between “shy” and “reserved”. I consider myself reserved.
Great thought of the day.
We heard Sputnik on the radio when it was beeping every few seconds or so. It was very faint but you could hear it. I was very young but I remember all the talk was going around that the Russians had beat us into space. I can’t really compare it to the first maned moon mission though- it made me so proud.
I do remember Sputnik. My dad and I would go out looking for it to pass over. Soon after the launch of Sputnik, Western Electric launched Telestar. As I remember it orbited the earth about once every 90 minutes. My dad was so into it that we would stand in the driveway watching for it and wondering what was next. Long time ago!
Regarding lightening the load in the RV, we have an agreement that if we buy an article of clothing we donate or toss one as well. Especially sweatshirts because they take up a lot of space and we both love them.
The YoYo museum is in Chico, CA if anyone is up that way.
Loved today’s laugh…not sure I want to be at that wedding with that cake topper though..🤔
IMHO only
Yeah, I’d be hesitant to go to a wedding where bullet-proof vests are a suggested form of attire.😅 Take care, Bill. 😀 –Diane