Issue 2229
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
“Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” —Ted Williams
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Vermont Day!
On this day in history: 1792 – In Washington, D.C., the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion (known as the White House since 1818) is laid.
Tip of the Day
10 helpful tips for driving an RV at night
By Gail Marsh
A family emergency recently prompted us to drive our RV at night. We prefer to travel during daylight hours, but this time it just wasn’t possible. Here are some tips that may come in handy should you need to travel in the dark sometime, too.
Tips for driving an RV at night
- Slow down. Nighttime travel is more dangerous than traveling in the daylight simply because your view of the roadway is limited. You can only see ahead as far as your headlights illuminate. By traveling at a slower rate of speed you’ll be better able to control your vehicle, especially in the case of emergencies. (Think: deer or obstruction in the road.)
- Stay alert. Sure, there may be less traffic on the road at night, but this can also be a negative. You won’t have cars ahead of you to forewarn you of upcoming situations. Eliminate distractions so that you can fully concentrate on driving. (Think: Safely secure children and pets.)
Continue reading for more tips
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook.”
Storing my RV for a month. Drain the water and leave RV cold, or heat it?
Dear Dave,
I live in Utah and we will be going on a few more trips this year, including Arizona for Thanksgiving. I won’t use my motorhome again after that until Christmas, when we’ll use it as a guest house. Should I blow out the lines and drain the tanks and leave it cold for the month of December, then warm it up again for the guests? Or try to keep it warm? When I do keep it warm, is it better to use the propane heater or an electric heater and shore power? —Clayton, 1993 National RV Sea Breeze 31
Brand-new book! Van and RV Camping at State Recreation Areas
Our friends at Roundabout Publications have done it again—they’ve published another helpful book for RVers. This one is for RV camping at 656 camping areas at 415 state recreation areas across 30 states. This includes camping locations at off-highway vehicle areas, state beaches, state recreation areas and sites, state vehicular recreation areas and more. Having this book will save you money! Learn more or order.
RV Tours
All-new nuCamp Cirrus 920 HUGE truck camper
By Cheri Sicard
nüCamp recently re-released their largest-ever truck camper, the Cirrus 920. In the video below we join JD from Big Truck Big RV (one of our reader’s FAVORITE RV YouTube channels, with 515K subscribers and 227M views) for a first look at this behemoth of a truck camper.
Because it is so large, you are going to need a heavy-duty dually truck with at least 5,500 pounds of cargo-carrying capacity to haul this one.
Video of the day
RV travel day recipes: Make ahead RV meals
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below. we join Val from Our Next Adventure for an RV cooking tutorial on her favorite travel day recipes.
These are recipes you can make ahead so that there’s one less thing to worry about doing on RV travel days.
Around the Campfire: What’s a fifth-wheel tug test and should we be doing it?
By Gail Marsh
There was quite a buzz this week around the cooler. (It was just too hot for a campfire!) What was the buzz about? As a fellow camper pulled his fifth wheel RV out to leave the campground, his trailer dropped. Right on top of his truck bed. We’d never seen this happen and the results were not pretty. Read what happened to the truck and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you here.
Reader poll
Who cuts your hair?
Quick Tip
Adjust tire pressure when using a TPMS?
Our resident tire expert, Roger Marble, says he found at least one tire pressure monitor system manufacturer that suggested users need to adjust tire pressure at 70 degrees. “Au contraire!” says Roger. “According to the Tire & Rim Association yearbook, which any tire engineer should be very familiar with, under ‘Cold Inflation Pressure’ they are very clear when they state that the inflation pressures shown in the tables are measured when the tire is at the prevailing atmospheric temperature, and do not include any inflation buildup due to vehicle operation. The key definition is that of ‘ambient temperature,’ which is the air temperature of an environment or object.” He continues that what appears to be happening is, “Some are confusing SATP or ‘Standard Ambient Temperature and Pressure’ as used in chemistry lab as a reference. We are not doing a chem lab experiment. Tire cold pressure may be measured if a tire has not been driven or in direct sunlight for the preceding two hours.” Thanks for the clarification, Roger!
On this day last year…
- Ask Dave: RV furnace has low airflow and isn’t hot. Why?
- Video: Terrifying park ranger stories: Yosemite mysteries and missing persons
- Featured article: Fridge Fixer keeps residential refrigerator doors closed in RVs
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
It took us a minute to figure out what this was (if it’s not a toothbrush, then ???), but once we did, we immediately thought of a million ways to use it! Handy!
Website of the day
Lonely Planet
You’re probably familiar with the Lonely Planet guidebooks, but have you ever spent any time exploring their website? Talk about travel inspiration!
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:
• 3 percent make an online purchase every single day. Another 38 percent make an online purchase at least once a week, if not more.
• 10 percent say their slideout(s) have gotten stuck in the out position and they have needed help getting it fixed more than once.
• 35 percent always bring bicycles with them on their RV travels.
DID YOU MISS yesterday’s brand-new Full-Time RVer newsletter? Hint: It’s not just for full-timers! Read it here.
Recipe of the Day
Mom’s Southern Sausage Gravy
by Rene Stevens from Brainerd, MN
Rene learned from her mom how to make sausage gravy very well. This sausage gravy is so yummy. Every Southerner has a jar of bacon drippings in their fridge – it makes everything better. This sausage gravy is easy to whip up and most of the ingredients you probably have in your fridge. Serve over freshly baked biscuits with some eggs on the side for a delicious and hearty breakfast.
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Trivia
If you happen to visit the Governor’s Reception Room in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, look for a portrait of William Penn with his Great Dane. The Great Dane was a hunting and working breed in frontier Pennsylvania. How it became the State Dog is unique for the way the vote was approved. When the Speaker of the House called for a voice vote to approve the State Dog on August 15, 1965, yips, growls and barks erupted from throughout the chamber. With a rap of his gavel, the Speaker confirmed that the “arfs have it” and the “Barking Dog Vote” entered the annals of state legislative history.
*How old is the oldest living chicken? Yesterday’s trivia tells you all about Peanut.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is Nico (Husky). She is 15 and loves to go camping. The best part is meeting new dogs, sniffing new smells, and nice weather.” —Monte Mishoe
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!
Every RVer needs a good set of pliers
An RV toolbox is not complete without a good set of pliers. These fit the bill. The channel locks are ideal for any plumbing connection or nut/bolt where you need more leverage. Needle nose are great for wiring. Electricians’ pliers and wire snips are essential for electrical work. General-purpose pliers help in many other ways. Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
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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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Great wedding photo!
Needle nose are NOT great for wiring. Needle nose pliers are rare- they have round, long jaws. Unfortunately, long nose pliers are often called needle nose. Electricians’ pliers and wire snips are not names of pliers!
Gee thanks. 🙄
I’m going to say that 75% of RV’ers may not know the actual name of each of these “Pliers” but I’m certain that everyone who has these in their toolbox will be glad they did! Who cares what they call them! I’m a retired Equipment Mechanic/Metal Worker. If it does the job, call it what you want.
I think you are getting Round Nose Pliers confused with Needle Nose Pliers. Round Nose pliers have round noses, hence the name. Either that or Snap-On, Mac, Matco, Craftsman, and all other tool manufacturers are confused…
To Larry,Tony,Frank, and Mark, why are we even discussing what the pliers are named? I’m sure at one time or another we’ve all used them as a hammer because that’s what was in our hands at that moment of need🙃
LOL. 😂
I’m confused Are they wire snips, wire cutters, side cutters, diagonal pliers, dykes, or a pair of pliers with a slightly different sexual persuasion?
And if I use a rock to drive in a tent stake is it now a hammer?
Hey a rock is the original hammer
I followed the link to the “Mystery Product of the Day”. I scrolled down to the one-star ratings and read the first one. Holy cow – the thing exploded, caught fire, and smoked this poor person who wrote the review. So, I’ll probably pass (although the five-star ratings just oozed praise.).
Regarding today’s thought—what about weather forecasting??
The wedding photo reminds me of the graveyard service for my mother-inlaw.
The community graveyard is surrounded on 3 sides by the family farm. Several of the farm dogs showed up and one lifted it’s leg to pee on the green carpet around the grave site. It was chased off before it actually did the deed.
re: Night Driving
I live in Colorado. For night driving I have “deer catcher” front guards on all of my RV’s. The critters love to jump out of ditches along roads or out of scrub trying to commit suicide. So far I have nailed one and saved the lights and radiator.
Thank you, Emily and Diane!
You’re welcome, Neal!😅 Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane