Issue 2241
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
“They say I’m old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Publicist Day! It’s also National Candy Corn Day! Woohoo!
On this day in history: 1938 – Orson Welles broadcasts a radio adaptation of H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, causing a massive panic in some of the audience in the United States.
Did you see the news? Click here for the latest news for RVers.
Tip of the Day
Deep clean your RV before storing it. You’ll be so glad you did
By Gail Marsh
Just so you know, I’m that person. The one who absolutely cannot leave for vacation until our sticks-and-bricks home is clean enough to pass a hospital inspection. Yes, I’m a clean freak. So, when it comes to storing the RV for the off-season, I get out my checklist. Hubby rolls his eyes (in a loving way) and also rolls up his sleeves. Then, we get busy!
First, a caveat: If we plan to do a complete, deep clean of our RV, it’s done over the span of several days. I try to keep current with cleaning the interior (vacuum, dust, disinfect sinks/shower surfaces) regularly as we live in the RV. Hubby does the same for the exterior, keeping up to date on RV maintenance throughout the camping season. This means some of the “To Do” items will only require and quick check and very little elbow grease.
The list (it’s a doozy!)
So, here’s our list. (You may want to sit down. Reserve your energy. You’re going to need it.) Remember! You don’t have to tackle the entire list at one time. Keep current on your rig’s upkeep and getting ready for off-season storage will be a snap!
Ask Dave
My RV’s floor squeaks with no apparent water damage. What can I look for?
Dear Dave,
My trailer’s kitchen floor and living room floor squeak, but there’s no water damage. What should I look for? Thank you. —Tammy, 2016 Keystone Denali TT
RV Reviews
2024 Cherokee Wolf Pup 13BC – Small but feature-packed
By Tony Barthel
For all the people who see RVs getting bigger and more complicated, allow me to present the Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup 13BC. This is a small, no slide travel trailer with a slightly unusual floor plan that makes me think of how vintage trailers used to be configured. This is one some people are either going to love, or they’re going to loathe. What’s unusual in here?
In the RV Shop with Dustin
What is a vacuum breaker check valve and why do I need it?
By Dustin Simpson
There are so many questions about the black tank flush system, so here is a post to help out. You or your spouse may have noticed this vacuum breaker under a sink or behind a cabinet drawer. Here is some information and some pictures to help you understand what it does.
The black tank flushing system is a straightforward system that uses fresh water from a hose connection to flush your black tank to help clean it out.
Video of the day
Ghost hunter buys world’s most expensive ghost-hunting van RV
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below we join ghost hunter (yep, that is now a thing) CJ Faison for a tour of his new ghost-hunting van.
Besides being able to use the van as his mobile home on wheels just like any other van lifer, CJ’s Mercedes Sprinter van also houses his extensive ghost-hunting equipment so he is ready to hunt ghosts no matter where he roams.
Nail-biting stories of sketchy people while camping. What to do?
By Jeff Clemishaw
I’m not sure what it is about the nature of full-time RV travel and boondocking, but the lifestyle seems to encounter sketchy (i.e., unreliable or unsafe) people from time to time while camping. Throughout my travels, I’ve run into several people that just seemed to be “off.” I suspect that other RVers here can say the same. Read more. Do you have any similar stories to tell? We want to hear them.
Reader poll
Do you like candy corn?
Where should you camp next? Find out!
This 50-state guide will show you the best campgrounds across the U.S. It gives you a regional, state-by-state breakdown of amazing outdoor accommodations, from campgrounds to RV resorts. It also breaks campsites down by your personality and desired amenities. Now that’s cool! It also highlights regional cuisine, attractions and activities. Learn more or order.
Quick Tip
Make your own water heater flusher
This is from our good friend George Bliss:
“This is the water heater flusher I made many years ago and it has served me well. It cannot break and it cannot come apart.
- Step 1: Purchase a metal quick connect, as shown. If you already have quick connects, all you need is the one shown with threads on it. (NOTE: All makes of quick connects are not necessarily compatible.) If you buy one with a rubber “O” ring, then remove the “O” ring for the next step. (Not all makes utilize an “O” ring.)
- Step 2: Take an 8″ (20 cm) piece of copper pipe to fit into the quick connect and solder in place.
- Step 3: Solder a copper end cap onto the other end of the copper pipe.
- Step 4: Drill a 1/4″ (6 mm) hole in the side of the end cap, as shown.
- Step 5: Replace the “O” ring as applicable.
Your new water heater flusher will go into the hole used by the anode rod and, being in a quick connect, it will spin to spray left, right, up and down just by turning the copper pipe in the quick connect, and will thoroughly flush your water heater.” —Thanks, George!
Website of the day
Camping Crossword Puzzles
We apologize in advance if you spend the rest of your day doing crossword puzzles instead of whatever it was that you were supposed to be doing, but… these are fun!
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
This would be the meanest, and we repeat, THE MEANEST, thing you could do to someone. And it’s in a place you couldn’t even have a video recorder—major bummer! See here.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
- Lemon Laws (kind of) protect new and used RV buyers. This is how they REALLY work
- Why it’s important to have a plan in case of a health scare
- Beat-ing feelings of isolation while on the road; find what keeps you company
Recipe of the Day
Shredded Pork Taquitos
by Jennifer H. from Portland, OR
Skip buying frozen taquitos and make your own pork taquitos at home. Not only is this an easy meal, but your family will also request them again and again. The majority of the meal is made in the slow cooker. Simmering with spices, oranges, and lime, the pork tenderloin is full of flavor. Once rolled and baked, the flour tortillas get delicious crunchy edges and are smothered in melted cheese.
Trivia
Candy corn, initially named ‘Chicken Feed,’ originated in the late 1880s when George Renninger, an employee of the Wunderle Candy Company, first created it. In 1888, the Wunderle Candy Company became the first producer of candy corn. The Goelitz Confectionery Company, now known as Jelly Belly, started manufacturing it in 1898. While Jelly Belly still makes candy corn, the primary producer today is Brach’s Confections, owned by the Ferrara Candy Company. Brach’s manufactures around 7 billion candy corn pieces annually and holds an 85 percent share of the Halloween candy corn market.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is Miss Molly, a nearly 13-year-old Lab/Newfoundland cross.” —Bonnie Pascucci
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.
The smallest, most brilliant cutlery organizer for your RV
It’s like this was made for RVs! Usually cutlery organizers take up entire drawers, you know those ones that spread out and take up unnecessary space. This one doesn’t do that! This small compact tray organizes your cutlery in an amazing space-saving way. It fits up to 24 pieces of cutlery, so you’re not losing any space! Check it out and order one for yourself.
Leave here with a laugh
Thanks for sending, Steve B.!
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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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Liked today’s laugh
Loved today’s laugh !!
“Leave Here With a Laugh” That’s a classic! LOL!!!
Ok I give up, I’ve went back and reviewed the newsletter 3 times and can’t find the article about why you need to balance trailer tires listed in the index on the opening page. Was it omitted or am I going blind? Lol
I guess I’m going to sell the 5er because I’m blind also. No article all though I do balance my trailer tires. Have been doing on my 18 wheelers for over many years.
Sorry, Richard and Bob, and others. It was accidentally put into the newsletter and the alert, then we realized it had just been published a couple of weeks ago. Here’s the link: https://www.rvtravel.com/know-your-rv-keep-your-balance-in-your-tires-rvt-1062/ When someone else changed the blurb in the newsletter, I forgot to change the list in the email alert. My apologies. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
No need for the vacuum breaker check valve. Removed mine and no issues.
I’d never even heard of it.
Back in the 60’s my dad fashioned a pressure sprayer wand from a piece of 1/2” copper tubing by soddering a brass hose fitting on one end and bending the other end 90 degrees and flattening the opening. It produced a flat spray and worked well for cleaning out the bugs from car radiators and the hot water heater in the travel trailer as well as washing mud from fender wells.
Why buy candy corn just get a bag of sugar and a spoon
That’s just what I tell my wife.
It’s about aesthetics! A spoon full of sugar or beautiful golden candy corn!!
If you mix candy corn and peanuts, it tastes just like a Payday candy bar!
Every year when I am closing out the trailer I do nearly 7 loads of laundry, buy mr magic erasers and swiffer cleaning products and by the time I am done the trailer smells brand new. Then the pink stuff done. So this year with a seasonal site there was not one bread crumb or spot of dirt left. Except I forgot the fridge and microwave. OOPs. Next year. And yes I love candy corn. I start with the top and work my way down. Unless I go bottoms up.
While I can commend Mr. Bliss for his resourcefulness in making his own hot water tank flushing attachment, given the price of copper, a hose quick disconnect, the amount of labor involved, I fail to see any reason to create my own. I had a flush wand made of plastic that water pressure would cause the wand to flex. I recently purchased an all metal water heater flushing attachment for somewhere around $15 (Amazon) It has a shutoff valve that is convenient when flushing the water heater, which allows cutting flow to extract the wand when finished, keeping the user dry (protected from splashing water). I’m not being critical and I understand that many people enjoy creating things.
According to Mr. Bliss, his design spins when inside the water heater. Not sure if it works, but in theory it should, actually a very clever idea! But I don’t agree it would cost more than a purchased one!
Snoopy
Maybe he should drill 4 1/8inch holes then he doesn’t need to swivel it
He may have had all the materials laying around and nothing to do so out of boredom created that. Kind of like some people leave a perfectly warm house to go for a walk in the cold.