Issue 2246
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
“I know of a cure for everything: salt water… in one way or the other. Sweat, or tears, or the salt sea.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Nachos Day!
On this day in history: 1947 – “Meet the Press,” the longest-running television program in history, makes its debut on NBC Television.
Did you see the news? Click here for the latest news for RVers.
Tip of the Day
Alternatives to hitch ball grease
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
A new hitch ball is often bright, shiny and chromed. But many RVers have been much dismayed, on lifting the hitch coupler off the new ball after the first use, that the chrome is scratched and scarred. What happened? Metal-to-metal contact can scrape off that shiny chrome and things are never the same.
Is scraped-up chrome the only issue here? One RVer who for years declined to grease his hitch ball found – much to his chagrin and his finances – that the ungreased condition lead to such wearing of the trailer coupler that it had to be replaced. Not only was the coupler expensive, but he had to hire the work out to a welder – a considerable amount of cash out the window. He now describes himself as a “greaser,” to prevent such issues in the future.
On the other hand, you’ll find some RVers who disdain greasing hitch balls because, they contend, the grease attracts dirt and the dirt acts as a sort of sandpaper, chewing away at the hitch ball and the coupler.
Ask Dave
What’s causing the RV furnace to run a short time and then show airflow-limit fault?
Dear Dave,
My daughter just purchased this fifth wheel. When we turn the heat on it runs for a while then triggers the airflow/limit fault. I don’t know what to look for as the cause. I was thinking a dirty filter, but I can’t find one. —Ricky, 2020 Coachmen Brookstone
Quit struggling with hose and cable hookups at the campsite
Are you tired of struggling to hook up your coax cables, water hoses and other connections when you arrive at your campsite? It’s a snap with Cable and Hose Grips from J Wright Concepts. Save time and frustration! Life is too short to hassle with the little stuff! Learn more or order.
RV Reviews
Review of the 2024 Winnebago View 24J
By Tony Barthel
Today’s review is of the Winnebago View 24J. These are smaller Class C motorhomes based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis and, purportedly, a member of the best-selling motorhome line in the U.S. You really, really like these—and I do see a lot of these in campgrounds out there.
In the RV Shop with Dustin
Easy under-the-sink vent replacement eliminates RV bathroom odors
By Dustin Simpson
Let’s face it, nobody wants their RV bathroom to be known as the source of mysterious RV odors. Have you ever wondered what this black thing was under the sink?
Manufacturers install these basic vents in the bathroom. Your vent could be stuck open or failed. The replacement or upgrade installation process is surprisingly straightforward. Even if you’re not a seasoned DIY enthusiast, you can handle it with ease.
Beginning Tuesday, we will report the news daily
We have discontinued the weekly news briefs feature of our Saturday news newsletter in favor of a concise email recap of the very latest news about RVing every weekday afternoon. We’ll begin the weekday emails tomorrow, Tuesday. Sign up to receive these timely emails here. (You can easily unsubscribe if you wish.)
Video of the day
CIA officer shows how to disarm a gun pointed at you
By Cheri Sicard
Today we share a video that we hope none of you will EVER need. But better to know how to disarm a gun that’s pointed at you and not need it, than to need this information and not know. Former CIA officer Jason Hanson [415K subscribers, 30M views] is here to share his wisdom because he says if you don’t know the basic principles of gun disarming, your efforts may fail.
Know Your RV: Using your propane regulator
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Having hot water, a stove that works, and heat when the temperature goes down is great. For RVers, propane makes all these good things possible. Do you have a travel trailer or fifth wheel? Then your propane (or LP, for “liquid petroleum”) is kept safely stored under high pressure in LP cylinders—most likely two of them. That storage pressure has to be reduced to a much lower level, and that job is done by a propane regulator. It’s a low-maintenance item, but it does require your attention. Learn all about it here.
RV Gadgets and Gizmos
The ultimate guide to jobs that can be done anywhere
If you are an RVer who still needs to work, or if you dream of becoming an RVer but worry about how you will support your mobile lifestyle, Robin Barrett’s book is for you. In Work From Home While You Roam: The ultimate guide to jobs that can be done anywhere, she covers more than 300 resources for location-independent jobs for every skill set and schedule, from casual, to fun, to part-time, to side hustles, to seasonal work, to full-time careers, and everything in between.
Keep your brain sharp and your knives sharper!
Tired of dull knives in the kitchen? This easy-to-use knife sharpener (used by staff members, Emily, Chuck and Nanci!) sharpens your knives with a few quick strokes. You’ll feel like a professional! The sharpener has two settings, one for polishing the knife and for quick touch-ups and another for dull, damaged knives. Its small size is perfect for an RV, and it’s a great price! Learn more or order here.
Reader poll
Which TWO professional sports do you enjoy watching most on TV?
Quick Tip
LP appliances in slide-out warning
A reader, who asked to remain anonymous, passed this along: “Do you have any propane appliances in a slide-out? If so, most likely there’s a rubber propane hose that flexes every time you put your slide out or bring it in. Over time the rubber can dry out and can start to leak. The hose can also become kinked, preventing propane from flowing to the appliance(s). You should periodically check for problems before it becomes serious.” Thanks, Anon E. Mouse!
Website of the day
Main Street of America: Route 66 attractions state by state
Have you ever driven the entirety of Route 66? If so, you’ve probably been to most, if not all, of these attractions. Still, this list is fun to scroll through.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
If we had a life motto this would be it! Actually, you know, what? It’s a done deal… from now on this IS our life motto!
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
- When hate enters the campground, I wonder who we’ve become
- Around the Campfire: What’s a fifth-wheel tug test and should we be doing it?
- Know Your RV: Know your measurements
Recipe of the Day
Chicken Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
by Monica Price from Fort Jennings, OH
An easy meal your family will love. It’s a taco twist on stuffed shells. Pasta shells are stuffed with a creamy chicken mixture that’s full of taco flavor. The combination of ranch and taco seasoning is fabulous and makes the dish. Stuffing the shells takes some time, but it comes together quickly. Pro tip: Use a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off to fill the shells.
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Trivia
The first vending machine dispensed holy water. That’s right! A first century mathematician and engineer, Hero of Alexandria, designed a device that would stop people from stealing holy water from the church. The device was an urn with a hidden mechanism that would dispense holy water as soon as a coin was dropped through a slot.
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Our crazy Golden doodles, Keane and Tupper, have grown up camping and are most happy when we are spending time with them in the Adirondack Mountains of NY. We almost always bring them with us and really miss them when we leave them home, so it doesn’t happen very often. Long walks and hanging with us around the campfire is a favorite pastime with lots of treats, of course.” —Dan Harter
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.
50 States, 5,000 Ideas is the best book!
This National Geographic book showcases the best travel experiences in every state, from the obvious to the unexpected. Sites include national parks, beaches, hotels, battlefields, dude ranches, museums and more. Each entry provides detailed travel information and fascinating facts to ensure a great vacation. Also includes Canadian provinces and territories. Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
At age 6 I went to my first funeral. As the coffin was lowered, the priest said, “In the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost.” For years after I thought he said, “In the name of the father, the son and into the hole he goes.”
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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Editorial (all but news): editor@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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” Leave here with a laugh “. Very good. I like that.
It made me smile !
Only if you weren’t the subject of the ceremony!
Thank you Emily and Dianr!