Issue 2247
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
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day!
On this day in history: 1665 – The London Gazette, the oldest surviving journal, is first published.
Tip of the Day
RV feeling a little stuffy? Give it a refresh and make it smell amazing
By Nanci Dixon
Is your RV getting a little stuffy? Make it smell amazing again with a couple of easy tricks.
RVs are known for getting damp and smelling moldy quickly. Whenever possible, particularly when in storage, use either a plug-in dehumidifier or a standalone moisture absorber. Both work by absorbing water vapor in the air and storing it until it can be dumped. Once you find out how often it needs to be refreshed or dumped, set a reminder on your calendar or phone. I used DampRid containers in our RV when in storage in Minnesota, and it would fill every couple of weeks. I always set the container in a bucket in case my timing was off and it overflowed.
If a musty, moldy smell persists it may be a sign of a much bigger problem.
Ask Dave
My RV’s TPO roof has some bubbles. Should I reroof?
Dear Dave,
I have noticed that on my RV’s TPO roof, which is now 13 years old, there are a couple of large bubbles that have appeared on areas that are not near any entry points. When walking on the roof I do not feel any spongy sections but do have these bubbles that have appeared. I have inspected all vents and do not find any loss of sealant or indications of leakage. Also, the bubbles do not appear to have any holes within the roofing material. Should I be concerned? Do I need to replace the roof soon? Or can it wait a bit until the rest of the roof needs replacement? The roof appears to be in good shape other than the bubbles. Your suggestions would be invaluable insight into this apparent issue. Thanks. —Steven the Canadian Glampur, 2010 Fleetwood Jamboree GT
RV Tours
Tour the 2024 Entegra Condor 22T, a Class B+ motorhome with nice features
By Cheri Sicard
Join Myles of Myles RV for a first look at the 2024 Entegra Condor 22T motorhome, a unique small motorhome that marries a small Class C with a popup camper roof. This RV, built on a Ford Transit van chassis, is known in the RV industry as a B Plus motorhome (it’s difficult to keep up with these designations these days).
This is the first RV I have seen (which does not mean there aren’t others) that comes with factory-installed Starlink for the internet.
STARTING TODAY… 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. Stay up-to-date with the latest news for RVers. Sign up to receive these timely emails here. (You can easily unsubscribe if you wish.)
Video of the day
Every tool that should be in your RV’s toolbox and why
By Cheri Sicard
Certified RV inspector Duane from the RV Inspection and Care YouTube channel always imparts lots of practical advice in his videos, and the one below about the essential tools that every RVer should carry in their RV toolbox is no exception.
According to Duane, with a little bit of guidance and the right tools, you can do about 80 percent of RV maintenance and repair tasks on your RV.
Linemen and other workers outnumbering snowbirds. RV parks are a-changin’
What do you picture in your mind when you hear the words “RV park”? The RV park in your mind’s eye may not match today’s reality. That’s because RV parks are changing. Really changing! One change? Workers. More than ever before, RV campgrounds are seeing an increase in the number of workers who need a place to live. More and more, these workers are choosing campgrounds as “home.” Continue reading.
Reader poll
Do you own a boat?
Quick Tip
Help with after-dark RV backing
“I try to never arrive at a campsite after dark, but when I do I place 4 LED camping lanterns out: 2 at the back corners, 1 on the slide side where I need to mark any obstruction, 1 on the opposite side so I can see the direction I need to go.” Thanks to Joseph W. [You can find them on Amazon.]
If you heat your RV with a heat pump. . .
A SOFT START ISN’T JUST FOR SUMMER COOLING!
The most efficient way to heat an RV is with a heat pump that’s part of a rooftop air conditioner. And by adding a SoftStartRV™, more appliances and other electric-powered devices can be used at the same time by freeing up more amps. Learn more here or order a SoftStartRV™ at a big discount.
On this day last year…
- Ask Dave: Quick RV Tech Tip: There’s still some water in the fresh water tank when I winterize. Is that okay?
- RV Electricity: Winter battery maintenance
- Video: Trailer-teardrop hybrid: Innovative vintage Shasta trailer remodel
- Featured article: Is expecting good customer service in the RV industry too much to ask?
Website of the day
Kid-friendly campfire stories
KOA gives us this great list of 17 campfire stories perfect for the kiddos. You’ll have the kids glued to their camping chairs with their jaws dropped open with these!
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Yes, we already own these, and yes, we gift them to every other ____-lover we know. Scroll down and see even more like it! If you like Italian food (and who doesn’t?), click here.
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:
• 18 percent say their RV has been in a repair shop for a month or longer more than once! Yikes!
• 55 percent will always or most always choose to buy a generic (usually cheaper) brand at the grocery store than name brand (usually most expensive).
• 10 percent met their current spouse or partner online.
Recent poll: Have you ever met anyone RVing who remained a friend for years?
Recipe of the Day
Grilled Mac n Cheese Sandwich with Bacon
by Betsy Wolfe from Ft. Worth, TX
Bacon and mac n cheese rolled into one sandwich… pure decadence and deliciousness. The outside is buttery and a little crisp from the cheese. Inside there’s a creamy mac n cheese with a smoky flavor from the bacon. Although great alone, this would be yummy with a bowl of tomato soup too. Total comfort food!
Trivia
Cats purr at the same frequency as an idling diesel engine, approximately 26 cycles per second. [Thanks to Linda O. for this interesting fact!]
*What did the very first vending machine dispense? If you don’t know we bet you’ll never (ever!) guess. Find the answer in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Bella (Labradoodle) was rescued at 1 and she is now 8. Her favorite things are boating & camping. When we get ready to go she is so nervous till she sees that I have packed her food. She was recently groomed and looks like a poodle this time!” —Debbie Jenson
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.
Get ready for upcoming travel with the Road Atlas: Adventure Edition
As much as we love technology, we still appreciate a good physical road atlas. This highly rated “National Geographic Road Atlas: Adventure Edition” is certainly one to love. The atlas has up-to-date road maps for all 50 states, plus Canada and Mexico. Cities and metro areas include popular attractions and points of interest. The atlas also acts as a guidebook to National Parks and the top 100 adventure destinations. This atlas is cool! Check it out.
Leave here with a laugh
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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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Thank you, Emily and Diane!
I just clicked on the Free Tree Removal ad and it took me to some other language so I quickly got out of it because I thought it could be a virus. Frustrating when that stuff shows up and we’re dumb enough to click on it.
Sorry, Mel. Those ads are auto-inserted by Google. If we know the URL we can block them temporarily, but they’ll just pop up with an altered URL. Plus, different areas receive different ads, or you get different ads depending on what you’ve searched for or read on your computer before. Very frustrating! Have a good day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Poor Bella. You poodled your doodle! Our groomer did the same to our goldendoodle. Gotta find a new groomer.
It is all good…there was confusion in the instructions. She is back to a doodle again!
Thank you for another wonderful issue.
Agree
Agree too!