Issue 2255
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
“We shouldn’t be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Take a Hike Day! It’s also National Butter Day if you’d rather participate in that… Hey, life’s all about balance, right?!
On this day in history: 1820 – Captain Nathaniel Palmer becomes the first American to see Antarctica. (The Palmer Peninsula is later named after him.)
Tip of the Day
Mice invading your RV? Lion poop to the rescue
Through the years, we’ve written about a dozen ways to keep mice, squirrels and other rodents out of your RV. Some probably work, some probably don’t. Nobody seems to agree on the absolute best way.
Well, could this be it? There’s one way to keep these pests (and even bigger ones like possums and bears) away from your RV according to an RVer named Jeff Schwartz, who outlined his method in a comment to our YouTube video “How to keep mice out of your RV.” We doubt you have heard of this technique before. Here, shortened for brevity, is what Schwartz wrote:
There is one known foolproof, usually free, way to keep all animals (mice, cats, dogs, possums, bears, etc.) away from your home or RV!
Ask Dave
New Winegard antenna installed but now roof A/C and microwave do not work
Dear Dave,
I just had a Winegard antenna installed where the old antenna was, but now I have no power to my A/C or microwave. Everything else has power. The breakers all work and none were tripped. Any ideas? —AJ, 2019 Northwood Artic Fox
In the RV Shop with Dustin
Leaking water heater pressure relief valve? This tool will help
Do you have a leaking water heater pressure relief valve? Is it normal for it to leak? Sometimes there can be a slight leak from your water heater’s pressure relief valve, especially if you have not used it in a while. This leak can be normal and may indicate that your pressure relief valve just needs to be cleared to free any debris from the seal. It also might mean that you need to replace the valve if the leak continues.
DON’T MISS any of our articles about RV repair and maintenance. Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 21, we will issue an email digest of all our articles from the past week on the subject. Sign up here for RV Repair and Maintenance Tips (and check out all our other reports and newsletters).
Video of the day
WOW! Ice fishing house 5th wheel for winter luxury
By Cheri Sicard
Ice fishing and luxury living are not things typically thought of in the same conversation, but the team at Minnesota Custom Castles is changing all that by customizing 4-seasons RVs for the true Minnesota winter ice fishing experience… if the fishermen enjoy comfort and luxury while pursuing their sport of choice.
Transforming RVs into ice fishing castles—now there’s a niche RV business!
Inflatable foot rest is comfortable for couch and passenger seat
Now that’s cool! Miss your favorite recliner no more! This inflatable foot rest is perfect for lounging on the couch, in the chair by the campfire, or in the passenger seat for long drives. Take it on a plane ride, or take it to the grandkids’ sports games (we know those can get long). It weighs less than 1 lb. and folds down small for travel. Learn more about this comfy foot rest here.
Know Your RV: Take care of your stabilizer jacks
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
RVs, being built light for easy (and economical) travel, are not “rock solid” in camp. The longer they are, the more they tend to rock and shake as folks move about inside. To that end, most travel trailers and fifth wheels are equipped with stabilizer jacks. How do you “care and feed” them? Find out here.
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- Tips for cleaning the inside of your windshield
- Is the RV industry’s new tactic to “Grind RVers down and wear them out”?
- RV maintenance mistakes: Removing decals
- Everything to know before becoming a Florida RV snowbird
Reader poll
Does your RV have a traditional RV absorption refrigerator or a residential fridge?
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
You probably have one of these. It’s probably soooo boring looking. Why not replace it with something that adds to your decor and is sooooo not boring? Check it out.
Quick Tip
Use a departure checklist
In my early days of RVing there was one time when I had done everything I was supposed to and was ready to pull out. When I looked in my left side mirror, I could only see the side of my RV. I couldn’t see behind it. I wondered how that mirror got knocked out of alignment. Then I realized that there was nothing wrong with the mirror. The problem was that I had not put the slide in. I was looking at the slide. From that point on I have used a checklist and, like Santa Claus, I check it twice. I should have known to use a checklist. All pilots religiously use a takeoff and a landing checklist. Having a checklist (and always using it) will make your RVing safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable. From “RVing: Less Hassle—More Joy: Secrets of Having More Fun with Your RV—Even on a Limited Budget.” Available on Amazon. And here is a very useful checklist from Gail Marsh for when you’re departing the campground.
On this day last year…
- Tip: 5 tips from professional RV washers
- Ask Dave: My toilet and tank opening overlap. This is not good!
- Video: Evidence of Sasquatch? 8 years of Alaska Bigfoot video clips
- Featured article: Roadside stop near Death Valley is an unexpected delight. (This story is delightful, too.)
Website of the day
50 survival tips and tricks for the outdoors
The title says it all! Visit this page (and explore the rest of the website while you’re at it) to learn the best tips about surviving in the wilderness. Lots of stuff here will come in handy!
Clubs and useful organizations
PLEASE NOTE: We may receive an affiliate commission if you join any of these.
• Harvest Hosts: Stay free at farms, wineries and other scenic and peaceful locations for free. Save 15% on membership.
• AllStays: The best website for RVers! Your membership will become your RV-bible.
• Boondockers Welcome: Stay at homes of RVers who welcome you in their driveways, yards, farmland or other space on their private property. Modest membership fee.
• Escapees: Best Club for RVers: All RVers welcome, no matter what type of RV, make or model.
• RV LIFE Trip Wizard: Make your RV road trip planning easier than ever.
Recipe of the Day
Super Delicious Apple Cider Turkey Brine
by Sanity Chek from Annapolis, MD
Trust the process for brining a turkey, and this recipe will produce one of the best roasted turkeys you’ve ever tasted. Once baked, the turkey is nice and juicy, and full of flavor. It’s savory with a hint of garlic and citrus. The breast is not the least bit dry. This apple cider brine does take a little bit of patience and time, but the outcome is well worth the wait.
Trivia
According to a study done by the Archives of Surgery, doctors who played video games for more than three hours each week made 37 percent fewer surgical errors than those who didn’t. Those same doctors also performed 27 percent faster and scored 42 percent better on a test of surgical skills. Video games can improve fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, attention span, depth perception and computer competency. Interesting!
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Maggie, our Mini Labradoodle, is just over a year old but very well-behaved. She loves it when I pick up the camper keys, gets very excited. At campgrounds she loves making new friends, both human and other dogs.” —Jim Poddany
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 best trash can for your car or RV
Don’t let trash litter your car or RV! This small trash can is made for cars and can be attached to either a headrest or the center console with adjustable straps. When it’s not being used, it collapses flat. The trash can is leakproof and waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about anything spilling. This could also be used as a storage container for drinks, snacks or even pet toys. Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
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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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Thank you, Emily and Diane! Thank you for the link to Gail’s departure checklist. Following one is way better than replacing a power cord,or, worse yet, a campground power pedestal. That is one cute dog (calf) pictured in today’s funny. 😉 One of my training partners in college always called every four-legged critter that we saw while we were running “puppy!” I think we both knew most weren’t, but it economized on conversation. 😉
Today’s thought was rather off, we look up to a true Hero for their selfless act of bravery, nothing to do with looking for ideas. Sounds like someone pontificating on magic mushrooms instead of an actual philosopher. Just struck us wrong. OTHERWISE we love and appreciate this wonderful newsletter and especially the Pet of the Day, today’s was precious!!! Thank you
Chances are good that quoting Chomsky does give us some insight into mushroom generated thoughts. Simply put, Chomsky is the William Buckley Jr. of the Marxist elite.
Became a fan of checklists when my Dad taught me to fly a Cessna at age 16. They served me well throughout my career and continue to do so to this day. We never leave home on a trip without one, or two!
We use Trello for our checklists, and we have them for everything we pack, plus ensuring our house is buttoned down in our absence, plus a hookup checklist. Even though a lot of it is automatic, the checklists prevent stress and worry.
Always before pulling out, walk around the RV one more time, double checking complete disconnected from site. Look for anything left on ground. (Pick up trash!)
Always interesting to see a RV going down the road with sewer hose or power cord dragging behind.
Checklists will save you sooner or later. One for getting ready to leave the sticks & bricks home; one for camp set up, one for takedown, even one for regular maintenance for the rig! You guessed it – I am retired military!
How about your “gig” line?
And check that six!
Or their TV antenna or Satellite dish in the air. I chased one RV’er that had his Satellite dish deployed. I made a U-turn, soon after he pulled into an Advance Auto Store where I caught up to him.