Issue 2273
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
“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is the National Guard’s Birthday.
On this day in history: 1962 – NASA launches Relay 1, the first active repeater communications satellite in orbit.
Tip of the Day
Tips for safe RV driving on snow or ice
Russ and Tiña De Maris
Winter is almost upon us. If you’re the typical RVer, your rig may already be tucked in, taking a well-deserved winter’s nap. On the other hand, maybe you’re a snowbird or full-timer, and your rig is probably somewhere in the sunshine. But what if you’re somewhere in between and that nightmare scenario develops: You’re driving your rig when suddenly, that “not too bad” weather turns cold and the white stuff begins to fall? Can you drive your RV in snow or ice? Should you?
We’ve gathered several winter driving suggestions for RVers—and many of these come from the trucking industry, where nasty weather and big rigs often have to mix.
Ask Dave
My RV’s absorption refrigerator died. What replacement would be best for dry camping?
Hey Dave,
First, I, like many, wish to thank you for ALL of your help and advice.
My 3-way Norcold fridge is finally done. I replaced the main board this past summer ($700 CDN) and was told if that didn’t work I would need to replace the fridge. It worked for about 3 months and now doesn’t. The front panel on the fridge won’t light up and I can’t turn it on. The shop I use is great and told me this might happen. So, my question is, what do I replace it with? I do a lot of boondocking, have two huge solar panels and eight batteries, so I have a lot of power. But I feel I need propane also for those cold, cloudy, Canadian days; however, I am open to suggestions. —Larry, 1996 Winnebago Luxor
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
Jayco Pinnacle 36FBTS: Have they reached the top?
Today’s RV review is of the 2024 Jayco Pinnacle 36FBTS fifth wheel. We’ve been looking at a few larger fifth wheels recently and this fits into that category, too. Pinnacle is the, well, pinnacle of the Jayco fifth wheel family. They are large fifth wheels that measure 102 inches in width—an inch wider than most large fifth wheels.
But these also are very well-equipped with some useful features as well as some head-scratchers. What are those?
Did you decorate your RV for the holidays?
If you decorated your RV (the inside or the outside or both) this year, we want to see a photo (or two or three!). Please submit a photo of your decorated RV, and/or a short paragraph or two telling us about your favorite holiday traditions.
In the RV Shop with Dustin
Do you have rodents in your RV furnace? Prevent pests from getting in
This week in the shop, we found a mud dauber nest and a baby bat inside an RV furnace. As a reminder, LP gas attracts more rodents and other critters than you know.
Protecting your RV furnace from rodents is essential to prevent damage and maintain the efficiency of the heating system. Rodents can cause significant issues by chewing on wiring, building nests, and creating blockages.
Video of the day
5 crazy RV fires you have to see to believe
By Cheri Sicard
The video compilation below from the team at The Swag contains no dialogue or RV fire prevention tips. Nope. It is pure rubberneck-gawking at five different spectacular RV fires. But despite its nature, it is still well worth watching. Why? To remind us just how quickly an RV can become engulfed in flames and turn to ash.
Camping at the surreal Porter Sculpture Park in South Dakota
By Cheri Sicard
“What the heck is that?” It’s a phrase that must get uttered hundreds of times a day by out-of-town motorists in the Montrose, South Dakota, area when approaching the Porter Sculpture Park. The park sits right off Interstate 90. Its large sculptures rise out of the plains and beckon tourists to veer off the interstate and check out whatever the heck that was they just whizzed past. Continue reading.
Reader poll
Do you use your RV primarily for taking vacations?
Brand-new! 2024 Rand McNally Road Atlas & National Park Guide
This comprehensive guide is a must-have for RVers and nature lovers, offering stunning visuals, essential visitor information, and invaluable travel tips for all 63 of America’s national parks. The guide also includes a complete 2024 Rand McNally Road Atlas, ensuring seamless navigation for travelers across the country. Learn more or order.
Helpful resources
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION
• ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NATION
• WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
• LATEST RV RECALLS
• DIRECTORY OF RV PARKS WITH STORM SHELTERS
• THE BEST RV TRIP PLANNER APPS AND TOOLS
Did you buy a lemon RV? Here’s more about RV lemons and lawyers who will represent you if you need help.
Quick Tip
Banish RV slideout squeaks
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Many an RVer has been driven to distraction by a squeaky slideout. There’s just something jarring to the nerves about this noise. Perhaps it’s the same affliction that hits us when fingernails are drawn across a chalkboard. What’s to be done to exorcise those squeaks?
First, with your slideout extended, take a close look at the slideout support arms. If you spot any “wear marks,” (like those pointed out by the arrow in the photo), it’s a good indication of a primary source of nasty noise. Grab a can of spray-on dry lube. Shoot the wear marks thoroughly, then using a clean, dry cloth, wipe down the excess. Dry lube sprays are preferable to “wet” lubes as they are less likely to attract dust and dirt. You’ll also find it useful to shoot the “teeth” on your slideout mechanism, if there are any.
Other anti-squeak tricks include ensuring that the squeak doesn’t emanate from contact between the slideout seal and the sidewall of the slide. With the slide extended, wash and dry the sidewalls, then apply the appropriate wax for the wall surface.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
On a road trip? Going on one soon? Well, you can’t go on a road trip without this! That would just be wrong, wrong, wrong!
On this day last year…
- Tip: RV fridge door pop open? Here’s a “quick and dirty” fix
- Ask Dave: My brand-new Dometic fridge won’t stop beeping
- Video: RV rubber roof treatment and care
- Featured article: Got enough battery to power that inverter?
Website of the day
Pinterest: RV Tips
We’ve shared Pinterest with you in the past, but never this page. Check it out. You could spend hours (days! months!) on here exploring great RV tips. Just don’t forget about us back here, okay?
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
- Incredible makeover turns this 1973 GMC RV into an out-of-this-world spaceship
- Know Your RV: Go lug nuts!
- New virus infects human population: You have a say in keeping it away
Recipe of the Day
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies
by Tammy Brownlow from Dallas, TX
We love the intense chocolate and mint flavors in this chocolate cookie. It really is like hot chocolate in cookie form. They’re soft and chewy. We highly recommend enjoying them warm out of the oven while the marshmallows are at prime gooeyness. Chocolatey-minty goodness.
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Trivia
According to international recycling provider TerraCycle, Americans throw away 25% more trash during the holiday season than at any other time of year, amounting to nearly 25 million tons of excess waste.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
Rudy (Sheepadoodle) is by far the best boy ever! He is smart, handsome, and disciplined! He loves to camp, but boating is his passion!” —June Griffin
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.
- RV stocking stuffers: Awesome inexpensive RV gifts under $20
- The best holiday gifts for RV DIYers
- The best holiday gifts for RVers in 2023
- The best holiday gifts for RV cooks
- 15 camping games and puzzles that make the perfect gift
- 14 of the best RV Christmas sweaters for this holiday season
Leave here with a laugh
How much does Santa have to pay for parking on Christmas?
Nothing. It’s on the house!
Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
Oh, and if you missed the Latest News for RVers, make sure to catch up here.
This holiday season, say “Thank you” to your favorite RVing website!
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
CONTACT US
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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For the last week or so…. Whenever I click on one of the links in the newsletter and then go back to the original newsletter….. instead of returning me to my last point in the newsletter it goes all the way back to the beginning…. Every time. If I read several articles I am forces to scroll through the newsletter (from the beginning) multiple times. Any way this can be fixed?
The same thing has been irritating me!
I think that after a gazillion complaints, they’re probably working on it. Jeez.
I wonder about that. Usually they will acknowledge an issue if they are working on it. I haven’t seen any discussion of it from any of the staff. It is annoying and I hope it gets resolved.
Just get in the habit of using the back arrow.
I agree! All you have to do is click the back arrow, rather than closing the tab, and you will go right back to where you left off in the newsletter.
Tried that. Still takes you back to the beginning. Rather annoying.
Sorry, Bill, and others. There will be an explanation for the changes in Sunday’s newsletter. Stay tuned… Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Just use the back arrow on the laptop.
On laptop, I forget the back arrow and end up starting over. Now I use my mouse center button on the links, and it opens in a new window. I must go open the new tab to read. I sure wish RVtravel could fix it to as it was before.
Nope. Back arrow doesn’t work on this iPhone. Like Dave notes it returns to the top of the page, RV Daily Tips. Been that way for a week or two. Yes irritating, but you know, that extra two seconds I spend scrolling, no biggy. Retired and two seconds times ten articles is twenty seconds or so. Still no biggy.
Just looked at my retirement clock and nope it hasn’t moved to Thursday so it’ll be all right. Love that clock, it’ll put you to sleep watching it progress from day to day. Lol
It sounds like TerraCycle considers all trash as waste, and that’s just not true. The Free Dictionary defines waste as: “To use, consume, spend, or expend thoughtlessly or carelessly”.
Nit-picking, I know, but it bugged me. 🙂
I always have to go back to the beginning of the newsletter every time. I thought this was just the way it works. It has been doing this for several years.
On an iPhone, you should be able to hold your finger on the link (instead of tapping the link) until a sub menu pops up – click “Open in New Tab”. When you’re finished reading the article, close the tab and select the newsletter tab. On a computer, try right click – YMMV
Stay safe and Merry Christmas, Joe
Will that work on an iPad?
Yes it works on my “older” iPad. The sub menu option to choose is “Open in Background”.
Stay safe travelling, Joe
Thank you, Emily and Diane! I chose a color and size for the mystery product and put it on my Christmas list; maybe I’ll get one. 🙂 The funny was seasonally appropriate and amusing (sorry, only smiled, no laughter 🙂 ). Rudy is a very attractive, not cute so much, dog, and great picture of him. 🙂