Issue 2279
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
“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Crossword Puzzle Day! It’s also the first day of winter—Happy winter solstice!
On this day in history: 1913 – Arthur Wynne’s “word-cross”, the first published crossword puzzle, appears in the newspaper the New York World. If you’re curious about the original puzzle, here it is. Can you solve it?
Tip of the Day
10 tips for driving your RV in the fog
By Gail Marsh
Fall and winter weather can be tricky. Fickle, even. Roads can be foggy this time of year, and depending on where you are, that fog could be extra thick. That’s why these tips for driving your RV in the fog can really help.
Our experience
We began our RV trip on what appeared to be a crisp, sunshiny day. Weather reports said patches of fog were possible, but skies were clear, visibility was good, and so we took off. It didn’t take long for the weatherman’s fog “patches” to morph into dense fog. It was like gliding through a cloud, except that we were towing our 40-foot fifth wheel RV. Too late, we realized that the predicted weather front had stalled, and so the fog was going to accompany us for much of our travel day! Ugh.
Ask Dave
I’m looking to purchase a Class A with basement A/C. Your thoughts?
Dear Dave,
I’m looking to purchase this Class A with basement A/C. Do you know of problems with this system? I know the option didn’t last very long. Thanks for the info. I read your column every day. —Robert, 2004 Winnebago Itasca Suncruiser
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RV Tours
Zion Off-Road modular campers grow with you—Whatever your heart or budget desires
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, join the team from Playing with Sticks for a tour of an innovative line of modular campers. These campers from Zion Off-Road make it easy to start small and affordable and add features later as you need them.
There is wisdom in starting small and RVing a bit to discover what you actually do and don’t need in a camper. The answers may surprise you and you may need less than you think. Zion Off-Road modular campers allow you to do that with the security of knowing that you can easily add those extra bells and whistles anytime your heart desires or your budget allows.
Video of the day
One week of healthy RV meal planning and prep
By Cheri Sicard
If you find yourself at a loss when it comes to planning healthy meals in your RV kitchen, join Jess from Tails of Wanderlust, as she shares with us a week’s worth of RV meal prep for healthy RV meals.
As the video starts, Jess is about to head back out on the road and she wants to be ready to make some healthy meals. The RV meal prep process begins by taking an inventory of everything you already have including the fridge, freezer, and cabinets.
Our top 15 best-selling RV products in 2023
As 2023 comes to a close, it’s time we take a look back through our Amazon sales and see which RV products you loved this year. These products range from helping maintenance and DIY projects get done to innovative gadgets that make RV life easier. Here are the top 15 best-selling Amazon RV products in 2023.
20 ways to be the most disliked person in the campground
Here are 20 ways to become the most disliked man or woman in the campground! Obey them, and we guarantee you won’t have a single friend anywhere nearby. We’re sure this list is incomplete, so please add your own rule(s) in the comments. OK. Here’s how to totally annoy your fellow campers.
Reader poll
Is the holiday season a highlight of your year? Or not?
Quick Tip
Cut food costs when “cooking in”
Don’t waste food by putting leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days and then tossing them out. Food is one of the biggest expenses in your budget so, naturally, it presents one of the biggest opportunities to save money. One of the best ways to save money is to not waste food by throwing it out. Plan most meals by looking at the leftovers that are in the refrigerator and then deciding what you will need to go with those leftovers to make a meal. If you don’t want the same thing two meals in a row, at least plan to use the leftovers at the following meal.
By all means, don’t just put leftovers in the back of the refrigerator and forget about them for a few days. After all, RV refrigerators are small and it doesn’t take many half-empty bowls to take up all of the room. Look at it this way: The more leftovers you eat, the more money there will be in the budget to go out to eat. From “Secrets of RVing on Social Security: Enjoy Full-time RV and Motorhome Retirement on a Budget.” Available on Amazon.
On this day last year…
- Tip: Hats and caps out of control? Try this simple trick to keep them organized
- Ask Dave: Where do I find fresh water in cold temperatures?
- In the RV Shop with Dustin: Talkin’ RV Tech Short: When do I release my RV slide-out button?
- Video: Stylish vintage Shasta trailer renovation on a budget
- Featured article: What’s ready to (literally) fall off your RV?
DID YOU MISS yesterday’s brand-new Full Time RVer newsletter? Don’t miss out, read it here.
Website of the day
Strangest Town Names in Florida
We know many of you are in Florida right now, so we thought you’d get a kick out of this. Some of these are so funny! This website, Florida Travel + Life, has some other great articles, too, if you’re in Florida now or will be soon.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Trip planning for 2024? Getting ready to make campsite reservations? Well, this will certainly help you!
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:
• 56 percent say their financial worth is greater than it was two years ago.
• 32 percent would re-think staying at an RV park if they found out it was close to train tracks.
• 23 percent take their RV batteries out of the cold each year and store them in their garage or basement.
Recent poll: Will you travel to spend Christmas with friends/family this year?
Recipe of the Day
Christmas Breakfast Brie Pastry
by Brad Heintz from Seabrook, TX
The perfect baked Brie appetizer for special occasions. Or enjoy it on Christmas, as Brad’s family does. Sweet and salty, roasted pecans and brown sugar complement the rich, creamy cheese. It’s beautiful when baked and presented thanks to the golden brown puff pastry. Raspberries not only add a pop of color but also a nice fruitiness. We served with crackers and green apple slices for a festive plate. An easy and impressive appetizer for a holiday party.
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Trivia
When it comes to nighttime big rig truck parking, Trucker Path suggests the situation has improved greatly in recent times. In November, 38% reported many spaces available from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Although that number is not great, it is a vast improvement compared to 2021, when only 17% reported plenty of truck parking available at night. More than a quarter this year reported no spaces available at night, which also is an improvement from November 2021, when more than half indicated they could not find a parking space at night. There is currently only one parking spot for every 11 trucks on the road, resulting in drivers wasting an average of one hour every day trying to secure parking. —FightingForTruckers.com and Landline.media
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Willie (Lab mix), 12 yrs.; Callie (Bearded Collie), 9 yrs. Wonderful companions over many miles and beaches. Best friends. We have had them both from pups. Our lives are enriched by their love and loyalty. Love rules.” —William Brogan
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.
Rub on stain remover laundry stick and stains are gone!
Cheri Sicard loves the Cadie Stubborn Stain Remover laundry stick. She writes, “What is so great about a laundry stick stain remover? It’s the consistency of a stick deodorant. You just rub it on the stain and toss the clothes in the hamper until laundry day, when you wash as usual. Presto! No more stains.” Learn more about it here.
Leave here with a laugh
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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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Willie & Callie ya’ll certainly rule! Great looking pair of pups! Don
Today’s Triva, Truck Parking Availability, drives home the point why we as RVers need to stay out of their spaces. Yes, use a truck space if needed at a rest area but do your thing and move on. Truckers are mandated by law to stop and the fines are hefty when they don’t and get caught. Let’s not be the reason.
Just my thoughts……
Thumbs up. I agree with your comment but add the simple caveat that if an amateur driver is driving and dragging 50,000 pounds of steel and a toad on a freeway and is feeling tired, please take up a space for an hour and get a nap in. Give way to the professional drivers when possible if crowded.
One more suggestion for those that drive smaller RVs; don’t pull all the way forward into the space. In a crowded rest stop, that will look like an empty spot and may cause a trucker to pull in prematurely, causing an issue.
Thank you, Emily and Diane! Merry Christmas! 🙂
With regards to food cost control, we have a chalkboard with the days of the week on it and we plan our meals accordingly. This helps with shopping for what is needed, and how we can use leftover ingredients or meals. Might be from my 30 years in the restaurant business, but throwing out food is such a costly waste! Vegetable trimmings, meat bones all go into the freezer to make stock for home made soup.
The real benefit of all this is much better food and the savings are a bonus!