Issue 2334
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
“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Cereal Day!
On this day in history: 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for an invention he calls the “telephone.”
Tip of the Day
An interesting way to find boondocking spots in the Southwest
By Bob (BoondockBob) Difley
Most of the land in the Southwestern deserts, if not occupied with cities and towns, is part of the 245 million acres – about one-tenth of the nation’s entire land mass – managed by the federal government’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
You can boondock for free, or very cheap, on BLM land. Even though most boondockers seldom camp outside of designated camping areas, such as the Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVA) or defined dispersed camping areas, that leaves millions of acres where you can camp for free.
Ask Dave
What is best brand of FLA batteries for RV? How do I add water to them in a tight compartment?
Hi Dave,
I have owned this rig since new and it seems to eat batteries quite often, more so now that it is older. It does sit for months between uses. I live in California, so cold is not a major issue. It appears that when I park and plug in the motorhome, which activates the charger and inverter, it cooks the liquid out of my batteries. If I don’t get out there on a regular basis, they cook dry, which destroys the batteries. There are four 27 series RV/marine batteries. I thought of going to lithium batteries, but from what I read the charger is not compatible. What brand is the best for 12 lead acid batteries?… —James, 2005 Fleetwood Revolution LE
Read the rest of the question and Dave’s answer
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RV Tours
Tour the 2024 Aliner Classic—a classic A-frame RV for a reason!
By Cheri Sicard
When things are considered “classics” there’s usually a good reason why. And such is the case with Aliner A-frame pop-up trailers. Their “Classic” model is what all their other models are based upon. In the video below, we join Mikey B from Beckley’s RVs for a tour of the 2024 Aliner Classic, an A-frame RV that keeps the elements that have made it a consumer favorite for more than 30 years while adding modern amenities.
Video of the day
RV refrigerator comparison—absorption vs. compressor vs. residential
By Cheri Sicard
If you are confused about the different RV refrigerator options, this video can help clear up some confusion. Jared Gillis, from one of our readers’ favorite RV YouTube channels, All About RVs, wanted to do an RV refrigerator comparison among the most popular options:
- Absorption, or your typical propane/electric RV fridge
- Compressor, or your typical 12-volt RV refrigerator
- Residential, or home-type refrigerator.
Click here to watch and compare
The best book for van and RV camping in state forests
Our friends at Roundabout Publications have done it again—they’ve published another helpful book for RVers. This one is for RV camping at 585 camping areas in 298 forests across 25 states. Save money by camping on public lands managed by government agencies. Having this book will save you money! Learn more or order.
Re-wilding: Becoming curious about the big, wide world
By Emily Woodbury
After many years of living smack-dab in the center of New York City, I returned to the beautiful Pacific Northwest and settled back into a place I thought I knew.
Washington is a place where you can be in a desert (yes, with rattlesnakes), in the mountains, in a rainforest, on the beach of an island, or in a bustling city all within two hours. That’s why so many people love it here. That’s what makes it so special. It’s a hard place to get bored of, or in. Continue reading.
Reader poll
What landscape do you most like to stay in with your RV?
Quick Tip
Get ALL your wheels aligned
Got strange tire wear issues? When was the last time you had your RV wheels aligned? Motorhomes are obvious candidates, but even towable RV wheels can need alignment. Not every corner tire shop can do it, so be prepared to make a few phone calls to find a shop that can.
On this day last year…
- Tip: 10 easy ways to fix 10 irritating problems in the RV
- Ask Dave: My batteries don’t charge when connected to shoreline power. How can I test my converter?
- Video: Essential RV tools you should always carry
- Featured article: Come upon a moose? Keep your distance to avoid trouble
Website of the day
Take it Outside™
Take your generator outside! Learn generator safety and know how to keep you and your family safe from carbon monoxide. This is important!
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
What would require you to find the world’s largest frying pan? This! This would certainly require you to find one of those. But it would be worth it… or would it?
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:
• 28 percent have flown in a hot air balloon at least one time.
• 22 percent say that driving on urban/city roads are their least favorite kind of roads.
• 16 percent do not have children.
Recent poll: How many bumper stickers are on your RV or tow vehicle?
Recipe of the Day
Sweet & Sour Pork Chops
by Audrey Musick from Marion, VA
So easy, so classic, so delicious! This is one of those pork chop dinner recipes to keep handy when you’re not sure what’s for dinner. The sauce is sweet, sour, and full of tangy goodness and soaks into the tender boneless pork chops.
Trivia
If you’ve ever driven across the Golden Gate Bridge, you probably would guess that it’s the longest suspension bridge in the world (and it sure does feel long!). But you’d be wrong. In fact, it’s just the 19th longest suspension bridge in the world. The longest suspension bridge in the world is the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Turkey, which opened in March 2022. It’s about 2,438 feet longer than the Golden Gate. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge’s steel cable system contains 100,662 miles of wire (compared to the Golden Gate Bridge’s 80,000 miles). That’s enough wire to encircle the entire world four times!
GUESS WHAT? The RVtravel.com YouTube channel is back and better than ever! Learn more about what’s to come with our good friend and host Keith Ward. Keith, take it away!
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Bella (Papillon) likes toys and people, not other dogs. Dexter (Labrahuahua) likes people and dogs, but not toys. Bella will play fetch as much as you can throw, and beg for more. For her, there are no strangers if you will throw the ball. Dexter gets tired of her getting attention so he will zoom in to take her ball away. It’s funny to watch.” —Julie Hanley
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.
Easily check the tire pressure on your inner dual tires
Do you have trouble reading the tire pressure on your RV’s inner duals? This dual head tire pressure gauge with an extension steel shaft will reach where a standard gauge won’t. Be sure you know the pressure of all your tires, or risk a potentially dangerous blowout. No batteries required. Learn more or order.
Leave here with a laugh
Someone recently gave me some good advice and I thought I’d share it with my wife. I went up to her in the kitchen and I said, “You know, Honey, you should really start embracing your mistakes.” She gave me a big hug.
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.
Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
CONTACT US
Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
Editorial (news): chuck@rvtravel.com
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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Didn’t receive an email this morning with a link to the newsletter. Went to the website to view.
Sorry, John. However, I just looked in the records and it does show that today’s email alert was sent to you at 2:00 a.m., as usual. So, I’m not sure what happened to it. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I, occasionally, don’t get the email but my husband will so he forwards it to me. It does happen tho.
Thanks, Kathy. Interesting. Especially when our records show that it was sent to a specific person. Must be those danged gremlins again.🤔🤣 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂
“28 percent have flown in a hot air balloon at least one time.” I’m impressed! One landed on our street about four doors down from us. It was not their plan, of course. I’ve never given a single thought to doing that.
Not sure what you mean by “plan”. There is only one “plan”, find a safe place to land. Pilots pick the most “convenient” place to land, which most of the time is dependent on the wind. If the winds are too light, landing in a street is very convenient (especially cul-de-sacs, which are wide and can layout a balloon). It could also be landing in the street to swap out passengers. we do that quite a bit
I understand that balloons are mostly at the mercy of the prevailing winds (though raising or lowering elevation can sometimes provide some directional control). By “plan”, I meant that landing on our street (which was cool and brought out every kid on the block) was not in the ‘flight plan’. But it was cool to watch how they did it. Their chase vehicle showed up and they dismantled the balloon right there and loaded it into a utility trailer.
Hot air ballooning is just an excuse to drink champagne.
Now I know “The Reason!!” I get a “Hug” once in awhile from “The Queen” !!
Yepper!!
Loved your article Emily. Grew up in MT and always thought it was the best state. MT has changed so much since I lived there.
My heart belongs to Washington now. Living in Eastern Washington which is much like the central Montana I grew up in, but the ocean is close and big huge mountains. Have it all here in Washington, we are blessed!
Bella and Dexter, such sweet and precious doggies🥰🐶
thank you for sharing!