Issue 2339
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
“There really is a kind of insane beauty around us all the time. It’s just a question of learning to slow down, take a deep breath and meet the moment.” —Graham Nash
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Potato Chip Day! Hey, did you ever wonder how potato chips came about? We told you in this article. Oh, and it’s also National Pi Day. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. BTW, pi has been calculated to over 50 trillion digits beyond its decimal point. From piday.org (And yes, you can celebrate Pi Day with a piece of pie. Maybe potato chip pie?)
On this day in history: 1903 – Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (Florida), the first national wildlife refuge in the U.S., is established by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Tip of the Day
Your RV’s R-value. Don’t believe it hook, line and sinker
By Andrew Herrick
The R-value of your RV is kind of a joke.
Oh, I know it sounds impressive. I know the 4-season “Arctic Package” is boasting sky-high numbers.
But what you need to know about RV R-value is that it’s not measured. It’s not tested. There’s no certification standard. It’s a loosely calculated number based on inaccurate assumptions. It’s not an outright lie—just an incomplete truth. I’ll tell you the rest of the story.
Ask Dave
RV’s roof air conditioner is not cooling sufficiently. What can I do?
Dear Dave,
Our rear heat pump, an Airxcel, is not cooling very well. Air going in is 79 degrees; output is 72. Cleaned all filters and also coils on the unit; no help. Also, what should the temperature spread be between air input and output? Ideas? Thanks. —Don, 2017 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 37PE
RV Tours
Tour the 2024 Airstream Trade Wind™ 25FB with back hatch
By Cheri Sicard
Lately, we have looked at tiny Airstreams and large Airstreams. Well, Goldilocks, here is one that’s right in the middle, the 2024 Airstream Trade Wind™ 25FB. In the video below, the team from Airstream of DFW gives us a complete tour.
This trailer has some unique features, starting with an empty battery case that can now be used for storage. Upgraded Game Changer batteries are now stored under the trailer. According to the video, these provide so much power, they will even run the air conditioner without the trailer being connected to AC power!
Video of the day
Prepping for boondocking: Get ready for two weeks off-grid
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below we join Dustin and Leslie, aka The Wayward Waggs, as they are prepping for boondocking for 2 weeks of off-grid Florida camping.
After moderating RV Travel’s Facebook groups for the last six months or so, I know that prepping for boondocking is a hot topic and one that seems to especially confound RV newbies and even seasoned RVers who are only used to camping with hookups. The video below can help.
Is it illegal to change tire type or size on an RV?
By Roger Marble
There seems to be a recurring question of whether or not you can change the brand or size or load range of tires on an RV. There are a few individuals who have interpreted the Federal Regulations on tires that apply to the vehicle manufacturer and they want to apply the same regulations to the current owner of the RV.
Since I had to live under Federal Regulations for almost four decades, as I developed and tested many different types and sizes of tires, I do not agree with the idea that owners are prohibited from making changes—with one basic exception. Continue reading.
JUST PUBLISHED! 2024 EDITION!
The definitive guide to services along the Interstate
Since 1991, the Next Exit has been THE “go-to” directory to locate what businesses and services are at every Interstate exit in America. In this brand-new 2024 edition, learn what’s ahead, not behind you — fuel, food, campgrounds, rest areas, shopping, motels, hospitals, etc. Sometimes a GPS or smartphone isn’t best for this. Often, this is! Learn more or order.
Reader poll
Pick a dip for your chips
Quick Tip
Keep your battery terminal clean
It doesn’t take much crud on your battery terminal to shut things down. Make it part of your regular maintenance to keep them clean – and your electrical system operating at optimum. Wire brush ’em, and shoot them with terminal spray from the auto parts house.
On this day last year…
- Ask Dave: Who offers the best RV warranty?
- Video: Unbelievable house truck converts to fantasy castle
- Featured article: The best RV Trip Planner Apps and Tools
Website of the day
Bureau of Land Management
Sure, we all know what the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) does and we know we can camp on BLM land, but have you ever really explored their website? If you haven’t, check it out for tons of great information.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
This is a whole page, not just one product, but once you see it you’ll understand why we couldn’t pick just one! Scroll down.
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:
• 27 percent have replaced their RV’s carpeting.
• 14 percent say they enjoy hunting and do it often.
• 53 percent have never spent the night in a free casino parking lot.
Recent poll: Do you enjoy visiting ghost towns?
Recipe of the Day
Irish Soda Bread
by Christine Reardon from Setauket, NY
Many families have their recipe for Irish soda bread and Christine’s soda bread is fantastic. It’s more tender than most loaves of soda bread with a subtle sweetness accented by caraway seeds and raisins. Besides being baked in a loaf pan (and not shaped round), this Irish soda bread is more cake-like than bread-like. Serve warm with a smear of butter alongside beef stew or corned beef. Or, enjoy with a cup of tea for an afternoon St. Patrick’s Day snack.
NOTICING MORE OR DIFFERENT ADS THAN “USUAL”? Make sure you read Chuck’s essay in Sunday’s newsletter for an explanation. (And thank you for bearing with us as we make this new adjustment! We appreciate you!)
Trivia
Irish soda bread gets its name from the use of baking soda as a leavening agent instead of yeast. This method was traditionally used in Ireland because yeast was not always readily available. The reaction between the baking soda and acidic ingredients like buttermilk or sour milk creates bubbles of carbon dioxide, which helps the bread rise.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Miso (Cocker Spaniel) is 4 years old and loves camping! He loves being outside and walking with us and hiking! It tires him out and he sleeps great!” —Lauren Wilson
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.
Leave here with a laugh
At a couple’s counseling session, the therapist said that couples these days are so disconnected that 85 percent of all husbands don’t know what their wife’s favorite flower is. The husband in the session turned to his wife and whispered, “It’s self-rising, isn’t it?”
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.
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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.
RVtravel.com is a participant in many affiliate programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of the potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.
Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.
This newsletter is copyright 2024 by RV Travel LLC.
I am finding the ads extremely frustrating. The Hilton ad I could not stop the video or sound. Now have ads pop up for a few seconds and then change to something else. Will my paid subscription end that? It is becoming almost impossible to enjoy the newsletter with my morning coffee.
I have a paid subscription and I don’t see the ads that everyone is complaining about.
Good to know. Thank you.
What browser do you use?
firefox with DuckDuckGo extension to block ads
I have a paid subscription and I see all the ads.
The hilton ad is the worst. They have phony close box and pause button that if clicked opens a new full page ad. Extremely annoying. Hope they can do some more tweaking
Miso is gorgeous!
I read the newsletter every morning with breakfast. Ads do not bother me. I just skip on by them.
Finally. Somebody besides me who doesn’t sweat the small stuff.
I don’t mind the ones that don’t move but when they flip to a new one, for me, it is and video plays and you can’t turn it off does get the best of me. You are very fortunate to be able to ignore.
Have you seen the price of a bag of potato chips? Stamped on the side of a bag of Ruffles it says $5.99. Yikes. But I think we got it for around $3.75 discounted. Shrinkflation or just jack up the price, this is not a small lunch size or a huge Costco size, just a 13 ounces bag. Keep on dipping.
Ads today with a paid RVTravel subscription.
Corporate greed.
Shrinkflation has nothing to do with corporate greed. It is either raise the price for 10 onces or keep the price the same for 9. It is Bidenflation. Costs went up so prices went up. Some companies reduced the product size instead of raising prices.
Shrinkfkation is inflation, just branded differently. It’s easy math.
Mystery Product of the Day- Many Michiganders are deeply offended. Only half of the State is offered and the listing makes it seem like you are getting the whole State. It is bonzo moves like this that have caused the people of the Upper Peninsula to promote becoming a separate State on several occasions.
My wife and I spent this past summer touring the U. P. by RV. It deserves to be it’s own state. Never seen anything like it. Fantastic!
Wisconsin should take it back.
The ads have increased to the point they are totally interfering and distracting. I’m a contributing member almost from the beginning because I learned so much in every issue. Now I find I don’t even open most of the articles because they are so basic or repetitive and I have to wade through so many ads just to get to them. Please look into this.
I too am frustrated with all the ads. I am a paid subscriber and did so to stop the ads! Videos start by themselves, delete one and another appears, constant scrolling, etc. I love this Newsletter but I do NOT love the ads. Something has to be done by the staff to allow for a more enjoyable reading experience.
Yes I do hope the staff is able to do something.
Or do something yourself. Install an ad blocker to your browser. Very few ads come through.
Or just ignore them, like you do the 3 to 4 minute commercials you get on TV and radio. Internet ads are FAR less intrusive than TV ads.
I thought the whole idea of a paid subscription was no ads?
You obviously thought wrong. Those of us who are paid subscribers get “weekend” ad free newsletters….there was never any mention that “weekday” newsletters would be ad free.
I paid also to stop ads and it was said a one time payment was all needed. Apparently now that has changed for the worst.
Michael & Leslie, are you really so clueless that you believe “something has to be done by the staff” ? Are you really unaware that YOU can resolve the issue for yourselves? Read the comments from those who’ve specified their simple solutions. Until you’ve done something to help yourselves, please just shut up about it. This is a site for RV stuff, not for complaints from the clueless about non-RV issues.
there have been numerous suggestions offered over the past 1+ week. Your inactivity to make the needed changes will not change the problem. Get the ad blocking software from the browser’s web site and add the extension for ad free/ greatly reduced viewing.
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂 Sorry about the advertising brouhaha. 🙁 The bumpy transition caused me to switch from Chrome to DuckDuckGo as my web browsing software. Subsequently, I see almost no ads, but my understanding is they are part and parcel of the Monday – Friday newsletters regardless of subscription status. Perhaps expectations of readers, subscribers need to be reset? As to the laugh of the day, DW’s favorite flour depends on the situation. Her favorite flower is a yellow rose, but red ones or even carnations will do. Oddly enough, she isn’t all that keen on cut flowers between the expense and the upkeep until they get discarded. 🤔 I wish all y’all a wonderful day! 🙂
Any site that I may be browsing, that has annoying ads, I reopen that site on DuckDuckGo. No more ads.
And use Linux with the Brave browser…bingo.
Chrome with Ublock. Works on all sites even Amazon “free” videos
With only respect offered towards the publisher and the readers in regards to the ads that are now popping up on many of our devices, it is my opinion that the business model at RVT is changing. Any newsletter not fully funded by subscribers needs advertisers. RVT has always been reader centric but unless a profit can be turned thru subscribers, advertising may be the only way to keep the lights on. Market forces will make this decision for Chuck and for the readers. Maybe it’s a balanced mix, maybe paid subscriptions drop off and thus it increases advertising needs even more which drops even more subscribers which increases needed advertising more, then more then more and so on.
Boy, lots of negativity here today about the ads. Ads are a fact of life EVERYWHERE! Roads, TV, Newsletters, social media, even movie theatres. If someone truly doesn’t like it, buy a time machine and travel back to the 1600’s, or become a hermit.
As an FYI, the ads don’t bother me, but as with any site I browse if they get to intrusive, I just don’t go back. RVT is not even close to that yet!
Firefox on my laptop with an ad blocker. I don’t see any ads.
Small inline ads don’t bother me but the ones that pop-up over content are really annoying. And ones that start automatically or won’t close are enough to drive me away.
Annoying!
Slow or interrupt loading
ad right in the middle of survey
Dear RVT Staff, and you really ARE dear to me, a contributing reader for literally decades, I’m renewing my impassioned plea to you: PLEASE block or delete all the comments that are nothing but complaints about the ads that they don’t know how to block themselves. I come to you daily for RV related news and it is both distressing and distracting to have to wade through the whining about non-RV issues, especially issues of their own ignorance. Am I being too harsh? Other readers continue to supply solutions but are ignored. So PLEASE?
Phil, thank you so much for the kind words. Among all the negativity, they mean a lot to us. That being said, everyone’s comments are valid and we do appreciate the negative, too, as it helps us improve. We know it’s a big change and it’s something we’re still working through ourselves. As time goes on and we all get used to our new look (and as we continue improving things) we suspect these negative comments will slowly fade. At least we hope so! They’re not all that fun for us to read either…
Again, thank you for the kind words and your readership. We appreciate you!! –Emily
OMG! I just have to say: Folks, please be kind!Use Ad-block, Duck Duck Go or any other ad-blocking subscription (many free of charge if you research it) to help alleviate your gripes and complaints! I am a paid subscriber, but I encounter tons of more ads on many other websites I visit daily, compared to RVT’s website! I am subscribed to each and every newsletter/tips, etc. and see a VERY minimal number of ads. I cannot believe the numbers of gripes/complaints about RVT’s website and staff! PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES, AND THINK REAL HARD ABOUT IT! CAN/COULD YOU DO BETTER THAN THEY DO?…(Hello?…Crickets!)They do an excellent job of keeping us all informed and provide such helpful news!
Love Rv travel. Look forward to reading it daily and I’m a monthly contributor. My question is as a monthly contributor I thought I was supposed to get an ad free email. Thanks in advance.
only the weekend versions will be ad free for contributors
Hi, Jim. The members weekend newsletter email alerts should not have ads in them. The Monday through Friday email alerts still have ads in them, as do the weekday newsletters. Thank you for helping to support our newsletters! We appreciate that and we appreciate YOU!🤗 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com