Issue 2373
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.
For the best reading experience, read this newsletter on a computer, if available.
Today’s thought
“Reading is a means of thinking with another person’s mind; it forces you to stretch your own.” —Charles Scribner, Jr.
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is May Day!
On this day in history: 1971 – Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) takes over operation of U.S. passenger rail service.
Tip of the Day
Get the most from your RV’s exhaust fan
By Gail Marsh
Many RVs feature roof vents with a built-in ceiling exhaust fan. Our current RV has two exhaust fans—one in the galley area ceiling and one in the bathroom ceiling. An RV exhaust fan can help make your interior living space much more enjoyable and perhaps even healthier! Here are some tips to help you get the most from your RV’s exhaust fan.
Ask Dave
Should I carry a battery charger in my RV? If so, what brand?
Dear Dave,
Thanks for all your expertise! So much to learn, and I’d rather ask a question than not know. What is the best battery charger to carry for my Class A Safari Simba 36PCT. And should I carry one? My husband was the Boy Scout, and I like to keep the least amount of stuff around and have a backpack mentality. I appreciate your input! Happy trails! —Karen, 2008 Safari Simba 36PCT
RV Reviews
Prime Time Tracer 270BHSLE – It’s affordable, with some surprising features
Today’s RV review is of the 2024 Prime Time Tracer 270BHSLE travel trailer. Depending on your experience looking at RVs, you might have the same question I had when this popped up on my feed. Who in the Wide, Wide World of Sports is Prime Time Manufacturing? Prime Time is a division of Forest River that was started in 2009. The company’s website follows suit with every other brand of RV manufacturing talking about how great they are and that they wanted to build a better RV … blah, blah, blah.
But what we have here is very much an entry-level bunkhouse RV that could be worth considering, depending on what you’re going to use it for.
In the RV Shop with Dustin
What should I do with this bubble on my RV sidewall?
You may have seen our series “What’s in the Shop?” Now, we’re sharing “What’s in the RV Group?” This is where we share posts and direct messages from Y-O-U. In this episode, I share how delamination occurs and most importantly how you can prevent it.
I’ve seen many RV owners throughout my years in the industry try and heat the delaminated area and glue it back down. There is a reason why these jobs never look decent.
Video of the day
Slide room in a van?! Tour the ultimate DIY RV van build
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, Bob Wells from Cheap RV Living interviews Kelly, an engineer by trade, who created about the most advanced DIY camper van you will ever see. He even installed a slide room on a van! As Bob says, “Everything you could want in a van is in this van!”
Our favorite unusual RV kitchen gadgets you may never have heard of
By Cheri Sicard
Welcome to Part 3 in our favorite RV kitchen gadgets series, based on our reader recommendations. In this post, we’ll cover unusual RV kitchen gadgets you might not have heard of before. We’ll also cover some unusual uses for some things you may already have. These are cool!
New and improved Dump Buddy is a must-have gadget for RV dumping
Dump Buddy® will change the way you empty your waste tanks. It securely fastens your waste hose to the waste pipe, preventing a spill. Whether you’re doing a simple dump at the end of a trip or need a secure hookup for a long stay, Dump Buddy is there to assist. Read Tony Barthel’s review of it or click here to find it on Amazon.
Reader poll
When you fly commercially, do you fly first class?
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
LP appliances in slideout warning
A reader, who asked to remain anonymous, passed this along: “Do you have any propane appliances in a slideout? If so, most likely there’s a rubber propane hose that flexes every time you put your slideout out or bring it in. Over time the rubber can dry out and can start to leak. The hose can also become kinked, preventing propane from flowing to the appliance(s). You should periodically check for problems before it becomes serious.” Thanks, Anon E. Mouse!
On this day last year…
- Ask Dave: Water heater quits on LP when camping but works at the dealership. Why?
- Video: The 7 most common problem areas with used RVs
- Featured article: Long RV servicing waits may be reduced by cultivating relationships with local shops
Website of the day
Travel British Columbia: Camping
If you’ve been to British Columbia, you know how gorgeous it is. If you’ve never been, well, hop on this website, find a campground, and plan your trip. You certainly won’t regret it!
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
If you used this, it would certainly make working on your computer so much more fun! Plus, it’s the truth!
Recipe of the Day
Cheesy Salsa Chicken Bake
by Janice Bartholome from Port Hueneme, CA
Need an easy recipe for dinnertime? Then keep this Cheesy Salsa Chicken Bake recipe handy. Jarred salsa tenderizes and infuses flavor into the chicken while it bakes. The top is super cheesy, which is sure to please everyone at the table. Add a dollop of sour cream and a bit of guacamole on top for a dinner that’s easy on the wallet.
Trivia
The word “tabloid” when referring to newspaper sizes comes from the style of journalism known as “tabloid journalism,” which compacted stories into short, easy-to-read articles with exaggerated or sensational content. Tabloid journalism itself got its name from the “tabloid pills” marketed in the 1880s, which were the first highly compacted and easy-to-swallow pills commonly available. An example of a tabloid newspaper, in size and content, would be the National Enquirer.
Readers’ Pets of the Day
“Peter is a 13-year-old Presa Canario (Canary Mastiff). He came to us by way of a shelter in West Virginia. Little brother, Bugs, is a hound mix from a kill shelter in Mississippi. We believe he’s around 5. Both love to go camping. Here they are relaxing in the warm Arizona sun while boondocking in the desert outside Quartzsite this past winter. Peter has traveled with us from Key West to Alaska and California to Nova Scotia. We’ve only had Bugsie three years so he hasn’t logged in quite as many miles yet, but he’s working on it.” —Lorie Seman
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
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury, editor@rvtravel.com
Help desk: Contact us
Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.
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. This newsletter is copyright 2024 by RV Travel LLC.
Peter and Bugs look like “Happy Campers”. You guys keep rolling!
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂 Peter and Bugs certainly look contented and well-cared-for. 🙂 Today’s laugh made me almost wish that we’d had children to see how much work we could have gotten from them. 😉 It also made me laugh. 🙂 Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
Not much.
👍😅 Spoken as someone who has been there, done that. (Me, too.🙄😁) Have a great day, Gene. 😀 –Diane
If I have to fly it will be first class as I am not being herded into a cattle shoot and sandwiched into a seat made for a 10 year old and having some large person in the seat ahead of me take a nap from start to end and the seat back 4″ from my face! To say nothing about the more commonly seen violence and disregard for fellow passengers. The airlines ruined enjoyable flying with the 3 seat configuration and extreme capacity aircraft.
Remember back how it used to be; like the Lockheed Electra or the first Boeing 707 etc, etc…. And I am an aviation enthusiast. (I have a commercial pilot certif. and an Instrument rating! non-current).
“Leave with a laugh” That’s a good idea. I’m gonna try that one out and see how it works…Lol
Yeah, good luck with that, Stinger.🤞 Let us know how it goes. (It was probably called a “fairy tale” for a reason.🤣) Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
They can come over to make my rig and home swell when they are finished there.
Did a double take on the prime time tracer. I have the avenger and the kitchen is similar and where the bedrooms are is my bathroom. Its like a mini apartment. I love my avenger.