Issue 2391
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
“The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” —Thomas Campbell
Need an excuse to celebrate? Most importantly, today is Memorial Day. But, on a lighter note, it’s also National Grape Day and National Grape Popsicle Day!
On this day in history: 1937 – In California, the Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic, creating a vital link between San Francisco and Marin County, California.
Tip of the Day
An RVer’s guide to cooking with, storing, and making spices
By Janet Groene
Since ancient times, spices have been essential to the travel life. Before refrigeration, spices were essential to food preservation. Primitive diets were made palatable with a pinch of spice. Spices were believed to cure illnesses, brighten minds, and improve romance. In some cultures, they were even used as currency.
In the 15th century, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama found a trade route around Africa to the spices of Southeast Asia. Then, battles began to control that trade. Columbus sought a route to the spice fields of the East. Wars were fought for the spice islands of the Caribbean, the lavender fields of France, and saffron crops that now bring $10,000 per pound.
Any cooks worth their salt have a spice rack. The problem in RV travel is to keep it relevant, fresh and restocked in the limited spaces of an RV kitchen. Here are some ideas…
Ask Dave
My RV slide room rollers are leaving marks and gouging the underside. Is this normal?
Dear Dave,
We have wear marks from the rollers on the underside of one of our slides. Is that normal, or do the rollers have a flat spot? —Marcia, 2021 Winnebago Adventurer 35F
RV Reviews
The Ozark 1900THK travel trailer/toy hauler – a good fit for families
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is another of the new Ozark campers from Forest River—in this case, the Ozark 1900THK. Ozark is a new offshoot of the Salem-Wildwood brand, and I’m actually starting to see them out here in campgrounds. … While I think a lot of shoppers avoid toy haulers, I’ve written before that this could be a mistake. The adaptability of these floor plans is a plus. Also, this is small enough that you can get into a lot of places where larger rigs would be challenged.
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In the RV Shop with Dustin
Wiring tester can help assure driver that trailer lights work
By Dustin Simpson
Part of towing your RV responsibly is making sure your trailer lights are working properly. “Why are my running lights or brake lights not working on my travel trailer or fifth wheel?” We have all been there and asked those questions one time or another, which is why you should have a tow vehicle wiring tester with you when out traveling. This tester may not solve all of your issues, but it can definitely help you pinpoint some of the basic problems you may encounter while towing.
Video of the day
Best RV gear from Costco for spring 2024
By Cheri Sicard
Spring is in full swing and that means lots of new seasonal merchandise at Costco. Did you know that there is a lot of great RV gear at Costco?
In today’s video, Jason and Abby Epperson from RV Miles, one of the winners of our 2024 RV video awards, take us on a shopping trip to point out all the great RV gear you can get at Costco.
The latest news for RVers
- Forest Service plans to cut down hundreds of trees from popular campground
- Truck companies want driver-trainees to drive alone with no instructor
- RVing outside the U.S with a dog? Pay attention to new rules
- Top 10 things to know about visiting Yellowstone National Park this season
To read more recent news, click here.
In honor of Memorial Day: Heartwarming old TV clip will bring tears to your eyes
Many of you probably remember the TV show M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital). The beloved show aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983.
In honor of Memorial Day, we thought we’d share this heartwarming clip from the old TV show with you. In it, Harry Morgan, “Colonel Sherman T. Potter,” toasts to his old war buddies who have since passed. His words will bring tears to your eyes. Click here.
Reader poll
Will you have a Memorial Day BBQ today?
Quick Tip
Google can be our friend
We received this great tip from RVtravel.com’s tire expert, Roger Marble: “Recently I saw a post on a forum with a picture of a canister from a Class A RV. The owner was asking what the part was and what it was for. While others were providing answers, I decided to use my normal approach to learning stuff. The part had a name and a part number on it: ‘quickvent 33422’. I entered that in the Google search box, and immediately Google came back with a WIX fuel water filter.
“I have taken this approach on many items such as electronic circuit boards, computer parts, large motor start capacitors, model railroad parts and genealogy books. Google is our friend and a quick window to just about all knowledge. I don’t know why more people do not realize this and use the internet as it was intended.” —Thanks, Roger!
Website of the day
StoryCorps: Honor Military Voices for Memorial Day
If you’re unfamiliar with StoryCorps, spend some time on its website and make yourself familiar—it’s wonderful! And in the meantime, listen to the stories from veterans, service members and their loved ones. Maybe you can even record your own story.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Ladies, you are going to love this! And for those with wives or girlfriends, this would make a perfect gift…nudge nudge. Seriously, you’ll love this! Unless, maybe, if you’re Canadian…
Recipe of the Day
Pepperoni Pizza Dogs
by Barbara Lentz from Beulah, MI
If you have children in your life, you know almost all kids love both pizza and hot dogs. This may sound different, but it’s surprisingly good and combines the best of both worlds. It’s a whole new twist on pigs in a blanket. The crescent roll dough is stuffed with a hot dog, cheese, and pepperoni. At the end of baking, it’s topped with extra sauce and cheese to make things super yummy. After the baking process, the hot dog gets a little crisp. Great for an after-school treat, weeknight meal or a game day snack. Kids can help prepare them, too.
Trivia
Memorial Day began as Decoration Day. After the Civil War, Americans were mourning the deaths of more than 600,000 men who died during the war. Across the country, veterans would decorate graves with flowers. John Logan, a veteran of the war, established a Decoration Day on May 30th. On that day, people on both sides of the war were encouraged to place flowers on the graves of their relatives, friends or comrades who died during the war. Why May 30th? Logan chose a date at the end of the month because he believed all the flowers would be in full bloom by then.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Jojo (Yellow Lab) is 8 years old and began camping with us at 8 months old. She loves to explore around all of the new campgrounds and is always happy to say hello.” —Dieter Krumpelmann
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.
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Pizza or hot dogs. Both are not healthy and only given to children by their parents because they don’t want to deal with food fussy issues. Mine is allergic to pepperoni. Nitrites. If I can find healthy organic hot dogs I do otherwise I avoid hot dogs altogether. I did find a great pizza made by Amy foods. Yum. I tried to avoid fast foods. Try to eat healthy.
We are happy you are happy with your ingestion choices. Not everyone has that type of issues, nor do all who feed hot dogs and pepperoni to children do so to not deal with “food fussy issues.”
Had brats for dinner last night. Mmmmmm.
Do not use Memorial day as an excuse to get drunk or stoned…if you must celebrate then do it to remember why freedom is not free.
Not a day to celebrate – a day to honor…
Hi, Charlie. Here’s something I just posted in reply to another comment from a reader who mentioned it’s “not a day for celebration.” Regarding the term “celebrate”, here are some synonyms from Thesaurus.com for “celebrate”: honor, laud, observe, praise, proclaim, revere, bless, commend, eulogize, memorialize, solemnize. Those are some of the “strongest” matches. The “weak” matches include the synonyms for partying, etc. Have a good day. –Diane at RVtravel.com
Celebrate and honor.
Exactly.👍 Have a good day, Cancel. 😀 –Diane
Honor them by celebrating the freedoms they purchased with their lives. Raise a glass. Have a moment of silence. Then celebrate the freedoms they bought for us.
Thank you, Emily, Diane, and Kim! 🙂 Have a great week and safe travels! 🙂
The Jackery advertisement is misleading by saying it will “power your RV”. Here in central flyover country we’re needing AC almost every day. It will not power the AC for more than a few minutes. I have 400 AH lithium batteries and they won’t power it for more than a few minutes.