Issue 2411
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
“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Pralines Day!
On this day in history: 1949 – The first television Western, “Hopalong Cassidy,” starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC.
Tip of the day
Finally, new hose quick connectors stopped all the leaks
By Nanci Dixon
We love quick connector hose fittings. I use them everywhere we have a hose going anywhere… one on the water faucet pressure valve, one on the hose going to and from the water filters, another on the water softener, one on the flush hose and even on the water sprayer!
We travel a lot in the RV and if we have a park water hookup we will usually connect to water. Quick connectors make it so much quicker… except when they don’t. And when they don’t, they leak. Having RV’d for so many years, we seem to have acquired a collection. A collection of different brands, different sizes and different materials. Mixing and matching does not work on hose connectors!
Bonus tips from yesterday’s newsletter:
Genius golf ball trick solves low airflow issue in RV’s A/C
If you feel like your RV’s A/C is struggling with low airflow issues, listen up. Gail Marsh and her husband found a simple, genius way to fix their low airflow issues. An easy trick with practice golf balls (yes!) had their RV feeling as cool and enjoyable as ever. Read about their trick here—it could help you!
Stinky freshwater hose? Here’s the solution
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
We recently traveled out of the Arizona desert country looking for cool air. We found it in the Nevada high country. What a relief! A couple of hours after setting up camp, we thought we had a gray water problem. The sink drains smelled terrible! But some logic set us straight. P-traps would prevent gray tank odors from coming into the coach. The outside tap water smelled fine. It hit us—we had “RV stink hose”! That’s RV scientific shorthand for bad odors emanating from the freshwater hose. Learn how to fix it here.
Ask Dave
To upgrade inverter from 1000W to 2000W, what gauge cable do I need?
By Dave Solberg
Dear Dave,
We own a 2022 Winnebago Vista 29V. We are the original owners, purchased three years ago, and now have 39,000 miles and love this RV. Two years ago we changed to Battle Born lithium batteries, changed to the upgraded Progressive Dynamics converter/charger, added a DC/DC charger, and have 200 watts of solar. Everything works GREAT. But my question involves the inverter. …
Read the rest of Anthony’s question and Dave’s answer
RV review
Wildwood Heritage Glen 308RL – Fifth wheel feel in a travel trailer
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the 2024 Wildwood Heritage Glen 308RL. If you were to look at this floor plan and I told you that you were looking at a fifth wheel, it would be no surprise. But this is actually a travel trailer. A big one—but it’s still a travel trailer.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Kayak rack options for trucks and RVs
Hey, kayakers! I always get asked questions about transporting kayaks with an RV, which can be done using various rack systems designed to securely hold kayaks during travel. Here are a few of my favorites among the most popular RV and truck options.
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.
Video of the day
RV repair tech reveals the truth about RV plumbing codes
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, RV Tech Jacob Rigor of Rigor RV Repair talks about a little-discussed topic, RV plumbing codes. Jacob says RVers have been complaining about leaks in their RVs, even in brand-new RVs!
Be sure to watch the video as Jacob shows the differences and what to look for when it comes to “good” RV plumbing that is built to last, and “bad” RV plumbing that is going to result in leaks.
The latest news for RVers
- Winnebago’s latest financials mixed bag. Motorhome production way down
- If rain spoils your trip, you can get a campground refund
- RVing opportunity awaits: Travel USA in free RV with free camping, gas and food
- Largest campground in Rocky Mountain National Park closes
- Virus confirmed as cause of illness outbreak at Grand Canyon
To read more recent news, click here.
Featured article
40% of readers married their high school sweetheart. Does RVing keep couples together?
By Gail Marsh
Love is in the air. At least that’s how I felt after reading the results of a recent RVtravel.com poll along with the wonderful comments. Ah, the joy of love! Our poll asked, “Did you marry your high school sweetheart?” The results were both surprising and heartwarming.
Reader poll
Do you own your RV outright or make payments?
Quick tip
Shopping for an RV loan? Read this first
It is possible to get almost any kind of RV loan if you have good credit. You will pay more interest if your credit score isn’t 700 and above. There are lending institutions that won’t lend money on low-end RVs because of the rapid depreciation. The same thing applies to rigs older than 7 to 10 years. Tell the loan officer what type and age of an RV you’re considering before you fill out the application. Keep in mind that every application you submit may affect your credit score from 5 to 10 points.
Don’t bother with companies that will not loan on your chosen RV type. You can get several finance quotes, but do not pay an application fee. If they want money up front, walk away. All the reputable companies can complete your loan application within an hour or so. They may want to work out the terms later. Don’t fall into this trap! Get all the numbers and know exactly what you will pay up front in down payment and exactly what the monthly payment will be. Also insist on no prepayment penalties in case you decide to pay off the loan early or make larger payments. —From So, You Want To Be an RVer? And Enjoy the RV Lifestyle? [Revised].Available on Amazon.
Also read this important post from publisher Chuck Woodbury: What does financing an RV for 20 years really mean?
Website of the day
Travel Montana Now
There’s a whole lot more to Montana than Yellowstone! Check out this website for other things to do in beautiful Montana.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
You’ll never misplace your sunglasses again! And if you do, who cares?! Click here.
Recipe of the day
Caprese and Shrimp Cocktail Sandwich
by Hidemi Walsh from Plainfield, IN
Hidemi turned shrimp cocktail into one amazing sandwich! I was expecting the cocktail sauce to have a lot of heat, but it did not. There’s some spice, but it adds to the flavor of the sandwich. Avocado and fresh mozzarella added different textures. The basil/olive oil mixture adds the last pop of flavor. This is delicious!
Trivia
According to themanual.com, there are 1,161 known hot springs in the U.S. According to tophotsprings.com, Idaho has 130 hot springs, the most of any state.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Mitzi (Cockapoo) is two years old and loves to sit in the curbside window and watch all the action. She gets excited over squirrels, cats, and deer.” —Mel Jones
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
Wait… Does the RV industry do the same thing? So is that the problem?!
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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RVtravel.com All-Star Team
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
On your “laugh” picture, we had issues with heat in our house’s attic. When we replaced the shingles, they were going to add more vents – until they took off the old ones and discovered that those big vent covers were over 3” holes cut with a hole saw. Problem solved…
After 5 years in our new house, we contracted to have the insulation upgraded. The contractor discovered over half of the soffit vents were never cut; just the vent cover nailed in place!
And everybody knocks stuff made in China !
When shopping for an RV loan use a credit union. Shop the different credit unions and find one that has low interest for the length of time you want. Even though you may not be in their field of membership. Some credit unions have a deal with joining an organization allowing you to join the credit union. Stay away from the large bank that RV dealers use. If you have to call them about a problem. Their phone system is a nightmare and you have difficulty getting a human to talk to. Plus you get different stories.
We had a new roof installed and wanted the bathroom vent replaced with a new one. The hole was already in the roof. However the contractor(????) did not center the vent over the hole, so there was no way to attach the vent hose adapter to the vent. The hose was just laying on the attic floor. Told me the new vent was not compatible with the old hose and there was nothing he could do.
I ended up using an oscillating saw to cut the sheeting from the inside to allow the hose to connect. We withheld $500 from the bill.
Contractor didn’t disclose this issue before starting on the work? Can’t believe they would just leave the hose unattached; I’d inspect the roof if I were you.
Not that, the hole was already in the roof. Instead of putting the tailpiece on the new vent before installing it, they just guessed that it was in the right place, off by about an inch and just left it that way.
There were other mistakes made also. My deck roof leaked 2 years later. They drove nail heads through the ice and water shield. I lifted the first course of shingles and showed them. Plus didn’t overlap the shingles properly and water ran under them. They again said they did nothing wrong if it took 2 years to start leaking.
I had another reputable company replace the deck roof. They discovered the mistakes.
Needless to say, the original roofer got many bad reviews.
I came home from a long RVing trip and was barbequing on the deck. I looked up at the roof to see 5 metal spikes sticking out. It looked like Sputnik had landed. Took a few seconds to realize that they were the supports for the plastic dome of the roof ventilation fan. A 14″ hole in the roof was now exposed to the elements. The cap must have blown off very recently because fortunately there was no water ingress into the attic. One more reason I decided to sell my house and go full time.
Worked on a house this spring where the roofer had just cut off all the vents in the attic instead of putting them through the roof—-including furnace, water heater and sewer vents. Good grief.
Many years ago we lived in an old fixer house. My young son loved light switches and would constantly turn them on and off including an orphan switch in kitchen that seemingly had no purpose. Then we noticed a noise every time he hit that switch. After some investigating and an attic visit we discovered the PO had installed a new ceiling and covered up stove fan in process, never bothering to cut an opening for it!
For some reason the email for the newsletter didn’t come through today. Just went to the website.
Sorry, Phil. I just checked the records and it shows it was sent to you at 02:01:13. It also shows that yesterday’s email was sent to you at 02:30:10, but that one doesn’t show you clicked on it either. Did you check your Spam folder? Or did you change any settings on your device over the weekend? Or maybe it’s just those danged gremlins again.😉 It doesn’t appear to be on our end, so I’m not sure what to tell you. If you continue to not receive our email alerts, let us know and I’ll see what our IT dude, Kim, suggests. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Several years ago, we had a contractor build several homes in a new development in a small town… they were designed to sell at $39,900. (This was several years ago!) A couple years later the ceiling collapsed in two of them, during the winter! Seems the bathroom and kitchen vents were never cut in or attached to the roof vents, simply left to exhaust into the attic space! A ton of ice is a bit more than the rafters were designed to hold. We get what we pay for! The moral is – not only Rv mfgr’s try to meet a price point…. buyer beware.
Thank you, Emily, Diane, and Kim! 🙂 Mitzi is such a cute dog! Hmm, … I wonder if any RV manufacturers would do that? I hope not. Twenty-four pairs of sunglasses for ~$0.50/each?!?!? Yes, that is an attractive offer. Meanwhile, thanks again, have a wonderful week, and SAFE travels! 🙂