Issue 2431
Welcome to RV Travel’s Daily Tips Newsletter, where you’ll find helpful RV-related tips from the pros, travel advice, RV reviews, RV videos, and more. Please consider subscribing for any amount you choose, one time or ongoing, to help us be better tomorrow than we are today.
Today’s thought
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Hammock Day!
On this day in history: 1893 – Katharine Lee Bates writes “America the Beautiful” after admiring the view from the top of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Tip of the day
22 tips and gadgets to make the most of a small RV kitchen
By Gail Marsh
One of the very first things I noticed in our “beginner camper” was the kitchen space—or, should I say, lack of kitchen space? It was tiny. I’m certainly not a gourmet cook or an award-winning baker (just ask my family). But still, I wondered, “How does one cook in an RV kitchen?”
While I stood stalled in the kitchen, everyone else in the family continued their maiden camper tour. They “oohed” and “aahed” at everything in the new-to-us RV. I stood open-mouthed—at a loss about how I could make the Barbie-sized kitchen work for our family.
Yes, while the rest of my family marveled at how the camper toilet flushed by stepping on a pedal, I was panicking! We could eat hot dogs and burgers cooked over the outside fire, but what happens when it rains? I had to learn (and quickly) how to store, prepare, cook, and serve food in my minuscule camper kitchen.
Ask Dave
Update on RV slide room refrigerator vent – Teaching an old dog new tricks!
By Dave Solberg
This is a follow-up to the Norcold 1200 refrigerator question that had the upper vent covered with a baffle. Here is the original post. From all the training and research I have done with absorption refrigerators, everything and everyone told me to leave as much of the vent opening as unobstructed as possible. Until now! After posting that I felt the baffle should not be there, Rob sent this follow-up.
RV review
Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup Wolf Den 17EV—budget-focused, all-electric
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup Wolf Den 17EV travel trailer. First—what is this thing?
What you have here is the most budget-focused of Forest River’s Cherokee line of travel trailers. But this trailer is what happens when you’re already building trailers that are intended to be affordable and then work to elevate that idea to the next level.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Catastrophic damage to a Grand Design, Part 2
By Dustin Simpson
In Part 2 of our RV back wall disaster series (read/watch Part 1 here), my wife, Ashley, and I dive deeper into the structural damage plaguing this 2022 Grand Design Reflection 31MB. The issues are more extensive than initially thought, affecting both the interior and exterior of the unit.
Video of the day
The do’s and don’ts of RVing with guns
By Cheri Sicard
We know many of our readers RV with guns. In the video below, MJ and Izzy of Endless RVing (one of the winners of our 2024 video awards) tackle the topic of RVing with guns. The pair say a lot of RVers make some fundamental mistakes, and they created this video to help keep everyone safe when RVing with guns. Some of the mistakes could seriously injure yourself or others, or worse. So if you carry a gun in your RV, check these out!
The latest news for RVers
- Harvest Hosts buys Escapees RV Club
- RVers cheating with reservations, says campground industry
- Abandoned campfires surge nationwide; park officials release scary statistics
- RVers: Ignore this Wyoming road sign, you could spend a month in jail
- Summer gas prices drop
To read more recent news, click here.
Featured article
Deadly “RV hot-skin condition” can spread to multiple RVs
Simply touching an RV under certain “hot skin” conditions can shock you, even kill you (learn how such a condition killed a 4-year old boy). But did you know that a dangerous hot skin condition can spread to neighboring RVs? Mike Sokol explains in this article.
Reader poll
Do you post a personalized family sign outside your RV?
Quick tip
Have these in your roadside emergency kit
Pat suggests a couple of items that you may not have thought to put in your “roadside emergency kit.” “I would suggest adding road cones [orange safety cones] and blinking lights to the emergency kit. We found some that collapse at Harbor freight. We also got reflective vests for the kit, too. Found a red tote bag at a thrift store with plenty of space to store it all.” Thanks, Pat, for helping us stay safe out there.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
This just might be the craziest one of these we’ve ever seen, and we think you’ll agree! How fancy is this? How delicious is this? We want to try it!
Website of the day
Eight Spots in the United States Where You Can See Petroglyphs
It’s amazing to look at things such as petroglyphs and try to even begin to grasp the history behind them. This article from the Smithsonian shows you eight spots around the country to view them.
Recipe of the day
Crunchy Smoky Pork Chops
by Lillian Russo from Long Island, NY
These are some perfectly moist breaded pork chops. The Panko crumbs and mustard mixture are a real winning combo. Once baked, the Panko crust is crispy and inside the pork chops are super tender. Blue Ribbon, indeed.
Trivia
The last surviving member of any species is known as an endling. In the April 4, 1996, issue of Nature magazine, commentators proposed the new word and it stuck ever since.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Bella, our Yellow Lab, is our third rescue (or did they rescue us) dog and loves to go places. Bella barks ‘hello’ to everyone she sees.” —Dean Heinemann
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
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.
If you shop at Amazon.com we’d appreciate you using this link. We get an itty bitty commission if you buy something, but they add up and help us pay our bills (most importantly our hard-working writers!).
RVtravel.com All-Star Team
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
Great video on firearms during RVing / thanks for educating us on these videos.
I absolutely loved the “Leave here with a Laugh.” Very creative and just so cute.
Thank you, Emily, Diane, and Kim! 🙂 Bella looks like a great companion, but also a bit tired in the picture. I am sure that if she was, it was nothing that several sips of water and a nap.could not fix. Today’s laugh was funny even though I only smiledcwhen I saw it. Thanks again, have a great week, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Regarding petroglyphs, the Virgin Islands is not in the United States. Not one Western State was mentioned. There are more places than I can mention to see petroglyphs out West.
Did you read the article? The second sentence mentions Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, NM, and Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah, both western states, and how about the picture of Spanish Ship; East County, San Diego, CA.
The article goes on to say: “And while we may naturally think of petroglyphs and pictographs being out west, in reality, they are found in more than half of our country’s states and territories—meaning you don’t have to travel far at all to get a glimpse of native history.”
And while not located in the lower 48 states, the US Virgin Islands are indeed a territory of the United States.
Today’s thought“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ―Confucius
I guess Confucius did not run an RV Park.
AND how did Katharine Bates get to the top of Pikes Peak in 1893? My 1968 VW Van hardly made it up there.