Issue 2434
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Today’s thought
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ―Eleanor Roosevelt
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Wine And Cheese Day!
On this day in history: 1897 – American author Jack London embarks on a sailing trip to take part in the Klondike Gold Rush, from which he wrote his first successful stories.
Tip of the day
Steep grade—Getting your rig safely to the bottom
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Getting your RV down a steep grade safely is an art that we all need to perfect. If you’ve hit the bottom of a long, steep grade and seen an RV beside the road, smoke pouring out from the wheels, you may have muttered something about the “Grace of God.” So, just how do you make the grade on the downhill side?
First, remember the old trucker’s maxim: You can go down the hill too slow many times. You can go down the hill too fast only once. Why is it so?
Ask Dave
RV city water fill valve needs replacing. Are they generic?
Dear Dave,
My city water connection went south on me and I was wondering if having to replace the connection was standard on all RVs or not. I am having to replace the whole connection from hose connection, back flow and to the connection that goes to the rig—the entire plate. —David, 1999 Fleetwood Bounder 39Z
RV walk-through
2024 Riverside RV Intrepid 211i travel trailer—a perfect “starter” camper
By Cheri Sicard
We join Clint Sandberg from Princess Craft in the video below for a tour of a nice travel trailer perfect for couples, the Intrepid 211i by Riverside RV.
This is a simple, basic, no slides, travel trailer that could make a good introduction to RV life. It’s a good size for a couple or a small family.
Video of the day
How to get the best deal on an RV—5 tips
By Cheri Sicard
Certified RV tech Jacob Rigor of Rigor RV Repair recently bought an RV for less than he could resell it for. That got him thinking about how to get the best deal on an RV. He came up with five tips that he shares in the video below.
Featured article
RVers, if you see purple paint on trees, stay away
By Gail Marsh
As we travel across the United States, I enjoy learning about local traditions, laws, and folklore. My husband and I were married and lived in Iowa for many years. … Iowa is certainly flat, at least in the areas where we lived. I was used to the flat, treeless plain. Then we moved to Missouri. The first thing I learned about Missouri is that the roads are not laid out in square mile sections like Iowa’s roads. The second thing I learned? Missouri has a lot of trees! And many of these trees sport a distinctive swipe of purple paint on their trunks. What’s that?!
Angry Mama steam cleans your microwave in minutes!
Just add vinegar and water to the Angry Mama microwave steam cleaner and watch her make your microwave appear brand-new! Simply place her in the microwave for a few minutes and then easily wipe away all the gunk—no elbow grease required, it comes right off! She might be angry, but she gets the job done! Learn more or order for a great price.
Reader poll
How capable are you or your partner in making repairs to your RV?
Quick tip
Why financing an RV for 20 years is a bad idea
Financing an RV for 20 years might seem appealing due to lower monthly payments, but it’s a risky financial move. RVs depreciate quickly, often losing value faster than you can pay off the loan. Over two decades, you’ll end up paying significantly more in interest, often doubling the cost of the vehicle. Additionally, long-term loans can trap you in an outdated vehicle with frequent and often high maintenance costs. Instead, consider shorter-term financing or saving up for a larger down payment to minimize financial strain and ensure you can sell the RV for more than what you still owe on the loan.
On this day last year…
- Tip: Smart ways you can beat the heat while RVing
- Ask Dave: Why do my RV’s lights only work for a few minutes when unplugged or with generator off?
- RV walk-through: Tour the 2023 KZ Durango Sportsmen 231RK small fifth wheel
- Video: Easy and inexpensive RV tank sensors upgrade
- Featured article: How to avoid scams when buying an RV online
Website of the day
38 Popsicle Recipes to Help You Keep Cool This Summer
You’re never too old for a popsicle! Trust us, once you have homemade popsicles in your freezer, you’ll never want to be without them! And, they’re healthy! (Hey, speaking of popsicles, here’s the interesting story about how they were invented!)
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Ever wonder how you can gain access to a nude beach without actually being nude? Welp, this will surely do the trick! [Unless you’re female. Just sayin’.]
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:
• 55 percent are a member of AARP.
• 28 percent say they do not wear sunscreen when outside in the sun.
• 8 percent say they’ve traveled 200,000 miles or more with their RV in their adult life.
Recent poll: Have you ever been evacuated from a campground?
Recipe of the day
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
by Sharon Colyer from Louisville, KY
These are flavorful chicken enchiladas with an easy-to-make homemade creamy sauce. The enchilada sauce is chunky and flavorful. Tortillas are dipped in the sauce, filled with a chicken mixture, and rolled. By doing it this way, after it’s baked, the filling is super tender. A hearty dinner that will be a crowd-pleaser. They heat up wonderfully the next day as well.
Trivia
Which mammal sleeps the least each day? If you were going to guess horses, you’d be right. Horses only sleep for about 2–2.5 hours each day, and that only happens in about 15-minute intervals. Horses can also sleep both standing up and laying down, but they only need to lay down (a requirement to reach REM sleep) for about an hour or two every few days to meet the minimum REM sleep they require. Interesting, huh?
Readers’ pet of the day
“Bayleigh (Morkie). Cutest co-pilot ever.” —Gary Lowe
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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Financing an RV for 20 years is frightening. Almost as bad as 20 or 30 years on a boat. People do it every day.
We had financed our last, and I mean last RV for 15 years. For 7 years we have paid additional principal each month to make it a 10 year or less note. The original bank sold the loan to a finance co. and now they won’t take the additional principal and apply it to the balance. I am now down to my last phone call before I file a complaint with our State Banking Dept. A contract with an early payoff clause with no penalty is still a contract no matter how many times it is resold. Lying, thieving RV finance industry.
Go after them, Jesse! If your contract has a no-penalty early payoff clause, which EVERY financing contract ANYONE ever signs should have for their protection, then you are clearly in the right. They are just hoping you give up and go away.
Contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They are a federal agency to assist in filing legitimate complaints against financial businesses bad ethics!
Yea, people do it everyday. These people usually don’t have much to loose due to poor decision making, so why not go further down the rabbit hole. These people are why predatory lending practices exist. PT Barnum was right.
Not everyone who chooses to finance their recreation vehicle (RV, ATV, or boat) have to due to poor decision making. Maybe another way to look at it is they do so because they can afford to because of their excellent decision making and working hard for what they have? Just our thoughts!
Animals on dash is illegal in my state-Pa., and fineable and not safe for your pet. Crated or harnessed for their safety.
Not sure why this publication even posts pictures of animals riding on the dash or in any unsafe/unlawful manner. Supporting bad behavior?
Bayleigh is a cute dog, but should not be on the dashboard while traveling. There are too many situations where a sudden maneuver or braking will cause a catastrophic outcome.
Would you put your child in that kind of danger?
Same for driving with your dog’s head out the windows. Would you let your child stick their head out the windows! How about if one of those bugs or rocks that hit your windshield hit your dog’s eye!
I guess I had bad parents for letting me stick my head out the window and drinking out of a garden hose.
This pet of the day photo should never have been published for obvious reasons.
Do you people really think that Gary or anyone else is going to listen to your condescending nagging? Mind your own business. Unless you live EVERY aspect of your life perfectly, then zip it!
When someone with a “dog blindspot” on the dash hits me or my family it very quickly becomes my business, so I’m glad that concerned people bring up this issue. Will people that do this see the error of their ways? Probably not most, but if just a few think about it and stop, then it’s worth it.
None of us live EVERY aspect of life perfectly, but if open minded, we can take a little criticism and be open to change.
Well said Mikal !
Never take a loan out on anything..especially an RV…work and save your money so you have “sass” money to really negotiate with…if you have to ask how much…you probably can’t afford it.
I was always told to never finance anything that goes down in value.
One should weigh all options before making a large purchase. While we had the ability to pay cash for our RV it was advantageous to take a loan at 2.5% while making 5%+ on our investments.
There is no financial decision that is correct for everyone.
Agreed! Depleting a large amount of cash now can lead to potential problems down the road, should you need cash on hand later, then you may have to take out a more expensive loan.
While not in today’s edition, my heart goes out to our northern neighbors for the slow destruction of the town of Jasper AB, Canada from this years seemingly unending wildfires 🔥
Thank you for the news, Bill! I did not know. 🤔😯🙁
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂 Bayleigh certainly is cute. How does Gary know if he is making a wrong turn? 🤔 The mystery product just did not sell itself. 😯 The laugh of the day presents a real-life situation. 🤔😯. Thanks again, have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Over the years you have addressed long term financing as bad, mainly because of the interest charges. This is misleading. Yes, long term financing results in lower monthly payments and if one simply pays the lower payments the amount of interest adds up. BUT THERE IS NOTHING THAT KEEPS ANYONE FROM PAYING MORE THAN THE MINIUM PAYMENT EACH MONTH. EACH EXTRA AMOUNT, ABOVE THE REGULAR PAYMENT, IS APPLIED DIRECTLY TO PRINCIPAL AND THUS REDUCES THE INTEREST/COST OVERALL AND SHORTENS THE TERM OF THE LOAN. The loan term is inconsequential although the lower regular payment can be helpful in months when money is tight. Best advice: shop for the lowest interest rate and pay extra each month.
Any extra amount paid is only applied to the principal if you tell the finance company that this is your intension. Many people think this is automatic, but most finance companies apply the extra towards the next months payment.
Sometimes the longer the term, the higher the interest rate. So you will pay more in interest every month for the rare need of a lower monthly payment when times are tough. I agree with the article. The depreciation is such that down the road you will have an RV that is worth less than what you owe, and you’ll be spending money on repairs due to age on top of that.
I don’t know what I enjoyed more the cute miniature dog on the dashboard, or the terrible creature and trying to kill it with all the different devices, that was a hair clip!🤣
My father taught me years ago, and I passed it on to my daughter, “Always pay cash for your toys!” Especially something that’s only worth 70% of what you paid for it two weeks earlier.
No one would want to see me in the Mystery Product for the Day, on any beach!!