Issue 2444
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Today’s thought
“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.” ―Jim Morrison
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is Global Sleep Under The Stars Night! (Still own a tent?)
On this day in history: 1908 – Wilbur Wright makes his first flight at a racecourse at Le Mans, France. It is the Wright Brothers’ first public flight.
Tip of the day
My new high-quality water flow meter; perfect for flushing holding tanks
By Nanci Dixon
I’ll admit it, I am rather compulsive about dumping and flushing the black and gray water holding tanks and I have gone through a number of water flow meters. A water flow meter measures how many gallons of water are going from a faucet to a water hose.
Inevitably, in time they leak, so I am back on Amazon looking for a different brand. I have learned to avoid buying the 2-pack at a lower price, as I have found out two last about as long as one. Alas, they have tended to last less than a year… if that.
A professional tank cleaner originally showed me a water flow meter and showed me how to use it when we had both our black and gray tanks cleaned. I immediately found it on Amazon.
Ask Dave
Is UV protection required on all RV roof materials?
Dear Dave,
Are you aware if Crossflex membrane requires application of UV protectant solution? There is no info in Dicor’s specs about that. In fact, the specs only contain cleaning info! I’ve found on the web that Camco recommends against using UV protectant for TPO membrane but I’ve found nothing about Crossflex. Many thanks. —Mark, 2023 Coachmen Cross Trail 23XG
RV walk-through
Forest River Salem 29VIEW trailer features hidden room
By Cheri Sicard
The team from Big Truck Big RV, one of our reader’s favorite RV YouTube channels, gives us a tour of a travel trailer with a most unique floor plan, the Salem 29VIEW.
This is a large trailer so you should plan to tow it, at minimum, with a 3/4-ton truck.
This trailer holds a secret that I have never seen in any other RV…
Click here to read more and tour
Video of the day
The 10 best ground beef recipes under $10
By Cheri Sicard
From my time moderating RVtravel.com’s Cooking in an RV Facebook group, I know that ground beef recipes are popular with our members, especially on travel days. In the video below from See Mindy Mom [195K subscribers, 20M+ views], our hostess, Mindy, shares 10 easy and thrifty, family-friendly ground beef recipes that won’t set you back more than $10.
Featured article
Never lose your cell phone again with these proven methods
Have you ever lost your cell phone? Maybe you left it outside somewhere, back at a restaurant, or maybe you made your bed with your phone under the sheets! Wherever you lost it, never let it happen again. Gail Marsh did the research and shares with you how to never lose your cell phone again.
Reader poll
Will your next RV likely have more or fewer slideouts than your present one?
Quick tip
Replace your kitchen/bathroom RV faucets for less
You don’t need to go to an RV dealer for a limited selection at a high price when you need a new faucet. Any faucet that fits the sink pattern (number of openings through the counter and the distance between them) will work in your RV. Yes, there are a variety of different connectors, but you’ll find an appropriate adapter, if needed. Here’s the ticket: Take the old faucet loose and take it down to the Big Box hardware store and shop for what you really want. Size it up for both counter fit, and water connections.
On this day last year…
- Ask Dave: Can lithium batteries start my RV’s onboard generator?
- Video: 6 important things to know about RV water hookups
- Featured article: Gorgeous 1962 Streamline Countess trailer has vintage style but modern amenities
Website of the day
OpenTable
OpenTable is the largest restaurant reservation website in the country, so there’s a good chance you already know about it. But here’s a trick you might not know: At the top, enter your desired dining date and time, how many people are in your party, and location, and every restaurant in your area with an available reservation will pop up. Now that’s helpful!
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
You know how you have that one kitchen drawer filled with… Well, we can’t tell you or we’d give it away. But this will make that drawer look MUCH nicer. We promise.
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:
• 3 percent of people never send text messages.
• 76 percent own an RV that is 30 feet or longer.
• Only 28 percent say they bought an RV to “be with nature.” The other 72 percent say that wasn’t part of why they wanted to RV.
Recent poll: If you didn’t RV, which of these would be your preferred method of travel?
Recipe of the day
Best Ever Banana Pudding
by Krys Furniss from Chillicothe, OH
This is definitely not your more traditional Southern banana pudding (with meringue), but it’s just as good. It has all the flavors – banana, creamy custard, and vanilla wafers. But, in this version, cream cheese is whipped into the pudding and whipped cream. It changes the filling texture slightly and adds a hint of tang that offsets all the sweetness. Thick, creamy, and full of banana flavor, this banana pudding is very easy to make and quite delicious.
Trivia
If you’ve ever flown on an airplane, you probably know that there’s a small square or rectangle piece of cloth on the headrest right where your head, well, rests. Do you know what it’s called? During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, it was popular for men to groom their hair with oil, typically palm or coconut oil. The oil blends were known as “macassar oil” due to the widespread belief that the ingredients were purchased from the port of Makassar in Indonesia. The oil was so thick on men’s hair that it would bleed off and onto the upholstery of chairs, which led to the housewives covering the arms and backs of the chairs with a washable cloth. From that day forward, those little cloths, still to this day on the back of airplane seats, are known as antimacassar cloths.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Jasper (Newfoundland/Poodle mix) has spent thousands of miles riding, camping, and making friends. The ‘Big Lug’ brings smiles when he strolls around a campground or a grassy area when my husband is topping off the diesel tank.” —Kathryn Campbell
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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RVtravel.com All-Star Team
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New faucets are easy. Amazon has a great selection. I installed a bar design faucet in the bathroom. Now, you can actually put your hands under the faucet and use it.
Be sure to use Teflon tape on the joints and test for leaks before you leave home.
We did the same thing. The original faucet wouldn’t even allow our hands to fit underneath for washing. What were they thinking?
“What were they thinking?” Do you realize you just asked that of RV manufacturers?
Tommy, they make what I believe is called a basin wrench(?) for those hard to get to connections under the sink. I have one and it works great in those hard to reach places.
Tommy, never mind. I misread your comment
Jasper looks like a big love ❤️
Great looking pet of the day. Jasper makes me smile.
Heading for Canada today and looking forward to some cooler weather. Total trip should come in under 5k miles with 1 week at sister in laws ranch 8 miles west of Spruce Meadows (Calgary area) on 22X. Then TransCanada thru Banff, Lake Louise, Revelstoke, Kamloops and into Washington for a week with daughter and family. Our return trip route is a curiosity still due to the fire season so the coast of Oregon seems likely but we will see.
Safe travels, Cancelproof! 🙂 We are beginning to plan a trip to Alaska for next summer. If you don’t mind, I may run a few roads, towns, and campgrounds by you IF/WHEN the planning gets far more serious.
I wish you enjoyment and safe travels.
Rick
Have a wonderful, hassle-free and smoke-free trip, Cancel.🤞 –Diane
Cancel, we just crossed over from the eastern Sierras to the Shasta area. Heavy smoke from Susanville to nearly the Shasta area from the Park fires with road closures in some areas. We’ll be in Oregon tomorrow, and for the next couple of weeks.
Not sure where to head from there, like you, depending on the wildfires across the area
Thanks Bill. I appreciate the real world view you provide. We’ll be in Idaho tomorrow and expecting some smoke. Probably 2 weeks out on the southern trek into Washington so any data you have is appreciated. Was hoping for Seattle to Pendleton then Boise but I’m guessing that could be tricky.
Thanks again.
I’ll try and keep you updated on what I find in the near future. We also may be doing the opposite travels. And who knows, we may even cross paths some day.
Hi, Bill and Cancel. Do you guys want each other’s email addresses? Just let me know and I’ll pass them along via email (i.e., not public). Have a good night. 😀 –Diane
Thx. D. 🤸♂️🤸♀️
Once I hear from Bill, I’ll send you both an email.👍 Take care. 😀 –Diane
Go ahead and send Bill mine, that way he feels no pressure to reply either way. Probably better.
I’m all for it, thanks Diane, and you too Cancel!
Done, finally. (It’s been a busy morning.) And you’re both very welcome.👍 😀 –Diane
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂 We had a kitchen-faucet-replacement problem with RV #1. Our manufacturer gave us a credit of a fixed amount and sent us to Menards in Elkhart. The part of our search that proved the hardest dimension to “match” was the height of the faucet. The distance between the countertop and the bottom of the cabinets above the sink eliminated many otherwise good choices. Jasper is a grest-looking dog, Kathryn! 🙂 The laugh was great! Who knew that changing ones diet both reduced weight and waistline, but also could “eat” ink?!? Thanks again, have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Jasper is a great looking dog. I guess he’s a Newdle? 😉 Beautiful combination of breeds. 👍
I’ve seen what comes out of my daughter’s Great Dane. Do you just take a kitchen sized garbage bag with while waiting for your husband to top off the tank? 💩😃