Issue 2456
Today’s thought
“Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Dog Day!
On this day in history: 1791 – John Fitch is granted a United States patent for the steamboat.
Tip of the day
Did you know that wheel chocks expire? They do!
By Gail Marsh
Wait! What?! Wheel chocks expire? That’s news to me, and I’m not an RV newbie. We’ve been enjoying the RV life for several years! How do you know if the chocks that currently help hold your rig in place are degraded or (gasp!) already expired?
We’ve had these yellow wedge-shaped wheel chocks since our very first RV. They’ve often held our truck in place on our sloped driveway and helped keep our RV securely in place at campgrounds all across the country.
Even though I’d handled our wheel chocks countless times, I’d never closely looked at them. But now? Now my curiosity was piqued. Continue reading.
Bonus tips from this weekend:
How to choose the right RV storage facility
By Gail Marsh
Soon we may need to choose a new place to store our RV. The company that currently provides space for our rig has just announced that it’s raising monthly fees. I suppose it’s because demand is up. Way up! … So, we have 30 days to choose an RV storage facility. Here are things to consider when looking for RV storage.
Safe towing speed—How fast is too fast for towing?
By Cheri Sicard
What is a safe towing speed? How fast is too fast to tow? The team at Keep Your Daydream wanted to cover this topic for a long time. That’s because they say they frequently get passed by all sorts of RVs, from massive Class A’s to SUVs towing single-axle trailers. That led them to the question, “Is there a right speed to tow?” Read and watch what they learned from three RVing experts.
How many batteries equal a propane tank of energy?
By Mike Sokol
Dear Mike,
I’m curious just how much battery power is needed to equal a 20-lb. tank of propane? For example, my 3-way fridge can run for a few weeks on propane mode, but when I try to power it from my batteries and inverter, it won’t even last a day before the battery is dead. Can you explain why this happens? —JP Read Mike’s answer.
RV review
2025 Ember RV Touring Edition 28MSL—problem solver
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the Ember RV Touring Edition 28MSL. This is another new floor plan from Ember in their Touring Edition line. I got a really good explanation of the various offerings from Ember RV from David Blea, Regional Sales Manager at Ember.
Going away with just your buddies? No problem. Going away with children or grandchildren? No problem. Want to have an office on the road? How about two offices? I’m a big fan of multitasking tools and this is one of the better examples of that in the RV space.
Ask Dave
How to get rid of mold in and around RV toilet
By Dave Solberg
Dear Dave,
Our RV toilet has been getting a black substance below the water line. When we flush, the water has a black tint to it. Then, within a few hours, the mold-like substance seems to grow on the surface of the flush ball and the china bowl below the water line. It brushes off easily but comes right back. It’s only happening in the toilet, not in any of the sinks or shower. Has anyone else ever heard of such a thing, and how did they get rid of it? —Roger, 2006 Montana 2955RL Read Dave’s answer.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Battery fire serves as maintenance reminder
By Dustin Simpson
Properly maintained deep-cycle batteries should last for six years or more. Unfortunately, some RV owners replace RV batteries every year or two. Extending battery life is not difficult—it just requires some basic care and maintenance. Read this and stay safe!
Video of the day
Super-stealth camper looks like yard waste—See it to believe it!
By Cheri Sicard
Where there’s a will, there’s a way! In the video below, Steve Wallis [1.56M subscribers, 265M views], whose motto is “always be camping,” shares his disguised camper that must be the most stealth way to camp ever. Who would ever guess that this junker truck, filled with tarp-covered yard waste, holds a secret inside—a comfortable camper?
The latest news for RVers
- Is this the highest-priced gas station in the Lower 48?
- Starlink lower-cost family plan rolls out for some
- New cell booster promises signals 3x farther
- No Ford e-SUVs; company “pivots” to hybrids
- Disney World backpedals on potential wrongful death lawsuit
To read more recent news, click here.
Featured article
The one thing you absolutely MUST pack when RVing
By Gail Marsh
A credit card’s famous tagline used to be, “Don’t leave home without it.” These same words might well be used when it comes to RVing. No matter where you plan to go, no matter what you plan to do, no matter who is traveling with you, there is one thing that every RVer absolutely must pack for every, single trip: … Find out what it is here.
Stop RV Repair Bills from Ruining Your 2026 Travels
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Reader poll
How likely are you to buy an electric bicycle (e-bike) in the next couple of years?
Quick tip
Bug off—without poisons!
“Diatomaceous earth is a good deterrent for creepy crawlers, and is completely harmless to the environment and pets. Personally, I hate using poisons or chemicals, and found this to work well when we were overrun with ants at a campground. I just sprinkled it liberally around every spot that allowed insects access to the RV (electrical cables, hoses, jacks, etc.) as well as inside where I could see the ants entering. I didn’t need to worry about the cats coming into contact with it. You can get it in the garden department at home improvement stores.” Thanks to Sally G.
Website of the day
Camp In South Dakota
Whether you’re in South Dakota to admire the beautiful Badlands, watch some adorable prairie dogs, or experience the giant jackalope at Wall Drug, this website will help you find the best place to camp.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Did you know you can order a watchdog online? You can! Well, it’s more of a dogwatch… but it still does the trick!
Recipe of the day
Easy Stroganoff
by Natasha Latham from Garland, TX
Add this to your easy weeknight dinner recipe list! Making stroganoff from scratch can take time, but we were super impressed by how easy and delicious this version is. The sauce is creamy, tangy, and savory. It’s filled with bites of juicy steak and tender mushrooms. Poured over a bed of hot egg noodles, your family will love this simple dinner. Here’s the recipe.
Trivia
Back in 1985, Coca-Cola decided to rebrand and introduce a new formula. Coke drinkers were not happy and wanted the old formula back. Coke’s corporate hotline received about 1,500 angry calls a day from consumers requesting they switch back to the old formula. A short three months later, the old formula was reintroduced and it was such a big deal (Breaking news!) that ABC interrupted their showing of “General Hospital” to announce the news to the world.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Sadly, we lost our gray cat Cowboy, who loved the full-time RV life. We wanted another gray cat and found one at a rescue in Florida. Wyatt has been a joy in our lives and has helped us heal over the loss of our Cowboy. Just like Cowboy, Wyatt loves to go on walks in his harness and leash. I taught Wyatt how to fetch, sit, and jump into my arms. There is nothing like having the love and companionship of an animal!” —Angela Klinger
Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. No blurry photos and 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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We have had our e-bikes for 3 years and love them. We live in Florida now and rarely use power when riding in this flat terrain. But if we face strong headwinds, a surprisingly steep climb or just a worn out old rider, it’s so nice to click on some pedal assist for a bit.
Fire ants are a problem in Texas. Before we put our RV patio rug down for the season over the crushed rock, I sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth over the area. When packing up rugs, the area under those treated with DE is clear of ants. Inevitably I will find fairly substantial ant colonies under those without the DE. The food grade version is used in feed grain and won’t irritate sensitive skin like the less refined non-food grade. DE also is impervious to water. It may wash down into the soil, but isn’t washed away by rain. Also, many rodents prefer to not cross a DE treated area. It won’t necessarily eliminate them, but I’ve watched squirrels go around the RV rather than under.
Wyatt, the adventure cat!
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂 Very sorry that you lost Cowboy, Angela. 🙁 Very happy that Wyatt has fit in so well! Enjoy! Thanks again, have a great week, safe travels, safe stays! 🙂