Issue 2473
Today’s thought
“When I was about eight, I decided that the most wonderful thing, next to a human being, was a book.” ―Margaret Walker
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Cheeseburger Day! It’s also the Air Force’s Birthday!
On this day in history: 1793 – The first cornerstone of the United States Capitol is laid by George Washington.
Tip of the day
Do-it-yourself inverter repair – Important to know
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
If you’re away from shore power, having a power inverter goes a long way to making life better. But if your inverter takes a vacation while you’re on vacation, life can get tough. Can you do your own inverter repair? In some cases, the diagnosis and treatment is easy for the competent do-it-yourselfer.
We had a recent inverter upset while dry camping in a small town park in Nevada. We’d been in some extremely hot weather, and our air conditioner decided to act up. When we gained elevation – and shed temperature – we were overjoyed. But when we plugged our shore power cable into our inverter, a weird chain of circumstances ensured we’d be enjoying a session of inverter repair. Continue reading.
RV review
Tony Barthel reviews the Salem 210RTK trailer
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the 2025 Salem FSX 210RTK and 210RTKX toy hauler but this is as much a travel trailer as a toy hauler. Depending on the size, many of these can bias more to travel trailer or to toy hauler—this is sort of right in the middle. Continue reading.
Ask Dave
Do’s and don’ts when replacing RV batteries
By Dave Solberg
Dear Dave,
We’re beginning our 5th year full-timing in our Vilano. I suspect we may soon need to replace our two 12-volt batteries. I would like to know what to look for in choosing replacement batteries. I’d also like to know the correct procedure to remove the old batteries and install the new ones, including the do’s and don’ts and things to watch out for. Thanks. —Bob, 2018 Vanleigh Vilano 325RL Read Dave’s reply.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Grand Design urges RVers to avoid RV repair shop!
By Dustin Simpson
I hope you’re all doing well. As many of you know, Chris from the YouTube channel “Why Wait” and Pete West from “Wests On The Move” have become prominent voices in our RV community. Recently, they engaged in a thought-provoking discussion that delves into the experiences of Grand Design RV owners and their views on my shop, California RV Specialists. Continue reading and see why Grand Design doesn’t want their RV owners visiting me.
Video of the day
The 10 best theme parks in America
By Cheri Sicard
Nothing delights the young and the young at heart as much as a day spent riding the rides at a theme park. No matter where your RV travels take you, you’re bound to find a good theme park or two. The team from Theme Park Recommendations has compiled their picks of the ten best theme parks in America to help your travel planning even more. Put a pin in the map in case you get close to any of these!
Featured article
California Gold Country wines and wine tasting with Harvest Hosts
By Cheri Sicard
I have done a lot of California wine tasting through the years. Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Temecula, Paso Robles, and more. But I never realized how much great Gold Country wines and wine tasting opportunities there were until this year’s travels took me up California’s Highway 99. I planned to spend a month or so in the Auburn area, but to get there I used Harvest Hosts to wine-taste my way up California’s interior. And what a great time it was. You’ll enjoy reading this, even if you’re not a wine lover.
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Reader poll
How often do you eat at a fast-food restaurant?
Helpful resources
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION
• ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NATION
• WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
• LATEST RV RECALLS
• DIRECTORY OF RV PARKS WITH STORM SHELTERS
• THE BEST RV TRIP PLANNER APPS AND TOOLS
• CURRENT WILDFIRE REPORT
• CURRENT SMOKE REPORT
Did you buy a lemon RV? Here’s more about RV lemons and lawyers who will represent you if you need help.
Quick tip
Driving in dust or smoke? Here’s help
If you must drive in dusty conditions (gravel road, dust storm, etc.), fire up your generator and run ALL of your roof air conditioners while driving over any dusty roads. Doing this will help keep dust from creeping in through any tiny holes. Also, if you find yourself driving through smoky conditions as a result of, for example, wildfires, running your air conditioners will help reduce the smoke and odor inside the RV. Don’t forget to check the filters on the air conditioners later. Thanks to Ron Jones, AboutRVing.com.
On this day last year…
- Tip: Water pressure regulators keep geysers out of your RV
- Ask Dave: Will water standing in bottom of RV’s water heater corrode the tank?
- RV review: 2024 Winnebago Micro Minnie 2225RL is easily towable
- In the RV shop with Dustin: MAJOR RV repairs required for this cracked fifth wheel frame!
- Video: Want to upgrade from lead acid to lithium batteries? Read and watch this first!
Website (article) of the day
The Waffle House Location with a 6-Month Waitlist
Love Waffle House? Well, this Waffle House offers a whole different experience. And one you’ll probably love. The catch? You’ll have to wait a while to visit, but it’s worth planning a stop around if you’re going to be in the area.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Thou shall laugh at this! Thou shall laugh at this… especially if you’re not a morning person!
Recipes of the day
Celebrate National Burger Day with these five burger and burger-inspired recipes
There are few better days of the year than National Burger Day. These burger and burger-inspired recipes will certainly help you celebrate in all the delicious ways possible. There are a few burger recipes here (one with Texas toast instead of a bun!) as well as a few twists on some classics. Oh, and we threw in a few burger casserole recipes too because, well, yum! Get them here.
Trivia
The Christmas song “Silver Bells” was called “Tinkle Bells” until co-composer Jay Livingston’s wife told him “tinkle” had another meaning. (Thank you, Mrs. Livingston!)
Readers’ pet of the day
“Bizzy (Havanese/Toy Poodle mix) loves everybody and he is a very busy boy. Loves to meet new people and their pets. Travels well and is great comfort to me and my wife, Brenda.” —Ray Boudreaux
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
TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST ACROSS THE NATION
Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
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RVtravel.com All-Star Team
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I’m not so sure when driving in a dust storm / fire smoke I’d want to run my generator or my A/C unit. I do not see how running either would help. Any other thoughts?
The quick tip about driving in dust or smoke is exceedingly poor advice. It’s possible that some people believe that running the air conditioner(s) will somehow create positive air pressure inside your coach or that contaminants will be removed by the AC filter. The vast majority of rooftop AC units merely recirculate the interior air. Running them when particulate matter has infiltrated your interior airspace will only help clog the (minimally effective) internal filter and evaporator coil. The outside condenser coil will suffer too.
Also, running the air conditioner will force the dust through the evaporator coils causing them to clog.
The house A/C does not provide positive pressure in the bus. Your dash A/C provides positive pressure if it isn’t on MAX or some setting that recirculates inside air, but the pressure is coming from outside air, so may be dirty, also.
We live with 12 miles of dusty road to pavement. That dust is swirling down the lower part of the trailer (slides and windows).
What I have done is turn on in reverse the fantastic fan in the bathroom so as to pressure up the trailer with clean air from the top. This works well
When we get to the pavement I shut off the fan and close the vent.
Bizzy looks like a great Travel Companion! Don
Who’s the woman who is pictured several times with no caption or name?
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂 Bizzy very cute, Ray! 🙂 Thanks again, have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂