Issue 2538
Today’s thought
“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Twin Day!
On this day in history: 1932 – The Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL playoff game to win the NFL Championship.
Tip of the day
When you think outside the “conventional campsite” box, a whole new world awaits
By Jan Steele
Where is the strangest place you ever camped?
When I was a kid growing up in the ‘60s, our summer trips in our Skamper pop-up trailer took us to some pretty sketchy places to camp overnight. We were on a budget, of course.
The strangest place I remember was near the middle of nowhere next to a motel that was literally falling apart. Still, a toilet worked. There just weren’t any doors and other pieces of the building were also missing.
Mom must have asked someone if it was OK. And here’s my point: The power of asking. Continue reading.
RV review
2025 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 160LK – Check out the kitchen!
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the 2025 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 160LK travel trailer. This is the smallest of the Jayco Jay Flight SLX-series trailers, which are predominantly single-axle, wood-framed, aluminum-skinned trailers. Well, but not always….
For the most part this trailer hits the nail on the head. It’s relatively compact and affordable, and has a very usable kitchen. I think this little trailer offers a lot of value and function and might be a great unit to put on your list for a solo traveler. Read more.
Ask Dave
Our new-to-us Class A rides very rough. How can we fix it?
By Dave Solberg
Dear Dave,
We just purchased a 2016 Thor A.C.E. 27.1 and just realized how rough the ride is. We feel every bump on the road and it feels like our RV is falling apart. What do you recommend? —Tino, 2016 Thor Ace 27.1 Read Dave’s answer.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Don’t forget to inspect your RV refrigerator roof vent cover
By Dustin Simpson
Join me “In The RV Shop” as I talk about inspecting your RV refrigerator roof vent cover. We come across customers’ RVs all the time that have nests from bugs, mice, squirrels, birds and insects that collect on top of the screened area. This can cause venting issues, making the refrigerator not operate like it’s supposed to, and even in some cases cause a fire. Learn more.
Video of the day
A beginner’s guide to meal prepping
By Cheri Sicard
Good food while on RV trips is important, but who wants to spend a lot of time cooking when there are so many interesting things to see and do? That’s why meal prepping can be a hungry RVer’s best friend. In the beginner’s guide to meal prepping video below, Josh Cortis, from The Meal Prep Manual, lists five reasons people typically get into prepping meals in advance. I think he should add RV trips to his list, as his reasons also will cover why RVers will want to get into meal prepping…
Featured article
Read the fine print before bringing your golf cart to the campground
By Gail Marsh
Charlie wasn’t happy. I could see his frustration before I even got situated at the campfire. His anger quickly erupted. “After buying a trailer and hauling it across the country, now I find out that my golf cart is banned in this campground!” “That’s why you should always check the campground rules before you reserve,” Chet advised. “I did that!” Charlie angrily responded. “Their website said that golf carts were welcome! So, now what?! My wife has trouble walking and we counted on using our golf cart to get around.” Continue reading.
Reader poll
Have you taken a multi-day boat cruise in the last five years?
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
Do-it-yourself king pin lock
With commercial king pin locks costing upwards of $40 or $50 or (much) more, why not make your own? Take a length of angle iron, cut kerfs into it so it will bend nicely, fit it to your king pin, drill two holes, buy a lock and you’re done.
Nothing will stop a determined thief, but this would certainly be a deterrent and will prevent someone from just hooking up and driving away with your fifth wheel RV. Leaving your slides out, when possible, would also be a great deterrent to having someone steal your rig. Thanks to George B.
On this day last year…
- Ask Dave: My RV awning rail pulled away from the sidewall. How do I reattach it?
- RV review: 2024 Jayco Jay Feather Micro 173MRB—My first camper (sorta)
- Video: 5 essential cold-weather RVing survival tips
- Featured article: RVtravel.com readers speak: These are the best burgers in the U.S. and Canada
Website of the day
50 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids That Bring on the Holiday Sparkle
We try to avoid posting too many websites like this because you may not have kids or grandkids and you may not celebrate Christmas, but there are some easy craft ideas on here that are too cute not to share (and they’re not just for kids!).
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Well, this is pretty gosh darn neat. If you watch movies, TV, read, play games… basically, if you own a cell phone or a tablet, you might want this!
Recipes of the day
Delicious fudge recipes: Treat yourself or give as a gift
Ever go into a gift shop and end up leaving with a pound of fudge? Yeah, us too. It’s just too hard to resist! Well, with these recipes you don’t have to buy it. Make some at home, keep some for yourself, and wrap the rest up and give it as a gift. You’ll be everyone’s favorite (trust us). Here are the recipes.
Trivia
The well-known Chinese food takeout containers were originally designed to hold what? Hint: It wasn’t Chinese food! Although the little funny-shaped containers are now mostly associated with take-out Chinese food, Frederick Weeks Wilcox originally designed the little pails in 1890 as a mass-produced substitute for wooden oyster pails. Yup, they were designed to bring oysters home from the market and the waterproof, wax-lined containers helped make that possible! It wasn’t until after WWII that the container was widely adopted by restaurants for take-out food.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Our Thailand rescue dog, Mojo, has never been a big camping fan, but since we got our Scamp, he’s a lot happier! He loves his house on wheels!” —Nancy Hinze
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
We don’t know if this is true, but here’s the claim: “My brother, tired of being a taxidermist after 15 years, went to veterinarian school. His new business never got off the ground so he decided to operate both his taxidermy and vet business together to save money. His new slogan was ‘No Matter What Happens – You Get Your Cat Back!’”
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
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RVtravel.com All-Star Team
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Mojo is adorable!
about the king pin idea….you spend tens of thousands of dollars and u don’t want to spend $ on a lock….some one is bored and came up with an idea….
We use an Anderson Hitch system on our 5ver. (You can Google it). It completely encloses the king pin 100% of the time and takes some special tools to remove. I’ve seen more than one person in a campground walk up to check it out, then shrug and walk away. Confusion is a great deterrent. 😜
The DIY kingpin lock would be very easy to remove with just a bolt cutter. Too simple, not enough security to be worth the trouble.
Way back in 1953, my parents were driving to Niagara Falls for a quick honeymoon over my dad’s spring break. They drove late into the night when they set up camp. The next morning they discovered that they had pitched their tent in the highway median. My mom always said I was conceived that night on the side of the road!
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂 Today in history piqued my interest, given that the Portsmouth Spartans are not a present-day NFL team. The team was sold and moved to Detroit, renaming themselves Lions. Happy new year and safe travels! 🙂