RV Daily Tips. Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Issue 2542

Today’s thought

“There are three stages of man: he believes in Santa Claus; he does not believe in Santa Claus; he is Santa Claus.” —Bob Phillips

Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is Christmas Eve, of course!

On this day in history: 1818 – The first performance of “Silent Night” takes place in the Nikolauskirche in Oberndorf, Austria.

Today’s newsletter is slightly abbreviated and we will not have a newsletter tomorrow, Christmas Day.

We wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas. If you’re celebrating the start of Hanukkah on Wednesday or Kwanza on Thursday, a very happy holiday to you, too. Here’s to a happy, healthy, beautiful, merry, and bright year ahead.

Tip of the day
Some basic tips for winter RVing

By Greg Illes
Winter can be cold, rainy, snowy and miserable. Many of us choose to “run and hide” from the winter, fleeing into more temperate zones. But even if you’re snowbirding in the South, occasional wiggling of the jet stream can still drive those temperatures well below the comfort zone. So what’s a sad, shivering RVer to do? Here are some basic tips for winter RVing — and some caveats.

Ask Dave
Should I lubricate the cables on my RV’s slide room?

By Dave Solberg
Dear Dave,
Our trailer has a cable-driven slideout. Is there any maintenance I should be doing on the system? I can’t see where lubricating the cables would work. —William, Heartland Mallard M301  Read Dave’s answer.

Video of the day
Basic but functional dollar store van conversion

By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, we join Sweller Van Dweller (I assume not his real name) for a tour of his low-cost, no-build, dollar store van conversion. Videos like this can prove how much can be done to make camping more comfortable without spending a lot of money and without buying an RV. Check it out.

Featured article
The 12 Days of Christmas song goes RVing!

By Gail Marsh
(To the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas”.) Sing along…

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
A cute, little new-to-us RV.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love packed for me,
Two mountain bikes,
And a pop-up holiday tree. Continue reading and sing along. (C’mon on, this is fun!)

Reader poll
What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Respond here.

Quick tip
“Manly” stove backsplash

If you have a rugged RV and want to maintain the look-and-feel while keeping grease off the wall behind the stovetop, here’s a tip for a do-it-yourself backsplash: diamond plate. Cut some thin diamond plate to the correct size, then use automotive door edge strip to finish out the raw edges for safety and appearance. Mount to the wall behind the stove with heavy-duty double stick tape.

??  MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY  ??
Oh, the mess the holidays make! The wrapping paper and ribbon is everywhere, the tape… hey, has anyone seen the tape? What about the scissors? We need a trash bag over here, please! Hey, pass the tissue paper! Ugh, the ribbon unrolled! What a mess! Not anymore!

Trivia

Santa’s sleigh would need to travel at 1,800 miles per second to deliver all the presents on Christmas Eve. Scientists have calculated that for Santa to visit every home delivering gifts, his sleigh would need to move 3,000 times faster than the speed of sound! Luckily, the magic of Christmas takes care of the logistics.

Readers’ pets of the day

“Our girls, Annie (yellow) and Maddie (black), 6-year-old Lab sisters, want to know when the next camping trip is after Christmas and New Year’s, and when we are heading back to Florida in the motorhome. It’s been cold in NJ!” —John Wilkins

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

Here it is again: Our favorite video of the whole year. Enjoy!

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.
Oh, and if you missed the Latest News for RVers, make sure to catch up here.

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