Issue 2586
Today’s thought
“To travel is to live.” —Hans Christian Andersen
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Tortilla Chip Day!
On this day in history: 1863 – Arizona is organized as a United States territory.
Tip of the day
12 places and ways to use motion-sensing lights in your RV
By Gail Marsh
Look around your RV. Peek in cabinets and closets. Check stairs, laundry area, and other dark nooks and corners. I’ll bet you’ll quickly identify several dark places for motion-sensing lights in the RV!
Note: RVs have different floor plans and lighting. That means not every suggestion will apply to your particular rig. Here’s hoping you can find at least one or two lighting tips to make RVing easier and safer, too.
For this article, we’re referring to small motion-sensor lights, either in strip form or button form. Here are a ton of options to choose from and how to use them.
Ask Dave
How to disable auto defrost on RV residential refrigerator
By Dave Solberg
Dear Dave,
My RV has a 110 V residential refrigerator similar to what you would have in your house. While camping off the grid, we run the refrigerator from the batteries through an inverter. This works fine with minimum draw on the batteries, with only about 3-5 amps draw. However, I noticed at times, that draw rate will spike to 80 amps, draining my batteries. I am certain it is a defrost cycle on the refrigerator, which uses high electric current to warm the coil. I checked the settings on the refrigerator, and cannot find a setting to disable the defrost cycle…. Read the rest of Jerry’s question and Dave’s answer.
In the RV shop with Dustin
How to maintain your RV’s water heater valves
By Dustin Simpson
Proper maintenance of your RV water heater valves is essential for ensuring safe and efficient operation. In this guide, join me on “Shop Talk” as I explain the importance of maintaining Atwood and Suburban water heater pop-off valves.
Video of the day
New IKEA RV storage solutions for 2025
By Cheri Sicard
The Grateful Glamper recently took a shopping trip to IKEA, and she found a ton of excellent RV storage items. IKEA RV storage solutions are nothing new to experienced RVers. Still, this video features the latest additions to the store’s terrific RV-friendly accessories line. This video has inspired me to stop at the next IKEA I come across! Watch it here and read the accompanying breakdown.
The latest news for RVers
- Court confirms Camping World unlawful practices. RV buyers to get big refunds
- Canadian RV dealers threaten to cancel orders from U.S.
- Trump administration backs down on cutting National Parks jobs
- Fewer no-shows and cancellations at campgrounds in 2024
To read more recent news, click here.
Featured article
The history, popularity, and decline of vehicle hood ornaments
By Gail Marsh
There are two jobs that I used to covet. I really wanted to be the one hired to name the paint colors for vehicles, and I also dreamed of designing vehicle hood ornaments. Now I suppose it’s too late. Most vehicle manufacturers no longer feature hood ornaments on their cars and trucks. So much for dreams. Yet I wonder whatever happened to these ornaments? Learn about them here.
Reader poll
How long has it been since you visited a deceased relative in a cemetery?
Quick tip
Vertical towel bar adds towel storage
If you don’t have enough cabinet space to stash your bath towels (or you have better uses for the cabinet), here’s a storage idea saved by Pinterest user Tina Arias. Use a towel bar to store rolled up towels. Mount the bar vertically, rather than horizontally, in some unused patch of wall space.
Website of the day
YouTube: RV Emergency Preparedness
It’s important that your RV is available to you in an emergency, so check out these pages (and pages and pages) of YouTube videos. They’ll help you make sure your RV is ready for anything!
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
This is the #1 best-selling… well, we won’t tell you the category, but you’ll probably want it (and you’ll also want to go to all these places!).
Recipes of the day
Celebrate National Tortilla Chip Day with these Mexican-inspired recipes
These recipes, except for one, are all made with tortilla chips. The other was a dip we just couldn’t resist. If you’re in the mood for Mexican, these recipes are for you!
Trivia
Did you know that leafcutter ants don’t actually eat the leaves? Instead, the leaves are food for the ant’s extensive underground fungus system. For tens of millions of years, leafcutter ants have tended these fungus farms, which provide nutrients for the ant larvae in the colony. This fungus is so important to the colony that when a new queen sets out to form a brand-new colony, she takes a starter fungus (in a tiny pocket within her mouth) with her to start seeding a new colony. Amazing!
Readers’ pets of the day
“Mia (left, 7) was rescued from Hurricane Harvey. Mom was discovered sheltering her new litter inside a Houston area BBQ just before the storm hit. Chester [“the molester”] (right, 5) came from our hometown shelter. Loves people and can’t hold his licker.” —Jim Johnson
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
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RVtravel.com All-Star Team
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Or, in our house, a simple “Whoops!” brings the pooch running for the chip fragment…
We say “I need a dog”. They come running
At our house it’s “Sophie…..mop up!”
My son had a dog that would come running when he said “Uh oh” when he dropped something. 😆 Have a great day, Bruce. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Our dog loved fruits and vegetables. He could hear me peel a banana two rooms away.
Thank you, Emily and Diane! I wish you well as you weather the AI storm. Have a great week and safe travels!
When the relatives were alive every chance I got when I visited them. Now? All relations dead and the closest cemetery to visit is a 7 to 12 hour drive and it has been 2 years since I visited their grave site. Next time I do is when I am dead and gone.
That vertical bar is a great spot for DRY towels, but no place for wet ones.