Issue 2612
Today’s thought
“One of the first duties of man is not to be duped.” —Carl Becker
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Get Married To Your RV Day! (April Fools!)
On this day in history: 1976 – Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple Computer, Inc.
Tip of the day
How safe is the RV park water you are using?
By Cheri Sicard
Recently, Robin Barrett of Creativity RV noticed the water in the RV park where she was staying tasted a little funky. So she decided to test the RV park water and what she discovered was shocking, including disturbing levels of sulfate and bacteria, including E. coli. WOW!
In this video (and article), Robin talks about the four potential sources of RV water and the tests she did to determine her RV water safety. She also talked about what she learned about water regulation and safety, a lot of which surprised her. This is need-to-know info here!
Ask Dave
RV flooded by river water. What to do about it? Plus an update
Hi, Dave,
My camper stays in a “semi-permanent” location near a small river. Recently, due to unusually heavy rainfall, the river flooded and the camper received about 5 inches of water inside. I was out of town at the time and unable to move the camper to higher ground. Thank goodness for fiberglass campers! The only significant damage was to the carpet, which I was in the process of replacing anyway. The water receded after about 18 hours. My question is this: What should I be aware of regarding the wheels/axles/hubs and any other underbelly issues? —Joe, 2013 17’ Casita Spirit Deluxe Read Dave’s response and Joe’s subsequent update.
Video of the day
How to roll a hose properly—easy method to end kinks and knots
By Cheri Sicard
Are you tired of struggling with your RV’s hoses? Do they kink or knot? Is there anything more frustrating than wrestling with a tangled, kinked hose? No more. In the video below, Jason Samkowiak of Samko Trad Bow shows us how to roll a hose the proper way.
Featured article
RVers’ mental health is great; many factors contribute to why RVers are so happy
By Nanci Dixon
A poll on RVtravel.com asked RVers to describe their mental health and happiness. A whopping 75% said they are almost always happy or feeling good. Wow! That’s a lot of happy RVers! When looking at the core experiences of RVing, it is easy to see why there would be so many happy people, me included. Just when I was getting a bit demoralized about the whole RVing thing, this poll had me dumping my grumpy self to look at the reasons and analyze why I answered so positively. Continue reading.
RANDOM RV THOUGHT: The degree of difficulty backing your RV into a campsite increases exponentially by the number of fellow RVers watching you.
Reader poll
What do you do most nights after dinner?
Quick tip
Can’t reach RV slide-out seals? Here’s help
Thomas G. spotted a post where we recommended spraying slide-out seals to keep them well-maintained. He faced a problem with his: “My slide-outs are too deep for me to reach the gaskets along the top of the slide-out. I just extend it part-way, get on a stepladder, and then lubricate the upper gasket in addition to the side gaskets. Works great every time.” Thanks for the advice, Thomas!
On this day last year…
- Tip: How to get rid of campfire smell that clings to clothes and hair
- Ask Dave: What can I clean my RV ceiling with?
- RV review: Wildwood Heritage Glen Hyper-Lyte 24RDHL—Feels spacious
- Video: The secret to making an RV bed—even a difficult, boxed-in, east-west one
- Featured article: Visiting the very cool Airstream City in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico
Website of the day
20 Epic Day Hikes in the National Parks (USA)
It’s April—Go outside! All of these hikes can be done in a day (although some are much more strenuous than others), so tie up your hiking boots and get out there!
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
You know about this, right? NO? If you don’t, well, get on it! It’s one of the best for a reason!
And the survey says…
We’ve polled RVtravel.com readers close to 5,000 times in recent years. Here are a few things we’ve learned about them:
• 16 percent say a sewer hose or valve has broken or malfunctioned while they were dumping. Yikes!
• Another 16 percent say they eat eggs every day or almost every day for breakfast.
• 64 percent think the condition of our interstates today is worse than it was 20 years ago.
Recent poll: Can you easily get into your RV’s bed with its slides in?
BEST CLUB FOR RVERS: Hands down, the Escapees is the very best club for RVers. Learn more or join.
Trivia
The world’s largest RV was built in Australia in 2013. The RV contained seven bedrooms, three bathrooms (including two jacuzzi tubs), a rooftop pool, which converted into a helipad, a pop-up outdoor pig enclosure for the family’s five potbelly pigs, and a 124-gallon aquarium, which they would use as their fresh water tank when they boondocked. The name on the license plate? JUSTKDN
April Fools!!!!
Readers’ pets of the day
“This is Oreo standing guard while Sassy sleeps. They are Pomeranian sisters and went on their first RV trip at the age of 7 weeks (now 9 months). They are still learning RV etiquette, but are getting better daily. Sassy even let another camper’s dog walk by without barking today.” —Howard Kinney
Good girl, Sassy!! —RVtravel.com
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
In honor of April Fool’s Day…
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
THIS MAP UPDATES TWICE A DAY
Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
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RVtravel.com All-Star Team
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The epic hikes are not appropriate for us over 70 senior citizens! Post some easier hikes!LOL! I’ll rely on You Tube!
The Bushman happened to us once while on vacation in Upstate NY. He definitely made some heartbeats soar.
I find it ironic though that the video only showed one person reached into his pocket to fill the tip jar.
“The degree of difficulty backing your RV into a campsite increases exponentially by the number of fellow RVers watching you.” Nothing worse than a bunch of cackling hyenas dragging up a lawn chair and watching someone backing a trailer in a tight spot….along with plenty of advice. As if they themselves have never been watched…with plenty of advice.
Re: Mystery Product of the Day: Bill Bryson’s book, A Walk in the Woods, is a classic! Great read, even if you have no desire to hike that long or far. Enjoy the hike vicariously. His other books are worth reading too.
I just ordered it, looking forward to a new book.
My solution to unruly hoses was to switch to SS hoses! They do take a set but it is much easier to handle. I have two house hoses, 100′ and150′ plus my RV hose is 25′ wrapped on a plastic spool. So easy!
I do wish people would not use abbreviations sometime. What is an “SS” hose? All I can think of is stainless steel that doesn’t bend. I am curious though as hoses are important on campers and at home. Also, maybe you can introduce me to something I don’t know about.
Hi, Bob. I think SS is for stainless steel. My neighbors have a stainless steel hose. And if you Google “stainless steel hose” you’ll see lots of them. Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thinking about the difficulty with lubing slide out roof seals as noted in the Quick Tip today. I wonder if a dry lube spray on the roof and top of the seal would work? Dry lube shouldn’t collect dust etc… I don’t have any slide-outs – just an observation, inquiry or suggestion.
Seven Bedroom RV ? I swear it has parked next to me several times. I am waiting for a double decker bus/RV or worse any day now.
Thank you, Emily and Diane! Have a great weekend and safe travels!