Issue 2634
Today’s thought
“Reading is a means of thinking with another person’s mind; it forces you to stretch your own.” —Charles Scribner, Jr.
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Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is May Day!
On this day in history: 1971 – Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) takes over operation of U.S. passenger rail service.
Tip of the day
RV DIY: How to replace RV vinyl trim
By Cheri Sicard
Is your RV starting to look a little shabby? You can give it a facelift pretty easily by replacing its worn, discolored and/or broken RV vinyl trim. This is a reasonably easy RV DIY project. In this video, the Colorado Camperman is going to show us just how simple it is to do using Camco’s RV vinyl trim.
Besides aesthetics, the trim serves the practical purpose of protecting the screws underneath, the ones that hold the RV walls and roof together, and protecting them from the elements, especially water. Continue reading.
Ask Dave
Can I use silicone to seal the gap under my Class A windshield?
Dave,
I have removed what appears to be foam weather stripping at the bottom of my Class A windshield. The weather stripping has disintegrated over time. There is an approximately 1/4″ gap between the bottom of the windshield and the front panel (where the wipers are attached), widening to about a 1/2″ gap at the sides of the windshield. My question is, what do I seal the gap with?… Read the rest of Bill’s question and Dave’s answer.
ALSO FROM DAVE: Why does toaster oven trip the GFCI in RV bathroom?
BUMPER SNICKER: From Stan Hume: I recently saw a bumper sticker on a minivan that read “I Used to be Cool”. I had to chuckle a bit as I thought about how the owner probably drove a sports car before the minivan.
Article & video
Don’t sign an RV contract until you see this
By Cheri Sicard
Buying an RV should be an exciting adventure, not a financial trap. Sadly, some RV dealerships use tactics that can leave customers with a bad deal. In this article and video, Deb from Deb’s RV Services, a certified RV inspector and registered technician, is here to warn consumers about these practices. This post will cover what to watch out for before signing on the dotted line.
Featured article
Improve RV driving days with these 5 helpful travel gadgets
By Gail Marsh
Here are some helpful gadgets that will improve RV travel days, without a doubt. Order your favorites today so you’ll be ready the next time the open road calls!
Reader poll
Have you stayed overnight in a Cabela’s parking lot with your RV in the last year?
Quick tip
Why we love rest areas
Rest areas are like little cities with a constantly changing population. Most RVers love rest areas. They are good places to stretch one’s legs, walk the dog, or to prepare a grilled cheese sandwich for dining at a picnic table. Sometimes a nap is in order, and they can be especially satisfying on a warm, lazy day. Some rest areas are simply parking lots with a restroom. Others, sometimes called Service Plazas, are elaborate with a full-blown restaurant, store and gas station. Rest areas in National Forests and along rural highways are often in beautiful settings with trails, where the aroma of the air can be as captivating as the scenery (sagebrush in the desert or pine in the mountains). Of course, some rest areas are noisy and smell of diesel exhaust, which is further evidence that in life we win some and we lose some.
BEST CLUB FOR RVers: Hands down, the Escapees is the very best club for RVers. Join now and get a 10% discount.
RANDOM RV THOUGHT: A great place to camp in your RV is by a mountain stream. The sound of the stream will lull you to sleep! And maybe you can catch a trout, too, for a yummy dinner!
On this day last year…
- Tip: Get the most from your RV’s exhaust fan
- Ask Dave: Should I carry a battery charger in my RV? If so, what brand?
- RV review: Prime Time Tracer 270BHSLE – It’s affordable, with some surprising features
- Video: Slide room in a van?! Tour the ultimate DIY RV van build
- Featured article: Our favorite unusual RV kitchen gadgets you may never have heard of
Website of the day
Travel British Columbia: Camping
If you’ve been to British Columbia, you know how gorgeous it is. If you’ve never been, well, hop on this website, find a campground, and plan your trip. You certainly won’t regret it!
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
If you used this, it would certainly make working on your computer so much more fun! Plus, it’s the truth! Wait… do you even still need one of these?
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:
• 14 percent of our readers are just getting started RVing and know very little about general RV knowledge
• At the time of the survey, 32 percent were currently in their RV (64 percent were in a sticks-and-bricks home).
• 20 percent have had to walk at least one mile for help after a vehicle breakdown, and 13 percent have had to walk more than one mile! Yikes!
Recent poll: Have you ever loaned your RV to a close friend or family member?
Trivia
The word “tabloid” when referring to newspaper sizes comes from the style of journalism known as “tabloid journalism,” which compacted stories into short, easy-to-read articles with exaggerated or sensational content. Tabloid journalism itself got its name from the “tabloid pills” marketed in the 1880s, which were the first highly compacted and easy-to-swallow pills commonly available. An example of a tabloid newspaper, in size and content, would be the National Enquirer.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Shorty (Chihuahua, age 6) is a great companion and a great traveler. He has been raised in our MH, and we’ve been FT for six years. Loves traveling but hates windshield wipers lol.” —David Needham
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
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RE: Tabloid definition. Sadly, most news media has lowered their standards to the level of tabloids, by sensationalizing the headlines and opinionated reporting. Bring back the days when news media drew a hard line between reporting and editorializing. generally they have lost their dignity and my respect.
As I was reading the definition of “tabloid”, I tried to think of a single news source that isn’t about viewership/ratings and more about just delivering the facts. Sadly, I couldn’t think of a single one since they’re all selling themselves to somebody, including NPR and PBS.
Vince, sadly, that is very true today.
We tend to think that this is a recent phenomenon, but even Thomas Jefferson wrote about the nature of the media. I have posted excerpts of his letters and musings here before. In one writing to Edward Carrington, who asked Jefferson for his opinion, Jefferson proclaimed that the man who didn’t read a newspaper was more informed than the man who did, for the former wasn’t exposed to the lies of that polluted vehicle! Despite that he also expressed support for newspapers. His writings on this topic are quite interesting.
It’s shocking how so many outlets get their “news” from the same source. They all parrot the same phrases. Remember when everyone was using the word “gravitas” or “charisma”? We checked out of MSN years ago, scouring the internet to try and get a balanced grasp on truth. Don’t know that we’ve succeeded, though. You can’t believe your eyes or ears these days.
Walter Cronkite…McNeil-Lehrer newshour…that’s the way it was. Now…all hat and no cattle.
May you and Shorty continue having joyous RV trips for many more years, David! Thank you, Emily and Diane!
A travel gadget that I find extremely helpful is our subscription to SiriusXM radio.
Hint: Get the inexpensive introductory price for the first year. A week or so before the higher rate begins, go into the SiriusXM app and cancel. A chat will ensue in which you will be offered a lower rate. If that is refused, then you can retain the intro rate (or approximately it). We have had SiriusXM in the RV and towed vehicle for four years with this strategy.
Have a great day and safe travels!
You can use the same strategy for Norton Anti-Virus products. I never have auto-renew on. As the deadline to renew approaches they keep dropping the price. I normally end up at about 30% of the first full price offer.
Cool! Thank you, Mikal! Safe travels!
When you stay at free places take 5 mins and pick up some trash. It makes a difference for sure.