Issue 2640
Today’s thought
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Lost Sock Memorial Day!
On this day in history: 2020 – The COVID-19 recession causes the U.S. unemployment rate to hit 14.9 percent, its worst rate since the Great Depression.
Tip of the day
Cleaning RV air vents: A simple, important task to breathe easy
By Gail Marsh
I don’t know about you, but I rarely look up when I’m inside our RV. That changed a few days ago. I happened to be contemplating very deep thoughts (read: relaxing) on the sofa when I noticed the intake air vent above me. Hmm… it looked dusty. Really dusty! “Is there a way to clean that?” I wondered. Because the vent was too high to reach, I went back to the bathroom where I could easily reach the vent. Wow! This one was dusty, too! Continue reading.
Ask Dave
RV roof leak damage estimated at more than rig is worth. How hard is it to repair?
Dear Dave,
I bought this 2017 Jayco in 2020 from a second owner, trusting him with selling an undamaged trailer. It seems either the first owner or this one did not report an issue with a tree falling upon the camper with a small limb piercing the roof liner. I inspected everything except the roof… Read the rest of Phillip’s question and Dave’s answer.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Ways you can prevent RV fender skirt cracks
Prevent RV fender skirt cracks! Join Terry and me [Dustin] in this video as we replace the fender skirts on this 2020 Grand Design Reflection. I’ll show you and explain why fender skirt cracking is so prevalent. The video shows you how we install fender skirts to prevent cracking.
Article and video
Genius RV storage hacks and tips
By Cheri Sicard
Keeping an RV organized can feel like a never-ending battle. Space is limited, and clutter seems to multiply overnight. In the video, Ben and Charity from the Grateful Glamper share smart RV storage hacks that can transform your rig from chaotic to livable. (Don’t feel like watching a video? Remember, Cheri always writes an accompanying article!)
Featured article
RVs reach cargo-carrying capacity with just two passengers. Is your rig dangerously overweight?
By Tony Barthel
Is your RV dangerously overweight? Do you know its real cargo-carrying capacity? One of the things I’ve noticed in the RV Reviews column here on RVtravel.com is that a lot of RVs can be significantly overweight without much effort. Whether that be a motorized rig or a towable, overloading has been a big problem. Unfortunately, the manufacturers seem to do more to avoid the problem than to correct it. In fact, sometimes I wonder if it’s being purposely hidden. The bad thing is that your life can be in danger and you may not even know about the risks. Continue reading this very important information.
UPDATE: Changes coming to our commenting system
We’re making some upgrades to how comments work on RVtravel.com. Starting Sunday evening, May 11, we’ll be switching to a new commenting system that’s faster, smarter, and more enjoyable to use. Our current software just isn’t cutting it anymore, so it’s time for a fresh start. The new system will include everything you already like, plus some great new features we think you’ll enjoy. Learn more.
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- Fed up city tows dozens of new RVs abandoned by manufacturer
- The 5 most underrated RVs on the market right now
- If you can’t answer these questions, you shouldn’t be towing
- RVers share tricks to avoid crowded camping locations
- Ever wonder what the inside of a semi-truck sleeper cab looks like? Here you go!
SPEAKING OF THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED... Yesterday’s Great RV Accessories newsletter is live and shouldn’t be missed! Like gadgets? You’ll love this!
Reader poll
How would you describe the condition of America’s interstate highways?
Cleaning gel gets rid of dust and grime everywhere!
Say goodbye to dust and grime in hard-to-reach places. Give your car a professional-looking detail in minutes with this, and clean areas in your RV like vents, blinds, window and door grooves, computer keyboards, and so much more. This stuff is amazing! The gel is made of natural ingredients, and won’t damage any surface. Simply press/push it into those hard-to-reach places, pull it up, and watch everything sparkle. Learn more or order.
Quick tip
Doing a roof reseal? Careful around the TV antenna
When sealing around roof accessories, the temptation can be “more sealant is better.” Not around the TV antenna. Get too much sealant around it, you could hinder (or even stop) the rotation of the antenna.
On this day last year…
- Ask Dave: Water leaks under kitchen sink when using water heater on LP. Dealer can’t fix it!
- RV walk-through: The 2024 E-Pro 15TB travel trailer is Flagstaff’s smallest
- Video: 30 amp vs. 50 amp—What you need to know about the surprising differences
- Featured article: Southern Arizona’s “best-preserved” ghost town
BAD, BAD GPS! DW has a group of college football tailgating friends, and we all planned a get-together at a couple’s lake house. They assured us that “RVs almost as large as ours go past their house ALL THE TIME.” Ignoring advice from RVtravel.com readers to always check with Google Earth first, I punched the address into our RV GPS and hit the road. The closer we got, the worse the road became—until three miles out, the GPS told us to turn onto a rutted, narrow dirt road. I yelled “NO!”—there was no way the RV would make it. We ended up finding a nice campground 45 minutes away and commuted from there. Lesson learned: I’ll always check Google Earth from now on. 😉 —Neal Davis
Website of the day
Report Fraud
If you’ve been scammed, or know someone who has, use this website from the Federal Trade Commission as a resource and report it! Tell them what happened and help stop it from happening to someone else.
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
Wow, baby! This is diva-tastic! It might blind you when the sun hits it (seriously, is this safe??), but hey, you’d be glamorous, that’s for sure!
Trivia
Louisa May Alcott, the author of “Little Women,” was ambidextrous. When she tired of writing with one hand, she would switch to the other.
Readers’ pets of the day
“Gurti and Cheeki, mixed terriers, ages 6 and 7. These rescue dogs have known nothing but camping with us on our full-time RVing ventures. We always joke about them having a bad hair day, every day!” —Larry Chasey
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!
Leave here with a laugh
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
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Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
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Love the pic of Gurti and Cheeki. We have mixed terriers with incredibly smooth hair. The joys of mixed breeds is you never know which genetic traits will be prominent, creating lots of interesting looks.
Totally agree. Read my response above to Impavid.
Hi, Jesse. I don’t see your “response above to impavid.” In fact, none of your comments posted today were in response to impavid.🤔 Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
The pooch on the left looks like my nephew’s Jack Russel Terrier. He loves to dig for gophers on the farm. He digs so deep he needs to be pulled out by his tail.
When you ask about bad roads, it all depends on the State you’re in. I used to gripe (a lot!) about California’s roads until we drove Route 66 and went through Illinois! OMG! The rest areas are even worse than the roads! Craters! Good roads, bad roads, it’s all about the State. Thanks for bringing up the memories!
Happy Doggie RVers for sure!!!!😀🐶
Of COURSE I have a favorite burner! Doesn’t everybody?
Have researched many many Class C’s that have Mercedes diesel chassis. Not one has a CCC over 920 lbs and that was a Winnebago View…buyer beware….that includes passengers !!!! Add a little water and you are down to around 500 pounds left…dealers know this and will not disclose it.
Couldn’t leave a message on the condition of our roads. No nasty words were used.
Thank you for rescuing Gurti and Cheeki, Larry! May you all have many joyous RVing adventures together for many more years. Thank you, Emily and Diane! Have a great weekend and safe travels!
Back in June 2011 my family and I headed west to see Mt Rushmore Yellowstone and Glacier. Traveling thru SD we where unaware that after all the rain that had fallen for over a month the country was getting that a campground outside of DeSmet SD had been flooded and we were unaware of the road that also was flooded. We ended up turning around and headed to DeSmet and stopped at a local gas station. There we were told the road to the campground and road was flooded. When I got home I called the place and asked why we not called about this they told me they did. But we weren’t. Found other arrangements but wow. Never forgot that one trip west. Live and learn.
I would imagine their hands were pretty full with all the flooding. Maybe you should do a quick pre-check when the weather is that bad. Just sayin’.