Issue 2654
Today’s thought
“Sometimes you’ve got to let everything go – purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything… whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you’ll find that when you’re free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.” —Tina Turner
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Paperclip Day! Very exciting!
On this day in history: 1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of North America’s original Thirteen Colonies to ratify the Constitution and become one of the United States.
Tip of the day
How to get bees to stay away from your RV and campsite
By Gail Marsh
Nothing ruins a picnic faster for me than bees. During a recent RV trip, bees and wasps seemed to be everywhere in the campground, but especially around our campsite. We had to do something to get those bees to buzz off!
Bees and wasps are naturally drawn to sweet foods, sugary drinks, and even the scents of lotions or perfumes. Bees are usually busy pollinating and are non-aggressive unless provoked. However, wasps (including yellow jackets) can become more bothersome when buzzing around your campsite. Continue reading.
Ask Dave
I flushed black tank with fresh water hose. Did I contaminate it?
Dear Dave,
I mistakenly used my RV’s fresh water hose as the black tank flush hose and flushed my black tank with it. I noticed after flushing the black tank in the past that there is always some backflow of water from the black tank when you disconnect the hose. Have I contaminated the fresh water hose and should I refrain from using it for fresh water going forward? —Will, 2017 Winnebago Sightseer 33C Read Dave’s answer.
RANDOM RV THOUGHT: Gas prices are still high. But don’t let that keep you at home. Is there a campground or RV park close by? Consider heading there for an outing— whether for a day, week or longer. The cost of fuel to get there will be minimal even with the higher prices. And, yippee! You will be away from home and in your RV. So life will be good!
Article and video
Camping meal prep: Prep a weekend’s meals before leaving home
By Cheri Sicard
Planning a camping trip should be fun, not stressful! In today’s video, Amanda of Amanda Outdoors simplifies camping meal prep and cooking, so you can spend more time enjoying the outdoors. Amanda says successful camping trips start with a solid plan, especially when it comes to food. Planning ahead can save time, reduce stress, and ensure everyone eats well. Click here for Amanda’s meal prep ideas.
Featured article
Campground neighbor exposes the world of horse trailer RVs, and they’re neat!
By Gail Marsh
What do you know about horse trailer “RVs”? Recent campground “horse people” neighbors gave us a look at the unique journey of horse owners on the road. These horse-enthusiasts-turned-RVers share insights and practicalities of their unconventional travel lifestyle. If you’ve never seen the inside of a horse trailer LQ (living quarters), check this out!
Stay cool by using this portable, battery-operated ceiling fan anywhere!
This is pretty cool, isn’t it? This portable, battery-operated ceiling fan can hang anywhere like: over the picnic table, over your bed, over your hammock, over your desk, even over the BBQ… see? Anywhere! And it’s battery-operated and USB-rechargeable, so you don’t have to worry about outlets or long extension cords. This is the perfect summer gadget to keep cool. Learn more or order.
Reader poll
Do you wear your regular, outside shoes inside your RV?
Quick tip
Do one final walk around before departure
You may have a mental “departure checklist,” but Richard S. suggests a “once more around the block” approach. You “think” you got it all, but before turning the key, just walk around “one more time” to double-check. Citing his own experience, Richard wrote, “A couple of times I have found something loose, hatch cover not locked, antenna up, jacks up, etc., especially on the tow dolly (forgot to put the pin that locks the platform down). I painted the pin red so it stands out. Would have been a disaster had I not done one more walk around.” Thanks, Richard!
On this day last year…
- Tip: Unusual ways RVers can use old water hoses
- Ask Dave: What house batteries do you recommend for my 1992 Vogue coach?
- RV review: Proposed Coachmen Catalina 283EPIC is… well… epic
- Video: Campground for dogs and their owners provides tons of canine fun!
- Featured article: If you’re slamming your RV’s door, you’re doing it wrong!
Website of the day
The 50 Best U.S. Cities to Visit That Look Just Like Europe
If you want to feel like you’ve gone to Europe without all the hassle of flying there, these 50 towns right here in the States will do the trick!
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
This is one of those things that falls under the “most random things we could ever show you.” You’re either going to laugh, groan, or buy it for yourself. Which is it?
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:
• 44 percent go grocery shopping once a week and 27 percent go multiple times a week.
• 80 percent rely heavily on online rankings/ratings of RV parks when making reservations.
• 17 percent have been to a National Park within the last month.
Recent poll: Out of these options, which is your favorite BBQ food?
Trivia
The longest continuous road in the United States is U.S. Route 20, stretching from Boston, Massachusetts, to Newport, Oregon. It covers a whopping 3,365 miles, passing through major cities, scenic landscapes, and diverse regions. Dream road trip, anyone?
BUMPER SNICKER: I’m not suffering from insanity, I’m enjoying every minute of it!
Readers’ pet of the day
“Loki (German Shepherd, age 1.5) knows when the ‘big dog house’ is behind the truck that he will be going on long walks when we stop.” —Herb Lagoski
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
THIS MAP UPDATES TWICE A DAY
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.
If you shop at Amazon.com we’d appreciate you using this link. We get an itty bitty commission if you buy something, but they add up and help us pay our bills (most importantly our hard-working writers!).
RVtravel.com All-Star Team
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
Campsite heavily infested with bumble (honey) bees. We finally found they were looking for water, so we placed two plates filled with water just outside of camping area. It worked!
Loki is a beautiful dog. Our 2 mixed breeds don’t like riding in the motorhome but they love when we get to the campground and go on long walks.
RE: pre-departure walk arounds. I do three – all four sides each. First is for the site to make sure everything is stored and the site neat. Second is the middle and down to ground for the trailer and tow vehicle. For the third, the tow vehicle is running, lights and emergency flashers on, and I concentrate on the middle and up to the roofs. Sometimes I’m amazed at how I missed something on the first two. My wife does the trailer interior. A lot of times we spot check each other.
RE today’s Trivia: Get off the Interstates! (You aren’t wanted there by other users anyhow.). We almost exclusively travel US and State Highways, plus good county roads to get between. It is also a way to avoid traffic congested major cities. We are going a max of 350 miles each day. We see better scenery, find more interesting places, and frankly better places to eat than places with drive-throughs we are too tall to use anyhow. And guess what? In many instances the Interstates follow the US highways offset by 1 to 20 miles, so we really aren’t going out of our way.
Walk-arounds (several) are a great idea! Been camping for many years, and I still screw up occasionally. Usually because of a distraction that happened while getting ready to depart from a campground. Most recently, on my 3rd walk-around, I discovered I’d left my $200 EMS surge protector sitting on the back bumper. Geesh. Would have been an expensive mistake.
I always do a final walk around. But I have to really force myself to focus on specific items vs just casually glancing about. While it’s good to get an overall picture, I’ve missed little things if I also don’t tightly focus on key areas like latches, window awnings, etc.
One key to departure checks is consistency. (Class A). I start at the entry door: awning center support arm and arm safety pins, check locks, latches, rear tire press., rear cap area including lights; street side locks, rear tire press, roof antenna, driver door, front tire press., to w/s wipers, engine, transmission oil and coolant levels; look underneath for any traces of fluid leak(s), curb side front tire press., ending at the entry door. Close and lock, listen for step retraction. If at nite or nite driving involved, all clearance front, aft and side lite checks. Also do a directional and headlight check as needed.
I then make a final walk-around check and review my printed checklist.
Though not a class A the 5er gets the same daily service on departure.
Loki is absolutely gorgeous! I’m a beagle person but I have always loved the Sheppard’s, strength, courage and dedication to their owners
I hope that you and Loki have many years of long walks and joyous trips! Thank you, Emily and Diane! Have a great day and safe travels!
Thanks to Cheri Sicard for introducing your readers to Amanda Outside. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at her ideas and my DH and I will enjoy eating better on our next trip. Reminds me of my younger self.