Issue 2703
Today’s thought
“We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Root Beer Float Day!
On this day in history: 1991 – Tim Berners-Lee releases files describing his idea for the World Wide Web. WWW makes its first appearance as a publicly available service on the Internet.
Tip of the day
About RV keys and why you need an extra set of them
By Gail Marsh
It happened to us shortly before sunrise. RVing our way from Missouri to Florida, we faced a very long day of travel. We were ready to lock up the RV and hit the road when we suddenly realized that our keys were missing. We used flashlights to search the ground around our rig, and luckily the light reflected off our keys! We could lock it up and be on our way.
As any seasoned RVer knows, life on the road is filled with unexpected twists and turns. One of the most frustrating and potentially trip-derailing situations is losing your RV keys. Whether they slip out of your pocket during a hike or get misplaced in the hustle of packing, lost keys can quickly turn your dream vacation into a horrible nightmare. You need an extra set of RV keys!
Ask Dave
RV refrigerator hot weather tips; install fridge fan?
Dear Dave,
I’m thinking of installing a refrigerator fan in my Dometic fridge. Is a fan in the fridge or one behind the fridge to move the air thru the vents a better choice? Thanks. —Ron, 2022 Leisure Travel Van Wonder RTB Read Dave’s answer.
DAVE HAS ANSWERED MORE THAN 1,000 readers’ maintenance and repair questions. Read a directory here. There is so much to learn!
In the RV shop with Dustin
Even small roof tear can lead to damaging dry rot
Join Terry and me in our RV shop as we check out this small tear in a roof membrane. Even something this small can cause BIG dry rot. This is why routine inspections of your RV matter!
Take an extra 10% off a GhostBed luxury RV mattress!
The GhostBed RV mattress is 10” deep, crafted with gel memory foam for coolness, has 3 layers of luxurious comfort and is perfectly sized for your RV! Ahhhh… Wake up relaxed and rejuvenated. RVtravel.com readers now get an EXTRA 10% OFF a GhostBed Luxury RV Mattress! CLICK HERE and use code RVTRAVEL10. Watch RVtravel.com’s Tony Barthel’s RV mattress review here.
Article and video
How to fix and prevent clogged RV toilets
By Cheri Sicard
Is your RV toilet clogged? In the video below, Josh the RV Nerd talks about an important, albeit disgusting, topic: How to prevent and fix clogged RV toilets. The discussion begins with a fact that many RV newbies fail to understand: An RV’s plumbing system is NOT the same as the plumbing system in a regular house. The pipes are narrower, and they cannot handle the same volume and mass of material running through them that a home system can. Continue reading.
Featured article
Visit America’s King Tut-inspired theaters
By Gail Marsh
No matter where you go RVing, there’s a good chance you’ll travel near an Egyptian theater, or at least the site where an Egyptian theater once stood. I’m not talking about movie houses in the country of Egypt. No, these Egyptian-themed movie theaters were built right here in the USA. What would inspire architects in the Roaring ’20s to design their movie houses with an Egyptian theme? Find out here.
Reader poll
Do you talk out loud to yourself when you are alone?
BUMEPR SNICKER: “The last person tailgating bought me this car. Want to buy my next one?”
Helpful resources
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION
• ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NATION
• WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
• LATEST RV RECALLS
• DIRECTORY OF RV PARKS WITH STORM SHELTERS
• THE BEST RV TRIP PLANNER APPS AND TOOLS
• CURRENT WILDFIRE REPORT
• CURRENT SMOKE REPORT
Quick tip
Call 511 for highway information
Need to avoid traffic jams or road closures? It’s simple. Twenty-five years ago this week, the Federal Communications Commission designated “511” as THE free, 24/7, nationwide travel information source. 511 allows states and local jurisdictions to provide the latest travel information to motorists anytime they want it at no cost. Learn more.
Website of the day
How to Maintain & Extinguish Your Campfire
This helpful and well-designed page on smokeybear.com is a great resource. Now more than ever it’s important to know how to maintain a proper campfire (when allowed), and once you’re done for the evening, know how to put it out.
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
Now don’t take offense, but we need to tell you something… you suck. You really do. But don’t worry, this will help!
Trivia
Lucille Ball’s mother, DeDe Ball, went to every single taping of her daughter’s sitcom “I Love Lucy”. In fact, her laughter can often be heard coming from the live audience—and she can even be heard saying, “Uh oh!” at times.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Sophie (Shiba Inu, age 1) is a curious, gentle soul who loves adventure. No hike is ever too long. She very proudly caught her first field mouse in Nova Scotia and was upset we wouldn’t let her bring it into the camper. She also scratched the screen so bad we took it for repair, thus this cute photo.” —Lynn Kiehne
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
Current fire and smoke map from AirNow
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Your quote from Tolstoy today reminded me of Sgt. Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes – he must have been VERY wise! LOL!
We have a keyless entry system (original equipment) that does not always work. It always locks and unlocks the basements but not always the entry door. We always carry both door keys with us when leaving the motorhome.
“She very proudly caught her first field mouse”
This is not the first time readers have reported on their pets attacking local wildlife. Could we just leave the wildlife alone?
It’s their home that we’re visiting. Also they carry a range of diseases.
Leave no trace. Thank you 🙂
Since I usually skim rapidly past pet photos, you did make me go back and read that part. I still have no interest in the pet photos, but I do have to congratulate the pup on her catch. Guess my country roots are showing once again.
I have country roots too, but leptospirosis, plague, tularemia, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, Hantavirus, Lyme disease (transmitted by ticks that feed on rodents), Murine typhus, and Colorado tick fever are growing problems now and can infect both campers and pets.
I did not take any of this seriously until I met a couple of people who have learned the hard way. One couple has spent over $30,000 on dog vet bills.
Guess that’s another good reason not to travel with a pet. Living in tick country and having had Lyme disease 3 times, I’m well aware of the issues. At the moment our sticks and bricks seems to be well mouse-proofed, but it is an ongoing battle. We always have snap traps at the ready.
Keys. My wife and I decided that we would both carry a full set of keys separately. Me in my pocket and her in her purse no matter what we were doing. Shopping, restaurants, restrooms, etc because you can misplace them anywhere. A key in a hide-a-key box is always a good idea.
We always keep an extra set of keys to the motorhome in the glove box of the toad…..and keep an extra set of keys to the toad in the motorhome.
Shiba Inus are such wonderful dogs. Sophie is beautiful.
Tearing out the screen for the window is probably not looked upon as being wonderful.
We bought a lockbox (realtor-type, with a combo and a shank), enclosed an extra set of keys, and bolted it to the frame in the propane (never-locked) compartment….it’s saved us several times!
I did the same thing, but bolted it near the DEF (not lockable) compartment.
Sophie is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing Lynn.
Sophie both looks like a lot of fun and a sweet precious doggie 🐶🥰
Great picture, Lynn! Thank you for sharing it! Thank you, Emily and Diane! Have a great day and safe travels!