From RVtravel.com: The common sense resource for RVers since 2001 • Issue 2730
Today’s thought
“Show me a man who keeps a pipe in his back pocket, and I’ll show you a man who burns his britches behind him.” —Soupy Sales
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Chocolate Milkshake Day!
On this day in history: 1959 – “Bonanza” premieres, the first regularly scheduled TV program presented in color.
Tip of the day
How to make boondocking fun for the partner who hates it
By Nanci Dixon
I love boondocking, everything about it: the challenge, the isolation, ruggedness, sense of self-sufficiency… but my husband hates it. We are currently in a regional park with 50-amp electric hookups, amazing showers, and dishwashing stations. His comment: “I hate boondocking.” I wanted to respond: “Just wait until we get to the Harvest Hosts free-range pig farm next week…”—but I refrained.
My goal is now to make it as painless as possible for him and happy for me. Here are a few steps that may seem counter to true boondocking but are a good way to ease into hardcore boondocking, or at least keep the family happy.
Today’s limited-time offers on RV parts and accessories at Amazon.com. Hurry or miss out.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Drain valve lubricant explained: What it’s used for and why
Let me introduce you to the product of the week. Has anyone ever talked to you about adding a drain valve lubricant by Thetford into your black or gray tank system? This is something you should be doing! Here’s why.
RANDOM RV THOUGHT: If you have grandchildren, see if you can borrow them for a week or two for an RV adventure. You will have great fun, and the kids will long remember the trip with Grandma and Grandpa with great fondness.
Article and video
The most disgusting RV mistake you never want to make
By Cheri Sicard
In this video, Izzy from Endless RVing shares a cautionary tale about a huge RV mistake that is easy to make, especially if you are a beginner. Heck, Izzy is NOT a beginner, and he still made this significant RV error. This RV mistake is thoroughly disgusting, and once you make it, I guarantee you will never, ever do it again!
Featured article
Creative dad builds the world’s cutest camper
Is this the cutest kids’ camper you’ve ever seen? We think so! In a viral YouTube short, a dedicated dad has crafted an incredibly cute camper for his kids, making it the most adorable thing we’ve seen on wheels. This mini RV, complete with a cozy sleeping area and real-life-like features, is a perfect blend of creativity and love. Check this out—you’re going to love it
Ask Dave
I love the FlexArmor on the RV roof. Can I apply Henry Tropi-Cool to the slideout?
Dear Dave,
We just had FlexArmor installed on our roof this summer. Now we would like to coat/seal the slides with Henry’s Tropi-cool. Is this possible? How would we work around the top rubber seals? We’ve read where people have used it on their RV roofs, but can it be used on the slides also? —Jane, 2019 Coachmen Brookstone Fifth Wheel Read Dave’s answer.
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- Camping World’s sudden closure shocks Michigan employees and customers
- 2025 Palomino Puma 121RKCE: A terrific, affordable camping trailer. And it’s tiny!
- RV expert names top 10 travel trailers for 2025
- Innovative trailer pops out and pops up, resulting in lots of space
- Ah, the off-season: RVers find peace in campgrounds again
- Forest River RV recalls 2018-2026 fifth wheels for brake failure danger
Reader poll
Do you usually fall asleep in the same position every night?
Quick tip
Cleanup tips for stove parts
“I manage a 175-unit apartment complex and have cleaned more stove parts than you can imagine. Here’s a tip that I use all the time. Simply put all your stove parts including the oven grills in a large garbage bag. Then spray the contents with oven cleaner or sudsy ammonia (avoid the fumes, of course), close up the bag and let them sit overnight. A quick scrub with an SOS pad or steel wool and everything will look brand-new.” Thanks to Steve P.
TRAVEL TIP: The Delta area of Northern California is a wonderful place to boat or RV (or do both). The area covers a thousand-mile lazy labyrinth of rivers, sloughs and canal waterways with lots of small islands, cafes and small towns scattered about. The fishing is great, and so is the camping at many RV parks.
On this day last year…
- RV walk-through: Looking at the 2024 NeXus Rebel Super C 31R motorhome
- Ask Dave: Can you use Flex Seal on the RV roof? If not, then what?
- Featured article: How do I tell my partner that RVing isn’t for me?
Website of the day
Memory Games
This page on improvememory.org lists a bunch of games you can play online for free that will help improve your memory.
Trivia
It takes 3 gallons of milk to make one gallon of ice cream. 4.9 percent of Americans have ice cream in their freezers. Ice cream was first industrially produced in the U.S. in 1851.
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
Let your imagination soar… No, really… What the heck would you do with this? Sure, it is pretty cool, but…
Readers’ pet of the day
“This is our Stella (Beagle mix, 3.5 years old). We got her as a rehome request from a neighbor. While my husband was reluctant to get another dog, she quickly became Daddy’s girl. The two are now inseparable. She loves to walk around the campground and visit with other campers. She loves everyone!” —Dianne Bonito
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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Sorry but we have a home ice cream maker and do not need anywhere near 12 gallons of milk maybe thinking of cheese?
Thanks, Philip. It’s been corrected. Have a great day! 😀 -Diane at RVtravel.com
Not saying the trivia statement is wrong, but it could use some explanation.
Should have been 12 lbs or 3 gallons.
Milk weighs 8.6 lbs/gallon, so 12 lbs would be less than 1.5 gallons.
Thank you, Linda and Dan. I didn’t catch that error when I was looking for typos. It’s been corrected. Have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Stella – what a happy face! I bet everyone you meet at the campground loves you as well. Keep making memories with your people…don
I thought it looked like a “Can I have that treat?” face!
Stella is adorable!
Mystery product – intimidate rodents?
It was not fact checked as it only takes about 3 gallons of fresh milk to make one gallon of ice cream!
Snoopy
Hi, Snoopy. That’s true. I only proofed it for typos, not knowing I should have checked the info that someone put in there. It’s been corrected. Have a great day! 😀 –Diane
A “gallon of ice cream” (U.S.) is a measure of volume, but the ingredients and the air whipped into it (called overrun) mean it contains much less actual milk than a gallon of liquid milk.
So, roughly 1 gallon of milk (plus cream) is needed to produce 1 gallon of ice cream, though in practice dairies often use a mix of milk, cream, and concentrated milk products to fine-tune the texture and fat content.
From ChatGPT…
What they mean is it takes the cream from 12 gallons of milk leaving the skim milk to be reused for bottling. Actually most milk have cream removed then making all milk skim milk before some cream is added back to make to different grades of milk,
12 cups of milk, not gallons. But personally I use a combination of cream and milk.
Thanks, Karin! It’s been corrected. Have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Bet you never anticipated the hubbub😉
🤣 Just part of the job. If I had been diligent, I would have double-checked the info. Unfortunately, I assumed whoever put that in there knew what they were talking about, so I focused on typos. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to thoroughly investigate everything everyone writes.🤯 (Although, if something doesn’t sound right to me I will look it up and change it, if necessary. But I haven’t made ice cream for more than a half-century(!), and it was much smaller batches, so I didn’t check the quantity that was stated.🙄) The comments did make me hungry for ice cream, however. Have a good evening/night, Cindy. 😀 –Diane
Thank you, Emily and Diane! What a beautiful picture of sweet Stella, Dianne! Thank you for sharing it and I hope that you have many wonderful trips together. Have a great weekend and safe travels!
That also happened in Belleville Michigan. They said they were renovating it and moved all their services to Chelsea Michigan. Last I heard they never reopened that building. Kind of tragic the ceo thinks people will drive to another camping world or other RV repair place. It is a gut punch to realize you have no idea where your next paycheck is coming from.
❤️ Stella!
thanks for sharing Dianne!