America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 2825 • New issue every weekday
If you find this newsletter helpful, please consider supporting our staff’s work producing it 260 days of the year with a donation of your choice.
Today’s thought
“There are no happy endings.
Endings are the saddest part,
So just give me a happy middle
And a very happy start.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Pie Day!
On this day in history: 1957 – American inventor Walter Frederick Morrison sells the rights to his flying disc to the Wham-O toy company, which later renames it the “Frisbee”.
Tip of the day
An easy, quick way to fill your RV’s toilet bowl
By Nanci Dixon
This tip seemed so simple, I hesitated to write about it. But since it has saved us a lot of work and quickened the toilet fill, I thought you should know about it, too.
RV toilet bowls, unlike home toilets, require a manual fill with water. Holding down a lever to get sufficient water into the bowl requires some patience and time. Continue reading.
RV review
2026 Forest River Campsite Ultra 25JT: Compact living that thinks big
The 2026 Forest River Campsite Ultra 25JT could make the perfect downsizing RV for a couple or single traveler. The floorplan features a rear-living layout with a roomy kitchen island and two opposing slides, which gives couples plenty of living space. Check it out.
‘Telescoping magnetic grabber saves money and my day’
Earlier this week, my car battery died, and my dad (our publisher, Chuck) helped me replace it. Just as he tightened the last screw, a metal piece slipped and disappeared deep into the engine bay. With the battery barely secure, we headed to the auto parts store where a clerk said, “Wait! I have a tool for that!” and brought out his magnetic grabber device. He poked it into the depths of the hood… and, boom, the piece instantly attached to the strong magnet! Problem solved! I suggest we ALL carry this in our toolkits from now on…
In the RV shop with Dustin
Identifying different types of RV vent hinges
In this DIY RV repair article and accompanying video, we will guide you through identifying different types of vent hinges. From standard vent lid covers to unbreakable ones, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to identify yours.
Article and video
10 unusual places to visit in Florida
This video from Sunshine State Insider proves there is far more to Florida than Disney World! It shares ten unusual places you probably did not even realize existed. Check it out when planning your next Florida trip. These would be fun to visit!
Featured article
The joys of snowbirding in Baja California, Mexico
By Cheri Sicard
As miles of nearly deserted pristine sand beach stretch before me, accessed from directly outside my RV’s door, I can’t help but wonder at the appeal of setting up RV camp in a dusty desert town in Arizona for the winter, as so many snowbirding RVers do. Give me Baja California, Mexico, any day. It’s cheap, it’s beautiful, there is a lot to see and do, the food is amazing, and so is the laidback lifestyle. And despite what you may have heard, it’s safe. More on snowbirding in beautiful Baja here.
Ask Dave
Why does RV air conditioner ‘cycle’ several times before staying on?
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- Airstream first to get new power system to extend off-grid stays
- 2026 Rockwood Ultra Lite 301FKT: Wide-body, no-slide trailer
- It’s true: RVers are encouraging bad-quality RVs
- RV spare parts you should always carry
- A look at the Winnebago Thrive: New line, big ideas
- Costco enters RV sales through new Camping World partnership
- California opens farms and ranches to camping under new law
The ‘Fasta Pasta’ pasta cooker cooks pasta perfectly; minimal water and no propane
Nanci Dixon writes, “This is my new favorite ‘As seen on TV’ pasta cooker. It really is perfect for the RV!” To cook the perfect pasta all you do is add pasta, water, and microwave. It uses little water and no propane—no “real” cooking involved. Read Nanci’s review of it here or order one here. It’s great!
Reader poll
What will today’s high temperature be for where you are right now?
Quick tip
Avoid over-ambitious, and annoying, smoke detector noise
We’ve heard complaints from readers about smoke detectors that go off when you’re preparing a (maybe overdone) meal. Reader “jmurri” sends their thought: “The smoke detector was mounted three feet from the stove on both trailers that I have owned, making noise when cooking. My solution was to purchase a First Alert detector that twists off the base that is mounted on the ceiling. Before cooking, I remove the alarm and place it on the dining table. When we clean the table after dinner it goes back up.”
Website of the day
sommsation
This one is for the wine drinkers out there… This is so neat! Get your friends or family together, even if they’re scattered around the country or globe, and enjoy a sommelier-led wine tasting class (all virtual). We’ll join you—Cheers!
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
How do we feel about this? Ermmmm… we’re not quite sure. We’re also not quite sure what it would be like to go to the bathroom after this… (There, we said it!)
Trivia
The deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history was a… forest fire? Volcanic eruption? Earthquake? Hurricane? If you guessed hurricane, you’re correct. Called the Great Galveston Hurricane, the Category 4 storm ripped through Galveston, Texas, in 1900. When it made landfall, it had a peak wind speed of 145 mph. The storm destroyed more than 3,600 homes and killed about 8,000 people. That makes it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
Readers’ pet of the day
“This is our wonderful Seal Point Siamese, Chelsea. Put her new hat on for the Christmas spirit. Well, maybe she will get into the spirit. Right then, she was thinking, ‘What is this!!’ Great expression looking at the ball of the hat. She is such a joy to have. Very smart and loving.” —Richard Vincent
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!
• Pet Food and all pet products at Amazon
Bored? Not for long! Here’s a list of every article and newsletter recently published on RVtravel.com. We don’t know what bored is around here—we never stop working! You’ll have fun looking through all these articles, and we bet you’ll learn something, too.
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.
Chelsea is beautiful and looks like she is a lot of fun – ready to grab that hat ball
While the mica used to add sparkle to the “Mystery Product” is food safe, I can’t think of a single good reason to eat it.
Chelsea is beautiful and she definitely wants that ball badly. I bet she is a joy to be around. Cats can be so cuddly and affectionate and so smart. Keep on camping.
In regards to the quick tip of the smoke detector, I use a plastic shower cap over the unit when I cook. The disposal shower caps are what some hotels give you in your room but you can get them at the dollar tree and walmart also. That way you don’t need to remove a battery or take the unit down.
The smoke detector stunts being performed can become dangerous and/or deadly. The correct thing to do is turn on your vent fan above the stove, and crack open a window on the opposite side of the Rv. This will allow air flow to push all the grease laden vapors outside.
The tip of the day makes no sense. How does getting a cup of water from the sink help flush a toilet and prevent using the foot level to flush? You have to use the lever to flush. Seems a new flush valve is needed, not getting cups of water from the sink. How inconvenient.
Normally I would agree with you, but for us, there is a millimeter of distance between holding the pedal to fill and opening the flap. Using water from the sink allows me to fill the bowl to the level I want.
I am a paid subscriber on auto-pay. This morning I tried to read this newsletter, as well as the article on Baja, on my iPhone. The adds were so bad I had to give up. The screen was constantly reloading with adds, jumping around in the text. I assumed the “Add-Free” feature extended to all my devices. If so, something is amiss. If not, PHOOEY! With discontent.
As has been mentioned many, many times…. the ad free versions only apply to the main news letter on Sat and Sun. And yes, as long as you sign in, the newsletter is available on any device.
Had the same issue Richard until I used the Duck Duck Go browser. Eliminates ads and lets the newsletter flow very nicely.
I find todays trivia kind of ironic because we are in direct path of this epic snowstorm. Bring it on. I have everything I need.
23° below zero here. I’d LOVE to get all the way up to zero! But the sun is out, so there’s that
Featured article The Joys of Snowbirding in Baja California, Mexico
This article is from 2024, and the comments are over a year old! Given the amount of drug gang violence South of the border today you would have to be nuts to travel there now…especially without any means to defend yourself. There are still plenty of places in the USA that I have yet to see…Mexico is not one of them.
In regards to Today’s Thought. I guess he never made the last payment on his home mortgage!!
The laugh of the day is more of a fact as it applies to me! I subscribe to it! Wish I could make it reality!
In regards to the Trivia of the day, there is an excellent book about the storm, Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. I highly recommend this book and all of his books. I have enjoyed and learned so much from his books!
Missed the National Pie Day.