America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 2834 • New issue every weekday
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Today’s thought
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Weatherperson’s Day! Thank you, meteorologists!
On this day in history: 1971 – Astronauts land on the moon in the Apollo 14 mission.
Tip of the day
Awning tear? Fix it yourself
By Gail Marsh
After almost a week of overcast skies, the sun finally appeared. I was excited to finally unfurl our RV awning! Out, out, out it went. And then… you guessed it! An awning tear. Sunlight glinted through the small rip, confirming my distress. A tear. Now what? Well, you have to find the right fix for your awning… Continue reading for an easy fix.
Article and video
On-demand water heater do’s and don’ts
A lot of RV owners think their tankless on-demand water heater is broken, but most of the time, it isn’t. In the video at the end of this post, Josh the RV Nerd at Bish’s RV says the real problem is simple: Owners were never shown how these systems are meant to be used. In most cases, the heater is working exactly how it was designed. The issue is that… Continue reading.
Featured article
How to make lasting friendships with other RVers
By Nanci Dixon
We are grateful to have made a few long-lasting friendships while RVing. They are people we stay in contact with and even do meetups every once in a while. How can we build on those relationships and continue to make friends as older adults? Here are some tips for making new friends and staying connected.
Angry Mama steam cleans your microwave in minutes!
Just add vinegar and water to the Angry Mama microwave steam cleaner and watch her make your microwave appear brand-new! Place her in the microwave for a few minutes and then easily wipe away all the gunk! She might be angry, but she gets the job done! Learn more or order for a great price.
Ask Dave
Is it better to use nitrogen in my tires?
Dave thoroughly covers this topic here.
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED… what it would be like if ChatGPT planned your road trip? Well, we put it to the test, and it did surprisingly, um, well (like, really well?). Read our story here.
Reader poll
Have you recently quit associating with someone over differing political beliefs?
Quick tip
Rig looking tacky? Try Blue Beacon
Been on the road a bit too long and the grime is sticking to your motorhome or trailer? There’s probably a Blue Beacon Truck Wash near you. Are they worth it? Many RVers say they do a good job, and prices starting at $25.30 for a trailer and topping out at $47.20 for a BIG motorhome are seemingly reasonable. They won’t wash (but will rinse) your roof. Many RVers suggest you ask them to only use the brush on tires and wheels. Drying? That’s the 60-miles-per-hour down the interstate method. But, hey, compared to a couple hundred or better for the guy to come to your site and do it, what do you want? More than 110 locations; open 24/7. Here’s their website. —Russ and Tiña De Maris
On this day last year…
- RV review: This Vibe travel trailer is anything but traditional
- Ask Dave: RV’s hot water lines aren’t working. Could water heater tank be frozen?
- Article & video: Bambi vs. Basecamp—Which tiny Airstream is better?
- Featured article: Scrubba Bag—Laundry washboard in a bag for quick washes
If you find this newsletter helpful, entertaining, or informational, please consider supporting our staff’s work producing it 260 days of the year with a donation of your choice. Thank you very much for your readership and support.
Website of the day
FBI Kidnappings & Missing Persons
We highly recommend you keep an eye on this page. As constantly traveling RVers with our eyes all over the country, we have a good chance of bringing some of these people home.
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
All y’all cowboys and cowgirls are going to love this! We could have used it as our laugh of the day, too. It’s funny!
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:
• 13 percent have been bitten by a wild animal.
• 10 percent say they play board games in their RV very often, and another 18 percent say they play them every once in a while.
• 16 percent admit to singing in the shower.
Recent poll: Do you have a ‘junk drawer’ in your RV?
Trivia
Campers who earn more than $100,000 a year are twice as likely to not show up for a reserved campsite than campers with incomes less than $50,000. —The Dyrt
For Lovers Only
TO: Wilma
FROM: Fuzzy
“To my precious, In love with you forever and a day!!!”
TO: Danger Haze
FROM: Babe
“Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life and the best travel companion ever. Here’s to many more adventures!”
Listen up, romantics. Valentine’s Day is coming up. If you have a special someone you’d like to surprise with a secret message right here on this website (could be your wife, husband, partner, child, neighbor, friend, etc.) submit it to us here. Oh, how fun it will be when they read it! We’ll feature these daily in our upcoming newsletters.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Buster (breed: ‘Travel Cat’, age 3.5) has now been in 10 western states (some twice or more).” —Steve Lane
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!
Buster deserves his own Costco. What!?! Yep, that’s right. Cats can now sleep in their very own Catsco/Costco home, hot dog and all. This is hilarious!
FREE IS GOOD! Are you feeling lucky? Do you like McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets®? How about caviar? How about a FREE first-ever McDonald’s McNugget® Caviar kit featuring caviar, a $25 Arch Card® for Chicken McNuggets, plus crème fraîche and a Mother of Pearl caviar spoon to top it all off? Learn about this limited offer here, and at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 10, click on McNuggetCaviar.com to order. (If you’re lucky and get a kit, let us know how it tastes.🤔)
Leave here with a laugh
“I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They’ve experienced pain and bought jewelry.” —Rita Rudner
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
THIS MAP UPDATES TWICE A DAY
Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
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RVtravel.com All-Star Team
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Todays trivia speaks volumes!!!!!
And not in a very nice way!
Buster (breed: ‘Travel Cat’). The breed cracked me up. Buster looks so handsome in his bow tie. Many more happy travels for you and Buster.
Today’s Trivia makes sense. Those who have less, waste less. It is sad though that people who can’t keep their reservation don’t cancel so others can reserve that site.
Old surveys: only 13% have been bitten by a wild animal? Aren’t mosquitoes and the like animals?
Insects
i thought the same, and a quick search shows insects are considered animals.
In that case it should be over 90%, or one would think so.
Air vs. Nitrogen I have an air compressor at home. I don’t have nitrogen bottles and have never seen it available while traveling !
To comment on todays poll question. I have quit associating with a country, but still love the people in it!🇨🇦
Today’s Thought – “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”, doesn’t make sense. If you didn’t hope for more in the past, then you likely wouldn’t have what you have now.
The 13% bitten by a wild animal seems low. I have been bitten multiple times: bat, snakes, birds, mostly when I was a kid but some as an adult.
That number amounts to an average. Many people go through life without ever being bitten by a wild animal. Given that most people in the country live in cities, it’s not surprising.
If you check the reviews of the “Angry Mama”, you’ll see several people reporting that it melted, caused fires, and/or killed their microwave!
I bought one in a moment of weakness. Tossed it the same day after trying it.
Buster is adorable especially with his bow tie and so well traveled. I’m sure he has some swooning ladies. Keep on camping.
When I had blue beacon wash my semi I always had rain x put on it too, looked like it was just waxed, lasted about a week or so but it was usually dirty by then but the water still beaded up, also some beacons will put tire dressing on for a extra charge, I’m not sure if they still do that anymore, if not just carry a bottle of tire dressing with you if you’re particular like I am! I’m crazy like that!
I’m still trying to eliminate the swirl marks on my RV after a visit to Blue Beacon. Single trial learning experience for me.
Angry Mama. Given as a gift, I gifted it to recycle would rather had the $9.
A Blue Beacon in Ohio coated my 5th wheel with a film which only becomes less obvious with an inordinate amount of scrubbing. More than a year later I am still trying to recover from the damage. They refused a refund. The most they would offer were coupons for two free washes.