America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 2872 • New issue every weekday
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Today’s thought
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” —Anne Frank
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Tater Day! (Scroll down for some “tater” recipes.)
On this day in history: 1889 – The Eiffel Tower is officially opened.
Tip of the day
An easy fix to stop towed vehicle rattle
There are a lot of anti-rattle devices on the market, all aimed at limiting or removing the “clunk” from the loose-fitting tow hardware and stopping that towed vehicle rattle. Anybody who has towed anything recognizes that annoying clank-whack-thunk when you stop, start, go around a turn, back up, etc.
Unfortunately, it’s not only annoying, it can also actually cause towing problems. The loose linkage can cause erratic auxiliary braking behavior, trailer wander, and toad wander, not to mention additional wear on components from all the slapping around. Here’s what to do about it.
Article and video
Check out the BougeRV portable camping shower—propane- and lithium-powered
A portable shower only earns its place in camp gear if it heats fast, packs small, and doesn’t fight back every time the water stops. That is what makes the updated BougeRV portable camping shower and propane water heater interesting. HOBOTECH tested it as a battery-powered, propane-fed shower for RV, van, and off-grid use. On paper, it fixes a lot of the usual camping shower hassles. The real test was how it handled setup, heat, flow, and stop-and-start use. Here are the results.
ENDS TODAY!!
Big Amazon spring RV gear sale is wrapping up!
The big Amazon spring RV gear sale is underway, BUT ENDS TODAY. If you’ve put off replacing worn-out gear, this is the time to take a look. We sifted through pages of items and found a handful that RVers use every trip—water, waste, setup and safety gear. Check out our favorite picks or see everything on sale here.
Featured article
I’m writing this from the doctor’s office. Snowbirds, beware of skin cancer
By Nanci Dixon
I am writing this from the doctor’s office, where I am waiting to have a procedure done that will cut out the skin cancer I recently discovered on my body. Being a native northern Minnesotan who has not experienced the sun’s rays like the Southwesterners do, I was diligent about UV exposure but, evidently, not diligent enough. While this is the “best” kind of skin cancer to get, it is definitely better to not get it at all! Continue reading Nanci’s important message.
Ask Dave
What are the white flakes in my RV’s tap water? Are they dangerous?
COMPOSTABLE PODS FOR YOUR KEURIG: Ditch the plastic! Good coffee, good for the environment.
Reader poll
For couples: Do you go to bed at the same time as your partner?
WOW! Did you know we’ve run more than 5,000 polls on RVtravel.com over the years? Check ’em out! Have fun!
Quick tip
Banish RV slideout squeaks
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Many an RVer has been driven to distraction by a squeaky slideout. There’s just something jarring to the nerves about this noise. Perhaps it’s the same affliction that hits us when fingernails are drawn across a chalkboard. What’s to be done to exorcise those squeaks?
First, with your slideout extended, take a close look at the slideout support arms. If you spot any “wear marks” (like those pointed out by the arrow in the photo), it’s a good indication of a primary source of nasty noise. Grab a can of spray-on dry lube. Shoot the wear marks thoroughly, then using a clean, dry cloth, wipe down the excess. Dry lube sprays are preferable to “wet” lubes as they are less likely to attract dust and dirt. You’ll also find it useful to shoot the “teeth” on your slideout mechanism, if there are any.
Other anti-squeak tricks include ensuring that the squeak doesn’t emanate from contact between the slideout seal and the sidewall of the slide. With the slide extended, wash and dry the sidewalls, then apply the appropriate wax for the wall surface.
Are ye ol’ eyes giving you problems? Is the small type getting too small to read? (It happens to the best of us.) This will save your day.
On this day last year…
- Tip: Amazon Prime perks every RVer should know about
- Ask Dave: Technical follow-up on lithium battery storage in an RV
- Article & video: How to score crowded National Park campgrounds reservations
- Featured article: A haunting encounter and a personal journey to confronting homelessness
Website of the day
Yelp’s Top 100 Taco Eateries in America
Ready for a taco? With 100 of the best taco spots in America on this list, there has to be one near you! We think you should go on a taco adventure today or this week and try one… or a few!
FUNNY T-SHIRT OF THE DAY: Nearly every RVtravel.com guy (or gal!) qualifies to wear this shirt. We earned the right! What a hoot!
And the survey says…
We’ve polled RVtravel.com readers more than 5,000 times in recent years. Here are a few things we’ve learned about them:
• 80 percent carry an air compressor for their tires with them on their RV travels.
• 12 percent say their RV’s tires are seven years or older.
• 8 percent have, at one time, worked at a McDonald’s.
Recent poll: Have you ever had a problem with an RV slideout that delayed your travel?
Trivia
In frontier days, inns were places where people stayed during their travels and gathered to drink beer and liquor. Mugs of beer came in only two sizes, pints and quarts. If a customer got a little rowdy, the bartender told the person to mind their P’s and Q’s. This meant to remember how much they had drank. Today, the phrase means to “mind your manners.”
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
Don’t show this one to the kids… or maybe do. Well, at least you’ll laugh… maybe not them… (We laughed.)
Recipes of the day
Celebrate “taters”!
- Not-your-average baked potato-themed recipes
- What’s one thing all these recipes have in common? Mashed potatoes!
- Sweet potato recipes
- Yummy tater tot recipes (Hint: perfect for game days!)
Readers’ pets of the day
“Levi and Seneca (Standard Manchester Terriers, both age 8) are high-speed couch potatoes. British stable dogs bred to kill rats. Very fast and super high prey drive. They’re about 25 lbs. each.” —John Van Hengel
Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. We publish one each weekday in RV Daily Tips and in our Sunday RV Travel newsletter. No blurry photos, please! Please do not submit your photo more than once. Thanks!
• Pet Food and all pet products at Amazon
• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. You’ll love it.
FREE IS GOOD! From April 1 to April 28, Subway Sub Club members can buy one footlong deal at Subway and get one free.
Leave here with a laugh
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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Sorry, but “mind your P’s and Q’s came from PRINTING and NOT from DRINKING!
Lower case p’s and q’s are almost mirror images, therefore making it very easy to place the wrong letter in the wrong place. Remember, the type-setters had to “read” the letters BACKWARDS when placing them in the press.
The “drinking story” is something that more of us can relate to so that is why, more likely than not, it is so often repeated!
This makes much more sense.
Far better explanation than pints and quarts. Especially because pints and quarts is the same number of syllables as Ps and Qs,…. why abbreviate it?
😎✌️
There are solar powered bags, one side clear, the other side black, that work without any additional power input. Gravity does the water flow work.
I had a hot shower every other day on many military deployments, including Desert Storm.
I had one on my sailboat. Worked very well.
Beautiful pups. I thought they were dobies till I read the rest of post.!
Interesting that 80% carry an air compressor for their tires, but do they actually use it? I have never seen anyone, other than myself, use one. I feel guilty for the noise, but better safe than sorry!
I have used mine more times than I remember for the car and motorhome.
I have a large compressor at home, which I use for setting my tire pressures. The compressor I carry is only for emergencies on the road. In four years, I’ve only needed to use it once, and it was only due to a loose valve core that created a very slow leak. So far, no flats.
Levi and Seneca are beautiful dogs. I love their ears. They look bigger than 25 lbs each. May you all have many wonderful trips together.
Levi and Seneca are sleek and beautiful although I thought they were dobermans, apologies. Keep on camping.