America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 2873 • New issue every weekday
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Today’s thought
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National I Love RVtravel.com Day! April Fools! (But you do, right?)
On this day in history: 1976 – Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple Computer, Inc.
Tip of the day
How safe is the RV park water you are using? You sure it’s safe?
Recently, Robin Barrett of Creativity RV noticed the water in the RV park where she was staying tasted a little funky. So, she decided to test the RV park water, and what she discovered was shocking, including disturbing levels of sulfate and bacteria, including E. coli. WOW!
In this video (and article), Robin talks about the four potential sources of RV water and the tests she did to determine her RV water safety. She also talked about what she learned about water regulation and safety, a lot of which surprised her. This is important!
RV review
This PinDrop teardrop trailer fixes small camper frustrations
Most teardrop trailers ask campers to accept trade-offs. They save space, but they often shrink the kitchen, water supply, and storage right along with it. The PinDrop teardrop trailer, on the other hand, takes a different path. They kept the simple teardrop shape, then rebuilt the parts that usually annoy people at camp. The result feels less like a tiny trailer with compromises, and more like a small rig shaped by someone who cooks, camps, and pays attention. Check it out.
FACTOID: How many peanuts does it take to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter? About 540 peanuts.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Look out for sagging slide-out roofs!
Be on the lookout for sagging slide-out roofs! Here is some basic information and reminders. If your slide-out roof is pooling water, make sure to check it as soon as possible. The last thing you want is structural damage to the middle of the slide-out. Sagging can cause additional water to collect and cause damage. Continue reading.
Article and video
How to roll a hose properly—easy method to end kinks and knots
Are you tired of struggling with your RV’s hoses? Do they kink or knot? Is there anything more frustrating than wrestling with a tangled, kinked hose? No more. In the video below, Jason Samkowiak of Samko Trad Bow shows us how to roll a hose the proper way. Yes, the proper way!
The best book for National Forest Camping
The U.S. Forest Service manages nearly 193 million acres of public land in 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. These areas provide many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Forest Service areas offer some of the best camping experiences in the United States. In this directory, you’ll discover 4,108 select camping areas at 141 forests in 42 states. Learn more or order.
Featured article
Death Valley isn’t dead: The magic of the life inside our great national park
By Chris Epting
I think that it’s time to rename Death Valley. Yes, I know the moniker has all that great foreboding mystique. Yes, the name itself is probably what draws many of the visitors in the first place. After all, when you tell people you’re going to “Death Valley” it’s a statement—a marker that says you’re interested in exploring the edge. … Death Valley teems with life of all sorts. Much of it is stealthy and subtle, but it is there, impressive, and often surreal and unforgettable. Read more.
Tanner Toons
with Tanner Woods
Ask Dave
Do RV dealers “exercise” the slides and maintain the roofs on lot inventory?
HA… HA… The world’s largest RV was built in Australia in 2013. The RV contained seven bedrooms, three bathrooms (including two jacuzzi tubs), a rooftop pool, which converted into a helipad, a pop-up outdoor pig enclosure for the family’s five potbelly pigs, and a 124-gallon aquarium, which they would use as their fresh water tank when they boondocked. The name on the license plate? JUSTKDN. April Fools!!!!
Reader poll
What do you do most nights after dinner?
FUNNY MUG OF THE DAY: You came, you saw, you read this, you laughed… Click here.
Quick tip
Why you should carry an extra LP detector
“As we have learned the hard way, RV gas detectors tend to start malfunctioning after only a year or two of use. These ‘fun’ devices let you know they are malfunctioning by setting off a loud, non-stop alarm. To add to the fun, both times we experienced this were in the middle of the night. The gas detectors are simple to replace, so always having one on hand means you never have to travel without feeling completely safe.” Thanks to Christina Pate for the reminder. She has more tips on her blog, Travels With Ted. Here’s an LP detector from Amazon.
Website of the day
20 Epic Day Hikes in the National Parks (USA)
It’s April—Go outside! All of these hikes can be done in a day (although some are much more strenuous than others), so tie up your hiking boots and get out there!
Trivia
Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in our night sky, is about 764 times the size of our Sun, and 400-600 light-years away. [According to NASA, a light-year is the distance light travels in one year. Light zips through interstellar space at 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) per second and 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers) per year. Wow!]
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
You know about this, right? NO? If you don’t, well, get on it! It’s one of the best for a reason!
Readers’ pet of the day
“Abby (mix) is our shelter rescue we acquired when she was about 1-2 years of age. She loves to travel, but does not like other animals near our camper. She is now about 12 years old.” —Eric Podehl
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
• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. You’ll love it.
Leave here with a laugh
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
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RVtravel.com All-Star Team
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Abby protects her masters by keeping other animals away from the camper. She is showing loyalty to you for rescuing her. May you have many more wonderful adventures together.
Quick Tip: LP detector. Did you see the statement “Replace 60 months after retail sale”? No I don’t carry a spare. I will buy one no more than a couple months before expiration. And the retail sale date is not as important as the manufactured date, which should also be on the detector case.
Good point, but you can also get handheld gas detectors which are useful for checking a variety of areas such as storage bays, as well as providing backup to a typical wall-mounted detector. They’re inexpensive and work well.
Abby is gorgeous and a world class traveler. And it’s tough to keep all those other animals away. Thank you for rescuing, it’s always better to adopt than shop! Keep on camping.
I have read several of Bill Bryson’s books, but “A Walk in the Woods” has always been my favorite. One of the funniest scenes in the book was when Bryson and Katz spent a night in a hiking shelter with other hikers who had been very rude to them. They got up early the next morning and Katz removed the laces from all of their those hikers’ boots before they left. For anyone who enjoys hiking, this book is an entertaining adventure!
Every camper needs someone on guard! Lol she’s just watching out for her family.
In my personal experience with loves I do not recommend it. Especially after what happened with me. When I called the police they said it is nothing but a den of thieves. Especially in Colorado. So when in doubt find somewhere else. IMO not yours