America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 2921 • New issue every weekday
This free edition is made possible by 6% of our readers who support RV Travel with a voluntary subscription. Advertising helps, but that alone is not sufficient.
Today’s thought
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words, like ‘What about lunch?'” —A. A. Milne
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Best Friends Day!
On this day in history: 1949 – George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” is published in the United States.
Tip of the day
How to contain and organize RV kitchen utensils
By Gail Marsh
Perhaps you’ve been there: a darting deer with a death wish forces you to brake suddenly, and crash! All of your kitchen utensils jump, tip, or fly into the air and flop off the counter onto who-knows-where on the floor.
We all need and use kitchen utensils. The trouble is that many RV kitchens offer very little storage space for them. Let’s look at ways to solve this common problem.
More tips from this weekend you may have missed:
- How to visualize an RV makeover or renovation using AI
- How to keep ants out of your RV, and what to do if they get in
- Preventing roof leaks in a way you may not have considered
- What to do if you forget your RV keys at home
- Quick tip: Try this! Labeling your supplies will save you lots of time
RV review
The Kimberley Kube: A 2,500-pound off-road teardrop
For a lightweight, basic, hard-sided camper, let’s take a look at the Kimberley Kube. The Kimberley Kube is built for campers moving up from roof tents and small tent trailers, but who still want real off-road gear. The result is a compact camper that feels much bigger than its footprint, and it has finally made its way to the U.S.!
Jar, bottle, and can opener good for weak hands
This 6-in-1 jar and bottle opener has eight sizes of circular openings, making the jar opener extremely convenient for opening small- and medium-sized lids. The hooks on the top can be used to open the large-size lids by breaking the air tightness, and can also be used to open the ring pull cans. Learn more or order.
In the RV shop with Dustin
How to replace your RV toilet
You often do not realize how important your RV toilet is until it’s not available. Let’s assume the toilet is non-repairable or that it’s just too old. Now it’s time to update the toilet. In most cases, a replacement is a relatively simple process. The hardest step of RV toilet replacement is deciding on the replacement and determining if it works in your RV. Continue reading.
Article and video
See what damage a bear can do to an RV
In today’s video, we meet Tim, who called the California Seawood Cape Preserve home, deep in the forest and far from city noise. One night, while out with some friends, he received a vague but worrying message: “Hey, not sure but it looks like something’s wrong with your RV’s roof.” That brief note hid much bigger problems. It wasn’t a towering grizzly but instead a determined and agile small black bear, driven by the lure of food, that managed to get on top of Tim’s trailer.
THE MORE YOU KNOW… The Earth travels about 1.6 million miles around the sun every single day. So even if you’re sitting still, you’re really moving.
The latest news for RVers
- YouTuber Will Prowse sued by Battle Born Battery/Dragonfly Energy
- What causes most RV fires? Here’s what firefighters say
- Persian Gulf oil disruptions could keep fuel prices high
- Why RVs can be road-rage targets on busy highways
- Beyond the headlines with Tony Barthel: Lippert retires, RVers’ economic impact, deaths in NPS
To read more recent news, click here.
Featured article
Why your RV’s GVWR is different than its GAWR
By Ross Regis
Alphabet soup is hard to choke down, I know. But if you can stomach the acronyms for a few minutes, I think you’ll learn something important about your RV’s weight capacity—and maybe save yourself a tire blowout along the way. Today’s question: Why does your RV’s GVWR not match its GAWR? In other words, why is your RV allowed to weigh more or less than what the axles can carry alone? Find out here. I break it down and make the math easy for you.
A big-trash-bin alternative
“I was struggling with keeping a trash receptacle in our motorhome…. I found this Glad Roomate Undercounter Waste Bin, in which regular plastic grocery bags fit perfectly. The lid opens two ways and can either clip to a door or drawer or be mounted with an adhesive strip.” Thanks for the tip, Chris (and Keri)!
Ask Dave
Another “race to the bottom” with “fast-install” outlets
Read Dave’s thoughts on those outlets here.
Reader poll
How do you feel about your RVer neighbors hanging out wind chimes?
Quick tip
Must-have safety equipment
Prepare for a breakdown or flat on the roadside: Carry a set of warning triangles like commercial truckers use. Folding ones don’t take much space, but their reflectors help out at night. Be sure to place them well behind your rig to give traffic plenty of warning of your presence. Thanks to George B. for the tip! (Editor: Here are some at Amazon.com.)
Really quick tip
Make your own travel cup
Glad Press’N Seal will easily turn any cup into a nice travel cup. Just pop a hole in the top with your straw, and you’re good to go.
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
Okay, ladies, this one is for you. You are going to LOVE this. (We mean LOVE this!) And men or partners, if you need a gift for your lady, this is it!
Website of the day
BringFido: Pet Friendly Campgrounds in the United States
BringFido is your resource for everything dog: best parks, dog-friendly restaurants, dog-friendly beaches… everything! But this specific page brings you to the best pet-friendly campgrounds across the U.S. These are nice!
Monday Motivation
Freedom means different things to different people. For RVers, it might be a quiet campsite beside a river, a mountain vista outside the windshield, or a desert sunset enjoyed from a camp chair. RVing offers a rare opportunity to choose where you wake up tomorrow. That freedom is precious. It reminds us that life is about more than routines and responsibilities. It is also about discovery, wonder, and joy. Appreciate the privilege of being able to travel and explore. Then make the most of every opportunity the road places before you.
Trivia
Pigs are highly intelligent. They’re often at the top of an animal intelligence ranking for their ability to manipulate their environment and understand symbols. Pigs can learn complex tasks, including playing video games. They’ve also been shown to possess a level of intelligence comparable to that of a 3-year-old human child. Pigs can respond to commands and exhibit emotional intelligence, showing empathy and forming strong social bonds.
Readers’ pets of the day
“T Rex (GSD, age 10) is my retired agility and dock diving dog, but still competes in barn hunt. Jinx (mixed breeds, 2) is my young dog just starting her agility career and also competes in barn hunt and dock diving. Simba (19) just went to the rainbow bridge this past Mother’s Day. All of them love going to new places and exploring.” —Mary Masters
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!
Leave here with a laugh
Our favorite guide and travel books, atlases, and more for RVers. Click here.
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 Staff
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
The “THE MORE YOU KNOW” seem incorrect. “… every single day”???
Seems right.
Yes. The sun is 96 million miles from earth so the orbit of the earth would be C(orbit) = 2 x 3.14 (π) x 96 (radius. Divide that by 365 days and you get about 1.61 million miles per day. C=2πr
“1984” sounds more and more like current times. Cameras and their data everywhere.
Yes, Big Brother is watching and recording.
So sorry to hear about Simba. 19 is pretty good for a cat, sounds like a full life.
“T Rex and Jinx wow and competitors too, as well as 1st class campers. I’m sure they seek out all kinds of new and exciting things And Simba, I’m so sorry for your loss, hold onto all those memories, as I’m sure you have quite a few. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous crew and keep on camping.
“Pet Friendly” in the hotel trade has shifted from meaning ‘pets are allowed’ to ‘pets are a profit center for us’. I get it there are poor pet owners and holding a deposit on a card for a day just in case is reasonable. But changing that from a deposit to a fee often as much as 50-60% of the non-pet charge (and still collecting a slow to return deposit) was a major incentive to towing a ‘rolling hotel room’ on our seasonal migration. [we store a large RV at our winter location]. Plus we are more likely to do mini-trips when we already have a small towable at hand. The pets also prefer the same ‘hotel room’ each night.
Red Roof Inn is our choice. It’s nobody’s idea of luxury, but pets are free and floors are vinyl, so there’s no wondering what level of ick the carpet holds.
Bringfido. Been using them for over 10 years. It is one hidden gem and treasure. Their customer service is just as great as their website. Could not recommend any higher. Especially if you need a bnb or as I say Canadians hiding their hidden treasures as well. Definitely worth a look or two.
Bring Fido? Always dogs this and that. How about a cat that weighs between twenty to forty pounds and has it’s teeth and claws. Give those dogs some exercise !
Thank you for sharing a picture of your pack, Mary. Very sorry, condolences to you upon the loss of Simba. Thank you, Emily and Diane, especially for the picture and caption reminding me of one thing lost with the advent of cell phones and the disappearance of landline phones, whether rotary or with keypads. My 94-years-of-age mother now has a cell phone, but the original rotary wall phone still hangs in the kitchen. It got there in July of 1957 and originally was on an 8-party line, then 4, and, once affluence grew sufficiently, became a single-party line . Have a great day and safe travels!
Hi, Neal. That reminds me of my folks’ old phone. They built their house in the middle of woods in the ’40s. Their phone number was EMerson 4584. When the area was developed (now Shoreline, north of Seattle) and they were surrounded by houses, the phone lines were different and we had to call our next door neighbors (100′ away) long distance! Have a great day! 😀 –Diane