America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 2956 • New issue every weekday
Today’s thought
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Coffee Milkshake Day! Yummy!
On this day in history: 1940 – The animated short “A Wild Hare” is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny.
Tip of the day
How to quickly clean up an oil-on-concrete spill
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
A lot of RVers are DIYers, do-it-yourselfers. Face it, with the build quality and reliability of today’s RVs, you have to defend yourself somehow! Part of the DIY process may include an oil change for the motorhome or tow vehicle. But what happens when, yikes!, oil spills on your concrete driveway or garage floor? Here are some winning tips for oil-on-concrete cleanup.
More tips from this weekend you may have missed:
- What each dashboard warning icon means
- More than one-third of RVtravel.com readers have evacuated a campground. Are you prepared?
- How to prevent rust from damaging your RV
- How to choose a watermelon: Three things to look for in perfect melons
RV review
2027 inTech Aucta Sycamore debut–An upscale, no-slide trailer
A no-slide travel trailer can still feel open, comfortable, and ready for extended trips. The 2027 inTech Aucta Sycamore brings a 30-foot layout, off-road-ready hardware, flexible sleeping space, and upscale materials into a trailer that weighs about 7,000 pounds, depending on options. This one is nice. What do you think?
500 campgrounds worth the drive
In this comprehensive sequel to National Geographic’s best-selling 50 States, 5,000 Ideas, you’ll discover the 500 best camping destinations across the United States and Canada. You’ll find 10 featured campgrounds in every state, plus tips on what to do, where to eat, and must-see attractions nearby—from national parks to local gems. Learn more or order.
ABSOLUTELY TRUE: Visitors to downtown Missoula, Montana, might be surprised to see surfers riding the waves of an otherwise gentle Clark Fork River. It’s not a freak of nature, but rather the man-made Brennan’s Wave, built in the center of the city for the enjoyment of locals and visitors alike.
In the RV shop with Dustin
One of an RV technician’s most popular tools
Here, I show you a tool that is in every RV technician’s toolbox: a plastic scraper! It’s used for many kinds of repairs: decal removal, RV roof sealant removal, RV body silicone removal, to pop an RV molding, to install and remove RV insert moldings, and more. The list is long. Learn more about this tool here.
Article and video
RV property tax: Domicile strategies and costly mistakes
A $300,000 motorhome purchase can trigger far more than a one-time sales tax bill. In some states, the owner may also face annual personal property taxes, registration costs, and use-tax enforcement that add thousands of dollars to the cost of ownership. For full-timers and snowbirds, a legal domicile can make a major difference. However, the paperwork must match where the owner and RV truly live. Learn more.
The latest news for RVers
- Roundup of the recent developments in National Parks
- AI is creating fake RV dealerships. Here’s how to spot one
- More states are using speed limiters
- Starlink’s next upgrade may solve the one thing RVers still complain about
- Beyond the headlines with Tony Barthel: The dangers of hiking, propane explosions, another new RV and a new TPMS
- Ford recalls nearly 400,000 SUVs
To read more recent news, click here.
Featured article
Most used accessory: Camco’s flat-folding step stool for RVs
By Cheri Sicard
This little gadget is one of my most used RV accessories. The Camco folding step stool folds flat to be neatly tucked away into almost any closet or cubby and instantly unfolds into a sturdy step stool. When it’s time to put it away, just press in the hinged sides, which causes the hinged top to fold up. Couldn’t be easier. Read about many of its uses here.
BEST T-SHIRT FOR RVERS: Maybe your husband looks like this when he finally settles down at the campsite (wink), or maybe you just really like this “dude”. Either way, we love this shirt!
Ask Dave
Roof air conditioner smells like mold. How can we prevent mold?
BONUS QUICK TIP: If your RV fridge is struggling, check airflow behind it—blocked vents can reduce cooling by up to 30%.
Reader poll
How capable are you or your partner in making repairs to your RV?
Quick tip
When it’s time to replace a tire
Your tire’s tread is its grip on the road, especially important in bad weather. Keeping an eye on it ensures you have the impact and grip you need, whether you’re heading to work or speeding down an interstate. Once your tread wears down to 2/32nds of an inch, it’s time to visit your local tire shop. Here’s a quick, easy way to test it: Place a penny upside down into a tread groove. If part of Lincoln’s head is covered by the tread, you’re good to go. If you can see all of his head, it’s time for a new tire.
Website of the day
38 Popsicle Recipes to Help You Keep Cool This Summer
You’re never too old for a popsicle! Trust us, once you have homemade popsicles in your freezer, you’ll never want to be without them! And, they’re healthy! (Hey, speaking of popsicles, here’s the interesting story about how they were invented!)
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
Ever wonder how you can gain access to a nude beach without actually being nude? Welp, this will surely do the trick! [Unless you’re female. Just sayin’.]
Monday Motivation
“‘Monday Morning Blues?’ Why not change the color of your Monday to yellow and brighten up the coming week?” ―Kanika Saxena
SPEAKING OF MONDAY… You deserve a cookie. Why? We don’t know. We just know you do. So go have one—and if anyone asks why, tell them we said you earned it.
Trivia
The African Grey parrot is widely regarded as the most advanced talking bird, capable of learning hundreds of words, understanding context, and mimicking human emotions. For sheer vocabulary volume, the budgie (a parakeet to most of us) holds the world record with over 1,700 words, while Amazon parrots are famous for opera singing.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Here’s Charlie Brown (Hound/Collie mix, almost 15) playing security guard to our Safari Trek earlier this week. We did a ‘shakedown cruise’ (the RV is new to us), and he did great despite the horrendous heat here in South Carolina. This trip was just 20 miles away from home lol! Charlie has been all over the U.S. with me/us!! I adopted him when he was 10 weeks old.” —Kathy Mandell
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!
• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. You’ll love it.
Leave here with a laugh
Take an extra 10% off a GhostBed luxury RV mattress!
The GhostBed RV mattress is 10” deep, crafted with gel memory foam for coolness, has 3 layers of luxurious comfort and is perfectly sized for your RV! Ahhhh… Wake up relaxed and rejuvenated. RVtravel.com readers now get an EXTRA 10% OFF a GhostBed Luxury RV Mattress! CLICK HERE and use code RVTRAVEL10. Watch RVtravel.com’s Tony Barthel’s RV mattress review here.
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 Staff
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A friend told me to wipe up any spilled oil on concrete driveway, squirt a little Dawn on it, leave it and it will be gone after the next rain. Of course I let it set a couple of days and washed it off with garden hose. All gone
If it’s good enough for ducks, it’s good enough or your driveway.
You will probably never get it all off though.
You can also buy a roll of ‘paper’ floor protection at the local big box store.
Lay it down before you start.
…or a flattened out cardboard box destined for the recycle bin.
But don’t put that cardboard in the recycling if it has oil on it.
Cat litter has always worked for me.
Charlie Brown might look like he is lying down on the job, but I bet he’ll jump up at slightest sound. Many more happy travels together.
Where do you get a penny to measure thread depth?
what other coin will work?
Quarter
Almost all tires have wear bars built into the tread. When the tread gets down to the wear bars (little ridges perpendicular between treads) replace. Of course many RV tires age out vs wear out.
read the article about the step stool. I tried to add a “heads up” comment and found new comments could not be made. Most comments were 3 years old! Any way, I have purchased a couple of these LITTLE stools to help see into the bed and uncouple my fifth wheel. Both of them collapsed with me on it. Before you tell me I need a diet, I weight 170lbs so you campers out there need to be aware of the limitations of these stools
Agreed. I don’t like anything plastic that I’m about to step on. I have a metal one stepper, with folding legs, I use for my 5th wheel duties. Like this one from Amazon https://amzn.to/3Tiulyh
Charlie Brown is adorable! Your Isuzu Trek is good looking too. If you don’t know about it, be sure to check out trektraxs.com where there is a world of information and help available for your unique rv. There are also Isuzu Trek newsletters at the NWTFC (Northwest Trek Fun Club) website with tons of useful stuff https://nwtfc.com/isuzu-infoletters/letter-48/
My husbands parents had I think two African grays. I know one died and the other after his mother died his brother adopted the bird. I think he was almost 40 when it died. Those birds have long life spans. Buddy was a great bird or so my husband says. As for RV repairs? I have a RV repair guy on speed dial.
When checking tire tread, look around the edge of the tire near the tread. You will see small diamond shapes. These point to the wear bars on the tread.
As noted below, that tire tip really shouldn’t be included in an RV related publication without emphasizing that RV tire more often age out than wear out, and you should include some information about tire aging.