Issue 863 • March 12, 2018
This newsletter is brought to you Monday through Thursday by RVtravel.com and is funded primarily through voluntary subscription contributions from our readers. Thank you!
RVing Tip of the Day
For the majority of folks, buying a damaged RV and fixing it up is an absolutely terrible idea. Why do I say that? Several reasons come to mind.Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
IF YOU APPRECIATE THIS NEWSLETTER and others from RVtravel.com, will you please consider pledging your support? Even $5, $10 or $20 is appreciated. Many readers set up an ongoing contribution, typically $5 to $10 a month. Your contributions make it possible for us to produce 25 highly informative newsletters every month. Learn more or contribute.
Keep your food cool
with this RV fridge fan
Every RV refrigerator should have one of these!
This small refrigerator fan from Valterra Products will help keep the food in your RV fridge cool and from spoiling. It cuts down initial cool-down time by 50 percent. Runs for more than 30 days on 2 D batteries. Don’t leave home without this! Learn more or order from Amazon.com.
QUICK TIPS
“Whitening” discolored exterior plastic
Exterior plastic on your RV discolored? Some RVers say if it’s white plastic, try spraying it with water with a little bit of Rit brand blue dye. Be sure to mask off any unaffected areas with shop towels taped into place to keep the solution from drooling down where it shouldn’t.
“Exercise” your generator – Part 2With electricity expert, Mike SokolÂ
Part 1: Don’t just exercise the pooch, exercise the generator, too. Fire it up and run it at half-load (or more) for two hours each month. Part 2: The best way to exercise your generator is with a high-load device like an electric heater. A standard 1,500-watt ceramic heater that you can buy for about $30 (the last we checked) is a great load. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to drain and run out the last of the gasoline at the end of the season, or add the proper amount of STA-BIL® Fuel Stabilizer.
Cut down on interior condensation
Winter condensation issues driving you out of your RV? You can’t stop breathing, so cut it off somewhere else. One way is to avoid using a non-vented space heater (Blue flame or catalytic) – each gallon of LP burned releases three quarts of water into your interior atmosphere!
HOT TOPIC AT RV TRAVEL.COM
Astronomy for RVers: Catch a shooting star.
Endorsed by RV tire safety authority Roger Marble
An excellent tire pressure gauge
The Accutire MS-4021B digital tire pressure gauge has an easy-to-read LCD display that provides pressure readings from 5-150 PSI. It’s ergonomically designed with an angled head and a rubber-coated easy-grip handle. If you forget to turn off the gauge, don’t worry, it will automatically shut off. The included lithium battery never needs to be recharged or replaced. And all this for about $11! Learn more or order.
WEBSITES OF THE DAY
National Park Service
You’re probably already familiar with the NPS website, but have you ever really explored all that it has to offer? There’s lots of good information, not just about our beautiful parks, but about future events, trip ideas/advice, and informative articles.
Â
Cairn
Cairn is a monthly subscription box. Each month you’ll receive a box full of great outdoor gear. Everything from snacks, to clothing or accessories to sunscreens and chapsticks to survival gear. We’ve been subscribers for a while and look forward to our box every month. (Yep, they’ll send it to your campsite!)Â
Adventure Parents
Join these parents as they show their kids what the great outdoors is all about. Great website for informative articles, finding new gear, and kid-friendly recipes.Â
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
Protect your RV’s slideout
with this rubber seal lubricant
If you don’t take care of your slideout you’re asking for problems including dangerous, costly water damage. This rubber seal lubricant from Thetford prevents fading, cracking and deterioration. It cleans, conditions and shines, keeping seals flexible and protected from sunlight destruction. It is also useful on door seals and window seals. It’s a mineral oil product and also acts as a lubricant. Learn more or order
| < |
Counteract the campground slobs
Alan Warren, the host of the syndicated radio show The RV Show USA, offers a one-minute tip about  something you can do to clean up after those slobs who think a campground (and probably everywhere else) is their personal wastebasket.
Important “rest stop” safety checks
Do a safety walk-around at every “rest stop”: Thump your tires – they should all “sound” the same. Feel the wheel hubs – excessive heat is a warning. Check lighting, hitch, safety chains, breakaway cable. Look for “loose stuff,” like a bumper-stored dump hose. Save time, save money, maybe save someone’s life.
Ever had a sliding window “stick” when trying to open or close it? Frames can contract in cooler weather, making things tight. Reader Fred Campbell says his fix is lubricating the window tracks with a simple “puff” of white graphite powder. Why the white? “It doesn’t make a mess like the black stuff!” says Fred – the “smoother operator.” Thanks, Fred!
Batteries last a long time!
Motion detection nightlights can last a year on a set of batteries
When you need a nightlight when without hookups, these are great: they light only when they sense motion, shutting off after 30 seconds of no movement. They use no wires & install in less than 5 minutes. Use outdoors, too. Lights come in a 3-pack. Can last up to a year! Watch the short video for a demonstration or learn more (or order at a great price) at Amazon.com.
Join us: On RVillage • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube.
LEAVE HERE WITH A LAUGH
Did you hear about the guy they found dead with his head in his cornflakes? The police suspected a cereal killer.
Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.comÂ
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY.
SIGN UP FOR THIS OR ANY OF RVTRAVEL.COM’S NEWSLETTERS.
Pot of Gold. Did you win?
Here are today’s Zip and Postal Codes. If you’re the winner, let us know immediately. If you are, you’ll win $108. Good luck!
RV Daily Tips Staff
Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Managing editor: Diane McGovern. Staff writer: Emily Woodbury. Contributing writers: Russ De Maris, Bob Difley, Gary Bunzer, Roger Marble, Deanna Tolliver, Mike Sokol, J.M. Montigel and Andrew Robinson. Advertising coordinator: Gail Meyring.
ADVERTISE on RVtravel.com and/or in this newsletter. Contact Gail Meyring at Gail(at)RVtravel.com .
Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter.
Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.
This website utilizes some advertising services. Sometimes we are paid if you click one of those links and purchase a product or service. Regardless of this potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc . RVtravel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
RVtravel.com includes links to other websites. We cannot control the content and/or privacy policies of those sites. Please be aware when you leave this newsletter or any other section of RVtravel.com to read the privacy statements of any of those websites that collect personally identifiable information. Our own privacy policy applies only to RVtravel.com and its affiliated blogs.
This newsletter is copyright 2018 by RVtravel.com
CONCERNING TODAYS TIP, REPAIRING AN RV:
I didn’t buy an RV in need of repair but the one I own developed a roof leak on the slide out. By the time I caught it the roof, walls and floor suffered severe water damage. I have extensive experience in construction so I have begin repairs myself. You are correct in that this is a difficult job. Compared to building a house, this is very different. The lumber sizes are not standard. You can get some of the material at Lowes or Home Depot but they have to be further cut to size. Other items have to be obtained from RV parts suppliers and dealers. The most difficult to obtain is proper glue for the fiberglass panels. I was unable to find anyone who could or would sell it to me. I finally used a glue for fiberglass in the marine industry. Only time will tell if it is going to work correctly. This is certainly a very difficult and time consuming job that I wouldn’t recommend for anyone without construction skills.
Several years ago, I opened up our fifth wheel to get ready for another summer of fun. When I pulled out my water hoses, I found that large black ants had infested the storage area and made nests inside the hoses looking for water over winter. I had to clean and bleach them to be able to use them again, but now I screw the ends together before putting them in winter storage.
I screw ALL my hoses together any time they’re not in use. That way there’s no water leaking out of them.
For sure I screw the ends of all water hoses together, but only after I drain them!
Dave
thanks much! I’m a newbie & hadn’t heard this one yet :0(
Instead of “thumping” tires your better off investing in on of the excellent Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems. I prefer Tire SafeGuard but Pressure Pro and TST are also very good ones.
Everytime I click on the link to see the daily zip codes I get a an ‘Oops, that page cannot be found.’ What’s up with that?
Read what it states in the LARGE red line next to the link.
??????????? It is WELL past the time for this to have begun and the oops message still comes up. Any other comment now??????????
Still getting the same oops message at 12:30am est. So it’s not the time of day, there’s a problem obviously. Guess no one wins today.
Pat, the contest is not live then. Read the instructions on the page, right next to the link. I don’t know how we could be clearer.
Oops, I meant 12noon. Now, it’s 6pm est.. still getting the error message. Not sure how I could be clearer.
Pat, read the instructions. The daily contest begins at 5:30 p.m., Pacific Time and ends at 2 p.m. Pacific time, which is 5 p.m. in the east. If it’s six pm where you are, the contest for the day has ended.
I have bookmarked the site from the Saturday newsletter and check that, not the daily tip newsletter. I got to the site OK.