Issue 879 • April 9, 2018
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RVing Tip of the Day
What’s to prevent this from happening? If hubby would buy a commercial tank cleaning system device, chances are the outfit would include a simple backflow preventer to be installed between your hose bib and the garden hose. If a sudden loss of pressure were to set up a “perfect storm” for a backflow, the device would step in and stop the backward flow of fluids, protecting your household drinking water. But, oddly, not everyone sees the value of a backflow preventer. Maybe they consider it a nuisance and simply ignore it.
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QUICK TIPS
Have an extra water heater drain plug on hand – just in case
Water heater got a plastic drain plug? For some strange reason, plastic and heat don’t always get along. Keeping a spare drain plug in your parts kit may save you a lot of frustration.
With electricity expert, Mike Sokol
Don’t let the male end of your shore power cordset get beat up in storage. A damaged shore power connector can overheat, lose the ground, or even drop the neutral bus with dire consequences. In the pro-sound world, our cable ends can cost thousands of dollars, and a broken connector can cause an entire show to shut down. We call these special cable ends “pigtails” and use a “pigbag” to protect them during storage and transport. You can do the same thing for your own shore power cables with a pigbag from Whirlwind. Get your own pigbag here.
Better organization for a small RV refrigerator
Small RV refrigerator? Use a sharp kitchen knife to slice your “dozen egg box” lengthwise down the middle. Now you have two smaller “half dozen” boxes that fit into smaller areas of the reefer.
HOT TOPIC AT RV TRAVEL.COM
Should RV parks offer “No campfire” zones?
Waterless trap for your RV plumbing system
Make foul smelling odors a thing of the past!
Already used by major RV manufacturers, the revolutionary HepvO waterless trap is a fantastic alternative to a conventional ‘P’ trap and it won’t fail due to evaporation, movement, freezing or leakage. Its unique membrane prevents foul air from the grey water tank entering your RV and its in-line design helps create extra storage space! Learn more.
WEBSITES OF THE DAY
RVillage
We’ve mentioned it before, but we want to make sure you’ve joined our group and you’re [hopefully] joining us for our rally in May! Join our group and talk to us! Meet up with us! A social media site for RVers, we think it’s pretty cool.
NYPL Digital Collections
History buff? So are we. The New York Public Library offers 737,467 (and counting) digital items from its collections. Explore everything from old maps and photographs, to sheet music, to letters, to old posters.
BarkBox
I originally bought BarkBox for my dog’s birthday (OK, yes, she’s spoiled) and then stuck with it. Each month you and your pup will receive a box (they’ll send it right to your campsite!) filled with toys, treats and gadgets for Fido to enjoy. Can’t go wrong with making your pup happy, right?
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
Fire Extinguishing Aerosol, Two-pack
The First Alert Tundra Fire Extinguishing Aerosol Spray is easier to use and discharges 4 times longer than traditional fire extinguishers. With an aerosol nozzle and portable size, it’s suited for the kitchen, car, garage, boat or RV. The formula wipes away with a damp cloth & is biodegradable. Learn more or order.
Should you rotate your RV tires?
RV tire expert Roger Marble explains when you should rotate the tires on your RV. Some RVs require it more than others. Roger explains.
MORE QUICK TIPS
Want to speed up the cooling process when you first turn on your RV refrigerator? If you have room in the sticks-and-bricks freezer, toss in two or three gallon milk jugs filled not quite to the top with water. When starting the RV fridge, stuff these “cold ones” in the warm refrigerator and it’ll cool faster. Put a rag underneath each to catch condensation.
Papers, receipts, business cards swimming around in your rig? Find yourself a manila envelope, put the little bits inside, then stand the envelope up on end at the end of a handy cabinet.
ENDORSED BY RVTRAVEL.COM
Full-timers: Need an RV Home Base?
Then you need Americas Mailbox!You’ll enjoy great tax advantages with your South Dakota “residency,” like no state income tax and low insurance rates (second lowest in the USA says the Insurance Information Institute). Many plans are available. View the video where RV Travel editor Chuck Woodbury talks with Americas Mailbox owner Don Humes. Or click here to learn more or enroll.
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LEAVE HERE WITH A LAUGH
On a rural road a state trooper pulled a farmer over and said, “Sir, did you know that your wife fell out of your truck several miles back?” “Thank God!” said the farmer. “I thought I had gone deaf.”
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 .
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You didn’t answer the question on if black tanks need to be clean as a whistle. I know my own answer and how I do it.
I agree with RV Grandma. Neither of us get enough SS to have to file taxes .
Don’t have to do taxes anymore – not enough income on SS.
Black tank question: agree, you never really answered it.
Instead of buy the $40 protector for your shore power coat go to Amazon or local hardware store and buy a $10 adapter.
We also use Crown Royal bags for cable ends. But the WW Pigbag is more official looking.
Ref Tips of the day, I think that the point was missed in explaination. The reader was asking about her husband’s OCD in cleaning the black water tank. Although the backflow problem is a concern. The reader was asking if it was necessary in getting the black tank spotless just short of climbing in with a hazmat suit and a brush. Just my thoughts.
I have been using Turbo Tax for the past 8 years. It takes me longer to gather the information than it does to go through the program to insert the information. You can either have Turbo Tax go step-by-step or you can pick and choose what areas to input your information. Pretty simple and a no-brainer.
I just thought it was an interesting question. “Inquiring minds want to know”.
Hi Chuck, not sure what preparing my income tax has to do with RV’ing? I think your survey questions are starting to stray away from their original intent.
It shows me that RV’ers are prone to be better off than the average Joe, since they can afford professional help with their complex tax situations.
Better Off??
There are many places that Professional help is FREE for Seniors.
Those seniors probably do not own an RV.