Issue 950 • August 9, 2018
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QUICK TIPS
Sewer fitting grip help
If you find the bayonet mounts for your sewer hose connections are getting a bit hard to twist off and on (hate to say it, it sometimes comes with age), here’s a tool that might help. A set of adjustable oil filter pliers, made to get a grip around automotive oil filters, can also provide a handy grip and plenty of leverage on the bayonet fitting of your sewer hose and the termination cap as well. Here’s a set on Amazon.
Helping prevent depleting RV battery
From reader Joseph Brignolo: “More than once I have left the compartment lights or other 12-volt powered devices on overnight, only to wake up with my battery voltage well below 11 volts. One morning there wasn’t enough power to start my generator. (Good thing for the “Booster” switch!) I made a few clear labels with black type to remind me of the lights and systems I may have left on and put the labels on the bedroom sconce on my side of the bed. Now, right before I head off to dreamland I am reminded to turn off whatever I have mistakenly left on.” Thanks Joseph!
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Answer to today’s brain teaser: A yardstick
MORE QUICK TIPS
Dry out the fridge!
Pop open that refrigerator door and what do you see? Mold and mildew? Yeeuckk! If you have allergies to the stuff, that’s even worse. But mold and mildew is not RV refrigerator “standard equipment” – you can avoid it. Just make sure you wipe down your fridge when you shut it down after use. Using a kitchen wipe like Lysol or Clorox will help eliminate some of the “starting medium” for unwanted growths. Be sure to prop the fridge door open until it’s dry-dry-dry. Or, keep it open at all times when not in use. Some manufacturers provide a slide latch, or even an accessory card to hold them open. Didn’t yours? Slide a folded hand towel into the open door and gently close the door until it catches on the towel.
Much ado about paper towels
Bungees and clothes pins to keep your paper towels from rolling off the roll on the road? Theresa has a simpler suggestion: “I simply use a straight sewing pin and stick it in the roll. When I arrive at my destination, I remove it. One could alternately use a safety pin opened up. Works really well…no more empty roll on arrival!” Thanks Theresa, for the fine point on paper towel security!
Do you have a tip? Send it to Russ (at) rvtravel.com
Camco Fridge Airator keeps fridge cold in warm temperatures, saves your food!
This compact high air circulator helps the food in your RV stay fresh longer while also maintaining the temperature of your fridge. The airator runs on batteries, so you can put it in the fridge, leave it on, and forget it’s there. No hassle. If you’re going to be in hot temperatures this summer, you’ll want this to keep your fridge cool. Learn more or order.
WEBSITES OF THE DAY
Fifteen best photo-editing apps
These 15 apps are for both iPhone and Android, so they’ve got you covered. With these apps, you can edit your phone photos as you could with any professional photo software on your computer. Enjoy, photographers!
f.lux
This neat software changes your computer screen to adapt to the time of day. Your screen will become “warmer” at night, which may help your sleep patterns, and “cooler” during the day, to keep you more awake.
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
Best-selling small-space organizers
It can be hard keeping everything organized in a small space like an RV, right? Here’s Amazon’s list of best small-space organizers so you can keep everything in check. You’ll find everything from under-the-sink kitchen organizers, to clothing and closet organizers, to tiny little bookcases. Explore these helpful items here.
Thursday video tip
Tracy Lehr shows you how to set up an outdoor washing station.
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My email password has been hacked. That’s the third time I’ve had to rename the cat.
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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, Mike Sokol, Greg Illes, J.M. Montigel and Andrew Robinson. Advertising coordinator: Gail Meyring. Marketing director: Jessica Sarvis.
ADVERTISE on RVtravel.com and/or in this newsletter. Contact Gail Meyring at Gail(at)RVtravel.com .
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Although not addressed in this newsletter, I would like to go on another small rant about Camping World. This time about the extended warranty. When I bought my RV I also purchased an extended warranty. The CW retail contract showed the price I paid and also the term of the warranty which was 60 months (5 years). I recently discovered that the actual term was only 3 years. When I pointed this out the the finance manager I was told that it must have been a typo and 3 years was the actual term. No offer to extend my warranty for even 6 months as a way of saying ” we screwed up, we are sorry”
Another thing is that reading the warranty contract, I found that there are more things not covered than are. For example, I have to have a possible roof leak checked out and I found out that structural problems ie. roof leaks, are not covered.
At this point, it looks like this extended warranty is not worth the paper it is written on. I’m not sure what I am going to do about it. Add my name to a long list of people who hate CW.
If I’m not mistaken you can get the extended warranty refunded at a prorated amount.
I would like to add a simple additional thought to keeping your fridge from the bad boys moving in : Joey Mildew & Freddy Mold.. After cleaning and drying with a large fan which will remove nearly all moisture ..WE put wrinkled/wadded newspaper sheets in the freezer and drawers plus the open shelving and close the doors tightly as any small amounts of moisture will be absorbed by the newspaper and all is saved at home in a bag for the next cleaning..especially great for long periods and thus Joey & Freddy can’t survive. This has worked for us since Dec.1977 our first RV fridge.
Thanks for another great tip. The filter wrench will really help my arthritic hands. Another tip I got from you and use all the time is turning the steering wheel on the toad when the hitch binds and I can’t get the pin out.
After being home in VT after our trip to WY, I finally came up with one positive thought about being stuck in bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic on I-80/90 thru Chicago – it kept the idiots, who normally do 70 mph in the 55 mph zones, from weaving in and out of lanes and causing accidents. 🙂
You are absolutely right! Progress is slower (obviously), BUT no where nearly as slow (or as expensive!) as it would be if one of the idiots happen to hit you in their frenzied attempt to get home in time to catch re-runs of Laverne and Shirley!
Thanks, Ralph. That reminds me of an article I read many years ago. A senior woman was asked why she always did her driving on I-5 during “rush hour” traffic (back when it wasn’t so crowded all of the time) and the traffic was only going about 30-35 mph. “Well, I don’t want to drive any faster than that anyway.” 🙂 —Diane at RVtravel.com