Issue 954 • August 16, 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!
U.S. shoppers: Shop at Amazon.com
Canadian shoppers: Shop at Amazon.ca
QUICK TIPS
Safety during a storm
When you arrive at a campground ask at the check-in desk about an emergency plan in case of a bad storm, i.e., tornado or high winds. If they don’t have a plan, make your own. Locate a structure that is safer than your RV, like a bathhouse or the campground office. Brief everybody with you on your plan. RVs are not safe in damaging storms! From Mark Polk, RV Education 101.
RV roof support your weight?
Responding to earlier cautions about moving about on your rig’s roof, our reader Wolfe says: “When I asked my local dealer, his response was that ‘All RV roofs should be walkable, with or without an attached ladder, because someone will need to do maintenance up there eventually.’ This would be the same dealer who said a [Chevrolet] K1500 can tow a 10-12,000 pound trailer – so weigh their expertise accordingly. Considering most REAL construction ladders bounce and weave under my… er…less than svelte frame, and peeking inside my roof looks like it’s made of toothpicks and saran wrap, I wouldn’t attempt roof work without thick plywood, spread out on my belly, moving very carefully.” Thanks Wolfe!
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.
Lightweight, waterproof, foldable backpack perfect for RVers
Ultra-light, ultra-durable, and ultra-handy for RV trips, this backpack is perfect for small-space living. Pack folds into a tiny sandwich-sized pouch, perfect for storage or for use on airplane trips. Many pockets, including two water bottle slots, make this waterproof pack great for hiking, camping, or day-trips. Learn more and view all eight colors here.
Answer to today’s brain teaser: Erica
Stay FREE overnight at more than 600 farms and wineries. Click here.
MORE QUICK TIPS
Give your RV a name
Naming your RV and making it part of the family will change your attitude towards your rig. That’s important because your RV will be part of your life. It will take care of you and you will have to take care of it. Just like your dog, your RV will need annual checkups, an occasional bath, a lot of feeding (gas), and from time to time there will be trips to the vet (I mean the RV shop). Don’t think of your RV as the enemy or the cause of all of your troubles. (Yes, it will break down or need maintenance at the most inconvenient times. And it will need expensive work done sometimes when it doesn’t fit your budget or your schedule. Your kids probably needed braces at a time when it didn’t fit into your budget too).
From “RVing: Less Hassle—More Joy: Secrets of Having More Fun with Your RV—Even on a Limited Budget.” Available here.
Are you on the blink?
A study by the Society of Automotive Engineers says nationwide drivers miss using turn signals two billion times a day. By their account, the missed signals account for an estimated two million crashes per year. In comparison, distracted driving accounts for 950,000 accidents each year. Think – then Blink!
Do you have a tip? Send it to Russ (at) rvtravel.com
Make popcorn in minutes with this collapsible popcorn maker!
Virtually fat-free, no cholesterol, full of fiber and vitamins; popcorn is the best snack! Pop it in minutes in your RV with this handy collapsible popcorn maker. Simply pour the kernels in the bowl, add your favorite seasonings, microwave for a couple of minutes and the perfect bowl of popcorn will emerge! Pretty hard to resist if you ask me… Learn more or order here.
WEBSITES OF THE DAY
Brown Eyed Baker
Staff writer, Emily, says this is one of her favorite websites for easy weeknight recipes. Not only does the Brown Eyed Baker feature her own dishes, but she compiles recipes from other websites too, so it’s all at your fingertips.Â
Outdoor organizations
This is a great list of all outdoor organizations that strive to protect our beautiful American landscape.Â
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
Amazon Deals of the Day!
Here are more than 1,000 special deals, just for today. And the items just keep on changing. If you can’t find a great deal here on something you want, then, well, you must not need anything. If nothing else, it sure is fun to poke around here to see the incredible array of cool stuff that’s available at this very moment at bargain prices! Click here for today’s deals!
Join us: Facebook • Twitter • YouTube.
LEAVE HERE WITH A LAUGH
Are you familiar with Murphy’s Law? It states that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Are you familiar with Cole’s Law? It’s thinly chopped cabbage.
Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.com
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY.
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 .
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 us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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
I could go on and on about the use of turn signals. It’s a pet peeve. We live in Florida and I think less than 50% of drivers there use them. It makes me a little crazy.
I have a facebook account that my wife and I both use to pretty much only read postings and comments regularly. We have only posted once in the last 6 or 7 years.
Love all the names. I had the 1st year Ford Pinto called it Death Mobile. Animal House was a favorite movie and because it was.
“Jeff is younger than Rodney but older than Debbie. Larry is older than Erica who is older than Jeff. Rodney is older than Larry. Who is the middle child?”
J <R
D<J
E<L
J<E
L<R
Therefore: rules 2435 chain into DJELR and rule 1 adds no new info.
Whatever, Wolfe. I was the middle of three, luckily, or I never would have been able to figure out the lineup. 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
With our current motor home, we are not very original. We have a THOR Challenger and so his name is THOR and we have a THOR doll standing guard. Our last motor home was a Georgetown so his name was G/G (for grandpa/grandma).
Our 40′ Country Coach is Happy and our Jeep Commander is Max, so we travel with Max Happy!!!!
MH name is Thirsty
Two tone brown f350 dually – Franco
Two tone brown 38′ Rushmore – Harris
My wife was in the computer/internet security business and because of how unsafe Facebook is were never allowed to have an account. Thank God. Sometimes it is hard to get around not using Facebook because it is so pervasive, but life does go on.
We have named our vehicles over the years. My truck that pulled my boat was called Betsey, the boat Wetsey. Our Class A Bounder is called “Lu Lu” after the idea that the English call a toilet a “Lew”, and the Bounder is our mobile toilet.
Today’s type of brain teaser: Jeff is younger than Rod but older than Deb drives me crazy because I haven’t had a method to solve them. Today, I played around on a notepad without success.
Finally, I wrote each name down on it’s own piece of paper and started timelines. That made it easy
Deb Jeff Rod
Larry
Eric
Anyone have a better method?
It is…especially as we get older (gasp!) a good thing to write down the Campground information/address and have it handy in case of a emergency. If you need to call 911 in the middle of the night having that information readily available could/might make a big difference. My wife does all the checking in at the Campgrounds but I normally don’t have that information at hand and most of the time she directs me where to go in the park so I don’t even know our site number. We are always on the move in our Class B so usually we only spend 1 night at any Campground. I need to make some changes myself in my routine.
With regard to weather warnings. NOAA often indicates areas by counties and roads. Trying to find what county you are in or road that is near can be trying in an area in which you are unfamiliar and skies are dark and threatening. The app WhereAmI will indicate the county you are in helping you narrow down your decision to stay or head for a shelter.
Some things I name aren’t printable!!
We name EVERYTHING! Trailer, cars, trucks, ATV’s, boats, side-by-side – EVERYTHING. Doesn’t everyone . . . . . . ? [grin]
Tommy, of course they do!
Bullwinkle = Motorhome
Rocky = Toad
Boris = ATV
Natasha = ATV trailer
You have to be a certain age to understand these, but it makes communication pretty easy.
Great names! My 1953 camper is Bucky because I’m from Wisconsin and I have the Bucky Badger thing going on.