Issue 985 • October 10, 2018
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QUICK TIPS
Boost your cellular distance factor
Do you RV at a distance from “civilization” and need cellular service? Here’s badwolfe’s experience: “I added a cell booster from Wilson Electronics. It picks up a tower some 50 miles away. Had multiple times we have needed cell service while remote like this and only the use of the booster helped.” —Thanks badwolfe!
Scraping bottom when exiting a parking lot?
If your RV bumper scrapes when entering or exiting a parking lot or other driveway, try taking the exit with your rig at an angle rather than straight on. Still no help? You may want to add skid wheels to the back of your trailer. Two types: bolt on and weld on. The former sometimes tear off, so the added hassle of finding a welding shop may be worth the trouble.
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Today’s brain teaser (answer below): There is a three digit number. The second digit is four times as big as the third digit, while the first digit is three less than the second digit. What is the number?
Fifth Wheel 4-Video Bargain Set Plus Free RV Checklist ebookMORE QUICK TIPS
Handy hint for using a gas oven
If your oven at home is electric, adjusting to a gas stove in the RV can be a trick. Gas ovens usually don’t heat as evenly and may have hot spots. Turn your items several times when baking to even out the cooking.
Motorhome shopping most wanted checklist
by Bill Myers
Has great curb appeal. Looks good and is something you can be proud to own and drive. Feels modern when you step into it. No purple velour on the walls or seats. No puke green shag carpet, no burnt orange refrigerator. Has no unusual odors – no tobacco smells, no food smells, no pets odors, and absolutely no wet, mildewy smell.
Has a real bathroom, one that you can stand up in without bumping your head. And a real sink with a vanity. Has a real shower – large enough to stand up and move around in. Has a full-size refrigerator that runs on electric and propane. With enough room in the freezer to hold at least six microwave dinners. Has a large kitchen area with enough counter space to prepare food. Has a dinette where you can sit and eat meals or use a computer. Has a comfortable couch with reading lights above and long enough to stretch out on.
Has a side entry door – no rear door entry for me. Has enough room inside for me and my traveling companion, with sufficient storage space for all that we carry. Is new enough that it has modern safety features like driver and passenger airbags. Has less than 40,000 miles. Is easy to drive, easy to park, has no squeaks or strange noises, handles well on the highway, in the wind and when big trucks pass by. Is not so long or wide that it is difficult to drive and restricted from some national parks. Is mechanically reliable – with a wide availability of parts and can be worked on just about anywhere in the country. When I find a motorhome that satisfies all the above, I can be pretty sure it will be one I’ll enjoy. And when I get ready to sell it, it’ll likely appeal to a lot of potential buyers, and will sell quickly. —From “Buying a Used Motorhome – How to get the most for your money and not get burned“
Saturday Before the Game – Is Your RV Tailgate Ready?
Tailgating and RVs go together like fall weekends and football. Enjoy the comforts of home and the company of the crowd! Ensure your RV is ready for the big game by tackling those minor repair jobs before they turn into big ones. Visit your local Lowe’s to stock up on Road & Home™ RV repair and replace parts today.
WEBSITES OF THE DAY
Over 100 weird attractions in Arizona
This quirky list from Atlas Obscura shows the weirdest places to visit in Arizona. It’s perfect for all you snowbirds who want to explore!
The best pumpkin recipes
More than 50 recipes to make with your favorite fall ingredient, pumpkin! Impress your neighbors, and please your significant other!
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
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Fits perfectly in a small RV closet! This 5-tier closet organizer has 40 pockets and five shelves built into it. Use the organizer for shoes, scarves and hats, craft supplies, stuffed animals, yarn and knitting supplies – you name it! The 360-degree swivel hook attaches to any closet bar, making it easy to reach in and grab what you need. Say goodbye to a messy closet! Learn more or order here.
Answer to today’s brain teaser: 141
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LEAVE HERE WITH A LAUGH
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they went in their tent and laid down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend.
“Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.” Watson replied, “I see millions and millions of stars.” “What does that tell you?” Watson pondered for a minute. “Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?”
Holmes was silent for a minute as he looked around, then spoke. “It tells me that someone has stolen our tent.”
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Lane splitting? Suicidal. Motorcycle riders in CA are suicidal, but they blame drivers of cars. I don’t think that makes sense. If motorcycle riders expect car drivers to behave responsibly, then the motorcycle riders need to act responsibly too…but they don’t and continue to be injured and die. It’s sad.
I am 72 years young and have ridden motorcycles responsibly since I was 14. Wife and I are in the Smoky mountains right now and towed our motorcycle on a trailer behind our Motorhome here to tour the beautiful scenery on our Harley Davidson cruiser. We do it every year. I will continue to do it until my health gives out. I feel sorry for those who do not take advantage of this opportunity and miss out on one of God’s great blessings. To the people who griped about motorcycles in campgrounds please remember they paid for their site just like you did and you have no right to tell them how to use it.
Owned many motorcycles over the years. Wife and I both rode. No longer do – traded it in for full time RVing.
Nothing is more irritating to me then those who must ride motorcycles in RV Parks. Especially those who climb out of bed at dawn and crank them up. Also those who have been to the local watering hole and come into the park late at night. If you must try to be “macho” by riding your motorcycle, please show some consideration in the park. Another question, is why must they be equipped with loud exhaust? Maybe parks need to incorporate into their rules restrictions on motorcycles.
Some parks have too many rules already…..
A good reason not to ride a motorcycle.
And yet, so many Good reasons to ride. I’m 68 and enjoy riding whenever possible. Yes, there are the “occasional” riders that are not careful to respect their neighbors, but that is so rare. Just because you do not happen to enjoy motorcycle riding doesn’t mean the entire community of motorcycle riders should be condemned. That’s a pretty broad brush you’re using to criticize an entire group of people.
582 worked for me…
High school algebra comes in handy sometimes.
1st digit = 4X-3
2nd digit = 4X
3rd digit = X
substituting numbers for X starting with “1” yields 141
substituting number “2” for X yields 582
More than 2 causes double digits for the 2nd position
The problem with adding skids or wheels to the back of your rv frame to aid when dragging is that you’re putting tremendous weight on the back of the frame where it is not designed to handle. I have seen cases (on travel trailers) where this has caused the frame to bend upward creating additional problems.
Gary
When I was 15 years old you could drive a motorcycle I wanted a motorcycle like a few of my friends. My dad said wait until you are 16 years old and you can get a car. I waited got the car. The few friends with motorcycles, one died on an acident, the other seriously injured for life. I am 75 and still enjoy driving cars.
Point well made.
We have a Wilson “extender”. It only marginally helps. Sometimes we set it up ‘just to see’.
We were in Montana earlier this year and boondocking in the middle of the woods – in the middle of nowhere. I REALLY wanted to get at least a text message to a friend. Being desperate, I tried something I’d never done before. I attached my cell phone to my drone. I wrote a text, hit [send], and of course it went nowhere – but it was staged for when we DID get service. Then I launched the drone and sent it up about 400′. I waited as long as the battery lasted (about 20 minutes), then brought it down. VOILA! My text got through, and the person I texted followed my instructions and answered immediately. It worked! But that’s because above the canopy of trees there was adequate cell coverage.
That’s really clever…
Placing a pizza stone in the bottom of your gas oven also helps to even out the heat.
Ceramic tiles work too, and are much cheaper.
582 also meets the criteria.
I concur with LindaH! Isn’t it great when there is more than one “correct” answer? 😉
I have to say what badwolfe said about cell phone booster is not correct. Wilson booster will only boost what is there. Most cell towers only have a range of 7 miles. Would like to know how he picked up a 50 mile signal. I know this because I tried one at home and it didn’t help. I called Wilson and they said it could only boost what is there.
jmho.
Cell towers have a range much greater than 7 miles. I use an app (Network Cell Info Lite) to see how far I am from a tower, and in the desert, where the towers are often located on mountains or mesas to give greater line-of-sight range, I have often got a good signal from over 20 miles away, with no booster.
Brain teaser is correct at 141, but has a second correct answer: 582. Those are the only 2 answers available, but both meet the stated criteria.
582 works
They don’t call them donorcycles for nothing!! Certainly there are bad motorcycle drivers, as we’ve all seen at times. But it seems to me that automobile drivers don’t “see” motorcycles and cause most of the accidents by cutting them off. Look twice and save a life.
Doesn’t the brain teaser have 2 answers- 582 as well as 141?
I agree!!!
I am 69 and have been riding motorcycles since I was 14. I have been in two accidents in all those years. The worst was a broken ankle.
I have seen motorcycle accidents, but also MANY car accidents. where people have died.
One thing I do know, since riding, I am more aware of my surroundings.
Have you ever seen a motorcyclist TEXTING while riding?
To each their own, but I will continue to ride my bike.
At 66 I am still a good boy. My mother was a nurse all of her life. I only saw her cry once. It was after a patient she was talking care of died. He died of complications from a motorcycle accident. She asked me to never drive or ride a motorcycle. I haven’t yet. Hence, I don’t own a motorcycle.