Issue 988 • October 16, 2018
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QUICK TIPS
Keep a lid on it
“Keep the toilet lid closed to prevent foreign objects from falling into the toilet. It is a major job to retrieve anything from the holding tank.” From “Motorhomes Made Easy”
Where have you been all my life?
With electricity expert and veteran RVer Mike Sokol
I used to drag out a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels to clean the inside of my windshield periodically, but unless I was home to think about and do the task right then, chances are I would forget about it until the next time I had to drive at night. My wife just gave me a pack of Windex Wipes for my truck, and now I can clean up the inside of my windshield any time it gets a film of streaky dust. Works great and it’s always at the ready. You can buy them here.
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Unique RV Overnight Experiences at 600+ Wineries, Farms and More
With a Harvest Hosts membership (just $49/year), you can stay overnight at more than 600 wineries, farms, breweries and other attractions in North America for free! Harvest Hosts offers a unique alternative to traditional campgrounds, where members can meet interesting people, taste great wines, eat fresh produce and stay in peaceful settings. Learn more here.
Today’s brain teaser (answer below): I come around by camper’s light, usually shared by friends at night. I am not alive and yet I grow. I am your friend, but a dieter’s foe. What am I?
JOIN THE NEW FACEBOOK GROUP: RV Horror Stories (A place to share your story about a new RV you recently bought that is riddled with defects that your dealer or manufacturer can’t or won’t repair.)
MORE QUICK TIPS
Seal check – double-check!
“When you check the roof seals on your motorhome (annually), don’t forget to check the roof of your slideout, too.”
From “Motorhomes Made Easy”
Infrared temperature gun in your kit?
Buy a temperature gun. So many handy uses. Great for checking tire temp, brakes temps, how well your AC is working, checking your grill temp, refrigerator temp, freezer temp and oven temp. From “RV Living Full Time: 100+ Amazing Tips, Secrets, Hacks & Resources to Motorhome Living“
Do you have a tip? Send it to Russ (at) rvtravel.com
Keep gray tank odors awayAND MAKE MORE ROOM UNDER YOUR SINKS
WEBSITES OF THE DAY
Winter jackets galore
Need a new winter jacket? Consult Amazon, of course! Here are the highest rated winter jackets. Search on the left sidebar for men, women or children, and keep yourself warm!
The best fall hikes in the U.S.
Get out there and hike! These 25 hikes look absolutely stunning, and they’re spread around the U.S. for a total tour of fall colors. Enjoy!
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
PRODUCT OF THE DAY: Measure the temperature and humidity in your RV. Click here for this affordable product.
Answer to today’s brain teaser: A marshmallow
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LEAVE HERE WITH A LAUGH
A woman was taking an afternoon nap. When she woke up, she told her husband, “I just dreamed that you gave me a pearl necklace just like the one I’ve always wanted. What do you think it means?” “You’ll know tonight,” he said with a wink. That evening, the man came home with a beautifully wrapped package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it to find a book entitled “The Meaning of Dreams.”
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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.
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A few years ago, I mounted a Roadmaster Spare tire carrier on the back of my fifth wheel after having to use the one under the rig. https://61oldsalt91.blogspot.com/2016/
The tire was held in place under the rig by one bolt.
I also considered that dependent upon where you are a spare or rim and a spare might not be available for a considerable period of time. The carrier is made for Class A vehicles and their rim alone may cost hundreds of dollars. By doing this, I can get to the tire without being under my rig on an interstate and I had plenty of time to come up with the lowest cost tire and rim for my rig.
Being that my front and rear tires are different sizes, and when things go wrong, usually Murphy’s Law is invoked. Which size should I carry, and what garauntee do I have, that the size spare tire, will be the one that needs to be replaced. I replace my tires every five to six years and in between I monitor tire pressure to make sure it is correct, and I don’t overload my coach. That is all I can do, if one catches a flat, then I’m stuck depending on roadside service….
Not a spare tire related issue, but when our MH was sitting right next to the pavement in British Columbia awaiting a tow, the trucks zooming by convinced us to grab chairs, soda and books and walk down the road a ways for safety. When my wife commented that the MH would be fully-covered if hit, I thought about what I wouldn’t want to lose that was inside it and went back for our passports, phone chargers and laptop. By that time the tow truck had arrived!
Getting away from a stranded vehicle for safety reasons is always my first thought after calling AAA. As you do, I grab a lawn chair (and its attachable umbrella), water, and my phone and get far enough away that if another vehicle strikes mine, I should be safe. I also go uphill if that’s an option. Every time I’ve done this, several kind people stop to ask if I need help, and offer me something to eat or drink! Occasionally, the passenger jumps out, runs over with a bottle of water, and hurries back to their car. These kindnesses are heartwarming, and help take the sting out of being stranded!
I have a Class A with 22.5 tires. They are heavy and big. I can’t move them even if I wanted to. They won’t even fit in any of my storage spaces. I have no back bumper and no ladder to the roof and no place up there even if I could get there. I do have a toad but not all the time. The size tire is very common and most, if not all, roadside dealers carry them. More bucks? Of course, but no choice.
I have the same condition. I carry a unmounted 22.5 spare tucked under my queen bed next to the slide mechanism. I figure the road service will be able to dismount and mount the spare, and therefore no costs involved.
What purpose does an unmounted spare tire serve? Sure, it’s much lighter to handle but how do you unmount the flat and remount that spare? I guess I’d be considered “overkill” since I carry a mounted spare tire filled to proper psi under my fiver. Hmmm, not sure about the truck though. Guess I’d better go check. 🙂
I’m really surprised how many people are carrying unmounted spares above… To me it feels like “I carry a hammer, but I’ve cut the handle off!” Better than nothing but violates the self sufficiency goal. When I blew a tire without a spare, it was almost 4 hours calling around, waiting for tech to find/mount/bring/put on the new spare, and serious $$$$$. When I carried a spare, it was 15 minutes to change the tire myself, and $85 replacing rubber at my leisure. Having had friends ketchupped roadside, seconds count to me. After the first sit-and-wait, I’ll never hit the road again without at least one spare for trailer and truck.
… Just as a safety reminder, if you do have to wait roadside always get out of the rig and walk a hundred+ feet up the shoulder toward approaching traffic. God forbid your rig gets struck, at least you’re not in it.
You should always have a spare, Don’t care what you drive or tow.
I drive a Tiffin Allegro RED, and carry carry a spare unmounted tire in a basement slideout.
Yes I carry a spare unmounted tire tied to ladder. Class A traveled fulltime from 1-1989 till 2-2011. When you have a flat, you only need it mounted. Sometime even on interstate hwys tires are hard to find.
I own a Monaco Class A coach and when I towed a 30 foot cargo trailer I always had a spare for my coach & cargo trailer. Now that I only tow my car I no longer carry a spare for the coach.
Why use more chemicals when water does the same thing when washing windows.
The trick is to wash the window with a wet microfiber cloth and then wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth. It works!
I don’t want to live in a chemistry lab. The old saying….really dating my age…”Better living through chemistry” is really not the most healthy way to live. The chemicals we buy that are perched in our garage and under our sinks are so toxic and lethal.
Try to live more simply with less. Geez….just think that it gives us more space to add in more junk.
Carrying a spare tire is a trick question. Should be broken down to if you have a trailer or 5th wheel do you carry a spare tire YES or NO and if you have a class A YES or NO.