Issue 999 • November 5, 2018
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QUICK TIPS
Wrong end wrench? Here’s a penny for your trouble
If you’re in a pinch and don’t have the correct end wrench, say the bolt is SAE but you only have metric at hand (or vice versa), you may find slipping a coin between the wrench and the nut may fill the gap long enough to get you out of trouble.
Keep the gray water tank “fresh”
Gray water tanks that accept water from the sink and shower need little maintenance but will occasionally need a deodorizer (use the same one you use for the black water tank). Enzyme waste digesters can be used for the gray tank and have the added benefit of keeping the p-traps clear under the sink and shower. —From Trailers & Fifth Wheels Made Easy
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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): Two cops walked into a room with no windows and found a dead man who obviously hung himself from the ceiling, though they couldn’t figure out how. There was no chair or table beneath him that he might have jumped off. Just a puddle of water. How did he do it?
MORE QUICK TIPS
Perfect meatloaf from your RV oven
Making that great comfort food on the road can be challenging. But Mary Ballard says she has it figured out. “Most of us have heard of and use a pizza stone or ceramic tile in our RV ovens to even out the heat. In addition, I have discovered that if I put a disposable aluminum loaf pan inside my metal loaf pan with 1/4 inch of air between the bottom of the 2 pans the meatloaf bakes evenly and perfectly throughout.” Thanks, Mary!
Squeaky fan belt?
If your rig is old enough to even have such a critter, you may get that occasional obnoxious squeal. First make sure the component the belt is driving is adjusted properly. Still squeak? It could be the belt is glazed. Sure you can replace the belt, but if time is a factor and you need to put it off a bit, then put a few dabs of toothpaste along the belt. That abrasion that wears down your tooth enamel may clear the belt glaze and stop the squeak!
Do you have a tip? Send it to Russ (at) rvtravel.com
Finding a great RV parking spot makes your time at a campsite special, but what happens when you can’t reach the electrical pedestal? Road & Home™ has you covered! Our 25’ extension cord gives you that extra stretch you need, and the heavy-duty pull-out handles make it extra easy to use. Pick one up today in the plumbing section of your local Lowe’s store or online here.
WEBSITE OF THE DAY:
OfferUp
Need to sell that old dresser? Have an old lamp that doesn’t match your new decor? OfferUp is an app and website that lets you buy and sell things like furniture, clothing, camping gear, sporting goods, etc., all in your neighborhood (whether you’re in your home in Oregon or your RV in Arizona). It’s like Craigslist … only better.
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
PRODUCT OF THE DAY: Oooooooh this will feel good on those sore spots!
Answer to today’s brain teaser: He stood on a large block of ice.
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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. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
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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.
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As I did our bus conversion myself, the opportunity to try a dual drain system for the grey tank was too good to miss. It has a normal drain if I ever want to use it, but also a 2″ valve on a line to the black tank. When the black is empty I just open the valve from the grey and continue to drain thru the black tank. No issues in four years of use.
There is a mention of “Offer Up”. There’s another app called
“Let Go”. There are amazing freebies on these apps. You can easily furnish a house with the free stuff people are giving away.
I bought a real nice bike on OfferUp. Probably saved a few hundred.
I promise there are no politics on either site. :’)
Golf – maybe not as high action as some other sports, but requires a lot of skill.
As usual, please leave politics out of your comments. This was just a straightforward (we thought!) poll on your favorite spectator sport. Sheesh, people! —Diane at RVtravel.com
Thanks as I’m easily flamed.?
Thank you Chuck.
Diane,
Some prefer to preach from the bully pulpit about Lemonis, despite offending some. Others prefer to express patriotism, despite offending some. All feel strongly about their position ….. tomorrow is a new day.
Yep, I know, Chipy. I’m all for free speech and I, myself, would prefer to just sit back and let everyone verbally duke it out. Even in an RV-related newsletter it’s getting more and more difficult to find a subject that doesn’t get people all riled up. Some just get downright rude and offensive and then others respond in kind. Just trying to keep things civil here. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
That was my thought Penny as I was reading Ron’s post. Hope Ron will enlighten us!
“How do you clean out the black tank using the water from the gray? Our tanks are separate entities.”
Drain black. Leave black valve open. Lift the sewer hose. Open the gray valve to back fill the black tank. Close grey valve, drain the back flushed black tank. Repeat several times.
Clemson football or most other college teams. Teams with bad attitudes, obnoxious coaches aren’t on my list. No pro anymore.
I would have said polo, but I don’t think they show that on TV (and it’s hard to find a live game). Basically, I never saw any fun in watching someone else playing something.
I love watching Lacross. My 12 year old grandson has been playing for about two years now in various leagues. A very fast moving sport with lots of excitement.
I used to be a football fan but no more. Their gross dis-respect of our flag and country turned me off to the professional players. College teams are good though.
My favorite is college football, preferably PAC 12 college football.
As for my gray tank, I do treat it just like my black tank….in fact, I use the soapy water from my gray tank to help flush out my black tank. However, my normal tank cleaning procedure is to start out with empty tanks, add about 5 gallons of fresh water to each. Add to that one cup full of liquid laundry detergent (I use Oxy-Clean) along with a cap full of Calgon water softener. I drive to my destination and drain both tanks. While stationary, we use lots of water for both tanks and as I mentioned above, use the soapy water from the gray to help flush the black tank. I have never used ANY black tank additive or deodorizer…ever… and my tanks always drain perfectly and tank sensors have always operated as designed. Tank odors inside the coach is 100% non-existent.
How do you clean out the black tank using the water from the gray? Our tanks are separate entities.
“How do you clean out the black tank using the water from the gray? Our tanks are separate entities.”
Drain black. Leave black valve open. Lift the sewer hose. Open the gray valve to back fill the black tank. Close grey valve, drain the back flushed black tank. Repeat several times.
That only works if you have one combined gate valve for dumping your tanks. On my rig, I have a separate gate valve for both black and grey, and I have to move the dump hose between the two tanks to dump both (older rig).