“Find a penny, pick it up. All day long you’ll have good luck.” You may have heard this saying when you were little, like I did. I’m not sure about the guarantee of “good luck,” but I do know that there are several unusual uses for pennies that just might help in and around your RV. Take a look and see for yourself. After reading these, you’re going to want to pick up the next penny you find on the ground!
Unusual uses for pennies outside your RV
- A screwdriver. In a pinch, a penny will work as a screwdriver on a slot-headed screw. We discovered this unusual use for pennies when our screwdriver somehow “disappeared” into the nether-regions of our RV’s basement!
- Tread checker. Use a penny to unofficially check your RV’s tire treads. Place the penny into the tread, with Lincoln’s head upside-down. If you are able to see all of Lincoln’s head above the tread, your tread is toast, and the tire should be replaced. If the majority of Lincoln’s forehead disappears, your tire should be OK. (Always check the tire manufacturer’s date, as well.)
- Hose weight. Not all sewer drains are the same size. You can easily remedy this problem. Fill an old sock with pennies. Tie the sock shut. Then use the weighted sock to hold your sewer hose in place—no matter the size of the drainage port.
- Battery compartment. A penny will help pry open the battery compartment for your RV’s keyless entry fob. It will also work on other battery compartments like the fridge temperature remote and more. Save your fingernails with this unusual use for pennies.
- Doorstop. Fill an old sock with pennies. Tie the end shut. Use the weight to hold open the basement doors. This tip really comes in handy when the wind pushes against the doors while you’re getting things in or out of the RV basement.
- Personal protection. Fill a (you guessed it) sock with pennies. Tie it securely closed. Take it with you when you walk your dog as protection against a would-be attacker or mean animal.
Unusual uses for pennies inside your RV
- Curtain weight. Friends struggled to keep their bunkroom curtain in place. They tried placing pennies into the curtain’s hem and now it hangs like it should.
- Can opener. Stop using your fingernails to open soda or beer cans. Use a penny instead. It will fit under the can tab so you can easily pull the tab up and open your beverage.
- Keep flowers fresh. Before you put cut flowers into a vase, put an older penny (dated 1982 or earlier) into the bottom of the vase along with one sugar cube. The penny’s copper will prevent bacteria from forming and keep flowers fresher longer.
- Penny backsplash. This unusual use for pennies repurposes them as an inexpensive backsplash for your RV sink area or behind the stovetop. The result is really pretty. Haven’t got enough pennies to do the job? Check out this grout-ready product on Amazon.
- Cold pack. Yet another use for a sock-full of pennies … freeze them in your RV freezer. When frozen, this homemade ice pack will easily conform to an ankle, knee, or elbow to bring immediate comfort. What’s nice is that you won’t have a drippy mess to deal with and you can reuse this cold compress over and over again.
- Refresh wine. (Yes, you read that correctly.) If your opened bottle of wine develops an unpleasant smell, drop a penny into the bottle. Gently stir for a few minutes. The copper penny (dated before 1982) will react with the wine to create copper sulfide. This compound will eliminate the unpleasant odor and refresh your wine. Cheers!
Do you have unusual uses for pennies that I’ve missed? Please share them in the comments below!
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Penny? What’s a penny? We don’t have them here in Canada
I wish we’d get rid of the nickels too. They’re useless unless you have a pocket full to hold you down in a wind storm.
…although I was told you had to pick it up and put it in your shoe.
Picking up pennies is my senior exercise program.
Hahaha. You brought a smile to my Monday morning, Tom. Happy travels!
What kind of wine comes in a bottle with a wide enough neck to drop a penny in?
More on point, who leaves wine unfinished long enough to develop an odor?? 😉
Excellent point, Julie!
So true, lol!
Make sure you use a sanitizer on that penny before putting it in your wine.
Wouldn’t the alcohol in the wine take care of anything bad on the penny? With the exception of mud, etc.
The alcohol will sanitize it.
While out camping I drilled a hole in a penny to use as a washer to repair a broken screen door handle.
That’s defacing federal property punishable by law.
When you leave your stix and brix home for a trip, put a penny on top of a frozen cup of ice (or other size) in the freezer. When you return, if the penny is at the bottom of the cup, (frozen or not), you’ve had a power outage! We used this trick in our vacation cabin. Helps to know if you have to toss everything out…..or not!
Genius idea, Ran! Thanks, and have a great day!
Very creative. Thank You.
Lincoln has to be looking up to bring luck if he is looking down bad luck will follow you. At least you can’t put them in the electrical box to replace the screw in fuse in the RV.
I always enjoy your tips and articles Gail. Most of these are good tips for anyone, RV or not.
I think so, too. Enjoy your day, Cheri Rae.
Oh, Gail! How could you skip what is possibly the most important use of a penny? You put a penny (minted prior to 1982) inside the hide bag of your bagpipes to kill bacteria, fungus, etc., to preserve your health.
I’m not sure how I missed that one, Jim. Haha. Thanks for adding to the list!
Hang bath towels on bathroom hooks then stretch hair tie over towels and hook. The tie keeps the towel from slipping off hook during travel days.
I believe you just had an article on weight savings and now this article on saving pennys to have enough for weighting your sewer hose, that’s hypocritical. Lol
Well after you have bent down 6 or 7 hundred times to pick up that penny, you can turn them in for dollar bills, and buy yourself a beer or a bottle of cheap wine. After all that exercise you deserve a beverage.:):)
I leave my pennies with the cashier, or just throw them away…such an incredible nuisance.
We in Canada phased out the penny in 2012. Canada is penniless.
It costs the government 1.6 cents to produce each new penny,” the budget says, adding the government will save about $11 million a year with its elimination.
So smart. I wish the U.S. would follow suit!
Let me get this right – RVers complain every time a gallon of gas goes up a penny, but they don’t think a penny is worth picking up or keeping? I pick up washers, nuts and bolts off the ground. Those darn things cost 5 cents or more at the hardware. And then we complain about our throw away society? I still have the reminder of my ration books, and still have them, from WWII. No CAPS, no !!!! I just don’t understand.
Tip from South Florida, We place a shiny penny in a quart baggie, fill with water then hang a couple of these out on your awning. It keeps the flies away because that kinda freaks the fly out with their eyes multiplying what they see. Used in many outside eateries and bars. Happy eating!
I daily drop pennies into an empty 1 gallon jug and use for a door stop. It holds the door open and lightens the load in my pockets.