December 31, 2018
Welcome to another fabulous edition of RV Travel’s Daily Tips newsletter. Here, you’ll find helpful RV-related, and small-space living, tips from the pros, travel advice, a handy website of the day, our favorite RVing-related products and, of course, a good laugh. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate your readership.
QUICK TIPS
Oh, what a tangled web we weave …
With electricity expert and veteran RVer Mike Sokol
Do you have a drawer or box full of “wall-wart” power supplies and have no idea what they belong to? Well, the best way to fix this is by marking every power supply you get with a piece of white electrical tape and a Sharpie. Just write something like Yamaha Piano (if you’re a piano player like me), or Linksys Router, and include the date of purchase (if you’re really organized). Now, when the power supplies get mixed up, you can easily figure out where all the strays go. Note that randomly plugging in unknown power supplies to test a piece of gear is dangerous, since plugging in an AC supply, or one with reversed polarity, can quickly damage some electronics. So, always check to be sure you’re using the correct wall wart.
D-I-Y awning track hangers
Got an awning track on your rig and want to hang a tarp, a light, or something else from it? You can make your own hangers according to “Instructor Bill.” Cut a piece of paracord to 10″ and melt each end. Chop off a chunk of 1/4″ rigid aluminum tubing (you can sand the edges down for safety and easing through the track). Pull the cord through the tubing, hold ends together and tie a knot. Plan on hanging a tarp? Then slip a 10 mm washer over the tubing with the cord pinched alongside the length of the tubing. The finished hanger can be slid in the awning track. If you want to hang a tarp – pinch the cord again against the tubing and push it through the grommet hole. The washer will prevent the knot from pulling through the tarp grommet. You can extend the length of the paracord to accommodate other hanging items. More info and detailed instructions from popupportal.com here. Paracord is available on Amazon.com.
MORE QUICK TIPS
No truck to pull your fifth wheel?
For one enterprising individual, this apparently didn’t prove to be a problem. Looking a bit like a refugee from the “Red Green Show,” we can only imagine the work that went into building this definitely original RV “mod.” From the looks of the dolly, somebody must’ve had some engine problems. Posted by scruffs on the google trucks! community.
Some things you might forget to oil …
Steps — If you don’t oil these frequently, they will start sticking and not go all the way in or all the way out.
Leveling jacks — These are expensive to replace, so crawl under your RV and spray all sides of the shiny cylinder at least once a month.
Slide gears — If you don’t keep these oiled, they will stick or put a heavy load on your motor. Slide motors are expensive to replace. And, of course, grease the chassis when you change the oil.
Handles on the storage bins. Entrance door latch and handle. Recliner — An occasional spray of silicone will keep it operating smoothly and quietly. Put a piece of cardboard under your recliner before you spray the silicone and leave it overnight so any excess oil won’t end up on your carpet. Even if you have tile or hardwood floors, it’s still a good idea to keep oil off of your floor. Driver’s seat and the co-pilot’s seat—including all of the cables and controls. I’m sure you will find other things that you can spray. Go for it. Yes, I carry WD-40 with me, but I normally don’t need it as long as I keep things moving freely in the first place by spraying everything regularly with silicone spray. And by spraying everything I don’t have to listen to squeaks either.