“How do I find an RV wash near me?” is a question we’ve heard many times over the two decades we’ve been on the road. After all, if there’s one thing we’re known for, it’s keeping our rig clean! We’ve got a 43′ diesel pusher, so we understand that washing a big rig is a …
Systems & Operation
Andersen Hitches is a company that makes some very popular towing gear and trailer accessories. They’ve got several products that are well-known to RVers. But their two most popular products in the RV industry are the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch and the Ultimate Fifth Wheel Hitch. In this post, we’re looking at several products from …
Batteries are a critical part of any RV. Your RV battery gives you the power you need to operate a variety of features, including appliances, devices, and lights. If you have a motorized RV, you also need a battery to start and drive your rig. But there are several different types of RV batteries, and …
The Original California Car Duster is intended to dust a vehicle between washes to remove a light coating of dust or pollen. This keeps the car (or RV) shiny and clean between washes and also leaves a nicely waxed surface to protect the paint. (The duster doesn’t apply wax, but keeping your rig waxed is …
In this post, we’re taking a look at the popular Hensley hitch and ProPride 3P hitch to see if either, or both, serves to eliminate trailer sway effectively. When you’re towing a trailer, whether it’s a travel trailer or any other type of trailer, preventing sway is a paramount concern. The last thing anyone who …
If you’ve stayed at campgrounds and RV parks with full hookups, you may have found yourself wondering, “Is it ok to leave the gray tank valve open?” That’s a great question… with a bit of a controversial answer. One of the luxuries of staying in a full-hook-up campground is the ability to use water freely …
Many people who tow a trailer may not be aware of the impact proper trailer hitch height has on their towing experience… and their safety. There are many things to know when towing a travel trailer (or any type of trailer, for that matter), and hitch height is only one consideration. If you don’t maintain …
Dometic fridges are among the most popular cooling units in the mobile living industry worldwide. Regardless of what type of RV or travel vehicle you may have, you’ve probably heard of the Dometic brand. Millions of travelers around the world use Dometic products. So, today we’re looking specifically at Dometic fridges for mobile use. If …
When your RV holding tanks are nearly full, the most prominent thought in your mind becomes, “Where’s there an RV dump station near me?” If you’re camping at a campground or RV park with a dump station, or you’re connected to the sewer at your full hook-up campsite, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. …
We’ve been on the road living and working in our motorhome for over 20 years, so we know that having hot water any time we need it is a real luxury. But it’s one we’d rather not ever have to do without. That’s why we’ve created this guide to the RV water heater. The more …
One thing most RVers have in common is a desire to stay cool in the summer heat. That’s why the RV air conditioner is one of the most talked-about components of just about every rig out there. We’ve covered lots of topics related to RV air conditioning on this blog. But, with summer right around …
The dawn of spring means the height of camping season is just around the corner. We’ve been at this for 20 years now, so we know that when you’re getting your RV ready for travel, a checklist can come in very handy! The anticipation of a new camping season means that getting your RV ready …
Gray water is gross! And surprisingly, it can stink as much as black water! But, what exactly IS gray water in an RV and…what’s that SMELL?!!! When a fellow RVer has an issue with a bad smell in their RV, it’s common to find them checking out their black tank or their RV toilet. Makes …
If you tow anything behind your vehicle, especially if you’re towing a travel trailer, you may have considered using a weight distribution hitch. Today’s post addresses the most common questions about a weight-distributing mechanism for a towing setup. We’ll explain what a weight distribution hitch is, what it does, and how it impacts the towing …
The Jeep Wrangler’s rugged endurance and off-roading ability make it a hugely popular vehicle, especially for those who love to get off the beaten path. But, what if you want to bring more stuff with you than fits in the Jeep? What is the Jeep Wrangler’s towing capacity? Obviously, no one looks to a Wrangler …
If you have a tire blowout, your natural tendency might be to hit the brakes and try to pull off the road. But, in fact, that’s the most dangerous course of action you could take. Today we’re covering a super important safety topic: what to do — and what NOT to do — in the …
When you think about the equipment required to provide a safe and comfortable RVing experience, it’s important to keep tow mirrors in mind. Good towing mirrors, adjusted and used correctly, are critical parts of a towing setup. We recently posted an article about how to hitch a trailer to tow it safely, and it got …
If your RV is a towable model (or if you tow any type of trailer) knowing how to hitch a trailer to your vehicle to ensure safe towing is critical. People who’ve never towed before often think the process is simple – you back the tow vehicle up so that it’s in line with the …
If you connect your trailer to your towing vehicle and the trailer isn’t level to the ground, then you need a drop hitch. Here’s why: When towing a trailer, you want it to be as close to level as possible to ensure it tows properly. But if your towing vehicle is too tall, or the …
If you drive a diesel RV, you may be aware of diesel high idle (sometimes referred to as “fast idle”), and your rig may even have a high idle mode or switch. But, what exactly is diesel high idle, and when should you use the high idle feature? Is idling bad for the engine? Do …
With only a single hinge point between a travel trailer and the towing vehicle, crosswinds and improper weight distribution in the trailer can cause trailer/camper sway. Can trailer sway bars help? We’ll talk about what sway bars for trailers are, how they work, and how helpful they can actually be in protecting you from the …
Safe towing is an important but multi-faceted process. Before you can safely tow a car, boat, travel trailer, or utility trailer, you need a few pieces of information. Today we’re looking specifically at ball hitch sizes. You might think there’s a single common hitch ball size and that’s that. But in fact, that’s not the …
Ah, the RV slide-out…a common topic among RV owners. For some, RV slide outs are the greatest things since sliced bread. But for others, they’re a nightmare waiting to happen and something to be avoided at all costs. Today we’re taking an in-depth look at slides on RVs. We’ll consider the pros and cons (both …
Have you heard the chatter about a California generator ban? Well, in this post we’ve got some fact-based details to share that we hope will clear up some misconceptions about the use of an RV generator as a power source in the State of California. In December of 2021, the California Air Resources Board approved …
It’s that time of year… temperatures have dropped and many people have their RVs stored until spring. But are they adequately protected? That’s where RV antifreeze comes in! Lots of people blow out their plumbing lines with an air compressor (in fact, we’ve done it ourselves), but that doesn’t mean you don’t need antifreeze. There are …
When someone asks, “What does RV stand for?”, most people would probably reply with the semantic definition by noting that “RV” is technically an abbreviation that stands for “recreational vehicle”. But the term “RV” has become a word of its own… “RV” can be a noun, as in “We love our RV!” Some people use …
Dispersed camping is far and away our favorite way to camp. And that’s saying something, since we have a fair amount of camping experience — we’ve lived and traveled full time in our motorhome for 20 years! But, what is dispersed camping? How much does it cost? And where do you go to experience it? …
Deep cycle RV batteries are one of the three commonly-available types of RV batteries, but they’re the ones that are most often misunderstood. With this post, we hope to change that, at least to some degree. An RVer’s access to power is no minor consideration. We all appreciate traveling with the ability to run a …
30-amp RVs are the most common rigs on the road. As a result, 30-amp RV plugs and outlets are also very common. The ability to utilize a 30-amp outlet, even if you have a 15- or 50-amp RV, allows you to take advantage of that power regardless of your own rig’s plug. That’s why we’re …
Ants in RV living spaces can be a real problem — one that many RVers have encountered from time to time. Depending on where you camp, you may have had ants get into your rig. Maybe you nailed ’em and then didn’t think much more about it. But maybe you found yourself with a significant …