Handy Hints, Gadgets, Products & Gizmos

[GizmosMom]

Another member suggested a new forum section with new products but it doesn't look like it will be feasible. So I thought I would post this here under General RVing Issues. If enough people post (even if you have mentioned it before in another post) we can keep it near the top?

Do you have a handy hint, a new product or an old product that makes your RVing or Camping much better?

(Sorry, no commercial advertising allowed)

I'll start:

Someone in the Camping Van posted a reference to using a Super-Chamois to wipe down their shower. I have been using an icky old thick sponge and I like the chamois idea so much more.

Now I want to hear what works for you

[emmaspride]

This isn't a mod, but something we do to make life easier. I hate having wet wash cloths hanging around so I buy Viva paper towels, and use them for wash cloths. Viva is my favorite because they are more cloth-like.

[Scrapz]

I use plastic shoe boxes too! I keep them in the rv fridge. I keep sandwich makings in one so everything we need for making a sandwich is all together. When we pull over for a quick lunch all I have to remove from the fridge is the shoe box and mayo. Not only is it easier to find everything, I don't have to keep the fridge door open as long. When I'm packing for a trip I put other things I'll use together in a shoe box together, like salad stuff. I have one on the top shelf of the fridge to hold small containers such as sour cream, an open can of Coke, margarine, cream cheese, etc.

[vgoulette]

Well, DUH!!! I never had thought of placing our refrigerator items in a plastic container so they will be more convenient when ready to fill the RV fridge!! Such a simple idea, yet I still hadn't thought of it.

When we get home and start unpacking, we pile refrigerator items in a plastic dishpan to bring back into the house. Just never thought of it (basically) in reverse!!

Thanks for the idea!!
Vickie

[4BeachCampers]

I'm thinking this is NOT a new idea - but after scrolling through the many, many pages of this thread I don't see it anywhere...

When it's time for a camping trip, I pull out 3 clear plastic shoeboxes (no lids) and put them in our home refrigerator. I pre-pack our refrigerated food into the shoeboxes ahead of time. I don't have to wait for our trailer fridge to get cold. Allows me to pack our food with ease and no headaches... at the last minute, I take the shoeboxes out to the trailer and put them in the fridge - voila... the fridge is packed in a jiffy! The shoeboxes make it really easy to find stuff too.

In addition, we had butcher block sink covers custom made for us... one for each side of the sink. When we reach camp, one usually goes outside by the stove and the other stays inside.

I think they are terrific!

[toyhauler06]

A couple of new items we purchased this year, Weber portable grill 220, very nice grilling surface and easy to move around. Also the EZ Hoop trash bag hanger, bought 2, 1 for trash and 1 for recycle


http://www.weber.com/grills/?glid=6&mid=36

http://www.ezhoopbs.com

[Jeanne_M]

It has recently come up for discussion on another forum that some folks have had some trouble with the new corian or corian-like sink covers breaking and needing repairs.

I only used ours for when I was cooking and needed the extra counter space that the sink covers provided. Other than that, I never used them. I keep the sink open for washing hands and quick rinsing of dishes we use until I can get them washed.

Then I had a brainstorm!! We got some white cutting boards, one for each side of the sink, and DH traced the original sink covers onto the white ones and then cut them out with a router. Now I still get to keep my extra counter space, and they can be used as cutting boards(at the sink or not) and hot pads as well...triple usage! Best of all we removed the originals to keep them safe and these new covers are stored where the original were.

[JimBollman]

I've seen others with them on, never thought to ask. I figured as long as I'm not blocking lights or license plate it would be ok.

Jim...

[goreds2]

JimBollman wrote:
I posted the details on the Truck Camper Forum but thought some of you would like to see my latest project. Here is a picture of the final product and a link to the story and more photos.



I got the box for free with the truck when I bought it used last year. I built the carry box so I could still use it across the bed of the truck if I wanted to.

Jim

Awesome install! I guess there are no legal constraints concerning having it in the front?

[JimBollman]

I posted the details on the Truck Camper Forum but thought some of you would like to see my latest project. Here is a picture of the final product and a link to the story and more photos.



I got the box for free with the truck when I bought it used last year. I built the carry box so I could still use it across the bed of the truck if I wanted to.

Jim

[berkleyebony]

We have a fiver and I can never remember the hieght when pulling into gas stations. I measured the hieght and used a small label maker. I then placed it on the dashboard. I just have to glance down when ever I am not sure and don't have to worry about losing the top of my fiver. Also wanted to caution about the 3m command hooks. The walls of the trailers are made of a laminated board. We had a couple of hooks pull the top coat (like wallpaper) off and it left a big bubble. Luckily it didn't tear and I could repair it. Just a word of caution.

[ak_traveler]

Bobbo wrote:
For dog owners: Garmin Astro GPS

Good idea, but don't most parks and campgrounds have leash rules? I mean that would be good for dry camping out away from everyone but if you go to a park or CG your dog shouldn't need GPS.

Maybe you can put the same idea on a belt for kids though!

[Bobbo]

For dog owners: Garmin Astro GPS

[JimBollman]

For those that were interested in my Hubcap Fire Bowl that I posted back in April, I wanted to give an update after a Summer of use.

It has worked great. I got a little kidding a few times when I got it out but everyone enjoyed it after I fired it up and even requested on nights that I didn't get it out soon enough.

I have added a small poker that I made out of an old wrought iron plant hanger, it is small enough to store inside the hubcap. Since I such small fires you don't need a log poker, but is nice to have to stir up the fire and poke it once in awhile. I also added 4 small holes just outside the chrome part of the hubcap to add a little more air for better wood fires.

On the fuel front, I gave up on alcohol, even though it made a nice clean fire. I made a small burner which helped the burn time but it still was to short a burn for the cost.

The cheapest fuel was the scraps from under my radial arm saw. Since it is a small fire I discovered early you need really small firewood. I finally settled on no bigger than 1.5"X1.5"X4", larger pieces tend to smolder to much in such small fire. A 5 gallon pail of scrapts will give you 8-12 hours of fire. I used a small piece of wax log as a starter under the wood fires. The wood is nice because you don't use the lava rocks and can add a couple of small chunks at a time to extend your burn time without a large commitment of how much longer you want to sit by the fire. Using scrap lumber gets you out of any problems transporting firewood from outside the area which is prohibited many places.

The wax log chunks with lava rocks dumped over them still makes the fastest and most controlled fire. I started off the season using chunks of fire starter logs. A block about 4"X4"X3" would give about 45-60 minute fire, to extend the time I would mix more wax chucks in or throws some wood on top. I wanted a longer burn so I have tried 2 different wax log products and they burn longer than the fire starters. I tried Java-Logs made from coffee grounds and Pine Mountain brand. Both I sawed off slices on the radial arm saw. My test chunks were only around 2-3" (about 1/2 lb) long by the diameter of the log and they gave me a 90 minute burn. I plan to increase the size of the chunks next season to see if I can get the burn up to 2+ hours. At $3-5/5lb log which could be cut up into 5 or more chunks it should make an economic alternative and easy to carry extra along. The wax logs are less smokey than wood. An added feature of the wax logs is when they are done burning they go out very fast, from when you notice the fire getting weak and you stir them up a little, to out in about 5 minutes (still very hot but no open flame).

I have also attempted to make my own fuel molded to the shape of the hubcap. I have tried both soy wax and regular wax with a variety of stuff mixed in: coffee grounds, sawdust, pine shavings, and cedar shavings. My favorite combination was coffee and cedar in soy wax. It gave a good burn length and a nice smell, but unless you can get the wax cheap it is cheaper to buy the wax logs. The best prices I could find on wax was $2-3/lb and to make a reasonable burn length would take a 1/2 lb of wax, so even with everything else free why bother.

So that's my first full season of use report. The fire cap, poker, a long lighter and some fuel all fits in a denim bag my wife made. The lava rocks go in the coffee can base. The bag, a 5 gal bucket of wood, lava rock can/base and another coffee can full of wax log chunks fit nicely in my truck wheel well with the slide in camper in, with room to spare, and gives us a weeks worth of evening fires.

Jim...

[campandride]

I subscribe to the emails...so always glad to see new ideas. I keep a bottle of "skin so soft" oil in the sink in the bathroom, and when I once had ants from the outside into the cabinets, wiped some "skin so soft" on the cabinets and I've never had a problem, even though my motorhome is stored in an area where I often see ants on the ground!

[JimBollman]

Put this in the Handy Hints category. A a page or so back, I mentioned sliding a small diameter piece of tubing inside an old seal on the front of my popup truck camper to get a better seal. The seal was better but the center still didn't pull as tight as I was hoping for.

I bought my Palomino used and it had some damage in the front that I thought would be easy to fix. It wasn't. After fixing the rotted wood and reenforcing things the front still didn't seal well. After fighting it for 3 summers now, here is my latest attempt. I added 2 new clamps to the front.



They are available online for around $12 plus shipping and match the old ones accept they went to a different style upper clip. I can reach the camps by standing in the open door or using the plastic step we usually carry with us. Has not been road tested in the rain yet but it looks like a good seal now.

Jim...