Out of a package of mixed bungie cords I always have extras of the ones that are a loop with a ball on the end. I use those to keep the ratchet straps tidy. Those same bungie cords work well through the handles of adjacent cabinets to keep them from opening during travel.
Some ideas that I have used successfully: bought dollar store mat’s , fit perfectly around my 3 steps into my 5th wheel. I used two ball straps on each side. Can reverse them when worn . Great mat to wipe your feet on and much cheaper. 17” led tail lights installed vertically about 30” higher than my low tail lights that the second or third car behind you can not you are turning or applying your brakes . Installed a wooden step behind my entrance steps to put dirty shoes out the weather. 30 years of RV ing has made it possible to learn from others or design my own ideas.😊
😂 growing up, my parents used a canvas tent they took us camping in. Yeah, the good old days, anyway not only were we told as kids DO NOT TOUCH THE CANVAS if it's raining! Sadly, if the sleeping bag were to touch the canvas when you're sleeping, you got a lesson on what wicking was. A wet sleeping bag. It's not a good feeling. I would string up the sheet in the rain to see if it comes through. Touching it will wick water through it. 😢😉
I have multiple ratchet straps. I roll them up and put them into cleaned out peanut butter jars. Been doing this for years. They hardly ever get tangled. since there is only 1 in each jar they stay separated. When we had a gas/electric fridge we used the cutting boards. Works great.
Love the freezer hack definitely heading to the Dollar store to buy those plastic cutting boards. For the awning mine is also black and I just use a little splash of Murphys Oil soap in a 5 gallon bucket and wash with an awning brush from Amazon that washes both sides as you roll it in then open and rinse 😉
To store rachet straps, I have two nesting buckets. I separate the rachets from the long straps and throw the rachets in one bucket and the straps in the other. Then I stack the nesting buckets together for storage. It's easy to grab one strap if you remember to find a hook near the top of the bucket and pull it out. The loose free end of the strap just snakes right out of the rat's nest of other straps. Thanks for the great channel; it's always informative and fun.
I would definitely were safety goggles when scrubbing your awning from underneath. The foam cannon works great but you don't need foam soap falling your eyes.
I don’t use Dawn for anything on the outside of the trailer. It is very hard to get it all off. I guess because its so concentrated??? I recommend car wash soap. It rises away much easier.
Toilet brush works Ok, but I still prefer TP, its not as hard on the himroids Press and seal for the freezer. I use Black tape on the straps. I've never tried this sheet for a tarp, but I've heard it works really good.. the video I saw, it looked like they put more silicone into the mixture.
You need to let the silicone cure for a couple of days to fully set up, especially if you used something like naphtha with it ( I use solvents and glues a lot and I use silicone a lot in aquarium builds)
I have white under side of my awning. Nothing worked to clean it. I had to pretty much use straight up bleach and power wash (electric) it with the strongest nozzle. My ratchets, I just roll up the loose strap over my hand. Thanks for your ideas!
On my 5th wheel when I setup the trailer the steps needed adjusted at the ground sow the door could close without binding on top of steps. My wife came up with a great idea. Level the steps and put a sticky bubble level on the inside vertical frame. Now I can see the level when adjusting the feet of the steps.
We are looking for a travel trailer now and we considered Grand Design as an option, but refused because they do not use Azdel and this brand is famous for the delamination even with a small accidental water leak. Have you had any problems with quality since this company is known for its popular slogan: “Grand Design but not Grand Build”?
I have a 2022 Grand Design Imagine 2800BH. We have pulled it on 3,000+ mile trips with no problems. The only thing I have had to fix that wasn't self inflicted was replacing the vacuum breaker on the toilet and that was like a $20 repair. I just pulled it home today after having camped for two months which is unusual for us as we are seldom out for more than 10 days at a time. I have one work friend with the same trailer, only a year older, and one with the rear living model of basically the same trailer. They haven't had troubles with leaks or anything else I know of. That is just my experience.
For your first hack. They make brushes like that with drill attachments that won’t break. I’ve got one and it works great for me. A hack I do. I use 2x4’s and a strap to stabilizer the rear of my 5th wheel. It’s super bouncy at the back and those stiffen it right up
I have a purpose made set of brushes that attach to my power drill as well. I do a lot of sports photography and the fine grass clippings on football fields can really clog up the bottom of my shoes. The spinning brush makes easy work of cleaning that up. When I saw the thumbnail I thought he was going to use it to clean his wheels. lol
Hack #3: Does the Dawn work by itself? I use it to clean my whole bathroom and it works great without harsh chemicals. I bet you don't even need the magic eraser.
I think it probably would, unless you have stains/marks. Just make sure to use a softer & somewhat flexible scrub brush so that you aren’t damaging the awning when scrubbing it.
The soap on the awning is not much of a hack. To be safe on the wax, I use a pH neutral car soap and a microfiber cloth over a sponge mop. It will not remove the wax. Ratchet straps, rolled up and use a hair tie. They are cheap, stretchable and are sold anywhere a person grocery shops.
I have a similar hack but use a mesh plastic place mat on the back wall of my Rv freezer. Fits perfectly. I did have to thaw the ace from around the edges but then I could pull it off in one piece and all the frost comes off with it.
We actually used the drill/ brush and it worked great. We had truck floor mats and a mat at our front door that had a lot dips and crevices in it and an Aussie. I tried sweeping, vacuuming and brushing and could never get all the dog hair off. Tried this trick and all the dog hair came off.
He used Dawn Dish Soap… It definitely gets super foamy, even when you’re just adding it to a bucket & filling it with water. FYI - If you don’t like strong fragrances, get the *clear* Dawn Dish Soap (Free & Clear &/or with Lemon). Unfortunately, the manufacturer decided to add their “New & Improved” scent to the Original Blue Dawn & it’s AWFUL! I don’t know what they did to make it so bad, as it has always had a very faint fragrance (which was tolerable even with my allergies), BUT… Now? It’s overwhelming (& gag worthy, since it continues to stink, even after rinsing it off). 🤢
I have a lot of ratchet straps and they would always get tangled. Now I just stuff each one in its own little fabric bag and no more tangles. Fast and easy.
Ratchet straps: Rollup both sides seperate and strap them together with a mini bungie cord. It is better that having it attached together because "mostly" everytime you strap something down, it will require different lengths and routing. It works for me! Great video!
What Hacks have you had experience with?
Cutting Boards amzn.to/3XFU041
Foam Cannon/Pressure washer amzn.to/3W7RzWU
Magic Eraser Mop. amzn.to/3ROD0F5
Dish Soap amzn.to/3XS2u82
Collapsible Bucket. amzn.to/4bnORkd
Velcro Straps. amzn.to/3ziHHAo
I love the cutting boards in the freezer. I wish I would’ve known about that one. It’s time to defrost the freezer😢😅
That tarp hack is super dumb. Who would spend all that money to destroy a bed sheet when you can buy a tarp from Harbor Freight for under $10?
Out of a package of mixed bungie cords I always have extras of the ones that are a loop with a ball on the end. I use those to keep the ratchet straps tidy. Those same bungie cords work well through the handles of adjacent cabinets to keep them from opening during travel.
Some ideas that I have used successfully: bought dollar store mat’s , fit perfectly around my 3 steps into my 5th wheel. I used two ball straps on each side. Can reverse them when worn . Great mat to wipe your feet on and much cheaper.
17” led tail lights installed vertically about 30” higher than my low tail lights that the second or third car behind you can not you are turning or applying your brakes .
Installed a wooden step behind my entrance steps to put dirty shoes out the weather.
30 years of RV ing has made it possible to learn from others or design my own ideas.😊
😂 growing up, my parents used a canvas tent they took us camping in. Yeah, the good old days, anyway not only were we told as kids DO NOT TOUCH THE CANVAS if it's raining! Sadly, if the sleeping bag were to touch the canvas when you're sleeping, you got a lesson on what wicking was. A wet sleeping bag. It's not a good feeling. I would string up the sheet in the rain to see if it comes through. Touching it will wick water through it. 😢😉
Thought about that myself. The... "good ol days"... In canvas tents. DON'T TOUCH IT
I roll up ratchet straps, then store each one in an old sock.
I have multiple ratchet straps. I roll them up and put them into cleaned out peanut butter jars. Been doing this for years. They hardly ever get tangled. since there is only 1 in each jar they stay separated. When we had a gas/electric fridge we used the cutting boards. Works great.
Any hack you try and fail is one I don't have to. Thanks!
👍🏼
Always great info. I put my ratchet straps in appropriate sized ziplock bags.
Love the freezer hack definitely heading to the Dollar store to buy those plastic cutting boards.
For the awning mine is also black and I just use a little splash of Murphys Oil soap in a 5 gallon bucket and wash with an awning brush from Amazon that washes both sides as you roll it in then open and rinse 😉
Never give up on rubber bands.
To store rachet straps, I have two nesting buckets. I separate the rachets from the long straps and throw the rachets in one bucket and the straps in the other. Then I stack the nesting buckets together for storage. It's easy to grab one strap if you remember to find a hook near the top of the bucket and pull it out. The loose free end of the strap just snakes right out of the rat's nest of other straps.
Thanks for the great channel; it's always informative and fun.
I would definitely were safety goggles when scrubbing your awning from underneath. The foam cannon works great but you don't need foam soap falling your eyes.
DWR fabric treatment, but needs maintenance
What about waterproof bed sheets 🤷♂️
You should have used mineral sprits and silicone. Works great, lasts for years in the sun
DING DING DING Yes it's mineral spirits and silicone.
Tyvek house wrap, put in washing machine, then dryer with fabric sheet the more you wash & dry it the softer & quieter it gets. Nice tarp
Great one .
I cut up an old bicycle inner tube into wide rubber bands and use them on number of things including ratchet straps.
I roll out the strap part of a ratchet strap and just use a hair tie to hold it rolled up. Easy and cheap.
Just buy a tarp. 😂
Yep.
If you add a bit of gulf wax to the mix of naphtha, it will work perfectly.
There's is a video of it on TH-cam.
I saw that one too.
Kiwi makes a waterproof spray for all your gear to stay dry!
A cordless sander or heavy duty adult massager makes the dirt dance right out of a floor mat.
Like one of those massage guns...or something else. lol
I don’t use Dawn for anything on the outside of the trailer. It is very hard to get it all off. I guess because its so concentrated??? I recommend car wash soap. It rises away much easier.
Do the cutting boards reduce the efficiency of the freezer?
I saw no decrease in efficiency or temp.
Toilet brush works Ok, but I still prefer TP, its not as hard on the himroids
Press and seal for the freezer.
I use Black tape on the straps.
I've never tried this sheet for a tarp, but I've heard it works really good.. the video I saw, it looked like they put more silicone into the mixture.
I put my ratchet straps in zip lock bags.....one per bag. They pack away easily and don't get tangled with each other.
I have a question . Our rvs have a bad smell I think from the fridge .. how can I do ? How I clean the fridge ?
You need to let the silicone cure for a couple of days to fully set up, especially if you used something like naphtha with it ( I use solvents and glues a lot and I use silicone a lot in aquarium builds)
It was actually two days in between making it and testing it.
I'm thinking 5-7 days
LOL "Trailerhood" loved that!
Thompson's water seal works, too, for making tarps.
Well, that was just fun...thanks for doing it.
We use a chamois to dry our shower. It really works great!
I have white under side of my awning. Nothing worked to clean it. I had to pretty much use straight up bleach and power wash (electric) it with the strongest nozzle. My ratchets, I just roll up the loose strap over my hand. Thanks for your ideas!
On my 5th wheel when I setup the trailer the steps needed adjusted at the ground sow the door could close without binding on top of steps. My wife came up with a great idea. Level the steps and put a sticky bubble level on the inside vertical frame. Now I can see the level when adjusting the feet of the steps.
I do it this way and then put it in a small Ziplock bag
Harbor Freight sells 11-inch UV-rated black zip ties, 100 ct for $1.99 a pack on sale. I use one of those to cinch tight each ratchet strap.
Instead of the velcro on the ratchet strap, I use the removable zip ties. But it doesn't stay attached in use like the velcro
We are looking for a travel trailer now and we considered Grand Design as an option, but refused because they do not use Azdel and this brand is famous for the delamination even with a small accidental water leak. Have you had any problems with quality since this company is known for its popular slogan: “Grand Design but not Grand Build”?
I have a 2022 Grand Design Imagine 2800BH. We have pulled it on 3,000+ mile trips with no problems. The only thing I have had to fix that wasn't self inflicted was replacing the vacuum breaker on the toilet and that was like a $20 repair. I just pulled it home today after having camped for two months which is unusual for us as we are seldom out for more than 10 days at a time. I have one work friend with the same trailer, only a year older, and one with the rear living model of basically the same trailer. They haven't had troubles with leaks or anything else I know of. That is just my experience.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
For your first hack. They make brushes like that with drill attachments that won’t break. I’ve got one and it works great for me.
A hack I do. I use 2x4’s and a strap to stabilizer the rear of my 5th wheel. It’s super bouncy at the back and those stiffen it right up
I have a purpose made set of brushes that attach to my power drill as well. I do a lot of sports photography and the fine grass clippings on football fields can really clog up the bottom of my shoes. The spinning brush makes easy work of cleaning that up. When I saw the thumbnail I thought he was going to use it to clean his wheels. lol
Hack #3: Does the Dawn work by itself? I use it to clean my whole bathroom and it works great without harsh chemicals. I bet you don't even need the magic eraser.
I think it probably would, unless you have stains/marks.
Just make sure to use a softer & somewhat flexible scrub brush so that you aren’t damaging the awning when scrubbing it.
The soap on the awning is not much of a hack. To be safe on the wax, I use a pH neutral car soap and a microfiber cloth over a sponge mop. It will not remove the wax.
Ratchet straps, rolled up and use a hair tie. They are cheap, stretchable and are sold anywhere a person grocery shops.
It a bad idea on the hair tie but the Velcro stays permanently attached so you never have to look for it.
Need to try the awning one. We have the white underside and it looks horrible. 🤞🏼it works.
It works with just the mop and water
Cutting boards for the freezer is genius 🤯 Thx!
I have a similar hack but use a mesh plastic place mat on the back wall of my Rv freezer. Fits perfectly. I did have to thaw the ace from around the edges but then I could pull it off in one piece and all the frost comes off with it.
Roll up your ratchet strap and stuff it in an old sock.
Not to mention that naphtha is flammable.
Yes but fortunately after it dried it isn’t flammable like when it was wet.
Evaporation process and it loses flammability
Seemed like the toilet brush handle was made of wood in the video you referenced That might hold up better in the drill
It might have been but it didn’t make the mat cleaner either.
I need a tip for keeping my bungee cords from getting all tangled together.
I store mine on a wire rack from a closet shelf. Works great!
An electric hairdryer can also help to melt the runaway ice in the fridge/freezer
Takes too long to melt. The cutting boards are removed immediately ... and then the ice.
Great ideas. Thanks
Always fun to watch your channel.
I appreciate that! Thanks!
Do you have a video of you testing RV air conditions?
Love the video’s
One is coming very soon.
What is that sprayer you used?
3:33 - Cut larger inner tube into 1 inch slices and then you can put them around your straps to hold them super tight
Bicycle inner tube.
We actually used the drill/ brush and it worked great. We had truck floor mats and a mat at our front door that had a lot dips and crevices in it and an Aussie. I tried sweeping, vacuuming and brushing and could never get all the dog hair off. Tried this trick and all the dog hair came off.
I feel like a product like Never Wet might do a better job on the DIY tarp. Might be cheaper than all that naphtha and caulk too.
Foam canon? What is this?
I use old beer cookies to put my ratchet straps. I cut the bottom and slide the rolled strap inside. It never un ravels and works great.
👍👍
Retractable ratchet straps are the best! No rolling and no tangling
Love your video's Thanks!
Glad you like them! Thank you!
Tax
What is the foam cannon you use and what is the soap. I have never been able to get that much sticky foam after various choices.
He used Dawn Dish Soap… It definitely gets super foamy, even when you’re just adding it to a bucket & filling it with water.
FYI - If you don’t like strong fragrances, get the *clear* Dawn Dish Soap (Free & Clear &/or with Lemon).
Unfortunately, the manufacturer decided to add their “New & Improved” scent to the Original Blue Dawn & it’s AWFUL!
I don’t know what they did to make it so bad, as it has always had a very faint fragrance (which was tolerable even with my allergies), BUT… Now? It’s overwhelming (& gag worthy, since it continues to stink, even after rinsing it off). 🤢
Which foam cannon do you use?
I have the older version of this pressure washer. amzn.to/3W7RzWU
I used those Velcro strips for the ratchet but I’ve also used hair ties
👍🏼
Did not see the link to the foam cannon
I’ll add it but it was with this pressure washer. amzn.to/3W7RzWU
I have a lot of ratchet straps and they would always get tangled. Now I just stuff each one in its own little fabric bag and no more tangles. Fast and easy.
Nice, good information
Thanks!
In all of your videos that I have seen, your rv is always in the same spot. Do you even travel??
Ratchet straps: Rollup both sides seperate and strap them together with a mini bungie cord. It is better that having it attached together because "mostly" everytime you strap something down, it will require different lengths and routing. It works for me! Great video!
That same idea could be used with the Velcro so you never have to keep track of the bungee.
What did you do to dispose of your toxic silicone and naptha soup?
It fully absorbed into the sheet and then hung out to dry. There was just a little residue in the bag.