Tech & Travel Tips: April 2007

Head Protectors

Super Wacky Noodles to protect your head from awningI was forever bumping my head on our motorhome’s awning arms. Bumps and bruises are not a good look. To solve this problem, I purchased two Super Wacky Noodles. These are the foam tubes that kids use when swimming. Just make a slit down the length of the tubes and slide them over the awning arms. Presto! The arms are now cushioned, so no more bruises.

Be sure to get the tubes that have an inside diameter of 3 inches. The only place we have found them with the larger inside diameter is at Publix stores in Florida.

Patricia Roberts, F280325
Shelby Township, Michigan

Solar light to mark satellite dish locationWhen setting up my satellite dish outside my motorhome next to the campground road, I place a solar light with photo sensors next to each leg of the tripod so folks can see the dish and avoid hitting it. There are no wires to run, and the lights come on at dusk and turn off at dawn. For added safety, I put three bands of reflective tape around each leg of the tripod. I used two white strips and one red strip in the middle. This type of tape can be purchased at any auto parts store, truck stop, or home improvement retailer.

John Blondina, F199842
Toms River, New Jersey

Storage compartment holder clip to guard switchI was interested in finding a way to make sure that our slideout and awning switches were not activated accidentally. So I bought a storage compartment holder clip “” designed to keep the bay door from falling down when it’s open “” at an RV store. I cut off most of the back of the clip that attaches to the wall; drilled a 1/8-inch hole through the remaining piece; and screwed it into the wall just above the activator switch for each of my slideouts and the awning. When the clip is released it covers the switch, so the clip must be lifted up to activate the switch. The cost is approximately $2 a clip.

Angel U. Perez, F91356
Willits, California

The shelf in our refrigerator where we keep our canned drinks would always be a mess. We came up with an idea to use small plastic baskets to put the cans in and since then we haven’t had any problems with the back of the refrigerator becoming marred.

F. Norman and Sharon Witt, F256620
Francesville, Indiana

Adding extra wheel to tow dollyTo help maneuver my car tow dolly around when it’s not being used, I added an extra wheel to the tongue. I began by purchasing a swivel wheel on a mounting plate. I attached this to the dolly tongue using U-bolts and clamping straps. For a handle, I used a 12-inch-long iron pipe and another U-bolt. After measuring the distance between the U-bolt’s threaded ends, and then marking the pipe at the appropriate spots, I drilled a pair of holes through the pipe; ran the U-bolt through the pipe; and attached it to the tongue using another clamping strap. I placed chair leg bumpers on the ends of the pipe for safety. This allows me to position the dolly without having to lift it. You also can mount a spare tire on the tongue with a single U-bolt, if you like.

Don Krzysik, F214135
Oxford, Michigan

Lime-A-Way water spots removerWhile camping near Orlando, Florida, our next-door neighbor was buffing his new type A motorhome. He was trying to get rid of water spots that had resulted from being parked next to lawn sprinklers for several weeks. The spots wouldn’t come off even when he used a mild rubbing compound. The coach manufacturer’s factory rep had told him not to use anything that would harm the clear-coat finish. I went to my coach and got a spray bottle of Lime-A-Way that I use on the windows to remove spots that won’t come off with window cleaner. We tested it on the rear of his coach next to the license plate. The Lime-A-Way took off the water spots like magic and didn’t harm the finish.

Editor’s note: It’s a good idea to do as they did and always test a product such as this on an inconspicuous area of the motorhome before applying to more noticeable areas.

Jay Kramer, F258357
Palm Harbor, Florida