Wound Sealer
This could be one of those purchases you make “just in case,” particularly if you bleed easily or lead an active lifestyle miles from home. WoundSeal Powder from Biolife is formulated to stop the bleeding from external cuts or scrapes. Directions are simple: Pour the powder onto the wound and apply pressure for 30 seconds. An instant scab forms, stopping the bleeding and protecting the wound. The scab remains in place until the wound heals, then falls off naturally.
The Biolife Web site says the product has passed all FDA safety tests and is safe for all ages. The suggested retail price for a package of WoundSeal with four single-use applications is $6.99; the cost for WoundSeal + Applicator, for applying the powder to the head and other hard-to-reach areas, is $9.99.
Biolife LLC
8163 25th Court E.
Sarasota, FL 34243
(800) 722-7559
(941) 360-1300
www.woundseal.com
Campfire Ring
Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring. Perceptive readers will recognize those words as lyrics to “Ring of Fire,” a Johnny Cash song that always gets the RV Products staff stoked. (Pardon the pun.) That’s our segue to Camco’s Portable Campfire Ring, which comes in a handy storage bag and sets up in seconds.
The six hinged pieces unfold and assemble without tools to become a 27-inch-wide, 8.625-inch-tall steel ring for containing your campfire. The suggested retail price of the Portable Campfire Ring is $39.99.
Camco Manufacturing Inc.
121 Landmark Drive
Greensboro, NC 27409
(800) 334-2004
www.camco.net
Bucket Base
The many uses of a 5-gallon bucket include cleaning a motorhome, carrying freshly caught fish, and dumping ice water on someone’s head. But can a tool as simple as a bucket be improved? Why, yes it can, by devising a way to keep it from sliding around.
That’s where the Bucket Base from Shurhold Industries comes in. The product is a nonskid, nonmarking ring that’s designed to keep a bucket in place, thereby preventing the bucket from sliding and scratching floors. It fits most 5-gallon pails with a base diameter of 10.25 to 10.5 inches. The suggested retail price is $12.95.
Shurhold
3119 S.W. 42nd Ave.
Palm City, FL 34990
(800) 962-6241
www.shurhold.com/rv
Cupboard Organizers
The folks at Corral Plastics are RVers, so they know that glasses, cups, canned goods, bottles, and many other items don’t always stay put in the coach; they might even fall out of cabinets if not properly secured. Their solution is a variety of organizers called Cupboard Corral.
The organizers are available in 18 sizes, short or tall, wide or narrow. Some people use the smallest organizer, which is priced at $3.90, for spices or to secure items in the medicine chest. On the other end of the spectrum is the large wine corral, which holds up to 12 bottles; its price is $42.
Corral Plastics
4800 Quality Court
Las Vegas, NV 89103
(702) 533-2407
www.corralplastics.com
Drinkware Cleaner
Everyone, it seems, has one or more coffee mugs, water bottles, or other drinking vessels with — how to put this gently? — some cruddy stains or gross gunk that won’t go away despite repeated scrubbing. For those drink containers, there is Bottle Bright from Clean Ethics.
Bottle Bright effervescent tablets are made using a chlorine-free, biodegradable, all-natural formula, and are certified by the Natural Products Association. Drop a tablet into the container, fill it with warm water, and in about 10 minutes you can rinse the bottle out. No residual taste or odor is left behind, according to the Clean Ethics Web site. The cost is $7.99 for a 10-tablet pouch; $11.99 for two pouches.
Clean Ethics
65 Millet St., Suite 106
Richmond, VT 05477
(802) 264-1916
www.cleanethics.com
Sheet Holders
Some people, when asleep in bed, flop around like fish. This, of course, makes it darn near impossible for fitted sheets to stay in place. BedBands are designed to address that annoying problem. (The sheets, not the flopping.)
BedBands work with all types of beds and bedding, as well as tablecloths and many other covers. While competing brands typically employ flat elastic, BedBands are made with yacht-grade shock cord that is said to hold its elasticity longer; the cord stretches about 18 inches. The product also features push-button cord locks that allow the tension to be increased or decreased; nickel-plated clamps; and built-in fabric protectors. The cost of a package of four BedBands — in black, pink, or white — is $13.99.
Bedband Store LLC
P.O. Box 168
Dublin, TX 76446
(940) 867-1989
www.bedbands.com
Bluetooth Kit
If you’re looking to upgrade your motorhome’s stereo system with hands-free Bluetooth technology, one option is Kinivo’s BTC455 Bluetooth kit. Once the BTC455 is plugged in to your coach’s stereo — a 3.5mm input jack in the stereo is required — music and phone calls from as many as two Bluetooth-enabled devices (such as a smartphone, iPod, or iPad) can be transmitted through the motorhome’s speakers.
So, if you’re listening to Frank Sinatra belt out tunes from one device, you can pause the music, switch to another device (say, a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone), and take or make calls using your device’s voice command feature — all without taking your eyes off the road. The BTC455 has a suggested retail price of $44.95.
Kinivo
8573 154th Ave. N.E.
Redmond, WA 98052
(855) 454-6486
www.kinivo.com
Universal Mount
Here’s a way to get a grip on gadgets such as a smartphone or GPS so they’re held in place and always within easy view. The Grab-It Universal Mount uses suction to attach those devices to a smooth surface.
Grab-It has suction valves that pump out air to create a vacuum seal. Pump the valve twice on one end, and Grab-It seals to a surface such as a windshield or a countertop. Pump the valve on the other end, and Grab-It grips a gadget that can weigh up to 10 pounds, according to the company’s Web site. Grab-It pivots 360 degrees, so you can view your device at any convenient angle. To undo Grab-It’s grip, simply release the lock.
Grab-Its are available by mail order: $10 for two, plus shipping and handling.
Viatek Consumer Products Group
6011 Century Oaks Drive
Chattanooga, TN 37416
(888) 784-2835
www.mygrabit.com
Waste Pump System
The thought of another visit to the dump station might have you, um, down in the dumps. But cheer up. You can empty your motorhome’s waste tank at home by using the FloJet 18555-000 DC portable waste pump system.
The system connects directly to a motorhome’s waste outlet and runs on 12-volt-DC power. Its macerator grinds waste to 1/8-inch particles and smaller, so instead of flowing through a 3-inch sewer hose, waste can be pumped through a garden hose (5/8-inch minimum) into any convenient sewer receiver, such as a sewer clean-out. A 30-gallon holding tank typically empties in less than three minutes, the company’s Web site says. The product is designed for waste and tissue normally found in RV waste systems. The suggested retail price is $299.99.
Xylem Inc.
8200 Austin Ave.
Morton Grove, IL 60053
(847) 966-3700
www.xylemflowcontrol.com