License Plate Frame
One way to wink at the world as you travel is with a witty saying on your license plate frame. “Our Home Is Where We Park It,” “On Vacation And Not Coming Back,” and the old standby, “RV There Yet?” are among the sayings on frames offered by Traveling Designs.
The metal frames are chrome-plated, with the sayings printed on aluminum strips. The frames have four mounting holes and are designed so that license-renewal stickers remain visible. The price of a frame with a stock saying is $14.99; for a personalized frame, it’s $16.99.
Traveling Designs
(888) 834-9500
www.travelingdesigns.com
Battery Tester
“Honey, are these batteries any good?” Perhaps those words have been spoken a time or 10 in your motorhome.
The BAT-250 battery tester from Amprobe Test Tools lets you quickly determine whether to keep or throw away batteries in these sizes: 9-volt, AA, AAA, C, D, and 1.5-volt button-type. The device checks rechargeable batteries, too. When a battery is inserted into the tester, the color-coded display indicates “good,” “low,” or “replace/recharge.”
The price of the BAT-250 is $7.95.
Amprobe Test Tools
P.O. Box 9090
Everett, WA 98206
(877) 267-7623
www.amprobe.com
Coffee Maker
Surveys show that more than half of coffee drinkers would rather go without a morning shower than give up their favored drink. So, it’s no surprise there’s also an obsession with finding the perfect means of brewing it. RVers may be especially fond of the compact AeroPress, which uses no electricity and is said to brew a tasty cup of Joe in the time it takes to boil water, plus one additional minute.
oPress brews coffee or espresso quickly. Heated water and grounds are mixed for 10 seconds; gentle air pressure then pushes the mixture through a micro-filter in 20 seconds. Voila! Sip and enjoy. Aeropress has a one-cup to four-cup capacity. The suggested retail price is $29.99, or $31.99 when a zippered nylon tote bag is included.
Aerobie Inc.
744 San Antonio Road, Suite 15
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 493-3050
www.aerobie.com
Bluetooth Speaker/Light
It’s a Bluetooth speaker, yes, but the Diamond+ does much more than play your favorite tunes.
The three-in-one device also features a “smart light” that produces planetarium-like solid, flashing, and alternating colors in millions of variations. It also includes natural sleep and natural wakeup features. So, you can set the device to simulate sunset, and it gradually will dim the light and music to help you drift off to slumberland. Likewise, it will simulate sunrise, waking you slowly with the sounds of singing birds.
The device, which comes with a remote control, is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, also included. The Diamond+ weighs 2.5 pounds and is approximately 5 inches by 4 ½ inches by 5 inches. It’s available in black or white. The suggested price is $149.
Aplars
2885 Country Drive, Suite 175
St. Paul, MN 55117
(331) 551-9111
www.aplars.com
Haircut Kit
Fellas, how much do you trust your spouse? Enough to allow her to use a sharp implement on your head? We are talking about those times you’re nowhere near your hometown barber and you need a trim.
It helps, of course, to have the right tools. The Wahl Color Pro is a 26-piece haircutting kit. It includes a corded clipper with self-sharpening steel blades, and various sizes of guide combs, each color-coded to help your barber quickly identify the one that is needed. The kit also includes pieces for trimming and tapering around the ears and eyebrows, and various accessories, such as a styling comb, cleaning brush, neck duster, and storage case.
The suggested price is $34.99.
Wahl Clipper Corporation
P.O. Box 578
Sterling, IL 61081
(800) 767-9245
www.wahlhaircuts.com
Blister, Burn Dressings
It can happen on a walking tour or while you’re happily hiking in the great outdoors: mild foot discomfort that you just know is the beginning of a nasty blister. Glacier Gel from Adventure Medical Kits is made to prevent such wounds and to treat them once they’ve developed.
The company’s Web site says the precut, gel-filled dressings are cushioning, cooling, and absorbent and will stop pain and promote healing. They’re waterproof, breathable, and made to stay in place several days. Glacier Gel also can be used to treat burns. The suggested retail price is $10 for a package of six adhesive dressings.
Adventure Medical Kits
7700 Edgewater Drive, Suite 526
Oakland, CA 94621
(800) 324-3517
www.adventuremedicalkits.com
Holding Tank Rinser
After emptying your black-water holding tank, should you be satisfied that it’s truly empty? No. Those stubborn waste deposits and odor-causing particles love to stick around, don’t you know.
Camco’s patented holding tank rinsers are designed to flush out those hangers-on. The model 40094 Swivel Stik is a straight stick for tanks directly below the toilet; suggested retail price, $22.99. The model 40074 Flexible Swivel Stik is for tanks that are offset under the toilet; suggested retail price is $28.89.
Camco’s Web site notes that both rinsers employ a rotary cleaning action to reach the tank’s corners and walls. They also feature a one-quarter-turn pressure-seal shutoff valve to control water flow, and moving parts that are made of brass.
Camco Manufacturing Inc.
121 Landmark Drive
Greensboro, NC 27409
(800) 334-2004
www.camco.net
Slideout Seal Conditioner
When it comes to keeping your motorhome in tip-top shape, preventive maintenance has been shown to be far more effective than preventive worrying. So, here’s a product to help with the former.
Thetford’s Slide Out Rubber Seal Conditioner uses a nonpetroleum formula that is designed to prevent fading, cracking, and deterioration of rubber seals. No wiping is required when applying the product. Thetford’s Web site indicates that the product repels water and offers long-lasting UV protection; it also works on window and door seals. The suggested retail price is $13.89 for a 14-ounce aerosol container.
Thetford Corporation
7101 Jackson Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(800) 543-1219
(734) 769-6000
www.thetford.com
Sway Bars
It can be unnerving — that uncomfortable, top-heavy sensation some motorhome owners experience when their coach rounds a corner or takes a curve. Body roll, as it’s called, is caused by centrifugal forces pushing against the side of the vehicle.
Blue Ox has added a new line of sway bars to its chassis performance package. They are designed to minimize excessive side-to-side movement and provide a ride similar to that of a luxury motorhome. The sway bars, which are available for a variety of chassis, are heat-treated with a tensile strength of up to 180,000 psi and come with a limited lifetime warranty. Sway bars are available for front and rear axles. Prices range from $255 to $985.
Blue Ox
One Mill Road, Industrial Park
Pender, NE 68047
(800) 228-9289
(402) 385-3051
www.blueox.com