Archive for February, 2009

After all the years we have lived and traveled together, Steven knew I didn’t have a coffee maker that required filters, so of course he asked about the filters as I unpacked grocery bags one day.

“I’ve seen many suggestions for alternate uses of these filters and I decided to try a few before passing them along as tips,” I told him.

They are lint free and very light… great for many uses in an RV. I got my supply of filters, the kind with the flat bottoms and two and a quarter inch sides, for 99 cents (plus tax, of course). Here are some handy tips for using them.

• First thing I tried, as I sat contemplating, was to clean my glasses. Perfect size and did a great job of it.
• I use the mirror in my bathroom to make notes with a dry erase pen. The filter cleaned off the old notes quickly and efficiently.
• Folded in half, and half again, the triangle that is formed can be used to gently clean the dust from a computer screen.
• The filters make great covers for dishes when cooking or reheating in a microwave.
• Cork pieces in your wine bottle? Pour the wine through a coffee filter to remove the cork chunks.
• A filter in the bottom of a pot you are planting will permit water to drain while it keeps the soil from exiting.
• Poke the stick of a popsicle through a filter or put one around the stick and fluff it out a bit to catch drippings and keep your kid or grandkid sticky-free.
• When putting away a cast iron skillet put a filter in it to prevent rust by absorbing any remaining moisture.
• Line a sieve or strainer with a coffee filter and pour frying oil through it for recycling.
• Use a handy coffee filter on your kitchen scale when weighing chopped foods.
• A great dauber for razor nicks. Stash a few in the bathroom.
• Use several for thicker absorbing on a plate beneath bacon or fries to soak up the grease.
• A filter makes a good holder for tacos, burritos, juicy sandwiches or wraps.
• A couple filters between stacked dishes and cups will protect your china on the road.
• Share popcorn with the whole family in filter bowls for everyone.
• Make a spice or herb pouch with a filter with a tied top for soup or stew flavoring.
• Put garlic cloves in a filter and twist the top. Heat it in the microwave for 10 or 15 seconds to make them peel easier when skins split.
• A coffee filter bundled around fresh bay leaves and tied up to make little pouches can be placed on pantry shelves to drive away bugs. They don’t tolerate the smell of the leaves.
• Place a filter over the flash on a camera to diffuse the harsh light on a baby’s eyes.
• Use a filter as a good throw-away applicator for shoe polish, silver polish, filler for scratches or scrapes on furniture.
• Give toddlers treats …cookies, crackers, dry cereal, raisins, M & Ms, etc. …in a coffee filter that is easier to hold onto with tiny hands.

—————-

When shopping for a tow vehicle keep in mind that appearances can be deceiving. For example two pickups sitting side by side on a dealer’s lot may seem to be identical, except perhaps for color, but one of the trucks may have a substantially high tow rating.

Most light truck & SUV manufacturers offer specially designed towing packages that define the equipment necessary to tow different types of trailers depending on their fully loaded weight and size. A towing package may include a heavy-duty radiator, battery, flasher system, alternator, suspension, and brakes, as well as an engine-oil cooler, transmission-oil cooler, wiring harness, specific axle ratio, and special wheels and tires. Newer pickups may even include a trailer brake controller specially fitted into the instrument panel.

Towing packages also may include the trailer hitch receiver, which is mounted to the tow vehicle, but towing packages rarely include the draw bar, or ball mount, and hitch ball.

A manufacturer may offer different towing packages to safely tow various sizes and types of trailers. Towing packages indicate both equipment that must be installed on your tow vehicle and equipment that is optional or recommended. For example, not all trailers require the tow vehicle to be equipped with extended side-view mirrors. But if you plan to tow a trailer wider than your tow vehicle, you will need extended side-view mirrors to see rear- and side-approaching traffic.

If you already have a tow vehicle, look up its tow rating—size, maximum loaded weight, and maximum tongue weight of a trailer that the tow vehicle is capable of towing. The vehicle owner’s manual contains these specifications.

Most automotive manufacturers and dealerships have towing specification guides with tow ratings and detailed information if extra equipment is needed to tow a trailer. Always insist on seeing the printed specification. Never rely on a salesman. service manager or mechanic for proper information.

While your vehicle may have certain tow ratings, remember you must have a matching hitch system that can handle the same specifications. To ensure safety, you may have to install extra towing equipment.
—————–

RVing 101 Training Course on DVDs
Get a box set of instructional DVD titles for hours of one on one instruction. Not only do you eliminate the guesswork as to which DVDs are suited to your RV, you SAVE significant money with the box set discount. There are DVD sets for Travel Trailers & Fifth Wheels.
——————