Camp Chef Fire Pit

There’s nothing like having a campfire when you’re out camping. It makes a great conversation starter and keeps you happy outdoors in cooler weather. The problem with a campfire is that it requires a lot of preparation and work, and everybody smells like smoke the next morning. That’s why I...

Gadgets Revisited 2023

Battery Monitor In the May/June 2022 issue of Escapees magazine, I reviewed an inexpensive battery state-of-charge (SoC) meter, the HENGSHAN AiLi Battery Monitor. It has proven to be amazingly dependable and accurate. Available online for under $80, I think it’s the best value out there, and mine has survived in...

VOLISUN Solar Driveway Lights

Here’s a great way to light your campsite when you’re out in the boonies. There are a number of manufacturers making solar driveway and boat dock lights. They are all similar in design and are used to light paths and walkways. They recharge each day from available sunlight and automatically...

Omnia Stovetop Oven

It seems like conventional ovens have pretty much disappeared from RVs. Yes, you can have a convection microwave, or a counter-top oven, but they all require electricity to operate and take up a lot of space. Years ago, I removed my old RV oven and converted the space into a...

Trik-L-Start

Here is a great little gadget for you motorhome owners: It’s called the Trik-L-Start. Simply put, it maintains your engine starting battery by borrowing power from your RV house battery bank. Many motorhome owners assume that their battery charging system also maintains their engine (or chassis) battery or batteries. In...

Latch-It Step Covers

My RV steps were looking pretty sad: splotchy paint and worn non-skid material. It’s a big job to strip and repaint, maybe some step covers would be easier. The only problem is that most of the step covers I’ve seen on RVs were hard to keep clean and some don’t...

Portable Generator Umbrella

This gadget is a do-it-yourself solution to keep the rain off your portable generator. A portable generator is a great option for RVers, as it lets you produce your own electricity at a reasonable cost. It’s great for trailers, as it doesn’t require expensive generator prep or the addition of...

HENGSHAN AiLi Battery Monitor

I’ve always wanted to be able to monitor my RV’s house batteries and know their state of charge (SoC). While you can estimate SoC by reading the battery voltage, it’s not accurate. There have been battery monitoring devices available for years, but the high cost, usually several hundred dollars, has...

Garmin RV 890 GPS

I recently needed to buy a new GPS because my old one simply wore out and died. I looked at several brands and decided to give the Garmin 890 RV a try. The design and build quality are excellent! The GPS is built on an Android tablet, and that gives...

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