Bug Buster

We keep a small, portable vacuum attached to the wall of our motorhome. We use it for small cleanups, of course, but our favorite use for it is to suck up mosquitoes and flies that invade the motorhome. Works great!

Joan Hodge, F231618, Livingston, Texas

Cooling The Coach

Even during days with modest outside temperatures, our large shower/tub skylight permitted too much heat gain inside the motorhome, frequently causing the air conditioner to kick on when it wasn’t really needed. Also, we experienced times when there was simply too much sunlight in the bathroom.

My solution was to coat the skylight with white liquid rubber roof coating, using the painter’s blue masking tape to keep a small band around the bottom of the skylight from being coated. I used Conklin’s Rapid Roof III roof coating (purchased from Minnesota Roofing and RV Specialties). I applied two coats of the fairly thick material, adding the second coat almost immediately after the first, as the product dries fast. I stripped off the masking tape immediately after the second coat was applied, creating a crisp, clean edge. The final product is about 70 percent translucent, allowing some sunlight to pass through while blocking most of the heat gain. The coating has been on for four years and shows no sign of fading or deterioration.

Thomas Mosher, F228131, Spokane, Washington

Towed Vehicle Sign

I tow a hatchback, so the rear window is severely sloped. As a result, the “CAR IN TOW” sign that I place on the inside of the back window hangs a few inches from the glass. To make the sign more visible to the drivers of vehicles behind me, I simply added a suction cup at the bottom of the sign so that it stays flush against the glass. The suction cup has a grooved knob on the back that fits through a hole to keep it in place. You can find these types of suction cups on spring clips and wall hooks at your local dollar store. I could have drilled a hole through the bottom of the sign for the suction cup, but instead I opted to use a strip of plastic I cut from a disposable hanger that came with a new garment and taped that plastic to the rear of the sign.

Frank S. Winter, F114882, Manalapan, New Jersey

Noisy Day-Night Shades

While in south Texas, we like to keep our windows open in the evenings, but the breeze makes the blinds bang against the window frame, keeping us awake. My solution was to stick a small piece of rubber weather stripping on the back side of the shade bars that hit the window frame. The shade bars are now silent in the breeze.

Gerald Upchurch, F149198, Metropolis, Illinois

Vehicle ID Info Card

After a friend had her car stolen, she told me she was so emotional that she could not remember all the details the police needed. So I came up with an idea to make a vehicle identification information card. Many of my friends have copied this idea.

Begin with a 3-inch-by-5-inch card (I made two of them) and glue a recent photo of your motorhome (or car) on one side. On the other side list the year, make, model, license number, color, and vehicle identification number (VIN) in bold type. Below this information list your name, address, telephone number, and emergency telephone number(s). If anything should happen to one of my vehicles, I have this information readily available, or I can just hand the card to someone who needs the information. For a finishing touch, I laminated my cards to keep them in good condition.

Caroline Scandura, F235001, Irvine, California