Welcome back to North America’s best source for news and information for RVers. And welcome to the first Sunday in October! This is traditionally the last month of the season for “seasonal” parks up north. Thanks to all of those tired campground owners for a job well done. We’ll have to wait and see if Canadian snowbirds are able to migrate south for the winter. Did we mention that RVtravel.com is celebrating 20 years of bringing you the best information for RV travelers? We’d appreciate your help to keep it all going through your voluntary contributions, and be sure to check out all of our other RV-related newsletters.
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Page Contents
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Members edition
Did you miss yesterday’s edition of the RV Travel Newsletter? If so, it’s here.
New lender in RV loan arena gives new finance options to buyers
There’s a new player in the recreational vehicle loan arena and its entry has the potential to turn traditional RV financing on its ear. Outdoorsy, one of the young-but-established leaders in the RV peer-to-peer rental business, announced a new partnership with Lead Bank to bring new finance options to RV buyers. The new partnership would give all RVers – not just those using Outdoorsy’s rental platform – another quick option other than traditional financing offered by dealers. Learn more.
RV industry leaders meet to explore improving RVers’ experiences
A quiet meeting held two weeks ago outside Denver could lead to significant impacts on your future RVing lifestyle. The RV Industry Association brought together movers and shakers in both the RVing and camping industries to establish a new, ongoing forum designed to “find common ground and synergies to significantly improve the consumer’s camping and RVing experiences,” RVIA said in a news release. Continue reading.
Campground Crowding: Having an RV the size of a house is NOT camping
RV sales have skyrocketed and more people than ever are taking up RVing. The result is campground crowding like never before! In this weekly blog, RV Travel readers discuss their experiences. This week new RVers are discouraged by crowded campgrounds before they can even get started RVing, and veteran RVers are hanging up the keys. However, others are still reporting no problems getting reservations. One reader laments: “How can anyone consider themselves as campers when they are practically carrying a small hotel room behind a super-sized truck that’s getting 10 miles per gallon?” Others discuss “demand pricing” and full payment in advance for reservations. Read all these and more here. And if you have anything to contribute to the discussion, whether to vent or offer tips, there is a form provided for your input.
In today’s review, industry insider Tony Barthel looks at the updates to the 2022 Keystone Cougar 355FBS. Tony writes, “Overall I like this floor plan more than I did last year. But, even more, I like seeing companies that continually improve their offerings….” Read more and see what’s new in this RV.
Yesterday’s review: KZ-RV Connect SE C321BHKSE
Last week’s reviews:
• 2022 Keystone Bullet Crossfire 1900RD travel trailer
• Bruder EXP-6 trailer, a deal at $200,000
• Tiny Honda N-Van Compo camper
• 2022 Sabre 37FLL fifth wheel
• 2022 Jayco Terrain Class B van
Read all other RV reviews by clicking here.
RV Consumer Support
Help RVtravel.com build a database of reliable RV repair services
Imagine you are towing your travel trailer, or motoring your motorhome, in unfamiliar territory. You’re thousands of miles from “home” and that dreaded “Check Engine” light comes on. Is it a serious problem or something you can skate through until you get back to a familiar mechanic? Perhaps RVtravel.com can help. As part of our RV Consumer Support efforts, we’d like to build a database of places you know to be reliable. Learn more.
Guest essay
Ex-RV park owner has no regrets for selling: Stress was too much
The last time Andy Zipser wrote for RVtravel.com, in early June, it was to explain why, after eight years, he and his family had just sold their Virginia RV park. Now, 4 months later, he’s writing to say that he has absolutely no regrets. Why? He explains why. For RVers, it serves as an eye-opener to what could become a much diminished camping experience for them in the future.
That was the RV week that was
September 26 – October 2, 2021
Another record month for RV manufacturers. Despite supply chain woes and parts shortages, the RV manufacturing industry just keeps on cranking out new units. The RV Industry Association is reporting another record month for RV factory shipments in August, with 52,819 going out the door. That’s up 33.8% compared to the 39,489 units produced in August 2020. It’s the second most units ever shipped in a single month, behind only March 2021. “The RV industry has set a new monthly shipment record for ten straight months as RV manufacturers and suppliers work together to meet the sustained demand from RV consumers,” said RV Industry Association President and CEO Craig Kirby. “The substantial interest in Class B motorhomes reflects the younger, first-time buyers who are a big part of the surge in RV sales.”
My kingdom for a litre of gas. You may not be happy about the slowly climbing price of fuel, but at least you aren’t likely to have much trouble finding it. In the United Kingdom, a shortage of tanker truck drivers is forcing the government to consider calling in the military to help deliver fuel to service stations. Many stations were closed last week when they flat ran out of petrol. That, if course, triggered a spat of panic buying at stations that still had gas. The driver shortage was triggered in part by England’s exit from the European Union, which forced many foreign truckers to leave England and return to the Continent. The British government has issued 5,000 temporary work visas to foreign truck drivers in order to get things flowing again.
Keep your eyes open in Texas for very prehistoric-looking Texas horned lizards, one of more than 1,300 species of concern across the state. Last month, a coalition of zoos and wildlife scientists released 204 captive-raised “horned toad” hatchlings into the wild. New evidence this year shows that previously released lizards are now reproducing. Biologists remain optimistic that continued research and restoration work will ultimately lead to self-sustaining wild populations of the cute mini dinosaurs.
More campsites ignite concerns over wildfires. California is considering adding more than 200 new campsites in the Auburn State Recreation Area near Sacramento, and that has area residents very concerned about the threat of additional wildfires. The area currently has 36 campsites, and the new proposal calls for 250. “The impact of more people is more risk of wildfire,” said John Michelini, president of the board of directors of the Foresthill Fire Protection District. The district is opposed to the added campgrounds and says it will put people who live in the community at risk, not only from increased risk of wildfires but by overcrowding evacuation routes.

Illegal vans used for “glamping” in NYC. Last week, New York City authorities put the kibosh on an illegal Airbnb glamping van rental operation on New York City streets. The vans were being advertised on Airbnb for less than $100 a night. “Glamp in a spacious camper Van in NYC!” the New York Post reports the listings read. A NYC traffic enforcement agent noticed the vans had expired New Jersey plates and registrations. Some of the registrations had expired more than two decades ago. An investigation by the NYPD and the local Sheriff’s Office ended with the vehicles being removed from NYC streets.

You can win a travel trailer and help kids with cancer. Rollin’ On TV is raffling off a Super NO BO 2 travel trailer – and the real winners are going to be children fighting for their health. The customized trailer is currently at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana. Special features include solar power, air conditioning, and a water filtration system. It also comes with a two-man kayak. Raffle tickets are $20, and the proceeds will go to benefit Care Camps, which stages camps for children with cancer. “These kids with cancer can enjoy the outdoors with other kids that have similar illnesses,” said Darryl Searer, president of the RV/MH Hall of Fame. “And forget about their illnesses and enjoy the outdoors, it’s worth every penny.” Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. Ticket sales end October 25th, with a winner chosen October 29th.
It’s all profit for world’s largest RV manufacturer. THOR Industries Inc. is still riding the huge wave of interest in RVing. The world’s largest manufacturer of RVs reported $230.2 million in fiscal fourth-quarter profits. THOR posted total revenues of $3.59 billion for the quarter, far surpassing the estimates of Wall Street experts. For the year, THOR Industries has gathered total profits of $659.9 million on revenues of $12.32 billion.
That’s a lot of no parking signs. The city of Mountain View, California, has spent $1 million to install “No Oversized Parking” signs along city streets. The signs are intended to quell the flood of “rolling homeless” folks living in RVs on the city’s streets. A count made in July 2020 found 191 RVs along the streets, and another 68 parked in a city-run lot. Mountain View voters passed a ballot measure in November 2020 to ban the street parking, but the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California and the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley filed a class action suit against the city, arguing the ban was discriminatory and unconstitutional.

BLM campground near Grand Junction, CO, now taking reservations. The North Fruita Desert Campground will be accepting reservations for overnight camping beginning October 4. Over the past few years, staff has seen the campground exceed capacity on a regular basis. Especially with a recent addition of an event area built in the lower campground area, the request for campsites has increased exponentially. The BLM will begin implementing this online reservation system to help manage the increased popularity and use of the area, and also to ensure that visitors have a campsite prior to arrival.

Yet another e-truck planned. Four years ago, a firm called Atlis announced it was going to build an electric pickup truck. Last week, it showed off its prototype vehicle, called the XT. Atlis is promising the truck will have a 500-mile range, and be able to recharge in just 15 minutes using a 1.5 megawatt charge port. The company is also claiming the pickup will haul up to 20,000 pounds with a traditional hitch, or up to 35,000 pounds in a fifth wheel setup. They also say the truck can handle payloads of up to 5,000 pounds.

An Iowa couple decided to start their own small-scale RV rental business. Their business is called Away In An Airstream and is also available on the Outdoorsy peer-to-peer rental service for about $250 a night. They are renting their small Airstream Bambi. The North Liberty, Iowa, couple will deliver the trailer anywhere within 40 miles of their home. Renters can also come and tow it away themselves. So far, the rig has visited Vermont, the South Dakota Badlands, as well as Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

It’s only a matter of time before you’ll knead this. In recent years, as campgrounds have tried to find efficient ways to provide food service to campers not interested in cooking over a fire, pizza has emerged as an easy, fast, and viable option for park owners. Well, there’s a new player on the horizon, and you won’t see this one tossing dough into the air. There’s a new company called “Piestro” that has automated the pizza-making process into a vending machine. Yep, you read that right. It’s a robotic pizzeria that will make artisanal pies at a fraction of the cost of your traditional pizza place. The entire concept is still in the build-out stage, but this robot apparently works just great. Piestro has already received $580 million in commercial pre-orders, so it’s likely only a matter of time before one of these shows up at an RV park near you.

What’s in a name? Dollar Tree might be in the market for a new moniker. The 35-year-old retailer of all things $1 or less announced last week that it would be expanding its store offerings to include more items in the $1.25 to $1.50 range. Up until now, Dollar Tree had been sure to shelve any higher priced items in their stores in their “Dollar Tree Plus” section, but last week’s announcement means you can’t count on just $1 items throughout the store anymore. The move is being blamed on higher product costs and, yes, even the supply chain woes. They are the last to break the $1-only barrier, following others like Five Below, Dollar General and Family Dollar (which is owned by Dollar Tree).
It’s time for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta! If you find yourself rolling around the Southwest this week, you might want to take in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. This is the “big one” for balloon aficionados. The Fiesta is back bigger than ever for 2021 and runs for nine days, from Oct. 2 to Oct. 10. The number and types of special events scheduled during the event just keep growing. There are balloon “rodeos,” twilight glows, and Mass Ascensions that just have to be seen to be believed. Read more.
Waterloo, IA, park plans also opposed by neighbors. A plan to annex 73 acres of Black Hawk County land into the city of Waterloo, Iowa, is being recommended for denial by the local zoning board. The plans call for 179 full-hookup RV sites, 200 water and electric sites and 230 tent sites at the proposed park. The general manager of the existing Lost Island Waterpark KOA Resort said a new park isn’t needed, since he hasn’t been able to fill his park despite offering discounted tickets to the local Lost Island Waterpark. “This would split the available demand further,” said park manager Matt Abben. A petition against the planned park has garnered 254 signatures from neighbors.
Coshocton KOA Holiday adds fall festival to corn maze. The popular McPeek’s Mighty Maze at the Coshocton KOA Holiday in Ohio is adding a Fall Festival to the activities at the park. The event still features the five-acre corn maze, along with live music, craft vendors and family entertainers. The festival goes from noon to 7 p.m. on Oct. 2, 3, 9 & 10. The latest allowed entry will be 5:30 p.m. General admission is $8 in advance or $14 at the gate. For more info, click here.
The end of September usually isn’t prime time for RV sales in Canada. RV dealers in Victoria, British Columbia, are reporting record sales for September that are emptying out RV lots throughout the province. “They want to do something, they want to get out there, so they are traveling and they’re going to do it in an RV,” says Silvia Thistle-Miller, the owner of Triangle RV Centre. “They aren’t traveling to Disneyland or going places like that so they’re going to go camping and take their kids in a bunk-model trailer.” RV parks are also reporting that open-all-year campgrounds in British Columbia are booked solid throughout the winter months.
Is this your RV?
If it’s yours and you can prove it to us (send a photo for comparison), tell us here by 9 p.m. Pacific time today, October 3, 2021. If it’s yours you’ll win a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
If this isn’t your RV, send us a photo of your RV (if you haven’t already) for a chance to win in future issues.
Last week two readers claimed their $25 Amazon gift card: Tim Nowak of Elkhart, Indiana, and Matthew Edwards of Sulphur, Louisiana.
We’ll have another photo in tomorrow’s RV Daily Tips newsletter (sign up to receive an email alert so you don’t miss the issue or those that follow). Some of these photos are submitted by readers while others were taken by our editors and writers on their travels around the USA.
Reader poll
Roughly how much of 2022 do you estimate you will occupy your RV?
Please let us know. After you click your response, you’ll see how others have responded. Feel free to leave a comment. CLICK HERE.
We’ve also heard …
Everything but the yodel. California designer and artist Barry Stimson decided to give his Fiat Ducato a “different” look by adding a chalet exterior to his camper van.
Supply chain is upside down Down Under, too. Just in case you think RV parks and manufacturing supply chain issues are unique to the U.S., here’s a story about the very similar problems currently plaguing the “caravan” industry Down Under. Click here for this Australian update.
Maryland governor creates Office of Outdoor Recreation. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan joined several other governors in the U.S. in creating a new Office of Outdoor Recreation to help guide development in the state. Newly hired J. Daryl Anthony will serve as the department’s first executive director.

Behind the scenes at the Addams Family video shoot. Last week, we told you about a cute promotional video produced by Go RVing that promotes the upcoming “Addams Family 2” movie. The video shows actual campers reenacting the classic Addams Family theme song. One of the participants in the video also did a “behind-the-scenes” video of his own that shows what went into the production. It’s pretty interesting. Click here to give it a look.
HAVE YOU SEEN THESE STOLEN RVs?
A couple of creeps (OK, a couple of men) stole this 2018 nüCamp T@B 320 from behind a dance studio in Sandy, Oregon, sometime early on September 20. The rig is white with silver trim. Owner Laurie Smith is heartbroken, not only at the loss of the trailer, but she was using it to relocate, and so it was filled with personal items along with plenty of memories. The VIN code is visible on the outside of the unit, and the last 7 digits of the VIN are S002422. When she last saw the trailer, there was a Gerzeny’s RV World, Lakeland, Florida, sticker on the rear of the rig. Know something? Call her at 813-601-9277.
Somebody with a short-bed, four-door pickup with mag wheels “light fingered” this brand-new Keystone Hideout 29DFSWE model travel trailer in Medford, Oregon. This one was taken from the Blue Dog RV dealership lot sometime between 7:30 p.m. September 25, and 9:00 a.m. September 26. This rig is a bunk-house unit with a single slideout on the street-side. Seen it? Call the Medford Police at (541) 774-2250 and refer to Case Number 21-15441.
Did someone rip off your ride? Let us post information on your stolen RV. Email Russ (at) rvtravel.com.
See many more recently stolen RVs. Let’s help find these for their owners and maybe even put the crooks in the slammer. Click here.
Campground and RV Park News
Developments in places where we stay across the USA
Janet Groene reports each week on developments at RV parks and campgrounds across the USA and Canada. There’s a lot of good information here that you can use to plan your travels. Read the current installment of “Campground and RV Park News” here.
RV recalls posted since our last newsletter
• Tiffin RV recall: Water tank may drop onto exhaust pipe
• Thor RV recalls some motorhomes for potential LP gas leak
Did you miss yesterday’s RV Travel?
If so, stories you missed:
• Cover story: 20 years … and counting! (for RVtravel.com)
• Our new Consumer Support column starts off with a bang
• Letters to the editor: Good journalism is geared to the readers, not influencers
• Why it’s so important to take a certified expert along for your next RV purchase
• RVelectricity: Dangerous, even deadly, RV hot-skin causes: Part 1
• RVs 10 years or older are being turned away from campgrounds. Should this be allowed?
• New WiFi technology improves her RV travels
• FreeCampgrounds.com is returning
• Pinterest may be your gateway to building your own RV (or fixing the one you have)
• Ask Dave: Quality debate: How can one “maintain” a product that was poorly made to begin with?
• How to store a lithium battery for the winter
• We just crossed into Mexico in our RV – and it was easy!
• Product review: Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru 2 – a folding e-bike RVers will love
• RV Tire Safety: What “size” are your tires? Part 2 – “ST” and “LT”
… and much more
Brain Puzzle
Can you find the acorn? Click to enlarge and search.

Do you have a brain teaser you think we should use? Send it to us here.
Latest fuel prices
Here are the latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of September 27, 2021:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.18 [Calif.: $4.22]
Change from week before: Down 1 cent; Change from year before: Up $1.01.
Diesel: $3.41 [Calif.: $4.34]
Change from week before: Up 2 cents; Change from year before: Up $1.01.
Do you subscribe to our RV Daily Tips Newsletter?
Every Monday through Friday you get a short, informational email from us delivered straight to your inbox. Inside each issue you’ll find: quick RV tips, popular articles, reader polls, RV thoughts, helpful resources, a website of the day, RV clubs and organizations, trivia, jokes and more! If you don’t like it, you can easily unsubscribe, but we doubt you’ll want to. Sign up here.
Upcoming RV shows
• Fall Detroit RV & Camping Show (CANCELED)
September 29 – October 3, Novi, MI
• Ohio RV SuperShow (Now Outdoor Fall RV Fest) (still on as of September 23)
October 7-10, Medina, OH
• Salem Fall RV Show (POSTPONED. Spring show in February 2022)
October 7-10, Salem, OR
• Tacoma Fall RV Show (POSTPONED to January 20-23)
October 7-10, Tacoma, WA
• Myrtle Beach RV Show (still on as of September 23)
October 8-10, Myrtle Beach, SC
• Toronto Fall RV Show and Sale (CANCELED)
October 15- 17, Toronto, Ontario
• Great American RV Show – Conyers (CANCELED)
November 19 – 21, Conyers, GA
See the list of upcoming RV shows.
Recipe of the Day
Savory Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Pepper Soup
by Ashley Burnam from Phoenix, AZ
Having a warm soup in the fall is a delicious lunch or dinner. This roasted butternut squash soup recipe is hearty and savory. All the spices blend well together and give the recipe a kick of flavor. Roasted red peppers add a hint of sweetness to the soup. It is a labor of love, but so worth it.
It’s soup season and this sounds delicious! Get the recipe.
Did you miss yesterday’s recipe, Cran-Apple BBQ Pulled Turkey Sandwich? Get it here.
Other recipes featured in this week’s Daily Tips Newsletters:
• Rattlesnake Eggs
• Cheesy Cream of Cauliflower Soup
• BBQ Crock Pot Beans
• Sesame Green Beans
• Mind-Blowing Apple Butter Recipe
The Perfect Scam Podcast
Every Sunday we present a podcast from AARP about scams and how crooks are stealing your money, often via telemarketing. Their efforts are often most successful with people 65 years and older who fall victim to the scammers’ sophisticated techniques. Here is this week’s episode.
Sunday funny
Today in History
PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS
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RVtravel.com Staff
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Associate editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editors: Russ and Tiña De Maris. Senior writers: Nanci Dixon, Tony Barthel, Mike Gast. Contributors: Mike Sokol, Gail Marsh, Roger Marble, Dave Solberg, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, Julianne Crane, Chris Guld, Machelle James, James Raia, Kate Doherty, J.R. Montigel, Clint Norrell, and Chris Epting. Podcast host and producer: Scott Linden. Special projects director: Jessica Sarvis. Moderators: Gary Gilmore, Linda Brady. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
Honorary Correspondents: Loyal readers who regularly email us leads about news stories and other information and resources that aid our own news-gathering efforts.
Tom and Lois Speirs • Mike Sherman • George Bliss • Steve Barnes • Tom Hart + others who we will add later.
Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter.
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Sunday Funny. I’d post the same thing just end with I’m going to miss him/her in the planning.
That’s like “My best friend ran off with my wife. I’m sure gonna miss him”
With all the help wanted signs out there, I guess all of us retired folks need to go back to work.
I have been tempted myself! The Florida minimum wage just went to $10 per hour, Thanks to the stupid voters here. They don’t realize that if a robot can build automobiles, there certainly can learn to flip hamburgers. Good bye entry level jobs!
Took less than 3 seconds to find the acorn.😁
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/10/02/crews-rescue-missing/
John Burg rescued in Zion
Thanks, Sumner! That’s great news! The story in the newsletter has been updated. Have a great day. 🙂 –Diane
“Their efforts are often most successful with people 65 years and older who fall victim to the scammers’ sophisticated techniques.”
This old, outdated, line of reasoning, is total Hogwash! These people make it sound like just because you are over the age of 65, you no longer possess the ability to think for yourself, or have the power to reason. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this is not true. I understand that the devious ways of these predators has evolved substantially but so has the understanding that these people are out there and looking to take your money. There are so many news outlets and internet outlets that constantly relay the stories that these people exist. Having grown up with the knowledge that these people are out there, it should come as no surprise to receive a phone call with an offer that always sounds “too good to be true”! If it sounds too good to be true, it usually isn’t true. So I, for one, would appreciate it if this untrue comment would stop!
A 1.5 megawatt charge port? Is that per hour or per charge? If it’s per hour at 240 volts, that’s 6,250 amps. I would love to see a photo of the charge wire and plug. What does Mike Sokol have to say about this?
Help RVtravel.com build a database of reliable RV repair services – How about including those RV repair facilities to avoid at all costs?
Great idea. We have one nearby in our town.
I just added a great facility but there’s also one in Wichita, Kansas to avoid at all cost and that’s Wichita RV.
It’d be good to provide a quick link to use to pull up a nomination form vs having to search earlier RVTravel issues to find the initial article.