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Saturday, August 19, 2023
Issue 1118
Members edition
Featured articles
California Court of Appeals sides with buyers in warranty arbitration dispute
By Randall Brink
In a decision that could have a major impact on car buyers, the California Court of Appeals has ruled that a manufacturer cannot force arbitration of claims brought by buyers against the dealership where the car was purchased. … The decision in Montemayor v. Ford Motor Co. is a victory for car buyers but will also have an impact on RV buyers who sue under the various states’ “Lemon” laws or the U.S. Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act…. Read more about how the Montemayor decision could affect RV buyers.
Washington state Attorney General issues Cease-and-Desist Order in RV park dispute
Over the past year, RVtravel.com has published several articles pertaining to disputes between RV park owners/operators and tenants. … While these previously reported lawsuits were working their way through the courts, another one, a Washington state case, began to unfold under the radar because it did not get to the federal court level. It did, however, result in a “cease and desist” action [after violating tenants’ rights] by the Attorney General of Washington, Bob Ferguson, along with another lawsuit, State of Washington v. Beacon Charters and RV Park, LLC. Continue reading.
Glacier National Park’s future: Public input requested
WEST GLACIER, Mont. (August 16, 2023) — Glacier National Park is seeking public feedback through September 30, 2023, on how visitors will access and experience the park in 2024. The park will host a series of virtual and in-person public meetings in late August to provide information from the past vehicle reservation pilot programs and answer questions. The public input from this process will be used to inform a strategy for summer 2024. Read more.
Swim in Hearst Castle’s Neptune Pool for $1,500
If you’ve ever dreamed of swimming in the luxurious pool once used by the likes of Joan Crawford, Howard Hughes and Charlie Chaplin – you’re in luck. On August 19 and 26, you can take a dip in the famous castle’s Neptune Pool in San Simeon, California, for only $1,500! Learn more.
New campground helps ease Western Montana campsite scarcity
Seeley Lake, a popular tourist destination in Western Montana, is getting a new RV park. The 70-space park, called Lazy Acres RV Park, is located on the east side of Highway 83, just south of the town. It is expected to open in the summer of 2024. Continue reading.
Campground Crowding:
Reader suggests campgrounds should be split: one part for “campers” using amenities, another part for “travelers”
RV sales have slowed and fewer people are buying RVs than has been the recent trend. Has that changed campground crowding? This week Nanci Dixon shares more of our readers’ comments on campsite no-shows, a tip to plan ahead and compromise on your expectations, more RVers saying they had no trouble at all finding available campsites, and, of course, more complaints about the high prices. And what do you think about the suggestion to separate campgrounds into “one part for vacationers and campers, another for travelers that don’t plan to use all the amenities”? Read more.
RV Video Tour
RV inspector picks the best 4-season trailers for year-round fun
By Cheri Sicard
Most travel trailers are good for 3 seasons, at best, but can’t stand the freezing cold of winters without pipes cracking and other disasters. But there are some. If you are looking for a trailer that will supply year-round fun, no matter what the temperatures, Duane, a certified RV inspector at RV Inspection and Care, is sharing his picks of the best 4-season trailers.
Click here to read more and watch the video
That was the RV week that was
August 12–18, 2023
WEATHER ALERT
Hurricane Hilary is moving into Southern California and could provide heavy rains, widespread flooding and devastation later this weekend. If you are in the area or plan to be, visit the National Hurricane Center for the latest information.
* * *
A huge wildfire threatening Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories has sent residents fleeing to the south after warnings to evacuate. Airtankers flew missions overnight to keep the only route out of Yellowknife open. As of late Friday afternoon, the fire had closed to within 9 miles of the city of 20,000. Farther south, homes were burning in West Kelowna, British Columbia, a city of about 38,000, after a wildfire grew “exponentially worse” than expected overnight. Residents had already been ordered to evacuate 2,400 properties on Friday, while another 4,800 properties were on evacuation alert.
The national average for a gallon of gas increased five cents since last week despite lower demand and the price of oil falling several dollars per barrel and struggling to stay above $80. But the potential for hurricane development and forecasts of an expanding heat dome over Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas next week could push oil prices higher. Refineries in these states may have to curb production to deal with the sizzling temperatures.
This artistic enhancement to road signs has apparently been showing up recently in the Midwest. Similar signs with a red dot on the deer’s nose are still far more common.
Traveling north or south this weekend through Western Washington? Be advised that beginning at 10 p.m. last night though 5 a.m. Monday, both directions of I-405 will be fully closed for construction between Sunset Boulevard in Renton (Exit 5) and Coal Creek Parkway in Bellevue (Exit 10).
Love’s Travel Stops has opened a new location in Tonopah, Nevada, just west of town along U.S. Highway 95. It’s the sixth location in the state, and includes five RV hookup sites and a dump station. A little farther west on 95, a rest area offers free overnight RV camping.
A new TV channel dedicated exclusively to RVing is set to debut this month with programming 24 hours a day on Roku and other places including some small-market TV stations. Many of the programs on RVTV will come from active YouTubers. See the schedule of shows here. If you would like to be involved, email Dan Dominski at ddominski (at) cannellamedia.com.
Due to staffing limitations, the National Park Service will end the season early, on August 24, at its Otter Creek Campground along Virginia’s Blue Ridge Parkway. Campground reservation holders will receive refunds. The parkway’s remaining seven campgrounds are expected to remain open through October 31, 2023. Learn more.
Automotive auction platform and enthusiast community Bring a Trailer (BaT) and Vintage Camper Trailers, the leading online destination for vintage camper enthusiasts, have partnered to provide the Vintage Camper Trailers community with a personalized auction experience. Vintage Camper Trailers members can now submit their vehicles to BaT directly from the Vintage Camper Trailers website. Continue reading.
On August 11, a black bear at Phelps Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, found an unattended backpack and consumed human food. This follows three other recent incidents of black bears accessing human items left along lakeshores while visitors were recreating in the water. In the last five years, almost half of all human-black bear conflicts within Grand Teton have occurred around lakes.
Speaking of Grand Teton National Park (WY)… Visitors should plan ahead for construction closures during installation of new restroom facilities throughout the park. Closures are necessary for public safety and to safely use cranes.
If you see a lizard wearing a necklace, let it be. It’s one of ten small blunt-nosed leopard lizards recently released in the Panoche Hills of California. The small reptiles are endangered, and the “necklace,” a radio collar, allows wildlife biologists to track them to understand them better.
If Michigan state representative James DeSana gets his way, motorists will no longer need to pay a $4 toll to cross the 5-mile Mackinac Bridge. The span links the state’s upper and lower peninsulas and has collected tolls since it opened late 1957. An estimated five million vehicles cross the bridge each year.
The Shell Lake (Wisconsin) Municipal Campground will eliminate seasonal rentals through attrition, with the maximum length of stay on any one campsite to be 21 days, following action at the City Council’s meeting Monday, Aug. 14. The campground has been filled to capacity most summers with season-long campers.
Another heat danger: A Eugene, Oregon, woman returned to her car after a shopping trip to find three cans of soda pop in her back seat had exploded, spraying the vehicle’s interior with the sticky stuff. It’s common knowledge not to leave children or pets inside a car on a hot day. But there are other concerns as well. If it’s 100 degrees outside, a vehicle’s interior will reach at least 140 degrees in an hour, which can lead to popping soda cans, melting of objects and other bad things.
Oh, dear … going, going, gone. This motorhome, now toast on wheels, was parked along a Santa Rosa, Calif., street when it caught fire Thursday morning. Authorities thought someone had been living in it. No word yet on the cause.
Fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes increased by 14.2% from 2020 to 2021. Two-thirds of drunk driving crash fatalities in 2021 involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or more, nearly twice the legal limit of impairment. In 2021, 13,384 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, an average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 39 minutes,
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Effective last evening, Washington state’s Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest have banned all campfires, including charcoal. Anything that produces an ash will not be allowed. Gas or propane camp stoves may still be used in the wilderness backcountry and campgrounds. The state’s Mount Rainier National Park has enacted a similar ban.
General RV Center broke ground Wednesday on the company’s first North Carolina Supercenter to be located in Salisbury. It is set to open in the fall of 2024 and will be the dealership’s 16th store.
Last evening, California’s Joshua Tree National Park managers closed park areas that are vulnerable to extreme flooding. The closures are a preemptive measure in anticipation of Hurricane Hilary, which could bring heavy rains and flooding. The public is advised against driving Geology Tour Road.
Yellowstone National Park (ID, MT, WY) hosted 969,692 recreation visits in July 2023, a 63% increase from July 2022, with 596,562 recreational visits.
Recalls
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Sandpiper and Sierra fifth wheel trailers. The axle may be installed backwards, which can reduce braking ability. Reduced braking ability can increase the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash, injury or worse. Learn more.
Some Forest River travel trailers recalled. Awning may detach
Forest River is recalling certain 2023 Forest River Pause travel trailers. The awning of the recreational vehicles may not be adequately secured, which can cause the awning to detach. An awning that detaches increases the risk of injury or crash to the vehicle as well as others in the area including pedestrians. Read more.
Some Forest River motorhomes recalled for fire danger
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Coachmen Beyond, Galleria, and Nova motorhomes, equipped with certain SmartPlug 30-Amp Shore Power Inlets. The manganese bronze D-rings may crack or fail when over-tightened. A D-ring that cracks or fails may allow wires to loosen, causing electrical arcing and increasing the risk of a fire, which can lead to injury or worse. Learn more.
The RVers nobody talks about
If you have the stomach, watch this news segment from ABC-7 in Los Angeles, about an RV street encampment of 500 RVs, many with children. This is not pretty. In fact, it’s ugly. In a June survey of RVtravel.com readers where we asked “Do you believe the number of ‘street RVers’ will grow or decline in the years ahead,” 92 percent said it would grow. Only 1 percent said it would decline. This is depressing, but it’s real.
Read last week’s installment of the new RVtravel.com monthly column “Disadvantaged RVers on the Street.”
Saturday Giveaway!
How would you like to win these finger flashlights?
How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today (August 19, 2023) by 7 p.m. Pacific time. Remember, you can only enter once and after we notify you by email via RVcontests@gmail.com that you won, you have 24 hours to respond or we’ll give the prize to someone else.
Click here to enter or see last week’s winner!
Reader poll
Have you changed any RVing plans lately because of wildfire danger or smoke?
Respond here and see how others responded.
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS STOLEN RV?
This travel trailer was stolen Wednesday between 1 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., from the 3400 block of South Elm Street in Denver. The recently renovated RV is 23 feet long and primarily white with Navy blue trim with a Broncos helmet on the trailer hitch. If you have information, contact the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
Did someone rip off your ride? Let us post information on your stolen RV. Email Russ (at) rvtravel.com.
Latest fuel prices
Here are the latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of August 14, 2023:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.85
Change from week before: Up 2 cents; Change from year before: Down 9 cents.
Diesel: $4.38
Change from week before: Up 14 cents; Change from year before: Down 53 cents.
For fuel prices for specific regions, states and cities, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Brain Teaser
What has cities, but no houses; forests, but no trees; and water, but no fish?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter. And please don’t spoil it for other readers by posting the answer in the comments.)
Upcoming RV shows
Click here for a directory of upcoming shows.
Recipe of the Day
Apricot Chicken
by Cindy Gowing from Junction City, OR
This easy-to-prepare apricot chicken will be a go-to recipe on a busy weeknight. We opted to use chicken breasts, but chicken thighs will work too. Once baked, the chicken is tender, tangy, and sweet. A delicious blend of flavors. Adding chicken broth to prepare the rice adds a bit of savory flavor. It’s perfect with the sweeter chicken.
Trivia
One billion toothbrushes will be discarded in the U.S. this year. Source: National Geographic
Laugh of the Week
A heavily pregnant woman hobbles painfully into the hospital with one hand on her back. A nurse comes over to her and asks her what’s wrong, but the woman just shouts, “Shouldn’t! Wouldn’t! Didn’t!” The nurse shakes her head and says, “Sorry, I don’t understand.” The woman screams, “Can’t! Won’t! Don’t!” The nurse is terribly confused and turns to a doctor, who says, “Admit her. She’s having contractions.”
Today in History
RVtravel.com All Star Team
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Associate editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editors: Russ and Tiña De Maris. Senior writers: Nanci Dixon, Gail Marsh, Dave Solberg and Cheri Sicard. Contributors: Roger Marble, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, J.R. Montigel, Randall Brink, Dustin Simpson, Dale Wade and Tony Barthel. Moderator: Gary Gilmore. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen. Artificial Intelligence (AI) contributors: Johnny Robot and Milly MacWilly. Canine mascots: Archie and Astor “the Disaster”
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.
RVtravel.com is a participant in many affiliate programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of the potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.
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This newsletter is copyright 2023 by RV Travel LLC.
Compliments on your “new to me” donation link. Quick and easy to use!
What an excellent idea to set aside a few
Sites for one night. The ideal site would have E&W, pull through and making it possible to stay hooked up. That way the overnighters wouldn’t disturb sleeping campers with diesels running and talking. Did I mention “excellent” idea?
My diesel doesn’t really “talk” but it sure is loud! (And it stinks)
How can there be an I-405 in Southern California and another one in Western washington? That seems a little confusing.
I405 freeways are bypass freeways along the I5 corridor. There is also a 405 freeway bypass in Portland.
I agree! the 405 runs from Irvine in Orange all the way up to the San Fernando valley! A MAJOR freeway thru the L.A. area.
Hi, Chris. I-405 (an “auxiliary interstate highway”) in the Seattle area branches off from I-5 north of Lynnwood (north of Seattle), runs down the east side of Lake Washington (I-5 is on the west side), bypassing Seattle, and meets up again with I-5 in Renton (south of Seattle and by the Sea-Tac Airport). Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Went through all the 405 auxiliaries this past spring, from So. Cal. right on through Washington.
Yep, I thought I saw you, Bill.👋😉 I live between I-5 and I-405, just south of where they merge in Lynnwood. Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane
You may have also felt the breeze as I was waving when I passed by your area….🤠
Oh. I thought that gust of wind (i.e., more than a breeze) was you speeding again, Bill.😉😅 Although I-405 wouldn’t be the place to do it. Take care. 😀 –Diane
The Mackinac bridge collects 20 Million a year in tolls?!? Where does all that money go I wonder?
Understanding the demographics of camping can help in planning. The RVIA Annual Market Analysis contains some interesting facts. Looking through those findings alone should tell us a lot about demand and how it impacts our planning.
For instance:
* Public campgrounds have 607K campsites vs. private having 1.4 million campsites.
* The majority of public campgrounds are located in the western US, with private campgrounds more equally dispersed.
* Occupany rates during peak season was 76%!! That means 1 in 4 campsites were available. However…
*Allotment of RV sites in federal CGs are 33% (with only 11% having dump stations), so if you have an RV, that would not likely be your best bet.
According to the data, there are 24 sites unfilled out of every 100 even during peak season. And since the data is based on reservations, that does not count no shows. The challenge here is finding out WHERE they are. And truth be known, they are likely either in places we don’t want to go or do not have the amenities that many of us demand. But to say there are no sites? Simply not true according to the numbers.
The 2021 North American Camping Report indicates that full service (e.g., W/S/E) hookups are one of the top ten amenities sought by campers making campground selections. My conclusion is that most of us want a cheap campground (public) in a convenient location (private) with the most amenities (private).
See the dilemma here? Sort of puts the shoe on the other foot, doesn’t it?
Went through all the 405 auxiliaries this past spring, from So. Cal. right on through Washington.
RE: Weather Alert….spent most of the day getting tready for hurricane Hilary today…started generator in rv, checked batteries, filled up an extra gas can, etc.
Last weekend was spent kayaking on Mission Bay(SanDiego) in 80 degree weather…Crazy around here
Thank you, Emily!
WOW on the ABC7 LA segment on the RV skid row. I sure wish that TV station (and the elected officials they talk with) would discuss solutions that include where these RVers could move to, without focusing on the “get them out of here” point.
Another stolen TT. A Broncos Helmet on the hitch may look nice but, wouldn’t a good quality hitch lock have been better?