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Saturday, August 26, 2023
Issue 1119
Members edition
Featured articles
Travel trailer stolen with RVers sleeping inside
This is a true story. A couple was snoozing in their tent trailer at a rest area near midnight, their four-wheel-drive tow vehicle still attached, when all of a sudden their world began to shake, rattle and roll. Thieves had carjacked both the vehicle and the attached trailer. Find out what happened next in this bizarre incident.
Love’s opens new location with 125-space RV park
Love’s Travel Centers has opened new locations in Colorado and Texas. The largest, in Cañon City, Colorado, located off Four Mile Parkway and U.S. Highway 50, will soon have a total of 130 spaces, all with full-hookups. A new travel center located off Interstate 35 at exit 65 in Cotulla, Texas, has two full-hookup sites. Love’s Cañon City RV Stop will open next month with 125 RV spaces. An additional five sites will be available in the travel center itself. Read more.
RV age discrimination? Washington “resort” tells older RVs to leave
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Dozens of RV owners at Horn Rapids RV Resort in Richland, Washington, have been put on notice. If their RV is more than 10 years old, they’re not welcome anymore. The $2.5 million RV park is home to many long-term RVers, some of whom work for the nearby nuclear facility at Hanford, and plenty of others who are retired. Many of these folks have been happily living at the park for years. But a “new sheriff” has come to town, and she wants to clean up. Is it a case of RV age discrimination? Continue reading.
RV shipments continue to plummet
RV shipments so far from manufacturers to dealers this year are down nearly half from last year (-47.7%). Manufacturers could only manage to ship 2,822 motorhomes, with only 595 Class A models. Read more.
National Park visits break record, propel U.S. economy with unprecedented $50.3 billion visitor spending in 2022
On Monday, August 21, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that visitor spending in communities near national parks in 2022 resulted in a record-high $50.3 billion, which benefited the nation’s economy and supported 378,400 jobs. Learn more.
RVers show big interest in electric bicycles
Interest in e-bikes has never been higher, if the results of a poll Thursday at RVtravel.com are any indication. Of the more than 1,300 readers who responded, nearly a quarter (23%) reported they already owned an electric bicycle. Another 22 percent said they planned to buy one within the next two years, with 16 percent reporting they were interested in buying one in that same time frame. Read more.
Campground Crowding
East Coast “resort” rates up to $275 a night! Yikes!
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 your comments about not enough parks being built for the number of RVers (old news), the high prices of campgrounds (more old news), and the difficulty to “break into long-established snowbird cliques” to get reservations in the winter. Plus a couple more tips about obtaining reservations (such as, try at smaller campgrounds).
RV Video Tour
Tour the 2023 Newmar Kountry Star Class A motorhome—slide mania!
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, the team from Endless RVing takes us on a tour of the Newmar Kountry Star Class A diesel motorhome Model 3709. This coach has three slide rooms: a driver’s side super slide, plus two smaller slides on the passenger side. I love the light, airy look of the interior.
Click here to read more and take the tour
That was the RV week that was
August 19–25, 2023
The national average for a gallon of gas dropped four cents since last week, despite growing gas demand. However, the price of oil has declined several dollars per barrel and is holding steady below $80, contributing to lower pump prices. As Labor Day approaches, gas demand and volatile oil prices, particularly during an active hurricane season, could limit how much lower prices descend in the weeks ahead. Read more.
Meanwhile, the price of diesel continues to climb, according to weekly reports released Aug. 21. ProMiles.com reported an increase not only to the national average but also to costs in every region over a week ago. Reporting an increase of 11 cents or more were these regions: Rocky Mountain (13.1 cents), California (12.7 cents), West Coast (12.1 cents) and Lower Atlantic (11.4 cents). The Midwest saw the smallest increase at almost 6 cents. The average price across the U.S. was $4.327 a gallon, up 8.2 cents.
Gary Milner defeated challenger Curtis Coleman Wednesday to become the next National President of FMCA, the Family Motor Coach Association. Members of the group’s governing board voted 136 for Milner and 75 for Coleman at FMCA’s 107th International Convention and RV Expo in Gillette, Wyoming. Paul Mitchell will become the next Vice-President. Read more.
In other FMCA news, the Gillette rally ended yesterday. A total of 788 RVs were on hand. FMCA’s last rally in Gillette, Wyoming, was in 2021 and drew 1,351 RVs. The club’s most recent international rally last March in Perry, Georgia, drew 1,932 RVs.
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Momentum 23G and 25G travel trailers. The installed safety chains are underrated for the recreational vehicles’ Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). As many as 1,209 of the travel trailers may be affected by the recall. Learn more.
Oliver Travel Trailers, an 18-year-old family-owned manufacturer of premium-quality travel trailers, announced that it will be establishing a dealer network to sell and support the Oliver product line. Read more.
Eight Spacious Skies campgrounds in the Northeast are offering discounts to campers who book early seasonal stays. Those who book by September 17 will receive a $250 discount, with an additional $100 savings if they pay in full by December. 31.
Worried about the air quality where you’re traveling? With so many wildfires happening now in so many areas, there is a lot of bad air. Find the quality of the air where you are now and where you’re heading at AirNow.gov. For information about the air quality in National Parks, this is the place.
A bat found near the Arches National Park Visitor Center, Utah, on August 18 has tested positive for rabies. In recent weeks, visitors have reported unusual bat behavior, including one reported bite. Less than 1% of bats in nature have rabies, but those that act strangely or contact humans are up to 10 times more likely to be infected. Arches visitors who had physical contact with any bat should seek immediate medical attention and should notify the NPS Office of Public Health. Visitors whose pets may have had contact with a bat should consult with their veterinarian.
Are you camping this weekend? Does it seem a bit crowded? With cooler weather, fewer bugs, and fall festivities at campgrounds gearing up, more than 16 million Americans plan to go RVing this Labor Day weekend. And some aren’t staying put at home for fall. A whopping 38 million Americans plan to have some kind of RV experience this fall: 40% of Millennials intend to be out and about with an RV this fall. And how about this? (graphic from the RV Industry Association):
Grand Design RV has produced its 250,000th RV. The subsidiary of Winnebago Industries manufactures travel trailers, fifth wheels and toy haulers. The company plans to celebrate the milestone at its National Owners Rally in Elkhart, Indiana, next week.
Lazydays has completed the opening of Lazydays RV of Wilmington in Wilmington, Ohio. The new location marks the beginning of Lazydays’ expansion into the Northeast region and will feature new inventory from Tiffin, Thor, Forest River, Coachmen, East To West and Cruiser. The Service Department includes 20 service bays.
A 2-year-old Elkhart, Indiana, boy has died after he was struck Tuesday by an SUV driven by a 57-year-old Ohio resident at Holland State Park in Western Michigan as he ran across a park road. Police are investigating.
Southern California’s Death Valley National Park is closed, but not from excessive heat, as you might guess, but because of major flash flood damage. The park set a new daily rainfall record on August 20, with more rain in one day than in a typical year. An estimated 400 residents, travelers, and employees were temporarily sheltered at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs, but have now been evacuated.
Jason D. Wicks, 49, of Hillman, Michigan, was arraigned in federal court on August 23, facing criminal charges of off-trail travel in a Yellowstone National Park (WY) thermal area and being under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the degree he was a danger to himself or others. Wicks pleaded not guilty. As part of the conditions for release, Wicks is banned from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks until the criminal charges are resolved. This incident remains under investigation.
August 18 marked the beginning of the 2023 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which runs through September 4. Historically, this time of year sees a spike in impaired driving fatalities, and the goal of the campaign is to increase awareness and enforcement efforts to reduce these numbers. Of course, never drive when impaired. If you do, well, you might miss an issue or two of this newsletter if you end up behind bars — iron ones, not the kind that serve adult beverages.
Motorists planning Labor Day holiday travel over popular RV routes in Washington state should consult the Washington State Department of Transportation’s holiday traffic volume charts to determine the best times to travel to avoid congestion. This year’s charts include U.S. 2, Interstate 90, and I-5 between Lacey and Tacoma as well as Bellingham to the United States–Canada border.
Yellowstone National Park took to social media on Tuesday to share a video of adult wolves making their way back to their den with a collection of intriguing objects for their pups. The post reads, “This spring, Yellowstone biologists documented adult wolves from the Mollie’s Pack [WY] traveling back to their den with some interesting items. Pups await food deliveries from successful hunts, but in the absence of food adults bring ‘toys.’ The instinct to bring items back to the den may be reinforced by evolution, and probably helps keep adults from being mobbed by sharp puppy teeth.” Here’s the post and the (fun) video.
Portions of the Flathead and Clark Fork rivers in Sanders County, Montana, have been closed due to dangers posed by the River Road East fire. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is also closing Kookoosint Fishing Access Site, Paradise Crossing Fishing Access Site, and Full Curl Wildlife Management Area south of Plains on Montana Highway 200 due to the fire. Learn more.
Missouri State Parks recently received new chairs for visitors with mobility challenges. With a track chair, visitors can explore trails and visit parts of Missouri state parks or historic sites that are not suitable for regular wheelchairs — even on water. Three track chairs are currently available: one each at Bryant Creek State Park in Ava, Battle of Lexington State Historic Site in Lexington and Elephant Rocks State Park in Belleview.
After many years of preparation by volunteers in the Bureau of Land Management’s Paleo lab in Kanab, Utah, Paleontologists Dr. Alan Titus and Katja Knoll have delivered two new dinosaur exhibits, a ceratopsian and a juvenile hadrosaur, to the John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum in Page, Arizona. Learn more.
This is a bet-you’re-glad-to-have-your-own-RV moment… Kelley Barnes and her family checked into a camper cabin at Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas. It wasn’t long before their good sleep was interrupted by hundreds of itchy bed bug bites. Barnes says Arkansas State Parks refunded her family the cost of their cabin rental, but their belongings are considered a total loss. The state park has hired an exterminator to treat all five camper cabins.
Your blood is needed to avoid a summer shortage. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, demand for blood remains constant, transfusion needs increase, but donations go down. Nationwide the American Red Cross has seen a shortfall of about 25,000 blood donations during the first two months of summer. Find out where to donate.
“Houseless” RVers removed from suburban Los Angeles streets
KABC-TV in Los Angeles has been following a story about approximately 500 RVs that are parked along the street in Gardena, California, serving as their occupants’ homes. The conditions are deplorable. Now, the city is beginning to clear the area, moving the residents to other housing and destroying the RVs. Watch this four-minute news segment, which shows a very unglamorous and sad side of RVing from what most of us see. Warning: This is not pretty.
Saturday Giveaway!
How would you like to win these heat and fire-resistant gloves?
Perfect for grilling, campfires, fireplaces, and more!
How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today (August 26, 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
How would you describe the quality of workmanship on your RV?
Answer here and see how others responded.
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS STOLEN RV?
This 2021 Prime Time Avenger LT travel trailer was stolen on Sunday, Aug. 13, from the Anthem area in Las Vegas. There’s an “I love NY” sticker on the driver’s side window, various national park stickers on the rear window, and a hitch tray and bike rack on the rear. NV plates. Please contact the Henderson PD if located at 702 2674913.
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 21, 2023:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.87
Change from week before: Up 2 cents; Change from year before: Down 1 cent.
Diesel: $4.39
Change from week before: Up 1 cent; Change from year before: Down 52 cents.
For fuel prices for specific regions, states, and cities, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Brain Teaser
Fill in the middle word. This word should correspond with the first and last word.
1) Street _____ Jack
2) Bird _____ Bed
3) Shopping _____ Lady
4) Orange _____ Stump
5) Stamp _____ Lock
6) Wet _____ Fill
7) Air _____ Pad
8) Pocket _____ Keeper
9) Life _____ Company
10) Wish _____ Fragment
(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
EZ Grilled Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert
by Maeda Krizmencic from Denver, PA
Anyone can make this quick and easy dessert. It’s like a strawberry shortcake brought to a new level of yumminess. Brushing premade pound cake with butter and grilling it forms a nice crust and keeps the cake from getting too soggy. The cheesecake filling is sandwiched between strawberry jam and adds richness. It pairs deliciously with the sliced summer strawberries. Once assembled, drizzling it with chocolate is the perfect touch. Make sure not to skip that step! This recipe is a great example of how to turn store-bought ingredients into a delicious summer dessert.
Trivia
New Mexico state tax rules have an interesting twist for the elderly: Those who are over 100 years old and not claimed as a dependent don’t have to pay income tax. So that’s one good thing about growing very old!
Laugh of the Week
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.
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This newsletter is copyright 2023 by RV Travel LLC.
The Reader Poll really doesn’t mean much without knowing how old the rig is or what brand.
Our 2009 rig is one of the best we have ever owned. Newer ones we have owned were mostly a crap-shoot.
Certain brands we would never buy again. Two of our six rigs were brands we would definitely buy again. The others were experiments in patience.
Agree! We’ve had EXCELLENT Rvs and upgraded for the change of style RVing we do over the past 23 years. Starting with a gently used 19ft TT then our preference new thereafter TT to our first 5th now. Very pleased with our RVing experience with a Grand Design 381M Toyhauler 2019 we purchased new and still going strong mostly Boondocking.
Let me fix that statement for you…Newer ones are mostly crap. There. 🙂
The RV Video report is a homeless problem with an alternative way of shelter. Obviously these RVs are not the way people RV typically. I truly do not understand what your point with this article. Homeless vs RVing?
That video does not show RVing…it shows indigent people living in decrepit motor homes. A sad statement on our current policies.
Homeless people living in junk RVs ARE NOT RVers! Why are they even referred to as RVers? Gives a bad reflection on all real RVers.
On the homeless in RVs. It’s a big problem. We have them within a 1/4 mile from our home. What disturbs me are the unscrupulous people renting out these dilapidated RVs to the homeless. The next most disturbing thing was an officeial comment was from the Sherrif’s department stating, (regarding those who moved their RVs the night before), “They know who they are, and will track down all the RVs, in the area, until they are housed”.
Thank you, Emily!