Members RV Travel Newsletter for Saturday, December 9, 2023

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Saturday, December 9, 2023
Issue 1134
Members edition

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  Featured articles  

Used RV prices report signals it may be time to buy

Used RV prices at the wholesale level suggest it might be the time to buy a used RV. Market watcher Black Book released their findings from the most recent wholesale auction month of October. While the prices were mixed, with motorhomes heading up and travel trailers down, the price trend overall is decidedly down. Continue reading.

Be careful driving in these cities with the most aggressive drivers

Aggressive driving—fast acceleration, hard braking, speeding. GasBuddy, a PDI Technologies company, released the results of its annual aggressive holiday driving study. It reveals that U.S. drivers are up to 48% more aggressive on the roads during the holiday season. The study ranked the top 50 U.S. metros from most to least aggressive. Learn where your city ranks here. (Do the results surprise you?)

Big Montana RV park project embroiled in legal dispute

By Randall Brink
A legal dispute over a proposed RV park along Montana Highway 2 in the Thompson Chain of Lakes area has escalated to the courtroom. … The Thompson Chain of Lakes Stewardship Coalition is seeking a summary judgment to halt the Montana RV park project initiated by Parks Family Real Estate Company. This development plan includes 69 RV and 20 tent sites on 21 acres. Continue reading.

New RV sales numbers down in October

Retail RV registrations, a measure of the number of new RV sales numbers, are down. So says a report from Statistical Surveys Inc. for the month of October 2023. Read the breakdown here.

Are you a CPAP machine user? New troubles for Philips and the FDA

By Russ and Tiña De Maris
A survey of RVtravel.com readers showed nearly a third of those responding use CPAP machines. That can be a challenge for anyone, but for RVers, particularly those who boondock, the difficulty is multiplied. Using CPAP in an RV can be a real challenge. If that’s not all enough to worry about, now Philips, a major player in CPAP machine manufacturing, is stewing over yet another of its models creating potential harm for users. Read this important information.

Campground Crowding

A few great tips for low-cost, no-crowds camping, including a cheap snowbird trick

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 experiences and advice regarding traveling in an RV. Gary B., a 90-year-old coast-to-coast RVer, has some great tips as well as a wonderful view on life. (Just his final sentence is very worth reading.) Bruce W. is a Boondockers Welcome host and loves to have guests, but states that “it just seems weird” when bookings slow down. He wonders if that also occurred at other campgrounds. And Steve H. reports on a couple he knows that really slashes the price on being a snowbird.

Click here to read LOTS more tips and a couple of gripes

RV Video Tour

Oliver Travel Trailers: Too good to be true?

By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, our hostess Liz Amazing talks about how so many RVers are bemoaning the poor quality of their rigs. To be sure, this website is also filled with tales of woe from RVers disappointed in the subpar quality of the way their rigs are built. So Liz offers an alternative, Oliver Travel Trailers, a brand with a sterling reputation and legions of loyal fans.

Click here to read more and tour

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Don’t want to sign up? Don’t worry. This newsletter isn’t going anywhere. Continue reading this newsletter every Saturday for a recap of the latest news for RVers.

More RVing News

Gas prices jumped, says AAA. But don’t turn blue, it was a single-day jump, and now motor fuel is continuing to drop. In the last week, gas prices have dropped four cents, now at $3.20 per gallon. What’s behind the drop, and what does the future hold?

On December 7, 2023, a fire completely engulfed a travel trailer at the Cuddy Family Midtown Park homeless encampment in Anchorage, Alaska. Read about how this incident highlights safety concerns here.

Millions of Americans spend $80 for an America the Beautiful pass, which allows entry not only into National Park lands, but also to some other federal lands which charge entrance fees. Until now, park passes had two signature lines, allowing users to have more than one person use them. At the first of next year, all that changes.

One of the first RV shows of the new year pops up in Ohio, January 10 through 14. The Ohio RV Supershow takes over Cleveland’s I-X Center and promoters are shouting that there’ll be 350 new RVs to see there. Learn more.

City officials in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, just recognized they’ve been dumped on. For a number of years, a local RV park, Kettle Campground, has been hooked up to the city’s sewage treatment system. At the same time, the park hasn’t been a city water customer. That, says a city official, constitutes illegal dumping of RV sewage. How do we get here from there?

A Canadian couple moved into their fifth wheel RV on the wife’s parents’ agricultural property. But it didn’t take long before they heard from city officials—telling them to move out. You can’t legally live in an RV on private property, they were told. Soon, they racked up $2,700 in fines. Thus began a year-and-a-half-long struggle with those officials. Read about what happened here.

All Indiana State Parks employees and others in the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will soon receive special training. The program, Unity Blaze “Return to Inclusion,” is a partnership between the state and the group Black Folks Camp Too (BFCT). The aim is to educate participants on “how to create a more inclusive outdoor experience for all folks.” Learn more here.

Folks fueling up in Georgia have had a break at the pumps since September. On the 13th of that month, the Peach State governor wiped out fuel tax. The fuel tax holiday meant gasoline buyers saw a 31.2-cent-a-gallon savings. Diesel drivers caught a 35-cent break. But no more. That tax holiday is over.

Planning a trip to Canyonlands or Arches national parks in Utah? Better take the Visine. From now through March 2024, it could be smoky! Here’s why.

In the past, online Oregon State Parks reservations had to be made at least 24 hours in advance of arrival date. On January 1, 2024, visitors will be able to make online reservations on the same day that they want to camp statewide. Of course, there’s a catch.

As the New Year rolls toward us, many RVers are planning their 2024 outings. Here’s the list of 2024 National Parks fee-free entry days.

The BLM needs camp hosts for five Northern California positions. Positions to fill are in Lassen and Trinity counties. In addition to a spot to park your RV, the agency is also offering small stipends to those who volunteer. Learn more.

Zion National Park officials say the little park in Utah has seen a huge jump in popularity. Back in 2016, 3.6 million folks dropped in for a visit. In 2022, it had gone to 4.7 million, a jump of close to 31%. So it probably shouldn’t be surprising that Zion camping fees are headed up a steep incline. Hold onto your water buckets, the changes will go into effect in 2024.

This year saw access closed down at North Dakota’s popular Lake Ashtabula campground. West Ashtabula Crossing campground was originally designed for 1960s-era RVs, and offered no utility hookups. But the Army Corps of Engineers and hired contractors have changed that, and RVers can look for a new campground in 2024.

• RV stocking stuffers: Awesome inexpensive RV gifts under $20
• The best holiday gifts for RV DIYers
• The best holiday gifts for RVers in 2023
• The best holiday gifts for RV cooks
• 15 camping games and puzzles that make the perfect gift
• 14 of the best RV Christmas sweaters for this holiday season

Saturday Giveaway!

How would you like to win this National Geographic Road Atlas 2023: Scenic Drives Edition?

How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today (December 9, 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

For couples: Do you get along better at home or when you’re RVing?

Please vote here

Recent Recalls

• Ford F-150 Lightning recall. EV crash potential from defective software
• Chrysler: Huge Ram truck recall for turn signal and high beam issues

Latest fuel prices

Here are the latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of December 4, 2023:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.23
Change from week before: Down <1 cent; Change from year before: Down 16 cents.
Diesel: $4.09
Change from week before: Down 5 cents; Change from year before: Down 88 cents.

For fuel prices for specific regions, states, and cities, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Brain Teaser

I left my campsite and hiked south for 3 miles. Then I turned east and hiked for 3 miles. I then turned north and hiked for 3 miles, at which time I came upon a bear inside my tent eating my food! What color was the bear?

(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 [recently updated] directory of upcoming shows.

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Recipe of the Day

Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken

by Vicki Picotte from Northglenn, CO

The next time you’re craving takeout, make this slow cooker sesame chicken instead. It’s as good as any restaurant and less expensive to make at home. The chicken breasts are extremely tender after slow cooking. The sauce is savory with a hint of sweetness. Sesame seeds sprinkled on top add a touch of nutty flavor. Serve over white rice for an Asian-inspired meal.

Click here for the recipe

Trivia

Did you know Queen Elizabeth II was a trained mechanic? Yep. Known as Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor, she donned a pair of coveralls and trained in London as a mechanic and military truck driver. The queen was the only female member of the royal family to have entered the armed forces and was the only living head of state who served in World War II.

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, Jan Steele and Tony Barthel. 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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