Welcome to the RVtravel.com newsletter. Be sure to check out all our other RV-related newsletters.
March 10, 2024
Issue 1147
Members edition
Cover story
We have changed and I hope you understand
By Chuck Woodbury
I
really wish I had a brilliant essay to write today. I don’t. I have business to discuss. And my apologies to my various English teachers through the years for beginning three sentences in a row with the letter I. Bad me.
You may notice that the regular (i.e., non-member) edition of RVtravel.com looks a little different today than it did a week ago. You will likely notice more ads. I have a feeling some of them might displease you because they are more prominent than before. I’m not thrilled about that, but the Wonderful World of Publishing is changing in a big way and, alas, paying more attention to our advertising revenue is more important than it was even five years ago. Even though more than 6,000 of our readers have voluntarily subscribed (Thank you!), it’s not nearly enough to cover our expenses. Ninety-four percent of our readers have never contributed, which means we need advertising to make ends meet.
The reason that our advertising looks different today is because we changed the company that places it on our pages. For years, we have relied on a different company. And for years, those automated ads were our largest source of revenue. But, long story short, our revenue from there has steadily declined for more than a year.
We started testing the new company on Friday. We were told it would take a month or so to get things fine-tuned, and that means determining where advertising should appear (and not appear) and how many ads is “too much,” and filter out ads that are off-subject or even offensive to some readers. Please bear with us as we move this process along.
I have been in the publishing business my entire adult life. I have seen a lot of change — a lot — but nothing like in the last year. Writing by using artificial intelligence (A.I.) came out of nowhere with ChatGPT. And, shocking to me and most of my writer friends, it is remarkably good. Oh, it makes mistakes, yes. But for Pete’s sake, it’s in the Kindergarten of its life. It will get better, and that’s scary to me, and it should be scary to anyone who relies on the printed word for their news and information. Many writers today (“content creators”) will soon be out of work, replaced by robots.
I am very sad to admit that I can’t trust much of what I read online anymore. I hope you know you can trust what you read here on RVtravel.com. I fight hard to keep this website interesting, educational, ethical, relevant and, above all, honest. We are not taking the easy route and letting “A.I.” crank out free “instant” articles written by computer algorithms. We will use A.I. as a writing tool, much like a spellchecker or Grammarly. But that’s it.
As of today, more than 106,000 RVers read RVtravel.com on a regular basis (and growing by about 4,000 a month). For you, I promise to always tell the truth. I’m not happy about having to show more advertising, but without it, I can’t pay our writers, who are professionals. How valuable would RVtravel.com be to you if it were written by copywriters who had never even stepped inside an RV or, heaven forbid, by robots? Don’t laugh: It’s happening!
If you are so inclined, please help us be better tomorrow than we are today by voluntarily subscribing. We’ll add you to our ad-free Saturday and Sunday newsletters, which also have bonus content. If you have a skill that might help us be better, let our editor Emily (my daughter) know at editor (at) rvtravel.com. And please tell your friends about us on your social media channels (#rvtravel) and around your next campfire at the RV park.
Oh, I can’t forget: Please visit and subscribe to our newly improved and energized YouTube channel, produced and hosted by the very talented Keith Ward. Like Tony the Tiger says, “It’s great!”
Yesterday’s Top News for RVers
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Bye-bye biodiesel? Chevron may foreshadow the future
- RV stocks take a beating this week; Thor drops like a rock
- Train versus motorhome – RVer escapes death by seconds (Video)
- Starlink Roam news for the week of March 4, 2024
- Check recalls on your vehicle using your license plate number
Read the rest of the news in yesterday’s newsletter here.
Today’s RV Review…
New-for-2024 Aliner Evolution Twin Bed
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the new-for-2024 Aliner Evolution 15 Twin Bed. The Evolution 15 is a new model for the company, which is celebrating 40 years of business this year. This new model isn’t revolutionary for the company but does incorporate some features that might really find favor with some customers. … There are a number of things I really like about these and I believe the assumption that they’re difficult to set up means a lot of people for whom this would be a good choice actually don’t look at them. That’s unfortunate.
RV Service Centers and Repairs Report
This week: Stories of dealers and service centers taking advantage of, belittling, and cheating customers
In this column, we summarize some of your emails and comments regarding RV service centers and repairs. This week, Nanci Dixon summarizes your stories about what one RVer has observed as being the underlying cause of RV motorhome service refusal. Also, a father and son’s planned travels around the country have been on hold for a year waiting for their new RV to be repaired. Plus, RVers’ complaints of being taken advantage of regarding purchasing Good Sam coverage, and another being treated extremely rudely by a service center. (This will make you angry.) But, yes, there is another service center highly recommended by a very grateful RVer.
UPDATED WEEKLY: A list of RV dealers, service centers, and mobile techs as recommended by our readers. Click here.
Diving deep into the frame flex issue: RV owners take some blame
By Keith Ward
As if RVers didn’t have enough maintenance and repair issues to worry about, they can now add the “frame flex” issue to the Denali-sized pile of concerns. Owing to the recent surge in articles about frame flex, especially in Grand Design fifth wheels, the RV community has become acutely aware of the problem. (Note: Grand Design did not respond to an RV Travel request for comment or an interview on the subject of frame flex with their units.) And now that there are so many comments and opinions out there, both in print and video, I thought it would be helpful to get the perspective of someone who has long, hands-on experience with frame flex. Continue reading and watch the video.
Is BLM camping safe? Yes! Just look out for these signs and take these precautions
By Dave Helgeson
Is BLM camping safe? This was the core of a question posted on the BLM Camping Facebook group hosted by RVtravel.com. Unfortunately, the post was deleted before I could review the hundreds of comments. It drew such a response that RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury reached out to me and asked that I write an article on the subject. Upon further research, I determined the original question had a bit more to it, as it asked, “How to determine if a BLM camping area is safe or not for a lonely camper.” Continue reading.
A spare fuse spot in your panel can brighten your day
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
We had a peculiar problem come up awhile back. It was after nightfall and we were preparing to make a foray to the Land of Nod. The wife had already shuffled off to the bedroom. I was busy brushing my teeth when I got one of those “Honey, something’s wrong here” shout-outs. “The light just went out here in the bedroom.” One more thing to do with my spare time. Happily a spare fuse helped in the end. Find out how here.
Around the Campfire
RVers discuss: To travel with RV window shades up or down?
By Gail Marsh
As February wound to a close, some RVers around the campfire were contemplating their trip back home. As the “snowbirds” discussed their travel plans, the topic of RV window shades came up. The discussion that followed revealed two opposite points of view: RVers who travel with shades up and those who travel with shades pulled down. Listen in to the rationale behind each opinion and then register your own idea in the poll.
Highlights from this week’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter
- Tips for using cabinet sides for RV storage solutions
- Self-stick hat hooks keep kitchenware in place—brilliant!
- Ignore these two RV tasks upon campsite arrival and departure and you’ll be sorry!
- An interesting way to find boondocking spots in the Southwest
- 25 tips and tricks for using single socks while RVing
NOT RECEIVING OUR DAILY TIPS NEWSLETTER YET? You’ll love it! It’s filled with RV tips and tricks, RV maintenance advice, cool gadgets, trivia, a poll question, a joke, websites we love, recipes, and much more. Read the latest issues here then sign up here. Easy unsubscribe if you don’t like it (but we know that won’t happen).
Easy DIY project: Make an on-the-road cookbook of your favorite RVing recipes
By Nanci Dixon
I am packing up for six months on the road and I’ve decided I need to bring along a cookbook of my favorite RVing recipes so I have them all in one place. Last year I overpacked and weighed down an upper cabinet with way too many of my favorite cookbooks. It wasn’t a disaster, a finishing nail or two fixed it; but I don’t want to do that again. Instead, I gathered my favorite recipes and made my own traveling cookbook! Talk about brilliant!
RV timing 101: The best times to do all things RV
By Gail Marsh
When traveling in an RV, there’s adventure around every bend in the road. As with many things, in RVing, timing is everything! Take a look at some examples and see if you agree. Of course, you can perform the following almost anytime. However, many RVers agree that these are optimal. Can you add to this list?
Highways by the numbers: What do they really mean?
By Gail Marsh
I know some RVers prefer to travel on state or county highways, while other folks like to take the direct routes that our Interstate Highway System provides. No matter your preference, it’s important to understand highways by the numbers. Learn all about them here.
It’s the first day of daylight saving time, which means we get to add an extra hour of daylight to our evenings! (Unless you’re in Arizona or Hawaii.) That’s a cause for celebration!
Ever wondered why we have daylight saving time? Ever tried to explain it to a young child (“But where does that extra hour go?!”)? Are you happy about daylight saving or wish it didn’t exist? Read all about it and vote in Gail Marsh’s poll here.
Readers’ RVing Mistakes
Mother remembers when her toddler fell through canvas gap in RV bed; ‘Still hates camping to this day’
In this column, we are sharing some of the not-so-brilliant things we, the RVtravel.com staff, and you, our readers, have done while RVing. This week’s installment of goofs as related by Nanci Dixon includes a tip on black tank flushing and quick connect fittings, an important tip regarding a macerator hose, a tilting tent trailer, and another black tank hose imitating a loose fire hose. (Ew!) Plus, a toddler who still hates camping after falling from the bed.
Help! We need more entries to continue this column! Please read today’s column and fill out the form at the bottom. Thank you!
Reader Poll
Do you enjoy visiting ghost towns?
Please let us know. After you click your response, you’ll see how others have responded. Feel free to leave a comment.
POPULAR POLL FROM THIS PAST WEEK
We asked: Should e-bikes be allowed on traditional bike trails? See what RVers think and join in on the conversation in the comments section.
Outstanding but affordable RV parks
In this column, we’re sharing information taken from our Facebook group Outstanding but affordable RV parks. Also, from time to time, we’ll include our staff’s favorite affordable campgrounds. We hope to provide real options for folks looking to RV in reasonably priced, well-kept RV parks all across the country.
Click here to see this week’s picks for outstanding but affordable RV parks.
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook”.
This past week’s questions that Dave answered:
- Why won’t two 6-volt batteries run my CPAP machine overnight?
- Follow-up to “Why do RV slides only work when plugged into tow vehicle…?” Rich found the answer!
- My RV’s rear heater is extremely hot. What temperature should it be?
- What is best brand of FLA batteries for RV? How do I add water to them in a tight compartment?
- RV water pressure fine, then drops, then goes back to normal. Why?
Click here to see more questions for Dave.
DON’T MISS ANY RV REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE ARTICLES! Every Tuesday we issue a free weekly email digest of all our articles from the past week on the subject. Sign up here for RV Repair and Maintenance Tips (and check out all our other reports and newsletters).
“Breaking Bad” fans will recognize that face! Reader John W. sent this to us and wrote, “Took a photo of this at Mount Rushmore last year.” Walter White at Mount Rushmore—how cool! If this is your RV or you know whose it is, please send us an email!
In the RV Shop with Dustin
Using a flush valve prop makes cleaning your tanks easy
By Dustin Simpson
The Camco Toilet Flush Valve Prop easily installs around the body of your RV waste tank rinser and props open the toilet waste valve while you clean. Using a flush valve prop makes it easier to clean the waste tank without having to hold down on a foot pedal, and also helps prevent damage to the waste valve.
Click here to read about this handy gadget
RV Gadgets and Gizmos
Our top 10 best-selling products for RVers in February
It’s a new month and that means taking a look back at February and seeing which products were your favorite and what you bought the most of! Some products are the same as in January, but there are lots of new ones here, too. Most of these products we’ve used ourselves, so we know it’s good stuff!
Video of the Day
Do you need RV solar, lithium batteries, or a generator?
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, Patrick from Travels with Delaney answers viewer questions he gets all the time from new, and sometimes not-so-new, RVers, namely: Do you need RV solar, lithium batteries and/or a generator?
Click here to read more watch the video
Travel Destinations
Exploring the enchanting Trail of the Whispering Giants across all 50 states
By Gail Marsh
Tucked away in various corners of North America there exists a remarkable and often overlooked collection of sculptures known as the Trail of the Whispering Giants. These towering monuments, created by renowned artist Peter Wolf Toth, stand as tributes to Native American heritage.
Have you visited any of these?
RV Tire Safety
Goodyear Endurance tire load capacity explained
Tire expert Roger Marble posts a question received from an RV Travel reader regarding the confusion in the recommended psi for the Goodyear Endurance tires on his fifth wheel. They were rated differently on the tires and on the Load Inflation Tables. Roger gets to the bottom of the matter in this article. He also has a tip for RVers with large and heavy trailers.
Recipe of the Day
Best Ever Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
by Carol Hampton from Van Alstyne, TX
Hearty and comforting, this skillet chicken pot pie is a delicious one-pot dish made with kitchen staple ingredients. Simply seasoned, the chicken is juicy and tender. Frozen mixed vegetables and chopped onions add a lot of flavor. Cream of mushroom soup and sour cream create a rich sauce that binds the filling together. A flaky golden brown crust adds a nice crunch to every bite. Comfort food at its finest.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Sprout (Piebald Dachshund) loves camping and hates to be left behind!” —Anne Texada
• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. You’ll love it.
Brain Teaser
I am a five-letter word. I sound the same when you remove my first letter.
I sound the same when you remove my third letter.
I sound the same when my last letter is removed,
and I sound the same when all three are removed.
What word am I?
(Answer below.)
Do you have a brain teaser you think we should use? Send it to us here.
Trivia
According to ShipScience, Amazon delivers about 3.5 million packages a day just in the United States.
Sunday funny
As Nanci Dixon wrote, “Mystery solved!”
Did you miss last week’s RV Travel?
Brain teaser answer:
Empty (empty, -mpty, em-ty, empt-, m-t).
Thank you to reader Matthew D., who always sends us the best brain teasers!
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, J.R. Montigel, Randall Brink, Dustin Simpson, Dale Wade, Tony Barthel. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen. Director of Video: Keith Ward. Social Media staff: Gary Pratt. 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.
CONTACT US
Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
Editorial (news): chuck@rvtravel.com
Help desk: Contact us.
Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020
This newsletter is copyright 2024 by RV Travel LLC.
No complaints on the new format, works fine for me.
I am hoping that as you mentioned you’re still going through the process of filtering out ads that should not appear in this newsletter. I mention this because of a politically motivated ad that appeared here in this news letter. Hopefully that will go away as you work through the changes.
We’re working on it, Fendr. Might take a day or two (or longer). Thanks for your patience in the meantime. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
No problem here either. Thanks Chuck & staff for all you do.
I can’t tell how nice it is to read without the ads on this home page. As a paid member for the past 10 years, no toenail fungus videos, TEMU, or Walmart ads, this make it worth a couple of bucks. Come on people, support RVTravel dot com. But wait there’s more! There are some great content articles each weekend.
106,000 readers. So imagine that every one sent in just 2 dollars. Or even better, 5 dollars. You could be ad free and secure for some time to come. This is a cost of a cup of coffee. I do contribute once or twice a year and don’t mind at all. I find this site very useful and informative. Some complain when you rerun an article from previous years, but as new readers come along they have not seen that info. Like anything else, if you don’t like the channel, change it. If you don’t like an article, don’t read it. All very easy choices without complaining. I hope to someday run into all of those who write for this newsletter and be able to say , Thank you personally. Keep up the good work .
Well said! I feel the same way😊👍
Keep up the good work! The world is changing and we have to keep adapting to survive. We have all become use to advertising, it’s all about the appropriate amount. Sometimes it’s actually helpful.
Still can’t donate. The option at the bottom of the frame flex article to donate is not working. A screen comes up that says “bad gateway error code 502”. I tried in yesterday’s newsletter & today’s. Just encountered the same problem at the bottom of another article. The pop up says my browser is working & Atlanta Cloudfare is working, but rvtravel.com has a host error.
AI. Garbage in, garbage out. I avoid it like the plague.
I don’t mind the new format because I can easily close out the pop-up ad. I am noticing now, however that I’m having a problem, reading the weekly newsletter. I’m starting to get a pop up now that says “Error establishing a database connection “. so I have to close that page out and then go back in to the entire newsletter from the very start. This has happened several times this morning already.
I’m getting the same error message, but you don’t have to close the page and start over. Just click on ‘refresh’.
Same thing here, and it seems the whole newsletter is glitchy.
Tried to donate. Got an “Error establishing a database connection” message. Will try again tomorrow.
I got the same message when opening several of the articles, but the second or third try worked in all cases.
I am starting to get constant “Error establishing a Database Connection” errors, both when I try to go to a specific article and when I try to come back to the main newsletter. Refresh or re-load isn’t working, and I have to go back to the link in the e-mail alert and start over again. I wonder if this is related to the new advertising service having issues with its ad loading program? Unfortunately, it’s making the newsletter almost unreadable for me – I’m using Firefox on an iPad.
I’ll keep trying, but it is pretty frustrating.
I have donated in the past, but it’s time to do so again.
Lawrence Talbot
Trying to contribute to newsletter.Get database connection error
Nothing wrong with advertising, it has supported newspapers and magazines for centuries. I prefer seeing honest ads to being asked to support the Amazon empire.
I’ve been a monthly donor for several years now. This newsletter is normally the first email I open in the am and well worth a few bucks a month. While I realize some are on a tight budget, I don’t understand less than 6% of the readers paying.
You’re looking good Sprout! You must have some wonderful humans!!
Be safe and WATCH OUT for low flying owls, Joe
I hate pop-ups ads so much I’ve sworn to never purchase anything that pops-ups when I’m trying to read something. If I want to see something to purchase I’ll Google it serparately.
Also getting a lot of “Error establishing a database connection” when trying to open linking URLs within the RV Travel web space. It sometimes takes multiple tries. Is the web server still being hammered by hackers trying to use a DDOS attack?
The Amazon item of the day occasionally and, more often Dave’s favorite tools, jump into my Amazon cart. The keep a red, not blue, cup under a motel toilet seat = big no. Just saying what ads work for me. But then, I know this newsletter is with the couple of cups of coffee a year. And it’s autopay even.
So far, not a fan of the changes. Only half-way through and have had a half-dozen of the database connection fails, sometimes annoyingly spontaneously while in the middle of an article. I don’t mind the presence of the ads because I know you need to make a buck. But what I do mind is the reoccurring animated and video ads that are very distracting and annoying while trying to read. Yes, I know that advertising by design is intended to be distracting, but here is little upside in actually annoying me. I know the younger folk who have grown up with such high levels of sensory overload can filter this out, but I can’t. Not sure how long I can put up with it.
The newsletter and coffee start my day. Ads are needed to support your business model. Although, I will still donate. Thanks!
I too was getting the error message about the database connection. I usually open each ‘page’ in a new window, but that wasn’t working. Nor was opening a new tab. I accidentally opened a “private window” and voila – it opened right up! But, if I wanted to comment on a page I had to recheck all the boxes regarding my ID. But you know what? No big deal. I really like RVTravel and can deal with whatever is going on with all this transitioning.
I tried to make a contribution but the link to your site turned an error message. Thought you’d like to know.
I’m also getting a lot of “Error establishing a database connection” messages. I’ve had good luck connecting just by clicking on the URL and pressing ENTER.
I had this notice once yesterday. Just back button out of the article and re-opened and it was fine.
Ads I do not mind, but the auto start videos do not go well with my slow internet. Specially the pop-up videos.
Maybe RVTravel could become completely supported by the advertising industry. Would we get more or less pop-up advertising and still be asked to contribute? If RVT is partly reader supported, is it reasonable to ask what and how much our support pays for? If Chuck was paying himself a million a year, would we be okay contributing? I know these questions may not be completely appropriate but it might help others understand how their possible contributions are used.
On Speed:
We had a problem with our payment software that caused the site to REALLY slow & crash. We fixed that and now the site is back up to speed.
On Ads:
We replaced 3 ad vendors with 1 ad vendor. So we’re technically running the same number of ads, but they are showing up differently. There will be teething pains as we tweak how/what ads are displayed.
We spent years blocking ads we thought our readers would find objectionable. We’re working with our new vendor to do the same.
Fact is, we’ve been hit by inflation in expenses with deflation of revenue. So we had to make a change.
Keep talking to us, we’re listening!
-Kim
Seems much better now Kim. Thanks for working it out. Good luck with the xhanges on retooled site.
Thanks for the update, Kim! Congratulations on all that has been accomplished, good luck tweaking things to mutual satisfaction. 🙂 Have a great week! 🙂
Thanks for all of your efforts and for keeping us up to date on your progress !
When I get overwhelmed with annoying video ads I usually just go away.
Brain teaser – I guessed “knoll”
A I will be the downfall of civilization.
Thank you, Emily and Diane! I avoided the RV Travel donation links, went straight to Paypal, canceled my monthly donation, went back to RV Travel, used the “go-to-Paypal-to-donate” link, elevated my monthly donation via Paypal, and returned to RV Travel to find Chuck’s gracious “thank-you-for-donating” message. 🙂 Mission accomplished! 🙂 I’m sure the “bugs” will get fixed, but I prefer my work-around for now. 🙂 Have a great week on DST! 🙂
Thank you very much, Neal, for your kind words and for the donation. We very much appreciate all of the above! And a lot of the bugs have already been fixed by Kim, our IT dude (and lifesaver!) today. We’ll just keep working them out as we go along, and appreciate everyone’s patience in the meantime. Have a great afternoon/evening. 🤗 –Diane
I can’t believe only 6% of your readers contribute to the newsletter. 94% want to read it, won’t pay anything, expect it for free, and complain about the ads. Shame on them. Do you send out reminders when it has been a year since our last contribution so we don’t forget to “renew”?
Hi, Dave. Thank you for your contributions. Yes, you’re in our much-appreciated elite 6%.👍 I don’t have anything to do with contributions, but I think I’ve heard the powers that be mention about sending out reminders. I don’t know if they’ve set up that provision yet or not, but thanks for asking. Have a good afternoon/evening. 😀 –Diane
This is probably obvious however, for what it’s worth; Once you get the payment system working without glitches, I would go thru the following comments and contact each one who had a problem donating, to advise the payment site is up and running as designed.
Thank you for the very sincere and detailed explanation of the change of vendors CHUCK. This is a marvelous publication. I look forward to it each and every single day. I also look very much forward to the pet of the day. It just makes us smile so much!😀🐶
Hey Emily, how about some merch? RVTravel.com ball caps and coffee cups. It’s not like RVers don’t wear ball caps. I’d order one. Conversation starter at the campground too. Your readers are a subset community within a community. Pick a contribution minimum and give away a cup, next level contribution gets a cap.
Happy DST Sunday to everyone.
Great idea Cancel !
Re: the funny. Years ago I was an interp ranger in Rky Mtn Ntl Pk, taking people on walks thru the high tundra. Dogs were prohibited on the trails, but this one woman insisted she take her little poodle. “OK, but you have to keep up,” I said. She didn’t and was one small rise behind; I heard a shriek, looked up and saw a Golden Eagle flying over, a little dog and a leash dangling below.
Hmmmm. 🤔
Poor little dog. Have a good afternoon/evening, Bill and Tim. 😀 –Diane aka Mountain Mama (who loves animals, especially eagles and wolves)
No apologies needed Chuck! You folks do a great job! We can even put up with Diane. 🙂
Just sent in my yearly donation and am glad to see all the support in the comments.
I know you will keep up the great work, regardless of AI!
I heard that, Lil John!🤣 But no hard feelings. I can take it. 😉 Thank you for your donation. It is greatly appreciated! Have a good afternoon/evening.🤗 –Diane
I’m a “subscriber”. I’m one of the 6000! Every January I make a contribution. To the other 100,000 of you readers that don’t contribute, get off your a** and make a contribution. You should be embarrassed. I get enough ads by reading rvtravel.com via g-mail. I don’t need any more ads.
Thank you, Dana! We appreciate YOU and your supportive message, as well as your contributions.👍🤗 Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I agree..although I have not seen an increase in the ads recently due to a good ad blocker program linked with my browser .I have been a volunteer of contributions to this group for several years and recently wrote an open letter to the readers to link all amazon purchases to RV Travel for increased income to the cause WITHOUT extra cost to the readers. Please support this group to keep balanced and educational articles free flowing to all.
Thank you for your words of support and suggestion to other readers, Scott, in addition to your financial support. We appreciate all of the above and, as said before, we appreciate YOU!🤗 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane
Have been donating to RVTravel since 2019. Will continue to do so for many more years. Why. As the former editor of a 400+ small automotive newsletter, I appreciate good writing, on reliant and timely subjects. To that I will add, when I was editing, it often felt as if no one cared, unless they had something to complain about. Thank you all, for your dedication and truthful writing. This is why I support RVTravel.
Thank you, Dennis, for your generous support, verbal and monetary! We appreciate all of the above, and we appreciate YOU! Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I do subscribe every year about this time, I enjoy reading every issue. Sorry to say, but my ad-blocker must of taken out all the new advertising. I didn’t mind your old ads though!
I am sorry this has happened to RV Travel, I really am. I know that Biden-nomics has taken its toll on everyone. Sorry to see the end of this. Bye
I thought that paying for a subscription, I would get ADDS, why start now?
Hi, Swede. Do you mean you thought you wouldn’t get ads by paying for a subscription? There still shouldn’t be any ads in the two weekend newsletters for members who contribute any amount. I just looked up your account via the email address on your comment and can’t even find you listed anywhere. I thought maybe the regular (non-member) newsletter was sent to you somehow. So, since I can’t find you, I guess I can’t track this down. You can email me at diane (at) rvtravel.com, if you want, and I’ll try to get to the bottom of it, if you’re incorrectly receiving the regular issue of the weekend newsletters. Sorry. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I have subscribed to various newspapers and magazines all my life and they all had ads and yet I paid for a subscription and still got the ads. Ads pay the bills plain and simple. I will continue to send in my contribution to be able to read a quality newsletter and skim past the ads while doing so. It’s trivial.
Thank you for your words (and dollars) of support, Wallace! We appreciate them, and YOU, very much! Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I am a volunteer contributor. These changes and the pop up adds are absolutely annoying. I’m Trying to read the articles on my IPhone. I’m not willing to play “whack a mole” trying to close those adds just so I can read the articles. I hope you work out the bugs quickly. I’d hate to drop my patronage.
Sorry, Fred. As a volunteer contributor you should still be receiving the ad-free Members edition of the two weekend newsletters. However, the individual posts that are linked in the newsletters still contain ads. Maybe those are the ones you’re noticing now? Plus, I think these ads are larger than what was in the newsletters previously. We’re still working out the details and the bugs, and appreciate your patience in the meantime. And thank you for contributing to RVtravel.com. We appreciate your support, and YOU, very much! Have a good night 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
‘We will use A.I. as a writing tool, much like a spellchecker or Grammarly’. Very thin line exists, history tells me AI will have long tentacles. Pop-Up ads must go, I have no problem with regular ads as I scroll but pop-ups are a buzz killer. We are contributors.
Hi, UPRIG. Are the pop-up ads showing up in the Members edition of the weekend newsletters? They shouldn’t be. Please let me know. Thanks! Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Yes…ditto Uprig
Hi, Sandi. Do you mean you’re seeing popup ads in the Members edition of the weekend newsletters? All ads, and specifically popup video ads, are supposed blocked in those newsletters. More adjustments to make, obviously. Sorry. Have a good afternoon/evening. 😀 –Diane
Chuck, today I’m doubling my monthly contribution & buckling up for a bumpy RV ride for a while. Now, more than ever we need the honesty, sincerity, and guidance, RV Travel has provided for years. It would have been very easy for you and your writers to skew your content to go a little easier on the sad state of RV’ing, but you didn’t. RV sales, service, and many campgrounds have come under fire for caving to quality and good service. The pendulum will swing back. It always does. I remember when all the days of RV’ing were fun and adventurous and we could rely on every segment of the industry. Yes, it is the worst of times, but the best of times will come back!