Members RV Travel Newsletter for Sunday, April 28, 2024

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April 28, 2024
Issue 1154
Members edition

WONDERING WHY THERE’S NO ESSAY HERE?
Read Chuck’s essay in last week’s newsletter to find out.

Yesterday’s Top News for RVers
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• This is how much it could cost to fill up your gas/diesel tank for summer travel
• Good Sam fading as RV club
• EXPLORE Act passes House: New legislation to impact videographers filming on public lands
• Teen vandal at a KOA and his mother ended up behind bars
• Is the 10-year rule a sneaky way to sell more RVs?

Read the rest of the news in yesterday’s newsletter here.

A step-by-step look at RV windshield rock chip repair

By Nanci Dixon
We have had three RV windshields repaired and replaced so far in our Class A. … We did not want to contact the insurance company for the soon-to-become the fourth windshield replacement. Luckily, I read about SaBrina’s RV & Auto Detailing on Facebook while we were in Red Bay, Alabama. I was sooo happy to meet her and have her work on ours. Here’s how her visit and our repair went.

Cross-country trips thriving with RVtravel.com readers; not a thing of the past! (Part 2)

By Dave Helgeson
About six months ago, I wrote a post entitled “Are cross-country RV trips becoming a thing of the past?” In that article, I covered campground crowding, fuel prices, escalating costs of RV parks, reservation hassles, loss of spontaneity and more. … “I question if cross-country RV trips are still viable or will remain just a dream.” Boy, did I ever touch a nerve with readers. Read more and see if you agree.

RVers’ heated debate: Can you dump a composting toilet’s waste into regular toilet and flush it?

By Gail Marsh
We received this letter from a reader: “We put in a composting toilet about 6 months ago. We empty a container once a week that holds the urine. About a gallon. Just twist on a cover, walk to a restroom in the wayside or campground and dump it in the toilet. Or in the sewer in our campsite if it has one. The other day in a wayside in Texas a worker there told my husband no, this is not a dump site. I am not sure why it never occurred to us. Have we been wrong? Should we only be doing this in the sewer?”
Can you, or should you not, dump a composting toilet into a real toilet? Here are the comments.

Today’s RV review…

2024 Jayco Eagle 29.5BHDS bunkhouse fifth wheel

By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the 2024 Jayco Eagle 29.5BHDS fifth wheel. This is a smaller fifth wheel, as fifth wheels go, and one that is well-suited to providing sleeping for more people. How many more? Well, it may not be a traditional bunkhouse model. … This is a good floor plan from the standpoint of being flexible—and that dining table arrangement is the star of the show.

Click here to read more

RV Service Centers and Repairs Report

Airstream anguish: “You have dealerships all over the U.S. and no trained technicians to work on them!”

In this column, we summarize some of your emails and comments regarding RV service centers and repairs. This week, Nanci Dixon relates your stories regarding poor to nonexistent service at RV service centers, lack of service centers, and more complaints about poorly made RVs. Also, a repair shop under new ownership told a customer when they took their RV in for warranty repair work and coverage was denied, “We purchased the assets, and not the liabilities.” Wow! There’s only one recommendation this time, but that’s better than none.

Click here to read

UPDATED WEEKLY: A list of RV dealers, service centers, and mobile techs as recommended by our readers. Click here.

Highlights from this week’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter

• Important tow vehicle tip for first aid while traveling
• Is your motorhome ready for an emergency? Follow these steps to make sure
• Gyms and truck stops offer exercise and showers on the road—great for boondockers
• This app lets you read historical markers without even stopping
• RV window shades—This is the “hack of the century!!!!”

DON’T MISS OUT ON OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS AND RSS FEEDS!

• Weekly News Highlights. Every Saturday. 
• RV Daily Tips. RVing tips, advice, maintenance and repair guidance, RV reviews, gadgets, and more. Monday-Friday. 
• Great RV Accessories. The best gadgets for RVers. Every other Thursday. 
• Daily RVing news. Get the latest news about RVing every weekday afternoon straight to your inbox.
• RV Maintenance & Repair tips. Don’t ever miss a maintenance or repair article. Every Tuesday. 
• New! RV Reviews. We write one RV review every day! They’ll be delivered to your inbox every other Friday. 
• New! RV Recalls. Never miss an important RV or RV-related recall. Every other Wednesday.

Learn more or sign up for any of these great newsletters here.
(No spam. Easy unsubscribe if you don’t like it.)

Look inside a restored 1960 Spartan Carousel: A “Holy Grail”, mid-century marvel

By Paul Lacitinola
This 1960 Spartan Carousel recently took the Vintage Camper Trailers’ social media pages by storm. It captivated thousands of admirers who liked and commented on the photos. Dan Reiser built the unique trailer with a challenge—balancing the restoration of mid-century charm with the necessary upgrades for modern functionality. Check out this beauty.

Finding community in campgrounds – like going back to the 1950s

By Rod Andrew
About 14 years ago my wife and I made our first trek south, towing a trailer from British Columbia to Southern California. Early in the trip, we learned something that you readers probably already know, but which came as a surprise to us. We found community. I had thought that traveling would be all about where we went and what we saw and did, but found that this would really only be a small part of what lay ahead. Read the rest of this heartwarming story.

Letter to the Editor: A good reminder about changing fluids and travel days

We received this letter from reader Nicky L. and thought his reminders were worth sharing. Have you ever had a similar experience? Read Nicky’s letter here.

Reader Poll

How many of your close friends are RVers?

Please let us know. After you click your response, you’ll see how others have responded. Feel free to leave a comment.

Tell us here

POPULAR POLL FROM THIS PAST WEEK
We asked: Have you ever stayed the night in your RV in a Cracker Barrel parking lot? See how more than 1,600 other RVers answered. 

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.

Click here for a state-by-state guide to outstanding but affordable RV parks as recommended by our readers, staff and Facebook users. Updated weekly. 

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:

• When I use a dogbone adapter to connect to 120-volt power, are both battery banks charging?
• Looking for new RV. Part 1: Why isn’t RV quality the same throughout a manufacturer’s lines?
• Looking for new RV. Part 2: Why aren’t there many 26′-28′ travel trailers? Best time to buy?
• Why does my 2007 trailer have water damage in the middle of the floor?
• My RV needs a new engine battery. What brand and size should I get?

Click here to see more questions for Dave.

Travel Destinations

Everything to know about RVing Arches National Park

By Dale Wade
We are on the road again traveling Nature’s Highways. Today we are RVing to Arches National Park, the last stop in our tour of Utah’s Mighty 5. Arches holds the densest collection in the world with over 2,000 arches of Entrada Sandstone deposited 235 million years ago. Continue reading this thorough guide for what to see and do at Arches NP, and where to camp.

Alaska 2024 RV & Camping Guide essential for Alaska travelers

By Randall Brink
If you are planning an Alaska RV trip for this spring or summer, you may find that gathering the information necessary for trip planning and selection of stops and campgrounds can be a bit daunting. That’s why having a copy of the Alaska 2024 RV & Camping Guide is essential. Read more.

In the RV Shop with Dustin

How do I prevent an RV LP gas leak?

By Dustin Simpson
In this video, we talk about a post that went viral on our social media pages involving an LP gas leak. Two campers were not aware that their RV had an LP gas leak. One of them lit the propane stove to cook breakfast and it caused the RV to explode and catch on fire. … Read this important information and watch the video.

Click here to read

RV Gadgets and Gizmos

The awesome Solo Stove Ranger and cast iron grill—It sears and cooks perfectly

By Cheri Sicard
I had been searching for the perfect grill to carry in my RV for several years. That was before I tried the Solo Stove Ranger with its cast iron grill accessory. When my journey began, I tried the grills provided at the state and Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds. The grates on these were inevitably too far from the fire and they always required a far larger fire than I needed.

Continue reading

WANT MORE GADGETS?
Read Thursday’s brand-new Great RV Accessories newsletter here.

Video of the day

Editor’s note: Don’t skip past these “videos”! Did you know that Cheri’s “Video of the Day” isn’t JUST a video? Cheri writes an article to go along with each video, summarizing the whole thing. Don’t like videos? You can read the article and skip the video! Don’t skip past these!

RV pest control: Rodents and bugs and spiders, OH MY!

By Cheri Sicard
In today’s video from Chad and Tara at Changing Lanes, we explore the topic of RV pest control, namely how to keep rodents, bugs, and spiders OUT of your RV. Our hosts claim they have had zero RV pest control problems in over three years and they created the video to share their secrets.

Click here to watch 

RVing with Dogs

Tips for RVing with anxious dogs during severe weather

By Gail Marsh
RVtravel.com’s RVing with Dogs Facebook group discussed precautions and actions to take if you’re RVing with dogs during severe weather. Because springtime is prime time for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, hail, and other severe weather, this discussion is quite timely. Members of the online group offered several suggestions that every RVer with dogs and/or cats can use. Read these valuable tips and see for yourself.

Click to read

RV Tire Safety

Why and how to take care of your tire valve core

Tire valve cores are critical components to retain air in your tires. In this post by tire expert Roger Marble, he explains how tire valve cores work, and the importance of maintaining them properly for the life of your tires.

Read more

Recipe of the Day

Grilled Caesar Salad

by Trish Morris from White Bird, ID

The presentation of this grilled Caesar salad is non-traditional and delicious. The smokiness from the grill adds a savory, charred flavor to the romaine lettuce. Easy to make, you’ll find yourself making homemade Caesar salad dressing whenever making a salad. Don’t be afraid of the anchovy paste. It adds a touch of salt to the dressing (not fishy at all) and enhances the flavors of the dressing. We topped ours with a cheese-style crouton to keep this low-carb, but any seasoned crouton would be good. This salad recipe is a great way to prepare an entire meal on the grill!

Get the recipe here

Readers’ Pets of the Day

“Bandit and Kalvin love to go camping and hiking. In this photo, we are on the shore of the Rio Grande Reservoir near Thirty Mile Campground in Colorado.” —Joel Kjera

• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. You’ll love it.

HELP! We’re running low on pet photos! Please send us a photo of your pet with a short description. We publish one each weekday in RV Daily Tips and in our Sunday RV Travel newsletter. No blurry photos, please! Please do not submit your photo more than once. Thanks!

Answer to today’s email alert knowledge quiz

The set of the first “Planet of the Apes” movie was located in what is now Malibu Creek State Park in Southern California. Countless other movies were filmed there beginning in 1919 with “Daddy Long Legs” starring Mary Pickford. Many famous actors appeared in movies here — Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Marlon Brando, Spencer Tracy and the cast of the M*A*S*H television show, to name just a few; park visitors can visit the site of the M*A*S*H set. Information about Malibu Creek SP is here. Camping information is available here.

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Brain Teaser

Walk on the living, they don’t even mumble; walk on the dead and they loudly groan and grumble. What are they?

(Answer below.)

Do you have a brain teaser you think we should use? Send it to us here.

Don’t kill yourself or loved ones out of ignorance
• If you ever feel a shock when touching your RV, take action. Otherwise, you could kill yourself or loved ones.
• If you blow a front tire, do this. The result could be a disaster if you follow your instincts.

Trivia (and article!)

Ketchikan, Alaska, is said to be the totem pole capital of the world. The small native village of Saxman, Alaska, is 2.8 miles south of Ketchikan and claims to have the largest collection of standing poles in the world. The totem park’s 29 poles were carved by Tlingit and Haida natives. Each tells a different story. Learn more trivia about these beautifully carved totem poles in this article by Janet Groene, and learn where you can get your own. (It won’t quite fit in your RV, but the shop is worth stopping at!)

Sunday funny

Did you miss last week’s RV Travel?

Read it here | Back issues

Brain teaser answer:

Leaves.

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, Janet Groene, and Paul Lacitinola. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen. 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.

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Editorial (news): chuck@rvtravel.com
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