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Saturday, May 4, 2024
Issue 1155
Members edition
Featured articles
Some RVers likely part of $1.1 billion CPAP settlement
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Untreated sleep apnea can cause real problems and, in some cases, death. But imagine being killed by the machine you use to treat sleep apnea. That’s the claim in many lawsuits against one CPAP machine maker, Philips. Death and injuries are alleged, and Philips has reached a $1.1 billion CPAP settlement to make those claims go away. Are you or a loved one in line for part of the settlement?
Automatic braking systems on the way; benefits in question
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Hold onto your hats—and your steering wheels. Automatic emergency braking (AEB) is coming to a car or truck under you. Back in January we wrote of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) plans to mandate “AEB” systems in light vehicles. On April 22, Uncle Sam’s Office of Management and Budget completed its review of a final rule to mandate automatic emergency braking systems for light vehicles. It won’t be long before these systems will be mandated standard equipment in new cars and pickups. Continue reading.
More than half of campers “no-shows” at campsites they reserved
RVtravel.com readers have often complained about how many vacant spots they’ve seen at supposedly “full” campgrounds. Many figured campground no-shows were to blame. A new survey from The Dyrt shows a whopping 57.3% of reservations were either canceled or, even worse, simply left fallow by people not considerate enough to bother to cancel them. What’s the “reasoning” behind such boorish behavior? Here’s the story.
Look out for the E-ZPass scam
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
With 36 million accounts and 53 million vehicle tags, E-ZPass may be the largest toll collection system in the U.S. Drivers use it in 19 states, to the tune of $15 billion in tolls rung up each year. You probably hate tolls, and here’s a darker side. The E-ZPass scam is out to get you. Be cautious of this!
Campground Crowding (and more!)
Campground owners have no experience in RV industry – just see dollar signs
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 relates more RVers’ concerns about corporate ownership and management of RV parks and the increased costs to campers but with few improvements to show for it, i.e., it’s all about the profits. Others have a realistic but positive attitude regarding the current state of RVing, and have some tips to “get out and enjoy the freedom we have in this beautiful country we live in.”
RV Walk-through (new name, same column!)
2024 Coachmen Encore 375RB Class A gas motorhome—Perfect combo of quality and price
By Cheri Sicard
In [this video] we join Matt and Andrea of Matt’s RV Reviews (one of the winners of our 2024 RV video awards), for a walk-through tour of what he says is his FAVORITE Class A gas-powered motorhome. Matt reviews a whole lot of RVs, but he says if he were personally in the market for a Class A gas motorhome, this would be his pick as it’s the perfect combination of quality and price.
More RVing News
California has a new state park in the San Joaquin Valley that opens on Wednesday, June 12. The park is about eight miles west of Modesto in the Central Valley. The nearly 1,600-acre Dos Rios property is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California. In addition to recreation, the park’s purpose is to restore habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife. Here are all the details.
A Sarasota, Florida, couple has died while trying to fulfill their RV dream travel list. Joseph and Christina Kessler died last Thursday when their motorhome was hit by a train in Christian County, Illinois. Here’s the sad story.
Think freeway speeds should be raised? While it may move traffic faster down the interstate, there could be unexpected consequences. They call it “spillover speeding.” And if your neighborhood is near where folks get off the freeway, you and your loved ones could be at risk. It’s the finding of new research from the AAA Foundation. It looked into how raising posted limits affected communities bordering on faster freeways.
A Blue Star Transportation tour bus was captured on camera on April 28 as it drove around a line of backed-up traffic to pass through a herd of bison in Yellowstone National Park. Visitors were surprised because usually vehicles simply wait for the herd to cross the road before continuing on their way. Facebook users along with park enthusiasts quickly posted their concern and disgust at the incident.
The North Rim of Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park will open on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 a.m., to mark the official start of the 2024 season. Grand Canyon Lodge and Grand Canyon Trail Rides will also commence their 2024 seasonal operations on this date. More information here.
Camping World’s financial report a mixed bag. The quarter ended March 31, and the report was issued after the stock market’s closing bell. Camping World’s financials reflect much of the RV market’s rough seas facing the industry in general. Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis focused on one bright spot, while stock market analysts’ projections on two key factors were worse than expected.
The Washington State Patrol was called in to help corral four zebras that escaped from a livestock trailer along Interstate 90 near North Bend. The quartet of hooved-and-striped quadrupeds were on their way to Montana when their driver reported some sort of security issue with the trailer. She got off the interstate, opened the door and, hey presto! Off they went. Here’s the full (very entertaining) story with an update as of late Friday night.
Taking your boat to Yellowstone? You may not get it in the water under new rules to stop aquatic invasive species in the popular national park. Look closely, as the regulations make it a lot harder for some, and impossible for others. Here’s the information based on a Park Service press release.
What are firefighters using to rescue baby animals these days? Cans of tuna and YouTube, apparently. Last Monday, Orange County, California, firefighters got called out on a rescue mission. A group of folks descended on Station 70 after attempting to rescue “a tiny thing” covered with fur trapped in a space below a street. Turns out the tiny thing was a mewling kitten. Here’s the rescue story.
An RV and a Jeep it was towing burned to the ground, closing Florida’s Highway 301. Gainesville, Florida, firefighters received a call around 5:30 p.m. local time on Saturday evening, April 27. The caller reported billowing smoke on Highway 301 near Gainesville. When arriving on the scene, fire officials found that an RV and the Jeep it had been towing were both fully engulfed in flames. Not a pretty scene!
A 40-year-old man from Idaho Falls, Idaho, approached too close to a bison in Yellowstone National Park on the afternoon of April 21, and was injured by the animal. The incident occurred on the west entrance road near the Seven Mile Bridge, located 7 miles east of the park’s west entrance. The man was arrested and hit with four charges.
Wild horse lovers are rejoicing. A plan to remove wild horses from Theodore Roosevelt National Park has, like the expression goes, “made like a buffalo chip and hit the dusty trail.” Wild horses will stay at the national park.
Two people were recently injured in a coyote attack in North Carolina. The U.S. Forest Service reports the attack happened on April 27 on the Uwharrie Trail near Big Island Creek in the Uwharrie National Forest. This is your reminder: Do not feed wildlife!
NEW! What’s new at campgrounds and RV parks
Stay up to date on news about campgrounds and RV parks across North America. Every week, learn about new parks, expansions, or special events coming up at campgrounds throughout North America. Read this week’s latest news here.
Saturday Giveaway!
How would you like to win a pair of vintage trailer earrings?
Psst: Mother’s Day is next weekend and these would make the perfect gift! (More Mother’s Day gift ideas in tomorrow’s newsletter.)
How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today (May 4, 2024) 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 ever been a work camper?
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS STOLEN RV?
On April 30, this 36-foot, 2018 Bighorn 5th wheel trailer was reported to police as having been stolen sometime in April in broad daylight from a Fairfield, Vermont, farm. If you have any information, contact Trooper Finley at the St. Albans Barracks at (802) 524-5993.
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 April 29, 2024:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.65
Change from week before: Down 2 cents; Change from year before: Up 5 cents.
Diesel: $3.95
Change from week before: Down 5 cents; Change from year before: Down 7 cents.
For fuel prices for specific regions, states, and cities, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Response to today’s email alert Knowledge Quiz: Answer #3 is correct! Gail is posing inside a replica of an actual blue whale’s heart. Yes, they are this big! You can pose in this same place by visiting the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The weight of a blue whale can easily weigh 300,000 pounds with a 1,500-pound heart. A human heart weighs about 12 ounces by comparison.
Brain Teaser
I am not alive, but I can die. What am I?
(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
Steak Tacos with Avocado Salsa
by Elisabeth Wilkins from Franklin, NC
These steak tacos with avocado salsa will elevate taco night. The simple lime and cumin marinade add tons of flavor to the broiled steak. Avocado salsa is simple but flavorful and delicious on top of the steak slices. We sprinkled the tacos with cilantro for a pop of freshness.
Trivia
Many people believe that Arizona’s Meteor Crater was misnamed and should instead be called “Meteorite Crater.” However, the site actually isn’t named for the object that created it. The crater was named after the closest nearby post office, Meteor Post Office.
The Perfect Scam
Amid quickly changing technology and social trends, criminals are constantly developing new methods of defrauding consumers. In this episode, Bob talks with Amy Nofziger of the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline to discuss six of the fastest-growing scams. These include new forms of check fraud, celebrity impersonation, sweepstakes and grandparent scams, along with the technology of voice printing and scams related to the upcoming summer Olympics.
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, 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.
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Was the sign “intentionally” made to see who was actually reading it?
A sign of the times….. figuratively and literally.
I think it is a sign for Daylight Savings Time. That conversion always confuses everyone.
Is the truck pulling the stolen camper the owners, or did it belong to the person that stole the camper? Was this a picture of the camper being stolen?
And to be able to recognize that specific trailer would be next to impossible as the paint patterns are so similar to other trailers that if you see one, you’ve seen them all.
Thank you, Emily and Diane! 🙂 The laugh of the day was funny. Signs can be funny or absurd or ridiculous, and especially the last without someone proof-reading. 🙂 Have a great weekend and safe travels! 🙂
Answer #3 is correct! What was the question?
Hi, flyrodjoe. The question is in the email you received to click on for the newsletter. Scroll down towards the bottom. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Scams. Yes we are almost overrun with scams. We have a “land-line” at home and the scam calls start right after 9AM. We get 4 to 6 a day, every day. We stopped answering the phone and wait till a person responds to our recorded message. It is important that people be vigilant to phone and email. A new one yesterday was an email titled “Test email”. I didn’t recognize the sender so I deleted the email
I do that same thing with my iPhone unless the caller’s number is one that I recognize. Otherwise I just let it ring and see if they leave a voice mail message. If they don’t, I block that number. Of course the scammers have access to probably thousands of numbers and they have a computer that does the calling. My dementia afflicted wife however, will answer any call…..I really have to watch her and make sure of who is calling. Probably won’t be too much longer when I have to remove her phone from service.
Look for an app called “Should I Answer” it checks all incoming calls against known problem numbers.
The sign laugh should have been two signs. I would guess it means 2 hr pkg between 7 pm today and 8 pm tomorrow – seems to be still one hour tho!? Hmmm….