Members RV Travel Newsletter for Sunday, May 26, 2024

Welcome to the RVtravel.com newsletter. Be sure to check out all our other RV-related newsletters.

May 26, 2024
Issue 1158
Members edition

 Cover story 

We honor those who died serving our country

By Chuck Woodbury
REPRINTED FROM LAST YEAR’S MEMORIAL DAY EDITION

Memorial Day is tomorrow. But we’ll dedicate today’s issue to the holiday, where our audience is much larger.

I came across the paragraph below the other day, and it hit me hard. While many of us will be out and about this weekend, celebrating an extra day off work, we should all pause to remember this holiday came with a huge price — the deaths of countless Americans who gave their lives to preserve our freedom. It is to them that we owe this holiday. It is to them we owe immeasurable gratitude.

“Monday [tomorrow] will be the most expensive holiday on the calendar. Every hot dog, every burger, every spin around the lake, or drink with friends and family…is a debt…purchased by others. This is not about all who’ve served our country…that day comes in the fall. This one is in honor of those who paid in life and blood; whose moms never saw them again, whose dads wept in private, whose wives raised kids alone, and whose kids only remembered them from pictures. This isn’t simply a day off. This is a day to remember — that others paid for every free breath you ever get to take.”

With that, I will step aside and welcome a man I wish I could have known, journalist and World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle (1900 to 1945), who wrote this beautiful essay 15 months before he was killed in action in the final days of the war.

The Death of Captain Waskow

By Ernie Pyle

AT THE FRONT LINES IN ITALY, Jan. 10, 1944 (by Wireless) – In this war I have known a lot of officers who were loved and respected by the soldiers under them. But never have I crossed the trail of any man as beloved as Capt. Henry T. Waskow of Belton, Tex.

Capt. Waskow was a company commander in the 36^th Division. He had been in this company since long before he left the States. He was very young, only in his middle twenties, but he carried in him a sincerity and gentleness that made people want to be guided by him.

“After my own father, he comes next,” a sergeant told me.

“He always looked after us,” a soldier said. “He’d go to bat for us every time.”

*   *   *
I was at the foot of the mule trail the night they brought Capt. Waskow down. The moon was nearly full and you could see far up the trail, and even part way across the valley. Soldiers made shadows as they walked.

Dead men had been coming down the mountain all evening, lashed onto the backs of mules. They came belly down across the wooden backsaddle, their heads hanging down on the left side of the mule, their stiffened legs sticking awkwardly from the other side, bobbing up and down as the mule walked.

The Italian mule skinners were afraid to walk beside dead men, so Americans had to lead the mules down that night. Even the Americans were reluctant to unlash and lift off the bodies, when they got to the bottom, so an officer had to do it himself and ask others to help.

The first one came early in the morning. They slid him down from the mule and stood him on his feet for a moment. In the half-light, he might have been merely a sick man standing there leaning on the other. Then they laid him on the ground in the shadow of the stone wall alongside the road.

I don’t know who that first one was. You feel small in the presence of dead men, and you don’t ask silly questions ….

We left him there beside the road, that first one, and we all went back into the cowshed and sat on watercans or lay on the straw, waiting for the next batch of mules.

Somebody said the dead soldier had been dead for four days, and then nobody said anything more about him. We talked for an hour or more; the dead man lay all alone, outside in the shadow of the wall.

Then a soldier came into the cowshed and said there were some more bodies outside. We went out into the road. Four mules stood there in the moonlight in the road where the trail came down off the mountain. The soldiers who led them stood there waiting.

“This one is Capt. Waskow,” one of them said quickly.

Two men unlashed his body from the mule and lifted it off and laid it in the shadow beside the stone wall. Other men took the other bodies off. Finally, there were five lying end-to-end in a long row. You don’t cover up dead men in combat zones. They just lie there in the shadows until somebody else comes after them.

The uncertain mules moved off to their olive groves. The men in the road seemed reluctant to leave. They stood around, and gradually I could sense them moving, one by one, close to Capt. Waskow’s body. Not so much to look, I think, as to say something in finality to him and to themselves. I stood close by and I could hear.

One soldier came and looked down, and he said out loud:

“God damn it!”

Another one came, and he said, “God damn it to hell anyway!” He looked down for a few last moments and then turned and left.

Another man came. I think it was an officer. It was hard to tell officers from men in the dim light, for everybody was grimy and dirty. The man looked down into the dead captain’s face and then spoke directly to him, as tho he were alive:

“I’m sorry, old man.”

Then a solder came and stood beside the officer and bent over, and he too spoke to his dead captain, not in a whisper but awfully tender, and he said:

“I sure am sorry, sir.”

Then the first man squatted down, and he reached down and took the Captain’s hand, and he sat there for a full five minutes holding the dead hand in his own and looking intently into the dead face. And he never uttered a sound all the time he sat there.

Finally he put the hand down. He reached up and gently straightened the points of the Captain’s shirt collar, and then he sort of rearranged the tattered edges of his uniform around the wound, and then he got up and walked away down the road in the moonlight, all alone.

The rest of us went back into the cowshed, leaving the dead men lying in a line, end to end, in the shadow of the low stone wall. We lay down on the straw in the cowshed, and pretty soon we were all asleep.

(Column courtesy of the Scripps Howard Foundation.)

To read more stories from World War II by Ernie Pyle, buy a used copy of his out-of-print book Brave Men, available in limited supply on Amazon. If you’re lucky, you may also find it at a used bookstore. A newer book, The Final Chapter, is available in a Kindle Edition for $2.49. It’s Ernie’s last columns, from when he headed off to the South Pacific after the war had ended in Europe and met his own sad end.

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

• Forest Service plans to cut down hundreds of trees from popular campground
• RVing outside the U.S with a dog? Pay attention to new rules
• Frequent Atlantic hurricanes predicted this season
• RV buyers change mind, will not buy RV — “No place to camp”
• Truck companies want driver-trainees to drive alone with no instructor
• Ten things to know about visiting Yellowstone National Park

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

No: Your RV’s outdoor lights are not okay, and they’re hurting your neighbors’ sleep (and yours)!

By Tony Barthel
We’ve all seen them – more and more RVs being manufactured are coming with ever-brighter exterior lights and, according to some studies, this is a problem. In fact, based on the results of some studies, it’s actually a rather significant issue. Furthermore, it seems there’s a new trend of laying out LED strips under RVs. Oftentimes these colorful lights might look cool, but they definitely brighten up a site and shed pretty significant amounts of light into the adjacent sites. Continue reading and leave your thoughts.

Cost of RVing so high it was *GASP* cheaper to stay in an oceanfront hotel!

By Nanci Dixon
We have been camping right outside Washington, D.C., resting after a strenuous D.C. caravan tour, and wanted to do a little more sightseeing and take some time to travel to the coast. I looked at the route, the roads, the cost of gas, and the driving time in our RV. We decided to take the car and *GASP* stay at a hotel! Much to my amazement, the hotel, with a balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean was cheaper than the campground we were staying at. Continue reading about this room-with-a-view experience.

Sad to say, but printed RV magazines are dead or dying

By Steve Blume
Remember the days when printed magazines filled your mailbox? Those thick, colorful publications arrived daily, some wanted, some not. Have you noticed that most of them have gone away and the survivors have become pretty skinny? Here is one writer’s thoughts about what has happened.

We got our flush wand stuck in our water heater!

By Nanci Dixon
Our flush wand got stuck in our water heater! Yikes! Didn’t think that would happen… It is time to pack up and move to cooler ground, so we are getting all those seasonal and yearly RV tasks done. Just one left: Change the anode rod in the water heater and flush it out. It is amazing the amount of gunk that comes out every year! But just when we thought everything went well…

Today’s RV review…
Volkswagen California Concept is the new camper van

By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the new Volkswagen California Concept camper van! This long-awaited machine had been a fixture for surfers, camping families and other wanderers who appreciate the flexibility and drivability of these vans. Except for one big thing. You probably can’t have one.

Bummer, dude.

Read more

RV Service Centers and Repairs Report
RV’s fresh water tank falls out; was never secured in the first place. “This goes to show RVs really are s@#$!”

In this column, we summarize some of your emails and comments regarding RV service centers and repairs. This week, Nanci Dixon relates more readers’ horror stories, including an RVer being told by Camping World that it couldn’t do a repair but charged him $2 for that “diagnosis”; and a fresh water tank that fell off when being filled, but apparently was never attached in the first place. Plus, there are more highly recommended service shops and technicians.

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

• Easy tip for draining fresh water tank
• How childhood routines pay off while RVing
• How to budget, and budgeting tips, for RVers
• You’re using your RV power awning wrong!
• Ten tips about how to find quiet RV parks

Bet you don’t know about the “flying monkeys” near Zion National Park

By Sandi Sturm
If you have ever been to Zion National Park, entering through the Springdale gate, you drove past Hurricane Mesa, known by locals as “Flying Monkey Mesa.” The mesa played a very important role during the Cold War as a testing site for ejector seats. Continue reading.

Tips to make your first RV trip more enjoyable, Part 1: Pre-trip preparation

Join Dave Solberg as he outlines the important steps you need to take to be prepared for your first RV trip. RVs aren’t like they used to be! You should always make sure you learn how all RV systems work, know the extra accessories you will need, and you’ll need to make sure you know RV terminologies and slang. Follow this easy guide in Part 1 of Dave’s series.

Keeping a family recipe box is a treasure cherished for generations

By Gail Marsh
I was straightening up a kitchen cupboard in our stix-n-brix home when I discovered my family recipe box. My small metal box resided silently in a back corner of the cabinet, waiting patiently to offer up to me its recipe secrets, cooking hints, and fond memories. The recipes are treasures, to be sure. But what strikes me as I look through my family recipe box is the memories. I can tell at a glance who penned each recipe, and I am immediately transported back in time. Continue reading.

Reader Poll
As of right now, how far in advance have you reserved a campsite?

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: How important to you are online ratings of an RV park when making a reservation? Do you think you’re in the majority? Find out here.

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 does an RV fridge work on LP but blow a fuse on electricity?
• Our trailer came off hitch ball while being towed. Can grease cause that?
• Is there a 120-volt-only water heater that will replace my LP-only Suburban?
• I installed SumoSprings on the front of my F-53. What’s best on rear for roll control?
• What works in your home may not work in an RV. Shame on you, Thor!

Click here to see more questions for Dave.

DON’T MISS OUT ON OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS

• 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 all 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.)

Travel Destinations

Visit America’s King Tut-inspired theaters

By Gail Marsh
No matter where you go RVing, there’s a good chance you’ll travel near an Egyptian theater, or at least the site where an Egyptian theater once stood. I’m not talking about movie houses in the country of Egypt. No, these Egyptian-themed movie theaters were built right here in the USA. What would inspire architects in the Roaring ’20s to design their movie houses with an Egyptian theme?

Find out here

In the RV Shop with Dustin
Why you should use RV slide-out stabilizers and locks

By Dustin Simpson
Today, join me in my RV shop as I explain the importance of using slide-out stabilizers and locks for your RV. Slide-outs are fantastic features that provide additional living space inside your RV, but they can also pose challenges if not properly stabilized and secured. That’s where slide-out stabilizers and locks come into play!

Click here to read

RV Gadgets and Gizmos
CatStrap helps prevent theft of catalytic converters

By Tony Barthel
Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise over the last few years. While lots of people are asking, “Why don’t ‘they’ do something about this?” the answer isn’t all that simple. But a reader clued us in to a gadget called the CatStrap™. It might prevent your vehicle’s catalytic converter from being stolen. Plus, there are a couple of newer gadgets from CatStrap. [You’ll like them.]

Click here to read

Video of the day
Build a patio for your cat travel mates

By Cheri Sicard
Do you RV with one or more cats? Then you need to check out [this video] from Jackie and Joseph, the team from RVing with Pets, who travel in their Class A motorhome with a dog and four (count ’em) cats. In it, they show how to build an RV catio (patio for cats, catio, get it?), so that your feline friends can enjoy the great outdoor spaces you RV to, just like the rest of the family.

Click here to watch

RV Tire Safety
ST-type tires versus LT-type tires: Which are “best” for RVs? – Part 1

By Roger Marble
This question is a real “hot button” topic on a number of RV forums and blogs. People ask this question because they want a “better” or alternate selection of brands, or they want to improve the durability of their tires. … As we all should know by now, answers about tires are never simple and straightforward, and changing tires is definitely one of the more involved answers.

Read more

Recipe of the Day

Nor’s Fall-Off-the-Bone Baby Back Ribs and Sauce

by Nor Mac from Northern, MA

Nor hit it out of the park with these oven-baked ribs. Her BBQ sauce is perfectly sweet and a great complement to the savory ribs. The ribs are cooked in a beer and BBQ sauce that lends a unique flavor to the ribs. Basting them in the sauce and broiling them give them the caramelized crust you get from a grill. Once baked, these ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender. If you didn’t tell anyone, they would think they were prepped on a grill. They do take a little time but are well worth the effort.

Get the recipe here

Readers’ Pet of the Day

“Mae Bea when she was a puppy making sure we were dumping correctly.” —Ron Miller

• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. More than 60,000 members!

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!

Brain Teaser

A word I know, six letters it contains, remove one letter and “12” remains. What is it?

(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

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans consume 818 hot dogs per second—that equals about seven billion during the summer months.

Sunday funny

Did you miss last week’s RV Travel?

Read it here | Back issues

Brain teaser answer:

Dozens

RVtravel.com All Star Team

Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.