Welcome to the RVtravel.com newsletter. “Home of the RVing Experts since 2001.”
Saturday, July 6, 2024
Issue 1164
Subscribers edition
Featured articles
Today’s newsletter is a little shorter than usual. Our writers were goofing-off a little more than usual this past week, celebrating our country’s birthday, or just laying low, air conditioners cranking, avoiding the brutal heat.
Still, you’ll find a good selection of interesting RVing news below which we hope you will enjoy and also benefit from. If you’re camping or on the road, be sure you drive home safely. A lot of other folks will be joining you out there on our highways and byways. So be careful. And no drinking and driving, except root beer, which is OK (and good, too).
Emily & Chuck
Editor & Publisher
Campground crowding (and more!)
Reader says RVtravel.com is “too negative.” Others say, “RVing not fun anymore.” What to do?
RV sales have slowed and fewer people are buying RVs. Has that changed campground crowding? Is it easier to find a campsite now, particularly in state and national parks? This week, Nanci Dixon relates more of your concerns about increasing costs and crowding at campgrounds and some are giving up the lifestyle. One reader complains that 85% of the content in this column is negative. But those comments are outnumbered this week by others that say they don’t have a problem finding campsites, that the increased prices aren’t that bad, and they still love RVing.
RV walk-through
The 2024 inTech Flyer Forge toy hauler trailer, a new trailer with new options
By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, we join PJ from Princess Craft RV for a tour of a new trailer from inTech, the 2024 Flyer Forge toy hauler trailer. It appears inTech listened to consumer feedback, which asked for a bathroom in their popular Flyer Discover toy hauler. Ask and you will receive.
Click here to read more and tour
RVer severe weekend weather forecast for July 6-8, 2024
Here is the latest forecast of severe weather from the National Weather Service for today, July 6, through Monday, July 8. If you are now located or plan to head to an area where extreme weather is forecast, please be prepared. If possible, stay away until the weather threat has passed.
Click here for the severe weather forecast
More RVing news
A family in Peabody, Massachusetts, is reeling after what was supposed to be a trip to the Grand Canyon went horribly wrong. The neighborhood was rocked Tuesday afternoon when a massive explosion in a Bounder Class A shook the neighborhood and melted siding on nearby homes. Three generations—a grandfather, a son, and a grandson—were working on the rig. Here’s the rest of the very sad story.
Take a dog (or two or three) with you on your RV travels? Your pup is in luck, because Love’s just opened its 400th dog park. Love’s knows that the more features it adds to its travel centers, the more likely it is folks will choose to make the outfit their travel choice. So, Love’s began adding dog parks to locations in late 2018. Learn more about these dog parks here.
It’s another case of national park vandalism. But this time, the culprits are connected to “Bird Nazis.” U.S. Park Rangers are investigating multiple incidents of destruction of property and vandalism in the area of Herring Cove Beach and the Wood End Marsh trail bike rack in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Can you help?
Here’s a wild story for you… It sounds more like a scene lifted from an American crime drama, but it played out in Canada. Mounties responding to a weapons complaint in Lloydminster ended up chasing their suspect into a crowded campground. Before it was over, a motorhome was stolen. The RV hijacker crashed the rig, but not before wounding “many” civilians and a Mountie. Read the rest of the story here.
And here’s another one… A Class A motorhome took a plunge into Colorado’s Big Thompson River near Loveland last Saturday. Authorities still aren’t clear on what caused the river excursion. What is known is that about 2 p.m., the big motorhome left the roadway and took a downhill detour. It’s estimated the rig “drove” down the 75-foot embankment and into the river. Read about the rescue mission here.
In Wisconsin, state patrol officers are nabbing speeders from places never expected. Folks who like to “brake check” truckers, or simply don’t give them safe clearance, could be in trouble in Wisconsin. The State Patrol is gearing up its “Trooper in a Truck” program, where they could ticket you… from inside a semi-truck. Here are the details.
Speaking of state patrol… We bet you’ve never seen a “car” like this pulled over before! This story takes “close encounters” to a whole new level! It’s not every day you hear about a Missouri Sheriff Patrol Officer pulling over a UFO on Interstate 44, but that’s exactly what happened the morning of July 1, 2024. Buckle up, because this is one traffic stop that’s clearly out of this world.
Have a noisy RV? Stay out of Connecticut! The 1st of July saw the onset of a new law in the Nutmeg State, which grants cities and towns throughout the state the ability to use something like a speed cam—only not for speed, for noise. Many of Connecticut’s communities have ordinances against loud, modified exhaust systems. Click here for the full story.
Denali National Park campground and other operations closed due to the Riley Wildfire, which, as of Tuesday, had burned nearly 400 acres and was 5% contained. The park will continue to remain closed to personal vehicles and day-use visitors until further notice. You can find more info here.
It’s described as “the backyard playground to over 20 million people in the Greater Los Angeles Area.” Big numbers in this big playground could spell big fee hikes. Angeles National Forest camping fees could jump four-fold. Managers at the Angeles National Forest are proposing “new and increased” fees at 11 of the national forest campgrounds, rolling out in 2025.
A New Mexico state park has shut off its water to help the nearby city of Las Vegas, which has a limited supply of water due to heavy flooding and debris. Here’s the full story, and if you have reservations at this state park campground and don’t want to dry camp, you may want to make other plans.
Grand Teton National Park wants your help in the form of public input through August 12, 2024. Park staff are working on drafting desired conditions for the park and specific management areas. Park managers want your input, answering a question: Just what should they be doing for these 310,000 acres?
A Grand Canyon hiker, 69-year-old Texan Scott Sims, has died amid extreme heat while attempting to hike to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. According to a park release, Sims became semi-conscious and then unresponsive, prompting bystanders to initiate CPR. Despite the swift response from three National Park Service paramedics who were stationed at Phantom Ranch, their efforts, unfortunately, were in vain, and Sims was pronounced dead. Let this serve as a sobering reminder.
Joshua Tree National Park’s Covington Flats is temporarily closed for fire safety from July 3 to July 7. The park rangers at Joshua Tree are super vigilant about fire risks, and sometimes that means taking preventive measures like closing off areas to ensure everyone’s safety. Here are the details.
The 4th of July may be over, but if you have leftover fireworks or plan to use them throughout the summer, know that you can’t (we repeat CAN’T!) use them on public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service. Violators are subject to a hefty fine or months in jail.
Stage 2 fire restrictions are rescinded for the entire Grand Canyon National Park. Increased monsoonal activity throughout northern Arizona has significantly lowered the fire danger risk within the last week. The park will now revert to Stage 1 fire restrictions, which require that a campfire always be in a designated fire ring within a maintained campground. Know these details if you’re visiting the park.
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 this Blackstone Outdoor Griddle Cookbook?
If you have a Blackstone griddle, you’ll love these recipes! The book also includes grilling tips and techniques.
How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today (July 6, 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
How likely will you stay in a campground that involves a 3-mile drive on a dirt road?
YESTERDAY’S POLL, IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Do you display an American flag when RVing? What percentage of RVtravel.com always displays it? 11%, 21% or 37%. Find out.
RV and RV-related recalls
Wildwood and Salem travel trailers recalled for missing exit window
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Salem and Wildwood travel trailers. A secondary emergency exit window may not have been installed in the recreational vehicles. In the event of an emergency, passengers may not be able to exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or death. Click here for more info.
Forest River recall: Cross Trail motorhome ladders can fall off
Roof access ladders on some Forest River products may have been installed improperly. Some Cross Trail motorhome ladders can fall off—with someone on them. The backer on the ladder receiver may not have been installed, which can cause the ladder to detach. A ladder that detaches while in use increases the risk of injury. More info here.
HAVE YOU SEEN THESE STOLEN RVs?
We’re beefing up our coverage of stolen RVs to help find as many as we can, and you can help. To see what was most recently stolen, click here. Then keep your eyes open.
Latest fuel prices
Here are the latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of July 1, 2024:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.48
Change from week before: Up 4 cents; Change from year before: Down 5 cents.
Diesel: $3.81
Change from week before: Up 4 cents; Change from year before: Up 5 cents.
For fuel prices for specific regions, states, and cities, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Brain teaser
The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter. And please don’t spoil it for other readers by posting the answer in the comments.)
Recipe of the day
Quesadilla Burgers
by Christina Haley from Union City, TN
The concept of using quesadillas as a bun is genius. They add a cheesy crunch to the delicious burger. The meat itself is moist and full of taco flavor. The fresh pico on top is a burst of flavor while the ooey gooey pepper jack cheese is perfection. These are definitely decadent… and delicious!
Trivia
When an ant injures its leg, it sometimes will turn to a buddy who will help out by gnawing the leg off, effectively performing a lifesaving limb amputation. That’s according to some new experiments described in the journal Current Biology and reported by NPR, which show that ants are the only animal other than humans known to practice amputation as a medical treatment.
The perfect scam
In this 2022 episode, National Guardsman Therin Miller never imagined that placing an online ad for a roommate would result in something far scarier than anything he faced on two tours of combat zone duty. His new roommate, Brant Holloway, is a friendly, well-mannered local business owner. The two become fast friends, so when Brant suggests they go into business together, Therin is intrigued. Before he realizes it, Brant and his adviser, Lyle Livesay, have drawn him into a crime ring involving luxury cars and the Russian mob. His escape―helped by his girlfriend, also a National Guard member―is a tale of courage and honesty.
Laugh of the week
Okay, so here we have a road sign. The sign, like all good signs, should instantly visually communicate its message — why it is there, its purpose. Are we the only ones who can’t figure out what the heck this sign is trying to communicate?
Today in history
RVtravel.com All Star Team
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
My guess? Stay on the path, don’t harass the wildlife, or face a $100 fine.
Agreed
“Our writers were goofing-off a little more than usual this past week, celebrating our country’s birthday, or just laying low, air conditioners cranking, avoiding the brutal heat.”
Woo hoo! Good for you guys!
Wait just a minute! No one told me that we were allowed to goof off, let alone “more than usual”! Oh, wait. That’s ‘cuz I’m just the proofreader, not a writer. OK. Now I get it.🤣 Have a great day, David, and stay cool! 😎 –Diane at RVtravel.com
To Diane and ALL! National Proofreaders Day is March 8th, celebrated each year. (Look it up. It’s real.) Get it on your calendar, Diane. Take the day off and we will see what those writers really look like.
A “day off”? What’s that? And are you sure it’s March 8th? Maybe that was a typo.🤔🤣 (Sorry for the delay in replying–was busy proofing a post.🙄) No comment about “what those writers really look like.” Let’s just say I don’t have to worry about job security–even with A.I. (at least for a few months), with all the mistakes it makes. (But it’s improving every minute. Scary stuff!) BTW, it’s way past your bedtime, young man. Take care.🤗 –Diane
national proofreaders day – Search (bing.com)
Interesting. I’ve never heard of it. But I don’t see anything in there that says proofreaders get the day off. Oh, well. It’s fun to think about. Thanks, Kelly! 😀 –Diane
Just used my first AI. Asked Microsoft Copilot how to celebrate Proofreader Day. This is one of the many suggestions. First, I am honored to know a professional proofreader and Second, sorry a day off was off was not a suggestion. I guess no time off because writers don’t take time off. Maybe I’ll start a petition. Take the rest of the night off.
Thanks, Kelly. Yes, I did take the rest of last night off. I’ve been moderating comments most of this morning (after I went for my daily walk at the track aka “rotisserie” before it got any hotter). So, this was the last comment to read before I go back to the beginning and moderate the ones that have arrived while I’ve been reading these 200+ comments. And congratulations on your first use of A.I. (I think). I haven’t tried anything A.I. yet. A “professional proofreader” reminds me of when I was 12 and started working weekends and summers at the concession stands at Green Lake (Seattle) and the Woodland Park Zoo. One of my jobs was to make cotton candy for the customers, so I claimed I was a “professional cotton candy maker,” since I got paid for it. Dang! That was 65 years ago! Have a great day, and stay cool, Kelly. 😀 –Diane
Did not intentionally use AI. Just typed in “proofreader day” and it came up in Bing thanking me for using the Bing Microsoft Copilot. I guess we cannot any longer avoid AI, even if we try. Have a pleasant Sunday. Still in the 90s since end of April. Little outside work for me. Do not overuse the track -stay safe.
Thanks, Kelly. Yeah, I’m staying away from Bing Microsoft Copilot, etc. Don’t want AI taking over my computer. No, I don’t overuse the track aka rotisserie. I either go in the morning, before it gets too hot, or go after the sun gets off the track in the evening when I’m waiting for my friend to get off work. Take care. 😀 –Diane
Love the weather report and you are not negative just truthful.
Walking while squirrels are present. $100 fine
Whats up with the auto play Amazon pharmacy adds? Very annoying!
Hi, Ron. As a subscriber you shouldn’t see any ads in the newsletter itself, only in the posts that are linked in the newsletters. The auto-inserted ads are just that–inserted automatically by an ad management company. We have very little control over them, other than asking that offensive ads be blocked if we have the URL to send to the ad company. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
No Amazon pharmacy adds here in my newsletter.
Leonard or other Canadian readers and travelers: Do you have Starlink and how does it work in Canada? Good service?
We are planning a northern trip and using a mobile hotspot or tethering from a device is very limited with US provider devices while in Canada without paying Rogers hostage style rates in Alberta.
Don’t have starlink, but use mobile internet as we travel across the country (Canada) and for the most part connectivity is pretty good. I don’t know how remote you intend to travel but near any populated area a hotspot/phone should work fine. Now coming from the USA obviously you probably are not a subscriber to a Canadian telecommunications network. However out of curiosity I googled pay as you go internet service. I googled (prepaid SIM cards in Canada) and found a service called lucky prepaid SIM card among others that offer 4G LTE connectivity! Now I have not used any of these services so can’t comment if they are good or bad. Just an option you might not be aware of!
I’ll look into the SIM card option, thank you. Maybe it is compatible with Verizon.
We have used mobile internet service while traveling for years but on our semi-annual trip to Canada 2 years ago, we used a lot of data and learned Verizon (all US carriers) partner with the Canadian telecommunications companies advertising “unlimited data” but throttle you after 2 MBs of highspeed and then for $15 per +/-7MBs you can add more high-speed on your phone with a text, as you go. Hypothetically, a 3 period hockey game costs about $50 to stream by adding HS data every 30 minutes or so . Hopefully, no OT.
After doing a Google Image search of that sign, I suspect someone was having fun by combining parts of different signs.
If your hammered, don’t trip over a squirrel while doing a field sobriety test that involves picking up a hundo off the sidewalk.
Thank you, Cancelproof! Much better than either of my stories! 🙂
Thank you, Emily, Diane, and Kim! 🙂 I can make up a story explainimg the sign featured as the laugh of the week, but I do not KNOW what it means. The story is, leave squirrels alone and if caught bothering them you get a $100 fine. Alternately, the municipality will pay you $100 for every squirrel you “remove.” Either way (or a third way), thanks again, have a great weekend, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Yes Neal, your second answer is very good, beautiful in fact. It is a $100 bounty on squirrels so don’t forget your hammer while out on a morning walk. Perfect…LOL.
Thank you, Cancelproof! 🙂 I will not forget. 😉
I too thought that it was a payment for every squirrel you got. The sign was very clear to me.
At first glance I thought it was a skunk.🤔 Here’s an explanation that I found on X on NIMBY Patrol, from Jim Charlier: “It’s a committee design. The traffic ppl did the dashed line, human resources added the guy, the wildlife dept insisted on the squirrel, and the attorneys couldn’t agree on what the fine should be so that changes weekly. No one remembers what the sign was supposed to say.” To which NIMBY Patrol replied: “That is probably the correct answer.” 🤣🤣 –Diane
Yep, I’ve been on some of those committees. A camel is a horse that a committee built.
🤣 Funny! Thanks, Kelly. The committee probably just didn’t have a proofreader, would be my guess.🤔🤣 –Diane, proofreader aka quality control inspector
I love RVTravel.com! I find that it’s a very informational, useful, fun newsletter! Love trying out the recipes, the weather info, the campground comments, and the list goes on and on! Can’t figure out why anyone thinks it’s negative! Very positive and eye-opening articles! Thank you for all the well written articles.
Stay on marked trails or risk $100 fine.
That one went over my head! I thought it meant “Keep striding and don’t do what that squirrel just did – or else you’ll pay a $100 fine if caught”.
If you are using AI to write your articles for you at least proof read. Motorhomes do not “drive” down embankments in a crash and people hurt in vehicle crashes are injured not wounded.
Hi, Clint. We reported what the fire chief said about how the driver “drove” down the embankment, and put our references to it in quotes to clarify that we didn’t initially use that term. Also, I do not see where we wrote “wounded”, only that the drive was uninjured. And, rest assured, if there are errors in the article they are good ol’ fashioned human error. Russ and Tiña De Maris are 100% human, as is this proofreader (who does miss something occasionally😲). Have a great day. 😀 –Diane (the human proofreader) at RVtravel.com
110%, so super human !!
😊 Yes, Russ and Tiña definitely are superhuman. 👍😉 Thanks, Bill. Have a great day, and stay cool.😎 (That’s my mantra these days.🥵) –Diane
HaHaHa, that is NOT a real sign! It has clearly been photo-shopped. The lower part depicting the $100 fine has been attached to the upper part showing the stick figure, arrow and squirrel. However, it is a warning not to beat-up squirrels with your walking stick.
That could be true. It seems to me that this is not a sign in the US. It doesn’t seem to meet DOT standards, and here we write 100 dollars as $100, not 100$. Could be some other country’s dollars! here’s the sign without the fine, from Canada Kali-Flash_Rawdon__Kalitec-1.jpg seems to indicate pedestrian crossing…not sure what the squirrel means!
Well… anyone can plainly see that the sign says people go to heaven, squirrels go to hell and axes cost one hundred dollars.
Sign: the figure is carrying …food?… in right hand = Don’t feed squirrels or $100 fine. OR: if you can make the squirrel go the direction the arrow points, and if you bonk it on the head with the mallet, you win $100. ?
Yup, looks photo-shopped to me…the top half doesn’t line up with the bottom part. That said, what the heck is the top half saying?
Stay on the trail. Do not go into the animal habitat. $100 fine.
I do not find this newsletter negative. Please, people…. get over yourself and open up your mind.
Thank you, Sam!👍😊 Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
The laugh of the week sign means “$100 fine for walking off the marked pathway”.