Subscribers RV Travel Newsletter for Sunday, November 17, 2024

Issue 1183

RVers charged more than $500 “large vehicle” toll in express lanes

RVer asks: Should campgrounds have rules for late-night arrival or early-morning departure times?

We received this letter from reader Don L. last week and thought we’d share it with you in hopes that you could share your thoughts. See if you’ve had experiences similar to Don and his wife. Read it through, then leave a comment below the post telling us if you think campgrounds should have rules or guidelines for late arrival and early departure times. We’re curious to hear your thoughts (and we know Don is, too). Thanks! Click here to read.

Tree crashes down, cuts RV in two

By Chuck Woodbury
This could have been really bad. But luckily nobody was in the RV when the tree fell during a storm at Arkansas’ Lake Catherine State Park. It happened in June. There’s a lesson here: It’s always a good idea when selecting a campsite to pay attention to any nearby trees, especially when stormy weather is in the forecast. If any appear dead or sick, you’d be wise to move to a safer site. Read the story.

Our readers share about their rudest campground neighbors. Yikes!

By Cheri Sicard
In an RVtravel.com question, we gave you the chance to rant about the rudest campground neighbors you have encountered in commercial campgrounds. And rant you did! Judging from all the responses we got, rude campground neighbors are obviously not isolated incidents. Read their stories here.

No RV buyer deserves to face a $200,000 nightmare like this

Buying a new RV is supposed to be exciting and carefree. But for Jason and Casey, as you will see in this video from Liz Amazing, their RVing dream quickly became a nightmare. Almost immediately, their 2024 Fleetwood Fortis 36Y Class A motorhome revealed a series of major issues. And when they asked the company to help get the many defects fixed, Fleetwood showed little interest. And that’s where it now stands. What do you think?

Today’s RV review…
2025 Forest River Wildwood Grand Lodge 44VIEW – What a view!

By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is a look at the 2025 Forest River Wildwood Grand Lodge 44VIEW destination trailer. What we have here is an enormous destination trailer, meaning it was designed from the ground up to go somewhere and stay there rather than travel around seeing the sights. So it’s sort of not a recreational vehicle and sort of is a modular home. Read more.

RV service centers and repairs report
RV transporter spills the truth: “Dealers don’t do repairs until the RV is sold. If buyer doesn’t point it out, it doesn’t get fixed”

This week Nanci Dixon relates more stories from our readers regarding poor or nonexistent service on their RVs, horrible repair jobs, lack of warranty coverage due to COVID, and a reminder to get a Pre-Delivery Inspection—which is backed up by an RV transporter’s message of “Buyer beware!” One RVer says because of so many never-ending issues with his RV, “By the time this thing is paid off, all I will have is a pin box.” Yikes! Read those RV horror stories and more here.

Yesterday’s top news for RVers
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• New pollution rule will disrupt RV industry, increase prices of RVs
• Visitor banned from Yellowstone, jailed, shares his side of the story
• Forest River wins dealer award, but still leads the industry in RV recalls
• RV park near medical centers caters to RVers needing treatment
• Ford fined $165 million for slow reporting of safety recalls
• Super Duty owners: Is your truck experiencing the Death Wobble?
• Crooks impersonate feds in scary scam – Don’t fall for it!

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

Adults-only and other RV park restrictions. What do you think about these?

By Gail Marsh
Are RV park restrictions getting tighter? It sure feels that way! We recently received an email from reader Sheryl H., who said, “I’m trying to make travel plans to New Mexico. I keep running into parks that do not allow anyone under 21. Anyone else having these problems?” We look at age restrictions and more restrictions campgrounds are implementing here.

Know Your RV: Everything about winterizing for newbies (or anyone)

By Russ & Tiña De Maris
Got a new-to-you RV? Live where the outside temperatures drop below freezing? Then you need to winterize your RV. Like you learned in science class, when water freezes it expands. If it expands inside your RV’s plumbing, you could be in for some serious damage. It doesn’t take long to winterize your RV, and it’s a whole lot cheaper than fixing broken pipes. Here’s everything you need to know.

Our experience going to Mexico for dental work

By Nanci Dixon
It is popular in the Southern border states to go to Mexico for dental work. We heard it from many RVers when we were first traveling toward Arizona and several that came down from Canada for dental work. I was a little skeptical, but my husband was all for it after we researched the difference in price and the quality of the Mexican dentists. The cost was literally one-seventh of the U.S. estimates! Here was our experience.

Around the campfire

Pros and cons of returning to the same campground each year

After three years of returning to the same cozy Florida campground, Gail Marsh and her husband shocked their friends with an unexpected announcement: next year, they’re moving on. Trading familiarity for new horizons, they plan to explore a different spot an hour north, drawn by the promise of new adventures and connections. Why leave behind the comfort of known faces and routines? Read on to find out what sparked their bold decision and what they hope to find down the road.

Travel destinations
Bucket list short trip to Organ Pipe National Monument and Ajo, Arizona

By Nanci Dixon
I absolutely love going to national parks and monuments. Getting to see all of them is a major part of my bucket list. We have wintered in Arizona for the last nine years and every year I look longingly at the map at the Organ Pipe National Monument near the southern border, but every year we find somewhere else to go. Not this year! Read about this wonderful place here.

Reader poll
What was the main reason you purchased your current RV?

Respond here.

More recent popular poll questions:

• Dog owners: Do you use campground dog parks?
• Do you use your RV’s outdoor shower?
• How old were you when you landed your first paying job?
• What’s your take on automated cameras for traffic enforcement?

Brain teaser

There are five doors, one leads to the exit, the others lead to traps. They are in a line. The clues tell you which position the doors are in the line and where the door to freedom is. All the clues are true. Each door has a clue written on it. The clues read:

The blue door: This door is two spots away from the door to freedom.
The red door: This door is at the far right, and is two spots away from the blue door.
The purple door: This door is not next to the door to freedom.
The green door: This door is left of the blue door.
The orange door: This door is not next to the red or blue doors.

Which door leads to freedom?

(Answer below.)

Highlights from this week’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter

• Retirees share tips and tricks for frugal RVing
• Don’t trip the breaker. Colored sticker dots save the day
• Replacing your RV skylight
• Different ways to get rid of all that “stuff” to downsize
• Tire pressure gauges lose accuracy over time. Here’s how to check them

NOT SIGNED UP for our RV Daily Tips Newsletter? You’re missing out! Learn more or sign up here.

In the RV shop with Dustin
RV front cap wrinkles: Causes and prevention

By Dustin Simpson
Join Dave and me as we explain more about RV front caps becoming wrinkled. In this video, we’ll show you one of the causes. If you’re experiencing wrinkles on your RV front cap, then you may need to replace it. This procedure is labor intensive. Watch this video to learn what can cause wrinkles so you can do some preventive maintenance.

RV gadgets and gizmos
Why RV egg cartons are worth having in your RV

By Cheri Sicard
I have been RVing my entire life. And throughout my entire life, I have been seeing these molded plastic RV egg cartons in camping stores. And my entire life, I always thought they were stupid. Who needs a special carton for eggs in their RV? Eggs already come in cartons, and I have never had problems with them breaking in those cartons from the store. Then, someone gifted me an RV egg carton and I realized that I had been wrong for all those years.

Video of the day
Tour 4 rarely seen vintage travel trailers

By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, we join Mimi from Aunt Mimi’s Place for tours of four rarely-seen vintage RVs given by the four amazing women who own them. The video seems to be filmed at a Sisters on the Fly meetup, so the trailers are decked out to be displayed. Check them out.

RV tire safety
Readers’ questions about nitrogen in tires and replacing OEM tires

This week Roger Marble relates a reader’s question about if there’s a way to verify that a trailer’s tires have been inflated with nitrogen, and also about checking the tire pressure. Another RVer asks about the feasibility of changing tires on an E-450 chassis motorhome from the OEM LT225/75R16E tires to 225/75R16 commercial-rated tires. Read Roger’s answers.

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:

• My on-demand water heater has no bypass or drain. Can I use RV antifreeze in it?
• WFCO inverter panel was locked up. Here’s what fixed it
• How to restore travel trailer’s faded plastic lower panel
• Why does RV furnace blow warm air then turn cold?
• Can different type and age RV batteries be mixed? Can I add a lithium battery?

Vintage RVs
Vintage Camper Trailers Boot Camp: Restoration skills for the do-it-yourselfer

By Paul Lacitinola
Are you ready to bring your vintage trailer dreams to life? The 2025 Vintage Camper Trailers Boot Camp has you covered, whether you’re a complete novice or looking to refine your skills with expert tips. This year, we’re excited to offer two incredible learning experiences—a Virtual Restoration Summit and an In-Person Boot Camp. Dive into the details here.

RVing with pets
Pet safety tips for Thanksgiving

By Gail Marsh
Thanksgiving is all about gathering with family, enjoying delicious food, and celebrating gratitude. But, while we feast and spend time with loved ones, it’s easy to overlook some hidden hazards for our pets. To keep your RVing pets safe and stress-free this holiday, here are some essential tips on food, visitor etiquette, and home safety.

Recipes of the day
Try something new this year: 6 Thanksgiving turkey recipes

Been making the same turkey recipe forever? Want to try something new? We’ve compiled six turkey (and brine) recipes to change things up a bit. And all these sound delicious! There’s even a recipe here for turkey baked in a paper bag—yup! Check it out.

Readers’ pet of the day

“Sadie has just turned one. She is a Labradoodle/Australian Doodle mix. She absolutely loves traveling in our motorhome or car. She sits in the seat behind our MH passenger seat and quietly watches the world go by. She loves watching the campfire and having a wiener if we think she has earned a treat. She is quiet and respectful of her fellow campers and other furry campers. On our last trip she was introduced to the beach and the lake.” —Rob Stevens

Want to see your pet in this newsletter? Please send us a photo of your pet with a short description. No blurry photos and please do not submit your photo more than once.

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

The longest car ever built is a stretch limousine that measures a staggering 100 feet! Known as the “American Dream,” this custom-built limo has 26 wheels, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a putting green, and even a helicopter pad. It was created in 1986 by designer Jay Ohrberg and holds the Guinness World Record for the longest vehicle. Despite its immense size, it was designed to be drivable and even made its way into a few movies! Click here to watch a video and see it in action.

Sunday funny

Did you miss last week’s RVtravel.com newsletter?

Read it here | Back issues

Brain teaser answer:

The orange door.

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