Issue 1188 • Ads have been removed in this newsletter for our cherished volunteer paid subscribers.
The latest news for RVers
Chaos broke out at a Florida RV resort’s golf course earlier this month. A women’s golf league was playing a quiet round when bullets began blasting by them. Flying bullets at an RV park? “We started hearing them zing to the sides of us so we hit the ground, and several of the girls were in tears,” Janis Andres told media station Fox4News. Was it some off-kilter random shooter? Well…
The Environmental Protection Agency backs California and plans to restrict sales of RVs, cars, and pickups. If the EPA puts the California waivers in place, they are sure to hit RVers hard. These regulations are in addition to the rule that some say would effectively ban new motorhome sales. Tow a car? Pull your trailer with a pickup? Hang on, these other regulations will put the brakes on. By 2035, sales of these vehicles, if not “zero emissions,” will be turned off in California—and other states across the country. Continue reading.
And here’s a similar story, regarding California and the upcoming Supreme Court hearing on the ban of motorhome sales.
The time has come… T-Mobile and Starlink connection is now open to customers for text testing. By cellular service provider T-Mobile’s estimates, there are some 500,000 square miles of U.S. lands that are cellular dead zones. The company says that’s all over now—with direct-to-cell satellite service, dead zones in the U.S. are no more. T-Mobile customers can now sign up for beta testing to prove it to themselves. Here’s the scoop.
Tragic update: After 25 days of fighting for her life, the RVer injured when her motorhome exploded at a Pennsylvania Turnpike rest area last month has died. Melinda VanNewkirk, who was 68, of Milton, Delaware, died in the early morning hours on Saturday, December 14, 2024. Continue reading.
Camping World ordered to pay $3.5 million… Camping World challenged its customers, “Dare to compare!” Now the results of that challenge have led to a $3.5 million settlement for a misleading pricing fiasco. Camping World must pay after Oregon investigators found the big RV dealer’s claim bilked buyers with inflated charges. Camping World may owe you money.
Love’s is at it again! They’ve increased RV access with new hookup sites in two states. It may not seem like much, but two new Love’s RV hookup spots have added a total of six more RV hookup sites in two states. If you’re in the neighborhood and need to “drop the hook” for the night, you may be glad you could grab one of them. Learn more.
Campground crowding, comments & concerns
Why Elks lodges are a great alternative to campgrounds
This week Nanci Dixon shares more tips from our readers regarding getting the most value for your money at campgrounds, the types of campgrounds that are easier to make reservations at without having to plan too far ahead, and several advantages of staying at Elks lodges. But there are more complaints of higher prices, including one unhappy camper who can no longer afford to stay at their favorite spot because it’s been priced out of reach. Read more.
More RVing news
In response to feedback from stakeholders and the general public, Arches National Park is changing its 2025 pilot timed entry reservation system to accept reservations up to six months in advance—twice as long as previously announced—allowing people more flexibility in planning. Learn more.
Ever wonder what the results of an impact between a motorhome and a heavy vehicle would be like? We’ve seen some RV/train collisions. Not pretty—but not much to see because the train usually carries off the unfortunate victim. Northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 41 near Port Charlotte, FL, were closed down for a while last Thursday when a semi and a Class C motorhome crashed. The motorhome disintegrated.
Perched on a sand spit between a bay and the Pacific Ocean, Oregon’s Cape Lookout State Park is a hugely popular venue. Beachcombing, storm watching, and miles of hiking trails attract RVers and others to sites in the park’s campground. As the ocean is encroaching, planners slated major revamps to close the campground this spring. But a change affects Cape Lookout camping.
Speaking of popular Oregon parks… One of the Oregon coast’s most popular campgrounds will once again see closures, smack in the middle of the 2025 travel season. Making the situation all the more troublesome, Beverly Beach State Park just reopened last August after an 11-month shutdown. Have the park in your travel planner? Listen up.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, the U.S. was attacked when four hijacked airliners struck targets on the ground, killing nearly 3,000 people. The passengers and crew of Flight 93 prevented an attack on the U.S. Capitol, and in their honor, the Flight 93 National Memorial was established in Pennsylvania. Central to the memorial are the 40 Memorial Groves, which are being restored by the National Park Service due to the toll of time.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Check this out! Imagine picking up the phone and having a conversation with a robot that feels as natural as chatting with a friend. That’s the magic of ChatGPT, a sophisticated AI (artificial intelligence) that now offers the convenience of interaction via phone calls. Well, we tried it out, and here’s how it went.
RV and RV-related recalls
Same problem, different cause: Forest River recall – LP cylinder could detach
Last week Forest River issued a recall for more than 800 RVs because a bad mounting bracket could cause LP tanks to fall off. Now Forest River is recalling certain 2025 RPOD RPT197 and RPT205 travel trailers. The propane tank tray may be missing the required number of fasteners, allowing the tanks to detach. Learn more.
Saturday giveaway
How would you like to win this 2025 calendar featuring 12 months of vintage trailers?
How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today by 7 p.m. Pacific time. You can only enter once and after we notify you by email that you won, you have 24 hours to respond.
Click here to enter or see last week’s winner!
Reader poll
How critical is RVing to your enjoyment of life?
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of December 16, 2024:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.02
Change from week before: Up <1 cent; Change from year before: Down 4 cents.
Diesel: $3.49
Change from week before: Up 4 cents; Change from year before: Down 40 cents.
For fuel prices for specific regions, states, and cities, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Brain teaser
Four elves are in a workshop on Christmas Eve. Each elf makes a different number of toys, but the total is odd. Elf A makes 7 toys, Elf B makes twice as many toys as Elf A, Elf C makes half as many toys as Elf B, and Elf D makes 5 more toys than Elf C.
How many toys did each elf make, and what is the total number of toys?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
Recipes of the day
Not-your-average gingerbread recipes; no gingerbread men here
These gingerbread recipes are way more exciting than dry cookies shaped like men (okay, okay, we love those too…). These recipes are sure to become instant Christmas classics at your house. Try some gingerbread cheesecake, gingerbread waffles, traditional German gingerbread, and more. Check these out.
Trivia
The song “Jingle Bells” was originally written for Thanksgiving! Composed in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont, the song was intended to be a lively tune for the Thanksgiving service at his church in Medford, Massachusetts. It became so popular that it eventually became associated with Christmas, and now it’s one of the most iconic holiday songs!
The perfect scam
In this 2022 episode, host Bob Sullivan welcomes special guest Alexis Conran. Conran’s insight into the mind of a con man comes from acting as one on the popular BBC show The Real Hustle. On the series, Conran, an actual trained magician, and his team perpetrate scams on unsuspecting consumers and then reveal the crimes to the victims (now in the hundreds), all in the name of educating the public. Conran discusses what he’s learned about the criminal mindset and what he has identified as the elements of deception.
Laugh of the week
Today in history
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
Headed on an unfamiliar highway? Learn if it has low bridges you might not fit under.
RVtravel.com All Star Team
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
Today’s brain-teaser needs an editor’s eye–something is amiss in the way it’s presented.
You got that right, Andy!
Yep, it’s way too easy as stated.
Agree – I think for an ODD total D must be 5 more than B
Hi, folks. When proofing the newsletter yesterday I tried the brain teaser and figured it out. But the term “odd” seems odd to me, too. Maybe it’s just referring to it being “strange” or something.🤔 I’m not sure, since I didn’t put that in the newsletter. So, there’s my hint. I don’t think “odd” is referring to “odd” or “even.” –Diane at RVtravel.com
Hmmm. That oddly sorta makes no sense 🤔
Not really. I have no idea where that odd brain teaser came from. Tried to find it to see if there’s something worded incorrectly, since it doesn’t make sense. Can’t find it, so hopefully Emily can clear this up. Have a great day, Bill. 😀 –Diane
I believe I have the correct answer as well. Have to wait until tomorrow to see.
I hope everyone here and their families have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a safe and prosperous NEW YEAR!
Thanks, Ed. If I can get the answer, I’m sure you can, too.😉 (Too bad it was worded poorly.) And we all wish you and yours a wonderful and warm Christmas and a healthy and happy 2025. 🤗 –Diane
Perhaps it’s a trick question?
Could be, Chris. I don’t know. See my “hint” in my reply to boinlv’s comment. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane
I didn’t put in an entry for the give-away calendar. I laughed when I looked at the open dimensions: 11″ X 17″. If I have that much blank wall space inside the RV, I’m pretty sure something more important is using it! 🙂
FYI. Reading on iPhone. After each article it takes me back to the beginning of the newsletter and I need to scroll down to find the next article. Been doing this for a few weeks now. Thanks for all you do.
I get the same issue (but not after “each article)
on my laptop.
So a gun range is a second amendment right? A lawsuit by the RV Resort is in order. Gun safety has nothing to do with Constitutional Rights.
I suspect any such lawsuit would be tossed out pretty quickly on common sense grounds. Based on the location of the gun range apx 1 mile away, it is highly unlikely that bullets fired on the range were “zinging” by anyone on the golf course. If what the women heard were actually bullets, they would have been fired by someone much closer than that.
Would anyone happen to know what the color band offshore on the weather map indicates?
Hi, Philip. Are you talking about off the West Coast? The solid green is rain, and the patterned green is rain/thunderstorms. Of course, those patterns may have changed by now. Have a good afternoon. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
It’s in the legend.
I see the dashed red (or green? I’m color-challenged) line(s) off of the East Coast but not in the legend.
Same for the blue line off of Cuba, and misc. other lines on the maps.
They are probably marking fronts.
I think you’re correct about the dashed lines, although I don’t see a description anywhere for those. In the legend box at the bottom left of the diagram are the different colors and patterns indicating the different weather for each of those areas marked on the map. Right now I see green and patterned green along the West Coast, purple for the NW U.S., and white for the NE U.S. Can you see those colors on the map, croscwa? My dad was “color-challenged” (back when it was called color-blind), and he was always right. So when the other four members of the family said something was such-and-such a color, and that’s not how he perceived it, we were all wrong and he was right. Got very frustrating. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Have you never seen a warm or cold front on a weather map? Cold fronts have pointed and warm fronts have rounded nubs. The combo one is a stationary front.
Thanks, Gary. I don’t look at weather maps so didn’t know that. But that still doesn’t explain those brownish dashed lines that show up right now by New England, heading out from South Carolina, through Wyoming to New Mexico, and from Arizona down into Mexico. Any idea what those are? Thanks. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
This is the 3rd week where I have no link or “click here” in the Scam of the Week column. Anyone else having that problem? Everything else works fine…..
Hi, Doug. You don’t see the red box that says “The Perfect Scam” with the black arrow to the right of it? If not, maybe there’s something in your computer that’s blocking that URL. Here’s something that one of our techy folks said when readers weren’t able to see the polls: “Sometimes script blockers and ad blockers interfere with our polls since they are from a 3rd party site. If you have one of these try and turn it off and see if that fixes the issue.” I hope that works for you. If not, let me know (in comments or email) and I’ll check with Kim, our IT dude, to see if he has any suggestions. Sorry for the inconvenience. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane