Issue 1189 • Ads have been removed in this newsletter for our cherished volunteer paid subscribers.
The latest news for RVers
Federal authorities are investigating the Grand Design frame flex concerns. Type “Grand Design frame flex” into your Google search. Or input the same words on YouTube. What comes back is a seemingly endless stream of complaints, concerns, and “explanations” of a phenomenon plaguing some Grand Design owners. Everybody’s talking about it—and now the feds are investigating it. Grand Design got a detailed order from the Department of Transportation asking for all manner of information. Consider this a “tip of the iceberg,” with plenty more to come. Continue reading.
Last February, we warned: “Photographing or videotaping a funny animal in Yellowstone and posting it online may be illegal without a permit.” One RVing couple learned this the hard way. After posting a monetized YouTube video shot on park land, they were fined $1,000 and banned from future filming there. A permit is required for photography in national parks if it could generate income, but this may change if President Biden signs a new bill allowing permit-free filming in national parks. Here’s the story.
November didn’t prove to be a bang-up month for RV manufacturers. While Black Friday may be the salvation of retailers, wholesale RV shipments were dismal across the board. The RVIA (RV Industry Association) reports manufacturers’ shipments of new units to dealers were down more than 6% across the board—while motorhome demand continues in serious decline. Here are the details of the November RV wholesale shipment report.
If you need an overnight stop and don’t want to spend a fortune, Love’s Travel Centers with RV hookups may be your ticket. A new Missouri Love’s says, “If your travels take you to Missouri and you need an overnight stop to rest, ‘Come on down!’” The chain has expanded its Missouri network with additional RV hookup facilities.
As travelers turn their attention to off-season adventures, Roadtrippers, a popular road trip planning app, inspires journeys with its latest feature: Trending Spots. This real-time feature reveals how many fellow adventurers are exploring popular destinations while planning their trips. Check it out, along with their other new feature about off-season destinations.
Campground crowding, comments & concerns
RVers on hanging up the keys: “It’s just not worth it anymore”
This week Nanci Dixon relates more of your concerns regarding the increasing costs of RVing, including campsites. There are more comparisons between RVing and staying at hotels, and a couple of RVers are hanging up the RV keys due to higher prices. One RVer lost his seasonal site due to complaints about his motorhome from “a group that brought 15 grand golf carts to whiz around the campground to get ‘closer to nature’.” Read more.
More RVing news
Take a hike! No, really, take a hike! As the New Year approaches, many RVers seek fresh ways to begin 2025 on a positive note. A wonderful tradition to consider is participating in a First Day Hike. First Day Hikes are guided walks held annually on January 1st in state parks across the United States. Learn more.
Pet food companies warn those with feline family members of a pet food recall after an Oregon family lost their cat to H5N1 bird flu after eating raw frozen pet food. Pet food and bird flu are the latest concern and now there’s a nationwide recall on a popular food brand.
Starting in 2025, New Mexico residents can enjoy free day-use access to state parks during the offseason by showing a valid New Mexico ID or vehicle license plate. This benefit applies from October 1 to April 30. Walk-in and bicycle access will remain free year-round. Starting January 1, 2025, New Mexico State Parks will be implementing changes to its fees. Here’s more info.
The Hoh Rain Forest area of Olympic National Park will temporarily close until it can be confirmed that the Upper Hoh Road is safe for travel. The road is maintained by Jefferson County and connects Highway 101 to the Olympic National Park boundary. The County determined the road is in danger of imminent failure.
Baa Baa Christmas goat… Every year, between 25 and 30 million Christmas trees are sold in the United States, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. That’s great news for Christmas tree farmers, but just how do America’s trash collectors feel around New Year’s? Is there a better way in the world of Christmas tree disposal? Yes, and it involves goats!
Saturday giveaway
How would you like to win this book: RV Hacks: 400+ Ways to Make Life on the Road Easier, Safer, and More Fun!?
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
What’s stopping you from boondocking?
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of December 23, 2024:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.02
Change from week before: Up <1 cent; Change from year before: Down 9 cents.
Diesel: $3.48
Change from week before: Down 2 cents; Change from year before: Down 44 cents.
For fuel prices for specific regions, states, and cities, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Brain teaser
I promise.
I do.
I offend.
I point.
I fight.
What am I?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
Join us on Facebook! Did you know we have dozens of Facebook groups for you, our readers, and other RVers? Meet other RVers, get inspired, or get answers to any questions you may have. Check out our list of groups here.
Recipes of the day
Make your kitchen feel like a fancy restaurant with these New Year’s Eve recipes
Staying in next week on New Year’s Eve? You won’t feel like it if you make one of these delicious, fancy New Year’s Eve recipes. You’ll feel like you’re in a five-star restaurant, for sure. We’ve got a few steaks here, a yummy salmon, a delicious chicken recipe, and even scallops. Check these out and plan a romantic night in.
Trivia
Candy canes were originally invented to keep kids quiet during church services! In 1670, a German choirmaster gave sugar sticks to children, shaping them like a shepherd’s crook to tie in with the Nativity story. The red stripes and peppermint flavor came much later.
The perfect scam
No new episode this week because of the holidays. They’ll be back next week.
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.
The laugh of the week was certainly accurate when we drove over some road construction with exceptionally rough roads. I don’t have dentures but I told my husband I needed a new support bra to stop the girls for bouncing.
The roughest ‘main’ road we’ve been on was I-5 through Sacramento. In approx 100,000 miles of RVing, this was the first time clothes hangers bounced off the rod in the front closet of the fifth wheel.
Give I-20 in Mississippi a try. Worst we have ever experienced.
One of our worst-Pennsylvania Turnpike (you mean we have to pay to drive these roads?). Screens attached to metal doors with sheet metal screws crashed to the floor while driving.
A few months ago you announced that when you would click a link to go into an article, that when returning to the entire newsletter, it would revert to where you left off. It worked for a while , but now it just takes me back to beginning of newsletter. I’m using an iPhone to read RVtravel.
I too have the same problem. it takes some time to determine where I left off.
Worst road EVER is I-40 driving from California into Arizona! There is actually about a 10 mile section that has a double white line between the two lanes that is posted No Changing lanes! It is so rough it broke our water heater tank in our Class A Diesel Pusher flooding the basement cargo area, as well as the rough pothole roads broke off the awning bracket on the driver’s side. My Brother’s Motorhome suffered a cracked windshield and a cracked driver’s window, and destroyed their convection microwave causing thousands of dollars in damages! We were traveling to Lake Havasu and now we take the southern route from Palm Springs area off of the 10 Freeway! Arizona is terrible for allowing it!
We were on it a couple of years ago, agree with all you said plus the garbage along the road once we crossed into AZ. Very sad~
Indeed. Avoid that section of the I-40 at all costs including a self motivated detour on the I-10. The extra hundred miles or so is worth it rather than driving on the 40. Truly, the very worst section of freeway that I have previously driven, of the last 50,000 miles.
the sign could be anywhere in Alaska or Yukon Territory.
We remember both interstate 10 and 20 through Mississippi as being rough. Watching the Semi trucks beside us bounce along was scary.
Thank you, Emily and Diane! Happy new year and safe travels! 🙂