Issue 1191 • Ads have been removed in this newsletter for our much-appreciated volunteer paid subscribers.
The latest news for RVers
A state known for its natural beauty and popular campgrounds is rolling out a new reservation system that ties campsite pricing to demand, much like booking a flight or hotel room. The move aims to balance affordability during low-demand periods with higher rates during peak times, sparking debate among RVers about whether this approach enhances access or feels like a price hike in disguise. Will more states follow? Learn more.
Do you dread getting a letter from your insurance company? Vehicle insurance has skyrocketed for seven straight years. 2024 saw 16.5% increases sucking the life out of driver wallets. It’s a bit of “good news, bad news” for 2025. While this year is expected to reach the highest point ever, at an average of $2,101 a year in premiums, it will “only” amount to a 7.5% increase. Vehicle insurance rates rising—it’s almost as sure as death and taxes. There are things you can do to throttle back insurance premiums. Read on.
Motorhomes and towables are playing role reversal in the latest used RV market report. The latest reporting month, November 2024, shows a seeming skyrocket in motorhome prices, while trailer prices trailed off. What gives with January used RV prices? We turned to Eric Lawrence with Black Book, the specialist in used vehicle market watching. Here’s what’s going on.
And speaking of RV sales… Last month we reported that RV dealers had finally gotten a break. For the first time in more than a year, sales of new RVs exceeded those of the same month in the previous year. But the latest report from Statistical Surveys Inc., the industry market watcher, says, “So sorry!” New RV sales sink again, as consumers beat a retreat from shiny new rigs. Learn more here.
Buying a used RV or other vehicle can be fraught with trouble. You can’t be too careful when inspecting a used rig for hidden trouble—from tires to rooftop sealants, everything needs to be looked at. But making sure there’s a clear—and legitimate—title should also be on the list. After all, that used RV could be stolen. But now there’s a new worry: stolen new vehicles being sold to unsuspecting buyers. A new vehicle sale scam is a real worry for customers in many states.
While Camping World may boast of being the largest RV dealer in the U.S. by the number of its locations, they have strong competition. Blue Compass RV is the fastest-growing RV dealer in the country—and has been for five years. The company has about half the number of dealerships as Camping World, but their growth rate is much faster. Now Blue Compass is cementing its #1 Airstream dealer position. How? By swallowing up another Airstream dealer.
Not agaiiiiiinnnnn… Camping World is in the news again—call it another “flag flap.” Over the years the big company has set a pattern: Plant a big flag pole at a dealership, run up a “normal” size flag. Then later, run up a giant flag and wait for local authorities to squawk. This time, Camping World in Greenville, North Carolina, is asking the city council for permission. It’s another in a series of Camping World flag issues. Here’s the story (…again).
HAPPENING TODAY! Today, January 11, Walmarts across the country are giving away free wellness checks, and offering immunizations at what they declare is an affordable cost. The first Walmart Wellness Day of 2025 is Saturday, January 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. What kind of health screenings can you get for free? Here’s the list: glucose, cholesterol, body mass index, and blood pressure. And as to those “affordable immunizations”? Flu, COVID-19, HPV, mumps, and measles are all on the list. Learn more.
Campground crowding, comments & concerns
RVers’ pet peeves? Dogs! “RV industry needs a chain of no-dogs-allowed RV parks”
This week Nanci Dixon shares more of our readers’ reports on their experiences at campgrounds, including the apparent lack of concern on the part of one franchisee of a large campground chain over a stolen e-bike, reportedly one of many such recent thefts. Also, there are more complaints about dogs in parks, loud music, and kids dangerously racing through parks on electric scooters and bikes. More RVers are hanging up the keys or are considering it. Read more.
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More RVing news
It’s been a nightmare of a week for Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. So far, about 10,000 structures, mostly homes, have been lost to the raging wildfires. One of those homes? Will Rogers’. After becoming one of the highest-paid actors of his time, Rogers developed about 359 acres in what is now known as Pacific Palisades, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. His home was a 31-room ranch house with neighboring guest housing, a stable, corrals, golf course, and riding trails. Now, the horrific Palisades fire has leveled it.
Watch out for falling iguanas, Florida! No, really! Cloudy with a chance of meatballs? Not if you’re in Florida. Now it’s “Colder with a chance of falling iguanas.” This is not a take-off on the earlier family motion picture, but the real-life situation in the Sunshine State. Beware falling iguanas. As a winter chill sets in, keep your eyes open—and up—as the tree-dwelling reptiles could lose their grip. These loveable lizards simply pass out in the cold. Poor guys!
The U.S. has two new national monuments! On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, President Biden designated two new national monuments in California: The Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in Northern California. Learn more about them here, and make sure you plan a visit.
If you know what “Double-Double®” means, and if you’ve ever ordered your burger “Animal Style®,” then you must be a fan of In-N-Out Burger. Never a franchise, this relatively small chain of restaurants has been largely an “Out West” phenomenon. But take heart, In-N-Out is slowly plodding its way eastward, putting more locations on the map.
Last month we reported on the terror a group of golfers had at a Florida RV resort golf course next to a gun range. Bullets started whizzing past the group and they hit the deck in fear. Now a guest at the RV park says it wasn’t just the green that got hit—so did his RV. And if he’d been in the wrong place when it did—he wouldn’t be around to report it. Continue reading.
Every February, Yosemite National Park dazzles visitors with a natural phenomenon that appears as though fire cascades down the cliffs of El Capitan. This breathtaking event, known as the “Firefall,” occurs when the setting sun perfectly aligns to illuminate Horsetail Falls. It creates the illusion of glowing molten lava streaming down the granite face. And now, accessing this magical sight has become easier and more organized.
Saturday giveaway
How would you like to win a pair of these rechargeable hand warmers?
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
Would you stay in a hotel that had a reputation for being haunted?
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of January 6, 2024:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.05
Change from week before: Up 4 cents; Change from year before: Down 3 cents.
Diesel: $3.56
Change from week before: Up 6 cents; Change from year before: Down 27 cents.
For fuel prices for specific regions, states, and cities, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Brain teaser
Two mothers and two daughters went out to eat. Everyone ate one burger, yet only three burgers were eaten in all. How is this possible?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
Recipes of the day
Nutrient-packed recipes for when you’re feeling under the weather
If you’re not sick right now, we bet you know someone who is. It feels like everyone is sick with something! Make yourself or someone you care about one of these nutrient-packed, yummy recipes. You’ll be (or they’ll be) feeling better in no time. Here are the recipes (and no, they’re not all soups!).
Trivia
Did you know that crickets tell the temperature? Count the number of chirps you hear in 14 seconds, then add 40 to that number to find out the temperature in degrees (Fahrenheit).
The perfect scam
In this 2023 episode, YouTube star Kitboga has turned scam baiting into performance art, delighting his 3.6 million followers with his many characters and laughs at the expense of online criminals. It started out as pure curiosity, and a way to avenge his grandparents, who’d been victims of scams. But along the way, he’s helped return money and hijacked accounts to victims, and he’s taught a lot of viewers how online scams work. Bob sits down with Kitboga for a humorous and enlightening conversation.
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
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Been RVTravel.com reader for almost 20 years. The day gets going with my cup of tea & I-phone in hand. Love the polls And product highlights. Keep up the good works, you are a trusted info pool
Henry
Thank you, Henry. We appreciate your kind words, and we appreciate YOU! Have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
The “Laugh of the Week” is great!!!
I guess I am slow as I don’t get it!
If Mike were to undergo an autopsy, he would be “opened”
There is a spelling error. Mic – for microphone. It should read Open Mic Night.
Mike is a person.
It’s controversial! 😊 Interesting history here: https://www.audiolinks.com/blog/mike-vs-mic/
Ooooh Kaaay ?? That really cleared it up for me. lol I just don’t want to be Mike at the Autopsy Club’s next meeting.
No spelling error, that was intentional.
Right, joke wouldn’t have worked! 😆
They’re going to cut open Mike!
Thank you, Emily and Diane! DW and I both think we have the answer to the brain teaser. I guess we’ll see. Have a great weekend and safe travels! 🙂
I could be wrong, but, seem to be an easier one!
I think so, too, Chris O, and it seems it was used several weeks ago. Have a great weekend and safe travels! 🙂
My wife got it right off the bat. Easy on the brain.
A haunted hotel? I don’t believe in ghosts so it wouldn’t have any effect on me. I’m from Missouri so you’d have to show me!
It looks like California is going to back off of the diesel truck regulations thanks to Trump election. We’ll see
Another way to save on insurance is to raise your deductible to the highest amount you’re comfortable with. If you can afford to pay the first $500 or $1,000 in the event of a wreck or theft, do it. There’s a saying, “You insure against a disaster, not an inconvenience.”