Issue 1207
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Today’s thought
“Freedom for people depends on freedom of the press.” —António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is World Press Freedom Day
On this day in history: 2000 – The sport of geocaching begins, with the first cache placed and the coordinates from a GPS posted on Usenet.
Featured news
Thousand Trails announces major changes, hikes fees, top tier now $4,000 a year
Big changes are here for Thousand Trails memberships—no more lifetime memberships and all-inclusive pricing for upgraded plans. With fees reaching up to $4,000 a year, is it still worth it for RVers? We have the details on the new changes and plans, including which membership could save you the most based on your camping habits.
Camping World sells more RVs for less… and still loses millions
Camping World says business is “picking up”—especially in used RVs—but the company still lost nearly $25 million last quarter. In a swirl of financial jargon and corporate spin, executives tout big gains in profitability and sales, even as prices drop, staff is trimmed, and customers continue to grumble. Are things actually improving, or just getting repackaged? This look at the company’s latest earnings reveals what’s really driving the RV giant—and what it could mean for buyers.
City tows dozens of abandoned RVs dumped by manufacturer
The bizarre saga of abandoned RVs—and the homeless people living in them—just took another wild turn. After a California RV manufacturer dumped dozens of travel trailers in Wildomar, city officials had enough. With a judge’s order in hand, tow trucks rolled in and hauled the derelict rigs away—but not before tensions spiked and accusations flew. Questions about who’s really responsible still hang in the air. Where did the RVs go next? And why is one small town after another getting caught in this escalating mess? Click here to read.
Campground crowding, comments & concerns
“Cost, reservation availability, poor RV quality… killed the camping experience.”
There are a lot of differing opinions among readers as to what constitutes the ideal campsite. We all have that one site that makes the cost, reservations, and sometimes the hassle of camping worthwhile. This week, Nanci Dixon shares some of our readers’ observations, positive and negative, as well as what she considers her ideal campsite.
News briefs
Starlink is offering a $349 hardware kit for free to new residential customers in many U.S. areas—but there’s a catch that RVers in particular need to know. While the deal looks tempting (especially if you’re hoping to save $30/month over the Roaming plan), using your service on the road during the first year could trigger a hefty penalty.
And speaking of Starlink… T-Mobile’s $10 Starlink texting plan is now open to subscribers of rival carriers. Even if you’re a Verizon or AT&T cell user, texting-by-satellite is a reality for the masses. Here are the details.
ONLY IN AUSTRALIA, ER, ALABAMA? A runaway kangaroo named Sheila shut down a stretch of interstate in Alabama on Tuesday before state troopers and the animal’s owner wrangled it. The kangaroo was spotted Tuesday hopping along the side of Interstate 85 near Montgomery and Auburn. The mischievous marsupial caused a crash between two vehicles during the chaos.
What should’ve been a fun Easter weekend at Lake Powell turned into a costly disaster for one RVing family. After their big rig got stuck in the sand, a few well-meaning helpers tried to tow it out—and accidentally made things much worse. Like… pulled off the entire front of their motorhome worse…
The April 15 fire that shook up RV park residents and closed down operations at a popular Quartzsite, Arizona, propane service is still having an aftermath, two weeks later. Pattie’s RV Park and Propane was the epicenter of the conflagration, and owners tell us they’re working hard to get the pumping station back open.
BIG RECALL: GM pulls 600,000 SUVs for potential engine failure. Click here.
Here’s another one for the “dumb crooks file.” A man whose travel trailer had been stolen from a storage yard was shocked to see it for sale on a Facebook Marketplace listing. A 1:00 a.m. call to the police resulted in a 6:00 a.m. visit to the “seller,” which ended with help from a SWAT team and “shots” fired.
Every year in the Great Smoky Mountains a natural phenomenon draws thousands of hopeful visitors: the synchronized light show of fireflies. These fireflies flash in unison, creating waves of light across the forest in a spectacle unlike anything else in nature. But to witness it, you’ll need to plan ahead—and win a spot through a special lottery.
Two people fell to their deaths from popular Inspiration Point at Bryce Canyon National Park after apparently climbing over a safety railing, according to Utah authorities. The victims had been living in a U-Haul truck and were last known to reside in Florida. The only good news? Their cat survived the fall and was found inside a padded pet carrier with two broken ribs.
If I HAD A DIME FOR… Millions (8 million, to be exact) of coins spilled onto a Texas highway this week after a tractor-trailer hauling $800,000 in dimes rolled over in an accident, authorities said. The spillage led to the closure of a portion of the southbound lanes of U.S. 287 in Alvord for about half a day as workers got on their hands and knees to pick up the coins in addition to using brooms and shovels.
Reader poll
Where do you buy most of your RV parts and accessories online?
PRO TIP: I’ve been doing this for a few years. I got a big grease stain on a new pair of jeans. The bright yellow also keeps me from banging my knee. I use a thick ponytail rubber band to hold it in place. —Sherman Winner
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of fuel as of April 28, 2025:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.13. Down <1 cent from last week; down 52 cents from last year.
Diesel: $3.51. Down 2 cents from last week; down 43 cents from last year.
Upcoming RV shows & seminars. Click here.
Brain teaser
What English word has the same pronunciation even after you remove four of its five letters?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
Trivia
Modern cars can have up to 100 million lines of code in their software! That’s more than a typical fighter jet or even some spacecraft. With all those lines of code, today’s cars are packed with advanced features like self-driving capabilities, smart safety systems, and infotainment systems.
Smile of the week
The perfect scam
Serial Scammer Targets Hockey League Parents, Part 1
Kota Youngblood is known as a larger-than-life character in his small Texas town, spinning wild tales of military service and work as an undercover federal agent to his neighbors and acquaintances from his son’s hockey league. His deceptions – from investments in rare coins and sports memorabilia to stories about drug cartels and kidnappings – steal millions and send one family into hiding.
Today in history
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
THIS MAP UPDATES TWICE A DAY
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.
Keep the press free!
But to stay free the press needs to learn to report the news without bias in either direction.
Nope, not gonna work cause someone will have to be the judge of “bias” and off to the races we go. That will create censorship and into the abyss we go
We are already there
It sure did Pammy but the trend started reversing on 1-20 this year Pammy so at least we have a chance, once again, at living with an uncensored media in our beloved America.
Happy trails ✌️ 😎
Agreed. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Why didn’t the company who owned the abandoned rv’s just give them away?
I’m sure people would have lined up to take them off their hands.
Did you read the part where it said the owner was taking notes at the site about damage being done by the tow company? This is NOT a caring human being!
Loved Smile of the Week!
Keeping the press free will require the press to remain independent of funding using tax dollars regardless the administration in power. PBS, NPR and even some “for profit” news organizations find themselves at a crossroads. The strong will survive and the weak will perish in the news business. Any business, including media, must work off a business model that allows it to be independent of outside influences and subsidies. Independent media must be independent. If any media is dependent on government subsidies, it cannot by definition remain independent or unbiased. It is or will become beholden to its source of revenue.
Happy trails ✌️ 😎
Trivia, 100 million lines of code. This and the mindset it represents, is the reason why my 2024 Ridgeline is going away at the end of the lease, or sooner, also why I will never buy a new car or truck again. Sorry, not interested.
Just had my 96 Lincoln Town Car TOTALLY gone thru – top to bottom, inside and out.
The primary issue of the quote “Freedom for people depends on freedom of the press.” It actually depends on Accurate and fair reporting. Unfortunately 88% of the press are slanted one way, in tainting reporting. It won’t change based on the last 40+ years reporting.
A free press is important to a free people because it brings out the different views on issues and gives people an opportunity to think both in and outside of the box. Bias-free media outlets can be found thru research; I personally use at least three sources as different reporters, just like my friends and neighbors, can see an issue with different perspectives. Having those perspectives keeps me from being narrow minded, allows me to try to appreciate where others are coming from, and not assume I’m right and they are wrong
Same here, I use multiple sources for my news. NY Post, Washington Times, SkyNews, Wall Street Journal, a little CNN for my fix of Scott Jennings dunking on the uninformed libs with no common sense, plus a little radio, a whole lot of SubStack and few Podcasts.
Justthenews.com is very good for anyone wanting well sourced news.
Happy Trails ✌️ 😎
Well said, Peter! I love to read comments…a lot can be learned by what others have to say! Your comment is by far the most meaningful and open-minded comment I have read in the last 4 years! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the “Smile of The Week” …the story of Reggie and Pearl is simply the best! 😃
Thank you, Emily and Diane! Have a great week and safe travels!