Subscribers RV Travel Newsletter for Sunday, May 18, 2025

Issue 1209
Ads have been removed in this newsletter
for our much-appreciated volunteer paid subscribers.

Today’s thought 

“The gladdest moment in human life is a departure into unknown lands.” —Sir Richard Burton

How to find out if you’ll have cell service where you’re headed

By Gail Marsh
Finding reliable cell coverage on the road is crucial for RVers. Did you know that there are apps that leverage crowdsourced data and official filings that can help? These apps give real‑time insights into signal strength, carrier performance, and tower locations, so you’ll always know if you’ll have service up ahead or wherever you’re going. Check these out.

RVtravel.com readers reveal their favorite state parks

By Gail Marsh
I recently published another article about RVers’ favorite state parks. At the bottom of that article, I asked you to share your favorite state parks, and you did not disappoint! Wow, what a variety—from riverfront campgrounds in Washington to desert oases in Arizona and mountain escapes in North Carolina. Here are your favorites.

Letter to the Editor: RV erupts in flames on I-10—longtime reader loses everything

Longtime reader and supporter Cathi Stark recently wrote in to share some difficult news. After years of RVing and following RVtravel.com, she and her husband, Mike, suffered a devastating RV fire. What initially appeared to be dust swirling in the sun turned out to be smoke, first from the heating system intake, then filling the RV. There was no smell of burning at first, no visible flames—just dense particles. Once safely outside, they watched flames erupt… Continue reading.

Today’s RV review…
7 of my favorite high-quality travel trailers without slides

By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is something different—we’re going to look at seven high-quality travel trailers that don’t have slides. All of these are RVs that we’ve looked at before over the years, and I’ve provided links to my full reviews of the trailers. All of these are also brands or models that I would consider for my own RVing adventure. Continue reading.

Yesterday’s top news for RVers

• Camping World claims top spot in RV sales
• Staff shortages shut down dozens of Army Corps campgrounds, but RVers can help
• Walmart says prices are going up. Here’s why RVers should care
• Amazon pushes into RV territory with $8 million, 200-site RV park
• Amazon’s Starlink rival: Analyst weighs in on expected internet pricing

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

RANDOM RV THOUGHT: While in a campground, to avoid having annoying headlights beaming into your RV or onto your campsite, choose a campsite on a straight stretch of the campground’s road or one on the inside of a corner, not the outside.

Kissing a cod and other inspiring adventures from our readers’ bucket lists

Last week, we asked you to tell us what’s on your bucket list. Whether you dream of international adventures, personal challenges, or simply continuing to do what you love, your responses were inspiring, heartfelt, and incredibly diverse (to say the least). Here’s what you shared—in your own words (and boy, reading this will inspire you!).

Police officer shares the best RV security tips and gear

By Cheri Sicard
If you aren’t a regular fan of the Endless RVing YouTube channel, you might not realize that Izzy is a cop with 24 years of service behind him. In other words, he has some solid experience behind his RV security tips and advice. This article and video focus on gear and gadgets that he says will increase your overall RV security and prevent theft.

Why everyone at the campground wanted a bite out of my tackle box

By Emily Woodbury
Last summer, social media led me to my new favorite eating vessel: a tackle box. Yes, a fishing tackle box. I don’t fish, but I did go out in search of the perfect tackle box. The requirements: It had to be big enough, and it had to have enough movable compartments that I could adjust to different sizes and/or shapes. So what do a tackle box and an eating vessel have in common? Just wait…

Reader poll
If you’re making RV payments, how much are they per month?

Respond here.

TAKE A GUESS: Do RVtravel.com readers sleep with socks on or without socks? (Random, we know.) See if you’re right.

Sunday giveaway 

How would you like to win this portable ceiling fan?

Yes, it’s portable! Hang this USB, battery-operated ceiling fan anywhere: over your picnic table, inside your RV… anywhere!

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!

Travel destinations

Visiting South Dakota’s oddly wonderful Corn Palace

By Gail Marsh
At first, it seemed like an oxymoron to me: Corn Palace? As a former Iowa farm girl, I worked in cornfields. If there was a palace involved, I never saw it! Turns out, the Corn Palace isn’t an oxymoron—it’s a real place in South Dakota that decorates, elevates, and celebrates corn, prairie life, and more! And yes, it’s really a palace!

Discovering Bandelier National Monument: An amazing journey through time

By Gail Marsh
The Pueblo people (and really, all Indigenous groups) have always fascinated me. That’s why I was so excited to discover Bandelier National Monument. This New Mexico treasure is renowned for its well-preserved Pueblo dwellings. Learn more.

Our best-selling Amazon RV products this month (so far):

1. National Geographic Road Atlas 2026: Scenic Drives Edition
2. The original Fasta Pasta microwave cooker (as Nanci Dixon recommends here)
3. RESTMO water flow meter (as Nanci recommends here)
4. RV Designer refrigerator/converter vent latch (as Dustin Simpson wrote about here)
5. BOESHIELD T-9 rust & corrosion protection/inhibitor and waterproof lubrication

TODAY IS: National Visit Your Relatives Day and National No Dirty Dishes Day! So, what would you rather do? Visit your relatives or wash the dishes? Wink. 

Word search

Can you find all the top camping foods in today’s word search? Try and see how well you do. Print or complete the interactive word search here.

Brain teaser

I am as round as the sun and the moon
I can be shallow or deep
I come in many different sizes and colors
People use me in the summer
but not very often in the winter
What am I?

(Answer below.)

Highlights from this week’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter

• What the letters and numbers mean in RV model designations
• You’re using laundry detergent all wrong!
• What’s better for you: Class C motorhome or Class B van conversion?
• Easy and inexpensive RV tank sensors upgrade
• Save your RV’s refrigerator: Leveling tips for overnight stops

YOU DO KNOW… that you’d be a much smarter RVer if you signed up for our RV Daily Tips newsletter, right? On average, our readers report they’ve quadrupled their knowledge about RVs and RVing after reading it for just two weeks! Okay, we made that up, but we’re pretty sure it’s true! Sign up here.

In the RV shop with Dustin
How to replace your RV’s plumbing vent cap

Today, I want to share some tips on how to remove and replace an RV roof plumbing vent cap and reseal it properly. First, you’ll want to remove the old vent by carefully unscrewing it from the roof. Once it’s removed, clean the area around the opening and make sure it’s free of any debris or old sealant. Continue reading.

RV tire safety
Valve stems, cores and caps, “Oh my!” And how tight is “tight enough”?

Yep, the title pretty much covers Roger Marble’s information-packed article this week. Learn more.

Ask Dave

This past week’s questions that Dave answered:

• RV furnace ignites on second attempt with flames shooting out exhaust
• My RV’s two 6-volt house batteries are dead. Can I use the 12-volt from my Jeep?
• RV’s two smaller slide rooms retract but larger kitchen one will not
• Will these power sources keep my RV refrigerator running while driving?
• Why does water sputter out of RV’s faucets and gets worse as water in tank gets low?

RV gadgets and gizmos
5 of the best grilling gadgets for the almost-here BBQ season

By Gail Marsh
I know it’s coming. Winter’s last blast has blown through, and daffodils have jumped up and smiled to greet the long-awaited springtime… and almost summer! Flowers aren’t the only thing I longed for as winter wound down. I can’t wait to dust off the grill and go full-on BBQ mode! And now it’s almost Memorial Day, so these gadgets come at the perfect time.

BUMPER SNICKER: I don’t brake for possums.

Video of the day
Using contractor drawers as good storage for RV builds

By Cheri Sicard
Sometimes, a quick fix is all you need to keep exploring. In this video, our host from Soft Roading the West uses a smart camper van building hack as an interim solution while he builds his dream camper van conversion. However, for many people, the idea of using contractor drawers, the kind typically used in utility trucks, for camper van storage can be a practical, permanent solution. Check this out if you need more storage.

Recipes of the day
Red, white, and delicious: Must-try recipes for your Memorial Day cookout

Memorial Day is next weekend, so we figured we’d give you a jump-start on planning out your menu. Whether you’re hosting a gathering, attending an event, or just want to cook for you and yours, these recipes are delicious and easy. Check them out and get hungry!

Readers’ pets of the day

“This is our grumble (more than two pugs), from left to right, Kolton, Kassidy, and Kylor, ages one, three, and four. They were all purchased from the same breeder. They love camping. And the picture is them sitting outside our camper in the campground.” —Paul Maccaline

• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. You’ll love it.

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.

Trivia

Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, might not be the birthplace of the hamburger, but it is the first restaurant to ever serve a hamburger. In 1900 Louis Lassen made and served the very first hamburger on two slices of toasted white bread with no “catsup.” The burgers served today are still cooked on the 1898 cast iron grill that cooked that first burger and they are still served on toasted white bread without “catsup.” And, yes, it’s still open.

Sunday funny

Our staff comedian, Dave Solberg (did you know he used to do stand-up comedy?), sent us this earlier this week:

“After exhaustive research, I have concluded EternaBond is not the best for every application! However, it is still good for covering cracks.”

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

Read it here | Back issues

Brain teaser answer:

A paper plate!

Vintage postcard of the week

Postcards owned by Colleen and Ed Weum, Pacific Northwest Postcard Club. Read more about their 90,000 postcard collection here. 

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.

And finally… A song from the past

Oh, what a great time it was when the Fab Four invaded our lives. Here, remastered, is one of the group’s first HUGE hits!

RVtravel.com All Star Team

Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.

Our policy on using artificial intelligence.