Issue 1209
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Today’s thought
“I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me.” —Walt Whitman
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Armed Forces Day (thank you for your service!) and National Cherry Cobbler Day!
On this day in history: 1939 – The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the United States’ first televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City.
The latest, breaking news for RVers
Camping World has claimed the top spot in RV sales. In a recent media release, CEO Marcus Lemonis credited the company’s focus on used inventory and affordability for driving growth. “The team’s strategic focus on used inventory procurement and customer affordability continues to drive growth, putting us on pace to exceed our 12% new and used unit market share goal for 2025,” Lemonis said. Continue reading.
As of May 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced dozens of campground closures and service reductions across several states. These actions are primarily due to staffing shortages, budget constraints, and necessary maintenance. Here are the ones closed, and what you could do to help them stay open.
If you’re like a lot of RVers who rely on Walmart for groceries, RV supplies, and just about everything else, here’s some news: Walmart is raising prices. And it has to do with tariffs—taxes on imports. Walmart recently released its first quarter financial report for 2025, and the bad news popped up—prices are up. Here’s what this means.
Internet giant Amazon is getting into all kinds of markets. RVers have been closely watching the company’s move to become an internet satellite provider (below). Now, Amazon is getting into the RV park business. Well, sort of. Oregon will soon become the home of a new 200-site, $8 million Amazon RV park.
As we mentioned above, Amazon is getting into the satellite internet game with a massive project called Project Kuiper. Amazon wants to launch more than 3,200 satellites into low Earth orbit to bring high-speed internet to rural, remote, and hard-to-reach places. Yes, just like Starlink. Here, an analyst weighs in on the expected internet pricing.
Before you roll into your next gas stop, know this: Many gas stations legally tack on a hefty $1 per gallon surcharge for credit card transactions. This practice is driving up costs for RVers already grappling with slim fuel budgets. Take, for example, Florida…
Campground crowding, comments & concerns
Is the 10-year rule getting stricter? RVers report a 7-year cutoff
This week Nanci Dixon shares her views and those of several RVtravel.com readers regarding the 10-year age restriction rules on RVs for entrance into an RV park now becoming 7 years. As you can guess, most of the reactions are negative. What are your thoughts?
News briefs
Some Entegra Coach motorhomes will transition to Tiffin from Jayco. THOR Industries, Inc., has announced a strategic partnership between Jayco and Tiffin Motorhomes to shift production of Entegra Coach Class A diesel motorhomes from Jayco to Tiffin’s Red Bay, Alabama, facilities. More info here.
BIG RECALL: Ford recalls nearly 274,000 SUVs over brake line flaw. Details here.
The U.S. and China announced a deal on May 12 to ease tensions in their ongoing trade war. Both countries will roll back most of their recent tariffs and enter a 90-day truce to allow more talks. RVers have had concerns about how tariffs might affect them. What might this China tariff truce mean for RVers and the RV industry? Here’s a brief look at possible RV relief and what the news has meant for America today.
A 64-year-old man, a recently retired Broward Sheriff’s Office sergeant, was fatally crushed by an RV he’d just purchased. The man, Craig Bachan, was working on the RV outside his home in Oakland Park, Florida. Neighbors describe the incident as a “freak accident.” Here’s the story.
Traveling next weekend for Memorial Day? Look out! Lots of other folks have the same thought. AAA projects 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period from Thursday, May 22, to Monday, May 26. This year’s domestic travel forecast is an increase of 1.4 million travelers compared to last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record. More info here.
America’s RV obsession hits the brakes as sales plunge in every category. New data from Statistical Surveys Inc. shows that retail registrations in March 2025 fell more than 13% from the previous year, continuing a steady decline that began in 2023. Despite the drop in demand, manufacturers are still pumping out units, raising questions about oversupply in a shrinking market.
KOA announces four new locations for 2025—two entirely new campground builds, one rebranded gem, and an existing site refreshed under new ownership. From the Black Hills of South Dakota to the shores of Lake Ontario, these campgrounds bring KOA’s signature comforts to regions both iconic and off-the-beaten-path. Learn more.
WHAT THE DUCK? A traffic monitoring camera in a Swiss town was triggered by a fast-flying duck breaking the speed limit—seven years to the day after the same thing happened in the same spot at the same speed. A similar-looking duck triggered the same camera on April 13, 2018, by flying at the same speed. Officials speculated the two photos could be the same bird returning to the scene of his original traffic crime for a repeat offense.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation, miner Daniel Torongo, and the BlueRibbon Coalition filed suit in U.S. District Court asking a judge to declare California’s Chuckwalla National Monument designation void. Can Texas do this to California? Learn more.
Colorado State University researchers predict an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2025, driven by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the subtropical Atlantic and Caribbean. The team forecasts 17 named storms, nine hurricanes, and four major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) from June 1 to Nov. 30. Learn more.
Ever get nervous when piloting your RV through an enclosed highway tunnel? Worry about what might happen if there were a fire? One RVer found out in real time on Monday. The Class A motorhome driver hit a center median barrier in Washington state’s I-90 Mount Baker Tunnel. State highway department cameras captured the fiery crash.
RECALL: More than one million Igloo coolers recalled due to… finger amputations? Yup.
Yellowstone National Park staff trapped and killed an 11-year-old male grizzly bear on May 14 after the bear repeatedly sought out human food sources in developed areas of the park. Between April 3 and May 13, the 400-pound grizzly bear overturned several large, bear-resistant dumpsters and gained access to human food and trash. Learn more.
Out West in Colorado, a “mega den” of rattlesnakes is starting to see springtime activity. An intrepid group of scientists has set up a camera on a tripod just outside the entrance to the den. Inside? Hundreds, if not thousands, of prairie rattlesnakes. And you can spy on them.
On May 15, Camping World Holdings, Inc. announced a regular cash dividend of $0.125 per share on the Company’s Class A Common Stock. Payment is expected to be made on June 27, 2025.
FUN FACT: The most popular baby names for 2025 are Liam and Olivia (for the sixth year in a row).
Reader poll
How long is your RV?
A POLL FROM THE PAST: Generally, how low will you let your fuel tank go before refilling? Answer here.
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of fuel as of May 12, 2025:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.12. Down 3 cents from last week; down 49 cents from last year.
Diesel: $3.48. Down 2 cents from last week; down 37 cents from last year.
• The state with the most expensive gas: California, $4.86
• The state with the least expensive gas: Mississippi, $2.62
Upcoming RV shows & seminars. Click 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 in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
Trivia
The famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign isn’t actually in Las Vegas. It’s in neighboring Paradise, NV. The sign was placed in 1959 and was designed by Betty Willis. Betty was one of the only women at the time working with neon lights. Since Betty gave her design to the city of Las Vegas, the sign was never copyrighted, which is why you can find the artwork on keychains, magnets, bumper stickers and more.
Laugh of the week
The perfect scam
Lost But Not Found: The Lost Pet Scam
When Chloe’s mom experiences a medical emergency, Chloe rushes to be by her side. Amid the stress and chaos of the following days, her mother’s cat, Percy, slips out one evening. Chloe and her family do everything they can to find him, but after several days, Percy still hasn’t returned. Then, they receive a call from the “Tampa Bay Humane Society” stating that Percy has been hit by a car and needs emergency surgery. The family acts quickly to pay the requested fee of $2,000. However, when they don’t hear back about Percy’s condition, they realize with heartbreak that it was all a scam.
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
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RE: Your story regarding the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. There is no actual “Paradise”, NV. Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County. As such, the sign is actually in unincorporated Clark County and governed by the Clark County commission. Las Vegas is two miles further north on Las Vegas Blvd. at Sahara which is the southern boundary of the city of Las Vegas.
I would have to agree. I live in the Township of Paradise, which is an unincorporated area of Clark County in the greater community of Las Vegas.
My address for the post office, IRS, utilities, drivers lic. Passport, etc. reads as
123 ABC Street
Las Vegas, Nevada
89123
I think that is where Big Bird lives too.
RE: 👍 👎 options are back.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 🙂
Thank you, Emily and Diane! Have a great week and safe travels!