Subscribers RV Travel Newsletter for Sunday, May 25, 2025

Issue 1210
Ads have been removed in this newsletter
for our much-appreciated volunteer paid subscribers.

Today’s thought 

“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” —Harry S. Truman

Brand-new 2025 RV sends owners to emergency room

By Gail Marsh
This recent video from Liz Amazing covers the dreadful account of Darah, a 2025 Forest River RV owner. This brand-new RV put Darah and her son in the ER! Recently divorced, Darah and her 18-year-old son accepted a five-month work camping job in Wyoming. They hoped to spend quality time together. Their plans certainly did not include continual problems with their brand-new RV… or a trip to the hospital! Read on for a true RV horror story.

A wonderful love letter to those who protect our parks

By Russ & Tiña De Maris
In these days of near-universal uncertainty, life is unsettled for many. It’s easy to focus on our own little corner of the world. Thinking beyond his own issues, Steve Scarano has mulled over the situation faced by National Park Service workers. From the depths of his heart, he’s written them all a letter. His letter to the “park people” touched our hearts, and maybe it will touch yours, too. (This truly is wonderful.)

These are the states that allow you to live in your RV full-time

By Russ & Tiña De Maris
One of our “most-read” stories ever was this one: Setting some misinformation straight: Can you live in an RV on your own property? In it, we gave some direction on finding out for sure if you really could legally set up shop in your RV. What states allow full-time RVing? Here’s a list of states that don’t rule out living in your rig.

Today’s RV review…
Advanced features in the Grand Design Imagine 2800BH—Worth considering?

By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review isn’t as much about the RV itself as it is about some of the technology it has. The RV we’re looking at is the 2025 Grand Design Imagine 2800BH, which is a larger bunkhouse model. But, as they would say in some B-movies, fuggedaboutit for a moment if you would. We have some other things to talk about first.

Yesterday’s top news for RVers

• Public lands spared from sale in last-minute budget deal
• Brand-new Florida KOA to be demolished for highway expansion
• Starlink Mini is on sale for very limited time
• Toyota recalls 443,444 pickup trucks
• This amenity tops the list of campground upgrades in 2024

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

This Memorial Day, I remember my hero, Ernie Pyle

By Chuck Woodbury
I would like to tell you about Ernie Pyle. Unless you are 80 or older, you have likely never heard of Ernie, who gained fame as a war correspondent during World War II. Sadly, he was killed by a sniper bullet shortly before the end of the war. Ernie received a Pulitzer Prize for his war reporting during World War II. Continue reading.

I visited the Lectric eBike headquarters and I’m impressed!

By Nanci Dixon
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to tour the headquarters of Lectric eBikes in Phoenix, Arizona. I was impressed! As many of you know, I love my Lectric eBike^®, so I was excited to see the new models and where and how mine was made. The tour was fascinating, and their headquarters are incredible! 

How to survive camping in 105-degree heat—Yikes!

By Nanci Dixon
We have started (well, almost) our RV summer migration to the cool green northern clime. But first, we needed to get all the floors in our house redone after an installer error. So instead of camping by pristine blue lakes lined with tall pines, we are in the hot brown desert lined with cactus. And it’s 105 degrees! Here’s what I’m doing to keep the RV cool.

RANDOM RV THOUGHT: Avoid campsites where a tree branch touches your RV. If the wind comes up at night, the grating noise will annoy you, and the branch might even scratch your rig.

Reader poll
Out of these options, which is your favorite BBQ food?

Respond here.

More polls you might enjoy:

• What would you fear stumbling upon most in the wild — a bear, rattlesnake or alligator?
• Should e-bikes be allowed on traditional bike trails?
• Would you consider buying an electric car or tow vehicle as your next car?
• Would you rather park next to barking dogs or noisy children?

Do you love us?

If you enjoy reading RVtravel.com, or if we’ve ever helped you learn something new about RVing… If you’ve found us entertaining, useful, or even just a little bit interesting, would you let us know? We’d love to hear what you think! A quick testimonial, long or short, would mean a lot to us. If you’ve got a minute to spare, please click here—we’d really appreciate it!

Sunday giveaway 

How would you like to win this vintage patriotic camper T-shirt?

If you win, we’ll ask you to select the size (men, women, or youth) and color. 

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!

TODAY IS NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN’S DAY. Have you seen any of these children? As RVers, we have eyes all over the country. Let’s bring somebody home! (Click the “Search Near Me” button on the website.)

Travel destinations

If Death Valley was named in the winter, why is it called Death Valley?

By Gail Marsh
What’s in a name? Usually, some history blended with legend or folklore. The name “Death Valley” is no different. You may be surprised to learn that Death Valley’s record-breaking heat had nothing to do with naming the area. In fact, Death Valley was actually named during the winter! The history of its name is fascinating.

Visit the last-remaining rotating jail in the U.S.

By Gail Marsh
Just off the Indiana Interstate 74, on highway 231, you’ll find Crawfordsville’s Rotary Jail Museum. Yes, the jail actually spins! Crawfordsville’s Rotary Jail Museum offers RV travelers a one-of-a-kind detour into 19th-century ingenuity. It showcases the only operational “rotary” jail remaining in the United States. Check it out.

Brain teaser

Susan and Lisa decided to play tennis against each other. They bet $1 on each game they played. Susan won three bets and Lisa won $5. How many games did they play?

(Answer below.)

RV gadgets and gizmos

I’ve finally discovered the best white noise machine for sleeping

By Cheri Sicard
Having struggled with insomnia my entire life, I have become quite the connoisseur of white noise machines over the decades. Now a senior, I have been using these sleep-enhancing devices since I was a teenager. The Manta White Noise Machine takes this gadget to a higher level. This is by far the best white noise machine I have ever tried…

Useful BBQ and meal prep collapsible food tubs

By Cheri Sicard
So many times, new gadgets end up not living up to expectations, which is why I get super excited when they do. Well, I got super excited about a new gadget this week. These new BBQ and meal prep collapsible food tubs from the fine folks at Drip EZ are incredibly useful, yet they take up almost no space in your RV. Learn more.

WANT MORE GADGETS? Read the latest issue of Cheri’s Great RV Accessories Newsletter here.

Highlights from this week’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter

• Secret Costco shopping tips you should know
• Easy tip for draining fresh water tank
• How to create a budget for unplanned fun while RVing
• How to budget, and budgeting tips, for RVers
• Tips for packing the RV for an extended time on the road

In the RV shop with Dustin
Ideas and gadgets for transforming and organizing your RV compartments

Join me “In The RV Shop” as I show you how updating and organizing your RV compartments for accessories can enhance organization, convenience, and overall functionality. Maximize your RV’s potential! Explore a range of accessories from organizers to custom storage solutions to transform your compartment area. Click here.

RV tire safety
How to make your RV tires last longer

No one likes having to replace RV tires. Some people dislike dealing with their tires so much they may forget that proper care and maintenance can allow us to run our tires longer. Read this info from tire expert Roger Marble about how to take care of your tires so they last longer.

FREE: Headed to Yosemite? Download a free visitor guide.

Ask Dave

This past week’s questions that Dave answered:

• RV’s corner trim is separating. What adhesive should I use to fasten it?
• Planning ahead: Should RV leveling jacks be retracted during winter storage?
• My RV’s “larger” batteries are dead. Can I replace them with lithium?
• Post-hike surprise: No RV power, battery dead
• What does 50% State Of Charge (SOC) of a 12-volt battery mean?

Video of the day
Check out this unique ex-military Unimog RV conversion

By Cheri Sicard
In today’s video, we meet Kyla and Louis, who transformed an ex-military Unimog truck into a stunning, self-sufficient tiny home on wheels that’s designed for adventure. The video follows their DIY Unimog RV conversion. This RV is pretty amazing.

Recipes for Memorial Day

• Red, white, and delicious: Must-try recipes for your Memorial Day cookout
• Celebrate National Burger Day with these five burger and burger-inspired recipes
• Hot dog recipes perfect for year-round camping
• 3 juicy grilled meat recipes for a perfect BBQ weekend
• 3 grilled salad recipes—Grill AND eat healthy at the same time

Readers’ pet of the day

“Trigger (Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Heeler, age 13) loves his dad and his treats. After years on the road working with dad, he’s now enjoying retirement.” —Teresa Dalleluche

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

“In Roman mythology, Juno was the wife of Jupiter and queen of the heavens, the goddess whose prime responsibility, among many, was to warn people of dangers. The Romans were so grateful that she had warned them of the Gallic invasion in 344 B.C. that Lucius Furius built a temple to Juno Moneta, as she was called (her last name deriving from the Latin word moneo, ‘warn’), on the Capitoline Hill. Later, the first Roman mint was attached to the temple and Juno Moneta became the goddess and guardian of finance. The coins minted there were called moneta, after the goddess, and the word became moneai in French, which later became our money. The word mint, a place where money is made, also derives from moneta via the old English mynot.” —From the book, Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson

Sunday funny

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

Read it here | Back issues

Brain teaser answer:

Eleven. Lisa lost three games to Susan, she had lost $3 ($1 per game). So, she had to win back that $3 with three more games, then win another five games to win $5.

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 you will love!

(Tip: Have a Kleenex handy.)

RVtravel.com All Star Team

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Our policy on using artificial intelligence.