Issue 1215
Ads have been removed in this newsletter
for our much-appreciated volunteer paid subscribers.
Today’s thought
“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” —Jack Kerouac
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Foodie Day! Not a foodie? Maybe you can celebrate National Paul Bunyan Day instead?
On this day in history: 1894 – Labor Day becomes an official U.S. holiday.
COVER STORY
Wall Street Journal alleges serious quality flaws in Forest River RVs
“From 2015 to 2024, Forest River issued more recalls than any U.S. automaker or RV manufacturer—many due to human error rather than flawed parts.” On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported on deep-rooted quality control issues within the RV industry—especially at Forest River, the second largest RV manufacturer. This is disturbing. Be sure to read this.
Featured news
The proposal to sell off millions of acres of federally managed land in the Western U.S. was removed from the “Big Beautiful Bill” this week after the Senate parliamentarian ruled that it violated legislative rules. The plan, introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), aimed to allow the federal government to sell more than 2 million acres of public land to states or other entities for use in housing and infrastructure development. Our lands remain ours… for now!
Starting July 23, 2025, T-Mobile will make its Starlink satellite-to-mobile service, called T-Satellite, available across the U.S. The service is designed to provide basic messaging and limited data to users in areas without traditional cell coverage. Satellite messaging and data can come to your phone, regardless of your carrier. Here are the details.
And speaking of Starlink… Thinking about getting Starlink for your RV or travel setup? Be aware—you could be hit with a hefty one-time surcharge if you’re signing up in certain parts of the country. Only days ago, we wrote that Starlink was hitting some new customers with $500 surcharges. It’s getting worse. In areas with heavy demand, Starlink has added an extra fee of up to $750 for new customers.
A recent RVtravel.com reader poll reveals strong interest in Love’s RV Stops (campgrounds), with nearly two-thirds of respondents saying they have either stayed at one or plan to in the future. The poll came as Love’s announced the opening of its 100th dedicated RV Stop across the U.S. Since then, a 101st location opened in Winslow, Arizona. Learn more.
BLAME THE HOT DOG! A man accused of killing a couple at a Southern California nudist resort may have done so after becoming angry over a hot dog, according to a detective’s court testimony in a preliminary hearing. It’s the latest detail in the tragic story we carried earlier of the RV park murders.
RV shipments dropped again in May, and towables are down 17 percent. Results of the RV Industry Association’s May 2025 survey of manufacturers showed that 28,150 RVs were shipped, a 15.1 percent decline from the 33,150 units shipped in May 2024. To date for the year, RV shipments are up 5.3% with 161,373 units. Here are the rest of the results.
Early in the morning of June 25, 2025, a woman camping at Lake Tahoe’s Eagle Point Campground had a terrifying wake-up call. A black bear entered the unidentified woman’s trailer around 4:30 a.m. The bear was undeterred by the lady’s screams. Even banging on her pots and pans did not frighten it away! Here’s the scary story.
The blistering heat wave that settled over much of the country this week has led to multiple reports of highway buckling. One car in Missouri even went airborne after the highway buckled underneath it. Learn more and watch the video.
Campground crowding, comments & concerns
Final column in ‘Campground Crowding’: Nanci’s thoughts
By Nanci Dixon
I have been writing this Campground Crowding column for several years now and want to thank my many loyal readers. This column has talked about so many of the joys and issues of camping and RVing. We started this column during COVID, when it seemed that everybody on the planet went out and bought an RV and then couldn’t find a place to park it. … Continue reading Nanci’s fond “farewell” and her request for your input on what you would like her to write about next. Also, there are comments from readers about their experiences with state parks.
More RV news
Aw, rats! An RVer who hadn’t used their fifth wheel for more than a week had to be mighty dismayed when they found the rig completely destroyed by fire. The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s office points the finger at rodent activity. Rats! RV rodent-caused fires are enough to really ruin your lifestyle. Don’t let this happen to your RV!
A Men’s Journal article reveals that several iconic Yosemite lodges, including the historic Ahwahnee Hotel, have been deemed unsafe due to mold, rotting structures, and even rodent infestations—thanks to poor risk management. USA TODAY uncovered the details through a Freedom of Information Act request, showing how bad things have gotten. The article’s tagline sums it up: “Time to buy an RV.” Apparently, it’s easier to book a campsite in Yosemite—and rodents aren’t fans of RVs! Sure… if they only knew!
In this head-shaking tale out of Polk County, Florida, a man trying to sell his travel trailer never imagined it would vanish—along with any hope of a legitimate sale. But the real kicker? The alleged thief claims he was just being a Good Samaritan by towing and “storing” the trailer for a stranger he conveniently couldn’t identify. Spoiler alert: The police returned the favor—with a ride to jail. You have to read the rest to believe it.
Glacier National Park reminds visitors that beginning July 1, private vehicle entrance into Many Glacier will be limited to visitors with wilderness camping permits, commercial service reservations, or lodging reservations. All other visitors are required to use the temporary Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle.
The Fourth of July weekend is a busy weekend for RVers… and everyone else! If you will visit Yellowstone National Park this Fourth, plan ahead to protect yourself and this wild and awe-inspiring place. Summer is the busiest time in the park, so please pack your patience. Expect crowds at popular areas and lines at entrance stations, construction areas, and roadside wildlife sightings. Learn more.
Speaking of the Fourth… Arches and Canyonlands national parks are preparing for another hot and busy July Fourth holiday weekend. Visitors should expect increased traffic, long lines at park entrances, busy trails, and limited parking at both parks. Through Sunday, July 6, most visitors entering Arches National Park between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. will need a timed entry reservation. Details here.
Speaking of national parks… If you’re planning a summer RV trip to Shenandoah National Park, take note: Starting July 1, the park will no longer accept cash for entrance or campground fees. It’s card or mobile payment only from here on out.
On the afternoon of June 24, Grand Teton park rangers received multiple reports of high-velocity drag racing along Teton Park Road. This road is one of the national park’s main arteries and is shared by RVs, passenger vehicles, bicyclists, and wildlife. Eyewitnesses described high-end sports cars accelerating to dangerous speeds. It took 12 rangers to arrest the wannabe race car drivers.
California State Parks is starting phase one on a new campground at Fort Ord Dunes State Park near Monterey. It will feature 43 traditional tent campsites, 45 RV campsites, 10 walk-in or bike-in campsites and improved coastal access. Construction is expected to take two years.
THAT’S IMPRESSIVE! A YouTuber who specializes in domino feats broke a Guinness World Record when she and her team assembled the world’s tallest domino structure, measuring 33 feet 2.74 inches tall at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Watch this video.
There’s looking after your furry friend—and then there’s perhaps going overboard. A man in Bristol, Connecticut, found himself in a tight spot—literally—after trying to rescue his dog from a locked bathroom at a city park. He ended up stuck inside the chimney of a public building and had to be rescued by firefighters. Don’t do this at home, kids!
Lazydays will sell the asset and real estate of its Tulsa, Okla., location to Ron Hoover RV & Marine. The companies expect to complete the transaction in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Fun Town RV has acquired the former Lazydays’ RV Arrowhead dealership in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, Ariz.
RECALL: Winnebago is recalling certain 2025 Micro Minnie and Micro Minnie FLX travel trailers. The cooktop flame may invert when the stove and furnace are operated at the same time. An inverted cooktop flame increases the risk of a fire and injury. Learn more.
Reader poll
Will your next RV trip in the USA be to a destination east or west of the Mississippi River?
What percentage of RVtravel.com readers have experienced food poisoning while RVing? A) 3 percent, B) 17 percent, C) 32 percent, or D) 68 percent. Find out.
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline on June 23 was $3.21, up 7 cents from last week, down 23 cents from last year. Diesel was $3.78, up 20 cents from last week, up 1 cent from a year ago. Most expensive gas: California ($4.62); least expensive: Mississippi ($2.73).
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Brain puzzle
Quick! Count the number of times that the letter F appears in the following sentence:
“Finished files are the result of years of scientific study combined with the experience of years.”
How many did you find?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
Trivia
From the book, Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson:
tabby cat. “Prince Attab, famed in Arab legend, lived in a quarter of old Baghdad named Attabiya in his honor. Here a striped silk taffeta material was woven, the streaked fabric called attabi by the Arabs after the quarter, attabi eventually being transformed into tabis in French during the Middle Ages and translated to English as tabby cloth. Tabby became a verb for “to stripe” soon after, and by 1695 the word was used to describe a brownish dark-striped or brindled tabby cat whose markings resembled the material.
Laugh of the week
Today in history
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
THIS MAP UPDATES TWICE A DAY
Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
Current fire and smoke map from AirNow
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.
The laugh of the week definitely made me laugh. Thanks for the chuckle.
I have been a reader of your newsletters for many years now. I have learned so much about RVs!
This morning, thanks to watching your video the other day about doing CPR on a dog I saved my friend’s dog!
Where I live, they have a dock diving pool for the dogs. My friend was swimming her dogs, and the next thing I know she was hollering for me. I went running to the pool and pulled her dog up out of the pool and onto the dock. She was unresponsive and not breathing and I immediately went into CPR on her. She eventually came around and started breathing and seems to be fine!
If you could, please direct me to that video again. I would like to share it with my friends! ❤️🐾
I just went to the RV Travel website and did a search on CPR. https://www.rvtravel.com/video-emergency-canine-cpr-save-dog-2193/
Thank you so much! I was shaken up so much this morning that I didn’t even think to do that! I appreciate it!
Thank you, Warren! — Chuck/publisher
Mary, thank you for telling us about this. Our staff, everyone I believe, loves dogs. To hear that something we wrote saved one of our furry buddy’s life warms our collective hearts. I am emailing you now to ask if we can post your comment in tomorrow’s RV Travel Newsletter as a letter to the editor. You can reply by replying to your comment here or reply to the email. I hope you say yes! — Chuck/publisher
News letter clogged up with ads many in spanish
Sorry, Jack. There should not be any ads in the Subscribers’ edition of the newsletter. However, the posts that are linked in the newsletter still have ads. Were you seeing them in the newsletter itself? If so, we’ll have to check into that. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Sure is nice to see the current gas price for July 4th holiday at it’s lowest price point since 2021 for Independence Day travel. The price listed in the above article is from 6 days ago.
Thank you, Emily and Diane! Have a great weekend and safe travels!