America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 1238
Ads have been removed in this newsletter
for our much-appreciated volunteer paid subscribers.
Today’s thought
“The bravery of those who fought at Pearl Harbor will forever inspire the resolve of our nation.” —Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
Today is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. We remember and honor the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941.
Improper trailer hitch extension—A disaster in the making
A sharp-eyed RVtravel.com reader sent us this photo. If you look closely and count, you’ll find that some enterprising(?) motorhome user had hitched together four trailer hitch extensions, and used them to pull his toad car. Used properly, a trailer hitch extension is a safe problem solver. Used incorrectly, as in this case, it’s a disaster in the making. Take a look and don’t do this at home!
Is “shoulder season” changing? Late fall and early spring camping isn’t what it used to be
If you’ve been RVing long enough, you probably remember when April and October felt like an RVer’s best-kept secret. You’d glide into half-empty campgrounds, snag a waterfront site without a reservation, and enjoy the kind of quiet that only exists when most folks are still packing up or not yet unpacked. But if you’ve tried shoulder-season camping lately, you might’ve noticed something: It’s not so “shoulder” anymore.
RVers share a few handy DIY tips
By Gail Marsh
Many RVers are DIYers (do-it-yourself-ers). Here are some ideas I recently discovered on social media platforms and various campgrounds we recently visited. These might help you with a few quick projects around the RV.
Today’s RV review…
Grand Design Imagine AIM 16MLA—It’s mini but mighty
By Tony Barthel
Today’s RV review is of the 2026 Grand Design Imagine AIM 16MLA. This is one of the smallest laminated trailers in the Grand Design lineage, er, family. It will appeal to solo campers or camping newbies who want something small and relatively light that’s also affordable, but which offers many of the features that make it less basic. Check it out.
DOES YOUR RV HAVE A NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR? Did you know that the company recently filed for bankruptcy? Learn how this might affect you.
RV MAINTENANCE ADVICE: That’s the topic at RVtravel.com’s Facebook group where nearly 90,000 members discuss keeping their RVs in tip-top shape (and how to fix things that break!).
Yesterday’s top news for RVers
- AI dynamic pricing hits campgrounds nationwide as rates change by the minute
- National parks to require photo ID for visitors 16 and up
- Texas builds massive RV parks for temporary workers, but who will use it after?
- Oregon considers major overhaul of state park reservations amid crowding and cancellations
- Family of three dies from RV refrigerator fire
Read the rest of the news in yesterday’s newsletter here.
Multi-use, transforming RV furniture
By Gail Marsh
Do you remember the Transformers toys? I thought about the toys recently when I discovered several examples of transforming RV furniture. Take a look at these multi-use furniture pieces, and you’ll see what I mean. These might be perfect for your RV.
Has my time writing for RVtravel.com come to an end?
By Nanci Dixon
How do you know when it is time to retire? For me, it has always been a difficult decision. I left my corporate dream job to live the dream of an RV adventure, dragging my husband along for the ride (literally). It was hard, really, really hard, to leave a 40-year career. Now, I have decided it is time to retire, at least partially, from RVtravel.com. Continue reading (and leave a comment for Nanci begging her not to go!).
Enjoy vintage RV eye candy from the Oregon Vintage Trailer Rally
Sun, trailers, and mid-century charm took over Astoria, Oregon, as more than 50 vintage trailers lined up for an open house after three days of camping together. Owners swapped stories, shared cookies, poured mimosas, and invited strangers to step into their rolling time capsules. The whole scene felt like a small vintage village that just happened to be on wheels. Looking at these trailers is so much fun!
Getting your spouse on board for your RV dreams
The hardest part of RV life isn’t learning to drive a 40-foot motorhome or figuring out how to dump your black tank. It’s the conversation where you tell your family you want to sell the house and hit the road. Hundreds of people’s RV dreams die because families can’t navigate the conversations required to make this lifestyle change work. Here’s how to approach it.
BEWARE: Fake RV websites and videos are spewing lies and doom-and-gloom messages. Stay away!
RV electricity
An easy multimeter master class: Save hundreds of dollars in RV repairs
Here, RVers will learn how they can use one cheap tool, a multimeter, to check batteries, converters, thermostats, water heaters, and fridges. With a little practice, that little tool can save you hundreds of dollars and a lot of stress. Here’s your crash course on multimeters.
Reader poll
What’s your favorite season for RVing?
LIKE TAKING POLLS? So do we! Did you know we’ve run more than 5,000 polls on our website over the years? Check ’em out! Have fun!
Sunday giveaway
How would you like to win a $25 Chipotle Gift Card?
Here at RVtravel.com, we love burritos. Like, a lot. We’d love the chance to buy you a burrito, too. *Taps burritos together—cheers!*
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!
RV gadgets and gizmos
Our best RV gear and gadgets of 2025
By Cheri Sicard
As the editor of RVtravel.com’s Great RV Accessories newsletter, a whole lot of RV gear and gadgets come across my radar, and I am lucky enough to get to try a lot of them out. I thought I would do a roundup of some of my favorites from this past year, big and small. I also got some help from fellow RVtravel.com writers Gail Marsh and Tony Barthel. So, without further ado, here’s what made the 2025 list.
Ask Dave
SPECIAL SERIES: Twelve Days of Christmas RV Tools
For several years, I have been conducting various seminars at RV shows, and one of the most popular seminars is “Cool RV Tools”. So, I’m taking 12 of the handy tools I have used over the years and featuring one each day in the format of The Twelve Days of Christmas. On The First Day Of Christmas my toolbox gave to me… an anemometer!
*Dave’s special Twelve Days of Christmas RV Tools will continue through the week in our RV Daily Tips newsletter.
DUH! From a Yellowstone ranger: “While working at the West Yellowstone gate, a car with two men drove up and wanted to pay with a $100 bill. I explained that we only take the correct amount, but take a credit card if that helps. The driver asked, ‘Why is that? Are you too dumb to make change? Or does the park just hire stupid people?’ I smiled and answered, ‘The park likes to keep its employees at the same level of intelligence as the people entering the park. So you figure it out.’”
Brain teaser
The number 8,549,176,320 is a unique number. What is so special about it?
(Answer below.)
Highlights from this week’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter
- Can you afford to snowbird?
- Tips on decorating your RV for the holidays
- Top 10 benefits of RVing in winter
- How you can prevent an RV accident
- How to level an RV: Fast, easy, accurate
DO NOT READ ANY MORE OF THIS NEWSLETTER if you’re not signed up for our RV Daily Tips newsletter! Why? Because it’s our readers’ favorite newsletter, and for good reason! It’s filled with tips, maintenance and repair advice, RV reviews, helpful videos, DIY projects, and jokes! And much, much more! Read a few issues here, then sign up.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Everything you need to know about cleaning your RV slide-out topper
Cleaning your RV slide-out topper is an essential maintenance task that helps keep your RV in good condition and extends the lifespan of the slide-out topper. The topper is a fabric cover that protects the slide-out from debris, leaves, and water when it’s extended. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cleaning it.
Travel destinations
Visiting Solvang, CA: The Danish Capital of America
If you’re traveling and want a bit of Europe without hopping on a plane, Solvang is a perfect detour. Tucked into the sunny Santa Ynez Valley, this tiny California town honors its Danish heritage with its half-timbered facades, windmills, and bakeries. An easy day drive from Santa Barbara, this is an ideal stop in wine country or a coastal trip.
Visiting and camping near stunning Cannon Beach, Oregon
If you recognize this jagged sea stack silhouetted against its wide sandy shore, there’s a good chance you’ve watched the movie, “The Goonies”. The prominent feature, Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, was a featured setting in the iconic 1985 movie. National Geographic named the area as one of its 100 Most Beautiful Places in the World. Here’s what to do and where to camp.
RV tire safety
How “big” of an air compressor do you need?
By Roger Marble
When talking about air compressors, many folks use the terms “big” or “large.” For this topic, we need to understand that people are not talking about the physical size or the maximum psi it can generate. This “large” compressor can generate 500 psi and more than 1,300 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of volume. When considering your needs, you should think about BOTH of these terms or you may end up wasting money or needing to get a second compressor. Learn more.
OUCH! Using recreational drones in Canada’s Banff National Park is prohibited. Anyone caught operating a drone within park boundaries may result in law enforcement action and a fine of up to $25,000.
Video of the day
Oklahoma I-35 roadside attractions and oddities
Anyone who has driven I-35 through Oklahoma knows it can turn into a long blur of highway. In this video from Travel with a Wiseguy, our host breaks that potentially boring trip up with a run of strange, fun, and sometimes historic stops from southern Oklahoma up to the Kansas line, all loosely hugging the interstate. You’ll want to drive this route after you watch it.
Readers’ pet of the day
“Recently, Murphy (German Shorthaired Pointer mix, age 3) came camping with me to Diamond Lake, Oregon. He’d been in my kayak before on land, but never actually been paddling on the water. So I was very excited that he seemed to enjoy sitting in front and looking all around. He doesn’t like to swim, so I’m hoping he won’t jump out.” —Terry Cuyler
• 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
The famous leg featured in posters from the movie The Graduate belongs not to Ann Bancroft, who played Mrs. Robinson, but to then-unknown Linda Gray (later of the TV show Dallas).
FREE IS GOOD! Sign up for a Denny’s Rewards card and get a FREE Grand Slam breakfast on your birthday.
Sunday funny
Here are a few Christmas jokes to tell friends and family this week:
How do you know Santa is around?
You can always sense his presents.
How did Scrooge win the football game?
The ghost of Christmas passed!
What do you call a bunch of chess players bragging about their games in a hotel lobby?
Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer!
Did you miss last week’s RVtravel.com newsletter?
Brain teaser answer:
It’s the only number including every digit arranged in alphabetical order.
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
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RVtravel.com All Star Team
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
REJOICE REJOICE, REJOICE RVers REJOICE. Get out if you are able this holiday season because Gasbuddy has the National average for regular at $2.94/gl. Down from the all time high recorded 6/14/22 price of $5.04/gl. saving Americans a total of over $850,000,000 per day not including deisel which included puts to total at over $1,100,000,000, PER DAY.
Ugg. A dollar higher here in Washington. Enjoying the highest in the nation. NOT. Along with no accountability of where that extra sixty cents is going. Sssh
Could you give a source for those numbers?
Sure I can but it’s really just math. U.S. Gallons used per day multiplied by the savings per gallon. Quite simple, really it was once I Googled Gasbuddy. Not a lot of research needed. No Sherlock Holmes type stuff. When the MSM narrative meets reality, one can find the sugar in the cane, but only if one chooses to find it.
Here’s a little more arithmetic for you Philip. The entire Canadian budget is about $535 billion. The annual savings America is getting on gas currently could pay for 70% of Canada’s entire annual Federal budget. Context. Said differently, America’s savings on gas could fund the first 8 months of Canada’s annual budget…. more math Philip.
No Philip, I did not source that from Wolf Blitzer either. Just math.
“Cancelproof” as a family name? Really?
Hi, Dan. Who said “Cancelproof” is a family name? We get lots of interesting “names” posted here. BTW, he’ll also answer to “Cancel” and “CP”.😉 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
We’re 5 miles off I-35 in Northern Oklahoma, just down the road from the Wilkins Truck Chrome pictured in the article. We are currently enjoying our $2.29 gas and $3.09 Diesel.
I saw those numbers for OK when I looked up the prices. Congrats on that cheap cheap gas. Oklahoma is the cheapest in the courtry.
Not quite Cancel! Harwood, ND Petro-Serve Cenex yesterday $2.19 I think diesel was $3.28? Fargo gas was still around $2.39 – $2.59 varied. Harwood is 8 miles north of Fargo on I-29.
Sweet. 😎✌️
Haven’t seen gas anywhere near $5 a gallon in the last several years in CO or 15-20 states we traveled in.
I paid nearly $7 per gallon for diesel at a Northern California truck stop two years ago, havent been back to California since.
thank you!
That all time high was 3.5 years ago so your statement is very valid.
Down to “only” $3.75 a gallon at Costco just east of San Diego yesterday..
Sure will help with the Christmas giving season! Gotta’ love it – hope it keeps going ad infinitum.
Here in Texas, we are in the 2.30-2.40 range. I really notice it when I drive out of state.
$2.17/gal for regular at a Walmart in the DFW area today!
Nanci Dixon…Congratulations on your retirement!! Enjoy this next chapter of your life.
Thank you
Nanci, enjoy your retirement & best wishes!
In Colorado today. Payed $1.99 for gas
Congrats. Colorado is in lowest 3 states in the country. Im guessing you had a discount code if some kind but if not ….. wow, under $2, sweet.
Murphy looks like a perfect camper.
Thanks for sharing.
Will pay $2.43/gal. for diesel at Kroger with my 60 cent/gallon rewards today in suburb of Dallas, Texas. Thank you Kroger!