America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 1241
Ads have been removed in this newsletter
for our much-appreciated volunteer paid subscribers.
Today’s thought
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice.” —T.S. Eliot
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Fruitcake Day!
On this day in history: 1932 – Radio City Music Hall, “Showplace of the Nation”, opens in New York City.
Featured news
Oldest park ranger dies
For many visitors to Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, the real welcome came not from a sign, but from Betty Reid Soskin. But now, word comes that the National Park Service’s oldest ranger has died at age 104. Read about Betty’s legacy.
Forget plugging your electric RV. The road will charge it as you drive!
What if an electric motorhome didn’t need long charging stops—because the highway itself kept the batteries topped off while you drove? Ditto electric pickups and other tow vehicles. A future that looks just like that moved a step closer to reality recently in Indiana, where engineers have built a stretch of U.S. highway that successfully charged a heavy electric truck traveling at highway speeds.
RV shipments dip in November
If you’re watching the market—whether you’re shopping, selling, or just curious—it’s a fair question to ask: Does this actually matter? The latest numbers suggest November was a softer month, but not a sign the RV market is coming apart.
RV review
World debut: 2026 Rockwood Super Lite 302RDL—no slide, big space
By Tony Barthel
Today, we have the world premiere of the 2026 Rockwood Ultra Lite 302RDT. This is a brand-new offering from Rockwood that is part of the company’s mid-sized trailer line. But this is also different from the rest in that it’s a wide-body travel trailer with no slide. The first time I saw this general design was at the Hershey RV Show, where the Ultra Lite 301FKT debuted and, quite honestly, I was very, very tempted. Check it out.
A year in Google searches:
The top Google searches of 2025: 1) Charlie Kirk; 2) KPop Demon Hunters; 3) Labubu; 4) iPhone 17; 5) One Big Beautiful Bill Act
The top state parks searched on Google in 2025: 1) Watkins Glen State Park, New York; 2) Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada; 3) Liberty State Park, New Jersey; 4) Starved Rock State Park, Illinois; 5) Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
The top campgrounds searched on Google in 2025: 1) Ginnie Springs Outdoors, Florida; 2) Ocean Lakes Family Campground, South Carolina; 3) Mather Campground, Arizona; 4) The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Florida; 5) Chalk Bluff River Resort and Park, Texas
Google search data shows that campgrounds and state parks ranked among the top four most-searched destinations on Google Maps.
Did you get your news from RVtravel.com this year?
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News briefs
One of the top attractions at Nevada’s only national park is temporarily closing for renovations. Lehman Caves at Great Basin National Park will be closed until spring 2026 while crews replace the nearly 50-year-old lighting system as part of a $5.8 million upgrade, according to the National Park Service.
The National Park Service reopened several flood-damaged roads in Death Valley National Park in recent days. They are: North Highway, Ubehebe Crater Road, Cottonwood Canyon Road, Marble Canyon Road, Artists Drive and Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road. Road status is available at nps.gov/deva.
Ford and U.S. safety regulators announced a major recall on December 19, 2025, affecting certain electric and hybrid models. The issue involves a faulty park module that may fail to fully secure vehicles in Park, increasing the risk of rollaway. Owners of affected vehicles are urged to take action.
The Illinois naughty list: Illinois released a few of the personalized license plates they rejected in 2025—including the unforgettable “IBPOOPN.” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said out of nearly 56,000 vanity plate requests, more than 550 were denied for being “inflammatory, profane, offensive, or too hard to read.” His advice: Get creative, but not that creative—unless you want to land on the license plate naughty list.”
Black Mesa State Park, located in the far western panhandle of Oklahoma, has been designated as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International. Each year, hundreds of astronomy enthusiasts travel there from around the world to stargaze.
Don’t litter! Big Bend National Park Rangers say, “Please pick up after yourselves. Over the past week at Rio Grande Village Campground, park rangers found trash left behind by campers that had blown into nearby trees and surrounding areas. Cardboard boxes, plastic store bags, paper and paper towels, aluminum cans, and abandoned camping gear do not belong in Big Bend. With the holiday weekend bringing more visitors, we need your help. Big Bend is not a trash can. Litter threatens wildlife and damages the desert!”
The National Park Service is investigating a poaching case after a deer was shot with an arrow in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and investigators are asking anyone who was nearby to help solve the crime. Hunting is prohibited in national parks, including the Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Do you know who shot this deer? The NPS needs your help!
Interested in “winter” camping? Try Washington state! Winter in Washington brings quiet trails, peaceful campgrounds, and cozy evenings under the stars. The best part is that many state parks remain open for camping all winter long. While water access varies this time of year, plenty of parks offer reservable campsites during the off-season so you can plan ahead and enjoy a cold-weather escape. Here are all the off-season reservable campgrounds.
Yikes… A Benton County couple pleaded guilty this week after prosecutors said they tried to hand over their two-month-old son at a Rogers, Arkansas, campground in exchange for a six-pack of beer and $1,000. According to law enforcement, the alleged deal was caught on video and even put in writing in a handwritten agreement that deputies later seized.
Hyundai Motor America is recalling more than 51,000 model year 2022 through 2024 Hyundai Tucson vehicles due to a potentially dangerous defect in their trailer hitch wiring systems that could cause fires and disable brake lights. The wiring harness may have been installed incorrectly, allowing water to seep into the control module.
All is calm, all is spicy… The city of Buffalo, N.Y., celebrated its most famous food and broke a Guinness World Record when 499 people participated in a chicken wing eating contest. The Revelas Family Foundation’s annual A Not So Silent Night event at the Buffalo Convention Center featured a successful attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest chicken wing eating competition.
On December 12, a surfer was bitten by a shark at a California beach in Sonoma County. The incident followed two other nearby attacks in 2025: one at Montara State Beach in San Mateo County and another near Catalina Island. An estimated 40 percent of U.S. great white shark attacks occur along a 200-mile stretch of ocean from Bodega Bay south to Big Sur.
SCAM: New reporting by the Financial Times details a new scam in the art world. Fraudsters use documents generated by AI to “prove” the authenticity of fake pieces. The fraudsters convincingly forge sales invoices, valuations, provenance documents and certificates of authenticity.
Reader poll
Do you prefer mornings or evenings at the campsite?
TAKE A GUESS: RVtravel.com readers say THIS is their favorite type of cuisine. Is it: American, Italian, Mexican, or Chinese? Find out here.
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Brain teaser
Two mothers and two daughters went out to eat. Everyone ate one burger, yet only three burgers were eaten in all. How is this possible?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
DON’T MISS IT! Tomorrow’s newsletter is the best of the year! No, really! It’s filled with THE BEST of RVtravel.com—your favorite stories in every category all year long! See you then!
Trivia
Even though food was canned in tin cans around 1813, it took about 40 years for someone to invent the can opener. Can openers for home use didn’t become popular until the 1860s. Before then? Hammer and chisel.
Laugh of the week
(Read this one out loud. You’ll laugh harder.)
I bought myself a locket today and I put my own picture in it. I am now independent.
FREE IS GOOD! Get a free A&W Root Beer Float on your birthday. Yum!
Today in history
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
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Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
RVtravel.com All Star Team
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So sorry to hear about the loss of Betty Soskin. What an ASSET to the National Park Service!!
Rest in Peace Ms. Soskin, you’ll be missed!
Thank you, Emily and Diane! I am giving seminars at the New Hampshire RV show in late-February. Have a great weekend and safe travels!
What an amazing woman Betty Soskin was, and I wonder if her hard work is what kept her going so long?🇺🇸
Yes, I believe so. Purpose driven life. Remarkable life. Remarkable woman. Remarkable human. Epitomized the phrase “age is just a number”. 🇺🇲