America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 1245
Ads have been removed in this newsletter
for our much-appreciated volunteer paid subscribers.
Today’s thought
“The open road is a beckoning, a siren song for the soul.” —John Steinbeck
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Compliment Day! Hey, we think you’re great! You look fabulous! We love your shirt! Hey, cool socks! What a great RV you have!
On this day in history: 1935 – Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company starts selling the first canned beer.
Featured news
Buc-ee’s, the Texas-born travel center chain and RVer favorite, famous for giant stores, plentiful fuel pumps, spotless bathrooms, and snack aisles that feel like a department store, is planning what could become the largest Buc-ee’s in the world. It will be massive. Plans indicate a retail space of about 76,245 square feet, 120 gas pumps, and more than 700 parking spaces! Wow! But this massive store won’t be in Texas. It’ll be in… Well, click here to find out.
Arizona is considering removing daytime speed limits on certain highways across the state. Say what?! The Reasonable and Prudent Interstate Driving (RAPID) Act would let the Arizona Department of Transportation designate certain stretches of highway as “derestricted” during daylight hours. The bill says that no maximum speed limit would be posted for passenger vehicles during the day. At night, there would be a cap on speed along with other caveats. Here’s the story.
Here we go again… Ford Motor Company issued its first recall of 2026 on January 15, when announcing a recall tied to faulty engine block heaters. The recall affects well over 100,000 older vehicles in the U.S. and could affect RVers who tow a Ford vehicle behind their motorhome. Is your vehicle on the list? Read on to find out.
Several states have enacted modest state fuel tax increases this year. This continues a long-standing approach to transportation funding rather than introducing any sudden or sweeping changes. A recent review by Transport Topics shows that a handful of states implemented modest increases… Continue reading.
Do some RV brands really hold their value better? On paper, yes, some RV brands appear to hold their value far better than others. But resale rankings often blend together brand reputation, market demand, RV type, and price point. That sometimes produces results that don’t square with longtime owner experience. A closer look shows that “holding value” can mean very different things depending on how the numbers are crunched.
Walk through any major RV show this winter, and you’ll notice it’s not just electric trucks on display—it’s the growing talk about the challenges of towing an RV with an EV and what they say about the way RVers tow today. That doesn’t mean most RVers are about to trade in their gas or diesel pickups, but as electric vehicles slowly enter the towing conversation, the limitations they face are beginning to influence how RVs themselves are designed.
When staff arrived at the Camping World store in Roseville, California, on Tuesday morning, January 21, they found the giant American flag that normally flies near Interstate 80 missing. The flag—reported to be about 80 feet by 40 feet and valued at roughly $7,000—was stolen sometime before dawn. Continue reading.
An 11-year-old child walking BLM land in Wyoming recently made a discovery that most of us would walk right past—a fossilized turtle shell later suggested to be as old as tens of millions of years. That moment of curiosity set off a chain reaction most kids never experience, and proves how RV travel sparks curiosity in ways few other lifestyles can.
RV review
2026 Grand Design Momentum 399M: Is it a hit or a miss?
The 2026 Grand Design Momentum 399M is roomy enough for two adults to live in comfort and flexible enough to host a small crew. It is best for couples who want residential comforts plus a good-sized garage to carry their golf cart, motorcycle, electric bikes, or other “toys”. Couples who occasionally host friends or run a remote office will like the layout, as well. That said, there are definite design “hits” and “misses” in this RV. Read on and see if you agree.
BUMPER SNICKER: “If this RV’s rocking, we’re probably leveling.”
News briefs
A major winter storm is forecast to sweep across much of the United States this weekend, spanning 2,300 miles and impacting 240 million Americans, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain, ice, and dangerously cold temperatures from the Plains to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. With hazardous road conditions and potential power outages, significant travel delays are expected through Monday. Authorities are urging travelers to check weather updates and prepare for winter conditions, and stay off the road if possible. Track the storms here.
Attendance at this month’s recently concluded Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa was 70,100, up from 68,000 last year. The record, set in 2022, was just above 80,000.
North America’s largest RV dealer websites continue to lag in performance, with nearly 79% failing Google’s Core Web Vitals benchmarks. The analysis by Overfuel of 2,622 dealer sites showed that most fail to meet Google’s standards for speed, interactivity and stability, risking poorer user experience.
National Geographic has released a list of its favorite state parks in each state. Click here to see if your favorite state park made the list. (You may have to enter your email to read.)
Winnebago Industries is recalling certain 2024-2026 Spirit, Minnie Winnie, Travato, View and Navion motorhomes with a ThermaHeat Tank Pad. The water tank heating pad may fail. Info: 641-585-6939. The recall number is 201.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and love is in the air with searches for “Valentine’s Day ideas” up 35% in the last week, but where in the U.S. are people actually the most loved-up? Idaho takes the top spot, with the most marriages and fewest divorces, followed by Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Louisiana shows the least love as the state with the highest divorce rate and highest dating app activity.
Tuna recall! Federal officials are warning consumers not to use certain cans of Genova Yellowfin Tuna that were mistakenly shipped to stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia, and California. Defective pull-tab lids could allow contamination with a potentially fatal toxin, and urges consumers not to eat the product—even if it looks normal—and to seek medical care if symptoms develop.
Utah’s Snow Canyon State Park has been named an International Dark Sky Destination after the staff’s extensive work to ensure the park has dark-sky-friendly lighting and is an accessible place to see the night sky.
MOOOOO-VE over, scientists! Earlier this week, scientists in Austria reported that a pet cow named Veronika has become the first documented cow to use a tool, intentionally picking up a brush and other objects to scratch hard-to-reach parts of her body—a behavior confirmed in a study published in Current Biology and challenging assumptions about cattle intelligence.
Reader poll
Do you share photos/updates of your RV trips on social media?
More polls from this week:
- What will today’s high temperature be for where you are right now?
- How often do you use a swear word when talking?
- Do you always return your shopping cart to the cart return/back to the store?
- How often do you stay at a KOA campground?
- How often do you stay at a first-come, first-served campsite?
The countdown is on…
- 15 days until Super Bowl LX
- 21 days until Valentine’s Day
- 54 days until spring
- 91 days until the National Cherry Blossom Festival (in Washington, D.C.)
- 119 days until campground season is in full swing
- 148 days until summer
- 159 days until the Roswell UFO Festival
- 292 days until Route 66 celebrates its 100th birthday
Upcoming RV shows & seminars. Click here.
Brain teaser
A woman called her dog from the opposite side of a river. The dog crossed the river without getting wet, and without using a boat or raft. How did he do it?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
Trivia
Snowflakes don’t all drift down at the same pace. Depending on air conditions, they can fall anywhere from a gentle float to speeds of up to about 9 mph (14 km/h). Wind currents and moisture picked up along the way can push them along faster—and from cloud to ground, the journey typically takes around an hour.
Just for fun…
The Transportation Security Administration has released a list of the most unusual items they’ve found at U.S. airport security checkpoints in 2025. The number one spot went to what appeared to be a replica pipe bomb at Idaho’s Boise Airport in May. Yikes… The second most unusual? Live turtles found in a traveler’s pants and more turtles found in another’s bra at Newark Liberty International Airport and Miami International Airport. What’s with the turtles? (And were they snapping turtles?)
Laugh of the week
I don’t always go the extra mile, but when I do, it’s because I missed my exit.
The perfect scam
Archive Episode: Job Hunting? Look Out for These Scams
Employment scams are one of the fastest-growing types of fraud. The recent surge can be traced to several post-pandemic factors that make these crimes even easier for criminals. In this episode, we will hear from a job seeker and an employer who’ve both been affected, as well as an expert who shares the red flags job seekers should be on the alert for.
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.
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RVtravel.com All Star Team
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
Link to the National Geo article without the paywall.
https://archive.is/20260122175053/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/best-state-parks-united-states
The “Just for Fun” link? Couldn’t find.
Don’t think there IS a link in that article.
Hi, John and Ralph. I’ve added a link to the list, for those who are curious. Sorry it wasn’t included in the first place. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Hi, Ralph. I’ve added a link. Good idea! Thanks! Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
No different than the automotive market.
Expensive MSRP vehicles experience the greatest depreciation in the first 5 years of ownership. RV’s are no different!
Even Airstream experiences a large depreciation over 5 years. Yes, it’s less than other high MSRP brands yet still a large depreciation. The larger the RV the worse the depreciation will be.
In our quest as RVer’s to “Take Our Modern Home With Us” on the road the complexity, weight, lesser quality materials used to make a sellable price point, the huge cost of tow vehicles, the huge depreciation in value, the increased cost of campsites and more makes BIG RV’s cost MO MONEY to own, enjoy, store and repair!
We’ve been married nearly 56-years and we each had a car. We kept them forever and took turns buying a new one every 6-8 years. So when it was time to buy new the car being replaced was 12-16 years old. Depreciation never was a factor in the decision.
Same here and married the same number of years.
My 2006 truck was replaced with a 2015 The wife’s 2002 car was replaced with a 2013.
Just traded her ’13 for a 2025. My truck is due in 2 years, MAYBE!
Still looks and runs like new.
It’s really difficult for me to believe that fuel taxes go to maintenance of roads and bridges. The roads in most states are almost beyond repair. Anyone that tows or drives an RV knows this.
Part of the problem is that fuel taxes are in cents per gallon, so it is a “fixed income.” However, most of the cost of doing maintenance is related to fuel cost – running the equipment, transporting the materials and workers to the job site, asphalt is a petroleum product, and concrete is a high energy manufacturing process. So, when fuel prices go up the income supports less maintenance.
I check the overnight e-mail while my wife and and I are at the breakfast table. When I get to the RV Travel daily newsletter we make a little game of the “Today is….” feature. I give her clues, she tries to guess the answer. Well, today was National Compliment day so I gave her several compliments on her looks, her personality, etc. Her answer, with a smile, was…National Sarcasm Day! LOLOLOLOL. In a few weeks we will celebrate 56-years married…58 if you count high school.,
🤣🤣🤣 That’s too funny, Rich! Thank you! And thank your wife for a good laugh!! Have a great day! (I’m full of exclamation marks today!🙄🤣) 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
This is so funny. Thanks for posting. And congratulations!
This is so much fun, Rich! Thank you for sharing! Just for you, I’m going to put the feature in Sunday’s newsletter (the only newsletter without it) going forward. 🙂
How many days to the 250th Birthday of the experiment in governing which lead to this great Republic known as the United States of America? Is your community planning any celebrations?
For the ‘Need to celebrate’: A guy walks into a bar, orders a drink and starts munching on the bowl of peanuts. Then hears this voice: “Hey. Nice shoes, they new?” Looking, he sees nobody around, shrugs and settles back in. “I have to say, you’re looking handsome today,” the voice says. Now the guy’s startled, calls the bartender over and tells him what’s been happening.
“Oh,” the bartender says. “Thats just the peanuts. They’re complimentary.”
🤣 Thanks, Tim. Have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com