America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 1251
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Today’s thought
“To expect life to be tailored to our specifications is to invite frustration.” —Anon.
Need an excuse to celebrate? It’s National Flapjack Day!
On this day in history: 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for an invention he calls the “telephone”.
Featured news
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped nearly 27 cents since last week to $3.25. The conflict in the Middle East has sent crude oil prices higher to more than $91/barrel. The last time the national average made a similar weekly jump was back in March of 2022, during the start of the Russia/Ukraine conflict. Yikes. Here are the numbers, and here’s another story about how the threat of war raises fuel prices.
Big news for Oregon State Parks this week… First, the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission has approved new, higher fee ranges for campsites, yurts, and cabins as the agency tries to deal with rising costs and a severe budget shortfall, which could cost you $80 a night for RV hookup sites. Additionally, a new $10 fee for some RV dump stations will take effect March 30, 2026, marking a shift from the system’s long-standing practice where dumping was often included with camping.
An environmental advocacy group has launched a billboard campaign in northern Indiana targeting major RV manufacturers over the sourcing of tropical plywood used in RV construction. Mighty Earth has installed six billboards in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties and launched the campaign to pressure RV manufacturers to stop using meranti plywood, which it links to deforestation in Indonesia. In the trade, manufacturers often call it luan or lauan plywood. Here’s the story.
For today’s Don’t Do This At Home installment… A motorhome fire on a Yuma, AZ, roadway ended up in a place no one expected: a family’s backyard. Authorities say a Class A motorhome caught fire while traveling on an elevated roadway Monday evening, March 2, then veered off the pavement and rolled down an embankment before coming to rest just feet from a home below. Here’s the story.
If you’ve ever mapped out a big drive across the country and thought, “There has to be an easier way to plan this,” you’re not alone. The Dyrt just released seven road-trip camping guides that span the U.S., each built around a classic long-haul route. The promise: less time digging through forums and more time actually driving. Check ’em out.
Several indications suggest that Ford Motor Company will discontinue the Class A gas motorhome chassis known as the Ford F53 at the end of this model year. Ford has remained very tight-lipped regarding any long-term plans. Currently, the only Class A gas motorhome chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) above 14,500 pounds is the Ford F53. Here’s what Dave Solberg has to say about this.
It’s your last couple of days to save on Campspot’s Biggest Booking Week! From March 2-8, save up to 50% at participating parks across the U.S. and Canada. Check if your favorite campground is on sale, or book an extra trip while dates are open. Use code BIGGEST26 for 50% off—ends tomorrow! Click here to learn more.
Don’t forget: You’re losing an hour of sleep tonight! Daylight Saving Time starts on Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m. local time. Tonight, before you go to sleep, or tomorrow when you wake up, make sure you spring your clocks forward! (Yay, spring!)
Beyond the headlines with Tony Barthel:
RV sales fall flat, a new way to order RV parts, and what’s up with state park reservation systems?
RV sales numbers are in—and they’re not exactly thrilling. Tony explains why that might work in your favor if you’re buying. He also checks out a new way to track down RV parts, and shares his experience wrestling with state park reservation systems… including one booking attempt that ended with seven tabs open and still no campsite. Click here to read.
RV review
2026 Thor Omni Trail X32: A hit-and-miss Super C
By Gail Marsh
I toured the diesel-powered Thor Super C Omni Trail™ X32 and discovered both hits (great features) and a few misses (not-so-great features), too. The X32 is engineered on a heavy-duty Ford F-550 Super C chassis. It features the 6.7L Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel and a strong gross vehicle weight rating that’s typical for Super C rigs. I’m very familiar with Ford trucks, and this one did not disappoint. Join me in exploring this hit-or-miss Omni Trail X32.
More RV reviews from this week:
- First look at the Honda Base Station trailer prototype—It’s neat, but…
- New-for-2026 Keystone Cougar Half-Ton 26RES: Compact comfort
- 2026 Outdoors RV Back Country Titanium 21BD—a trailer that stands out
- 2026 Forest River Sunseeker 1950LE—a small Class C that’s more like a Class B
News briefs
Outdoor recreation generated $1.3 trillion in economic output in 2024, accounting for 2.4% of U.S. GDP and supporting 5.2 million jobs, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. While the industry continued to grow last year, expansion slowed to 2.7% as inflation and economic uncertainty affected consumer spending.
RoverPass has introduced a new Advanced Dynamic Pricing feature that automatically adjusts nightly campsite rates based on real-time occupancy at campgrounds and RV parks using its reservation platform. The system allows operators to set rules that raise or lower prices as bookings change, replacing traditional flat-rate pricing.
Sandy Pines Campground, an upscale glamping resort in Kennebunkport, Maine, was scheduled for foreclosure auction Thursday, March 5, following financial difficulties and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by its operating company. The 46-acre property includes 268 sites. Learn more.
The RV industry expects 2026 RV shipments to range between 328,800 and 367,000 units, with a median of 349,000 units, which is right about the same as 2025 shipments of 342,200.
A New York investment firm is facing pushback after purchasing several Big Sur campgrounds and proposing a redevelopment plan that would reduce RV sites from 130 to 107 while adding tent sites, workforce housing, and new amenities. The redesign—prompted by the need for a new septic system—would modernize infrastructure and potentially reduce traffic. However, advocacy group Keep Big Sur Wild, argues the project could drive up costs and shift campgrounds toward high-end resort-style accommodations.
The National Park Service is warning travelers heading to public lands in the Southwest about a potential hazard they may not expect: quicksand. Officials at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which spans the Utah–Arizona border, say quicksand has recently been found near shorelines and in drainage areas throughout the park. Be careful!
Hoot, hoot, cute, cute!! Antique shoppers in East Durham, New York, got quite a surprise when a “very lifelike” item on a store shelf turned out to be a sleeping eastern screech owl nestled beside a chicken-shaped cookie jar. Customers alerted staff, and wildlife officers gently removed the snoozing owl and released it into nearby woods, where it promptly flew to a tree—apparently concluding its brief career as store décor.
Tanner Toons
with Tanner Woods
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RANDOM RV THOUGHT: Run your generator as little as possible in public campgrounds, and only when absolutely necessary. If you must run it, do so only after 10 a.m. and before 7 p.m., and only for very short times. Our world is too noisy: Help keep our public lands peaceful and quiet.
Reader poll
What’s your preferred length of stay at a typical campsite?
Upcoming RV shows & seminars. Click here.
Brain teaser
What has ten letters and starts with gas?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday RV Travel newsletter.)
Trivia
One in three fatal traffic crashes in Florida involves an impaired driver. Alcohol is the leading factor in impaired‑driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Over the last five years, alcohol alone accounted for:
- 84.4% of impaired‑driving crashes
- 35.7% of impaired‑driving fatalities
- 80.7% of impaired‑driving injuries
Laugh of the week
MORE FUNNY: Make the handyman or woman in your family laugh with this. Hah!
Saturday Sillies
The perfect scam
SIM Swap Scam Leads to $125,000 Theft
Patricia is enjoying a quiet night babysitting when she discovers that her phone has no service. When she switches to Wi-Fi, a sudden barrage of notifications shows that someone is moving money out of her accounts. This sets Patricia off on a race against time to save her assets from criminals who are even cashing out her stocks. Bob talks with Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security, about practical steps we can all take to protect ourselves from SIM swapping scams.
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.
RVtravel.com All Star Team
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Thank you so much for the Perfect Scam episode about SIM swapping. Very helpful.
Gas prices in Ohio increased by over $1.24 last week. Thanks to our new War in the Mid-East..
Our “new War” that started 47 years ago? Ending a 47 year old war is not a new war.
He wrote OUR new war. To the Middle East, it is not a new war. The US should not be there anyways. The Middle East countries have been battling each other since way before our time.
To the thousands of dead and disabled Americans at the hands of a brutal Iranian theocratic dictatorship, for the last 47 years, I regret that some people just don’t get it.
To the 98% of Iranian people celebrating DJT and this operation which is your best chance for freedom in 47 years, sorry about the TDS.
To the next several generations of Americans that will not know a life that includes the threat of an Iranian nuke, a dollar a gallon extra for gas…. worth it.
✌️😎
Spot on. 237 Marines murdered by Iran in 1983.
Re: The Perfect Scam – SIM Swapping
That is really scary. I am going to try to do the steps to make it more difficult to do.
Today’s Poll needed one more spot “It dosen’t matter if you are just passing through for one night. Correct question should have been ” Upon your arrival at a destination, how long would you stay. Even that is subjective to one spot for a summer trip or someome “seeing the USA.”
Thank you for your highly successful and tireless efforts to educate and entertain, Emily and Diane! Time to read the newsletters seems far more scarce lately, but I find the effort well-rewarded when I can manage it. Have a great day and safe travels!
Thanks, Neal.👍 Have a great day! 🤗 –Diane