Issue 2651
Today’s thought
“The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” —Thomas Campbell
On this day in history: 1927 – The last Ford Model T rolls off the assembly line after a production run of 15,007,003 vehicles.
Tip of the day
Ten tips about how to find quiet RV parks
By Gail Marsh
Who wouldn’t want a little peace and quiet? From morning to night, daily noise hammers at our senses. Work, traffic, technology, conversation, and more audio assaults fill our ears in a never-ending cacophony. Wouldn’t a nice, quiet getaway be welcome? Yes! But how can you find a quiet RV park? Here are 10 tips that will help.
Tips from this weekend you may have missed:
- These are the states that allow you to live in your RV full-time
- How to survive camping in 105-degree heat—Yikes!
- Ideas and gadgets for transforming and organizing your RV compartments
- How to make your RV tires last longer
Ask Dave
When it’s below freezing, should I use campground water or Class A’s water system?
Dear Dave,
I have a general knowledge question for you, as I don’t use social media, and I respect your opinions. I’ll be headed to a new campsite tomorrow and it’s supposed to get below freezing temperatures overnight. I’ll obviously be using a heater inside the coach for warmth and the underside of the rig is mostly enclosed. Is it better to use the water hookups at the site or use the water tank in my Class A to avoid frozen water lines? —Bill, 2019 Winnebago Sightseer 33C Read Dave’s answer.
In the RV shop with Dustin
How to tell if your RV awning rail is coming loose, and how to fix it
During an inspection of a 2019 Grand Design Momentum in the shop, I found the awning rail coming loose at the roofline of the RV. In the video below, see the telltale sign that got me to inspect the rail, and see just how far the rail had come loose. I’ll also show you how to get the rail back in place. Continue reading.
PLEASE DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE TODAY!
The National Safety Council estimates that 443 people may die on U.S. roads during the 2025 Memorial Day holiday period. Be safe out there, folks!
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Article and video
How to properly clean RV toilets to prevent damage
By Cheri Sicard
Let’s face it, RV toilets aren’t the most glamorous part of RVing. There are tons of videos about black tank maintenance, but what about the basics? Many people buy a used RV and never get a walkthrough, leaving them clueless about how to properly use and clean their RV toilet. In today’s video, Jason Epperson of RV Miles covers everything from how to use an RV toilet to cleaning it without causing damage. Learn more.
Our favorite camping directories
At RVtravel.com we have worked closely for two decades with Roundabout Publications, our favorite publisher of campground directories. Here are some of their most recent titles:
Camping in America’s City & Town Parks • Camping in America’s County Parks • Camping in State Parks (Western USA) • Camping in State Parks (Eastern USA) • Corps of Engineers Camping • National Forest Camping • Bureau of Land Management Camping • Van and RV Camping at State Recreation Areas
The latest news for RVers
- Public lands spared from sale in last-minute budget deal
- Brand-new Florida KOA set to be demolished for highway expansion
- Starlink Mini is on sale for very limited time
- Toyota recalls 443,444 pickup trucks
- This amenity tops the list of campground upgrades in 2024
To read more recent news, click here.
Featured article
In honor of Memorial Day: Heartwarming old TV clip will bring tears to your eyes
Many of you probably remember the TV show M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital). The beloved show aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983.
In honor of Memorial Day, we thought we’d share this heartwarming clip from the old TV show with you. In it, Harry Morgan, “Colonel Sherman T. Potter,” toasts to his old war buddies who have since passed. His words will bring tears to your eyes. Click here.
Reader poll
Will you have a Memorial Day BBQ today?
BUMPER SNICKER: Caution—stunt driver.
Quick tip
Why you shouldn’t level your RV’s awning
Always leave one end of the extended awning lower than the other. If both ends are the same height, rainwater will collect, causing the canvas to sag. When the collected water gets heavy enough it will destroy the fabric, or the metal frame, or both. —From Motorhomes Made Easy
Website of the day
StoryCorps: Honor Military Voices for Memorial Day
If you’re unfamiliar with StoryCorps, spend some time on its website and make yourself familiar—it’s wonderful! And in the meantime, listen to the stories from veterans, service members and their loved ones. Maybe you can even record your own story.
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
You can absolutely buy this. No, really, you CAN buy this! Don’t believe us? Well, just POP on over here and realize you CAN buy it! Don’t make us say it again… we CAN!
Trivia
Memorial Day began as Decoration Day. After the Civil War, Americans were mourning the deaths of more than 600,000 men who died during the war. Across the country, veterans would decorate graves with flowers. John Logan, a veteran of the war, established a Decoration Day on May 30th. On that day, people on both sides of the war were encouraged to place flowers on the graves of their relatives, friends or comrades who died during the war. Why May 30th? Logan chose a date at the end of the month because he believed all the flowers would be in full bloom by then.
Readers’ pets of the day
“Our boys, Player and Ducky (West Highland White Terriers, ages 10 and 7) are both retired show dogs living a great life with us. Player went suddenly blind and now has Ducky to lead him around. They love meeting new friends, both two- and four-legged, on our camping adventures.” —Beth Wagaman
Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. No blurry photos and please do not submit your photo more than once. Thanks!
Leave here with a laugh
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
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Player and Ducky are adorable. It always amazes me how one pet helps his blind companion get around.
We had the same situation when I was very young-5 or so- Danny would lead Patrick around the yard. People should take notice.
Canines have an incredible sense of smell. They will follow scent trails they learn are safe.
My daughter had a Bassett that went blind and taught himself safe paths of travel through trial and error. He got along perfectly fine for 6 years being completely blind.
We worked in Jackson, WY for several summers and would have freesing nights. I would keep water in my tank until it warmed up and I could use my hose.
“PLEASE DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE TODAY!”
This should be followed every day!
May all of my American friends have an excellent Memorial Day!🇨🇦
As we honor our dead. The ultimate sacrifice for our country.
An observation as we recently drove over 1,600 miles across multiple States in our recent south to north migration on US, State & County roads… Dollar General is often mentioned as a great place for RVers to pick up items. However, in every instance stand alone DG stores have ONE curb cut for entrance & exit. Their own delivery semi’s have to do a ‘Y’ turn in the parking lot to back up to the loading door and exit. There might barely be room for a RV to do a ‘U’ turn inside an empty parking lot. Further, there is often no nearby RV friendly parking.
My take on this is DG deliberately does not want to do business with actively travelling RVers
Yep, have passed many of them due to the parking situation.
Great MASH clip. Remember that this is not a Happy holiday. It is better to say have a safe Memorial Day.
Good point! I always wonder why people say :”have a happy Memorial Day.” To those families that lost a loved one, it certainly isn’t a happy day.
Thank you, Betty.
So glad that you have Player and Ducky, Beth, and that Player has Ducky! I wish for you to have many joyful trips together well into the distant future. Thank you, Emily and Diane for putting your celebrations on-hold long enough to create another entertaining and informative newsletter. The clip from M*A*S*H was tear-jerking, again. No matter how often I watch it, tears always make their way onto my face while it plays. His performances on Dragnet never gave me the idea that Harry Morgan was a great actor, but this performance and in other episodes remind me that he was. Have a great holiday and safe travels!