Welcome back to North America’s best source for news and information for RVers. Just when the pandemic was starting to loosen its grip (again), along comes the Russian invasion of Ukraine to mess with everything from aluminum prices to the cost of gas, not to mention what the unfortunate Ukrainians are dealing with. To paraphrase the ancient Chinese curse, “Yes, we do live in interesting times.” As always, we at RVtravel.com appreciate your help through voluntary contributions to keep this newsletter coming your way, and be sure to check out all of our other RV-related newsletters.
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Sunday, February 27, 2022
Non-Members (advertising-supported) edition
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Page Contents
Featured articles
As demand soars, Forest Service closes campgrounds
By Scott Linden
Your tax dollars (not) at work? I doubt there’s a better example of bureaucratic disconnect than the tone-deaf U.S. Forest Service’s cutting the number of campgrounds while demand soars. It’s contributing to “campground crowding” on a national scale, perpetrated by folks who, ostensibly, work for us. Continue reading.
Feds crack down on portable generators
An agency of the federal government is cracking down on portable generators, which according to ProPublica can emit as much carbon monoxide as 450 cars and which kill an average of 80 people in the U.S. each year, sometimes RVers. The action comes from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Some generators used by RVers are affected (but some are not). Read more.
Campground Crowding: Add extra $100 for each night a camper “no-shows”?
RV sales have skyrocketed and more people than ever are taking up RVing. The result is campground crowding like never before! In this weekly blog, RV Travel readers discuss their experiences. This week readers share more instances of uncrowded campgrounds, a positive approach to the crowding situation by managing your expectations, and a couple of possible solutions to cut down on the no-shows. All that and much more here.
Outdoor companies still angry at Utah’s stance against protected national monuments and public lands
A large coalition of outdoor industry companies are going on record opposing a plan to move the gigantic annual Outdoor Industry Retailer Show back to Salt Lake City, Utah. The show, which is produced by Emerald Expositions, was moved from Salt Lake City to Denver in 2017 after Utah state officials decided to ask the federal government to change the boundaries of the newly designated Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments in Utah. Continue reading.
RV includes built-in flame thrower
RV includes built-in flame throwerChuck Woodbury writes: “I have been an RVer for nearly half a century. I have seen many things. I have never seen a recreational vehicle with a built-in flame thrower. If I live to be 150 (highly unlikely), I will never see another one.” Read more, and then comment about how you think such a device might come in handy.
RV shipments set new record in January
The RV manufacturing industry just had its best January on record. The RV Industry Association is reporting a total of 53,290 RV shipments from manufacturing plants in January 2022. That’s an increase of 16% over the 45,930 produced during the first month of 2021. Read more.
DON’T MISS THIS
Did you miss Mike Gast’s very entertaining essay in yesterday’s newsletter? “A commencement address for the New RV Owners ‘Class of 2022’.” Mike pretends he’s standing before all the new RVers who bought an RV last year, telling them what they can now expect. He begins: “It’s invigorating to stand here, staring out at all your eager, smiling faces.” You’ll thoroughly enjoy this!
Today’s RV review…
The electric RV you can buy today (sort of)
Tony writes, “Shandong Everbright Foreign Training company will happily sell you this little three-wheeled beauty, which is fully electric with a 4,000-watt electric drive motor fueled by 7.2 kWh of lead-acid batteries on board. While no range is given for this little tuk-tuk trike, given the calculations and guesses, you have somewhere around 75 miles to get to the next charging station.”
Tony reviewed six other RVs this week! Did you miss them? Click here to read.
Have an RV you want to see reviewed by Tony? Hop over to his forum and tell him!
That was the RV week that was
February 20–26, 2022
A daunting view of a tornado’s aftermath. Faithful RVTravel.com reader Melvin Gregory sent along this image of what was left of a motorhome after the December 11, 2021, tornadoes that devastated parts of Kentucky. Melvin said he was in Benton, Kentucky, last week doing some survey work and ran into this wreckage along the side of a road. It’s good to know that at least the front seats were bolted in securely.
Cummins adds JVS to prepare for cleaner engine technology. There’s been plenty of consolidation going on in outdoors and vehicle manufacturing industry of late, and a recent acquisition by Cummins Inc. is particularly interesting. Cummins is buying Jacobs Vehicle Systems (JVS), a primary supplier of engine braking, cylinder deactivation, and start-and-stop and thermal management technologies. The acquisition is a big step forward for Cummins as it invests in the technologies it will need to achieve its goal of zero emissions and the reduction of greenhouse gases. Engine braking and cylinder deactivation technologies will be key when it comes to meeting current and future emissions regulations. JVS has 600 employees and has 60 years of experience in the engine business. It was also the first company to introduce the engine brake (Jake Brake) for commercial vehicles, a technology that was invented by Clessie Cummins, the founder of Cummins Inc.
Mosquitoes zero in on certain colors. You can’t do much about the fact that mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide we all exhale with every breath. It probably elicits the same response we get with the smell of fresh-baked cookies. But scientists at the University of Washington says there is a secondary mosquito attractant that you might be able to control. The researchers found that colors with longer wavelengths (red, black, orange) were much more likely to attract the little buggers than short-wavelength colors like blue, green, purple, or white. This is really bad news for Ohio State and Syracuse fans, but Michigan State should be able to sell extra shirts.
GM ramping up EV production. General Motors is planning to deliver 400,000 electric vehicles to the North American market in 2022 and 2023, according to CEO Mary Barra. That would be more than six times the previously planned output that suppliers were told to expect. The big ramp-up will be mostly in electric pickup trucks and a new battery-powered Cadillac SUV for now. GM officials also said they plan to restart production of the Chevy Bolt EV. New Bolt production has been idle since most of the cars had been recalled to replace existing batteries. “As we have said, we have announced battery cell and assembly capacity investments that will give us more than 1 million units of EV capacity in North America by the end of 2025,” GM said in a statement. “We now have teams working to accelerate all of our upcoming EV launches, and our target is to deliver 400,000 EVs in North America over the course of 2022 and 2023.”
FMCA, an international organization of RV owners, will host its 104th International Convention and RV Expo at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, Arizona, March 23 to 26. The club canceled both its two 2020 major rallies but later held successful gatherings in Perry, Georgia, and Gillette, Wyoming, in 2021. The upcoming Tucson event is open to all RV owners, not just club members. Learn more.
Indiana’s state Legislature passed a bill in 2021 that makes the theft of a component part of any motor vehicle, including the catalytic converter, a Level 6 felony. Now, Indiana lawmakers are working on an additional law that would limit the cash sale of detached catalytic converters valued at less than $25 per seller to one per day. Read more.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the identification and conviction of those responsible for greasing the handholds at the Big Bend Bouldering Area upstream from the Big Bend Campground. On Feb. 14, the BLM was notified that petroleum-based grease was smeared on the climbing handholds at the popular recreation area north of Moab along the Colorado River in Grand County. More.
RV stove fire injures two. An RV ”cooking mishap” in the parking lot of the Delaware State Welcome Center left a 1-year-old boy and his 37-year-old father with serious burns. The fire last week occurred in the service area of the lot off I-95 near Newark. The two were part of a family of eight that was traveling from Florida to New York. The fire occurred in the ignition of a gas stove aboard the RV. Both were taken to a local hospital.
More than 400 Family Dollar stores across six states were temporarily closed last Sunday to try to control a massive rat infestation at a Dollar Store distribution center. The affected stores are in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Continue reading.
Rejiggered RV Park plans moving forward in Indiana. A new RV park near Porter, Indiana, is one step closer to reality. Planning Commission members voted 6-0 in favor of the plan to build the Great Lakes RV Resort at U.S. 20 and Tremont Road near Porter. If all goes well, the park would be constructed this year and be open for business by the summer of 2023. The proposal now goes before the town council for final approval. A previous plan to build a five-acre RV park in another nearby area ran afoul of neighbors and was ultimately rejected.
Jimmy Buffett has big plans. If you haven’t stayed at one of the three Camp Margaritaville RV Resorts yet, stay tuned. There will likely be one coming to your area soon. Camp Margaritaville officials said they have development plans for 50 more Margaritaville RV Resorts within the next five years. So far, they have locations at Lake Lanier, Georgia; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Auburndale, Florida. The parks offer full-hookup sites for about $70 a night and also have cabana cabins for rent. Many of the RV sites are waterfront locations with personal tiki huts.
Here’s another good idea that you can’t have. Nissan is marketing a new pop-up van in Europe that becomes the small, configurable Seaside Camper at night. Nissan partnered with European RV maker Dethleffs on this model. It has rail-mounted captain’s chairs and a pop-up roof that allows for two beds that will sleep four adults comfortably. Sorry, folks. This one isn’t available in the U.S. Only in Germany and France.
This one you can purchase. Cortes Campers has shipped its first travel trailer to RV Center Idaho. This one is special, with a 100% molded, 17-foot fiberglass body and a one-of-a-kind Timbren axle-less independent suspension system. It also has built-in Furrion appliances to finish off the full kitchen and wet bath. Cortes Campers expects to be shipping its second camper in early March, and a projected goal of 20 campers per week beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022. Find out more about this new entry into the RV field here.
Estimates of the cost of the goods destroyed on the burned cargo ship that caught fire last week in the Atlantic Ocean keeps increasing. It now includes the approximate loss of $155 million for Volkswagen, according to an industry consulting firm. The total value of the cargo on the Felicity Ace, the ship ablaze for several days off the coast of Portugal’s Azores Islands, is approximately $438 million, according to the Russell Group. Read more.
Man killed when thrown from RV in Florida. A Tulsa man was killed Monday when the RV he was riding in flipped and rolled on I-295 near Jacksonville, Florida. The 79-year-old driver was not injured, but three other passengers were taken to the hospital in serious condition. The deceased victim, Jeremy Dobson, was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the RV.
Don’t like the crowds? Try this national park. If you want to get away from the crowds at popular national parks, you might try a trip to the least-visited U.S. national park. That would be Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska. It won’t be easy. The park contains no roads or trails, and visitors have to fly in or hike into the park. Still, this little-visited jewel had 7,362 recreational visits in 2021.
New vehicle headlights will cut glare and add safety for drivers and oncoming traffic. If you’re a driver who hates the sight of high-beam headlights coming at you, help may be on the way. U.S. highway safety regulators are about to allow new high-tech headlights that can automatically tailor beams so they focus on dark areas of the road and don’t create glare. Continue reading.
Anything goes in Europe. There is a company marketing a 3-in-1 recreational vehicle that is a bicycle, a boat and an RV. The Z-Triton can be pedaled, or the rider can use electricity to power dual 250-watt motors. The RV part is spacious enough to sleep two people. There is even a solar panel on the roof. It’s already available in selected European markets at a starting price of about $16,500. Good news! The Latvian parent company, Zeltini, plans to start shipping the “vehicle” worldwide soon.
Take this back, and I’ll have a double latte. If you’ve decided you didn’t like those board shorts you purchased at Target, soon you’ll be able to just leave them in the parking lot (sort of). Target is adding an option to its curbside pickup service this fall that will allow shoppers to return items from the comfort of their vehicles. You’ll also be able to place and pick up your Starbucks orders from the pickup site at locations that have the coffee shop inside.
Two RV manufacturers recently announced expansions to their operations. Lance Camper, a sub-brand of the REV Group, announced that it is expanding its manufacturing operation to a new assembly and component warehouse in Decatur, Indiana. Boreas Campers, a manufacturer of off-grid and overlanding travel trailers, also said it will be growing its manufacturing operations. Learn more.
Kitchen fire melts trailer along highway in Florida. A Florida man was towing his RV home from getting it repaired when it burst into flames along Highway 90 near Dorcus, Florida. Patrick O’Malley didn’t know his trailer was on fire until a witness got his attention as he drove down the road. Fire officials said the fire started in the kitchen area. “It was incredible how fast it burned and how much to the extent of which it burned,” O’Malley said. “Even with them spraying it as quickly as they did because they were there within just a few minutes, 90% of the RV is just gone, just not there.”
California had a highway RV fire, too. A 1989 Bounder RV caught fire and burned last week along I-15 near Bell Mountain, California. No injuries were reported, but as you can see, the RV was a total loss. No cause has yet been determined.
How about an RV with its own nightclub on the roof? Australian company Marchi Mobile has a new ultra-luxury motorhome called the eleMMent Palazzo Superior. It unfolds to include 732-square-feet of interior space, two separate stories and a pop-up rooftop nightclub (the campground neighbors will love that). The vehicle is 45 feet long. You can take a closer look here.
Camping World Holdings, Inc. recently announced that it has entered a partnership with Authentic Brands Group (ABG) to launch a new line of towable and motorized RVs by the iconic outdoor brand, Eddie Bauer. The Eddie Bauer Edition RV line will be exclusive in the United States. Learn more.
Ocean Grove RV Resort in Florida sold to investment group. The Ocean Grove RV Resort in St. Augustine, Florida, has been purchased by Key International and Wexford Real Estate Investors for just over $15.1 million. The 18-acre park has 208 RV sites.
Jellystone Parks adds to franchise group. Rustic Acres Campground near New Douglas, Illinois, has joined the Jellystone Park system and will now be known at the Rustic Acres Jellystone Park. The park is located at 12246 Binney Road. The owners of the park are Jenn and BJ Davis.
Airstreams just got even more valuable. Airstream owners might want to check their insurance to see if they have enough coverage. President Joe Biden’s move to add serious sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine has already led to a spike in the worldwide price of aluminum and nickel. Aluminum jumped as much as 4.8 percent to $3,449 a ton on the London Metal Exchange overnight Wednesday, surpassing a previous record set in 2008, while nickel surged to the highest since 2011. Copper edged lower, as the military action sparked a selloff in risk assets across financial markets.
CONTEST
Is this your RV?
Win a $25 Amazon gift certificate if today’s RV photo shows your rig
Every day we post a photo of an RV either submitted by its owner or by our editors as they move about the country.
Click here to see if your RV made it into today’s issue.
Trucks and Tow Vehicles
Huh? Tow ratings drop on some new Chevy, GMC trucks
The 2022 Chevy Silverado and 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 have both received upgrades and plenty of innovation. But the pickup trucks also shifted into reverse in one characteristic—tow ratings. At least that’s the case when using a fifth-wheel (or gooseneck) hitch compared to a standard ball hitch. Learn more.
2023 Toyota Sequoia coming soon … better comfort, greater towing
After five years of only slight changes, the 2023 Toyota Sequoia will debut this summer as a new generation of the large SUV. It will have interior upgrades, technology improvements and a more powerful powertrain. Read more.
Nissan’s truck future? Looking back into its off-road future
Pickup trucks are increasingly diverse. A handful of electric pickup trucks are pending and more compact selections for consumers who want pickup truck versatility but don’t necessarily want a pickup truck are now on the roads. Nissan is also planning its next pickup truck expansion while looking back into the future via three concepts. Check them out here.
The Quartzsite Report
Dump station courtesy, anyone?
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Welcome to our regular – albeit seasonal – update on the news from the RVing Capital of the World. If you’re a QZ regular, or just thinking about “dropping in to check it out,” we’ll give you ditties and dollops of what’s happening in and around Quartzsite.
Most of us picked up on life’s little niceties when we were young, say, in kindergarten. Sharing. Taking turns. Working at developing patience. For the most part we see it in our fellow RVers—courtesy seems like a general rule among most. But still, there are areas where it seems like some need those little “gentle reminders.” High on the list these days should be dump station courtesy. Continue reading.
Reader poll
Will high fuel prices affect your RV travels this summer?
Please let us know. After you click your response, you’ll see how others have responded. Feel free to leave a [civil] comment.
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS STOLEN RV?
Stolen from a car dealership lot on January 23. Have you seen this one? It’s a 2009 Mckenzie ION 25S 27-foot travel trailer. It was taken from the lot at 7824 Bristol Pike (Rt 13) in Levittown, PA 19057. The police agency handling this case is the Tullytown Borough Police Department. They can be reached at (215) 945-0999. There is a $1000 reward offered in the case.
Did someone rip off your ride? Let us post information on your stolen RV. Email Russ (at) rvtravel.com.
See many more recently stolen RVs. Let’s help find these for their owners and maybe even put the crooks in the slammer. Click here.
RV recalls posted since our last newsletter
• Lance Camper recalls some trailers for possible LP gas leak
• Ford recalls some E-350 and E-450 vehicles for power steering danger
• Thor Omni, Magnitude motorhomes recalled for potential LP gas leak
• Major recall on some Ford F-250 and F-350 trucks
????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Three, two, one, blast off! A certain someone in your family will loooove this…
Did you miss yesterday’s RV Travel?
If so, stories you missed:
• Cover story: A commencement address for the New RV Owners “Class of 2022”
• Featured article: The CatStrap™ prevents catalytic converter thefts
• RV review… Embassy RV Traveler: The best Class B I’ve ever seen?
• RVelectricity: Are campgrounds ready for EV charging?
• Best boondocking RV coffee makers—no hookups required
• Learn from others’ RV buying mistakes
… and much more
Latest fuel prices
Here are the latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of February 21, 2022:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.53 [Calif.: $4.57]
Change from week before: Up 4 cents; Change from year before: Up 90 cents.
Diesel: $4.06 [Calif.: $5.05]
Change from week before: Up 4 cents; Change from year before: Up $1.08.
Brain Teaser
A man wanted to encrypt his password but he needed to do it in a way so that he could remember it. He had to use seven characters consisting of letters and numbers only (no symbols like ! or <). In order to remember it, he wrote down “You force heaven to be empty.” What is his password?
(Answer below.)
Upcoming RV shows
March 3-6
• Battle Creek RV & Camping Show, Battle Creek, MI
• CNY RV & Camping Show, Syracuse, NY
• Colorado RV, Sports & Travel Show, Denver, CO
• Greater Philadelphia RV Show, Oaks, PA
• Milwaukee RV Show, West Allis, WI
• Ocala RV Show, Ocala, FL
• Red River Valley Sportsmen’s Boat, Camping & Vacation Show, Fargo, ND
• Toronto Spring Camping and RV Show, Mississauga, ON
March 4-6
• Baton Rouge – New Orleans RV Show, Gonzales, LA
• Erie RV & Sport Expo, Erie, PA
• Fredericksburg RV Show, Fredericksburg, VA
• Oregon State Eugene Spring RV Show, Eugene, OR
See the list of shows finishing today and upcoming.
Recipe of the Day
Cubano International Sandwich
by Julia Ferguson from Greenwood, IN
This hearty Cuban sandwich is full of so much flavor it’s like a party in your mouth with every bite. The German mustard, chipotle mayo and zesty bread and butter pickles really have a great flavor combo and gives this a little zing. The bread is crisp and holds in all the warm filling of this amazing sandwich. It’s quite filling!
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Brain teaser answer:
Try pronouncing the sentence like these characters: U472BMT. (“You force heaven to be empty.”)
The Perfect Scam Podcast
Every Sunday we present a podcast from AARP about scams and how crooks are stealing your money, often via telemarketing. Their efforts are often most successful with people 65 years and older who fall victim to the scammers’ sophisticated techniques. Here is this week’s episode.
Sunday funny
Message on T-shirt: “I’m so busy I don’t know whether I found a rope or lost my horse.”
Today in History
RVtravel.com Staff
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Associate editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editors: Russ and Tiña De Maris. Senior writers: Nanci Dixon, Tony Barthel, Mike Gast. Contributors: Mike Sokol, Gail Marsh, Roger Marble, Dave Solberg, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, Julianne Crane, Chris Guld, Machelle James, Scott Linden, James Raia, Kate Doherty, J.R. Montigel, Clint Norrell, Randall Brink, Chris Epting, Karel Carnohan, DVM, and Cheri Sicard. Special projects director: Jessica Sarvis. Moderators: Gary Gilmore, Linda Brady, Mark Gorrie. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. Special Reports: Bradford Geer. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter.
RVtravel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of this potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.
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This newsletter is copyright 2022 by RV Travel LLC.
On that breakfast sandwich maker? I loved it but after a while you get bored with it and it does not toast the bread it just heats it up. And you cannot do veggies. It is straight bread egg and meat and cheese is added after you pull it together. And no timer. So you have to watch carefully or less you get an over cooked egg. But yes it is great in a pinch.
1989 Bounder fire??? Looks to me as a very late model travel trailer burnt to a “crisp”.
GWM I saw two different pictures of different fires, one of a Bounder and one of a travel trailer.
It was recently corrected. Sorry for the mistake(s) and for the delay in correcting them. Have a good night. 🙂 –Diane
Yes, Stupid people are NOT in short supply.
Worst RV Travel news letter ever! I started with Scott Linden’s piece which upset me to no end. I then tried to read the rest of the news letter and came across the flame throwing camper. That was it, I couldn’t continue. Worst RV Travel news letter ever!
Forrest service closing parks. Probably because they have been operating national parks very short handed. Rangers (police) are operating below 50% staffing
Yep tRump cut the budget and sold off leases to big companies. He will probably wanted to build a tRump hotel on the sites when their done.
Mines going to be U4SELL2BMT