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Saturday, July 22, 2023
Free, abbreviated edition
Page Contents
Featured articles
Has Camping World become too big to fail?
By Dave Helgeson, former RV dealer
Has Camping World become too big to fail? Keep reading to find out why I ask this question.
Court orders backyard RV park slum cleared; property owner faces charges
A judge has issued an order to evacuate a property in Sylmar, a suburban neighborhood of Los Angeles, containing 23 RVs and the owner’s residence. The decision came swiftly after utility crews cut power to the property, which has posed health and safety risks, including raw sewage flowing through the “RV park” and into neighbors’ yards. Continue reading.
Starlink News: Satellite radiation, and a “threat” from China
By Randall Brink
In a study in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, researchers claim that the constellations of satellites above Earth, including those of Starlink, are leaking radiation that could disturb radio astronomy observations. Additionally, new competition is escalating in space between SpaceX and China. China is challenging and could potentially “defeat” SpaceX’s Starlink, which could negatively impact Starlink (RV) Roam subscribers. Read more.
Watch interview of FMCA president candidate Curtis Coleman
If you’re a member of FMCA, and care about the club, you should watch this hour-long interview by host Chuck Woodbury with Curtis Coleman (best known as the founder of RVillage, which he later sold), who is running for National President of FMCA. FMCA is in crisis mode: It’s lost a million dollars a year for the past two years, and, for now, there is no plan of how to stop the bleeding. Learn Curtis’ ideas in this important interview.
Woman dies in shuttle accident at Winnebago national rally
The Camp Winnebago Rally, formerly called The Grand National Rally, got off to a tragic start last Sunday, July 16, when a 76-year-old woman from Frontenac, Minnesota, was killed in an accident on a people-mover on the event’s rally grounds. Continue reading.
THIS MORNING:
BEHIND THE SCENES, FILMING “THE ANGRIEST MAN IN AMERICA,” THE WINNEBAGO MAN!
Watch on YouTube • Watch on Facebook
Saturday, July 22, from 8-9 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Today’s guest, RVtravel.com’s Dave Solberg, will discuss what it was like being part of the production crew that filmed the now-infamous and hilarious Winnebago promotional programs with host Jack Rebney. Outtakes from his obscenity-laced scenes were eventually posted to a then-relatively new YouTube, turning the outtakes into one of the very first viral videos. Rebney, who recently died, was dubbed “The Angriest Man in America.” Dave will share what it was like to be on the set that day.
Read Dave’s story Behind the scenes at the filming of Winnebago Man, the world’s angriest man
Campground Crowding
“Campground rates are so high we put our RV into storage.” More RVers throw in the towel
RV sales have slowed dramatically and fewer people are buying RVs than in the last few years. Has that eased campground crowding? This week Nanci Dixon relates comments from several RVers who are giving up RVing due to high campground and gas prices, difficulty with campsite reservations, and other RVing frustrations. What is going on? What are your observations about this?
RV Tours
RV inspector recommends top 3 best used Class A motorhomes
Duane, our favorite RV inspector, is back with his picks of the best brands for used Class A motorhomes. Duane’s advice, as always, is down-to-earth and practical. Here, Duane comes up with the three best brands he has seen over the last 10 years or so.
That was the RV week that was
July 15–21, 2023
Jayco, Inc. (Jayco) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Entegra Launch, Qwest, Jayco Melbourne, and Melbourne Prestige motorhomes. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor circuit may be inadequate, which could allow the wiring harness to overheat. Learn more.
Want to appreciate the beauty of Texas State Parks and stay indoors? Visit The Art of Texas State Parks traveling exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science this summer to stay cool while enjoying the views and vistas found in parks. The exhibit will remain in Houston until October 1. Read more.
KOA’s Monthly Research Report for July 2023 reports that more than 21.5 million households camped over the Fourth of July holiday, about the same as last year. Most campers (56%) shared that they have postponed trips to later in the summer or fall.
On Tuesday, a 71-year-old man from the Los Angeles area collapsed and died at the Golden Canyon trailhead in Death Valley National Park. National Park Service officials believe he had likely just been hiking the popular trail. He was wearing a sun hat and hiking clothes, and carried a backpack. The temperature at the time was approximately 121 degrees. Learn more.
Glacier National Park officials, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, euthanized a food-conditioned, five-year-old female grizzly bear on Thursday. This action was taken after the bear received multiple food rewards from unsecured sources, causing it to exhibit increasingly aggressive behavior which posed a threat to human safety. Don’t feed wild animals!
Grand Design RV is recalling certain Momentum and Solitude fifth wheel trailers equipped with certain CURT 7000 and 8000 pound axles. The U-bolts may have been improperly tightened, which could cause the axle to move out of position. Learn more.
Despite another week of lackluster demand for gasoline, average pump prices rose three cents since last Thursday to $3.58. The primary culprit is a higher oil price, which has recently increased to the mid-$70s per barrel, according to a report from AAA.
RV on land AND sea! Sealvans, a Turkish startup, is transforming the traditional RV. These “amphibious vehicles” offer a unique camping and cruising experience on land and at sea. Two models cater to outdoor enthusiasts with luxury amenities.
A 47-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona, was gored Sunday morning by a bison near the Lake Lodge Cabins on the north shore of Lake Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park. She was walking with another person in a field in front of the Lake Lodge Cabins when they spotted two bison. They immediately turned to walk away from the animals. One of the bison charged and gored the woman. Read more.
Jayco, Inc. (Jayco) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Entegra Coach Accolade, Accolade XL, Jayco Seneca, and Seneca Prestige recreational vehicles. The windshield wipers on the motorhomes may fail, resulting in dangerous reduced driver visibility. Learn more.
Ocean County, NJ, has purchased a privately owned campground site off Route 9 in Bayville for $5.9 million and plans to turn it into a nature preserve, making this summer the last season that the Cedar Creek Campground will operate.
A $2 billion American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will open in Oklahoma on 1,000 acres near Grand Lake on Route 66. The resort will feature a 320-acre Three Ponies RV Park and Campground with 750 RV spaces and 300 cabins—the largest campground in the central U.S. The resort will also include a 125-acre theme park with rides, live shows, waterways, and restaurant-quality food, alongside a top-tier 300-room hotel and modern indoor water park. Ahh, roughing it…
The U.S. Forest Service plans fee hikes at several campgrounds in Superior National Forest, northern Minnesota, and will introduce a new cabin rental site. Private campground owners and operators in the area may face impacts as campers seek more affordable options outside the forest’s boundaries. While private operators could benefit from increased demand, they may need to improve facilities to compete with federal sites.
RVtravel.com has launched several new Facebook Groups recently. They include RV Prospector • RVing the California Gold Country • Southwest RV Snowbirds • RV Bloggers and Writers • RVing U.S. Aviation Museums.
Camping World has opened more RV dealerships: a supercenter in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and its first Montana store in Billings, the latter its 199th store in the U.S.
Saturday Giveaway!
How would you like to win this watermelon cutter?
Cut up a watermelon in seconds with this stainless steel melon cutter!
How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today (July 22, 2023) by 7 p.m. Pacific time. Remember, you can only enter once and after we notify you by email via RVcontests@gmail.com that you won, you have 24 hours to respond or we’ll give the prize to someone else.
Click here to enter or see last week’s winner!
Reader poll
As a young child, did you ever fear that a monster was under your bed?
Respond here and see how others responded
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS STOLEN RV?
Rip-off artists in San Leandro, California, did a dirty deed at a hospital. A 2005 Ford F-350 pickup, topped with a Palomino Bronco truck camper, vanished from the Kaiser Medical Center on July 12, around 7:30 p.m. The pickup is a 4×4, with plate 7T33459, and is Champagne colored. The truck camper is a tougher one, because the owner “debranded” it by removing all its decals, but it is a “pop up” style camper. If you know something, report to the San Leandro Police at 510-577-2740 and refer to Case 23-25-780.
Did someone rip off your ride? Let us post information on your stolen RV. Email Russ (at) rvtravel.com.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
It is the season for this so this is pretty darn near perfect. While it’s a little corny, it did make us laugh…
Latest fuel prices
Here are the latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of July 17, 2023:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.56
Change from week before: Up 1 cent; Change from year before: Down 93 cents.
Diesel: $3.81
Change from week before: Unchanged; Change from year before: Down $1.63.
For fuel prices for specific states, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Upcoming RV shows
Click here for a directory of upcoming shows.
Recipe of the Day
Pigs in Egg Roll Blankets
by Linda Dalton from Coconut Creek, FL
Don’t let the combination of ingredients fool you… this twist on pigs in a blanket is super tasty! Once fried, the egg roll wrappers are crunchy. They’re stuffed with baked beans, coleslaw, Sriracha, mustard, cheddar cheese, and a hot dog. Kind of like your favorite parts of a summer barbecue wrapped in an egg roll wrapper. They make a fun appetizer or prepare a few for a small meal.
Trivia
Big Bend National Park is the only national park that encompasses an entire mountain range—the Chisos Mountains. The volcanic formations stretch 20 miles across the southern tip of West Texas. Four of its peaks exceed 7,000 feet above sea level.
Laugh of the Week
Tongue Twister
A tutor who tooted a flute tried to tutor two tooters to toot. Said the two to their tutor, Is it harder to toot or to tutor two tutors to toot?
Stinky sewer dump? This will do the trick!
If a sewer hose doesn’t fit tightly, sewer gases will escape and make the odor when dumping almost unbearable. It’s embarrassing and disgusting! This sewer adapter hose seal plugs the hole. No more stink! Read more about it here or order one here.
Today in History
RVtravel.com All Star Team
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Associate editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editors: Russ and Tiña De Maris. Senior writers: Nanci Dixon, Gail Marsh, Dave Solberg. Contributors: Roger Marble, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, J.R. Montigel, Randall Brink, Cheri Sicard, Dustin Simpson, Dale Wade and Paul Lacitinola. Moderator: Gary Gilmore. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen. Artificial (AI) contributors: Johnny Robot and Milly MacWilly. Canine Mascots: Archie and Astor “the Disaster”
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.
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Trivia…Big Bend is no where near the southern tip of Texas.
I’m thinking perhaps the key word here is “west” Texas 🤷♀️?
I think that was added, and it says West Texas. West Texas is just north of Waco on I-35. ;<)
As usual with most media, your story about RVs parked on private property leaves out a good portion of the whole story. Like who are the occupants? Are the RVs ‘street legal’ or even in running condition? Who are the actual registered owners of the RVs or are they being rented by unscrupulous third party who care not for any type of upkeep or maintenance? As they are forced to vacate the property (understandably) where will they, the occupants, go? What will happen to the RVs? And what makes this so different from the 100’s of other RVs, in similar condition, parked on our city streets?
It’s obvious from the video, that they couldn’t get inside to interview occupants and they didn’t want to speak to the news crew either. How are they to find out who owns them. My bet is that 90% of them don’t even have plates. They said in the video that the two people they talked to have no idea where they will go. This is obvious a “Slum Lord” intent to get whatever he can from people that, most likely, don’t even belong in the US in the first place.
California fuel prices have been omitted from the fuel prices, yet nearly 15% of the nation’s population lives here and nearly 20% of all drivers in the nation live in California, yet he fuel prices are not posted Amy longer? Please include them.
Sorry, Brian. No, we’re not singling out any state anymore. But it’s easy to click on the link to the U.S. Energy Information Administration under the list and the chart pops right up. Anyone can look up whatever area they want. We used to list California because it was usually so much higher than the other states. We got called out on singling California out, like we were picking on them. But now that Washington state has higher gas prices than even California, that especially doesn’t make sense to list California as having the “highest prices.” Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Did you read my explanation, Tex? 🤔 The decision (mine, BTW) had absolutely nothing to do with politics. –Diane at RVtravel.com
No, you posted it after me.
My apologies, TexasScout.😔 You’re correct. Moderating hundreds of comments throughout the day, in between all of my “real” work, sometimes I lose track of what gets posted when. Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane
P.S. Ohhhhh, I’m so confused. My reply to Brian was posted several hours before yours. (I looked at the time on the wrong comment.) Water under the bridge. 😕