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Saturday, September 9, 2023
Issue 1121
Free, abbreviated edition
Page Contents
Featured articles
Hard to believe: Many cars are fully capable of invading our privacy, even learning our sex habits
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
There was a popular bumper sticker that advised what not to do, “When this rig’s rocking, ….” If you have a modern, technologically advanced car or pickup, have you read the fine print in the paperwork? For example, if you own a Nissan, the company says it may collect information on your “sexual activity,” while Kia puts it more delicately, suggesting it may know about your “sex life.” Yes, your rig may indeed be invading your privacy. Yikes! Learn much more, including ways to help protect your privacy, here.
Will Chinese electric cars force U.S. RVers’ fuel prices down?
The cost of gasoline or diesel ranks high on the expense list of RVers. The impact can range from pain-in-the-wallet all the way to a canceled RV trip. But news out of China may point to potentially less-costly trips to the fuel pumps. It comes from an unusual situation. Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) could actually push fuel prices down. Learn more.
Camping World and Eddie Bauer join forces. Two peas in a pod?
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
In a seeming larger-than-life promotion, Camping World and Eddie Bauer – well, largely Camping World – tout a new collaboration. You might wonder what Camping World has to do with a sportswear retailer, unless you buy an RV from Camping World and find the furnace doesn’t work. In that case, you probably could use a good down vest. We’ll tackle the “collaboration” part first, and then hit on how this whole marriage may just be showing similar symptoms of a “consumer relations” illness. Continue reading.
Travel trailer breaks out of Burning Man mud—video!
This year’s annual descent into independent mayhem at Burning Man got a bit sticky when it came time to go home. A much-needed, but badly timed, precipitation turned the otherwise dusty Nevada desert playa into a virtual mud bowl. Show organizers urged event-goers to “shelter in place” and ride out the rainstorm. Not everyone agreed, and one enterprising RV user put his truck in gear to break out of the Burning Man mud. Watch it go!
Campground Crowding
Campgrounds price out the average RVer – ‘see what happens’!
RV sales have slowed and fewer people are buying RVs than has been the recent trend. Has that changed campground crowding? This week Nanci Dixon relates our readers’ emails about snowbirds in Florida, who have been paying “through the nose” for years. A couple of readers commented on the previous report of rates of $275 per night at some resorts, and one said, “Don’t leave the light on for ME!” There are more tips for dealing with crowded campgrounds and higher prices. (We appreciate our readers’ tips and positive attitudes. Thank you!)
RV Video Tour
Now in the U.S.—You must see this 17’ Micro Class B motorhome!
By Cheri Sicard
Imagine if a big Sprinter van had a baby. The result might look like the Wingamm Oasi 540, a cute little 17-foot micro Class B motorhome.
While this micro Class B van is shorter than most, it is also wider, which gives the interior a larger and more open feel than most Class B’s.
That was the RV week that was
September 2–8, 2023
This free edition of the newsletter contains only news highlights. The edition received by our voluntary subscribers contains about twice the news highlights. Please pledge your support and begin receiving the full edition.
The RV community has lost a friend and educator, Mac McCoy, better known as Mac the Fire Guy, who we recently learned died early in August. Mac was a familiar figure at major RV shows, rallies and other RVer gatherings for many years. He educated thousands of RVers every year on RV fire prevention and suppression. He earned a Master’s Degree in Fire Administration and spent 33 years in the fire industry serving as a firefighter, paramedic, captain, assistant chief of training, deputy sheriff, and for 12 years as the Fire Training Coordinator of Oregon’s Fire Marshall’s Office and Public Safety Academy. At the Oregon Fire Marshall’s Office, he helped pioneer the state’s HAZMAT program. Mac retired from public appearances a half dozen years ago due to heart trouble and other health issues.
Grand Canyon National Park, has implemented mandatory water conservation measures for the South Rim of the park due to diminished water supplies. Crews continue to investigate challenges with water treatment and cannot pump water from Roaring Springs to the South Rim to replenish water stores. They are working to reestablish water treatment and ensure drinking water is safe for the public. Effective immediately, all park residents and visitors should practice water conservation by reducing usage in homes, hotel rooms, and campgrounds.
The largest RV show in the USA gets underway Wednesday and runs through Sunday in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Nearly 1,500 RVs will be on display, including the debut of many new 2024 models. The Hershey RV Show is held every September at the sprawling Giant Center at 550 W. Hersheypark Drive. Among the impressive cast of seminar speakers is RVtravel.com’s Dave Helgeson, whose topic will be “Dry Camping Tips and Tricks.” Tickets are only available online at LargestRVshow.com.
… And speaking of our writers, if you’re closer to North Carolina than Pennsylvania, our staff tech expert Dave Solberg will conduct several seminars Sept. 14-17 at the Charlotte RV Show.
U.S. gasoline prices could soon rise by as much as $1 per gallon at some Midwest gas stations in Oklahoma, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana and Kansas. The huge price increase could send the national average slightly higher. Pump prices have already hit the highest seasonal level in more than a decade. The current average for a gallon of gasoline in the United States is $3.803, up from $3.764 this same time last year, according to AAA data published on Thursday and reported by Oilprice.com.
Alliance RV announced on its website that it is now offering a $2023 rebate on all new 2023 and 2022 Paradigm, Valor or Avenue models. Customers who purchase a new 2023 or 2022 Paradigm, Valor or Avenue between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, 2023, are eligible.
Parts of Death Valley National Park will remain closed for months due to extensive road damage caused by Tropical Storm Hilary’s recent flooding. All park roads, including Highway 190, suffered erosion, drop-offs, and piles of debris up to 5 feet deep after a record-breaking single-day rainfall on August 20. Reopening will be staged, with Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells taking weeks and secondary roads potentially closed for months as crews clear debris and make repairs.
The trend of decreasing retail RV registrations continues as the July 2023 total of 37,272 units dropped 15.9% compared to 44,332 units the same month last year. So says Statistical Surveys, Inc.
No one was seriously hurt after an RV crashed into a broken-down semi on the side of eastbound Interstate 80 in the Sierra range Thursday morning. The driver of the motorhome, its only passenger, was temporarily trapped inside. Officers believe the RV made an unsafe turning movement just before crashing into the truck trailer.
Triple E Recreational Vehicles is recalling certain 2021-2022 Unity U24IB and 2021-2023 U24TB motorhomes. The battery disconnect switch may contact the refrigerator frame, causing it to short circuit and blow the fuse. More.
Mark Koep’s Campground Views which provides virtual drive-throughs of campgrounds and RV parks is about to post its 1,800th Campground Virtual Tour. RVers can “drive” through participating campgrounds with their computers or smartphones like with Google Earth. If they like a particular campsite, they can check for availability and reserve it if it’s not already occupied.
A 7-year-old girl on a birthday trip to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas found a big present — a 2.95-carat diamond. Aspen Brown of Paragould, Ark., was visiting the park with her family when she spotted the diamond. Before it became a state park in 1972, the Murfreesboro area was mined by commercial diamond hunters. Park visitors today are allowed to hunt for the precious stones, which they can keep when found. The park has 47 full-hookup campsites.
Blue Water Development has added a new RV park to its lineup, the Badlands Interior Motel & Campground, located one mile from South Dakota’s Badlands National Park. The company earlier acquired the Badlands/White River KOA Holiday Park. A full-hookup 50-amp RV site starts at $49.80 a night with 30-amp sites at $5 less.
Forest River, Inc. is recalling certain 2022 Della Terra travel trailers and Silver Lake travel trailers. The sidewall extrusion may not have been properly installed, which can cause the aluminum siding to detach. More.
BELOW: In National Park Service News of the Week… This is certainly an emergency exit only!
Saturday Giveaway!
Saturday Giveaway!How would you like to win this NOAA emergency radio?
How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today (September 9, 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
If an article on RVtravel.com is accurate and written entirely by Artificial Intelligence, is that okay with you?
Answer the poll here. And please leave a comment.
Popular poll from the past: As a young child, did you ever fear that a monster was under your bed? What do you think? Did 1/3 of readers who responded think that yes, there were monsters under their bed, at least sometimes? Or did 1/3 believe monsters never lived there?
Snowbirds: Prepare to Hit the Road!
As you plan your fall and winter routes, remember that Tifton Overnight RV is the place to stay while you’re on the way! Located just off of I-75 at Exit 62 in South Georgia, this RV stop offers full hook ups, pull-through sites, a fenced dog park, and fast WIFI – and is within walking distance of restaurants including Starbucks, Waffle House, and Chick-fil-A. Learn more and book your stay today!
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS STOLEN RV?
Crooks in Kamloops, British Columbia, made good on a double-header travel trailer theft. Around August 21, a Jayco Whitehawk travel trailer with BC plate WLP 97K, and a Coachmen travel trailer with a single slide, BC plate WGS 10A, both vanished from a dealer lot on the 9000 block of Dallas Drive. Mounties don’t like this kind of crime—call them with leads. 250-828-3000 and cite file number 2023-30142.
Did someone rip off your ride? Let us post information on your stolen RV. Email Russ (at) rvtravel.com.
Latest fuel prices
Here are the latest U.S. average prices per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel as of September 4, 2023:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.81
Change from week before: Down 1 cent; Change from year before: Up 6 cents.
Diesel: $4.49
Change from week before: Up 1 cents; Change from year before: Down 59 cents.
For fuel prices for specific cities, states, and regions, go to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
We’re bummed we hadn’t seen this sooner. Ohhh, all those days stuck inside during the Pandemic and this would’ve come in real handy! For those of you who enjoy this hobby, you’ll love this!
Upcoming RV shows
Click here for a directory of upcoming shows.
Recipe of the Day
Easy Chicken & Biscuit Dinner
Easy Chicken & Biscuit Dinner
by Tawnis Wohlers from Buffalo, WY
A super simple chicken dinner to throw together that your entire family will love. The cream of chicken and potato soups provide a thick and creamy base. We loved the small chunks of potatoes. The chicken is tender, and adding the mixed veggies makes this an all-in-one meal with minimal pots and pans. On top, the biscuits bake to flaky perfection. Your family is going to devour this pantry-friendly dinner.
Trivia
Hungry for a sandwich? You’re not the only one! About 49 percent of American adults eat a sandwich every day.
Laugh of the Week
Thanks so much for sending, Bob M.! Don’t you wish these actually existed?!
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 and Cheri Sicard. Contributors: Roger Marble, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, J.R. Montigel, Randall Brink, Dustin Simpson, Dale Wade, Jan Steele and Tony Barthel. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen. Artificial Intelligence (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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Today’s AAA California Avg.$5.412 Price as of 9/9/23
Today’s California Diesel Avg. $5.80.
Since nearly 15% of Americans live in California, this information is important too.
always a pleasure to read the fantastic, great, amazing newsletter!
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS EACH WEEK TO PUT OUT THE NEWSLETTER!!
Thanks, Steve. We hear you loud and clear.😅 Have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Every day there are writers & commenters in this newsletter bemoaning the price of fuel/gas. Yet when I look at the blurb in this same newsletter, the price of diesel is down 59 cents from last year and gas is pretty much the same as last year.
Locally gas here jumped about 30 cents yesterday from 3.28-3.30 to 3.69 for no particular reason. Such is life in the real world. Winter blend (cheaper) gas is coming and I probably won’t need any until then so lucky me.
Maybe it is because it is up 40% from 3 years ago. If only being up a penny is OK with you, fine, but that is what is referred to as “The New Normal”. Normalize getting hit in the head with a hammer 10 times per day after years of getting 2 hits a day and then, when it goes up by only 1, now netting 11 cracks on the melon each day measured from the 10 baseline, not so bad of an increase. Tolerable really when compared to 10.
Inflation is back down to 3 percent. Yay. Hang on, it’s at 3% above the 18% from the last 3 years. Don’t be fooled. 3% above the previous 18% totaling 21% over 3 years.
Bragging that inflation is down 50% to 3% doesn’t give us back the first 18%.
So Sorry to hear about Mac the fire guy, For many years he would come see the ladies of RVing Women in Quartzite ,AZ, always doing a demo on fire safety. RIP Mac !
Just got back from Glacier Natl Park. No one should drive over the road that is under construction as it is really muddy and full of potholes. They don’t warn you about how bad it is and should be closed on the Apgar side. Typical Federal Govnt construction. The only possible way they can repair it is to close it.
Is HK Construction of Idaho Falls, ID./Columbia Falls, MT. doing the job? Sounds like it, if so, that is where most of the problem lies.
I can assure you the introduction of ” Chinese ” electric vehicles WILL NOT drive down gasoline costs. The biden regime cancelled 7 active drilling permits on federal lands last week 9/8/2023 and announced plans to attempt to stop all oil production in Alaska along with the outlawing of ceiling fans, gas stoves and has their eye on outlawing wood burning fireplaces and stoves. follow the money for the reason.
Given that 30 to 50 million dollars of the JB {bleeped} family income into 20 shell companies and offshore account transfers over the past 12 years has come from Ukranian and Chinese energy companies and from Russian oligarchs, plus a fee of the _____istan countries (all factually accurate), is it really a surprise we stop drilling in the USA in favor of higher oil prices to fund a Russian war machine or Chinese battery dominance. Is it possible that canceling these leases the same week JB meets with the Saudi Prince for an actual grownup handshake today is a coincidence? Just curious. No conspiracy theory, just asking for friend.
Cite your sources.
Facts a 4th grader can find
I say again, cite your sources or it’s not factual. The problem here is that anyone can post anything without being able to prove what they’re saying and half the folks reading it are going to believe it. No legitimate source, no reason for believing it.
Head in the sand much? Try the New York Post.
You know them right? 2nd oldest major newspaper in the country founded by Hamilton. The paper that broke the 1st son’s laptop story only to be falsely debunked by 51 discredited intelligence officers. The paper that was censored by the FBI and DOJ on Twitter. Just some more facts for you, same source. Sorry, you lose. 100% verified is 100% verified. If your in doubt and ever feel like getting informed, try the New York Post or Substack.com.
If your unwilling to look at facts and choose to stay uninformed and willfully ignorant to the issues, you own it.
Let me make this even easier for you:
Wall Street Journal
New York Post
SkyNews
Washington Times
Newsmax
Blaze Radio
Substack.com
CSPAN
Congressional Testimony 1st hand whistle blowers.
The Big Guy himself in his own words.
Tulsi Gabbert on Joe Rogan.
Just cuz your MSM sources are part of the cover up, doesn’t mean it’s not true. It is without question, one of the biggest scandals in our nation’s history, with a complicit media covering it up and uncurious about the bribery of lawmakers in our capital.
If NBC and CNN don’t report on the tree that falls in the forest, did it make a sound. They are in so deep, they can’t change course for fear of embarrassing themselves is all I can say.
So go check my sources now MarkO. No hard feelings. If you disagree after checking, no sweat but at least you’ll have the whole story. Cheers brother.
Let us all know when you feel like youve been brought up to speed MarkO. I gave a pretty thorough list below for you to research the topics you are obviously uninformed about, including that fringe publication The Wall Street Journal. Once you’re informed, please check back in with your astonishment. D.T. Smith would probably like an update on your progress too.
Not really funny. A great way to indicate passage height. The co-pilot is right, you’re too tall.