Issue 1208
This is the abbreviated, free edition of this newsletter.
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Today’s thought
“Honesty is often very hard. The truth is often painful. But the freedom it can bring is worth the trying.” —Mr. Fred Rogers
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Dog Mom’s Day! Don’t have a dog? Maybe you can celebrate National Shrimp Day instead!
On this day in history: On May 10, 1869, a golden spike was driven in a ceremony in Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. (If this interests you, then you’ll love this!)
Featured news
National parks face devastating cuts, with majority in jeopardy
The National Park Service is facing what some experts call the greatest threat in its 109-year history from unprecedented budget cuts that could shutter the majority of parks and sites, eliminate thousands of jobs, and open the door to privatization. What’s behind the proposed $1.2 billion slash, and what would it mean for the future of America’s most treasured public lands? Click here to read.
RV product prices may soon skyrocket
Need a new faucet for your RV’s kitchen sink? Wanting a new keyless RV door lock? Holding tank smelling? These are some of the more popular purchases made by RVers through Amazon. But you may see the prices for these and millions of other products start to skyrocket. The de minimis exemption is now a closed loophole, and even if you’re willing to pay the higher price, you may wait longer to get your purchases. Learn more.
California’s gas prices could hit $8 gallon, more states could follow
Hold onto your wallets—California’s gas prices are on track to hit a jaw-dropping $8.44 per gallon by the end of 2026, and experts warn the financial aftershocks could slam more Western states, too. With two major refineries set to close and a tangle of new state regulations driving up costs, the Golden State’s gas crisis isn’t just a local headache—it’s shaping up to be a regional economic earthquake. Continue reading.
COMING IN TOMORROW’S NEWSLETTER: The future of the RV industry: Bracing for what’s to come
UPDATE: Changes coming to our commenting system
We’re making some upgrades to how comments work on RVtravel.com. Starting Sunday evening, May 11, we’ll be switching to a new commenting system that’s faster, smarter, and more enjoyable to use. Our current software just isn’t cutting it anymore, so it’s time for a fresh start. The new system will include everything you already like, plus some great new features we think you’ll enjoy. Learn more.
JUST RELEASED: National Geographic Road Atlas 2026: Scenic Drives Edition
National Geographic’s Road Atlas: Scenic Drives Edition, is the ideal companion for the next time you hit the road. Includes up-to-date road maps for all 50 U.S. states, plus Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Cities are shown in detail with inset maps that include popular attractions and points-of-interest. It also includes carefully researched scenic drives and a map and guide section for the 20 most popular National Parks. Learn more or order.
Campground crowding, comments & concerns
The biggest issues we’re seeing as camp hosts
This week, Nanci Dixon discusses some of the issues she and her husband have seen in their several years of being campground hosts. Also, a number of readers write in about what has tarnished the camping experience for them. While there are a number of reasons, some come up consistently. We’re sure you can relate.
News briefs
And speaking of more things getting more expensive… RV tire prices are heading sky-high—and not just for motorhomes. With new tariffs hitting imported tires and raw materials, RVers and everyday drivers alike could see price hikes up to 25% or more. Here’s what that means for you.
Would you pay $995 for a VIP pass to test drive 125 motorhomes? Now you can! National Indoor RV Centers (NIRVC) will host their second annual Music City Motorhome Expo VIP Experience from May 31 to June 4 at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, TN, and you’re invited. This could be a very fun experience for some lucky RVers.
Good news on gas prices… for now. OPEC+, the group of major oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, says it’s pumping up oil production in June. The conglomerate says this will spin out to about 411,000 more barrels per day. As more crude enters the global market in June, road trippers could see slightly cheaper fill-ups. Here’s more info.
Starting July 1, Idaho drivers will be allowed to exceed the speed limit by up to 15 mph when passing a slower vehicle on a two-lane highway, thanks to House Bill 205. The goal is to make passing safer and more efficient in situations where drivers are stuck behind slow-moving vehicles with limited opportunities to pass. However, there’s a catch…
May 6, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, announced the temporary closures and/or a reduction of services in several recreation areas across Oklahoma and Kansas for the 2025 summer season. These are due to an ongoing staffing shortage that has made it challenging to maintain routine maintenance, sanitation, and safety checks across all sites. Here are the details and which sites will be closed.
A 47-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida, was gored by a bison while visiting Yellowstone National Park last Sunday, according to the National Park Service. Park officials say the man approached the animal in the Lake Village area and was attacked after getting too close. Don’t do this!!!
HOLY IGUANA! Reptile wranglers in Florida said they believe they set a new local record for the Miami area when they removed 98 iguana eggs from a single yard. Humane Iguana Control said personnel responded to a home in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay, where three female iguanas had nested in burrows that were all interconnected.
Forest River is recalling more than 1,100 travel trailers after realizing they accidentally wired up a potential fire hazard—because nothing says “relaxing RV getaway” like the risk of your solar system shorting out and torching your rig. Right? Learn more.
Walmart is closing these stores in 2025 to concentrate on stores with stronger customer traffic: Dunwoody and Marietta, Georgia; Towson, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Aurora, Colorado; and in California, San Diego, El Cajon, West Covina, Fremont, and Granite Bay.
Big Bend National Park will close the entire Chisos Basin area when construction begins in fall 2025. The affected area includes the Chisos Mountain Lodge, campground, visitor center, restaurant, and trailheads. More details here.
Keystone RV is recalling certain 2025 Kodiak 2900FKSP and 308BHSL travel trailers. The struts may not support enough of the fold-down patio’s weight while being raised or lowered. The operator may be unable to handle the patio’s weight, increasing the risk of injury. Learn more.
Beginning May 21, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will transition to a fully cashless fee system. Mobile payments, credit cards, or debit cards will be required to pay entrance fees. More info in this press release.
Ya like lemonade? Well, good news: McDonald’s has just expanded its offering of real lemonade from select locations to all its restaurants. The lemonade features real lemon juice, lemon pulp and cane sugar. It has replaced the previous Minute Maid concentrate version.
BUMPER SNICKER: I may be old but I got to see all the cool bands.
Keep your RV slide-outs moving smoothly with Camco’s Slide-Out Lube & Protectant
Is your RV’s slide-out making strange noises or not operating as smoothly as it should? Let us introduce you to Camco Slide-Out Lube & Protectant, a must-have product to keep your slide-outs working flawlessly. Learn how to use this lubricant to reduce noise, prevent wear and tear, and ensure your slide-out operates as smoothly as the day you bought your RV. Click here to learn more.
Reader poll
How many states have you visited in your RV?
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of fuel as of May 5, 2025:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.15. Up 1 cent from last week; down 50 cents from last year.
Diesel: $3.50. Down 2 cents from last week; down 40 cents from last year.
• The state with the most expensive gas: California, $4.85
• The state with the least expensive gas: Mississippi, $2.65
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
This isn’t nuts, it’s noodles! Absolutely noodles, we tell you! This is the noodliest thing we’ve ever seen! Wow, wow, wow!!!
Upcoming RV shows & seminars. Click here.
RANDOM RV THOUGHT: Need some extra storage space in your RV when traveling? Consider your shower stall. Store items in plastic see-thru bins. When you reach your campsite, store the bins in an out-of-the-way place, perhaps beneath your RV or in your tow vehicle or toad. Not planning to use your shower? Then keep the bins right where they are.
Trivia
In the summer of 1880, the Irish Land League was trying to better the working conditions of Irish farmers. At that same time, a British agent, Captain Charles Boycott, was attempting to collect rent and crops from those farmers. Father O’Malley, a prominent member of the Irish Land League, encouraged the farmers to refuse any business with Boycott. O’Malley coined the verb “boycott” as a way to refuse doing business with someone as a form of protest. The press picked up the word and ran with it and the rest, as they say, is history!
Laugh of the week
Perhaps some advice to be avoided… Click on the image to enlarge if you don’t see why.
The perfect scam
Serial Scammer Targets Hockey League Parents, Part 2
In part two, law enforcement narrows in on Kota Youngblood and his scheme to steal millions of dollars from neighbors and fellow hockey league parents. His cruel lies have many believing that his life and, in some cases, their own lives are in danger from a Mexican drug cartel. The stories are so convincing that some victims are hesitant to talk to the FBI.
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
Click here for information about our staff and how to contact us.
Walmart store closures: this is old news, the California stores listed were closed in 2024 and Walmart website says there are no plans for additional closures in 2025
In Portland, OR, Walmart closed its stores due to “shrinkage” issues. A couple are still open in suburban communities.
Our shower is where we keep our dirty clothes hamper. It’s mesh with handles so it’s easy to set out of the way when we use shower & put back when we’re finished.
Seems like most of your articles are like the boy who cried wolf. Baseless whining about something that has not happened. Why are you biased against the current administration trying to cut the fat out of Americas government agencies? Do you believe these agencies do not need some cost controls implemented just like any private business in America, including your own efforts with your newsletter? Change is always difficult but once the efficiencies are all in place our country will be much the better for it.
Many citizens don’t care about cost cutting because they will never pay the real bill we’re accumulating. Our society wants and wants and wants…just not the cost of it.
America is not a private business, it’s a democracy.
Democracy:
“a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives”
Not to be run by the ideas of a few! That’s a Dictatorship.
Except that the United States is NOT a democracy…….it is a Republic and therefor we elect representatives versus individually have a say……There is a huge difference that many forget from their civics high school class.
America is Not a democracy it is a Constitutional Republic. There is a difference. And as any private business can be audited, it is well past time that our extremely bloated government be audited also. We The People voted for this, and we want our money back. Bureaucrats are paid with private business tax dollars. The government does not create wealth, the people do.
I totally agree about cutting govt waste. But I feel Musk’s approach has been much more, “burn it all down” and a numbers game to cut the most dollars, the quickest, which has been slashing personnel. Instead of in-depth analysis of each program and contract at each agency and getting rid of the ones that are not needed or that the govt is paying way more than they should. It’s a known fact, when a company bids on a govt contract, they add a large markup, because they know they can. Yes there is much gov waste, no, it’s not in most personnel costs.
Clint is correct, DOGE is merely auditing departments and giving the results to the department heads to do what they see fit. An example is when it costs the taxpayer upwards of $25K per year to teach a student which bathroom to use, the administration needs to be whittled down. Another example when my husband’s Surgeon got his year end net pay was $42k, and the administration in that hospital were making 250k. He retired. The waste and fraud is incomprehensible not to mention our hard earned money being spent on bureaucrats that don’t even show up to work. Clint is right, quit whining. The private sector is sick of paying for useless bureaucrats.
Eggs are down, gas is down( except cali), stock market is higher than when tariffs were implemented ( smart money). The people on here whining about cuts and acting as if the world is ending, also complain about their 40’ “ fiver “ won’t fit in a campground. Go figure. These same people call that camping. Now do you really want to get your news from these people, including this websites writers?
Go cut over there, not in my national parks. Go build houses for the homeless, just not in my neighborhood. Get the picture?
If you can’t tell this country is on a better track than Biden’s years, open your eyes! Just over the weekend, hostage released from Gaza, trade deal with china, Russia and Ukraine to meet, should I keep going?