Issue 1219
Free, shortened edition
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Today’s thought
“How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else.” —R. Buckminster Fuller
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Day of the Cowboy! It’s also National Coffee Milkshake Day!
On this day in history: 1788 – New York ratifies the United States Constitution and becomes the 11th state of the United States.
Featured news
If you’re considering Starlink for reliable internet on the road, a new study raises important questions about the service’s long-term performance—especially in areas with growing user density. Research from broadband expert Sascha Meinrath and his team at X-Lab suggests that Starlink’s data speeds may significantly decline as more users connect within the same geographic area. For RVers and rural users who rely on fast, dependable internet, the findings offer a timely reality check. Learn more.
When you roll into a national park, you expect friendly ranger faces, well‑maintained trails, and staff who know their stuff. Much of that expertise comes from two flagship National Park Service training hubs: the Horace P. Albright Training Center at Grand Canyon National Park and the Stephen T. Mather Training Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. But late last week, officials from the Department of the Interior quietly decided to shutter both facilities. Here’s what that means.
Heading to Michigan with your RV? Watch out, nearly one-fifth of all Michigan state parks are closed this season. The closures are part of ongoing upgrades by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to improve facilities statewide. Which Michigan campgrounds are closed in 2025? And for what reason? Find out here.
If you’ve been dreaming of parking your rig beneath the towering peaks of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park this summer, you may be in luck. As of this week, the park has released additional campsite reservations for Moraine Park Campground. This gives RVers another shot at snagging a site during the busy summer season. Hurry up and book, though. Reservations are going fast!
SpaceX is making it harder for new customers in some parts of the Pacific Northwest to sign up for Starlink internet. Not only is the company charging a steep $1,000 “demand surcharge,” but some customers are being told they’ll have to wait up to six weeks just to get their satellite dish shipped. Starlink hardware shipping delays could seriously affect folks wanting equipment.
As of July 25, there were 53 major wildfires burning across the U.S. Nearly 1,000 square miles of landscape have been scorched. The fires have had direct effect on RVers. All campgrounds at the Grand Canyon North Rim are closed. Three more in New Mexico have been evacuated. Four campgrounds in Washington state are vacant. As wildfires burn across more than 1 million acres in at least 10 Western states, there’s growing concern that the federal firefighting workforce isn’t as prepared as public statements suggest.
Speaking of fires… If you’ve ever rolled into the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park with your RV, there’s a good chance you’ve stopped at the historic lodge. And if you did, you probably met Brighty the Burro—the friendly bronze statue standing just inside, welcoming visitors for nearly 60 years. After the devastating fire that wiped out the lodge, many wonder, what happened to the Brighty the Burro statue? Here’s your answer.
… and, related, Interior Department officials are committed to “rebuilding” the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park where the still-burning wildfire has claimed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, dozens of guest cabins and concessionaire facilities. Yesterday morning the fire had spread to nearly 29,000 acres.
Speaking of fires… again… A wildfire that burned 30 acres and caused millions of dollars in damage was sparked by a campground worker near Naples, Idaho. The fire began while the worker was gathering ash from campsite fire rings. Now, the park owners are facing a huge bill for fire suppression and damages.
RECALL (AGAIN?!) It’s bad enough if your motorhome is recalled for an airbag issue. It’s even worse when it has to go back yet again because people didn’t follow instructions. Winnebago is recalling certain RVs previously repaired incorrectly under Recall 24V318. Learn more.
Reader poll
If a stranger asked to use your RV bathroom, would you let them?
MORE POLLS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
- Do you post a personalized family sign outside your RV?
- Does your present life meet, exceed, or fall short of your younger self’s expectations?
- Do you own your RV outright or make payments?
- Have you ever experienced food poisoning when RVing?
Pocket-sized pain and bug bite itch relief balm is good to have!
Keep this anti-itch and pain balm handy for mosquito and spider bites and bee stings. The all-natural balm is made with essential oils that help relieve pain and reduce swelling. Learn more or order. And learn about other bug-bite relief and prevention options in this article.
FACTOID: When Winnebago recently laid off the last workers at its Charles City, Iowa, plant and shut it down, it marked the end of more than 25 years of Winnebago presence in Charles City. At one time in the early 2000s, Winnebago had more than 630 workers there, the Charles City Press reported.
News briefs
Just after 6:20 p.m. on July 23, a thief stole a truck with a camper attached from Adelanto, California. The catch? There was a man sleeping inside! According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect led deputies on a high-speed chase. Amazingly, the man inside the camper was unharmed, despite sleeping through part of the chase and the crash itself. Here’s the story.
Results for the RV Industry Association’s (RVIA) June 2025 survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 29,332 units, a 15.9 growth rate compared to the 25,308 units shipped in June 2024. To date, RV shipments are up 6.8% with 190,705 units. RVtravel.com will report details on Monday.
A dispute over card-only payments at a national park led to the arrest of Jason Langley. Federal charges stem from an October 2023 altercation in which Langley allegedly threw cash and his wallet at a park employee after being told he couldn’t pay the entry fee with cash. He and his partner say the incident and the legal fallout forced them to shut down their organic farm, drawing attention to park payment policies.
Sparks from a vehicle with a flat tire started a fire that quickly spread and burned nearly eight acres near the Riverside RV Resort between Davis and Weber counties in Utah. The fire forced some campers to evacuate. Here’s more.
Late Tuesday afternoon, July 22, a fast-moving thunderstorm sent a sudden surge of water on to Medano Pass Road at Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park. The heavy rain triggered flash floods that washed out several sections of the 22‑mile route. Deep ruts and woody debris were left behind, strewn across the roadway. Park crews were forced to close the road.
A new Camping World store is celebrating its grand opening this weekend in Benton, Arkansas, at 19503 Interstate 30. Free ice cream.
HE BEAR-LY MADE IT! There are just some things that make you do a double-take. The photo, which could be titled “Bear exits RV window,” has to be one of them. It raises questions like, “Was the porridge too hot? Too cold?” Either way, we now know that bears can exit an RV through a window!
We wrote earlier about the seemingly amazing deals pumped out during Amazon’s special Prime Day sales. But here’s an interesting bit of fallout—Amazon’s decision to stretch out their special event to four days may have backfired. Many shoppers—including RVers—took a detour to Walmart’s competing sale instead.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, is offering a cash award for information that leads to an arrest regarding an illegal, fatal shooting of a grizzly bear along Deep Lake Trail in Park County, Wyoming, on May 30, 2025. Have info? Call 307-527-7604.
Georgetown Crossing RV Park in Georgetown, Texas, is scheduled to open next month. The gated park with 140 full-hookup sites will cater to RVers staying long-term.
A family hike at Washington’s Olympic National Park’s Hurricane Ridge turned frightening on July 20 when a mountain lion attacked a 4-year-old child near the Victoria Overlook area. The child was bitten while walking with family on a well-traveled trail around 3:15 p.m., according to reports. The child was not seriously hurt. Yikes!
RECALL: Grand Design is recalling certain 2025-2026 Lineage recreational trailers, equipped with Lippert Modularia entrance doors. The door latch mechanism may fail. Door latch failure may prevent occupants from exiting the vehicle in an emergency, increasing the risk of injury. More info here.
Campground owner Katharine Lunt has denounced persistent false rumors after a July 2 killing at her Mac Cove Family Campground on Crawford Pond, Maine. Police arrested 17-year-old Deven Young for the crime. Lunt said Young was never violent at the campground and that social media claims—knife threats, bullying, or attempted drowning at the park are “ridiculous.”
Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park announced yesterday that it will reopen next Wednesday, July 30, after wildfires shut it down. That includes North Rim Campground.
The Cram Fire near Madras, Oregon, is now contained after burning almost 96,000 acres. Get the latest info at the fire’s Facebook page.
The growing trend of Canadians avoiding the United States for travel persists. Statistics Canada reported Wednesday that trips by Canadian residents returning from the U.S. in May fell nearly 32 percent compared with May 2024.
E-BIKE RECALL: If you have a VIVI E‑bike, listen up! On July 17, 2025, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of approximately 24,000 lithium‑ion batteries used with various VIVI E‑bike models due to the battery’s potential for overheating and becoming a fire hazard. More info here.
Speaking of E-bikes… They are now allowed on Oregon state parks trails where other bicycles are allowed unless specifically prohibited. Ditto at the ocean shore on wet sand except where specifically restricted.
STRANGE BUT TRUE!
Recently retired multi-billionaire Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway company owns Forest River, admitted to the Wall Street Journal last month that he had never visited a single one of the RV manufacturer’s plants.
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline on July 21, 2025, was $3.12, down 1 cent from last week, down 35 cents from last year. Diesel was $3.81, up 5 cents from last week, up 3 cents from a year ago. Most expensive gas: California ($4.48); least expensive: Mississippi ($2.71).
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
If you have young kids or grandkids, you (and them) must know about this. It’s charming, wonderful, funny, and every young camper should have it!
Upcoming RV shows & seminars. Click here.
Trivia
The most visited campground in the U.S. is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, specifically, the Smokemont Campground near Cherokee, North Carolina.
BUMPER SNICKER: “Oh, behave!”
Laugh of the week
The perfect scam
Romance Scammer Poses as Keanu Reeves Using AI
Diane is still mourning the death of her boyfriend when a game of Words With Friends leads to a connection. The man claims to be actor Keanu Reeves. While initially skeptical, the video chat and voice messages he sends eventually convince her of his identity. As the relationship deepens over three years, “Keanu” will borrow thousands of dollars from Diane for an ongoing legal battle with a former manager. He also asks for her help receiving funds for his charity, which unwittingly makes her a money mule. When a police detective comes knocking at her door, she realizes the man is an impostor who stole over $160,000 from her.
Today in history
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
THIS MAP UPDATES TWICE A DAY
Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
Current fire and smoke map from AirNow
Headed on an unfamiliar highway? Learn if it has low bridges you might not fit under.
RVtravel.com All Star Team
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Romance Scammer:
The gullibility of some people is unreal! A quick search shows this:
“Keanu Reeves’ net worth in 2025 is estimated to be $380 million, primarily from his successful film career, including major franchises like The Matrix and John Wick. His financial success is also supported by various business ventures and philanthropic efforts.
The release of The Matrix catapulted Keanu Reeves’ net worth and made him one of the richest actors in the world,”
And she thinks he needs to borrow money from her and launder charity money??? 🙄
Yes there are so many that are lonely & gullible. It is really hard to believe that people fall for this stuff. It is so sad.