America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 1242
Free edition (funded by advertising)
Today’s thought
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and weak minds discuss people.” —Socrates
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Drinking Straw Day! Thrilling!
On this day in history: 1957 – The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
Happy New Year, readers and friends…
By Emily Woodbury
As I write this, it’s Friday morning, and my coffee is steaming, but I already know I’ll need another cup.
It’s the time of year when things are fast, and slow, and really fast, and really slow. Does anyone know what day it is? I only know as I sit here writing that it’s Friday because our weekend-deadline clock is ticking loudly; but yesterday, I told two people it was Sunday. When did 2026 happen? It’s still June! Does cheese have calories again? But it didn’t all December! I can’t eat cookies for breakfast anymore? Oh, dear…
Just like you, we’re moving a little slower than usual. The world, like us, was quiet this week. Searching for news, well, not much happened. No news is good news, right?
Today’s issue is a bit shorter and a bit less exciting than usual. But that’s okay. We all need a break, a rest, and a reset. It’s a new year, and we’d better recharge while we can, before 2026 takes the reins and throws us into even more of who-knows-what.
So, make another cup of coffee with me, enjoy this issue, enjoy this day, and do something for yourself that makes you smile. Oh, and drink some water, it’s good for you. Maybe go for a walk? I’ll join you.
See you again tomorrow, for our usual packed-full Sunday issue. Cheers!
Featured news
Why staffing shortages in national parks are changing the visitor experience
If you’ve spent time in national parks over the past few seasons, you may have noticed subtle changes. A visitor center that opens later than expected. Fewer ranger talks on the schedule. Campground hosts stretched thin, or maintenance issues that take longer to resolve. Many of these shifts are tied to national park staffing shortages that are quietly reshaping the visitor experience.
Motorhome carrying 15 overturns in Florida, raising safety questions
A Florida motorhome crash early Saturday morning is the kind of story RVers read slowly, because it’s easy to imagine yourself in the driver’s seat — or sitting at the dinette — when everything suddenly goes wrong. Just before dawn, at a quiet rural intersection, a crowded motorhome overturned after a collision, killing a 5-year-old child and a newborn baby, and leaving more than a dozen others critically injured. Here’s the story.
Why motorhome rollovers are so dangerous—and why seatbelts really matter
The above crash raised hard questions about how RVs behave in rollover situations, and what actually protects people inside the rig. A young child and a newborn baby died, and a dozen others from the same motorhome were critically injured. One question keeps coming up: How can RVers improve motorhome rollover safety for everyone on board? Continue reading.
2026 edition: Rand McNally Road Atlas & National Park Guide
This comprehensive guide is a must-have for RVers and nature lovers, offering stunning visuals, essential visitor information, and invaluable travel tips for all 63 of America’s national parks. The guide also includes a complete 2026 Rand McNally Road Atlas, ensuring seamless navigation for travelers across the country. Learn more or order at Amazon or Walmart.
News briefs
Outdoor recreation remains a huge economic engine: New data shows outdoor recreation on public lands fuels about $351 million into the U.S. economy every single day, underscoring how important parks and trails are for travel and local spending.
The RV financing market is growing steadily, according to Mordor Intelligence. Valued at $39.6 billion in 2025, it’s projected to reach $57.3 billion by 2030, reflecting rising demand for financing options that make RV ownership more accessible. Key trends include longer loan terms to lower monthly payments, expanded dealer-based financing, more digital loan applications, and seasonal promotions tied to peak travel times.
Once again, the Ford F-Series lineup of light-duty and heavy-duty trucks was the best-selling vehicle in the United States in 2025, up 13 percent through the first three quarters of the year.
Public tours of Scotty’s Castle in Death Valley National Park will begin tomorrow and on select Sundays through March 29. Scotty’s Castle has been closed for 10 years to repair extensive damage caused by a flash flood and then a fire. Tickets are $35 per person, plus a processing fee. For tour dates, details and ticket sales, visit DVNHA.org.
President Trump’s tariffs are expected to keep upward pressure on RV prices in 2026, but the effect is likely to be moderate rather than dramatic, especially if tariff exclusions or trade negotiations evolve. Exemptions delayed into late 2026 may temper cost hikes early in the year, but long-term tariff costs, especially on steel, aluminum and imported parts, are still likely to feed through into manufacturing costs and retail prices. —RVIA
A 7-year-old child was killed after a collision with a truck at a Lake Havasu City campground on Tuesday, police said. The crash happened as a 72-year-old man was slowly driving through a campground to turn into a campsite. Police said the child, riding an electric motorcycle, attempted to pass the truck on the right and was struck. The child later died at Havasu Regional Medical Center.
A new California law that took effect on New Year’s Day allows cities to reduce or waive parking tickets for drivers living in RVs and facing homelessness or financial hardship. The measure aims to keep small fines from spiraling into debt by capping payments at $25 a month, limiting fees, pausing penalties, and lifting DMV holds once drivers enroll for relief.
A woman was killed in a suspected mountain lion attack while she was hiking alone in the mountains of northern Colorado on Thursday, in what would be the first fatal attack by one of the predators in the state in more than 25 years. Wildlife officers located two mountain lions in the area and fatally shot the animals. The attack occurred about 7 miles northeast of Estes Park, the gateway to the eastern entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.
The Surf City, North Carolina, council has opened the door for a new RV park and campground near Sloop Point, a move expected to invite more visitors to the area. The site plan outlines two phases: The first includes 240 RV sites, with the second including 177. Amenities would include two bathhouses and a 20-foot natural buffer with a walking trail surrounding the property.
Picnicking in San Diego is about to cost more. Starting January 2, the county raised picnic area reservation fees, with family areas increasing from $125 to $150 and larger group areas also seeing $25 hikes. The county says the increases help cover rising costs and maintain park quality. The change follows earlier fee hikes last February, including higher parking rates and RV partial hook-up campsite fees.
New Year’s Eve may be over, but it’s never too late to learn about “ball drop” traditions around the U.S. Check some of these out and start thinking about next New Year’s, where you could attend one of these fun events.
RV review
2026 Airstream Trade Wind 25FB walkthrough highlights new features
The 2026 Airstream Trade Wind™ 25FB packs serious off-grid power into a classic 25-foot front-bedroom layout. It blends rugged upgrades with a bright, comfortable interior that still feels like a true Airstream. The Trade Wind 25FB is available with either twin beds or a queen bed, and with or without the rear hatch. The trailer in this walkthrough is the popular twin-bed version with the optional hatch. Check it out.
A small, brilliant cutlery organizer for your RV
It’s like this was made for RVs! Usually cutlery organizers take up entire drawers, you know those ones that spread out and take up unnecessary space. This one doesn’t do that! This small compact tray organizes your cutlery in an amazing space-saving way. It fits up to 24 pieces of cutlery, so you’re not losing any space! Check it out and/or order it at Amazon or Walmart.
WORD OF THE DAY: Agentic: Traditionally, agentic described human agency—the ability to act independently, make choices, and shape one’s environment. In 2025, the term has expanded to include agentic AI: technologies that can perform tasks autonomously and make independent decisions. This shift reflects a growing fascination—and unease—about machines taking on self-directed capabilities once considered uniquely human.
Reader poll
Do you keep lights on outside your RV at night?
Trivia
Yellowstone’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful, was once routinely used for doing laundry. Back in the 1880s, people put the geyser’s hot water to good use! Henry J. Winser, an early Yellowstone guide, wrote, “Old Faithful is sometimes degraded by being made a laundry. Garments placed in the crater during quiescence are ejected thoroughly washed when the eruption takes place. Gen. Sheridan’s men, in 1882, found that linen and cotton fabrics were uninjured by the action of the water, but woolen clothes were torn to shreds.”
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Very sad about the 7 y.o. boy who, I assume, ran into the side of the truck. Probably no helmet. This goes to show why: A) Kids shouldn’t be operating powered vehicles in campgrounds, and B) Parents need to be watching their young kids and not just turning them loose. A kid that age has no concept of the safety issues or etiquette.
Side note: Just saw an NBC news story on a 7 yo boy that was lured into another campsite by a pedophile and kidknapped. Fortunately he was recovered in a police stop that ended in a collision with an officer.
Parents: PLEASE watch your kids!!!
I have personally seen people of all ages on the electric bikes FLYING through the RV park. Most without ANY safety gear, as far as I’m concerned the death of this child falls to the parents. I feel sorry for the driver who has to live with this event that was NOT his fault.
We were in a Texas State Park this past summer when a kid probably young teens came flying out of campsite road onto main park road (where speed limit was 35 mph) on electric bike running so fast he ran into the lane that would have been oncoming traffic. If someone had been in that lane there is no way they could have avoided a collision.
Golf carts are just as bad. I see children driving those things like there is no tomorrow. Scary to think if they drive those things at those speeds do not want to see them on a regular road 10 years later.