America’s Original RV Newsletter. Since 2001
Issue 1243
Free edition (funded by advertising)
Today’s thought
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” —Henry David Thoreau
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Houseplant Appreciation Day!
On this day in history: 1901 – New York: Automobile Club of America installs signs on major highways.
RV shows: Dozens are going on this month across the USA. See if there is one near you.
And if you’re in the area, be sure to attend RV tech expert Dave Solberg’s seminars at the Chicago RV Show this weekend. More info here.
Featured news
Zion National Park to prohibit large RVs from traveling through park
Zion National Park will impose new restrictions on oversized vehicles traveling the historic Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway beginning June 7. Park officials say the changes are intended to improve safety, protect historic infrastructure, and reduce traffic delays along the 10.7-mile route. Continue reading.
Workcampers getting younger, challenging older RVers for jobs
Workcamping has long appealed to retired RVers looking to stay active and offset travel costs. Now, a report shows the average age of workcampers is dropping as younger families enter the mix and increase competition for work once dominated by older RVers. Here’s the story.
Putting a sticker on your national park pass could invalidate it
The Department of the Interior says adding stickers or adhesives to an America the Beautiful pass to cover an image they object to can make it invalid—even if the barcode and signature are still visible. The clarification comes as some visitors object to a living politician’s image appearing on the pass, which has traditionally featured scenic designs. Read more.
New “wow” RVs
New futuristic, power-generating RV debuts; recharges the truck towing it
A futuristic new RV is turning heads with a bold promise: it can generate its own power and even recharge the truck towing it. Debuting at CES 2026, this high-tech trailer is designed for long off-grid stays, EV tow vehicles, and a very different vision of boondocking. Is it the future of RV travel? Take a closer look.
Bowlus unveils 2026 Endless Highways Frontier Edition travel trailer
Bowlus introduced its 2026 Endless Highways Frontier Edition recently. The new model combines off-grid capability with a suite of standard packages and options designed for varied terrain and extended stays without hookups. Plus, it’s beautiful!
‘Telescoping magnetic grabber saves money and my day’
Earlier this week, my car battery died, and my dad (our publisher, Chuck) helped me replace it. Just as he tightened the last screw, a metal piece slipped and disappeared deep into the engine bay. With the battery barely secure, we headed to the auto parts store where a clerk said, “Wait! I have a tool for that!” and brought out his magnetic grabber device. He poked it into the depths of the hood… and, boom, the piece instantly attached to the strong magnet! Problem solved! I suggest we ALL carry this in our toolkits from now on…
More news for RVers:
For RVers planning trips to national parks, the national park funding impact on RV travelers most often shows up in practical ways, including campground access, staffing levels, and the availability of basic services on arrival. A Senate-approved appropriations package now preserves core funding and staffing for the National Park Service. It avoids cuts that could have disrupted park operations.
HAPPENING NOW: Reservations for the 2026 camping season along the Blue Ridge Parkway will open at 10 a.m. EST this morning (Saturday, January 10). Sites often fill quickly, particularly for weekends and holidays. More info here.
Pickup trucks continue to dominate the U.S. used-vehicle market, led once again by the Ford F-150, which remains the best-selling used vehicle in America. The findings are based on an iSeeCars analysis of more than 9 million used vehicle sales. Here’s more info.
Love’s Travel Stops is now serving customers in Eloy, Arizona, and Milan Township, Ohio, with two newly opened travel stops. One has RV hookup sites, one does not, but both have dog parks. In 2025, Love’s added 18 new locations.
Across 2025, more than 80,000 RVs were recalled for various safety defects. Here are the December 2025 recalls. Is your RV on the list?
A New Jersey couple’s RV trip turned tragic in Dunn, North Carolina, when their motorhome caught fire while parked at a convenience store last Sunday afternoon—a reminder of how quickly an ordinary stop can turn into an emergency.
Former Camping World and Good Sam Club CEO Marcus Lemonis has been named the CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond. Lemonis plans to relaunch 300 stores and expand beyond household goods, adding high-margin services like warranties, insurance products and financing tools. (Sound familiar?)
Reservations by Canadian snowbirds are down sharply at parks across the U.S. Sunbelt this winter. Last winter Canadians accounted for about 8% of the winter business at Applebrook RV Resorts‘ six Florida RV properties. “For this season, we anticipate that this business will decline to 3%,” said CEO Richard O’Brien. —Woodall’s Campground Management
SOMETHING TO CROAK ABOUT: Do not worry if you are caught speeding in Utah—you will not be pulled over by a frog. The rumor originated in Heber City, where an AI-generated police report claimed that one of its officers had been transformed into a frog.
RV review
A look at the 2026 Lost Pines Hemlock destination trailer—RV or house?
By Gail Marsh
Recently, I posted an article asking which is better for long-term living: an RV or a tiny home? One reader responded, “What about RV destination trailers?” So, let’s take a look at Forest River’s Lost Pines lineup of destination trailers. These RVs can be moved to your permanent location and are intended to be used full-time or for extended stays. Let’s focus on the Hemlock, which could easily be someone’s full-time home.
See every detail clearly with this 5X magnifier
See every detail clearly with this handheld LED magnifying glass. Featuring a large 4.72″ x 3″ rectangular lens with 5X magnification, crystal-clear acrylic optics, and 12 bright LEDs, it makes reading, crafting, or inspecting small items effortless. Learn more here.
News briefs
The water pumps at Oak Spring in Texas’ Big Bend National Park failed completely on December 23. The pumps supply water to the Chisos Basin developed area from Oak Spring, the area’s only water source. Repairs are expected to take at least several weeks.
The original Love’s Travel Stops location in Watonga, Oklahoma, which opened in 1964 when Tom Love took over an abandoned gas station, will be converted into a museum honoring the Love family and the company’s growth from a single store to more than 600 locations in 42 states.
The California Highway Patrol recently came to the rescue of two pigs along the highway in Tracy, California. One pig was wild, the other one domestic. Neither belonged along the road where a speeding vehicle could instantly transform them into ingredients for a ham sandwich. Two CHP officers herded the porkers to the side of the road, where they could root for food under safer circumstances.
California now has 68% more electric vehicle (EV) charging ports than gas pumps statewide, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC). That’s 201,180 publicly available and shared EV charging ports. EV chargers can be found at convenience stores such as Love’s Travel Stops, Jacksons Food Stores, 7-Eleven, Circle K and more. They are also available at various grocery stores, parking lots, workplaces and sports facilities.
Another section of U.S. Highway 2 in Washington state reopened January 4 following damage from historic storms. The newly opened road provides west-side access between Skykomish and the Stevens Pass Ski Resort. East of Stevens Pass, from milepost 50 to 64, is now open in both directions until 6 p.m.
Speaking of Washington state… Washington is often called the most waterfall-rich state in the country, with nearly 3,000 waterfalls to explore.
State Route 148 through Utah’s Cedar Breaks National Monument has entered its routine seasonal winter closure. Snowmobile use is now permitted on the designated, marked route that follows the roadway.
Whispering Pines Nudist Resort in Brunswick County, North Carolina, wants to add 12 more sites to its current 57 RV sites to total 69. The county has not yet said yea or nay on the expansion. Did you know that 32 percent of RVtravel.com readers have either stayed at a nudist resort with their RV or would consider it? It’s true!
Ice has formed on the upper cables and towers of Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge, which could force traffic closures. Ice chunks, sheets, and spears that fall from the bridge’s towers and cables have damaged vehicles and could injure or kill occupants. If you plan to cross the bridge, check here or tune to AM radio 530 or 1610 when you get close.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area began a significant road improvement project on Willow Beach Road on January 5, 2026, with construction anticipated to conclude by mid-March.
A new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that women had a statistically significantly higher risk of injury than men in 26% of 150 vehicular crash models.
The west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, including the restrooms, will close to inbound and outbound traffic from 6 a.m., Jan. 12 (Monday), through 7 a.m., Jan. 17. Park Boulevard will also close to vehicle traffic for six miles from the west entrance to Quail Springs Picnic Area. All other park roads are expected to remain open.
… And up north, Generals Highway is closed for the winter in Sequoia National Park between Wuksachi Lodge and Montecito Lodge. It is not possible to drive between Grant Grove/General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon National Park and Giant Forest and General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park. The closed section usually opens in late March.
Critters, rejoice! The Arizona Department of Transportation is building a wildlife overpass and fence along Interstate 17 between Kelly Canyon and Munds Park (mileposts 322-331) south of Flagstaff. The project is expected to be completed this coming fall.
Parking passes are now available for the 2026 Rhode Island State Beach season. Get resident, non-resident, or senior (65+) parking passes online at beachparkingri.com. Physical passes are no longer used for entry in favor of license plate identification.
The huge, free Quartzsite, Ariz., RV Show begins next Saturday, Jan. 17. No reservations are needed to boondock on the BLM public lands that surround town. Just follow any makeshift dirt road into the desert and park where you like for free for up to two weeks. The RV show continues through Jan. 25.
Sears appears to be nearing the end of its life, according to The New York Times. Only five stores remain. Years of changing shopping habits, online competition, and failed turnaround efforts proved too much. At its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, Sears employed as many as 350,000 people.
Most dogs excel at action commands but struggle to remember the names of objects. New research shows some dogs can learn the names of new objects simply by overhearing their owners talk about them. In a study of 10 dogs, seven successfully identified and retrieved a new toy after passively listening to conversations alone.
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
Have a phone? Have a tablet? If you answered yes, you might want to take a look at this and see if it would be helpful for your time using those devices. We think so.
Reader poll
Do you think campground quiet hours are taken seriously enough?
TAKE A GUESS: Most RVers carry their owner’s manual and important documents in their glove compartment, but what’s the third most common item found in RVtravel.com readers’ glove boxes? Is it: napkins or tissues? A first aid kit? Charging cables? Or a flashlight? Find out here.
Upcoming RV shows & seminars. Click here.
Trivia
In 1930, Mickey Mouse’s dog, Pluto, was known as Rover. A year later, he became Pluto. Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen said the character’s original name, Rover, was changed because it felt too common, though he couldn’t recall the exact reason. Some animators later speculated the name Pluto was inspired by the newly discovered planet. But animation historian John Canemaker says Walt Disney simply named the character after a dog he once owned.
Laugh of the week
We have shown you this before, but it’s been a while. This four-minute clip from “The Simpsons” shows Homer and the family at Bob’s RV Roundup to buy a motorhome. We howl every time we watch this. You will, too. Soooooo funny!
The perfect scam
Archive Episode: Recent MBA Wakes Up From Dream Work-From-Home Job
Remote work, which became popular during the pandemic, is now commonplace. Criminals, alas, are paying attention. In this episode, a recent MBA graduate lands what feels like her dream job at a startup that advocates for women’s empowerment. The company culture is great, and the job is interesting. But when her paychecks arrive, she suspects the job is too good to be true.
Please, please, please have good windshield wipers for winter!
Did you know you could buy windshield wipers for your car and RV on Amazon? Here are motorhome wipers, and here are all car wipers. Winter is not the time for bad wipers!
FREE IS GOOD! The 2026 Camping, Glamping and Travel Guide to Missouri is available free in the state and at some locations elsewhere. Or you can send for the printed edition by mail at MoCampingGlampingTravel.com where the digital edition is instantly available.
Today in history
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RVtravel.com All Star Team
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Is that salesman with Homer Marcus Lemonis?! 🤣🤣🤣 Well, maybe not. They missed the extended warranty, the windshield, paint,& fabric “protection,” the Bad Sam membership, the roadside assistance package, the……. 😉😆
The salesman reminded me of the old Cheech & Chong routine of a car salesman saying, “It’s cheap too! Only fifty dollars down, fifty dollars a week, for fifty years!”
I mostly agree, but my Good Sam membership has been great!
Sorry, but hitting a pig doesn’t produce ham until it has been “cured” of its injuries. Maybe pulled pork?
Of course Canadian reservations are down! How do you expect us to feel about your federal government leader? 51st. state? Annexation? What is wrong with him?
We had been your closest ally for generations, helping during the Iran hostage crisis, 911, going to all the wars (ok, not the 2003 Iraq war) America said were just, and on and on.
Do you think people from Greenland are going to “pick up the slack?”
Sorry for the rant, but I really miss my winters in California and Arizona.
Regarding Canadian snowbird reservations, what isn’t stated is that in Florida the campgrounds are filled with RV’s. I checked a few of the “Applebrook” properties and there was no availability. So for us US citizens this is actually a good thing.
Normally in ice conditions the mighty mac aka Mackinaw Bridge shuts down. But yes ice is fun to watch falling from the high suspension. As for quiet hours? Should see where I stay. That place is quiet by 10pm. Can hear a pin drop.
The current Canada Loonie to the US dollar exchange is Canada’s (dollar) is valued at 71 cents to the US dollar. Canadians can’t afford to vacation here.
Instead of blaming US for your problems, try changing your Canada leadership. In our travels, we’ve befriended many wonderful Canadians. Most of them dislike Trudeau and Carney. We used to enjoy walleye fishing in Ontario but your government imposed more restrictions and fees. That killed Canada fishing for most of us. Please fix your government.