By Emily Woodbury
As the old fable goes, “Little pig, little pig, let me come in.” “Not, by the hair on my chiny chin chin.” “Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.” Sound familiar? Last Saturday we wondered if, in Three Little Pigs lingo, your RV was made out of straw, sticks or bricks. Whew (that was the Big Bad Wolf letting out a sigh of relief), 46 percent of you say your RV would be made out of bricks, 41 percent of you answered sticks, and an unlucky 16 percent said straw. Yikes. Reader TR Kelley says, “Our ‘new’ TT (2014) is from an entry-level brand but had been well-maintained by the previous owner. We went in knowing there’d be maintenance and such, but we’re DIY people. Everything we fix, we fix better than the original. So it’s definitely sticks, will never be bricks, won’t let it deteriorate to straw!” And a hilarious Pat says, “Maybe sticks, duct tape and eternabond …”
On Monday we had food on our minds (oh wait…that’s every day) and asked: How many times a week do you eat frozen boxed dinners? The majority, 74 percent of you, answered that you never eat them, 20 percent say you have them once a week, 5 percent say you use that handy microwave a few nights a week, and 1 percent (about 11 votes) say you eat them every night.
We have some serious travelers in the group, huh? On Tuesday we wondered how many states you’ve visited in your RV, and we are pleasantly surprised at the answers! Just about a quarter of voters have visited between 30-50 states in your RVs. A lucky 16 percent have visited between 20-30, and 22 percent say they’ve visited between 10-20. Where is your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to in your RV? Tell us in the comments!
Last week, as I was placing my weekly Amazon Prime order, I wondered, “Hmm. I wonder how many of our readers shop on Amazon and if they do, how frequently?” So, that’s the question you got on Wednesday. A hefty 35 percent of you say you place an Amazon order about once a month, 26 percent say you place an order every two to three weeks, 22 percent of you order once a week, and 6 percent (about 150 of you) order every day! Wow! A small 10 percent of voters say they never shop on Amazon. Well, that’s okay, I probably buy enough on Amazon to make up for the 10 percent who don’t. Lazy? Maybe. Hold your judgments.
On Thursday we asked you to vote for your favorite outdoor activity. I went a little, well, overboard with answers, so I’ll attach the poll to the left here so you can see for yourself. Your top three favorite activities? Hiking, fishing, and biking, though a larger percentage said you prefer your couch to anything outside. Well, okay then!
We now have a new feature in our weekly RVtravel newsletter called, “Rate your RV!” Last week, we asked you to rate your Thor Ace motorhome, and the results were … not great (to put it nicely). For those who own an Ace, 34 percent of you said you’d rate your motorhome poor, 25 percent answered below average, and 27 percent said just about average. A small 13 percent said it’s above average or excellent. (This is how I feel about all that: 
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All right! Off into November we go! See you back here “next month.” Have a safe and happy Halloween and enjoy the week ahead. I’d make a skeleton joke, but you wouldn’t find it very humerus.
I for one love my 2012 Thor Ace 29.1. Yes, I’ve had some maintenance done, but I went in with eyes wide open and expected that. It is the 1st year that this model was made, but there are not a lot of bells and whistles, just enough really, so nothing very major has happened since I bought her in September 2015. She still smelled brand new and only had 7000 miles on her. I bought her from a private seller for $55000. I thought it was a great deal, put $20000 down, and financed $35000. I now only have $20000 more to pay and she will be all mine. Thor has always answered their service department phone line and given me guidance for do-it-yourself problem resolution, and I’ve always been able to efficiently/cost effectively resolved them. Did I mention I am a newly retired (in 2016) single woman, and have crossed the country and back twice from California to the East Coast, putting more than 35000 miles on her. I am trying to visit as many national parks as possible as well as see family and friends in the East. I’m having the time of my life and making San Diego my home base is good weather for winter storage. Though a bit outta the way, if I wanna pick up and go for a month or 2 in the winter, Arizona and New Mexico are right there. I love my rig! ❤ Rita
I left the cold and lands of high taxes long ago. I moved to the southern coast of NC for ‘No Mo Sno’. We travel the south 6 – 7 months a year and never tow above the Mason Dixon Line.
When not enjoying the four seasons of our home state, New Hampshire, we love traveling to The Yukon and Alaska.
We have two favorites: Palo Alto Canyon , TX in the winter and Northland Outfitters, Seeney Wildlife Reserve in Upper Pennisula, MI in the summer. At the canyon, you travel to the bottom to camp where the view is amazing and the wildlife come right up to your campsite to say hello.
Becky, did you actually mean “Palo Duro Canyon State Park” (near Amarillo)? Your description sounds like it.
My favorite states to visit are Alaska, Colorado, and Utah in warm months, and Arizona, Texas, and Florida in the winter. We like moderate temperatures.