Issue 412 of RV Travel
Learn about RV camping, RV travel, RV news and much more. This newsletter is funded through sales at RVbookstore.com, the World's Largest RV Bookstore specializing in books and DVDs about RVs and the RV lifestyle.

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JUST PUBLISHED.
2010 Guide To The Firearm Laws of the 50 States
RVers who travel with a firearm may not know that what's legal in their home state may be a felony in another. This 2010 guide explains current, specific gun laws for every state. Don't cross a state line with a gun without knowing the laws! Only $13.95. Learn more or order.

*A few 2009 guides are still available for $6.95

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Editor's corner
By Chuck Woodbury

Dear reader,
Have you seen the TV program "Hoarders?" It's about people with a compulsion to hoard just about everything. Nothing gets thrown away. According to the program, three million people in America qualify as "hoarders."

Horders' homes become so cluttered that the residents can barely move. A recent episode profiled a Phoenix woman whose condo was so filled with stuff (mostly junk) that the largest available space to eat, watch TV or simply relax was on one double bed in the living room. Her two kids' bedrooms were too packed for them to even reach their beds, much less sleep there. And so they slept on couches in the living room.

I don't think many RVtravel.com readers are hoarders. This newsletter is read mostly by avid RVers -- those who travel a lot throughout the year. More than half of you travel at least two months a year. More than a third of you travel four months or more. About 12 percent live in your RVs full-time.

I believe one of the best feelings associated with RVing is the freedom we experience when we are away from all our "stuff." Before we head out on a trip, we pare down what we need to a bare minimum. Those 20 pairs of shoes in our home closet get cut down to two or three. We bring six favorite shirts and leave 60 others at home -- same with jackets -- one or two instead of the dozen at home. Our big stereo system shrinks to a pocket-sized iPod. Our bulky family picture albums are digital, viewable on flickr.com in cyberspace.

It's impossible to be a serious hoarder when you spend much of your time in an RV. Even though I am not a hoarder myself -- pretty much the opposite -- I love the simplicity of my life in my RV where my collection of "stuff" is a fraction of what it is back home. As I have said before, if my home in Washington were to burn to the ground while I was traveling with my motorhome, I wouldn't lose much that I would ever miss: What matters most to me would be in my RV. What about you? Leave a comment in our reader forum.

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THANK YOU. . . to the readers who made a voluntary subscription donation to this newsletter last week. . . . To others, if you enjoy this weekly newsletter, would you please consider making a voluntary subscription contribution? No matter how small, it will be put to good use and will be much appreciated. Visit here for details.

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Live Webcast next Saturday
with the RV Doctor Gary Bunzer next Saturday, Jan. 23 at 10 a.m., Pacific Time. Details in next week's newsletter and on Twitter. Gary will answer your questions about RV maintenance and repair. Watch on your computer. Free admission. Email your questions to Gary at TalkToUs (at) RVtravel.com .

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We have updated our list of upcoming RV Shows for 2010. Check it out to find out about a show coming to your town.
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Do you get an email alert every Saturday morning notifying you of a new issue of this newsletter? If not, sign up here. It takes about 10 seconds.

Win cash with our Pot of Gold Contest.

Our RVtravel.com & RVbookstore.com Pot of Gold Contest continues on Monday. The cash prize is now $93. Each weekday we randomly select a Zip Code. If you live there and are the first to tell us, you win the money which increases every day there's no winner. To participate, click here Monday through Friday (bookmark this page.)

LAST WEEK'S ZIP CODES:
11746, 95726, 43342, 84142 and 35905. If your official residence is in any of these Zip Codes, you probably would have won between $88 and $92 if you had checked the contest and told us.

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The Arizona State Parks Board voted unanimously Friday, Jan. 15, to close 13 additional Arizona's state parks in response to budget cuts. The move leaves two-thirds of the state's parks closed including some popular RV destinations. The action shuts down some of Arizona's Old West landmarks including Tombstone Courthouse and the Yuma Territorial Prison. Some parks will close almost immediately. The last round of closures will come in June when the popular RV camping destinations of Picacho Peak, Lost Dutchman and Alamo Lake will close along with others. Read more including which parks will remain open.

Closing a state park has big repercussions
Lost Dutchman State Park is just one of many Arizona state parks that will be shut down by Arizona because of the state's money problems. This television news report shows how such a closure affects the park's patrons as well as the local economy.

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2010 Big Rigs Best Bets
Campground Directory
Do you drive an RV or RV/car combo over 30 feet? Then this directory is for you. Learn where you can stay where you'll fit in real comfy-like, and not like a sardine (or not at all because your rig is too long). Learn more or order.

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Free fishing in Texas State Parks
Texas Parks & Wildlife has waived the normal fishing license and stamp requirements for anyone fishing in a Texas state park. Once park entrance fees are paid, no license or stamp is required as long as the angler is inside the park boundaries. Learn more.

FEMA RV auction irks politicians, RV dealers
When the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) tried to sell individual or small lots of suplus RVs, RV dealers and politicians blasted them for endangering public safety and taking sales away from RV dealers. Now FEMA is trying to sell a really BIG lot of both RVs and mobile homes, and politicians and RV dealers are upset all over again. More.

Is Thetford's "Smart Drain" system right for your RV?
A few months back, Thetford, the big name in RV chemicals, introduced a new sewer hose and fitting package they call "Smart Drain." At Russ De Maris' request, the company sent one for evaluation. See what Russ concluded, and whether you would want to pop for the mid-$60 asking price.

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Wal-Mart Atlas & FREE Bonus
"No Overnight RV Parking" Directory
Order the popular Wal-Mart Atlas and receive the "No Overnight Parking" Directory for FREE --  only $21.95 for both. Retail cover price purchased separately $29.90! Most Wal-Marts permit a free overnight stay in RVs. The Wal-Mart Atlas provides driving directions to more than 4,000 Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs. It lists which stores sell diesel, have pharmacies, and the book provides store GPS coordinates. The "No Park" Directory lists more than 350 stores that DO NOT allowstays! Learn more or order. 

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New (or improved)
RVtravel.com blogs
RV California * Boondocking * RVing the East * Heathly RV Living * The RV Doctor* National Park Visitor* Florida RVer* RV Arizona * Texas RVer  * RV Short Stops *

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When buying an RV consider how you will use it
Thinking about buying an RV? Before you do, think long and hard about how you plan to use it. Picking the wrong type of RV may limit you from what you want to do with it. Read more.

RV snowbirds: Summer 12 months long
Sean Michael celebrates those RVers who head south for the winter. Hear from one RV snowbird couple about why they love their ongoing adventure, where summer is "twelve months long." You may get an insight into this incredibly free and stimulating lifestyle.

Wanted for murder:
He may be traveling with an RV
Hobbs, New Mexico police are asking for the public's help in locating Phillip Ed Harrison, who is wanted for murder. Harrison is now on the run, possibly in an RV, and police say he could be anywhere. Anyone with information about Harrison is urged to call Hobbs Police at 575-397-9200.

Essential for RV do-it-yourselfers working on copper tubing
If you undertake any gas line installation or modification in your RV, you'll likely be dealing with soft copper tubing. The only SAFE fittings for copper gas lines are flare fittings. To use flare copper fittings, here's a quick primer on the subject.

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FREE GUIDE TO ALASKA!
No doubt about it, many RVers yearn to travel to Alaska. If that's you, then send for the new, free North to Alaska Guide from Alaska Tourism. Order a printed guide to be delivered to your doorstep or view the online guide immediately so you can start planning your trip today! Click here.

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DID YOU MISS
LAST WEEK'S ISSUE? If so, read it here.

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NEW 2010 EDITIONS
National Park Service Camping Guide
& RV Camping in State Parks - SAVE!
Here are two great guidebooks -- both published for RVers and both just updated for 2010 -- to RV camping in State and National Parks, packaged together to save you $4.78 over purchasing them separately. Learn more or order.

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READ BACK ISSUES OF THIS NEWSLETTER: Click here.

Get the latest RV news headlines at Twitter.

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NEW ARRIVALS
at RVbookstore.com
Check 'em out. Good stuff.

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DID YOU KNOW?
Fourteen percent of RVTravel readers reported in a recent survey that if a "cute, friendly chipmunk" visited their campsite they would feed it. Forty percent would not. The rest might or might not. See the actual survey results.

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RV Classified Ads
If you're looking to buy an RV, new or used, please check out the new RVtravel.com RV classified section. There are literally thousands of RVs of every size, price and model available. Search by location, price, brand or model RV, new or used to find your perfect rig!

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How to keep your truck camper warm
Keeping warm in the winter in your truck camper can be a tricky exercise. Insulation values for truck campers vary widely, both by manufacturer and age of the rig. Where you go is another story, too, since truck campers are more on the line of "go anywhere" rigs, it's not uncommon to find their owners tooling them around in the snow country. Read more.

Can you trust your RV's gauges?
Somewhere in your RV is a control panel where, with the push of a button, you're told the status of your RV tanks -- fresh water, gray water, black water, propane level and electrical battery charge. Many RVers are dismayed when they find those tell-tale readings don't always tell the truth. What's the deal?

New way to exercise for RVers?
This year one of the hottest holiday gift items was Wii Fit, and if you don’t have one for your RV you may wonder what the excitement is all about. For some RVers, using this device can be a fun way to exercise. Learn more.

General Delivery: mail for the fulltime RVer
A concern many have before starting out on the fulltime road is how they’ll get their mail. After all, in the land of no fixed addresses, how will Mr. Postman find you? Here's one way that works.

. . .Read related post about getting mail on the road.

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Newest eBooks at RVbookstore.com
Order now and read within a few minutes

Snowbird Guide to Boondocking in the Southwest Deserts (by Bob Difley) $9.95
RVing Alaska: Insights and Observations (by Joe and Vicki Kieva). $9.95
Winterizing and Storing your RV (by Mark Polk) $12.95
The Snowbird's Guide to Quartzsite (by Russ and Tina De Maris) $11.95
Boondocking: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America's Public Lands (by Bob Difley) $9.95
RV Bookdocking in Southern Texas (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95
RV Boondocking In Arizona (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95
RV Boondocking in New Mexico (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95

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"What you need to know in as few words as possible."

Attendance at North Carolina's state parks jumped 13 percent in 2009, registering 14.2 million visits last year, up from about 12.5 million visits in 2008.

The 2010 Pennsylvania RV and Camping Guide has been published and is available at many RV shows. It is also available online.

More than two million people visited Glacier National Park in 2009, up more than 12 percent from 2008. Meanwhile, Yosemite National Park's visitation in 2009 was the highest since 1996.

A limited number of campsites are available in Atlanta Motor Speedway's three newest campgrounds for the Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend in March. Camping options begin at $150 and extend to $7,000 for the season.

Plan to pay a lot more when crossing certain San Francisco Bay Area bridges with an RV. Tolls for RVs are expected to jump 300 percent, about the same as semi-trailers. The fees, if approved, will go into effect July 1.

The Recreation Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation will hold an RV Lifestyle, Education & Safety Conference June 3-6 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The conference is similar to the old Life on Wheels, offering learning opportunities about RVing.

Fish for free today at Fort Richardson State Park from 9 a.m. to noon. The Texas state park's Quarry Lake has been stocked with rainbow trout, bass, catfish, crappie and perch.

This motorhome caught fire at the Santiam rest area along I-5 in Oregon. The driver tried to start the 1979 RV several times before smoke appeared in the engine compartment. The RV owner, his cat and the Jeep tow vehicle survived. As you can see, the RV did not. See more motorhome fires.

Antelope Island State Park on Utah's Great Salt Lake, set visitation and revenue records last year.

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Free Shipping on RV covers at Camping World through 2/21/10

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A new "super snake" may be lurking in the Florida Everglades. Searchers recently captured a 14-foot African rock python. Officials fear the African snakes may have bred with Burmese pythons to create a big, mean "super snake" known to kill goats, alligators and even humans.

One of the early RV consumer websites, RVclub.com, has been sold to the Affinity Group, publishers of Trailer Life, Motorhome and owners of the Good Sam Club. No plans announced for the site's future.

Car enthusiast Ron Jones has tattooed his body with scenes along Route 66. Learn more and see a photo.

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How to keep a mouse out of your RV-house
Mark Polk has some advice about how to keep mice and other rodents out of your RV. We told you about this story last August, but interest in the subject is so high we thought we'd alert readers who missed it the first time around. Read the article and the comments from RVers with their own advice.

Camping on public lands near
California's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
RV Wheel Life blogger Julianne Crane reports about her RV boondocking stay on the public lands near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California.

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RV TOURS
Chosen by Discriminating RVers since 1975
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Roy Rogers museum shuts its doors
We are sad to report that the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum has closed its doors. It was once a popular tourist attraction in Victorville, Calif., then in 2003 moved to Branson, Missouri. Bad move. It did not thrive there and has now closed for good. Watch the video to the right for a fitting tribute to this sad passing.
Dog Friendly's Campground and RV Park Guide
This is a jam-packed, well-researched directory of campgrounds, filled with detailed information, about where you can camp with a dog in the USA and Canada. Learn more or order.

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By Jim Twamley
Professor of RVing

Cook outdoors with new, improved portable stoves
Did you grow up tenting? Remember the wonderful smell of waking up to Mom or Dad cooking breakfast on the Coleman stove? Well, Coleman is still making cooking stoves, but boy have they changed! Read more.

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299 piece FIRST AID KIT - Save 68%
If you do not have a good first aid kit in your RV, then get this one -- 299 pieces all together for only $12.95, a savings of 68 percent over the list price of $39.99. You will not find a quality kit like this anywhere else at such a low price. This is a special deal for RVtravel.com readers only. ONE PER CUSTOMER AT THIS LOW PRICE. Learn more or order.

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Free and cheap
camping in your RV

Here are two locations submitted by the readers of FreeCampgrounds.com about places to spend a night in your RV for free or nearly free.

Melrose City Park
Near Melrose, Minnesota
Very nice campground right on the Sauk River. Campground located around baseball field, so lots of activity in the early evenings but very quiet once it's dark. Learn more here.

Aspen Basin Campground
Near Santa Fe, New Mexico
Location: Fifteen miles from downtown Santa Fe on NM 475. Take Bishop's Lodge Road to Artist Road, which will turn into NM 475, also known as Hyde Park Road. Uses: Camping, hiking, access to winter recreation Seasons: Year-round Fees: None  Learn more here.

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Headed to Alaska?
Check out this books and DVDs
2009 Milepost Directory
DVD: RVing Alaska with Joe and Vicki Kieva
Traveler's Guide to Alaska Camping
Guide to the Alaska Highway
The World  Famous Alaska Highway
DVD:Alaska By RV
More Alaska Books & DVDs