By Chuck Woodbury

A reporter at the Cincinnati Enquirer phoned me Thursday to learn about why many RVers "camp" in Wal-Mart parking lots. A nearby town is considering banning the practice. The reporter didn't understand why that would be necessary.

The only thing she could figure was that the RVers who stayed were "down and outers" in beat up rigs. I told her that wasn't the case at all, that most of the RVs are well-kept, and the people in them come from all walks of life from rich to poor. She was surprised when I told her that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas admitted recently that even he has stayed overnight in a Wal-Mart parking lot in his own RV. I referred the reporter to a survey on this website that revealed that more RVers stay at Wal-Mart for convenience sake than to simply save money.

But I told her that the reason many communities try to ban such freebie stays is due to pressure from local RV park owners, who see each parking lot squatter as dollars lost. And, of course, there is that one or two percent of RVers who stay for days or even weeks on end, and others who dump garbage or worse in the lots. My guess is that in most cases it is this small, slimy element of the RV community that forces a store or community to put up "No overnight parking" signs.

I told the reporter about some towns that banned overnight stays in Wal-Marts and/or other public parking areas, but later reversed their decisions. Billings, Mont., and Prince George, BC, were two towns that came to mind. Both backtracked from banning stays entirely and simply established time limits -- 18 hours in Billings and 35 in Prince George, which is acceptable to most RVers.

If word gets out to the RV community about name of the Cincinnati-area town that wants to ban Wal-Mart stays, I can pretty much guarantee that its mayor and city council members will see a flurry of angry email in the days that follow.

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2008 Next Exit Directory
Be the first to get this hot-off-the-press directory. Learn what you will find at every Interstate highway exit: gas/diesel, campgrounds, truck stops, casinos, stores, malls, hospitals, factory outlet stores, parks and more.Learn more. 

Recent RV recalls
Each month we list the latest recalls of RVs at RVtravel.com. Here are the most recent ones: October -- September -- August -- July -- June

All about RV batteries
and solar battery charging
These products will make you an expert!
Managing 12 volts (book)
RVers Guide to Solar Battery Charging (book)
Deep Cycle Batteries (DVD)
The RVers Solar Primer (book)

RVer sues after injury at RV park
Do you have the right to collect damages in a court of law if you injure yourself while staying at an RV park? This RVer thought she did. See what the judges decided.

Avoid the wall-to-wall camping crowd at Quartzsite
Good news if you want to spend the winter in the Quartzsite area and have a little elbow room. There are places where you can camp by yourself amid nature, yet still have a fairly short drive to the vendors and action in Quartzsite. Here are directions to one such special place.

Aeroacoustic noise? Maybe your RV has it
What in the world is "aeroacoustic noise," and what does it have to do with RVs? Could it be present in your rig, and if so, what can you do about it? Information.

RVers Guide to Truck Stops
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Last week's survey question
Has any RV you have ever owned been vandalized? Read the results here.

Past reader surveys and results.

Find Wal-Mart stores for FREE overnight stays
The 2007 Wal-Mart Locator is the best resource for locating Wal-Mart stores (with driving directions), most of which allow free overnight RV stays in their parking lots. This 2007 edition includes hundreds of updates from the previous edition. Our low price only $19.96. Learn more or order.

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner in an RV
Evanne Schmarder's favorite place to prepare a Thanksgiving meal is in her RV. In the latest episode of her RV Cooking Show, from her fifth wheel trailer, she shows you how to make "Mom's Famous Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce." She also shares a recipe for "Really Delicious Sweet Potatoes."

Only the best: $2 million RV for race driver superstar
Sports stars can afford the best, and that certainly includes RVs. Guess who just bought a custom $2 milion-dollar motorhome? All the rest of us can do is drool. Click here.

Bargains at RVbookstore.com
Low, low prices. Save up to 80% and even more!

NEW ARRIVALS at RVbookstore.com. Check them out

Contest updates: Cash prizes now total $636.00
Our Pot of Gold Contest cash prize is now $295, and the pot at our Your Name is Money contest is now an impressive $341. Check weekdays between 8-2 (Pacific time) to see if you're a winner.

Heaven on Earth - Enjoy nature in Tennessee
If you prefer a breath of fresh air without actually getting your heart rate up, Tennessee is your kind of sightseeing tour. Come unwind in Tennessee, a state known for its abundance of natural resources in eye candy. Learn more.

Plan an RV trip to the country's largest casino
The country's (and the world's) largest casino isn't located in Las Vegas. Okay, where is it? The answer will probably surprise you. Even if you're not a gaming fan, you might want to plan an RV trip there to take a tour. Click here.

Keep the cold air out of your RV
Some parts of the country have already had snow and freezing temperatures, and the start of winter is still weeks away. Do you know where the coldest part of your RV is? Insulating it will save on the energy bill as the mercury goes down, down, down.

RV Emergency Road Service from the Good Sam Club
Looking for the best RV benefits and the best value in a reliable RV emergency roadside service plan? Look no further than the Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service. Learn more or sign up.

RVing to Canada? Put provincial parks on your list
Canada's provincial parks rival the United States' national parks in scenery and overall appeal. If you're planning an RV trip to Canada next season, here's where to get information on parks across the border.

From the RV Kitchen, the recipe of the week
Peapatch pesto -- that's the dish of the week from the RV Kitchen. Sounds pretty good to us. Want to try it? The recipe.

UFOs explained by an RVer who was there
Do you believe in UFOs? Ever see a strange, cigar-shaped object in the sky while RVing? Blogger Jim Twamley has insider information, and he wants to tell you a ghost story.

Guide to Dog-Friendly campgrounds and RV parks
Dog Friendly's Campground and RV Park Guide is 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.

Trivia. . .
President George Washington first proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving in 1789, and Abraham Lincoln called for celebrating the event as a national holiday on the last Thursday in November. President Franklin Roosevelt later changed Thanksgiving Day to the fourth Thursday in November.

Explorer RV Insurance
Owners of motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels and medium duty tow vehicles save up to 15% over our largest competitors by tailoring their coverage from more than a dozen options. Get a quote now.

Fire Safety Tip from Mac McCoy
Have any wiring in your coach done by a capable electrician, and use common sense in using any electrical aid. Check all 12-volt connections before and after every trip. Most coach fires are caused by a 12-volt short.

Buy or sell at America's largest RV consignment dealer
Buy or sell an RV from America's largest consignment RV dealer -- PPL Motorhomes. Read all about it.

RVing slowdown? Not in this state
People who assume that the high price of fuel is deterring RVers from making traveling plans will have second thoughts after reading this report. It's encouraging news, at least in one state. Read about it.

Opinions vary on tainted FEMA RV trailers
You've heard about the controversy surrounding formaldehyde-tainted RV trailers the Federal Emergency Management Agency provided many of the Hurricane Katrina survivors. Here's an update on the matter, including some differences of opinion about where the blame really lies. Click here.

Workhorse UFO Chassis
The hottest RV chassis going these days is the UFO from Workhorse. Poke around the company's website to learn about this chassis, and about everything else going on at Workhorse (which is a LOT). Don't miss the entertaining videos. Learn more.

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Sporting goods store popular with RVers opens in Reno
A sporting goods company that RVers love for its variety and facilities has opened a store in Reno, Nevada, the farthest west the company has yet ventured. If you've never browsed the aisles and departments in one of these stores before, you'll be impressed.

ROADTREK MOTORHOMES
The Fuel Efficient Motorhomes You'll Love to Drive! Learn all about them here.

See the complete lineup of RV Travel blogs

Find Free RV Campgrounds
"Don't pay to stay!" Visit FreeCampgrounds.com and find more than 1,750 free and inexpensive places to stay in the USA in an RV.

Bella Terra means "Beautiful Land"
and that's exactly what this RV Resort is!
The Gulf Coast's first 5-star master planned RV Resort.Five minutes away from the beautiful sugar-white sands of the Gulf of Mexico, Bella Terra is poised to set the standard for outdoor RV resorts. See for yourself.

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Check out our RV Travel Forum discussions

Leaky awning
Our main awning leaks like it wasn't there. Seemed to happen after being parked under live oak trees. Does anyone have an idea as to how to reseal it? Our neighbor recommended Thompson's Water Seal.

Pleasureway or Roadtrek?
Any personal info on the better choice? Ford vs. Chevy? Mostly just the two of us, but some trips with a friend instead. I'm in Vancouver, and would dearly love to hear some of your experiences with both/either.

Winter camping vs. storing the RV
We plan on using our RV for weekend trips throughout the winter months versus storing it for the winter. We live in the mid-Atlantic. Low temps average around 28-35 degrees in January and February. Little snow and some sleet. I have questions on several topics. My first set of questions deals with the slides. I have 3 slides. I have looked for a couple of weeks now trying to find a good checklist for Winter Camping versus Winterizing (Storing) an RV.

RVs: the long or short of it
We are in Hawaii, not convenient to RV shows and there are no RV dealers here. So we must figure it all out from books. We are thinking after reading in these forums that bigger is better and since there are so many RVs that are 40-42 feet long, we should put our funds into one of that length, since that length seems to have the extras we require (I shop on eBay; they seem to have mostly those lengths). However, since we will be staying in some wilderness areas while we tour the Mainland, we are concerned that a 40/42 won't fit into the campgrounds we may come across. Not to mention the difficulty in driving such a large rig. Would you please help us decide: Long, short or ?

Gem and mineral hobby
Anyone take their hobby of cutting or cabbing gems and minerals on the road with them? If so, what equipment would you recommend taking along and why? What other hobbies do some of you take along?

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Terrific books & DVDs
from RVbookstore.com
Book: RV Retirement
DVD: Working on the RV Road
Book: Fifth Wheel Bible
Atlas: Good Sam Road Atlas (50% off)
DVD: Towing Behind Your Motorhome
Book: 2007 Big Rig Best Bets Campground Directory
CD-rom: Military Campground Directory on CD Rom.

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Bring that large BBQ with you on your RVing trips
You can bring a BBQ along when you travel -- a BBQ large enough to feed a group of family and friends. If you plan to transport it on a cargo carrier attached to the rear of the RV, which is about the only convenient place for such a large, heavy item, read how one RVer does it.

Could this happen to you in your RV?
Here's a scary RV story, a nightmare we can only hope never happens to us. Be sure to read this report to be aware of a serious risk in an an RV. Click here.

Visit Camping World for RV supplies and accessories

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. --St. Augustine

2007 RV Show Schedule
Learn about RV shows through the fall of 2007. Check in here to learn when shows will be held in your area.