RV Weekly Round-Up (Nov. 12-20, 2009)

Check out these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week. 1. Southwestern deserts: More than just a warm place: This is the time of year when RVers in the northern states and Canada can be divided into two groups: those that are or soon will be headed to the southwestern deserts for at least some part of the winter, and those that wish they were headed for the desert. Bob Difley recounts some of the significant events and scenery that make the Southwest such an interesting destination in the winter months. 2. Bicycle museum: Nick Russell recounts his visit to the Bicycle Museum of America, a wonderful attraction in the charming small town of New Bremen, Ohio. Located on New Bremen’s main street, the museum is a treasure trove of bicycles and bicycle memorabilia dating back to the early 1800s. Here you will see everything from primitive bikes with appropriate names like the Boneshaker, to high wheeled bicycles that the gentry of another age enjoyed, to modern carbon frame bicycles that one can lift with a single finger. 3. Thousands of POIs for Streets and Trips: New feature for Points of Interest (POIs) on 2010 Streets and Trips mapping program allows you to upload just ONE POI file with ALL your favorite stops, then just hide or show only the POIs you need at the moment. Chris Guld of Geeks on Tour shares more info about this new S&T feature. 4. Jayco hires 200 to fill order backlog: Jayco Inc. has added a couple hundred workers and is escalating... Read more

RV Driving in Adverse Weather Conditions (Part 2 of 2)

Last week we looked at driving in adverse weather, that most have encountered at one time or another.  Today we will discuss the chance encounter of coming face to face with a real severe weather event, a tornado.  (Link to last week’s part 1: http://blog.rv.net/2009/11/rv-driving-in-adverse-weather-conditions-part-1-of-2/ ) Tornados, as we know them today, are one of the most violent short term weather events out there.  With wind speeds as high as 300 MPH or more, there is no doubt of their possible affect to anything in their way.  One of the real issues is the lack of warning prior to it striking.  The weather services do however issue warnings of “the possibility of tornado development”.  But, these announcements seem so common across the country during the summertime that they seem to lose their punch. So, what are some of the possible tell-tale signs of an approaching tornado?  The following events have been seen prior to a tornado.  An unusual threatening green color in the sky. Clouds moving at a greater than normal speed in a rotating or converging pattern. If it hails during a period of tornado warnings, there is a strong chance of a tornado immediately after. If no warnings are posted there will probably be no tornado activity. A strange quiet occurring shortly after the passing of a thunderstorm. Observation of a funnel like image.  This could be a cloud structure or just debris spinning in clear air. The sound of rushing air or large waterfall. ... Read more

2005 Coachmen Freedom FR314SO

2005 Coachmen Freedom FR314SO Previously $41,975 – Now $39,975 31 ft. Superslide, Raised floor design w/ ext. basement. Sleeps 6-8. Equipped with 4.0 generator, manual jacks, microwave, awning, hitch, antenna. GREAT FAMILY FLOORPLAN! Offered from Lloyd Bridges Traveland in Chelsea, MI. Learn more about this 2005 Coachmen Freedom FR314SO! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

VIDEO: Is this tow vehicle SAFE?!

Recently, we saw a fellow towing a 31-foot Airstream Classic with a minivan. The Classic is the heaviest Airstream model. The 31-footer weighs about 10,000 pounds. Does this seem like a wise combination to you? On a similar note, a friend recently send me a photo of someone towing a 25-foot Airstream with a Saturn sedan. Wow, towing a 25-footer with a Saturn? I am impressed — and concerned. Without running a numerical analysis, I’m immediately concerned about the stability of that rig. I don’t know the exact wheelbase and weight of the Saturn, but one must wonder how the rig handles on a windy day. What about the braking distance? A secondary issue is the impact & wear upon the transmission of that tow vehicle. Would you want to buy that Saturn? I suspect the transmission is toast. This is why you should have an inspection performed when buying a used vehicle. But back to the more pressing issue of SAFETY… Towing recommendations factor in a margin of safety for adverse conditions. If you are MAXING OUT the capacity of your tow vehicle, there’s little to no margin of safety when things go wrong. Suppose the wind picks up, or you have to make a sudden emergency maneuver. That’s when the combo gets dangerous. Accidents happen. People get killed. There’s much gnashing of teeth! Just because something is possible, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Those old images of people towing Airstreams with bicycles are not meant to... Read more

2007 Starcraft Aruba LITE 288RSBQ

2007 Starcraft Aruba LITE 288RSBQ Previously $18,900 – Now $18,900 29 ft. wheelchair-accessible trailer with Rear Queen Bed Slideout, Booth Dinette w/Storage, Double Kitchen Sink, 3 Burner Range, Sofa Slideout, Front Folding Double Bed w/TV Shelf, and more! Offered from Dave Arbogast RV & Boat Depot in Troy, OH. Learn more about this 2007 Starcraft Aruba LITE 288RSBQ! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

Debunking Portable Air Compressors

I think most RVers understand the importance of maintaining proper tire inflation pressure. The problem is if you wait until you’re on the road to check tire pressure the tires are too hot for correct evaluation. Checking the inflation pressure when you stop to refuel doesn’t make sense; you will get higher pressure readings and if you let air out the tires they are underinflated when they are cold. Another problem is when you are at the campground, and you want to check the tire pressure, there is no available air support to do it. Read more  Read More →

Thousands of POIs for Streets and Trips

by Chris Guld, www.GeeksOnTour.com Back in 2004, we attended Life on Wheels, a week-long school for RVers. One of the best things we learned was about the Discovery Owners website and all the GPS data overlay files they made avaialble for programs like Streets and Trips. In case you’re unfamiliar, this data is called ‘Points of Interest’ or POI’s for short. The data file needs to have the name of the POI and the Latitude/Longitude coordinates. Then, when you load them into your program, they become markers on the map. Our favorite file was a listing of all Passport America RV parks. We take advantage of the Passport America half-price deal whenever possible, so, having them show up on our Streets and Trips map that we use when we’re on the road is extremely handy. Read more  Read More →

2009 Pleasure-Way Ascent TS

2009 Pleasure-Way Ascent TS Previously $100,810 – Now $100,810 Class B on Dodge Sprinter, leather furniture, wall mounted flat-screen TV, fridge, microwave, window coverings, patio awning, and more! Offered from Giant Recreation World in Winter Garden, FL. Learn more about this 2009 Pleasure-Way Ascent TS! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

2005 Coachmen CONCORD

2005 Coachmen CONCORD Previously $64,995 – Now $49,995 24 ft. gasoline coach w/ booth dinette, rear kitchen w/ 3-burner stove & microwave, sleeper sofa slideout, cabover TV, and more! Offered from Suncoast RV in Louisville, TN. Learn more about this 2005 Coachmen CONCORD! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

2008 National RV PC40E

2008 National RV PC40E Previously $257,198 – Now $257,198 Gasoline coach w/ full-length curb-side slideout, leather cab seats, leather pull-out sofa, dining table w/ 4 chairs, 4-door fridge, tiled floor, and more! Offered from Tennessee RV in Knoxville, TN. Learn more about this 2008 National RV PC40E! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

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