Casino Camping News – Jan 9, 2010

Random items that Casino Campers might want to know… Looking for a thrill? A new ride is opening this spring at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.  SkyJump Las Vegas will drop you over 800 feet at up to 40 MPH.  This continues the Strat’s transformation from a Casino/Hotel to an Amusement Park.  Read more  Read More →

So, Are You As High Tech As Your RV Is?

GPS navigation, cellular phones, Bluetooth technology, what did we ever do before these became common place in our lives?  I remember when one could take a road trip for several hundred miles without the thought of a need for any of these things.  Read more  Read More →

Computer Backups are Worthless

by Chris Guld, www.geeksontour.com Has this ever happened to you? Your computer crashes and you take it to a techie who gets it working again but needs to reformat (erase) the hard drive.  You get your computer back with nothing on it.  No problem you think, you have a backup of your important data on Disk, either CD/DVDs or a USB hard drive.  But when you try to restore you find: there is something wrong with the backup disks, either the data is corrupted or there simply is no data on the disk(s) or: the backup was made with software that you don’t remember or don’t have.  You need that software in order to restore. If you can’t restore … your backups are worthless. Read more  Read More →

Update: My Predictions for Future of the RV Industry

In February of 2009 I wrote an article titled “My Top 5 Predictions for the Future of the RV Industry”. I thought that since nearly a year has passed this would be a good time to take a look at how my predictions faired. In the original article I mentioned that the RV industry has endured many hardships in the past; recessions, high interest rates for consumer lending and dealer floor plan payments, the high cost of fuel and that it has always rebounded. To come back stronger than it was before requires innovation, change and forward thinking on the part of its leaders in all sectors of the industry. To read my first article go here Now let’s take a look at my past predictions and current conditions. My #5 Prediction: The weak will not survive. Whether it is a manufacturer, dealer, campground or aftermarket supplier only the strong who are committed, determined and willing to change with the times will survive this current downturn.  It will require downsizing operations, inventory, and making good solid business decisions. Back to the basics! In the long run this will make the remaining companies better, stronger and more adaptable to change. #5 Update: The list of U.S. RV manufacturers that are no longer in business or have filed bankruptcy has exceeded 20 since the recession began. As of June 2009 approximately 160 RV dealers across the country closed their doors for good. The remaining 95 or so U.S. RV manufacturers and 2,900 RV dealers have done what was necessary... Read more

New Innovations In Battery Technology

Many larger class “A” coaches are opting to AGM batteries, particularly if they are all-electric rigs.  This is primarily due to their cleaner operation and they are less ventilation dependant.  We are, however, going to see even greater advances in the batteries from those we use today.  They will offer more power, last longer and be far lighter. Read more  Read More →

All roads lead to the 2010 season in Quartzsite

By Bob Difley Even RVers in the West who haven’t yet learned the value of solar panels or spent a single night witehout hookups have heard of Quartzsite. And some oldtimers have yet to visit however, but the saying goes that if you are an RVer, you will visit Quartzsite at least once before you retire your horses to pasture. It is an experience near the top of the RVer’s lifetime To Do list. Quartzsite’s wide open desert with plentiful camping possibilities on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land lures hundreds of thousands of snowbirds to the weather-friendly desert in winter. Most RVers call this kind of camping boondocking, i.e. “in the boonies” though in Quartzsite, you could end up as crowded as a hook-up campground. But the beauty of it is that the choice of where and how sociable you want to be is yours. The options include groups of friends circling the wagons much like the early pioneers did on the Oregon Trail. Though the pioneers chose this method mainly to protect themselves from marauding Indians, today’s RVers seek social camaraderie instead, putting tables, chairs, and a communal campfire in the “hub” of the circled wagons. You can choose to camp in close to town and have neighbors, or move further out and have your group area all to yourselves, a definite advantage if you are nudists or practice strange rituals or ceremonies. Several hard compacted dirt roads lead off into the far reaches of the LTVAs where campsites... Read more

TrailerSaver Air-Ride 5th Wheel Hitch – An Old Doe Hunter’s Tale

The President of the Old Doe Hunters Association, Inc. informed me that he was considering a new 5th wheel to begin his westerly expedition upon retirement. As Treasurer and Chair of the Entertainment & Firewood Committee, I informed him that we had exactly $6.83 in the ODHA treasury. Hizzoner scratched the graying stubble on his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment, then offered his one word solution: “Financin’.” Mind you, I’m not one to suggest a man entering his seventh decade leverage himself into a twenty year RV loan, but I could see he had his mind made up, his decision rendered final by the popping open of a Bud Light (this is not a shameless product plug, those are coming later). So I set about offering my vast array of knowledge to ensure that Hizzoner didn’t wind up DIW (that’s Dead in the Water for those of you outside Navy circles) on Interstate 75 halfway between the great white north and the land of sunshine. I informed him first that he would need to upgrade his tow vehicle. The ½ ton pickup will generally not work well with fivers worthy of a full-timer. Though some of the smaller varieties have pin weights low enough to work in the standard duty truck. Once I had the President convinced he needed to buy a new truck with heated seats and XM Radio so he could listen to Dr. Phil, he had to determine whether he preferred the long or short box. Most of us like the short because it’s easier to park and it fits in my garage (but that’s just... Read more

RV Weekly Round-Up (Dec. 26, 2009 – Jan. 1, 2010)

Happy New Year! I’m optimistic that 2010 should herald a decade full of prosperity and new opportunities. Here are some highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week. 1. Good Sam Club Announces Recipients of 2009 RVer of the Year Award : The Good Sam Club, the world’s largest RV owners’ organization with nearly one million member families, has announced the recipients of the Good Sam 2009 RVer of the Year Award. Monty and Susan Scales, hurricane relief volunteers currently living in San Leon, Texas, are recognized for their hands-on refurbishment work and volunteer coordination in communities throughout the Gulf Coast region. The annual RVer of the Year award recognizes a member of the RV community for achievements that benefit fellow RVers or the community at large. Congratulations Monty & Susan! 2. RV Trivia Challenge 8, How Well Do You Know RVing?: Talk about a mental workout! I got stumped on a few of these questions. Test your knowledge on a variety of RV-related topics with the Lug_Nut RV Trivia Challenge No. 8. Please remember, this is trivia and requires some guess work on occasion. Get a pen and paper so that you can record your answers, then you can check your answers with those shown at the bottom. So, let’s give it a try! 3. RV Business Names Tiffin’s Allegro Breeze ‘Best of Show’: Tiffin Motorhomes’ 28-foot Allegro Breeze, chosen as “Best of Show” by the RVBusiness staff during the... Read more

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