Electric RV and battery evolution update

By Bob Difley The van pictured is 100% electric and the first commercial vehicle to use batteries by Tesla Motors, manufacturer of the Tesla electric sports car (that will go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds and has a 200+  mile range). The interesting part of this story–at least to RVers–is that it was made by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, that also manufactures  motorhome chassis and is experimenting with a hybrid RV chassis, along with Morgan Olson LLC. It has a gross vehicle weight rating of between 14,000 and 19,500 lbs and an electric driving range of 100-mile. Not quite enough for small motorhomes yet but with freightliner in the game you can expect that they will be looking in that direction, especially when fast-charging stations become commonplace. Kudoos to Freightliner also for building it of lightweight, durable composites that are completely recyclable. They worked a lot on the aerodynamics, too, to get as much range as possible. But we will probably still go through years of get-there steps first, with hybrid RVs, then natural gas (CNG) powered motorhomes before the all-electric type evolves to higher mileage batteries and abundant charging stations. There is more good news in the battery development field. A recent study finds that life-cycle analysis of electric vehicles–a type of study that aims to find the complete environmental impact of electric vehicles, taking into account manufacturing, usage, and disposal–turns out that... Read more

Daily RV Deal: 2008 Fleetwood 25G

2008 Fleetwood 25G Previously $ 45,999 – Now $41,999 25 ft. 2008 Fleetwood 25G class C RV capable of sleeping 6! Features include rear bath, roof AC, barrel chairs and much more! Offered by El Monte RV- San Bernardino in San Bernardino, CA. Email seller for details on this 2008 Fleetwood 25G! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

Reducing Kitchen Clutter

Written By Professor95, courtesy of Woodall’s Campground and Family Camping Blog. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dana T’s recent blog on RV Kitchen Organization. So much so, that I cannot resist the temptation to slip in behind her excellent ideas and add some of our own. Dana’s family and mine live in significantly different RV environments. First, it is normally just Nancy, me and Oscar in the RV – that is unless we are taking grandkids along too. Second, we are not full-timers and third we have a little more living space since our fifth wheel is not a toy hauler. But, more living space does not necessarily translate to a larger kitchen or more storage space. The only thing we really gain is room for more furniture and dirt. RV kitchens are, well, RV kitchens. They are typically small, use downsized appliances and never have enough cabinet space. They provide a really good reason for cooking outdoors on the grill! Dana’s comment on, “If you don’t use it, toss it” is so true. For years we hauled hundreds of pounds of stuff – stuff like waffle irons, sandwich grills, multiple pots and pans, enough dishes for a 30 piece place setting and enough food to feed us for an entire winter. Then, one day, we decided to get organized. Out went all of the unused stuff – back to the Goodwill thrift store where most of it was purchased to start with. Some kitchen wares were replaced with space saving designs and space was reworked to maximize convenience and... Read more

Daily RV Deal: 2010 Fleetwood Bounder Classic 30T

2010 Fleetwood Bounder Classic 30T Previously $ 99,710 – Now $89,710 30 ft. 2010 Fleetwood Bounder Classic 30T class A RV capable of sleeping 4! Features include queen slide out bed, LCD TV, shower, microwave, stove/oven and much more. Offered By Reliable RV Center in Springfield, MO. Email seller for details on this 2010 Fleetwood Bounder Classic 30T! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

White Flag lap on the journey to find the Perfect DP

  Number 2 Winnebago Tour BD               When I saw the Winnebago Tour at an RV show in Cleveland last January, I was immediately impressed with the layout, the features and the overall package offered by Winnebago.  We were with some friends and encouraged them to take a “tour” to see for themselves as they were in the market for a new coach.  The Tour BD is a beautiful motorhome with many of the features on our original list including passenger side dinette, queen bed standard with king option, a high quality water manifold system and effective battery charging system.  One area where the Tour really shines is the water tank storage capacities.  The Tour finished at the top of the list in this area with a 90 gallon fresh water tank, 94 gallon gray water tank and 57 gallon black water tank.  These capacities really lend themselves to boon docking with the Tour.  The BD also features a 42” LCD TV mounted in the driver side slideout that can be viewed while the slide is in, and can be watched comfortably from anywhere on the huge “L” shaped couch.  This particular feature merits further comment due to the clever way that Winnebago has built the couch to collapse when the slide is in, or expand when the slide is out.  You almost have to see the couch being “operated” to appreciate this feature.  The Tour features bottom mounted mirrors and wipers along with a large, single piece front windshield.   It is in the area of “negative” features... Read more

Tips for snowbirds heading to the desert

By Bob Difley The temperature hit 113 degrees in Los Angeles this fall, an all time record. In northern California, the temperature topped out at 100 degrees in the coastal surfing town of  Santa Cruz, breaking the all time record of 99. The Northeast sweltered, breaking heat records. It seems like a silly time to be talking about heading south to escape winter’s bone-numbing cold, blinding blizzards, endless gray skies, and altogether foul weather. But global warming or not, snowbird season will arrive, and with it the frantic preparations and urgent scramble south with dark gray storm clouds building in the rear view mirror. If you are planning to spend a few months boondocking in the deserts this season, it is not too early to start planning. You may find the following tips helpful as well as serving as a partial check list before you set out. Take a hammer to that piggy bank you’ve been saving your spare change in and buy solar panels. Most of the desert is wide open to the sky and you get a full day’s worth of charging—even with the shorter days. Even a single panel will provide enough power to run some of your systems, decreasing the amount of generator run time. Stay warm on chilly desert evenings with a catalytic heater, which runs on propane, and since it has no fan draws no electricity. Your built in forced air heater will quickly drain your batteries while the propane heater will heat your rig for pennies an hour. Assemble a desert day pack, for hiking,... Read more

Daily RV Deal: 2003 Travel Supreme Select

2003 Travel Supreme Select Previously $ 154,990 – Now $119,999 40 ft. 2003 Travel Supreme Select that is capable of sleeping 4! Features include built-in washer-dryer, solid-surface countertops, leather couch, and much more! Offered by Fun Time RV, Inc. in Tualatin, OR. Email seller for details on this 2003 Travel Supreme Select! Find more great RVs on  Read More →

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