RV Weekly Round-Up (Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, 2010)

Check out these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week. 1. RV Rentals Up As Saints Fans Eye Miami: New Orleans news station WDSU.com reports from Kenner, LA, that several RV rental companies have almost sold out all their units in preparation for Super Bowl XLIV this Sunday. However, RVs and tailgating are not allowed at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium, leading some people in Miami to offer parking spaces up for grabs on Craigslist…. 2. Celebrate Century of RVing with the Good Sam Club: Sue Bray, executive director of the Good Sam Club, discusses the RV centennial, which will be celebrated this year. Motorized travel has changed dramatically since 1910, but the lure of the outdoors remains constant for RV enthusiasts. Centennial celebrations will be held at the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum in Elkhard, Ind., RV shows around the country, and at the Louisville Rally this summer, which runs July 22 through 25. 3. Wi-Fi – A Better Antenna will Get You a Better Connection: If you’re using a Wi-Fi hotspot and it’s not working so great, get an external Wi-Fi adapter. Chris Guld of Geeks on Tour explains the how’s and why’s of boosting your computer’s Wi-Fi connection with an external adapter antenna. 4. Cost Effective Weekend RV Fun: Sometimes spending your weekend at home is just plain boring. There really isn’t much to do, but on the other hand you don’t have much of time before the weekend is over and it’s back to work again.... Read more

The RV Trivia Challenge 9. Are You Up To It?

Welcome to the first Lug_Nut RV Trivia Challenge of 2010. The Lug_Nut RV Trivia Challenge No. 9 series will test your skills on a variety of RV related topics.  As usual whenever a broad base of topics are presented, it becomes difficult to know the answers for all the questions.  Please remember, this is trivia, requiring some guess work on occasion.   Get a pen and paper so that you can record your answers.  Upon completion, you can check your answers with those shown at the bottom.  Good luck. So, Let’s go! Read more  Read More →

RV Weekly Round-Up (Jan. 16-29, 2010)

Check out these highlights of RV-related news and events from the past two weeks. 1. Winnebago’s Bob Olson Joins RV Dealer Tom Stinnett as Go RVing Co-Chair: The National RV Dealers Association announced that Go RVing has named Winnebago Industries Chairman, CEO, and President Bob Olson to serve as co-chairman of the Go RVing Coalition, the RV industry’s national advertising and market expansion initiative. Olson joins RV dealer Tom Stinnett of Tom Stinnett’s RV Freedom Center (Louisville, KY-area) as co-chair of the industry-wide coalition, replacing Dicky Riegel, who was recently named Thor Industries senior group president with responsibility for Thor’s bus group, investor relations, and strategic acquisitions. Read more  Read More →

The Mystery Camper Challenge Is Back. Can You Solve It?

Where is the Mystery Camper today?  We haven’t heard from him for some time and this one will not be easy.  In the past the Mystery Camper has sent us photos of his surrounding.  These have been solved quite quickly by our smart members and readers.  Well, he has not forwarded any photo clues this time, only some words and images.  Your challenge is to name the location and campground.   So here’s all we have right now.  Clues will be added if needed every few days.  Who will have the bragging rights to solving this one?       “Something about the park’s name reminds me of Hawaii.  What would that be? The Mystery Camper                                                          Well, that’s it.  That’s all we have currently to work with.  Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom.  If you think you have solved it, let’s hear the location, campground name and how you figured it out.   With The Challenging Question    -     Lug_Nut    -     Peter Mercer  Read More →

RV Cooking Show – Grilled Cuban Sandwiches, Cuban Cowboy Caviar & Cortez, FL

If you ask me, there’s nothing better than a warm weather getaway by the beach. Bonus points if it’s a stay in a thriving town with a terrific RV resort, lively dining and entertainment in walking distance, and fresh fish right off the boat. Well, that’s just what I stumbled upon when I pulled into Cortez, Florida. This little town is tucked away on the land side of Anna Maria Island and is often eclipsed by its big neighbor to the south – Sarasota. But don’t be fooled, you could easily while away many memorable days and nights in this West Coast of Florida paradise. In our latest RV Cooking Show –Grilled Cuban Pressed Sandwiches, Cuban Cowboy Caviar & Quirky Cortez Florida – we’ll show you around town and, with a special guest, make a mighty tasty meal. I’m especially excited to bring you Paulette’s Cuban version of an old RV-standby – Cowboy Caviar. Take a look – you’re gonna love it. Don’t miss the “From my RV kitchen” section on my website’s show page – I share many of my favorite Cortez “locals’ haunts” with you. I hope you enjoy watching this episode of the RV Cooking Show as much as I enjoyed making it! Evanne RVCookingShow.com   Read More →

Go RVing Introducing New TV Spots for 2010

Innovative, animated television commercials with the same timely “Go Affordably, Go RVing” theme as the print ads and a bold new look and theme song are expected to capture a new audience for Go RVing in 2010, the Go RVing Coalition reports. “Launching in mid-February, the campaign will introduce Go RVing’s “Ambassadors of Affordability” animals from the popular “What Will You Discover” print ads animated with voices and cutting-edge special effects, to communicate RV value messages,” the coalition states in a news release. Four new 30-second television spots were produced, combining existing photography from the Go RVing print ads with shots of current model RVs. Lighter, fuel-efficient, attractively priced RVs are featured to support the affordability theme of the ads. The cornerstone of the campaign is a spot featuring the animal ambassadors in a lush forest setting singing the classic Western ballad ”Back in the Saddle Again.” Starring a bison, bear and fox with a full supporting cast of animals, big and small, the spot concludes with the tagline, ”It’s amazing how affordable an RV vacation can be. Visit GoRVing.com for a free video. Go Affordably. Go RVing,” while on-screen signage includes a call-to-action to ”visit an RV dealer” and GoRVing.com. This commercial will be the first to air beginning January 2010. Three additional commercials in the series feature the same music track, but each plot highlights different reasons families enjoy... Read more

RV Weekly Round-Up (Jan. 9-15, 2010)

Check out these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week. 1. The Airstream Life: Landscape architect and new Airstream owner Andreas Stavropoulos tells a tale of renovating a 1959 Airstream travel trailer into a modern, mobile design studio. 2. RV Shows, your Wintertime RV Fix: Mark Polk shares the joys of attending RV Shows in the off-season to get prepped for your next adventure. Make the most of your visit to an RV show by reviewing Mark’s tips. **24th Annual Washington Camping RV Expo happening this weekend, Jan. 15-17, at Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA. Parking is FREE and admission is $10 for adults 17 and up (no charge for kids 16 and under). Show Hours: Friday noon – 8pm, Saturday 10am – 8pm, Sunday 11am – 5pm. 3. For snowbirds, Spring is just around the corner: Bob Difley describes the wonderful array of “spring” wildflowers in the southwestern deserts. The first splashes of color pop up in January and conclude with the blossoming cacti in April. 4. RVs Are Among $1 Million in Stolen Vehicles Recovered in California : A LoJack Corp. stolen vehicle recovery system hit in Los Angeles County, Calif., led to a raid on what industry officials are calling the largest theft ring in their company’s history. During a 10-hour search warrant operation, detectives found and recovered 35 vehicles and countless other items including motorhomes, John Deere and Kawasaki Mule utility vehicles and even an Airstream Inc. camping... Read more

RV Weekly Round-Up (Jan. 2-8, 2010)

The RV industry has hit the ground running at the start of this new decade. Here are some highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week. 1. FOX Business video about the Increasing Popularity of Camping: This 5 minute video features Airstream CEO Bob Wheeler and Kampgrounds of America CEO Jim Rogers discussing the outlook for camping and recreational vehicles. 2. Computer Backups are Worthless: Chris Guld of Geeks On Tour reminds us to save backup files in case of computer failure, and to periodically test the process of restoring those backup files to make sure everything works properly. There’s no point in saving a backup file if you can’t restore the backup file to your computer. 3. Motorized campers started out 100 years ago: The RV industry celebrates its centennial in 2010, but you can take in the sweep of RV history any time you choose with a visit to the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum & Library at Exit 96 on the Indiana Toll Road. Larry Edsall with The Detroit News reports that the Recreation Vehicle/Motor Home Heritage Foundation moved into this new, 56,000-square-foot facility east of Elkhart, Indiana in 2007. Read more about the antique RVs on display at detnews.com.  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 →

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

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