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

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 →

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 →

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

RV Weekly Round-Up (Dec. 19-25, 2009)

Happy Holidays (and Merry Christmas)! I hope everyone has a nice time visiting with friends and family. Check out these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week. 1. Energy saving tips for the boondocker: Until you become a dedicated boondocker and install a sustainable energy source (like solar panels, a wind generator, or a fusion nuclear generator), follow Bob Difley’s tips below to reduce your electrical usage and the amount of time you need to run your noisy generator to recharge your batteries. 2. RV Water & Waste Issues: Fred Brandeberry shares some simple tips on how to reduce your family’s risk of illness from e-coli, germs and bacteria contamination when handling the sewer and water hoses. 3. Why Filter your RV Drinking Water?: When you travel in your RV and stop at different destinations on a regular basis you don’t know anything about the quality of the water you are using or drinking. It seems like every day you hear more and more about what is in the water we drink and how it can impact our health. In this article, Mark Polk shares his family’s experience using the Metal Trap Ultra Dual filtration system by Hydropure Technologies. 4. NASCAR sets up camp at RV resorts: USA Today reports NASCAR has announced plans to partner with Morgan RV Resorts to establish a network of NASCAR-branded campgrounds that will have 30-by-30-foot big screens to broadcast the races, plus interviews and behind-the-scenes doings not available... Read more

RV Weekly Round-Up (Dec. 12-18, 2009)

I hope everyone has been enjoying the holiday season so far! Take a look at these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week. 1. Wii Fit Exercise in an RV: I’d like to thank Chris Guld for reminding us all to get up off our computer chairs and be active to stay healthy! In this post Chris reviews the benefits of having a Wii Fit gaming system to keep you stretched out on those long RV trips. 2. Texas Motor Speedway to add family RV campground area : RV Travel Examiner Keith Bennett reports that Texas Motor Speedway will once again expand its fan amenities with the addition of a family RV campground area that will be in place for the 2010 race season. Texas Motor Speedway will utilize a four-acre tract on the northeast corner of the property to carve out a 158-space camping area that will cater solely to families. The family campground area will be completely fenced in and feature reserved spaces, around-the-clock presence by the Fort Worth Police Department, 10 p.m. noise curfew and zero tolerance policy for disruptive behavior of any sort. 3. Winnebago Industries Reports Improved Results for First Quarter Fiscal 2010: Winnebago Industries, Inc. announced that revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 (ended November 28, 2009) were $81.0 million, an increase of 16.7 percent over the first quarter of fiscal 2009. “We are extremely pleased to see an increase in revenues, as well as posting a small gross profit in our first quarter,”... Read more

Affinity Events To Host 17 RV Events During Spring 2010 Show Season

Coming off a successful fall show season, Affinity Events will host 17 consumer RV shows during the 2010 spring show season. Affinity Events and show exhibitors are combining efforts to bring the latest RV models and camping supplies to outdoor recreation enthusiasts across the country. The upcoming shows will also feature various campgrounds from across the United States, offering RVers a chance to shop and plan an exciting summer vacation. “Our fall shows helped bring RV dealers and enthusiasts together at a critical time in the RV industry,” said Tom Gaither, senior V.P. of Affinity Events. “It was a win-win show season. Our exhibiting dealers moved inventory and buyers capitalized on ‘Screamin’ Deals’ offered at the shows.” The Affinity Events fall RV shows drew strong crowds and helped participating dealers sell to first-time buyers as well as long-time RV enthusiasts. Gaither points to Affinity’s strong connections to RV enthusiasts through its many clubs, services, media outlets and events as a key differentiator for Affinity shows. “The relationships we maintain with RVers offer us an intimate understanding of the RV industry,” said Gaither. “We are proud to match RV buyers with dealers and we look forward to continued success for our show exhibitors in 2010.” Read more  Read More →

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