New RV Consumer e-Magazine

There is a brand new digital magazine available for the RV consumer. RV Education 101 owner, Mark Polk explained, “I have been entertaining the thought of a consumer driven RV e-magazine for some time now. We published a trial issue last December to test the waters, and it was well received. At the time my thoughts were to publish the e-magazine quarterly, but with the level of interest the first issue received we made the decision to distribute the magazine monthly.” The new publication is titled RV Consumer e-Magazine. It is a digital magazine in a flip-book style format that is delivered online by subscription. It is free of charge and your e-mail address will never be sold or used for anything other than delivering our RV e-newsletter and RV Consumer e-Magazine. For up to the minute RV news and information take a minute to subscribe and start receiving these information packed e-publications. Both “RV University this Week” e-newsletter and “RV Consumer e-Magazine” are loaded with useful RV information and knowledge on RV products, RV how-to topics, RV Reviews, RV destinations, RV videos and other general RV information. Our goal is to be your premier provider for RV information and assistance through various educational outlets. If you are having trouble with the CAPCHA code (prevents SPAM) while signing up for the newsletter, send an e-mail to Dawn with Newsletter sign-up as the subject, and we will get you signed up: dawn@rveducation101.com... Read more

VIDEO: the Queen Mary 2 in ROUGH SEAS!

On LonglongHoneymoon.com I have drawn an analogy between boats and RVs. Boats and RVs have a lot in common. Fiberglass, galleys, and water tanks come to mind. Many avid RV travelers are retired. Same goes for boats. But there’s one key difference: manufacturers don’t build gigantic RVs (“cruise RVs”?) that simultaneously accommodate thousands of people. I think we can all agree that this is for the best. Imagine the potholes 1200-foot long motorhomes would inflict upon our already Swiss Cheese roads. Parking would also be an issue. With with boats it’s a little different. They do build huge ships to accommodate thousands of people, and it all works pretty well. Here’s a short video I shot on one such boat last week. It’s also our Christmas card to the world. Yes, last week Kristy and I completed a transatlantic crossing (from Southampton, England to New York) aboard RMS Queen Mary 2. Those of you with a fondness for the golden age of ocean liners will appreciate this ship. The QM2 offers a travel experience that harkens to the past. Our seven night crossing included four nights of formal dining and events (coat & tie for gentlemen, nice dresses for the ladies). The trip also included a route that passed within 80 nautical miles of the RMS Titanic, and a couple of storms cranking out 30-foot swells and winds at gale force 10. Although this video isn’t the most technically RV-centric in the world, it is about travel, and I thought you... Read more

New RV Camping Book on Amazon Kindle – Only $2.99!

A few years ago, I did something that previously I never imagined myself doing. And I’m not talking about getting married (although that development was quite surprising as well). I bought an RV. Specifically, my wife and I bought a 25-foot Airstream travel trailer. It was her idea. I never saw myself owning an RV, mainly because I am 6′ 2” and fear hitting my head on low ceilings. Not having grown up with RV camping, I didn’t “get it.” But then one day, we got our Airstream. Then we got hitched. Then I got it. Boy, did I ever… We started an ongoing adventure of sorts. We blogged the fun in a website called “Long Long Honeymoon,” donned pith helmets, wrote pithy articles, and shot three trillion videos. So far we’ve hauled our rig throughout the lower 48 states. Alaska? We’re still making plans for Alaska. At the moment, we’re waiting for diesel prices to stop resembling one of those national debt clocks. As for Hawaii? We’ll see it someday too, though we’ve no intention of testing the seaworthiness of our “land yacht.” We’ll likely book a flight – anything with a lei greeting will be fine. But before we move forward, we must look back. Yes boys and girls, it’s time for a book! An ebook, that is. I hope you enjoy it. “Long Long Honeymoon – Living Large in a Small Tin Can” is now available on the AMAZON KINDLE platform for the rock bottom price of $2.99! Check it out now – before... Read more

New battery design could be game changer for electric vehicles

By Bob Difley A radically new approach to the design of batteries, developed by researchers at MIT,” reports Physorg.com, “could provide a lightweight and inexpensive alternative to existing batteries for electric vehicles and the power grid. The technology could even make ’refueling’ such batteries as quick and easy as pumping gas into a conventional car.” The new battery uses a method called a semi-solid flow cell, where solid particles are “suspended in a carrier liquid and pumped through the system. In this design, the battery’s active components — the positive and negative electrodes, or cathodes and anodes — are composed of particles suspended in a liquid electrolyte. These two different suspensions are pumped through systems separated by a filter, such as a thin porous membrane.” The report states that “one important characteristic of the new design is that it separates the two functions of the battery — storing energy until it is needed, and discharging that energy when it needs to be used — into separate physical structures. (In conventional batteries, the storage and discharge both take place in the same structure.) Separating these functions means that batteries can be designed more efficiently . . . ” If this design works out as tests have indicated, it will have the effect of reducing the size of EV batteries to half their size. It will also reduce the cost making EVs more competitive with gas or diesel... Read more

Highline RV Luxury Equal To Top Coach Converter

A Lug_Nut view.   5th wheel trailers are going to new heights and rival highline motorized coaches like the Prevost conversions.  Like the Canadian built Prevost Coach, this 5th wheel is also being designed and built by a Canadian company.   This two story fiver is 53 feet in length and 13 feet 6 inches in height.  It will weigh in at about 40,000 lbs. when completely outfitted.       Specifications: Trailer Length: 53’ Over All Length: (Trailer/Tractor) 70’ Trailer Weight: Appox. 40,000 lbs. Over All Height: 13’ 6” Number of Slides: 4 The rear conversion type cap powers open to reveal a garage that will accommodate a medium/small automobile.  Ahead of this area, and still on the bottom level, a bedroom, bathroom and micro kitchen suitable to accommodate a driver or for a guest suite is present.                             A curving stairway from the bottom level leads to the kitchen and dining area of the upper level.  Heading toward the rear brings you into a spacious living room that expands on both sides with large slide outs.  The master bedroom and bath are located in the rear of the coach.  This area also has two large slides.    This unit employed a 535 horse power Volvo diesel powered tractor with a 10 speed auto shifting transmission.  The extended cab tractor was luxuriously appointed with leather sofa and lazy boy like chairs.  So, how much will this set you back when they become available?  Better count on spending upward... Read more

Introducing the Magellan® RoadMate® Pro 9165T…The Ideal RV Travel Companion.

Magellan GPS,  the Good Sam Club and Trailer Life RV Parks & Campgrounds Directory have teamed up to offer the all-new and exciting RoadMate Pro 9165T, a robust GPS device that is specifically designed for those who love to RV. This new GPS device combines the core strengths of Magellan, Good Sam and Trailer Life Directory. Magellan Roadmate Pro 9165T GPS Receiver Powered by the Directory, this is a must-have tool for RVers, providing over 11,700 comprehensive listings for the U.S and Canada which include Wi-Fi and Internet access, pet-friendly campground locations, Good Sam Club discount locations, Trailer Life’s exclusive triple rating system and other points of interest specific to RVers. The extra-wide, high-definition 7-inch touchscreen offers large vehicle and RV settings to customize routes based on vehicle height, width, length and weight, allowing drivers to plan safe routes in advance. And, with an extremely versatile Heavy Duty Extension Mount designed for vehicles with deep dashboards, you can easily make adjustments to get the viewing position that works best for you. Your drive will be more comfortable, safe and enjoyable for you, your family and friends. The RoadMate Pro 9165T is the first 7″ GPS navigator made especially for RVers. Customizable for your vehicles and powered by Trailer Life Directory, it offers easy navigation as well as great places to stay and things to see and do, so that every trip is uniquely yours. FEATURES: Extra-large,... Read more

What’s to Love About Pickleball?

“It’s the fastest-growing game in the country,” said Robert Hayes, a devout pickleball player and president of the Venture Out Condo Association. “I love the game.” Robert Hayes, 69, serves during a pickleball game at the Venture Out RV Resort in Mesa. Norman Cudney, 78, is at right. (Credit: Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic) For player Don Bogle, a Mesa resident and one of the game’s 350 ambassadors for the USA Pickleball Association, the sport is “addictive,” The Arizona Republic reported. “You get such an adrenaline rush that it’s like a runner’s high,” he said. Many people unfamiliar with the game marvel at the recent growth of a sport that was created 46 years ago. The game’s biggest surge has evolved over the past five years since the Pickleball Association, an all-volunteer group, was founded, said David Johnson, the association’s spokesman. “They’ve put a lot of effort into building the sport and promoting its growth throughout America and Canada,” said the Seattle-area resident who turned his part-time pickleball equipment-sales business into a full-time enterprise two years ago. “And when snowbirds are introduced to the sport in places like Arizona they go back home to states like Michigan and introduce it to their friends. Michigan is now one of the more popular states to play pickleball,” he said. “We hear a lot from recreation departments interested... Read more

A GPS Designed For RVers

After extensive research and beta testing in the RVing community, Rand McNally has released the TripMaker® RVND™ 5510 sporting a name that’s almost as long as my motorhome. It’s the first navigation device designed specifically for RVers. Rand McNally's GPS for RVers (Credit: Rand McNally) It comes stocked with information that would make a car driver’s head spin. Routing isn’t just routing on the 5510. The GPS also includes height and weight restrictions and turning preferences that are tuned to the type of RV you’re driving. For example, you might not enjoy maneuvering your 43-foot-long motor home around a tight right corner into the Cracker Barrel parking lot. The 5510 will show you a left turn into your destination. There’s also the question of where to park your house-on-wheels. The points of interest on this GPS are expanded to include RV campgrounds, dealers, repair providers, and travel centers with dump stations. “We’ve listened carefully to members of the RVing community, who told us overwhelmingly that they would be interested in purchasing a GPS if it provided RV-specific routing, stops, and amenities that RVers need while on the road, and things to see and do along the way. Our new TripMaker® RVND™ line will solidly deliver on these expectations,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally in a new release. RV-critical Information Fully operational in English, French, and Spanish, the TripMaker® RVND™ features more... Read more

Tornadoes: Southern Storm Damage Extensive

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Tornado damage at Courtney's RV Park in Tushka, Oklahoma, Friday, April 15, 2011. Photo courtesy AP/Sue Ogrocki A violent tornado outbreak last week (April 25–28, 2011) affected the southern Midwestern, and eastern United States, leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. The outbreak produced destructive tornadoes in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and affected several other areas throughout the Southern and Eastern United States with tornadoes confirmed from Texas to New York. The state of Alabama suffered the worst hit with widespread and destructive tornadoes occurring each day. As early morning Saturday (April 30), at least 339 people were killed as a result of the outbreak. However, the exact number is unknown as recovery efforts continue, and consequently, various sources differ on the exact count. Additionally, hundreds of people still remain missing. All except five of the deaths occurred on April 27, although it is unclear whether fatalities from other days are included in the total number of fatalities. Two hundred forty nine deaths in Alabama alone had been confirmed by the state’s Emergency Management Agency by the morning of April 30. April 27 was the deadliest tornado day in the United States since the 1925 “Tri-State” outbreak, which produced the infamous Tri-State Tornado. Last week’s series of violent storms has been classified by some... Read more

Freightliner Expands Its Customer Support with USB Card

Is your motorhome built on a Freightliner chassis? Are you planning to purchase a new motorhome in 2011? Already the only chassis manufacturer to offer 24/7 factory-direct support of its motorcoaches, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) is expanding its service with a powerful resource that customers can fit into their pockets. Launched in early 2011, FCCC’s 24/7 Direct initiative created a constantly available, easily accessible network with the goal of providing customers the best possible assistance and answers to even the most complex chassis issues. A company press release indicates that the new 24/7 Direct service cards are being mailed this month to all purchasers of new motorhomes built on an FCCC chassis dating back to January 1, 2011. They’re printed with key support contact information and the customer Vehicle Identification Number to serve as a valuable quick reference, and an embedded USB flash drive makes the card a virtual library of chassis data. By simply flipping the drive out from one end of the card and plugging it into a computer, a customer gains access to a wealth of information including warranties, maintenance schedules, EPA 2010 emission technology featuring selective catalytic reduction (SCR), vendor categories, website links, and entire user manuals. Plus, with a gigabyte of memory on board, there’s plenty of room for additional downloads and updates, enabling customers to utilize the USB for personal storage. 2011 Dutch Star built... Read more

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