WE’RE IN QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA

 By Monique & Barry Zander, the Never-Bored RVers  Monday we reset our old analog clock to Mountain Standard Time as we crossed into Arizona on our way to the craziest gathering of RVers on the planet.  We are here to visit the big tent filled with everything RV, plus the never-ending booths displaying gems and minerals.  And, we remember from our last visit that the swapmeet is an adventure all its own. To capture what we experience, I’m going to do this as a journal rather than an article, so you can see what we are seeing through our eyes.  NOTE:  Internet service is bad.  We found the library today and got online.  We’ll have another report tomorrow … I hope!   PART I – ARRIVAL Let’s start with Monday driving in from the west.  The first two days of the RV show had ended, and we passed dozens of RVs of every size and condition heading in the opposite direction.   As we neared the town, we began seeing rigs parked in the desert, scattered at random in proximity to hard roads that come to life each year in January for the RV invasion. Then we began seeing huge RV parks, crowded with rigs parked side-by-side, more densely populated as we approached town.  We were amazed, given all those rigs that we had just passed on their way out of town. On suggestion of veteran show exhibitors Ken and Carole Adams we passed the town, turned back westward and then north and drove five miles to a free BLM miles-long camping area.  We pulled in on a narrow path cleared... Read more

Attend a Local RV Show

January through early April is prime RV Show Season. Toy haulers have become increasingly popular in recent years. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved RV Shows present a rare opportunity to view many recreational vehicles without the need to drive from dealer to dealer. You’ll have an opportunity to check out a wide-range of motorhomes, fifth wheels, travel trailers, truck campers, conversion vans, and pop up trailers in one location, often at special “show prices”. Some bargains are the real deal; others are simply prices an RV dealer would accept back at the dealership once the show is over. When viewing recreational vehicles, ensure you’re comparing prices of similar models with similar features from different manufacturers. Consider the options, quality, and type of construction, floor plan, standard and optional equipment, features offered, amount of interior and exterior storage, carrying capacity, and reputation of manufacturer and dealer. Not all manufacturers and dealers are created equal! Determine who offers the best bang for the buck but ensure that the dealer provides quality after-purchase service. Talk with other RVers at the show. Many have years of experience and knowledge of different manufacturers and dealerships. Most will be honest and tell you where they’ve received the best deals and quality service. It is always a good idea to visit the dealership’s physical location before you buy and check out their service department. Visit the dealership... Read more

What is a Quartzsite?

If you can't find it in Quartzsite, it doesn't exist! © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved They’re gathering again. They’ve been rolling in since November by the thousands. Most of them camp in the desert that surrounds a town that’s essentially a truck stop on Interstate 10. By mid-January, they’ll transform the place into Arizona’s third largest city. This little Arizona town has become famous for luring Snowbirds who like to browse amid recreational vehicles and RV products; and gems, minerals, crafts, and hobby shows—and the “mother of all swap meets.” Read more  Read More →

And taking the Checkered Flag………..

Number One   Several years ago, early in our experience with RVs, we were at the Spartan factory for service on our Coachmen motorhome.  During that visit, we were fortunate to become acquainted with a couple there who were in their seventh year of full time living in their motorhome.  We went to breakfast with these folks and spent a long time listening to their adventures as full timers.  When we returned to the service shop, they were kind enough to give us a tour of their motorhome, explaining various features of the coach that fit into the full time life style.  Their motorhome was a Newmar Dutchstar, and from that day, I have always believed that the Dutchstar was a great coach for full timers, perhaps more so than any other make or model of motorhome.  Therefore, it was interesting to me that, when I conducted my recent survey of diesel motorhomes, that the Newmar Dutchstar finished in first place.  This would not have been my initial prediction, but looking at it with 20-20 hindsight, it all makes sense to me.  First of all, Newmar makes a great motorhome, a fact that will be confirmed by many Newmar owners.  Second, the Dutchstar is a great motorhome, with many fine features, quality construction, and solid factory support.  What I found to be unusual, was that the Dutchstar met so many of my specific requirements, at least enough to finish in the top spot in this list.  Actually, the Dutchstar finished only slightly ahead of the Winnebago Tour in points and... Read more

7 Step Process to a Wise RV Buying Decision

Buying an RV is a major purchase decision. We don’t take the decision to buy a house lightly, and buying an RV is no different. You need to do your research and be well informed to make the best buying decision possible. Let’s take a look at my 7 step process to a wise RV buying decision. Read more  Read More →

Tips on choosing an RV dealer

Would you purchase a recreational vehicle from any RV dealer? Does the dealer make a difference? You bet it does! Not all dealers are reputable or have good customer service records. Ardell Brown RV Camping World, Draper, Utah. Photo courtesy KSL Choosing the right RV dealer is important both at the time of sale and later down the road when you have your RV serviced or repaired. Following are seven things to look for when choosing an RV dealer: 1. Customer service Unfortunately, a common complaint in the industry is that RV dealers are more interested in selling you a product than keeping it serviced after the sale. Finding an RV dealer with a proven track-record of customer service is of utmost importance. When you spend thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on an RV you want to ensure before the sale that the dealer will provide outstanding customer service. After your RV breaks down is not the time to learn that the dealer is more interested in your money and getting you off the lot than providing quality service. One way of determining an RV dealers value is by finding out if they’ve received any manufacturers’ customer service awards. Do your homework before the sale and choose an RV dealer with a proven track record for quality service. 2. Dealer’s history Secondly, taking time to research the background and history of the RV dealer could save you money and heart-aches in the long run. The longer the RV dealer has been around, better! If a dealer has... Read more

Getting close to the end of our search for the perfect DP

Number 4 Entegra Aspire           A couple of years ago, Travel Supreme went bankrupt and the brand was bought up by Jayco who is marketing the TS motorhomes under the Entegra brand name.  I have toured several of the motorhomes built by Jayco, and they are doing a good job of maintaining the top notch quality of construction that Travel Supreme was noted for.  Actually, a couple of years ago, Linda and I were seriously considering a Travel Supreme as our next coach.  We really liked the fit and finish, as well as many of the features offered by TS.  The 40SKT floor plan has many features that we really like.  The mid ship TV is located such that it is viewable from both sofas, the dinette, and the captain’s chairs, even with the slides pulled in.  This is an important feature if you spend many nights at Flying J, Wal-Mart, or other such places.  As has been mentioned in other articles, I am not a fan of either full wall slides, or even 4 slide floor plans.  The 40 SKT features three large slides which really open up the interior of the coach and provide a lot of living space in a side aisle floor plan, as well as a lot of cupboard storage space, both in the kitchen, and in the bedroom. The Aspire offers either a combo washer/dryer, or a stackable version.  This is a plus if you spend a lot of time in your motorhome.  Another plus (in my opinion) is the standard queen bed with a king option.  Other plusses include low mounted wipers, and mirrors, side hinges... Read more

Our journey to find the perfect DP continues

Now that we have pretty much explored a great number of options and features you can look at on a diesel pusher motorhome, it is time to look at a few coaches that are available on the market and see how they fill the bill as far as suitability is concerned.  When I first started this phase of this project, I was surprised at how difficult it would be.  Surprisingly, even in this bad economy, there is a good selection of new diesel motorhomes available on the market.  Depending on what you want, and how much you have to spend, the selection grows to a point where it can get overwhelming and a lot of work can go into selecting your new rolling mansion.  With prices ranging from the low $100,000 range, and up to several million, with lengths up to 45 ft., the various combinations grow exponentially. Read more  Read More →

RV Dinette Design Choices

In the opinion of Lug_Nut. Trailers, 5th wheels and motorized RV’s offer basically four styles in dinette designs.  The type you get is largely dependent on the unit price point, make, model and floor plan.  The four designs generally conform to the following offerings. Booth Dinette:  This is a fixed table, usually fastened to the wall, with bench seats facing each other forming what is termed a “Booth”.  These can be a total of two seats, three or four.  They can be basic or they can be extremely plush, it all depends on the manufacturer and the price point. Read more  Read More →

Finding Freedom

We departed Orange County last Friday, eager to begin our on-the-road adventure toward Alaska by staying at an RV park in the Inland Empire of California.  As we headed toward our destination, Monique declared, “Let’s just go!”  And two hours later, we were battling a poorly designed dirt entry into a campsite in Red River Canyon State Park, very few miles from Death Valley. Wonderful Isolation in Red Rock Canyon, California The freedom to not be driven by schedules and calendars is what we consider one of the greatest blessings of our blessed lives. We celebrated our decision to change plans by enjoying a Happy-Hour-for-Two amid temperate breezes that whipped around among the surrounding walls of sandstone etched for millennia by wind, heat and long-forgotten rain.  If you’re a full-timer or RV extensively, you might know the exhilaration of this benefit of the nomadic life.  If you’re still bound by obligations around home but are planning to transition to extended RVing, or still trying to decide whether to make your move, I’ll clue you in on what it took for us.  First of all, Monique and I had the advantage of being in complete agreement on the idea of traveling full-time.  On the road, we meet so many couples who are trying to make it work, even though one member of “the team” is determined to return to a “normal” lifestyle.  Some of those folks have been putting up with compromises for years, and somehow they are still... Read more

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