Adventurer LP Introduces Double-Slide Camper

Yakima, Washington-based Adventurer LP announced Tuesday (September 6) it had begun shipping its all-new Eagle Cap 1160 double-slide truck camper to dealers. The first two dealers to receive the 1160 were George Sutton in Eugene, Oregon, and Lacombe RV in Lacombe, Alberta. According to Adventurer, most of their dealers have the 1160 on order and will be receiving them as soon as they are completed. The Eagle Cap 1160 is a redesigned above-the-rails truck camper that allows for increased interior room in its 102-inch wide-body design and features a rear sofa and dinette in separate slide-outs to provide maximum interior space. The 1160 is also a side entry unit allowing room in the rear of the unit for a large Class A-style rear storage bay. 2012 Eagle Cap Series According to Adventurer, Eagle Cap truck campers feature the company’s exclusive “hybrid aluminum superstructure,” a construction blend of welded aluminum framing and fiberglass shell design (full front and back one-piece fiberglass caps), essentially utilizing the best construction designs in the industry. Another Eagle Cap exclusive is the “EC-MAX,” which is a four-season insulation package, providing R-values of R-17 ceiling, R-11 walls, and R-22-plus in the basement/floor. Eagle Cap also features rear sofa and driver’s side dinette slides providing RVers with the type of room typically only seen in trailers and motorhomes, according to Adventurer. Adventurer LP Eagle Cap 1160 double-slide truck camper.... Read more

Mark’s RV Garage Episode #16 RV Internet Show Released

RV Education 101 releases Episode #16 of the new Internet based RV How-To series titled “Mark’s RV Garage.” The new episode is available for viewing at www.rvconsumer.com and on You Tube           On this episode of Mark’s RV Garage:  * Polk installs stabilizer jacks on the rear of the trailer and an electric tongue jack on the front. * For safety the trailer gets a combinationLP gas and Carbon Monoxide detector. * The trailer gets new LP gas cylinders, and the LP gas system gets checked for proper operating pressure and for leaks. * For entertainment the trailer gets a 24 inch Jensen LCD TV.  *All of this and more on this episode of “Mark’s RV Garage”  If you missed previous episodes of Mark’s RV Garage they are archived at www.rvconsumer.com for easy retreival and viewing Don’t miss the season finale, coming soon Happy RV Learning, Mark Polk www.rvconsumer.com www.rveducation101.com  Read More →

Meet the GO! by SylvanSport

At SylvanSport, a Brevard, North Carolina-based startup company, Tom Dempsey and his team of designers set out to put the cool back into pop-up campers. Tom Dempsey sits inside a GO camper with a customer's two dogs, Diggidy and Gertie. The GO pop up camper, built by Sylvan Sport, is a highly engineered 800-pound camper that can carry extra outdoor equipment such as canoes and bicycles and be towed by a small car. (Credit: citizen-times.com) As an entrepreneur, Dempsey saw an opportunity to make camping, already a relatively affordable vacation option, more comfortable for a new generation, reported the Asheville Citizen-Times. They came up with the Go, an 800-pound lightweight but solidly constructed platform that turns into a spacious living quarters that you can tow behind a Prius, instead of a huge pickup. The Go is billed as “Mobile Adventure Gear” rather than a trailer, which brings to mind the old-fashioned aluminum box on wheels. “Pop-up campers are part of the entry-level RV world, which hasn’t really changed in the last 40 years,” Demspey said. “We wanted to take the pop-up camper out of the RV world into the REI world.” The Go has proved a hit with enthusiasts eager to drive cross-country to Brevard to pick up their $8,000 campers, ordered online. Dempsey sees “a massive paradigm shift away from SUVs and big trucks to more compact cars, but people still want to play even if they own a Prius, so we hitched our wagon to a trend to more efficient vehicles.” Dempsey... Read more

RV Driving On Extreme Mountain Grades

A Lug_Nut point of view.  Extreme mountain grade driving is something most RVers prefer to do in their towed vehicle rather than with their motor home or truck trailer combination.  Steep climbs and drop- off downhill grades can turn a pleasant days run into a white knuckle survival experience.  So what exactly is considered extreme mountain grades?       Interstate highways and the majority of state routes are generally limited to 6% to 7% grades.  This means for every 100 feet travelled you would climb or descend six or seven feet.  A long downhill grade of this descent requires a constant resistance of lower gear operation, Pac Brake, Jake Brake and or service brakes.  The heavier the vehicle the harder it is to maintain a reasonable speed.  While you can generally use your brakes to check and maintain your speed in your automobile or light truck, the same cannot be said for most RV rigs.  Brake friction to slow a heavy rig quickly produces excessive heat that may lead to poor braking efficiency or even full brake failure.  While drum type brakes are perhaps more affected by this, disc systems can also overheat and fail. Extreme mountain grades can be upwards of 18%, well over double what you would normally encounter in the U.S or Canada.   These can bring the climb speed of a heavy motor home or trailer combination into single digits on the speedometer at full throttle.  Likewise on the descent an extreme resistance will be required to hold back the vehicle. ... Read more

Fleetwood RV Introduces the 2012 Bounder

Fleetwood RV, Inc., a Decatur, Indiana, producer of Class A Diesel and Gas motorhomes, and Class C Diesel and Gas motorhomes, announced Wednesday (August 24) the release of the 2012 Bounder—the Company’s most recognized motorhome brand. 2012 Bounder (Credit: Fleetwood RV) “Bounder has been a household name in the RV industry since its debut in 1985 and is best known for its high-function, no frills features,” said John Draheim, President and CEO of Fleetwood RV, Inc. “For 2012, we focused on updating and elevating Bounder so it would appeal to a younger buyer so we added two new floor plans and upgraded the interior décor. This is definitely not your grandfather’s Bounder anymore,” Draheim added. Top features on the 2012 Bounder include: Sony electronics, Sony Blu-Ray surround sound system (optional) Electronic fireplace (available on 33C and 35K only) Exterior entertainment center (available on 35H and 35K only) Standard full-body paint Halogen lighting throughout King bed (optional) 2012 Bounder Interior (Credit: Fleetwood RV) The 2012 Bounder line-up includes four floor plans: 33-foot, dual-slide floor plan with a 40-inch Sony mid-ship LCD TV and Ultraleather transform-a-sofa (33C) 33-foot, full-wall-slide floor plan with a 32-inch Sony mid-ship TV (33U) 35-foot, dual-slide floor plan with a large master suite (35H) 35-foot dual-slide, bath-and-a-half floor plan with a 40-inch Sony mid-ship LCD TV and Ultraleather transform-a-sofa (35K) Fleetwood RV, Inc.... 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

Mark’s RV Garage Episode #15 RV Intenet Show Released

RV Education 101 releases Episode #15 of the new Internet based RV How-To series titled “Mark’s RV Garage.” The new episode is available for viewing at www.rvconsumer.com and on  You Tube            * Polk installs the exterior metal and windows in the vintage trailer restoration project.  * Watch the installation of a Voyager Digital Wireless Observation System with WiSight technology  * Find out what Polk considers to be RV Maintenance Mishaps and see what you can do to avoid them.  *All of this and more on this episode of “Mark’s RV Garage”  If you missed previous episodes of Mark’s RV Garage they are archived at www.rvconsumer.com for easy retreival and viewing Episode # 16 will be available for viewing on 05 September 2011. Happy RV Learning, Mark Polk www.rvconsumer.com www.rveducation101.com  Read More →

Shasta RV Achieves Major Milestone

Earlier this year I reported that Elkhart, Indiana-based Forest River Inc. was reviving an iconic nameplate with the launch of Shasta RV Manufacturing, a stand-alone business unit, and that the new product would be a “significant departure” from the distinctively styled, diminutive trailers. I further reported that Middlebury, Indiana-Shasta RV had introduced three lines of recreational vehicles—the Shasta Freeport, an ultra-light trailer; Shasta Revere, a luxury towable; and Shasta Cynara, a Class C motorhome. Now after only seven full months of production, Shasta RV has reached a major milestone, according to a recent news release. Shasta RV’s production team celebrated August 3 as its 1,000th Revere travel trailer rolled down the production line at the company’s Middlebury, Indiana, manufacturing facility. “It’s really a testament to the quality of the product,” noted Shasta President Brad Whitehead. “It’s a solid, feature-rich unit—and dealers have been extremely responsive.” The conventional stick-and-tin trailer is available in lengths from 21 to 32 feet, and offers consumers a choice of 17 floorplans. Forest River Inc., Elkhart, Indiana, acquired the iconic Shasta brand when it purchased Coachmen Industries RV Group in 2008. It resurrected the out-of-production nameplate last August, and Shasta began full production in January. Shasta RV's production team celebrates the construction of the 1,000th Revere travel trailer at the company's... Read more

Vintage Airstream Business Expands

Vintage Airstream trailers will always have a place in Rory Burmeister’s heart and in his business. Mintage restoring a classic Airstream. Credit: mintageairstreams.com) But after three years of restoring retro travel trailers, Burmeister was inspired to do more than bring these travel icons back to life, The Missoulian recently reported. “We are taking what we have learned from that process and we are building our own trailers, taking what we know works from the Airstream and changing what doesn’t,” said Burmeister, owner of Mintage Airstreams, an East Missoula, Montana, company that restores vintage travel trailers. “Beginning in August, we will begin building vintage-looking trailers that have a modern twist.” Partnering with CTA, a Montana-based architectural and engineering firm, Mintage Airstreams will begin producing a high-end vintage-looking trailer, and also the Mintage “Canned Ham,” a smaller travel trailer whose name is inspired by its shape, and the Mintage “Teardrop,” a petite travel trailer light enough to be hauled behind a Subaru. “CTA is helping us design our own high-end trailer that is Airstream traileresque—something that is our own shell and is built from scratch in our shop,” Burmeister explained. “There isn’t anyone doing deluxe high-end traveler trailers like we envision, so we believe we will really fill a niche. “What will make ours over the top is the attention... Read more

Mark’s RV Garage Episode #14 RV Internet Show Released

RV Education 101 releases Episode #14 of the new Internet based RV How-To series titled “Mark’s RV Garage.” The new episode is available for viewing at www.rvconsumer.com and on  You Tube          On this episode of Mark’s RV Garage: * Mark installs a new RV 500 tankless water heater and tests the electrical system on the vintage trailer restoration project.  * Discover a product that will keep your motorhome wheels going straight even if there is a blowout.  * Get some preventive maintenance tips on how to check the air pressure in your tires.  * All of this and more on this episode of Mark’s RV Garage.  If you missed previous episodes of Mark’s RV Garage they are archived at www.rvconsumer.com for easy retreival and viewing Episode # 15 will be available for viewing on 22 August 2011. Happy RV Learning, Mark Polk www.rvconsumer.com www.rveducation101.com  Read More →

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