RVIA EXPO, LOUISVILLE KY

Linda and I are getting the motorhome ready for our annual trip to Kentucky to attend the RVIA show in Louisville to gather information on the general state of the RV industry, and to view new products at the show.  We will be reporting on events as they occur, here on RV.net blog. 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

RV Recall Notifications – A Must Have for RVers

RV recalls happen. When they do, it’s imperative that RVers know about the recalls relevant to their RVs. Did you know that RV.net keeps RVers informed of RV Recalls by partnering with the Good Sam Club and the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to gather RV recall data and then distribute it to RV owners in a relevant and timely manner? Read more  Read More →

RVIA Show, Louisville Ky, Salem Ice Cabin

Well, the show is over, the booths are closed and the weary sales reps are packing their roll on bags and preparing for the trip home.  All in all, the prevailing attitude seemed to be that the worst is over the long climb back to a vibrant RV industry has begun.  Most vendors and manufacturers are willing to acknowledge unticks in sales and production.  Several new RV models were unveiled from the likes of Fleetwood and Tiffin, along with a couple of new chassis models from Spartan and Freightliner.  Attendance at the show was respectable and RV industry economists are forecasting modest sales growth next year assuming there are no major shakeups in the economy. One thing we will be seeing in the near future will be new ads from the RVIA in the “go RVing” model.  There was one very unique RV model featured at the show the likes of which I had never seen.  Not being an ice fisherman I was not aware of this, or it is new, I’m not certain which.  I thought this was worth looking at to show the range of options open to RVers. Salem Ice Cabin   This is the Salem Ice Cabin.  As you can see from the next photo, the plan is to tow this RV onto the frozen lake, and then lower it down onto the ice to facilitate a comfortable winter fishing trip. Lower the tires   The tires stow safely out of the way. stowed tires   As does the two hitch. the hitch is stowed   Let the fishing fun begin! ready for fishing   This is a closeup of the holes in the RV floor which... Read more

RVIA Show, Louisville Ky Opening Day

Well, the first full day of activities has now concluded here at the RVIA show and Linda and I are worn out from walking and talking.  We are somewhat overwhelmed with the size of the show and amazed that this show is less than half the normal size.  I told Linda there is no way we will be able to see and absorb all that is here. Today started out at 6:30 AM with the opening breakfast and associated ceremonies including entertainment and several speeches by industry dignitaries including Jim Sheldon RVIA Chairman, pictured below: Chairman Jim Sheldon This activity was very upbeat and positive, with information about the current state of the RV industry and predictions regarding future sales.  I will be devoting more time to the opening activities in a later post. The show actually opened at 9am, following the breakfast and we began to explore the many RVs and vendor booths at the show.  There were three events scheduled for this day that we didn’t want to miss.  First one was at 11am where the new Fleetwood RV was to unveil their first new product, a “crossover” motorhome known as the Encounter.  Here is a brief video of the Encounter. This RV was introduced by John Draheim COO of Fleetwood RV, and then a tour followed.  I will have more on this RV in a later column. Next we visited the Tiffin area to see Bob Tiffin unveil his “BIG” surprise.  This was certainly the most clever event we will see at this show.  Tiffin had the new RV covered... Read more

RVIA Show Louisville Ky, Ready for Opening Day

Registration Entrance Well, our first full day in Louisville is drawing to a close with the only thing left to do being watching New Orleans and New England play football tonight.  We managed to get a bit of exploring done today, and yes, we did make it to Walmart to do our part to keep the local economy going here in Louisville.  I have also noticed that as the day has gone by, the RV park here at the Expo Center has started to fill up.  I was concerned that I would be the only “dedicated” RVer at the show, but that is not to be the case. Read more  Read More →

RVIA Show in Louisville Ky

It is Monday morning, Nov. 30, 2009, and we have arrived in Louisville to attend the RVIA show at the Kentucky Expo Center.  The show actually starts tomorrow, but we are taking this day to find our way around, sort of get the lay of the land.  We were originally planning to stay at a trailer park about 2 miles from here, but at the last minute we discovered that the Expo Center has its own RV park within walking distance of the show.  So, we are now parked at the Expo Center Rv park with 50 amps and full hookups.  I wouldn’t call this a “destination” RV park, given that it is really a parking lot with hookups, but the convenience is great, although a bit pricey at $50/nite.  The park is well lighted and at arrival we were greeted by a friendly attendent and then after registration was complete, we were ushered around the park on a golfcart, and allowed to select our “space” where it would be convenient to plug in and hook up. Since we arrived yesterday, after we got set up, we went exploring, and located the registration area and picked up a show program with the phrase, ” MOTORVATION” on the cover.  Inside there is a complete listing of exhibiters, including RV manufacturers and other vendors to the RV industry.  There is also a nice map of the convention floor with the names of the various manufacturers and the area where they will be located.  I went through the list of exhibitors which is a real “who’s who”... Read more

RVIA Show in Kentucky next week

Today is Tuesday Nov. 24, and for the last week or so I have been busy getting the motorhome ready for a trip to Kentucky next week to attend the RVIA show.  This is the annual “industry only” trade show that usually features what is new and exciting for the upcoming year in the RV industry.  We will be staying at a trailer park near the expo center where the show is going to be held and plan to spend as much time as we can, visiting various exhibitors and talking with industry insiders about their view of the RV market.  I am hoping to gather enough information to write a few articles on what we see and hear, and hopefully we will also post some photos of the new “hardware”. While talking to various attendees from the RV manufacturing segment, I would like to ask them questions that RVers are interested in asking.  If you have anything you would like to know, please leave a comment.  I am also planning to discuss the future of RVing and would like to pose any speculation readers might have about the future of our lifestyle. My wife will be with me and will be providing a woman’s perspective as well. Please leave your thoughts and comments and I will try to find out more information if I can. Larry  Read More →

Making Modifications to Your RV

I get asked these questions alot: “Is it safe to modify my RV? What about my warranty? Will it be voided?” There is a lot of misinformation floating around about what constitutes a safe mod and what will void your warranty if you do certain kinds of mods. Many RV owners tend to be the “do-it-your-self” types and enjoy “doing the mod”. If you fall in to this group, you should carefully consider the implications of certain mods. You know that really expensive extended warranty that covers your RV “bumper-to-tongue” after the factory warranty runs out that you added when you purchased your new RV? It won’t help one bit if you do a mod that causes a failure on a covered part. So let’s look at what mods are safe to do and what just might cause you some grief down the road if you are not aware of your warranty conditions of coverage. Read more  Read More →

The Yearly Costs of Owning an RV (Part 2 of 2)

Last week we looked at some of the yearly costs involved in RV ownership.  (If you missed Part 1, here’s a link,  You might want to first read it   http://blog.rv.net/2009/10/the-yearly-costs-of-owning-an-rv-part-1-of-2/)  If you recall we touched on fuel, maintenance/repair, finances, insurance, licensing, taxes, and in more depth, the cost of depreciation. Today we will examine those costs and how practically and theoretically they may be able to be reduced. We will breeze through the items that we currently deal with, and are often discussed in the forums, and expand the “Wild Card,” depreciation.   Doing them in the order of last week, we will start with fuel cost. Read more  Read More →

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