Tools provide stretching power to RV awning

So what do you do when you extend your fifth wheel's awning and discover it's full of folds and wrinkles? Bring out your tools, that's what! A camp host at Newport, Oregon's South Beach State Park pulled out his Crescent wrenches, pliers and other heavy metal tool box objects, and hung them from his awning to provide a little tugging power. The awning looked pretty darn good when we passed by, so the tools apparently did the job.

Find Cheaper Diesel? Here's Where to Put It

With fuel prices becoming more than a major headache, when a fifth-wheeler can find lesser cost diesel, it's a great time to "stock up." But where to put it? A new 40-gallon 'fuel n tool box' might be the answer. Designed to sit in your pickup bed just aft the cab, Transfer Flow's "40 Gallon Toolbox" combines an auxilary diesel fuel tank and 5 1/2 cubic foot tool box.

The toolbox sits atop the auxilary tank, and the filler neck for the tank sits inside the toolbox lid, locked up and out of the way. Unlike "read the fuel gauge and remember to flip the switch" style tanks, however, this fuel tank system automatically senses the level of your truck's OEM tank and transfers fuel out of the "toolbox" and into your OEM tank. You don't need to think about it.
The Transfer Flow system is designed for domestic pickups over a fairly broad range of model years. While the tank system is retail priced at just under $900, you'll need to add anywhere between $16 to $27 additional for the appropriate filler neck adapter. Check out all the details on the Transfer Flow web site.

Fiver Builder Challenges Industry Norm in Describing Rigs

Our elderly fifth wheel has a model number: 28.5 You all know what that means--it's 28 and a half feet long. As long as we've wandered around looking at fifth wheels, you could generally tell just how long the rig was by the number plastered on the wall next to the entry door.

Now here's a new wrinkle: How long is a 337RLS? Close to 38 feet you say? No, it's 33' 6. And it's "sibling," the 322RKS? Not the little over 32 feet we'd expect, but rather, 33' 6. "Now wait a minute, they've got the same length, but different model numbers?" Yeah. Here's an upstart idea, instead of listing how long the fifth wheel is, the builder--Open Range--lists how many square feet of living space there is inside. In this case, the 337 is a triple slide, and the 322 is a double slide unit.

The Open Range approach to labeling models may seem a bit radical, but in the long run, the company figures it'll be far more appealing to potential customers--being able to gauge their needs according to model numbers. It's not the only thing a little different about this company--the "look and feel" (at least from the sales brochure) for a mid-point price range (SRPs starting at about $45,000) look pretty appealing. The web site is a little lacking, but you can download a pdf file to get a look at these rigs due to roll out early this year.