Achieve a Smoother Ride While Towing or Driving Your RV

I met Shelly Kanji at the Quartzsite RV show. She was demonstrating the RollGard product line that adds control and stability to any vehicle that has leaf springs. Whether the application is in a truck pulling a travel trailer or 5er or a motorhome, the RollGard stabilizer will add safety and stability to your rig. On trucks pulling a 5ers RollGard will help manage tongue weight, reducing bounce and improve control. You can use this product instead of air bags. Here's an example of what it looks like mounted on a typical leaf spring application. This product reduces lean and sway making towing a big 5er or travel trailer more pleasurable. Put these on your 5th wheel or travel trailer and reduce the bounce and maintain better control in wind and when trucks pass. The RollGard is held onto the existing leaf spring with a buckle. The RollGard spring is held over the axle by rubber inserts. The buckle is held under your leaf springs by a roll pin. The roll pin is held in place by the buckle and the bolt on your existing leaf springs. These patented roller pins prevent spring binding. On motorhomes RollGard helps the factory leaf springs recover more quickly from steering inputs resulting in better overall stability. Though it has many of the same characteristics, this product is not a “helper spring” like you can pick up in automotive catalogs. It can help manage the load, but it’s primary function is control of unwanted suspension movement reducing bounce and improving the ride (something “helper springs” do not do). RollGard installs easily on most leaf spring equipped vehicles. You can read more at their website here RollGard. Helping you drive straight and level - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Plug-n-Play Tail Lights Make RVing Easier Than Ever

RVer Christy Anderson shows off the new TowMate designed specifically for RVers to use on towed vehicles. This product is the world’s only full functioning wireless taillight system. You get separate stop lights, turn signals and tail lights all in one 22 inch RV light stick powered by a rechargeable battery pack. Just plug in the 12 volt recharger when you’re done driving. The batteries will operate for up to 20 hours on one charge. These taillight wireless sending units fit into standard taillight plugs. The bright LED lights can be mounted as far as 100 feet from the sending unit. This unit is available with a suction cup or magnetic mount. They also have an elevated suction cup system that holds the light stick above a spoiler on the trunk lid. Bryan Anderson has been selling wireless taillight systems to the tow-truck industry for a while and designed this new system especially for RV use. This was their first time showing this product at an RV show, so I thought I would bring this new technology to your attention. TowMate carries a lifetime warranty on the electronic components and costs $395 dollars. For more information call them toll free at 800-680-4455 or visit their website here TowMate. They also make a 15 inch light stick for smaller vehicles. If you have more than one vehicle you would like to tow or a utility trailer, this may be the perfect product because you can easily use this system on any vehicle you tow. Transmitting to you wirelessly from RV-One somewhere in the Arizona desert - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RVer Frustrates Future Flap Failure

Our Motorhome has two types of flaps, the standard mud flaps behind each wheel in their respective wheel wells and the rear monster flap. Mud flaps are important because they restrain the small ballistic missiles your tires pick up and hurl back at the under-parts of your coach. This is especially critical when your radiator is down range. If you’re missing a mud flap you’re just asking for trouble in the form of a punctured radiator core. I was tooling down the RV road somewhere out in the middle of South Dakota when I pulled into a rest stop for lunch. (Is it just me or does this kind of stuff always happen in South Dakota?) Anyway, I got out to stretch my legs and do my routine walk around safety check and I saw this. This mud flap had just been installed a few days prior to this and somehow was sucked up onto the tires. The tires had worn the flap down making holes in it - no problem though, we were parked in an authorized smoking section. I replaced it at the earliest opportunity taking the added measure of securing the top and bottom of the mud flap to the wheel well frame with self tapping screws and fender washers. (Do you suppose that’s why they call them “fender washers”?) Now the mud flap stays in place and I haven’t had any further problems with it. Keeping you from flap failure - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Airstream Rolls into the RV Van Conversion Market

This RV is powered by a turbo charged Mercedes Benz diesel engine. Is a RV van conversion what you've been looking for? It’s compact, fits anywhere and gets great fuel economy. Take the video tour:

RV’s Two Massive Slideout Rooms Make This Coach Stand Out

With two expansive slides and a curved wall walk through bathroom, this Itasca Horizon 40TD was my favorite motorhome at the recent Redmond, Oregon RV show. This coach design is simply amazing! The Freightliner XCL Maxum chassis is, well…. different. It has a low slung support that not only allows room for the massive slides, but it also increases the basement storage capacity. This cube, where Yours Truly is standing is the actual size of the underbelly storage of this beast. The slide out trays and the exterior entertainment system are excellent. I love the interior, because it has the TV where you can actually watch it without getting a cramp in your neck. It also allows for a full view out of the front window without the TV getting in the way. The front kitchen brings the refrigerator closer to the driver (which I really like) and opens up the living area considerably. When the coach slides are closed you can still get to the bedroom through the unique and elegant curved wall bathroom. The bedroom is very nice and well appointed. The cockpit is comfortable and spacious designed for hours of driving fun pushed by the Cummins 425 horse power diesel engine. As far as design and comfort, it doesn’t get much better than this. The coach is priced at $309,000 (but don't EVER pay full price for a new coach). I fully expect other coach manufacturers to copy Winnebago Industry’s unique design in future models. Keeping you on top of RV industry news – Jim Twamley

Motorhome RVers Can Install Their Own Tow Bar System

I’ve been RVing many years but this is my first experience with towing a vehicle behind my motorhome because it’s my first motorhome. I experienced a little angst at the prospect of ordering the equipment and installing it myself. You can get all the parts you need from your local RV dealer, or order online from an RV distributor that carries Demco products. I ordered a towing base plate for my 2000 Honda CRV, a tow bar, bulb kit and a six wire light cable. FedEx delivered the equipment right to our RV site a few days later and I couldn’t wait to unpack the boxes. Here’s what I ordered. Each towable vehicle make and model will have a different base plate and therefore a different installation procedure. I will describe what I did to successfully install mine. When I began this project I thought that it would take me a couple hours to install the base plate and maybe an hour and a half to install the bulb kit. As it turns out, it took me abut 30 minutes to install the base plate and an hour or two to install the bulb kit. The reason it took me so long to install the bulb kit was because I couldn’t decide where to run the electric wire. I played around with running it through the body panels and other ideas, but once I figured it out, it didn’t take long to install. All the newer model cars have a base plate that is "hidden" in the grill; however my installation on my 2000 CRV is on the outside of the grill. The base plate installation is straight forward. First you remove the bottom plastic splash cover and the tie down hooks. Next you attach the brackets using the existing holes, making sure you apply “Lock-tite” (supplied) to help secure the bolts in place. I didn't tighten the bolts completely until I inserted the cross-bar and loosely connected it. I tightened all the bolts, and reattached most of the plastic splash cover (don't button up the portion where the female receptacle will be installed). Next I puttered around trying to figure out how I would run the wire from the front the tail lights to the front receptacle. I was able to run the wire through an existing hole in the taillight section inside the sidewall panel and out another existing hole by the rear license plate. Next I ran the wire back out under the bumper and used wire ties to fasten it under the vehicle and brought it back up through the engine compartment (being careful not to locate the wire near the exhaust system or moving parts). I made sure that the ground was connected to each bulb all the way to the front receptacle (if you don’t this it probably won’t work!). I drilled a hole into the back side of the existing tail-light housings and inserted the bulbs.Use a hole saw to make an opening large enough to insert the female wire light cable receptacle in a “hollow” spot on your front bumper. Run the wire out, connect the receptacle, screw it into the bumper and button up the splash guard and you're in business. Now you’re ready to hitch-up and hit the road with your toad. Demco products can be purchased at your local RV store or you can contact Demco for a store location near you: Demco
If I can do this by myself without adult supervision, and you can use a wrench, then chances are you can do this too. The more stuff I can install myself, the better, because if something goes wrong, I can usually fix it myself. Helping you keep on top of your RV game – Jim Twamley

RVer Gets a Handle on His Country Coach

RV entry doors have many different kinds of handles. Some fold sideways like this one on a 5th wheel. Others fold in and out. A majority of motorhomes have clear acrylic handles that light at night. My Country Coach has such a handle and the other day when I reached up to help myself into the coach it broke off in my hand. I was a little surprised at my own strength - or perhaps I need to weigh myself, hmmm.......We're camped in my brother-in-law’s driveway in Albany, Oregon, so I drove down to the Country Coach service department in Junction City, Oregon and picked up a new handle. Steve, in the parts department, found a replacement handle for me. The handle only cost me $17.96 because I was using the brackets that came with the original handle. The new handle was a little longer than the original handle, so I used a Dremel Tool with a grinding stone to remove a small metal lip in the bottom bracket so I could slide the handle farther down into the bracket and get the screw holes to line up. I reinstalled the handle with the original screws and now I’m back in business. Does anybody have the number to Weight Watchers? Jim Twamley

2008 Beaver Found Dead on the Road, RV Tow Truck Comes to the Rescue

This brand new 2008 Monaco Beaver motorhome (the Patriot Thunder) had just been photographed in Portland, Oregon for a public relations promotion. It only made it 21 miles out of Portland before it died from an electrical problem. There it was, pretty as can be, but no power. The battery bypass wouldn’t help and the generator was equally powerless to revive this beast. There was nothing left to do but call in a tow truck, but not just any tow truck, it had to be capable of transporting big rigs. I observed the tow truck operator skillfully maneuver the cross beam member into place under the front wheels. He then assembled the wheel cradles made of metal extensions that would lift the front wheels. Satisfied that the wheels were properly aligned, on the cradle, he secured them with heavy duty cargo strap tie-downs. He released the parking air brake (easier to tow that way) and attached signal lights on the back of the coach with long cables. This "Patriot Thunder" was out of electricity but fortunately the tow truck was equipped to take it safely back to the factory. Jim

Outlaw Toy Hauler Morphs Into Class A Motorhome

This unit is called the “Outlaw” and it’s a 2007 gas powered class "A" toy hauler/motorhome model 3611 by Damon. What I like about this machine is the level of comfort built into it as well as its inherent versatility. You’ll be able to ride your dirt bike all day and recuperate in the comfort of the spacious RV living quarters at night. There is a nice loft bed over the “garage”. However, you have to climb a set of spiral stairs to get there. Given the compact nature of this rig, it has a good sized shower. The slide-out contains a dinette and an air mattress hide-a-bed. The garage has a high ceiling at one end for tall stuff (also you won’t hit your head when you ramp up your four wheeler). It also has a fantastic vent to expel any unpleasant odors, hmm... is that your's truly in the picture? You can move the TV from inside to outside with a hook-up in one of the cargo bays and it comes equipped with a 5.5 kW Onan generator to power your weekend! So how much weight can you put in the garage? It will safely hold 2,000 lbs with the workhorse chassis. So that means you can throw in a couple of your favorite toys for the weekend and get away from your in-laws in your Outlaw. How much will this cost you?

Homemade Blocks Make Leveling Easier

Ron Wieringa, from Cole City, IL built this nifty set of leveling blocks for his Denali 5er. After he cut and secured them with wood screws, he painted them black and attached a handle.

He designed them to be used with a commercial leveling device and attached a "lip" to his wood leveling board to hold the commercial leveling device in place when used together. This allows for greater height in the leveling process.You can buy leveling devices which work well and are light weight or, like Ron, you can build your own.

I asked Ron why he designed these landing gear chocks with a "stop block" in the rear and he told me it was because when he parked where ice formed the landing gear would slip on the blocks when retracting, this "stop block" design prevents them from slipping.

Why We Moved From A 5th Wheel To A Motorhome

My wife and I have been shopping for a motorhome for a while and today we took the plunge and purchased a very nice pre-owned Country Coach. We are now in a 40 foot 2000 Allure with one slide. Why the switch? I’m glad you asked. We made the change from a 5th Wheel to a motorcoach primarily due to mobility issues. Our knees don’t appreciate going up and down the steps of our 5th wheel anymore.

We also wanted the comfort of driving on those nice cushy air bags and the ease of leveling and set-up. We also wanted a smaller more economical car (towed by the motorhome) with which to explore the side roads. The difference in fuel mileage between the motorhome and my 7.3 liter F-250 pulling our 5er is about the same. We enjoyed the 5th wheel, but since we are now traveling more often it makes sense to go with a motorhome. Here I am on the test drive.This week and next I will be chronicling my experience throughout the process of purchasing our motorhome from Best Buy RV’s in Richmond, Indiana Click Here For Best Buy RV’s. This is a series of stories you don’t want to miss. As always I’ll bring you interesting tidbits about the RV lifestyle along the way. Jim

The Sky's The Limit For This RV Design

This Airstream motor coach “SkyDeck” concept is nothing new. The old double-decker buses in England have had this idea going for years, but what is new is the idea of doubling the living space on a conventional type motorhome. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that Airstream is no longer making this coach for individual RVing but will continue to make it for business use.The SkyDeck roof automatically opens-up to reveal a fabulous patio with comfortable seating for15, a built-in wet bar and barbecue and yacht umbrellas. There is a stairway from the inside which eats up some living space but this space does not go unused. They say that this entertainment platform only ads 10 inches of height to the standard coach. This really is a technological marvel considering the walls are “load bearing” and the roof has to be strengthened to accommodate the added weight. Also consider that you must have a water-tight hatch for the stairs. All this and keeping a low center of gravity adds up to a great deal of superb engineering. This is a great coach for NASCAR as you can sit on top of the rig and take it all in. How about other sporting events, rodeos, little league games and well, the sky’s the limit. Talk about a wild tail-gate party!

SkyDeck

This unit is built on a Freightliner XCR chasis with a 400 Cat engine. Airstream, always at home with innovation, has given us yet another idea rich with potential. I'm thinking that instead of an awning the roof could fold out doubling the top deck space and providing shade underneath. And why do the stairs have to be inside? Why not on the exterior like on the London buses? There is a lot of potential in this concept and it remains to be seen what other innovations can be achieved with this underused RV space.

Prototype Driver and Passenger Chairs Have Customers Relaxing Instead of Fussing!

When you look at a typical motorhome driver or passenger chair, you think to yourself, “Do I need to go to a seminar to learn how to operate this thing?” Not any more, introducing (the yet un-named) prototype remote control (in the armrest so you can’t loose it) chairs. Villa International engineers are trying hard to make life easier for us and came up with this idea which they were trying out on customers at the Georgia FMCA convention.Sales representative Robert Long demonstrates the comfort of this top of the line chair. You know it's not easy to get a salesman to "sit down" on the job.

If you want more information you may contact the company here: www.villainternational.com

Moving to a New Motorhome

From time to time all of us get the itch to change rigs. Sometimes it's because we need too and other times it's because we just want a change. A lot goes into the decision making process and with the cost of RVs nowdays, it should be a carefully made decision.

Larry and Valerie Ellert have been full timers for 14 months. Previously they owned a truck camper and three 5th wheels. The first year they purchased a 2003 39 foot Damon Escaper motorhome to begin their full time RV adventure. However after a year of full timing they decided they needed more coach, so they shopped around and purchased a new 2007 40 foot Tiffin Phaeton motorhome at LaMesa RV in Tucson, Arizona.Valerie wanted more cabinet space and especially a king-size bed.

Being a great cook, she also wanted a four door refrigerator and more kitchen space. This nifty drawer cabinet not only contains drawers but also pulls out to reveal a large kitchen work space. She also wanted tile instead of carpet.His and her lavatories (sinks for those who prefere the Latin term).

They both wanted a nice desk and comfortable desk chair. These items were lacking in their Escaper and that's why they switched to their new Tiffin Phaeton motorhome.This coach has a Caterpillar 350 horse power diesel pusher with a six speed Allison transmission built on a Freightliner chassis. Both Larry and Valerie are happy with their new motorhome and look forward to many years of full-time RVing adventure!