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But if you ever think of taking advantage of such a "bargain," think again. Buying a motorhome with a price of $70,000 with zero down and interest of 6.9 percent, results in a monthly payment of $538. Affordable? Not really. The catch is that those "low" payments extend for 20 years! Do you think that a modest-priced rig will last that long? No way! But once you drive off the dealer's lot, your rig is now a used RV and its value dives faster than a nuke submarine. At the end of three years, if the owner wants to sell it, he will still owe $64,577: of the $19,368 in payments he has made thus far, $13,963 went to interest. If the RV has depreciated by a third at the end of three years, that means the RV is worth $46,900. If the owner wants to sell it he will have to come up with the difference between what he owes and the RV's value — which means he will have to PAY someone $17,677 to take it off his hands. In RV financing lingo, this situation is known as being "upside down."

"A fellow came to me recently whose payments were $690 a month," a salesman at the RV show told me. "He had lost his job and couldn't make his motorhome payments anymore. He wanted to know how much he could sell it for. I told him, but it turned out it was $10,000 less than he owed on it."

It happens every day. The moral of the story: Put as much down on a vehicle as you can afford and avoid loan terms that will likely last longer than you will. Such financing is fine for a home, which normally appreciates. But it seldom works on an RV, which loses value every year.

And, for the record, an RVer who buys a $70,000 RV with zero down and finances it for 20 years at 6.9 percent -- and keeps on paying for the life of the loan -- guess how much he will pay all together? How about a total of $124,245, of which $59,245 will be interest. This is a "buyer beware" topic we discuss in the Better Business Bureau DVD "Buying a Recreational Vehicle."

Sometimes you want to bonk movie critics on the noggin!
The Robin Williams movie "RV" is staying high atop the box office rankings despite being almost universally panned by movie critics. Here's what one wrote: "The family road-trip comedy "RV" is so horrible and unoriginal that it’s not even a stretch to imagine that the decision to center the film around a RV trip was because the script would automatically be half-written with jokes about raw sewage." Yet, despite critics' dislike of the film, RVers are loving it, based on the letters we've received at RVtravel.com. If you haven't seen it yet, do so. Prepare to laugh. And a quick survey for RVers who have seen the movie: "Did you like it?"

Town backs off on plan to ban RV overnight parking stays
Good news on the free overnight parking front. The city council of Prince George, B.C., has decided it was not so wise after all to bend to local RV park owners' pressure to ban free overnght RV stays in public parking lots (Wal-Mart, etc.). And so last Monday, the council voted to let the freebie parking continue while it figures out a new way to keep both RVers and RV park owners happy. It's expected that the council will eventually rule to allow stays of up to 24 hours. Read our most recent article about this.

The Pot of Gold Zip Code contest prize is now $273. Check at RVbookstore.com between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Pacific time) Monday through Friday. You could win the cash by simply living in the day's Zip Code! The pot keeps growing every weekday that we don't have a winner! Last week's randomly selected codes: 24476, 71019, 98297, 75488, 48332. If you live in one of these Zips and were the first to tell us so, you would have won the cash!

Visit the RV Travel Reader Forum to discuss everything to do with RVing with other RVers.

How many slideouts does your RV have? Answer here.

Last week's survey question:
On average, in a month of travel, how many days will you stay at a KOA campground? Read the results here.

Past reader surveys and results

Go cordless with these power tools
For boondockers, going cordless with your power tools isn't always a choice, but a necessity. Read more.

How to save your rear end!
Dragging the rear end of your motorhome, especially while flat-towing a car with the tow bar attached, is not good. It's a common way to cut or damage your safety cables. Plus the noise sounds like you are ripping apart the rear end of your coach. Learn more.

Tips for better refrigerator in hot weather
Keep your RV fridge happy and the drinks cold with these simple tricks.

RV Dumping: Keeping it clean
Dumping the waste tanks: if you camp, you can’t avoid it. But a few simple techniques can make this aspect of RV life easier and help you avoid unpleasant accidents. Read all about it.

What's best: A class A motorhome or a Class C motorhome? Forum members weigh in.
Does the weight of a full tank of water cost you big bucks on the road? Get some opinions.
Headed to Canada with your RV? Ask a question or get advice.
Crockpot bags: A reader says these are the best things going. See why.

And in the FreeCampgrounds.com forum:
What's the scoop about staying overnight at Flying J Truck Stops? Find out.

And from FreeCampgrounds.com: Readers discuss Arkansas State Parks.

See baby eagles in their nest
Here's something you don't see everyday -- a close up live webcast of an eagle's nest, complete with baby eagles. Check in here during the day to watch the progress of these youngsters and their parents in a nest somewhere in British Columbia. You may need to watch awhile: the tiny birds can look like a blob of bird feathers when they're asleep.

Guidebooks and DVDs about RVing in Mexico.

This issue's
Knowledge Quiz

Two QUIZZES TODAY
with fabulous prizes!

The prizes:
--A George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Grilling Machine
--A fabulous RVbookstore.com coffee mug

Answer the Quizzes here on Sunday. Start times: 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. (Pacific Time)

Knowledge Quiz official rules

Look for a pop quiz or two with terrific prizes many weeks at RVbookstore.com.
Sign up to receive an email alert of quiz start times.

Federal Dataplate
The Recreation Vehicle Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF) says that a Federal Dataplate is required by law on all vehicles. It is usually found on the doorpost. It lists the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), the maximum weight at which the vehicle may be operated. Note that this weight rating may be legally exceeded only when the vehicle is parked. The Federal Dataplate also provides a Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR), the maximum weight that should ever be on a given axle. Because this rating is based on actual characteristics of the vehicle components, you should never exceed this rating, even when the vehicle is parked. The GAWR, divided by two, is the maximum axle rating for each end of the axle. You must not exceed this weight on either end of the axle, even if the total does not exceed the GAWR. (Learn about Mark Polk's RV "How-to" DVDs and eBooks.)

Camping World is running a week-long RV Expo at its 49 stores beginning May 12. * * * Fleetwood’s 2006 Highlander Niagara and Sequoia folding camping trailer lines were selected as “Best Buys” in the May/June issue of Consumer Digest magazine. * * * A firebreak created by the staff of the Silver City, N.M. KOA saved the park from being burned during a recent wildfire. Flames came as close as 20 feet to one motorhome. * * * The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service reports that it's working to develop a process to derive sugar from citrus waste to use in the production of ethanol fuel.

RVing Resources. . .

Why We Need English Teachers (as witnessed along the highways of America)

Visit the RV Travel Reader Forum to discuss everything to do with RVing with other RVers.

Upcoming RV Shows

RV-Links
Loads of links to great websites about RVing.

RVing With Dogs: Got a pooch onboard? You'll love this website.

Life On Wheels
"Go to school" to learn about RVing. Five annual conferences. Next one: July 9 to 14, Moscow, Idaho.