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RV Travel: World's most expensive RV debuts

Issue 234 of RV Travel. Learn about RV camping, RV travel, RV news and much more. This newsletter is funded through sales at RVbookstore.com, the World's Largest RV Bookstore specializing in books and DVDs about RVs and the RV lifestyle.

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Good slogan for auto repair shop.

By Chuck Woodbury

In science fiction, you sometimes read about parallel worlds. This would be the fodder, perhaps, for a Twilight Zone episode, where a person might wake up some place where everything seemed familiar, yet was not. In this world, a person's house may look like his house and his kids like his kids. Yet the house isn't his house, and the kids don't even recognize him.

In a way, that's what it's like to travel by RV in a distant land. I experienced this feeling in New Zealand. Everything seemed so "the same" -- as if I were RVing in my own country. And yet, one look inside the cab of my rented camper van, where the steering wheel was on the right instead of the left, told otherwise.

This week, we're introducing a new column at RVtravel.com by Aussie RVer Gail Bennett, who will write about "Motorhoming Down Under." From what I know of RVing in Australia, I believe that to American and Canadian RVers, RVing "Down Under" is much the same as here in North America in how it's done and the people who do it.

While we here in North America travel our own highways and byways, halfway around the globe there's a similar RVing community. If you were to attend a rally in Australia, for example, you might need to remind yourself from time to time that no, you were not in your home country anymore, but 10,000 miles away.

One day on the South Island of New Zealand, I came upon a scene that looked so much like one in western Washington that I pulled off the road, snapped a photo, and marveled that a place so far away from my home could feel so familiar. I stared at the landscape and mumbled to myself, "Chuck, if you turn the RV around, and drive for three hours, you will be home." The scene looked so familiar that it was hard for me to accept that I couldn't just reverse my direction and be back in Seattle in a few hours.

People I met in campgrounds in New Zealand were very much like the people I meet on my trips in the States. Sure, the accent was different, and the RVs were a bit smaller. But the attitude of those RVers and the way they travel is virtually the same as here in North America.

So I hope you will follow Gail's articles as she explains her RV world, far away from our own. Maybe your curiosity will be piqued enough that you will make a trip Down Under one day to witness Australia first hand.

You can read Gail's first column by clicking here. And be sure to sign up for her fascinating email newsletter. 

RV weighing
We received many responses about my comments last issue about the importance of weighing an RV. Author Ron Jones suggested that readers should read his article on the subject.

Did you miss last week's RV Travel newsletter? Read it here.

Last week's survey question
How many days a week, on average, do you take a nap of at least 20 minutes or longer? Read the results.

Past reader surveys and results

World's most expensive RV debuts
If you've got $2.5 million to spare, you can be the proud owner of a just-introduced Featherlite Vantare Platinum Plus, a coach that makes other luxury coaches look like Minnie Winnies. This is definitely not a coach built with family camping trips to state parks in mind. It's a coach with everything for the person who has everything and who can embrace the idea that ridiculous excess is okay. How many coaches do you know of with a built in treadmill? And that's not all: A custom desk boasts suede lined drawers and a laptop computer with multifunction printer. The salon, galley and hall ceiling are covered in custom copper sculpture by Chip Manz. Ceiling lighting shines through Swarovski crystal. Get the idea? Learn more about this coach and see pics here.

An oil change gone wrong
A simple oil change on the road turns into a mathematical nightmare when low-end mechanics are put in the equation. Learn tips on checking up on your mechanic. Read more.

And pack along an inexpensive guide to Wal-Marts that do NOT allow you to stay overnight.

"How can I make my generator quieter?" A forum member asks. Have any ideas?

A forum member is puzzled by a propane leak detector that keeps sounding. What to do?

What phone is best for RVers? Do you have a recommendation?

Do you tow a vehicle behind your motorhome (or plan to)? There's a lot of good advice on the subject here.

And in the FreeCampgrounds.com forum:
Some towns are friendlier to RVers than others. Here are some places that RVers have found downright unfriendly.

Cool... Very Cool
Cruzin Cooler combines two basic necessities of life, the ability to have cold food or a beverage handy along with the means to get somewhere, without walking. Check it out at RVtoyoutlet.com.

 Visit the new reader forum for Northwest RVers.

RVers claim that Fleetwood misrepresented towing capacity
Fleetwood's 2005 and 2006 Providence, Discovery, Excursion, Expedition and Bounder Class A motorhomes were sold to consumers with a sticker advertising a towing weight capacity of 10,000 pounds. Now, according to consumer protection attorney Robert F. Brennan, the company is informing consumers that the 10,000 limit was a mistake and is offering a new sticker to be placed over the old sticker indicating a tow limit of only 5,000 pounds. "This is not a recall; it's a cover-up," said Brennan. "A recall is used where the manufacturer can do something to fix the problem. Putting a sticker on the RV, stating that it now has one-half of the towing capacity that was represented when it was sold, is more of a fraud than a fix." Brennan’s firm represents two consumers who claim coach problems in addition to the misrepresentation about towing capacity. Both cases have been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The life of a construction zone flagger
We've all seen them, flaggers who stop us and then let us proceed through road construction areas. But we seldom give much thought to these people and their jobs. According to an article in the Baker City, Oregon newspaper, some flaggers are regulars, and travel from job to job with their RVs. Here's a very interesting profile of flagger Becky McCullers, who is in her seventh season directing traffic at a construction zone. Take a few minutes to read this. You may gain a new appreciation of the people who perform what often looks like the world's most boring job.

Special milk lasts a long time
Here's a tip about a product that comes in very handy when you are on a long RV trip — a milk that can be stored at room temperature for up to six months while remaining perfectly fresh. The milk is "Ultra High Temperature" (UHT) processed to stay fresh without refrigeration until you are ready to use it, and it contains no preservatives. Once opened it requires refrigeration just like regular milk. One brand is produced in Idaho by Gossner Foods. A good way to utilize this product is to carry a few quarts with you on your RV trips, pulling a quart from storage when necessary, perhaps when your refrigerated supply runs dry far from a general store. UHT milk is also good for storing at home in the unlikely case of an emergency. It's hard to find UHT milk on store shelves in North America, but in Europe it's often easier to find it than the refrigerated product.

Drinking glasses
When we're on the road, we use different colored drinking glasses so we can identify which is ours. We don't wash them until the end of the day after repeated use. We reduce the number of dishes we need to wash by using paper plates. This doesn't always work, like with a steak, when you can end up eating a little paper along with the meat. In that case, a real plate is in order. When using a real plate, after eating, "de-gunk" it with a paper towel before washing. Then use a sauce pan as your "sink" to save water. -- Russ and Tiña De Maris are the authors of RV Boondocking Basics.

Guidebooks and DVDs about RVing in Mexico .

RVing Resources. . .

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

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

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

RV Buying Tips: Spend five minutes here and help ensure you don't make classic RV buying mistakes.

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

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