| From RVbookstore.com Archived Issues Weekend of November 8, 2008  RVs for saleMotorhomes, Travel Trailers, Fifth Wheels, Truck Campers, Pop ups and much more. See the big selection at NewRVer.com. Click here To ensure you continue to receive email alerts for this newsletter, please place the following email address in your own email address book: rvtraveler@topica.email-publisher.com Editor's corner By Chuck Woodbury Click on the play button on the video to the right for a special message from the editor. The world of RVing was a whole lot simpler when I was a youngster, camping with my folks in our 15-foot Field and Stream travel trailer. The little RV had no bathroom, no water pump, no holding tanks, no automatic hot water and no room heater. At the time, of course, it was rolling luxury, not to mention a shelter from the rain. There were no motorhomes back then except homemade jobs. The only bus-sized vehicles on the road were buses. Today, the world of RVs is much more complex -- there are itsy bitsy RVs and big ol' ones that 25 years ago were affordable only to filthy rich celebrities. In my video above, I talk about Jim Twamley's blog posting where he basically claims the RV industry today is near death. If you follow the news of the RV industry you might even agree, or at least feel the industry is pretty darn sick. But I'm guessing that Jim is mostly talking about the RVing world he is most familiar with -- the big RVs favored by full-timers -- giant bus-sized vehicles like his Country Coach. Affording one of these babies nowadays is not easy when your pension fund has gone south and you can't sell your house to fund your RV purchase. Of course, just getting a loan is not easy, so that doesn't help. Across the country, RV manufacturers and dealers are closing up shop, one after another -- waving their white flags and pleading "I give up!" But I think RVing is not doomed at all -- not the "camping" type of RVing that many people prefer, me included. Our little trailers and small motorhomes will keep on selling because people will not give up camping -- getting away from home and into nature -- sitting by a campfire under pine trees, roasting marshmallows, getting up early to catch a breakfast trout. For those who would prefer to get away in a $250,000 motor coach -- well, maybe they'll just have to settle for a $25,000 travel trailer until times get better. Personally, if the economy gets really, really bad, I'll sell my house before I'll sell my motorhome. Ninety-eight percent of what's at my house I don't need. I'll just have a garage sale and then bring along what's left. Actually, that sounds good. * * *  LAST ISSUE I told you about writing in my blog about things I had found along the road while RVing. Mostly I have found little stuff, nothing big except a $20 bill. Many readers read my posting and then left a comment about what they had found. You should take a moment to read what they wrote. It's hilarious!Read my blog. Updated often.
 Is the RV industry so sickthat it's on "life support?" RV Travel blogger Jim Twamley thinks so and he offers compelling evidence to back up his claim. It's not a rosy picture, for sure. Whether you agree with "the Professor of RVing" or not, we suggest you read what he says. And feel free to leave a comment (we're expecting many!).  This
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guide. Learn more or order.  GM in trouble, running out of cash fastGeneral Motors, the United State's largest automaker, warned Friday that it may run out of money by the end of the year after piling up billions in losses and burning through cash at an alarming rate. GM plans more job cuts, including another 5,500 salaried and factory workers. But company officials cautioned that those measures alone would not be enough and that federal aid is essential. Read more. Break down on the road? No problem! Get Good Sam Club's Emergency Road Service. Don't settle for less: Get the best. Learn more or sign up. Readers sound off about recent RVtravel.com article Two weeks ago we wrote about Camco's product, the Power Maximizer, based on the company's published whooping. The device works by plugging into two different outlets on the same power pedestal so you could draw both 30 amp power from one plug and 15 amps from the other -- adding up to 45 amps. Boy, did RV readers jump on us for what we wrote about the device! Read more.
credit score when applying for an RV loan In this two-minute video, Charles Davis of RVfinancing.com explains how you can inadvertently hurt your credit score when applying for an RV loan. This is especially true when applying for a loan on the Internet. Watch the short video. Free admission for National Parks for vets on Tuesday All 391 units of the National Park Service will waive entrance fees for military members, past and present, and their companions on November 11 to honor their service to America. All former and present members of the military are invited to spend part of their holiday enjoying the sights and sounds of some of America's most treasured places. Read more. Chat with RV Travel on Sunday  Join RV Travel Forum Moderator Adrienne Kristine and editor Chuck Woodbury this Sunday evening, November 9, beginning at 6 p.m. (Pacific Time) for an informal online chat. You do not need to be a member of our forum to participate, but if you are, please log in with your user name so others will recognize you. To participate, go to http://www.rvtravel.com/chat . When you log in, please type in the chat room RVTravel.
Save big on RV books and DVDs We're clearing the shelves at RVbookstore.com to make room for 2009 products. Get incredible bargains on more than 200 RV-related books and DVDs, some discounted more than 80%! Hurry! Some titles already sold out. Hurry! Click here. Recent RV recalls Each month we list the latest recalls of RVs at RV-Recalls.com. Here are the most recent ones: September -- August -- July -- June -- May -- April -- March -- February -- January  Easy prep, great taste, good nutrition and quick clean-up - what more could you want from a meal? This cookbook combines the best of all worlds! Featuring 51 fantastic recipes that each include instructions for cooking in an oven, over a campfire, or on an outdoor grill. Learn more or order Using iPass for getting Internet access on the road: does it work? iPass is a mix and match combination of service and hardware. The intent of iPass is to make it possible to get an internet connection wherever you might be, via either a wifi or wireless broadband connection. The heart of the service is the software that you install on your laptop that manages the subscription(s) you've signed up for. Read more and learn how this device worked for our Digital RVer blogger. 
takes you back in time Now this is one groovy TV commercial -- for Winnebago's new lineup for 1973. We told you about this video a couple of years ago, but thought you might enjoy another look. Learn about the company's newest products including the brand new Minnie-Winnie ("the first mini-motorhome good enough to wear the Flying W") and the Indian, the best selling motorhome in America. The music is totally '70s and if you look closely you can see the shag carpet in the motorhomes. Wow! You'll love this 30 second video. RV market won't pick up for a year predicts RV engine maker Cummins Inc, a manufacturer of engines and power generators, warned on Friday that it doesn't expect a rebound in the pickup truck and RV markets it serves until late 2009. The company predicted that the North American heavy-duty truck market will grow 10 to 15 percent next year from this year's very sluggish pace. Buying tires for your RV? Be sure the new tires are not old tires The next time you buy a new tire for your car or RV be careful your new tire is not really an old tire. And when you buy a new or used RV, you also need to check that its tires are not "prematurely old." Read more.
UPDATED  The Digital RV -- SAVE BIG!Learn everything "digital" as it relates to an RVer: Connecting to the Internet, enjoying a stereo system that weighs ounces, managing digital photos and more. Retail $21.54. Now only $12.92. Limited supply at this price. Learn more or order. Get an email alert for upcoming issues of this newsletter. It only takes 20 seconds to sign up. Your email address is never sold or shared with outsiders. No exceptions. READ BACK ISSUES OF THIS NEWSLETTER: Click here. Workhorse UFO Chassis  The hottest RV chassis going these days is the UFO from Workhorse. Poke around the company's website to learn about this chassis, and about everything else going on at Workhorse (which is a LOT). Don't miss the entertaining videos. Learn more. As the snowbirds descend on the western deserts and down into Florida, many are turning to solar as a viable, quiet, and maintenance free source of electrical power while boondocking. Despite locating themselves in some of the sunniest locations in North America for this time of year, winter is nonetheless, a tough time for solar energy. With the sun tracking south, having your solar panels flat on the roof just doesn't get the advantage of the sun. Learn why and what to do about it. Social Security debit card? New wrinkle from US treasury When Uncle Sam made direct deposit of Social Security payments available, it was a gift to many RVers. They no longer had to worry about whether that paper check would finally chase them down on the road. But what about those without a checking account? Now Uncle Sam's thinkers have come up with a new wrinkle: Direct Express Debit Cards. Read more. 
RVtravel.com blogger, Jim Twamley -- also known as the "Professor of RVing" -- takes you on a three-minute tour of Quartzite, Arizona. The dusty outpost in western Arizona is home to tens of thousands of RV snowbirds each winter season. In this video Jim shows you where they camp, and then takes you on a quick trip through town. Ailing RVer sues Freightliner Chassis over defects In a Lemon Law case, a Southern California cancer patient is suing the Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation. The Federal Court suit alleges that, among other things, the RVer's $200,000 motorhome had defective brakes that failed, and had defective slide-outs and leveler jacks. Read more.  Find Services at Interstate ExitsNever take a wrong exit off an Interstate highway again. The 2008 Next Exit lists every exit along every Interstate and details exactly what you will find at each: gas stations (including which brands and if they offer diesel), campgrounds, truck stops, casinos, laundries, retail stores, drug stores, hospitals, rest areas, and more! RVer struck by stray bullet inside RV at NASCAR race An RVer was wounded by a stray bullet while inside her motorhome at a NASCAR event last Sunday. Read more.
 See how fast a kitchen fire can destroy the entire RVHow can an RV fire be funny when the entire rig burns to its skeleton? Well, in this very entertaining video from a British television show, the crew goes camping with a small travel trailer. While cooking, one of the crew members ignites a pan fire. No fire extinguisher is available. See what happens next at MotorhomesOnFire.com. The ending will make you laugh, but, really, this is not funny. It illustrates once again how fast an RV can be destroyed by fire. How to stretch your RVing dollars Adrienne Kristine has a number of suggestions of ways to stretch your hard-earned money, with a special emphasis on getting more for your RVing dollar. This is very good advice, with lots of tips you may have not considered.  directories of Free campgrounds The most comprehensive guides to free and inexpensive campgrounds in the East and West -- "must-haves" for budget-minded RVers. Save $5 by buying both East and West editions together. Learn more or order.  Would you loan your RV to a good buddy?Most RVtravel.com readers would not loan their RV to a close friend for a weekend camping trip. Of the more than 2,400 readers who responded to an RVtravel.com survey, half said they would absolutely not loan out their RV, while another 32 percent said it was unlikely they would do so. Only seven percent of the readers answered an unequivocal "yes" to the question. See the survey results and read the comments.  Best book on the subjectThe Complete Book of Boondock RVing Yearn to camp in the wild beside a babbling mountain brook or with a remote panoramic vista? This is the complete guide to camping without hookups (aka "dry camping"). Learn more or order. Thor sales take a tumble
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Coachmen RV has debuted its latest promotional video in its EasyLab series. In this one, Gus the RVer shows 101 uses for one of Coachmen's products. This is a very clever, fast moving production with lots of funky music. Watch the four minute video.  Find a churchMany RVers like to attend church services wherever they happen to be. But where's a church of the denomination you'd like? Here's where: At this website, you can search for a church of any major religion, whether near or far. Bookmark this website.  Explorer RV InsuranceGET A FREE QUOTE Owners of motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels and medium duty tow vehicles save up to 15% over our largest competitors by tailoring their coverage from more than a dozen options. Get a quote now. This Week's Reader Survey Last week's survey question Past reader surveys and results  ROADTREKMOTORHOMES The Fuel Efficient Motorhomes You'll Love to Drive! Learn all about them here.
Read previous RV Doctor columns  Wrinkle Free RV Laundry Learn how to use your RV's Splendid washer to not only clean your clothes but dry them without wrinkles. If you have a washer-dryer on board your RV, you need this book! Learn more or order. Trivia The last time the Republicans won a presidential election without a Nixon or Bush on the ticket was in 1928.  Bella Terra RV Resort Now Open for Rental Occupancy! Your dream of five-star, luxury RV living is becoming a reality. At Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, we pride ourselves on creating unique travel experiences for our guests. Make a RV lot reservation now. Call toll free 1-866-475-7746 or complete our reservation form online.
video tour of Bella Terra. RV Boondocking Tips Water Works By Russ and Tina De Maris Boondockers who want to "stay put" with their rig for an extended time will need to get water back to the rig. There are many ways to do it, but for the SUV crowd, here's an interesting route. Fit a piece of stout plywood over the rear wheel wells, and top it off with a "recycled" RV water tank. Fill the tank at the watering hole, then use a 12-volt water pump to transfer the precious fluid into the RV tank. Are you a veteran boondocker? Would you please share some of your tips and tricks at our RVtravel.com reader forum? We'll reprint some of your comments in this newsletter each week. Books and DVDs about camping on public lands and RV boondocking.  New Low Price!Greatest DVD on Quartzsite Take an armchair visit to Quartzsite, Arizona, a hotspot for wintering RVers. See where to camp for free, tour RV parks, learn about local attractions and more. Was $24.95. Now only $19.95. Learn more or order.  RV Tech Tip by Mark PolkHow to troubleshoot problems with Learn how to winterize your RV with Mark's best-selling DVD. Find out about DVDs and eBooks by RV expert Mark Polk. FMCA: Use these ideas to help organize your RVing adventures A little organization will go a long way towards making your RV adventures more pleasant. When things are well organized and in their proper place it makes setting up and breaking camp much easier. Here are some creative ideas one RVing couple uses to keep their things in order.  NuWu to halt productionRVbusiness.com reported Friday that NuWa Industries Inc., Chanute, Kan., will stop production of its high-end fifth-wheels on Christmas Eve but will keep its sales staff and parts and service departments open after the first of the year. About 100 workers will be laid off as part of the move, leaving the company with 40 employees. As recently as 2006, NuWa operated two factories and employed about 500 people. Terrific Gifts for RVers Looking for a special gift for your favorite RVer? Look no further than RVbookstore.com. Here are some books and DVDs we think any RVer would love. Check out these RV Travel Forum discussions Auxiliary fuel tanks We are thinking of an auxiliary fuel tank for our pickup. Any thoughts on brands, what style, and accessories to go with it? Where to put the genset? My Jayco rebuild is going along fine. So now I have to make some kind of decision about where to put the generator. Somewhere into the space of the 5er or on the side of the tow rig under the flatbed. Both places might have some advantage, but how much? Any suggestions or preferences? Holiday RV decorating ideas wanted We are spending our first holiday in our RV and I was wondering if anyone decorates for the holidays? Specifically, how do you hang a holiday wreath on the door? Regular over the door wreath hooks don't fit RV doors, so I need another suggestion please. Also any holiday decor tips you have are much appreciated. Aussie travelers looking to do the West coast in RV My friend and I are seeking advice on our plans to travel in an RV up and down the West Coast of the U.S. What mileage we would be looking at? What locations we must visit? Plus campground and RV advice. It would all be greatly appreciated. Coming from Western Australia, we've done plenty of road trips, but never in an RV, so we do have our reservations. However, we are super excited. What's your biggest RV trouble? I am wondering about what RV related problem causes the most trouble for other RVers? I have three that top the list, but the common RV refrigerator is by far the first. Interesting Forum:  RVer Veterans: Here is the place where RVtravel.com forum members gather to exchange information about affairs that are common to veterans who also love to travel by RV. There is a lot of good information passed along here, some of it can help vets save some dollars on programs they may not know about.Read other Forum discussions  Find Free RV Campgrounds "Don't pay to stay!" Visit FreeCampgrounds.com and find more than 1,700 free and inexpensive places to stay in the USA in an RV. Stretch your RVing budget by staying overnight at these freebie locations. Random RV Thought This is a bad situation: You pull into a campground beneath a beautiful pine tree. You dine, enjoy a campfire, then go to sleep. At dawn, a loud "boom" explodes on your rooftop waking you from your peaceful slumber. Then there's a second, and a third! Terrorist explosives on the roof? No, just a squirrel dining above on pine cones, dropping them when done. You step outside and see him 50 feet above you. You say "shoo squirrel," and he looks at you with authority and says, "No, the food is good and you can't do anything about it." And you realize that we humans do not always have the upper hand with nature, even small rodents.
Bill's Hints When approaching a red signal reduce your speed in advance, and try to catch the signal after it has turned green. This will save you fuel and help you keep up with traffic. --From Motorhomes Made Easy. eBooks: INSTANT READING! With eBooks you don't have to wait to read your book. Just place your order and your eBook will be delivered almost instantly to your email inbox. These eBooks are written by RV experts and delivered instantly in PDF format. Buying an RV the Smart Way I Have A Convection Oven in My RV. Now What? The ABCs of Pop Up Campers Boondocking Tips - More Fun Without Hookups Complete Guide to Dinghy Towing The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing A Collection of RV Tips RV Awning Use and Care RV Care and Maintenance Deep Cycle Battery Care and Maintenance The 3 Primary Systems of an RV: LP Gas, Water & Electricity Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitchwork and Backing RV Check-List Bumper Snicker  LOW, LOW PRICE! RV in your Retirement Anyone who is close to retirement or who recently retired and is planning to spend all or part of their time traveling with an RV will find much useful information in "RV Retirement." SPECIAL LOW PRICE. Learn more or order. Worth Pondering "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." --Thomas Edison RV Links. Learn about the best RV websites at RV-links.com. RVbuyingTips.com. Get good advice here. Books and DVDs about Fulltime RVing READ BACK ISSUES OF THIS NEWSLETTER: Click here.  Visit Camping World for RV supplies and accessories About the editor Chuck Woodbury has been exploring America by RV off and on for nearly three decades. In the '90s he published a quirky travel newspaper about his adventures, and for six years was an "on the road" writer for the New York Times Syndicate. Nowadays, he lives near Seattle where he drinks massive amounts of coffee (required by law) and travels when he can in his motorhome and sometimes by plane when vast expanses of saltwater would turn his RV into a leaky submarine. RVs for sale at NewRVer.com. Check them out. RV Travel staff Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Contributing editors: Russ and Tina De Maris, Jim Twamley. Forum Administrator: Adrienne Kristine. Office Manager: Jody Allcott. Web Operations Guru: Zoey Platt. Clapper/Loader: Emily Woodbury. Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We're just human! So don't go spending $10,000 on something we said was good just because we said so, or fixing something like we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. So be sure to check things out. At RVbookstore.com we strive for excellence in all we do and that's the honest truth (as opposed to the dishonest truth). Our customers receive really, really fast service. We move so fast in sending out a customer's order that sometimes we pass through the sound barrier, which really upsets our neighbors. Our motto is "You need it so we speed it," and no truer words were ever spoken! RVbookstore.com and RVtravel.com are members of the Better Business Bureau. We are proud commercial members of the Escapees, the Family Motor Coaching Association and a sponsor of the 2008 Life On Wheels Conferences. RV Travel is copyright 2008 by RVbookstore.com. Our International Headquarters: RVbookstore.com, 170 W. Dayton Street, Suite 103, Edmonds WA 98020, USA, Earth, Milky Way, Known Universe, Unknown Universe, Expanding Universe. If you read this far, then "thanks a bunch!" © Copyright 2007 by RVbookstore.com |
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