Pamela Anderson to Upgrade "LoveStream" Trailer

Actress and tabloid topic, Pamela Anderson, has big plans for her Airstream trailer. Anderson has hired a high-speed specialty conversion shop to take her humble aluminum house on wheels to something--well--a little less conventional. Can you say, "vibrating bed"?

In a news release, specialty converter Will Castro of Specialty Autosports says, "This thing will be off the chain. Pam gave us a lot of wild ideas to get started with and she's going to have a lot of fun showing off her new toy." If you're a subscriber to the SPEED television network, you can watch the conversion take place on show, Unique Whips, set to premiere Feb. 21 at 10 p.m. ET.

For my money, I suspect most of us don't have room in our fifth wheel for a dance pole.

Photo: Pam Anderson and Will Castro pose in a drafty doorway.

Turn Your Motorhome Into a Cash Cow?

A Las Vegas franchise system says you can make money with your motorhome. Bates International Motorhome Rental Systems Inc, recently put out a call for motorhome owners to join their system. This is not a "sell RV campground maps from your motorhome," operation, but rather a rental management system. If your motorhome is three-years old or less, Bates lists it for rent through a "profit sharing" agreement.

Check out their media release for more details.

Buckle Up Those Backseat Toad Riders

If you think it's safe to ride "unbelted" in the back seat, think again. New research shows that backseat riders not only risk their own lives, but that of the driver in the case of a head-on crash.

Crash test dummies, left unbelted in the backseat, not only suffer severe chest and head trauma, their mashing into the seat ahead of them can cause similar injuries for the front seat occupant--even if that one is belted in. Size of the backseat passenger doesn't seem to make much difference either--adult dummies and child dummies alike, both accounted for severe "injuries" to the belted front-seater.

One more tidbit: Packages or luggage riding in the back seat can cause severe injury to front seat occupants. So, says the study done by the University at Buffalo School of Engineering, best to buckle up anybody--or anything--in your back seat.

Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Transportation

Oh Canada! Thine Imports May Bring Grief

In the world of the ever-changing exchange rate, the Canadian dollar buys more and more in the "Lower 48." How about bringing back a nice motorhome, or even a "toad car"? Best hold on, eh? Just because that vehicle can fly down the streets of Laredo, doesn't mean it'll get back to home in Toronto. Purchasing is one thing, but importing is entirely another. A recent article in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix points up the story of the Toronto chiropractor who thought he'd cut a great deal on a Mercedes, until he found he couldn't bring it back home. While his problem was with four wheels, there are plenty of motorhomes that Maple Leaf authorities won't let Canadian's import. Check out the story, complete with information on how to find out if the motorhome or dingy of your dreams can meet the test of Canada's motor vehicle importation laws.

Good Sam Gives Members Input on Legislation

The Good Sam Club, perhaps the largest RV owner's affiliation in the country, announces they've formed a new council which will give RV owners a 'microphone' for voicing concerns to lawmakers and industry officials. Called the Member Advisory Council, the group is in an evolving stage, but is tasked with ensuring that the club accurately represents member views when commenting on legislation or industry changes. The club has issued a news release which goes into detail on the group's future.

Merci Me! It's a Chinese RV!

This is an international RVing first: An RV sold in America that's manufactured in China. In a retro-cum-modern effect, the iCamp Elite is a teardrop 15 footer with an interior that looks like something that came out of a modernist interior decorator school. Keeping up with the Gen-Xers, there's even an iPod connection when you tire of the flat-screen TV.

United Recreational Vehicles LLC is the representative for this new little critter which retails at around $17,000. Check out the iCamp website for more details and a big gallery of pictures.

Game Warden Notes

OK, so this isn't an RV item, but it IS amusin'

A Bell County, Texas game warden was setting on one his prime spots for road hunters Oct. 25 when a driver approached and shot an armadillo off the road. When the suspect was apprehended, he advised the warden that he was killing it for the oil of the armadillo to treat a medical condition, and that God told him it was okay. The suspect was informed that God forget to let the wardens know. Case is pending.

New Parks Pass--Pretty--But Controversial

"Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett and Under Secretary of Agriculture Mark Rey last announced a new interagency recreation pass that will benefit visitors to national public lands. The new pass, authorized by the Congress in 2004, combines the benefits of existing recreation passes from five federal agencies into one comprehensive pass, the "America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass."

"The new pass covers recreation opportunities on public lands managed by four Department of the Interior agencies (National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation) and by the Department of Agriculture's U.S. Forest Service.

"Access to most public lands remains free. The pass applies to those locations that currently have entrance or standard amenity fees."

So reads the media release regarding the new recreation pass. But while the new pass has a pretty picture, not everybody's jumping on the bandwagon. Recreation activists, many who feel American's are being "feed" out of their own public lands are already blogging and editorializing up a storm. The new pass, which will cost the typical purchaser $80--up from the old parks' pass of $50--and senior Americans $10 for a "lifetime" version--grants access to some areas which are already free. Quietly authorized by Congress a couple of years ago, opponents point to the 'stealth bomber' approach in actually putting the new pass in place.

Whatever your views are regarding public policy and entrance fees, you'll get an earful from Bill Schneider in his column in The New West.

Burbank RVers Get Parking Reprieve

Another city tussles with the issue of disallowing RV parking on city streets. Burbank, California is no exception. For some time the city council has found itself caught in the middle of the battle with RVers on one side and non-RVers on the other. In the most recent foray, the council decided not to take a public vote on the issue but to allow a committee to give the issue more consideration. Check out the full story in the Burbank Leader.

British Columbia compromises on parking lot "camping"

Prince George, BC, which last year banned RV overnight stays in shopping center parking lots, will now allow stays of up to 36 hours. Local campground owners tried their best to outlaw any free stays, but seemed willing to accept an 8-12 hour maximum. Despite their pleas, the city council set the longer limit. Last year when the town announced it would no longer allow RVers to stay the night in parking lots, it was flooded with angry letters. Prince George is a popular stopping point for RVers going to and from Alaska, and the local economy is based heavily on tourism. Read the full story from the Prince George Citizen.

Cold Weather Could Clog Biodiesels

Drive a diesel and lean toward a cleaner environment? Be careful when you fuel up on biodiesel this winter. The National Biodiesel Board, an industry trade association, says their own fuel testing shows caution is in order if you fuel up in cold weather. "Consumers should consider a biodiesel 'winter weather advisory' in effect for the nation." The board ran the caution flag up the pole because of concerns of poor fuel quality.

In a national study, one third of the samples tested failed processing standards, which could lead to vehicle filter clogging. A board statement says, "Although fuel quality is always important, cold weather can amplify problems caused by out-of-spec fuel."

Still want to fuel with a bio-fuel? The board recommends you buy your fuel from certified marketers who meet industry standards. You can find a list of these at www.bq-9000.org .

Is Your RV Equity Secure?

Like automobiles, RVs have the nasty habit of losing value over time. It's not as secure an investment as buying a home--but it's a little hard to see the country when your home's tied down to a concrete foundation.

Nevertheless, it's important to protect your investment--and your future--by taking what precautions you can. For example, if you're planning on buying a new RV, beware, like a new car, the depreciation is a big thing the first time those fresh, shiny, tires roll of the dealer's lot.

Let's play suppose: Suppose you buy a brand new RV, and finance it with your friendly neighborhood bank, credit union, or loan shark. You've had it a little while, had some good times, and *hey presto!*, a freak windstorm picks up your little getaway machine and smashes her flat. You're insured, right? Ah! Do you have "full replacement" insurance though? In some instances, you might well be "paid" the current market value of the rig, which could easily be LESS than the remaining balance on your loan.

Where does that leave you? Without an RV, but with more money to pay on that loan, even after you've signed over that insurance settlement check. Talk about indigestion! What to do? You may have heard this: It's good to insure your RV with a company that specializes in RV insurance. Talk turkey with your agent, walk through the "smashed flat" scenario to make sure your loss will really be covered.

Fulltime RVers have special needs. "Regular old car insurance" may help some, but if you lose most of what you own in an RV loss, you may find you'll get not a penny for your personal possessions. And if someone visiting were to stumble on your steps and break his whatchamacallit, the specter of a liability lawsuit may cause you to lose a little sleep. Take the time to check out your policy and sleep better.

Welcome to RVs in the News!

RVs are in the news--and it seems almost endlessly. If you've tried scanning the news in Google or any other news search system, you'll find you can practically spend all day sifting through items of interest--and plenty that aren't.

Our blog will try and do the sifting for you, weeding out the "Joe Doaks travel trailer was broken into" stories to items of greater interest. We'll bring you news that will entertain you, and news that you can use. While our focus will be on news dealing directly with RV items, we'll also slip in an occasional item that not directly labeled "RV" we think you'll find interesting, thought provoking, or just plain fun.

Please don't hesitate to post your own comments! Hang onto your hats, because we're off!

Russ and Tina De Maris