Motorhomer Cries "Foul!" at Colorado State Park Policy

An RVer with a motorhome and a "toad car," visiting Colorado's Cherry Creek State Park feels the state discriminates against motorhome owners. On pulling into the state park, the RVer was charged--in addition to his $22 per night campsite fee--$7 for his motorhome and $7 for his towed car. These latter two charges are assessed "gate fees," charged for entering the park. At the same time, he discovered an RVer with a pickup truck pulling a trailer or fifth wheel would only be hit with a single $7 gate fee. Feeling a bit nettled, and in his view, discriminated against, the RVer wrote to our parent website, RVTRAVEL.COM

Our diligent research elves put in a call to the rangers at Cherry Creek. They cheerfully told us, indeed, since the vehicle pulled by the motorhome was a motorized vehicle, there would be an additional gate fee; at the same time since the trailer wasn't motorized, there would be no additional charge. We decided to 'give the dog another bite,' so we checked with the home office. A slightly different version of the tale was related by the agency's public information officer, Clare Sinacori.

Ms. Sinacori told RVs in the News that if the toad car remained hitched to the motorhome, then only one gate fee would be charged--that for the motorhome. We explained that in the "real world," it was highly unlikely a motorhome could be backed into a campsite with a towed car in place. "That would be fine," we were told, "As long as once you were settled, the towed car is hooked back up to the motorhome and isn't used."

Having never visited Cherry Creek, but drawing on our experiences at other state parks around the country, the likelihood of hitching the toad back up to the motorhome once it was "settled," is pretty unlikely. The typical design of campsites would likely not allow for maneuvering the car back around behind a parked motorhome, at least not without driving off onto "sacred" non-paved ground. If that is the case in reality, then RVers, prepare to pay more for the privilege of bringing your toad car with you to Colorado State Parks.

Why such a stringent policy? It may lie with the fact that Colorado legislature reduced its park system's share of general funds by $750,000 for the current biennium. As a result, in the park system's own words, it has, "increasingly focused on cash generation." At $7 per day, per "motorized vehicle," "cash generation" falls primarily to the wallets of motorhome owners.

Danger warning on cheap Chinese tires

Nearly a half million tires manufactured in China may be rolling time bombs on light trucks and some RV recreational vehicles. A lawsuit filed in June blames cheap Chinese tires for a fatal Pennsylvania traffic accident. The suit says tread separation caused a cargo van carrying four passengers to crash, killing two passengers and injuring the other two.

In June, Foreign Tire Sales appealed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for aid in recalling an estimated 450,000 light truck tires sold under the names Westlake, Telluride, Compass and YKS after the company allegedly learned that the manufacturer, the Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Company, had left a critical component out of the tire.

FTS said an unknown number of the tires it sold were made without a safety feature called a gum strip which helps bind the belts of a tire to each other, the company said in a filing to the NHTSA. Some of the tires had a gum strip about half the 0.6 millimeter width that FTS expected, it said.

Foreign Tire Sales said the tires could suffer tread separation, a problem that led to the nation's largest tire recall in 2000 when more than 14 million Firestone tires were recalled for a similar problem.

But the number of defective tires could be much higher because Hangzhou has refused to specifically identify by Tire Identification Number.

The Hangzhou tires join tainted pet food, lead-coated children's toys and toxic toothpaste as some of the latest Chinese imports deemed hazardous to American consumers. According to the New York Times, Chinese products now account for 60 percent of all product recalls today.

After a fatal May crash of an ambulance, FTS said it removed tires from other ambulances and found insufficient or missing gum strips on tires manufactured by Hangzhou in 2004 and 2005. In September 2006, Hangzhou finally admitted to FTS that it had reduced or omitted the gum strip from an unspecified number of tires, FTS alleges.

But Hangzhou officials told FTS that in January 2006 it began to reintroduce some amount of the gum strip back into the tires. In March 2007, FTS did further testing and analysis on Hangzhou tires and found that they experienced tread/belt separations at 25,000 miles.

"These tires could pose an immediate danger to consumers and should be removed," said Sean E. Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, a safety advocacy and consulting firm that has been pushing for tougher tire safety standards.

While this is not a complete list, consumers should be on the lookout for steel-belted radial light truck tires sold under the names Westlake, Telluride, Compass and YKS in the following sizes:
• LT235/75R-15
• LT225/75R-16
• LT235/85R-16
• LT245/75R-16
• LT265/75R-16 and
• LT3X10.5-15

RV Travel editor to appear Sunday on The Travel Show with Arthur Frommer

RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury will appear on the Travel Show with Arthur Frommer on Sunday, July 1. The show airs from Noon to 2 p.m., EST, on radio stations across the USA. Woodbury’s segment in which he talks about the popularity of RVing with Pauline Frommer will most likely be in the show’s second hour between 1 and 2 p.m. The Travel Show can be listened to live at the website of New York City’s WOR-AM.

Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost authority on travel. Guidebooks containing the Frommer’s Travel name account for nearly 25 percent of all travel books sold.

Newspaper Columnist Blogs and Flogs RV Cross Country

Dawn Witlin as a newspaper journalist used to cover crime on the east coast. She gave it up, and it appears by the paper trail she's left behind, her life is a lot more interesting now.

Dawn and husband Curt decided to leave the east and head west, looking for jobs, education, and cheaper housing. Their way out? A 1983 Class-C motorhome they bought for $3,500. The plan was to make their way west to Seattle, and blog about their experiences in the Boston Herald. It didn't take long for Dawn to develop material for the new blog--a day on the road, and the motorhome, "sputtered, stalled and lurched to a halt." We all know the saga: There's just no adventure like one on the road.

In addition to her blog, Dawn's been tasked to do a weekly column for the Herald. We 'dialed up' the paper's website: Woops, sorry, this week's feature isn't available--apparently the motorhome is in non-cooperational mode, the column didn't make it, and if anybody has any suggestions on fixing leaky RV plumbing, please send e-mail. Yep, life is a lot more interesting in an old RV than covering the crime beat. Check out the opening gambit for Dawn Witlin's saga here.





Photo from the Boston Herald

RV Media Founder Dies

If you read Trailer Life or Motorhome magazines, or are a member of the Good Sam Club, chances are Art Rouse had a hand in your RV life. Art bought the little industry produced Trailer Life magazine in 1958, seeing what he felt was a surge of interest in the recreational trailer industry. "For two years," Rouse recalled, "it cost me every cent I had." But Art's tenacity brought him great rewards: Within 10 years TL's circulation blossomed, and Art started buying out his competitors. At that decade mark, he founded Motorhome magazine. He and his little family business bought up a newly formed RVer's group--the Good Sam Club.

If the 'rest is history,' then Art Rouse leaves a big mark in it. The TL family got bigger, and eventually became the 'children' of Affinity Group, Inc, a major player--should we say the major player--in the RV publishing industry. Along the way Art endeared himself to RVers by writing a down-home column in his first RV magazine. He lived the lifestyle that he wrote about, keeping a motorhome in action up to the time of his death, last Friday, at the age of 89.

Photo courtesy Affinity Group, Inc.

The Return of the Embalmed RV

About a month ago we ran a piece regarding alleged high levels of formaldehyde in FEMA commissioned RVs sent for Katrina disaster relief. In that story we said, "The question for all of us could be: What levels of formaldehyde are present in regular production line RV models? Have you ever had your RV tested?" Our questions got plenty of backlash. Mind you, the story was primarily directed to disaster relief trailers.

Interestingly, ABC News found the FEMA-Formaldehyde issue big enough to take on for the rest of the RV industry. In their story, Embalmed in Your RV: Formaldehyde Poisons Vacationers, ABC investigated the story of an RVer who bought an off-the-line Cougar RV from manufacturer Keystone. The RVer, Marvin Motes, said that on a trip he and his wife began to develop odd symptoms. When they heard about the formaldehyde issues on FEMA trailers, the Motes made the mental connection.

After testing their rig, the Motes found the levels of formaldehyde in their trailer at .42 and .37 parts per million, well above the .10 parts per million level where the Environmental Protection Agency says "acute health effects can occur." When the Motes took their problems to the dealer where they bought their RV, they say the dealer was unwilling to help them. A couple of RV consumer organizations were interviewed about the formaldehyde issue in the story, and the whole item makes an interesting read. Check out the ABC story here.

While the ABC News story mentions a Sierra Club website where folks can comment on formaldehyde experiences in RVs, no link is given. We checked with the Sierra Club and found that Becky Gillette, a Mississippi chapter club official has begun her own blog on the subject. You can access it through this link.

Famous RVer is named "Bachelor of the Year"

Matthew McConaughey, actor and RVer, has been named People magazine's "Bachelor of the Year,” the first avid RVer to receive the honor.

"I love warm weather and summertime," the actor says in the magazine's "Hottest Bachelors" issue, on newsstands beginning Friday, June 15.

And what the 37-year old movie star also loves is traveling with his Airstream trailer. “There’s nothing not to like about it,” he says. “The freedom of being able to pull up, stop, power up anywhere you want -- beach or whatever. Set up and have your front yard different every single day. Whatever you want it to be, and to see the country that way – it’s awesome.”

For one of his movies, Sahara, McConaughey chose to do his press tour with his trailer rather than the traditional “fly there, stay in a hotel” routine. When he travels with his Airstream he often mingles in RV parks with the other campers.

Confessions to an Insurance Company: RVer's Blunders

The morning starts out like most do in your RV — traveling down a quiet highway with a hearty breakfast under your belt and a good cup of coffee within reach when you realize that blowing white thing behind you is your now-shredded awning, the bang you heard earlier was your toad coming unhooked, and the spider crack from the rock that hit your windshield is growing, a lot.

You signed up for adventure, but not this much! Don't worry. You're not alone according to an online survey recently conducted by The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies that found that life on the open road can sometimes get bumpy. Progressive surveyed more than 1,000 RVers countrywide to find the amusing and at times embarrassing mishaps they've experienced while traveling.

The survey found that the most common mistakes RVers say they make while RVing are: driving off with the steps extended, backing up into a post or other stationary object, misjudging the amount of overhead and/or side clearance space, not connecting the tail lights correctly, and running out of fuel.

But it's not just operating your RV that some people have trouble with: Two (2) percent of RVers surveyed actually admitted to mistakenly leaving a passenger behind at a campground, rest area or other stop while traveling in their RV. The person left behind most often? A spouse or significant other; pets and grandparents are least likely to be left behind.

Did You Miss the Edsel Motorhome?

OK, it's not every day you scratch your head and wonder how you missed out on this one: A 1957 Edsel motorhome. You didn't know Edsel built motorhomes? Neither did we--and I guess maybe they really didn't. But some guy took a '58 Edsel Ranger, chopped off a bit, and added on a cab-over trailer. Outfitted in red-white-n-blue paint, perhaps it's no wonder that the old Wina-Edsel has made it through all of the lower 48 states since the early 1990s.

Not long ago the motorhome's owner put it for sale on eBay. While we may never know what the "reserve price" was for the sale (that lowest price he'd accept at auction), we know it had to be somewhat above $2,950.00--that's where the highest bid came in before the auction closed June 4. A dozen different folks bid on this really original motorhome--you probably weren't one of them. But hey, take heart, it's possible the seller may put it back up on the block again.

For more details on the mystery motorhome, check out the eBay sale item here.

Photo courtesy of eBay.com

Dealers not happy with Dometic fridge recall

Greg Gerber of RVtradeDigest.com writes:

Several months ago, Dometic announced a recall on some RV refrigerators built between April 1997 and May 2003. While the company says a serious problem resulting in a fire may occur in an exceptionally small fraction of Dometic two-door refrigerators, others suggest the issue could affect up to a million units.

Unfortunately, due to a disagreement between the company and dealers who must complete the repairs, some fear the recall will be ineffective.

At the heart of the issue is the amount of compensation Dometic is offering dealers to repair the units. Currently, the company pays a $40 flat rate to complete the repair for what they say is a 10-minute task. Dealers, on the other hand, say the repair takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour once the unit is pulled into the service bay and another 10 to 15 minutes to complete paperwork to order parts and submit the warranty claim.

At average current shop rates of $100 per hour, dealers say they are losing $80 to $120 for every Dometic refrigerator they must work on as part of the recall. Consequently, I’ve learned some dealers are deliberately not alerting customers that their refrigerator may be subject to a recall. Unless the customer comes to the dealership specifically to get the recall work completed, the dealers don’t mention the recall. Read more.

Blow Up for Balloon Festival RV Parking?

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a huge draw for RVers. Every "fiesta" draws thousands of the motorized balloon watchers, and nearly 2,000 of them park their rigs in a ersatz campground south of the festival grounds. Last fall a city worker was found dead on the landfill site--apparently from inhaling methane fumes. But an investigation into the worker's death has revealed serious concerns about the safety of electrical hookups provided RVers at the campground.

With the festival slated to take to flight on October 6th, officials are scrambling to determine just how to handle the situation. One suggestion is to yank out the electrical hookups--which could cause considerable grief to RVers who need the juice. At this point, government types are so concerned about liability that nobody can access the campground without an official city escort. While a few months before the festival remains, the pace of government could cause an uproar at festival time. It appears festival folks are more positive--they're already accepting reservations (and money) for electric sites at the campground.

Read more on the story in the Albuquerque Tribune.

Photo copyright R&T DeMaris, may not be used without written permission.