Congress Accuses FEMA of Formaldehyde Flippancy

Just when you thought you'd heard the last of the FEMA disaster RV debacle, Congress steps in with yet another chapter to add to the saga.

Democratic party members on the House Science and Technology subcommittee have sent a tersely worded letter to the director of the US Homeland Security Department -- the "head office" -- over the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In the letter, the congressmen said that FEMA had, "ignored, hid and manipulated government research on the potential impact of long-term exposure to formaldehyde" on Katrina and Rita victims now living in FEMA trailers.

The congressmen say they don't trust research done by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, commissioned by FEMA for its own use. They allege FEMA spun the information in such a way to relieve the anxiety of those living in FEMA provided recreational vehicles and emergency trailers, while not actually looking at the big picture of long-term effects of formaldehyde exposure.

FEMA was quick to react: An agency spokesman said, "FEMA did not suppress or inappropriately influence any report." Rather, the agency claims it simply focussed on the short term and gave advice on how to avoid toxic exposure to formaldehyde fumes.

We recently posted information on a new FEMA "buyback" program, wherein the agency will refund money to those who purchased surplus FEMA RVs.

High-End RVs Target for Theft Ring

Police in Florida say they believe a ring of thieves is involved in break-ins and thefts involving high-end RVs over the last several months. This doesn't mean you'll need to stand guard with the shotgun if you have an expensive motorhome: These thieves are into the "large volume discount" business--they've been breaking into RVs on dealer lots in the South. Rather than stealing the RVs themselves, the burglars are evidently interested in their contents.

The most recent breaker in the crime wave was in Clermont, a lakeside community west of Orlando, Florida. In Clermont, thieves targeted 11 high-end motorhomes, leaving over 200 other lesser-valued RVs on the same dealer lot untouched. Plasma screen televisions, GPS units, and other expensive electronic items were moved, and apparently transported by the dealership's golf-cart to a whole cut in a chain-link fence, giving the thieves entry to the dealership, Flagship RV.

Police officials are theorizing the theft ring has been working its way east after similar incidents have been reported from Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. Police think that some of the goods may have been 'stolen to order,' as in one of the more recent break-ins, the burglars made off with 17" flat screen televisions, while leaving larger and more expensive models behind. For more information on this story, visit the Orlando Sentinel.

Photo: amyrod on flickr.com

RVer Alert: Border Crossings Tougher By Month's End

Despite Congressional action last month, it appears tightened restrictions on US land border crossings will go into effect by month's end. Don't get caught without the proper documentation, see the full story on our sister blog, RVing Canada.

FEMA Offers Buyback on Formaldehyde Trailers

The saga of the FEMA Formaldehyde Flap Continues unabated. The latest in the series of news the RV industry hates to hear is that Uncle Sam is offering to buy back trailers it sold both to hurricane survivors and "surplus" units it auctioned between July of 2006 and July 2007.

Nearly 11,000 surplus units went out over the auction block at an average price of just a little less than $7,000. At the same time, the emergency management agency sold another 864 trailers directly to hurricane survivors. Because of health issues thought to be related to the presence of formaldehyde fumes in the units, FEMA says it will refund the full purchase price of these RVs until this July. FEMA says it will notify purchasers by mail of the option, and buyers will have 60 days to respond. Buy-backs are only available to those who bought their rig directly from the government.

For more information on the program, check out FEMA's website.

"Graying" RVers Drive Entertainment Reprise

The Smothers Brothers? What are Smothers Brothers?

Our daughter--and no doubt grandson--raise similar questions while the two of us are chuckling as we mention that ancient comedy team. Fine, we're dating ourselves yet again. But we've got plenty of company: According to the Arizona Republic, us old geezers, part of the "graying generation" are bringing big name, albeit dinosaur era, acts back to the stage.

Southwest area RV parks are adding top entertainment to shuffleboard in an attempt to pull us off the road and into their resorts. Here are some of whom you might be able to see this year: Frankie Avalon. Brenda Lee. Tanya Tucker. And yes, Tommy and Dick are coming too.

Looking back on when she first started lining up acts for a chain of seven southwest RV resorts, Jacque Lamoree relates, "The very first year it was difficult sometimes just to say they would be performing in an RV park," Lamoree said. "But when they came in, the audiences were terrific and it was warm and exciting for the entertainers. I remember when Frankie Avalon was here and some of the women were in tears."

That's not why I'm in tears. Mom always liked you better.

For the full story, visit the Arizona Sun.

Crooks stealing big screen TVs from dealers and manufacturers

Most RVs in the USA are manufactured in Elkhart County, Indiana. Well, it seems that thieves have figured out that many of these RVs are easy pickings for them. And what they are stealing are expensive flat screen TVs. Earlier this month, in one weekend, 25 were stolen from one manufacturer. The Elkhart Truth newspaper reports that the thefts are increasing.

In December three RV dealers or manufacturers had break-ins, with 60 TVs stolen. So far this month, police have responded to four locations where at least one TV was taken. In one instance 14 were taken from one business.

“Flat screens are definitely an item,” said RV dealer Todd Cornell, who has experienced TV burglaries at his facility. “When the manufacturers switched to the flat panel TVs, there was a dramatic increase associated with that."

In the past year, Cornell's dealership added more fences and gates around the business. Also, the company now removes all electronics from outdoor display units and only puts them back when the RVs are sold. Cornell is also considering installing a 24-hour surveillance system.

Blue Bird Wanderlodge Returns

For those who love the venerable Blue Bird Wanderlodge and miss it, the new Wanderlodge is about to debut. See our sister blog, Fulltime RVer.

Granny "Rests in Peace" On RV Trip

It may be one of the year's more memorable RV stories.

A 79 year-old grandmother, teetering on the edge of life with kidney disease, wanted to see kin folks around the country before she died. Relatives loaded up the RV, and soon granny was packed up and headed out east from Oroville, California to Arkansas. The trip to the southland went fine, but things took a different turn when the group was headed across Wyoming bound for a visit in Oregon. Checking on Grandma at 3:00 am, the family reports all was well--but later, somewhere around 1,100 miles from the destination--she was gone.

Rather than interrupt the trip, the relatives continued on to Oregon, whereupon they notified authorities of Grandma's departure. Since the elderly traveler's doctor had advised she was so fragile that she might not survive the trip, it came as no great surprise to the relatives. While some might consider the matter a bit odd, Oregon authorities say no laws were broken and that their investigation of the matter is more a matter of formality.

An RV trip shouldn't ruin your day

Mistakes happen, especially when you're somewhere unfamiliar, but the results of a recent survey may still surprise you. The survey by the Progressive Group of Insurance Companies found that among RVers, a spouse is more likely to be accidentally left behind than the dog. The company surveyed more than 1,000 RVers countrywide to uncover amusing mishaps they've experienced while traveling.

Among the most common blunders made while traveling are:

-- Driving away with the steps extended
-- Backing into something
-- Misjudging overhead or side clearance space
-- Not connecting taillights correctly
and. . .
-- Running out of gas.

Santa Fe RV Park Turns Candid Camera On Powder Room

A couple of RVers who were checked in at the Santa Fe Skies RV Park in New Mexico checked out in a hurry after they found a "spy cam" in the park bathroom. Kimble Kubiak was washing his hands when he noticed a camera looking down on him.

Police responded to Kubiak's concerns and say park managers installed the cam to catch "cleaning supply" thieves. We checked out the park's website and found an interior view of the bathroom -- this one apparently not taken by a secret camera -- and if anybody's stealing supplies, it looks as though all they'll get away with is a few paper towels.

Responding officers asked the park to remove the spy cam, and turned the matter over to local prosecutors for a further peek into the matter.

Photo: santafeskiesrvpark.com

New Hybrid RVs Look Like They Belong to the "Dead Head" Generation

As an RVer, it's OK, I'll date myself: I remember riding in VW "hippie vans." Psychedelic colors on the outside, antiwar bumper stickers, the whole nine yards. If you remember those days, don't think they're completely gone.

A Canadian firm, Verdier, is resurrecting the VW bus and creating a hybrid power RV based on the VW Westfalia. The new "woody" style bus comes topped with GPS controlled solar panels to provide juice for camping occupations, while 'under the hood' (such as it is) a hybrid (gas or diesel plus electric) engine that claims to lower carbon dioxide emissions to the level of a VW Beetle.

It may not be the fulltimers' dream, but it does rank up there for those conscious of their greenhouse gas releases. With a possible price of around $89,000, the little RV is packed with innovations including a galley stove that swivels to allow inside or outside culinary machinations; a passenger seat that transforms itself into a set of stairs--allowing for easy access to the "second stage" or "upstairs" if you will; and the requisite computer with wifi capability to keep you in touch.

The initial production run is set to produce about a thousand of these little darlings; about 150 have already been sold--mostly to folks from California.

Visit the website and order yours today.

Move Over Cadillac Ranch--Now It's Airstream Ranch

You can visit Stonehenge in Europe or the United States. But there's only one place to visit the Airstream Ranch--just west of Plant City, Florida.

It's all the brainchild of a local RV dealer--yeah, the same guy who painted advertising signs on the sides of cows and turned them loose in a pasture near his dealership. But this time, Frank Bates may really be on to something. With "A" frames in the ground, and bumpers pointed skyward, a row of seven retired Airstream trailers glints in the Florida sunshine, perhaps causing as much wonderment in passerby as do the ancient stone formations in Wiltshire.

Bates wants the attention, and sure, he'd like it if you'd stop on by and purchase an RV. But in Frank's mind, this is art. Even if the neighbors don't all agree. One critic sums it up, "You can only dress up a pig so much." Local government officials aren't exactly in agreement either. While Environmental Protection officials don't have a squawk, code enforcement officers are firing off a letter telling Bates his exhibit constitutes an unlawful collection of debris. Bates says he'll fight to keep his art on display--right where it is.

You can read more about it in the Tampa Bay Online.

RV enthusiasts abandoning traditional telephones

A December survey by RVtravel.com revealed that recreational vehicle enthusiasts are abandoning their traditional land line telephones in favor of cellular phones.

“Approximately one third of the more than 1,500 RVers who participated in our survey about telephone usage reported that they rely exclusively on a cell phone as their only telephone,” said RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury. “Less than three percent use a land line exclusively. Two-thirds own both a cellular phone and a traditional land line telephone.”

These figures jive with government surveys. According to recent statistics released by the U.S. Labor Department, the average annual household usage of cell phones in 2006 was $524, compared with the $542 for land line telephones. It’s expected that in 2007, consumers for the first time will spend more on cell phone services than for traditional phones.

Results of the survey can be viewed here.

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RV Industry Group Mandates Formadehyde Standard

The ghost of the formaldehyde flap in Hurricane Katrina RVs has brought RV manufacturers awake in a cold sweat. The fallout of hundreds of 'RV refugees' complaining of health problems making its way into the national media was, apparently, just what the doctor ordered. Industry standard maker, the RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) has rolled out new inspection standards for materials containing formaldehyde.

While the actual standards were decided on last fall, the association now requires RV builders (and those who supply products to them) to certify that the materials used comply with formaldehyde standards matching those used in manufactured housing. While the new standard doesn't rule out the use of formaldehyde in supplies (most typically plywood and particle board) it does mandate that the chemical can be present in products in no greater a portion than .3 of a part per million.

Don't expect that you'll see a word about this in any owner's documentation. While manufactured home buyers must receive notice about formaldehyde in their new homes, the RVIA did not adopt that same standard for RVs.