RV Traveler Email Newsletter #82

Not signed up to receive this? Sign up now!

Subscribe Now!

Sign up right now! Easy as pie! And we keep your email address private forever and ever!

If you have a problem with this form, please send a blank email here and you will be subscribed.

Selecting An RV Home Base
Plan to RV full time? You need this.

RV Traveler #82
October 26, 2003

NEW WEBSITE FOR FULL TIMERS
Are you a full time RVer or aspire to be? Then visit
Full Time RVer, which you will like very much. Be sure to
sign up for the free email newsletter, too.

This issue's email circulation: 58,000 plus

This newsletter brought to you by
Beginners Guide to RVing
Free Campgrounds of the West
Florida RVer
RV Bookstore
RV Links
RV Jokes

Sponsors
Camping World
Explorer RV Insurance
RV Trader. Buy or sell an RV
Workamper News

FROM CHUCK WOODBURY
editor, http://www.RVtraveler.com

I'm back from Los Angeles where I spent a day at
the huge — and I mean huge — California RV Show in
Pomona. It was nearly 100 degrees when I attended,
and that was in the shade. The show is outside on acres of
asphalt superheated by the sun. On the day I showed
up it felt like Death Valley in July (okay, not THAT hot).
RVs with good air conditioning systems drew big crowds.

As RV shows go, this one is massive — acre upon acre of
RVs of every shape, size and price range. I spent a few
minutes in the highly publicized Terra Wind, which sells for
$1.2 million. For that you get a bus-sized motorcoach
and a bus-sized boat all in one: the 45-foot motor coach has
a propeller in the back. So instead of crossing a bridge
to get to the other side of a lake, you can just drive
across, maybe dangling your fishing rod out the back to
troll for a tasty bluegill. The builder of the RV showed it
off proudly to the throngs of curious gawkers, who
basically said "Neat," and then exited on to something
more relevant to the real world.

I inspected perhaps 150 RVs from tiny pop ups
to motor coaches costing a half-million dollars
or more. I wish I could tell you all the exciting things
I learned, but, frankly, I didn't see much I hadn't
seen before — just more of it. My local RV show in
Seattle showcases basically the same selection,
although smaller. I would not advise anyone to travel
far to this show. But to L.A. folks, it's a great
opportunity to see inspect virtually every RV made
except those by Mom and Pop in their home workshop.

I will sum up in one paragraph, however, a few things I
observed. First, there seems to be no limit to the number
of slideouts in an RV. Second, all-glass, see-thru showers
are popular in high end units. This is so you can observe
your partner suds up in preparation for an exciting night
by the campfire. This is great for honeymooners, but not
so great for grandmas and grandpas who have seen each
other naked since the mid-1950s. Third, you can buy an
RV with a built-in (fake) fireplace. Fourth, plasma TVs
are very popular in big rigs. Fifth, it's easy to drop a
hundred grand on an RV these days. . . very easy. Ten
years ago that would have been a bloody fortune.

I attended a seminar on how to buy an RV by Joe and
Vicki Kieva who travel from one RV show to another
offering advice about better RVing. They told about a
friend who bought an RV and then discovered he was
too tall to fit in the shower. So he had to bend over.
Vicki said before you buy you should inspect the
bathroom very carefully to make sure you fit
in the shower and on the toilet as well. "Close to
door, sit on the toilet and make sure there is enough
room," she said, explaining that sometimes there is
not. In that case, you will have to do your business
with the door open, which she correctly noted is not
a preferred method of bathroom etiquette.

Joe and Vicki suggested you lay on the bed to make
sure you fit. Couples who plan to sleep in an
overhead bunk of a Class C motorhome should
climb up there to see how it feels. Decide right
there and then who will sleep against the wall. If
neither person is willing, then buy another rig.
I spent years sleeping against a wall while my wife
got the easy access to "debunking." At night, to use
the bathroom, I had to do a pushup to get over her
and then make a minor gymnastic move to return. The
older you get, the more difficult it is to accomplish
this feat, hence the popularity of Class A motorhomes.

So that's my report from the RV show. I could
provide more technical information, but that would
take a lot of space. I'm sure I will pass along a
few things I learned in future issues, but for now
I am just enjoying being back home in the cool
Seattle rain.

. . . Oh, about the RV that doubles as a boat: See
it in action on a lake.

LAST WEEK'S READER SURVEY
We asked you how much time you spend each year
in your RV. Here are the results, based on more
than 1,500 responses.
Travel full time — 11%
Six months or more, but not full time — 7%
Three to five months — 22%
One to two months — 35%
Two to three weeks — 19%
Less than two weeks — 5%
None — 1%

This week's survey
DO YOU WEAR GLOVES WHILE DUMPING YOUR HOLDING TANKS?
So do you protect yourself from nasty germs or do you live
dangerously and go gloveless? Take our survey and/or learn
how others dump.

EDITOR'S FAVORITE PHOTOS
See a few of my favorite photos from my RV roadtrips.
This week's selection: A caffeine-addicted rodent, an electrified
woman, an eye doctor named See, and a shocking cemetery.

SUBSCRIBE TO THESE RV MAGAZINES. Best prices:
Motorhome, Trailer Life, RV Journal, RV Companion, Gypsy Journal
and Pop Up Times: http://www.NewRVer.com/rvmags.html

HEADED TO A NATIONAL PARK? HEAD HERE FIRST
Anyone who enjoys National Parks or National Monuments
should bookmark this site. Simply click here, find the park
you are interested in, click again, and you are instantly
transported to its website.

CHEAP FAMILY TRAVEL
Yowee! This website is really, really good. It is packed with
countless reviews of places to stay and things to do that
are of especially good value. It's not all about RVing, but
t here is plenty here that will be of interest to those of us
who carry our homes with us.

SHOPPING FOR AN RV EXTENDED WARRANTY?
The Good Sam Club's Continued Service Plan covers your coach,
engine, appliances and accessories in your new or used
motorhome, trailer and even tow vehicle! Get an online quote.

GRAND CANYON LIVE CAM
See the Grand Canyon from Yavapai Point looking west.
Sometimes it's a great view, but other times there's a lot
of smog blown over from SoCal. Anyway, check it out.

. . learn about Grand Canyon National Park at

HOW TO "NOT" TO MAKE YOUR DAY IN A BIG RIG RV
Here's a great way to spoil an RV trip in your new
big rig motorcoach: You pack it up, drive off onto the
open road, and then shear off the roof at a low underpass.
What a bummer, huh? Mishaps like this do happen, but they
can definitely be avoided. Learn how.

RV PARKS WITH WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS
New parks added weekly
GETTING YOUR MAIL ON THE ROAD
RVers who travel full time or a lot of the time need to
get their mail just like people who live in houses that
don't have wheels. But how? Here's how.

INFLATABLE BOATS FOR RVers
If you like to get out on a lake in a boat, but can't bring a
traditional one along on your RV trips, then maybe an
inflatable boat is the answer. Sea Eagle makes several
models aimed at RVers. Learn more.

ESSENTIAL READING ABOUT RVing IN ALASKA AND CANADA
Alaska By RV, Western Canada By RV, Eastern Canada By RV:
http://www.RVbookstore.com/howens.html. And don't forget the
2003 ALASKA MILEPOST DIRECTORY. If you are headed to Alaska,
Yukon Territory, BC, Alberta or NW Territories, this 55th edition
guidebook is essential. Get info or order.

TRAILER TOW VEHICLE INFORMATION
Here is a lengthy discussion of the requirements of a
tow vehicle written by a fellow who was a service
engineer for Ford. This is pretty detailed, but for anyone
looking for a lot of specific information, this could be
very helpful.

WOMEN RVers: RVing isn't just for guys. Read more.

HOME VIDEOS HELP NEW RV OWNERS LEARN TO USE THEIR RIGS
RV Education 101 presents home videos on how to operate everything
on an RV. The VHS videos are very useful to anyone new to RVing.
Read more, view a Quicktime video clip, or order at:
Winterizing Your RV
Class A motorhome video
Class C motorhome video
Trailer/5th wheel video
Pop Up Trailer Video

RV SAFETY RALLY SET FOR MAY
The 2004 Good Sam VIP RV Safety Rally will be held
May 15-17 in New Carlisle, Indiana. Instructors from
the Recreational Vehicle Safety Education Foundation will
provide classroom and hands-on training. For information
or to enroll call 866-457-7354.

2004 RIALTA PROFILED
Learn what's new with this gas-thrifty motorhome.

RV FINANCING. GET A QUICK QUOTE
Financial Underwriters Network provides exceptional customer service
and exceptional interest rates. Get a quick online quote and caring service.

FULL TIME RVing IS POPULAR IN AUSTRALIA, TOO
Maybe you never thought about it, but way Down Under, in
Australia, the idea of selling one's house and traveling
full time in an RV is a popular idea like here in
North America. Here's an article about one couple's
decision to go full time and an RV club that brings Aussies
like them together:

EXERCISE YOUR RV GENERATOR TO GOOD HEALTH
An unhealthy generator is a bad thing. Here's a brief tip
about how to keep your's fit as a fiddle.

Best-selling books and videos about RVing

VIDEO: ROCKY MOUNTAINS BY RV
Visit Yellowstone, Tetons, Glacier and Rocky Mountain Nat. Parks

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION LAKES GUIDE
Learn what to see and do at 250 lakes in the West and Midwest.
Most of these areas have low-cost campgrounds. Only $7.95

ALL ABOUT CLASS A MOTORHOMES
Advice for Class A buyers about rig selection, getting a good deal, and
how to inspect a rig before taking delivery.

The RV Traveler newsletter contains links to sites on the Internet
that are owned and operated by third parties. It is not responsible
for the availability of, or the content located on or through any
such third-party site.

ABOUT THE EDITOR
Chuck Woodbury has been roaming America by RV off and on
for nearly two decades. During that time he published a
quirky travel newspaper about his adventures and was a
member of the stable of writers for the New York Times
Syndicate. Nowadays, he lives near Seattle where he drinks
coffee (required by law) and travels when he can in his
motorhome and sometimes by plane when vast expanses of
saltwater are involved.

PRIVACY STATEMENT:
We never sell or share any information about our readers or customers with any outside party.

Subscribe to Full Time RVer

Subscribe to
Full Time RVer