Category: Uncategorized

Most RVs are designed to travel not too far from where the roads are made of asphalt. But what about the RVer who is looking to camp somewhere beyond RV parks and paved roads?

Xpedition Vehicles by EarthRoamer are designed with the adventerous RVer in mind. You can use an EarthRoamer like a typical RV, with hookups for power, water, and other amenities. You can also take an Earthroamer beyond the parking spot of your RV resort and travel to wilder terrain.

According to EarthRoamer…

The best one-word description of an EarthRoamer Xpedition Vehicle is freedom. EarthRoamer XVs give you the freedom to travel confidently and comfortably anywhere you want, whenever you want, without concern for the weather or season. It’s the freedom to head out on a trail in the middle of Baja to a pristine secluded beach. It’s the freedom to camp safely with all the comforts of home high in the mountains – in the middle of winter!

Earthroamer RVs are also designed to appeal to consumers who want a “greener” RV.

Preserving the environment for generations to come is very important to us so we design renewable energy sources like solar and biodiesel into our systems whenever possible. All of our vehicles utilize solar energy as a primary power source for lights and appliances. To us, respect for the environment also includes the need to respect wildlife and others in the environment so we design our vehicles to be fully operational without the need for a noisy generator.

A green RV? Prius owners might need to make more space in the driveway.

Source: Earthroamer

RV living is usually associated with good times and care-free living. Sometimes an RV is needed not for vacation fun, but as a refuge during a time of crisis.

RV Trade Digest reports that La Mesa RV Center along with Dealers Edge LLC and Tom Stinnett RV Freedom Center are pitching in to help victims of the California wildfires.

A tornado recently struck Nappanee, Indiana and damaged the homes of employees Gulf Stream RV. Lippert Components, an RV supplier, donated $10,000 in gift cards to help out the workers.

Source: RV Trade Digest

An RV with a fireplace? Some RV models do feature electric fireplaces. While you can’t burn logs or roast marshmallows with one, they do crank out the heat to keep you warm. One floorplan for the new Seville fifth wheel by Crossroads RV takes the mobile fireplace to a new level, using slate as a decoration. The Seville is CrossRoads’ newest line of fifth wheels and carries a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in the mid $50,000 range. Featuring aluminum framed constrution and a smooth fiberglass exterior, the Seville will be offered in six different floor plan models. One floor plan, model VF35CK, features an innovative “floor-to-ceiling” fireplace with the look of real slate along with a 42-inch high definition LCD television.

Crossroads RV will debut its new Seville fifth wheels at the 45th annual National Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) Show in Louisville, Kentucky, November 27-29. With a cozy interior like this, RVing in the dead of winter sounds great. Hot chocolate not included. Source: Crossroads RV and RV Trade Digest

Affinity Group, Inc., a leading industry source for RV and outdoor enthusiasts, recently announced it has formed a strategic alliance with Digital Rez International Inc., the world’s leading provider of campground and RV park management and reservation software.

The two companies are extending AGI’s RVTripsetter brand to the 3000 camping resorts that DRI currently serves in this worldwide market space. AGI will provide a total “Campground Operating System” coupling the internet to resorts’ front desk management systems while providing easy access to AGI’s extensive camping member and subscriber base.

Digital Rez will be re-branding its mainstream camping software systems over to the RVTripsetter brand and releasing the RVTripsetter product to all of its individual RV and camping resorts in the first quarter of 2008. In addition they will be gearing their support and development staff to provide additional innovations to its online reservation systems, property management networks and credit card processing services for resort operations worldwide.

Source: DigitalRez.com

Dutchmen Manufacturing, Inc. has announced that it will introduce a new line of toy haulers at the California RV Show in Pomona. The new product is based on the Aerolite Cub and Kodiak Ultra-Lite expandable product lines and will be branded Aerolite Cub THV and Kodiak Expandable THV. According to Brent Stevens, Vice President and General Manager, “We have combined a front cargo deck with all the features of our popular expandable line to create the new Ultra-Lite expandable toy hauler product line. The first model to be shown at Pomona is our most popular floorplan with an 8’ x 8’ front cargo deck.” Stevens continued, “Our customers have been asking for a cost-effective, lightweight toy hauler. This unit only weighs 5,100 pounds. The cargo deck holds up to 1,600 pounds and can easily handle two larger ATV’s. Plus it includes two 60” x 80” Therm-a-Rest expandable tent ends and a sofa/dinette slide allowing customers to sleep up to eight people. ” Additional features include an I beam chassis, eight “D-Ring style” tie down rings, expanded metal grip strut deck finish, aluminum loading ramps that double as the front deck rails and large 16” Mud Rover Tires with aluminum rims. The 55th annual California RV show will be held from October 12th to the 21st at the Los Angeles County Fair Grounds. Source: Dutchmen Manufacturing

Is an RV parked in a driveway an eyesore? Depends on who you ask. While many RV owners park their RVs in storage facilities by choice, some residents of Antioch, California would like to make it a local law.

This Tuesday, the Antioch City Council could decide to let voters make the final decision on where RVs can and cannot park.

According to the Bethel Island Press…

The City Council is slated to decide on Tuesday whether to place on the Feb. 5, 2008 ballot a measure asking Antioch residents whether recreational vehicles should be allowed to be parked in driveways.

In a city that has grappled with numerous contentious issues in the past year, the RV issue has been at or near the top, as angry RV owners packed the council chambers on several occasions, demanding the right to park their boats, trailers and motor homes on their own property.

There has also been a minority of speakers asking that their neighborhoods be free of the visual blight and clutter of these vehicles.

The possible ballot measure reads like this…

“Shall an ordinance be adopted to prohibit the storage of any RV, trailer, camper or boat in any front or side yard in a residential district except when: 1) parked in a side or rear yard on an approved surface and behind a 6-foot opaque fence; or 2) loading or unloading the vehicle 24 hours before or after a trip; or 3) the vehicle is the sole means of transportation for occupants of the dwelling?”

It is hoped that the issue can be settled without putting it on a ballot, which could cost the city $88,000.

Source: Bethel Island Press

Is there such a thing as a sleek, stylish fire extinguisher that you would be proud to display in your home or RV? Well, there is now. Gone are the days of only having bright red, big and bulky fire extinguishers tucked away under the sink or in closets, thanks to the new innovative HomeHero Fire Extinguisher from The Home Depot.

As part of the company’s effort to have best in class products for every category, The Home Depot is currently unveiling the new HomeHero Fire Extinguisher, an innovative new product that combines superior function and state-of-the-art technology with clean, stylish design giving consumers peace of mind within easy reach.

Fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined, but yet only 42% of homes have fire extinguishers. To help promote home safety, the HomeHero Fire Extinguisher is designed to complement the décor of any room in the home so that homeowners will be more inclined to keep their fire extinguisher on the kitchen counter so that it is easily accessible in the event of a fire.

Source: Home Hero

The Airstream site now features details on the 2008 models, including the Safari Sport.

According to Airstream…

Safari Sport is an exciting new addition to the popular Safari family, available in two easy-to-handle lengths — a 22′ and a 17′. The Safari Sport has been configured from the ground up to be easy to use. Safari Sport offers a truly lightweight and premium compact travel trailer experience — the perfect first Airstream for those new to Airstreaming, and an excellent choice for those new to the RV lifestyle altogether.

The aerodynamically-shaped exterior design lowers wind resistance —requiring less horsepower and approximately 20% less fuel than conventional box trailers. Monocoque construction, ultralight materials, and a low center of gravity make towing the Safari easy.

Hidden inside the Safari’s walls, but crucial for traveling comfort, is residential-type 2.5″ fiberglass batten insulation, which keeps the interior cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and quiet all year around. All Airstreams are completely insulated, including the floor and holding tanks. Several different interior decor options are available.

Source: Airstream

RV driving “snowbirds” are flocking to Florida, seeking refuge from winter weather.

HeraldTribune.com reports more of those RVs arriving in Florida are sporting the Canadian flag.

The Canadian Dollar (nickednamed the “Loonie”) has increased in value, giving RVers from up north more for their money.

Florida RV parks are seeing a boom from their Canadian vistors, who are staying longer and spending more money thanks to their new purchasing power.

Source: HeraldTribune.com

While the stylish T@B teardrop trailer is very popular, some RVers wish they came with a little more room and a few more features.

The T@B group has recently announced the next generation in the T@B world. It is called T@DA. The T@DA features the unique style of the T@B, with Alufiber exterior skin color and your choice of exterior trim colors.

The T@DA also features a kitchen area with a SMEV Sink & LP stove top combination and wet bath equipped with integrated toilet and prepped for an optional shower.

Other features include a powder coated European-style light weight frame, two wheel electric brakes (requires a vehicle mounted brake control), an oversized bed, and a Norcold 12V compressor refrigerator.

Source: T@DA RV