RV Road Trips

How To Properly Load And Tow An RV Travel Trailer (Hint: Get An Equalizer Hitch!)

There is nothing scarier than having a trailer whipping back and forth behind you.  I speak from experience, as it happened to me several years ago.  I was towing a trailer with 2 motorcycles on it when it got out of control. 

That utility trailer forced me back and forth across 4 lanes of freeway before I was able to slow down and regain control!

Many states require trailer brakes on any trailer over 1,500 lbs.  This trailer was not required to have brakes, but it was still enough weight to overpower the mid-sized car that I was driving.

I learned that day that how you load a trailer is critical when it comes to safety, handling, and the ability to comfortably travel without worry.  That, and the importance of an Equalizer Hitch.

Continue reading: Loading & Towing RV Travel Trailers

How To Handle An RV In High Winds, Turning Corners, And Backing Up

Being involved in an accident is never a good thing, especially when you're driving a recreational vehicle. 

With emphasis placed on having the largest possible living space, while maintaining the lightest possible weight, many RVs don’t handle accidents well.

Following these few simple defensive driving techniques will greatly increase the likelihood that your RV lifestyle won’t be cut short because of an unfortunate accident that probably could have been avoided -- if you had just done things a little differently.

Continue reading: RV Driving Tips In High Winds, Turning & Backing Up

Long Term Boondocking Takes Some Preparation

Looking to try some long-term camping in your RV without breaking the bank? 

There are lots of places to stay that won’t cost you much, but you have to be prepared to fend for yourself -- because cheap means no amenities!

 

Places To Park

Camping on Bureau of Land Management land is a common practice for those looking to get away from the cold long winters of the north.  There are many areas specifically set up to provide a place to park your RV for months at a time.  The one issue is that, In many cases, all that’s provided is a place to park.

Long Term Visitor Areas will allow you to stay 14 days for a fee of $40.  You can also get a 7-month permit for $180 if you choose to stay the whole season.  With these permits, you can move from one LTVA to another as often as you wish. 

At the LTVA’s, you can expect to find a dump station and a nearby source of water.  They may even have a telephone available, but that varies from location to location.  Beyond these meager items, you're completely on your own.

If you want to avoid the crowds, most BLM land is open to free camping as well.  The only requirement is that you can spend no more then 14 days in one spot.  Known as dispersed camping, by relocating to a new spot at least 25 miles away, you can stay in the area as long as you like. 

Continue reading: Boondocking 101

RV Delamination And Cracks: Both Are Serious Issues

About 20 years ago, a new method of RV construction came on the market: smooth fiberglass exterior walls constructed by sandwiching an outer skin of smooth fiberglass with the frame structure and Styrofoam or fiberglass insulation in the middle and the interior wall paneling on the interior. 

With adhesive between the different layers, it was intended to create a bonded single unit wall panel that greatly decreased the labor involved with building an RV. 

An additional benefit was the fact that the new sidewalls had better aerodynamics. Plus, the new smooth look improved the sale of RVs from trailers to motorhomes.

As with many new methods it all looked real good in the beginning.  But soon, a few bugs came to the surface.  After a few years, some of the early models started having problems with the ply’s or layers of the wall structure starting to come apart (or delaminate).

Continue reading: RV Delamination & Cracks

Using Biodiesel & Vegetable Oil As RV Fuel

In today’s society, most of us are becoming more and more aware of things that are “green” and trying to find ways to modify our habits that will help to lessen our dependency on foreign oil -- and maybe make a difference in the quality of life as well. 

If your RV or tow vehicle happens to be powered by a diesel engine, one step in the right direction would be to make an effort to find and use biodiesel or vegetable oil as fuel.

Here's what you need to know...

Continue reading: Using Biodiesel & Vegetable Oil As RV Fuel

RV Cruise Control Issues & How Monaco's Safety Cruise Monitors The Road 500 Ft Ahead

We’re all familiar with cruise control.  You press a button, and your vehicle maintains that set speed. 

This is both good and bad.  On flat and level roads, it's great.  But when you hit a hill, the cruise control will do everything to keep that set speed -- come hell or high water.  This may mean that it downshifts and causes your RPM to skyrocket, while pushing harder and harder to maintain your set speed. 

A driver's first reflex is to tap the brake and take back control of the gas pedal.  The same is true whenever a driver changes lanes and pulls in front of you only to slow down; again, the brake shuts down the cruise control.

Monaco has come up with a cruise control system for its motorhomes that does more... much more. 

Continue reading: RV Cruise Control Issues

Dodge Sprinter - A New Platform For Class B Motorhomes

For many years the 3 main suppliers of small Class B motorhome base vehicles have been:

• the Ford Econoline cargo van
   
• the Chevrolet Express cargo van
   
• the Dodge Tradesman cargo van

The Ford and Chevy are still very common amongst Class B manufacturers, but the Dodge Tradesman is no longer being produced.

In its place is the Dodge Sprinter van which has been brought over from Europe where it originated as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.  An identical van is produced by Freightliner as well.

Continue reading: Dodge Sprinter Class B Motorhome

RV Values: How To Find Out What Your RV Is Really Worth

Whether you're selling your RV or looking to buy one, the one piece of information that is critical to your being comfortable with the deal you're about to make is knowing what your RV is really worth. 

RV Dealership Sales Tactics

If you're making a deal at an RV dealership, salesmen are pros at juggling numbers so that you’ll be awed at how low the monthly payment will be.  They’re counting on the fact that the majority of people are more concerned with how much of their monthly budget will go toward payments on their new purchase than what the actual full price is. 

The RV dealer's favorite ploy is to pump up what they’ll allow you for your trade-in.  On their form, it will appear that they are giving you almost as much as you paid for your trade-in when it was new.  The catch is: they have gone from working on a much reduced sales price for a new RV to the full sticker or MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) price. 

The difference in today’s economy between the sticker price and the price you could buy it for if it was a cash deal, with no trade-in, could easily be many thousands of dollars.  It could be as much as 25% or more off the sticker price!

With this fuzzy math method of calculating the price you're really paying, it’s to your benefit to go in with as much understanding of actual value as you possibly can. 

So, before you let a salesman at the RV dealership get you into that chair in his office, you should know ahead of time what your trade-in is worth, and what the RV you're interested in buying is really worth. 

That way, you will know the bottom line that you are willing to accept before he even starts the routine of going back and forth to the sales manager to get an OK because he’s "practically giving it away and doesn’t have the authority to close the deal on his own." 

Continue reading: What's Your RV Really Worth?

Build Your Own RV With Kits & Plans For Teardrop Trailers

As the economy continues to slip, that dream of buying an RV in the immediate future may be slipping away for many young couples and small families. 

If moving up from the tent camping experience is something you think is out of reach for you, take heart.  There is a way to get into a weathertight RV without breaking the bank.

No matter how small an RV you might be considering, a ready to go factory-assembled unit will likely cost you a good piece of cash.  But don’t despair. There is another alternative that is perfect option for those with just a little mechanical ability. 

It's called the teardrop trailer!

Continue reading: Teardrop Trailer Kits & Plans

Financing A New Or Used RV: The Down Payment

If there ever was a time to buy an RV, it’s now. 

RV dealers are making giveaway bargains, and private owners are selling their RVs for pennies on the dollar. 

There is one problem though... if you turn on a television these days, the first thing you hear is we’re in the middle of the worst credit crunch in modern history. 

What does this mean for you, the consumer?

Continue reading: Creative Ways To Finance Your RV