RVers Must Take Care When Using Space Heater to Fight Cold

A fierce blast of arctic air has dipped down from Canada to blanket huge portions of the country in brutal cold. Freezing temperatures have reached as far south as Florida and Texas, coating Atlanta streets with dangerous sheets of ice and even sending a few rare snowflakes falling from Florida skies. RV snowbirds who travel to the usually warm and sunny south to escape winter’s cold north winds have been scurrying to find the winter coats packed away when they crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.

In many areas the cold has lasted more than a week with no warming trend in site. Many RVers are using space heaters to try to keep warm while temperatures hover in the teens and 20s. Improper use or placement of space heaters can create a significant fire hazard, fire marshals warn. In the past three weeks at least six RVs have been destroyed in fires caused by electric space heaters. Two people died and two more were injured in those fires.

If you use a space heater to help warm your RV, follow these safety tips:

– Buy only space heaters certified by a recognized testing lab like UL (Underwriters Laboratories).

– Keep all combustibles (furniture, bedding, paper, toys, etc.) at least 3 feet away from the heater.

– Do not overload circuits or plug a heater into an extension chord.

– Turn off space heaters when you leave your RV or go to sleep.

– Unplug heaters when not in use.

RVers Head for Snow-Covered Slopes for Winter Fun

Not all RVers are snowbirds who head south when the first flakes start to fall. Some RV aficionados actually head into the storm when winter arrives. They are the RV families that love the thrill of skiing and snowboarding at breath-taking speeds down snow-covered mountains. When winter weather arrives, these hearty folks load up their RVs in search of fresh powder on snow-covered slopes. Right now that’s not hard to find.

With winter storms ravaging much of the country, snow is in abundance. You don’t have to trek to the Rockies to find decent skiing in the U.S. right now. From coast to coast, U.S. ski areas have good snow cover and are seeing one of their best winters in years. Even relatively flat states like Ohio and Illinois offer fun and a bit of challenge for skiers and boarders. Cross country skiers and snowshoers can find interesting terrain to explore in any part of the country, as can snowmobilers. And you’ll find great toboggan and tubing runs everywhere.

Finding an open RV campground can be a little more challenging in some areas, but even in the Rockies some campgrounds stay open year-round to accommodate winter sports enthusiasts. Of course, the RV lifestyle allows you to be self-sufficient at least for weekend trips into the snow-bound wilderness. Just make sure to exercise common sense, follow safety rules and always let someone back home know your plans. When you RV, nothing holds you back; so get out there and spray a little powder!

High RV Interest Makes January Good Time to Sell RV

The distraction of the holidays is over. Winter storms pound against the windows making people reluctant to leave their cozy homes. Cold winter weather makes us yearn for sunny skies, warm breezes and a kinder, gentler outdoors. January is the perfect time to sell your RV online. With interest in RV living and RV travel on the rise, many folks will be cruising the net to learn more about the RV lifestyle and to begin searching for an RV to call their own. If you’ve been thinking about selling your RV, this is the time.

RVT.com makes it easy to create an online ad and sell your RV online. North America’s leader in online RV sales, RVT.com puts two decades of online sales experience to work for you. Our step-by-step instructions walk you through the process of creating a dynamic RV sales ad. We show you how to add photos of your RV to your ad, a proven technique for increasing buyer interest. We even make it possible for you to add an online video of your RV to your ad, allowing you to take potential buyers on a virtual tour of your RV.

Thousands of motivated RV buyers visit RVT.com every week. Satisfied RV sellers write us every week telling us how quickly their RV sold on RVT.com. Put your ad where buyers will see it — on RVT.com.

RVers Can Take Advantage of Disney Volunteer Offer

This is an opportunity that seems tailor-made for RV aficionados who like to combine their love of travel with the opportunity to help others. Disney is teaming up with the HandsOn Network, a national clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities, to connect people with volunteer projects. The first one million entrants who complete a day of volunteer service with a participating organization between January 1 and December 15, 2010 will receive a free one-day admission to either of Disney’s U.S. parks, Disneyland near Los Angeles, California or Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Titled “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day,” the program aims to inspire Americans to volunteer during 2010. The HandsOn Network operates 250 action centers across the country that connect volunteers with more than 70,000 nonprofit agencies needing help. Many of the projects available for the Disney promotion will be volunteer activities the entire family can participate in together. Click here for more information on the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program.  For program details, ticket requirements and restrictions, and to sign up with Disney to participate, click here.

Interested RV travelers can look for volunteer opportunities with the HandsOn Network in their home communities or wherever their winter travels take them. Many RV workampers travel the country regularly searching out volunteer opportunities as a way to help those in need, meet new folks and give something back. Now Disney will give you a little something to thank you for your service!

RV Industry Growth Predicted for 2010

Happy New Year from all the folks here at RVT.com. This year the RV industry celebrates 100 years of exploration and innovation. Our centennial year is getting off to a good start with strong signs of recovery in the RV industry. Just like everyone else, the RV industry took a hit last year. While used RV sales remained strong (see our previous post), new RV sales lagged through most of last year, finally starting to show signs of revival toward the end of the year. RV manufacturers that were forced to layoff workers and decrease production of new RVs started ramping back up during the final quarter of 2009 as new RV sales started to gain again.

Economists who see RV sales as an early predictor of economic trend view improving sales in the RV industry as a healthy sign that the U.S. economy is truly on the road to recovery. In fact, Airstream and other major RV manufacturers expect 2010 to be a growth year. Growth in new RV sales is expected to be led by less-expensive, towable RVs. Until the economy improves a little more, sales may remain slow for new top-of-the-line luxury motorhomes. However, used online RV sales of luxury models are expected to remain brisk. Visit RVT.com to view hundreds of quality new and used RVs at excellent prices.