Posted by on Sep 10, 2010
Winterizing your RV’s water system will protect water lines from freezing over the winter. A leaking or frozen water line can cause irreparable damage to your RV. Doing a thorough job of winterizing your RV before storing it will protect your investment and increase the life and resale value of your recreational vehicle.
Today, we continue the winter RV maintenance procedures begun in our last post. Always remember to check your RV owner’s manual for specific winterization procedures.
> Connect a siphon hose (or piece of clear plastic tubing) to the water pump inlet, place the hose end into a container of non-toxic RV antifreeze and turn on the pump to pressurize the water system.
> Replacing the antifreeze container as necessary, open each faucet, one at a time, starting with those closest to the water heater. Keep each faucet open just until antifreeze appears, then turn it off and proceed to the next faucet. Flush the toilet until antifreeze appears.
> Turn off the pump and open a faucet to release pressure.
> At the city water inlet outside, remove the screen over the inlet and push on the valve until antifreeze appears; replace the screen.
> Pour a cup of antifreeze down each drain. Pour several cups of antifreeze into the toilet and flush into the holding tank.
> Turn off heating element on water heater.
> Close all faucets.
> Remember to check your owner’s manual for additional winterization procedures specific to your RV make and model.
Posted by on Sep 08, 2010
When you bought your RV online from RVT.com, you made a significant investment. Regular maintenance will protect that investment and keep your RV running smoothly for years to come. For RV owners who store their RV during the winter months, it is essential to properly winterize your recreational vehicle’s water system to protect water lines from freezing during storage.
To winterize your RV’s water system, follow these handy tips and always remember to check your RV manual for specific winterization procedures:
> Remove and bypass any inline water filters before winterizing the water system.
> Drain fresh, gray and black water holding tanks. Flush gray and black water tanks. Use WD40 to lubricate termination valves.
> Allow water heater to cool, then drain.
> Open all hot and cold faucets, toilet valve, outside shower if you have one and the two low point drain lines (hot and cold). Use a water pump to force out water remaining in lines. Recap drains and turn off faucets.
> By-pass the water heater and disconnect the inlet (fresh water) connection to the water pump or install a water pump converter kit.
We’ll continue with how to winterize your RV’s water system next time.
Posted by on Sep 06, 2010
RV dealership marketing pros know that you have to put your name and inventory where potential RV buyers will see them. Today, that means the Internet and, more specifically, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and blogs.
Consider the stats:
Facebook has more than 500 million active users, at least 50% of whom log onto Facebook on any given day. Users spend more than 700 billion minutes on Facebook each month. The average Facebook user has 130 friends and is connected to 80 community groups.
Twitter now has 145 million registered users and is still growing. Since April, the number of tweeters has increased by 27% with Twitter use on mobile devices jumping 62%.
Blogs are read by 4 out of 10 Americans on a regular basis, with 46% of blog readers visiting the same blog regularly. More than one-third of blog readers click on ad during their visit and more than half follow a link.
Direct participation in social media is just the tip of the iceberg. Cross linking, site sharing and information exchanges exponentially increase market exposure. RVT.com understands the power of social media and has invested in an aggressive social media marketing campaign to boost RV dealer and consumer sales of new and used RVs on our website. RVT maintains an interesting blog with regular new postings. We host a Facebook page, tweet daily and offer a free iPhone app to draw RV buyers to our site and your dealership ads! Check out our RV dealer program today.
Posted by on Sep 03, 2010
If you’re like most RV owners, you bought your recreational vehicle so you and your family could afford to travel economically. One of the nicest unexpected bonuses when you buy an RV online is that RV travel gives you an incredible picture window view of America’s most beautiful scenery. Here are some more of our favorite RV drives:
I-81 from Strasburg to Roanoke, Virginia. Sandwiched between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains, this idyllic stretch of highway provides stunning vistas of rolling hills and fertile, sun-kissed valleys. A labyrinth of caves underlies the verdant scenery. Don’t miss nature’s unusual concert on the Great Stalacpipe Organ at Luray Caverns.
I-75 from Naples to Broward Co., Florida. Watch for gators basking along the side of the road and in the canals as you travel Alligator Alley through Big Cypress Swamp. Get close to nature during a stroll along the 2.25-mile boardwalk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary located northeast of Naples, 15 miles east of exit 111.
I-17 from Flagstaff to Phoenix, Arizona. The full majesty of the American West unwinds as the highway moves from the ponderosa pines of the Colorado Plateau, through monolithic red rocks to the prickly saguaro cactus forests north of Phoenix. Take a break in Sedona (6 miles from exit 298) to watch color-changing rocks.
You’ll find RV campgrounds conveniently located close to most of America’s scenic highways. Find a complete list of designated U.S. scenic highways and byways on the U.S. Department of Transportation website Byways.org. What’s your favorite stretch of highway?
Posted by on Sep 01, 2010
As the 3-day Labor Day weekend approaches, RV travelers are planning to take advantage of still affordable gas prices — no holiday price bump this year! – to head out on the highway. Not only is RV travel far more affordable than typical fly-drive-hotel vacations, but RV owners get prime seats for one of the greatest shows on Earth — the American landscape.
The song America the Beautiful got it right. The U.S. is crisscrossed by an amazing network of scenic drives and heritage trails but there are also plenty of well-traveled highways that showcase some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet. Here are some of our favorites:
I-84 from Portland to The Dalles, Oregon. If you love waterfalls, this is your drive. Carved by the mighty Columbia River, 28 scenic waterfalls cascade from the cliffs. Excellent views and photo ops are just a short walk from the highway. Watch for signs at scenic pullouts. About 30 minutes east of Portland, don’t miss 611-foot Multnomah Falls, one of America’s highest.
I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction, Colorado. Stay alert during this drive through stunning Glenwood Canyon; the curves are sharper than expected. Do your viewing from scenic pullouts. Sheer, 1,300-foot canyon walls rise from the turbulent Colorado River in a massive display of raw energy and pristine wilderness. This section of highway cuts through the stomping grounds of a large buffalo herd, so keep an eye out for the shaggy beasts.
More scenic drives next time. What’s your favorite stretch of U.S. highway?
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