Posted by on Dec 19, 2011
On January 1, the average American employee will wave goodbye to nearly a week (6.2 days) of unused vacation time, according to a recent Hotwire.com survey. Companies used to let their employees roll over unused vacation days from one year to the next; but today the policy at most companies is “use it or lose it.” According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 57% of American workers take all of their allotted vacation days, and U.S. workers receive less vacation time (2 to 3 weeks) than workers in other Western countries where 4 to 7 weeks of annual time off is the norm. In France, for example, 89% of workers use all of their 6 weeks vacation time.
If keeping your nose to the grindstone paid off, you might be able to rationalize skipping a few vacation days; but it doesn’t. Psychologists say taking even short vacations increases motivation, creativity and productivity; reduces job stress; and makes you healthier and happier.
So what does this have to do with buying an RV online? RV owners are more likely to take vacations than people who don’t own RVs. RVers are also more likely to leave their work at home and spend their vacations relaxing and enjoying themselves. RVing makes it cheap and easy to get away for a weekend or a couple of weeks. Don’t let your vacation days slip through your fingers. Buy an RV online and go on vacation!
Posted by on Dec 09, 2011
After you buy your new or used RV online, the fun starts! Where will you go first? If you crave warm weather and sunshine, head south. While the rest of the country shivers, the Gulf Coast and Southwest offer plenty of warm, sunny days and spring-like evenings. But chilly weather also shoos away the tourists away from vacation destinations in cooler climes, making winter the ideal time to visit some of America’s most interesting and beautiful natural areas.
> Go star gazing in the red rock country around Moab, Utah. Marvel at the Milky Way and see the stars the way America’s first inhabitants saw them. Take an astronomy tour to learn about the stars and constellations and get a telescopic view of the moon and other planets. Arches National Park is just 5 miles from Moab and Canyonlands is 35 miles west. Dead Horse Point State Park is a must see with incredible scenic vistas. Don’t forget your camera!
> Walk the beach, explore the tidal pools and climb monolithic Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon. The weather flip-flops faster than a politician, but stormy weather only lasts a day or two. Crowded with tourists in the summer, Cannon Beach is a quaint, pleasant town with interesting shops and cozy pubs in the winter.
> Discover the desert in winter at Death Valley National Park. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the valley is strikingly beautiful. Ranger-led hikes offer a fascinating look at this unique environment.
Posted by Claire on Dec 07, 2011
Saving on vacation costs is one of the primary reasons people buy an RV online. Compared to other vacation options, vacationing in an RV will save a family of four between 28% and 59% on their total vacation costs; and a traveling couple, from 15% to 45%. In a study conducted by PKF Consulting, an international travel consulting firm, RV vacations were found to be less expensive than any other combination of travel and lodging choices, including travel by car or airline and lodging in a hotel, rental house or condominium. In each scenario, the RV vacation was determined to be the least expensive choice.
The PKF study also compared vacation costs for different types of RVs: a car towing a folding trailer (pop-up), a pickup truck or SUV towing a travel trailer and a Class A motorhome. Not surprisingly, motorhomes, which are larger and heavier than other types of RVs, were found to be a more expensive travel option than travel trailers or folding trailers. What was surprising was the relatively small cost difference between travel trailer and motorhome vacations. For a family of 4, a 3-day weekend trip in a travel trailer cost an average $623. Traveling by motorhome cost $647, a difference of only $24. Vacationing in a folding trailer cost $508.
In comparison, driving and staying in a hotel cost $903. Add the cost of flying and vacation costs rose to $1,678. Staying in a rental home only decreased vacation costs by $150 to $1,514.
Posted by on Dec 05, 2011
Imagine your family’s surprise and delight on Christmas morning if they find a toy RV parked under the tree with a big red bow on the roof and a card that says ”Look outside!” Better have your camera ready to capture the smiles and excitement when they look out the window and see the RV parked in your driveway.
The ultimate holiday gift, buying an RV promises exciting adventures and plenty of family fun. Many people consider buying RVs online because they’re looking for an inexpensive way to travel and vacation with their families. Or they may love nature and wish to immerse themselves in the great outdoors. Or they may be avid campers who are looking for an easier, more convenient, more relaxing camping experience. And RV owners reap all of those rewards. But the greatest — and often unexpected — benefit of owning an RV is the strengthening of the family bond.
RV families take more vacations and weekend trips. While RVing, parents have more time to focus on their children without the normal interruptions of daily life and weekend to-do lists. RVing gives families the opportunity to learn and explore together while building the kind of memories that will last a lifetime.
Buying an RV online is not just an investment in cheap transportation; it’s an investment in your family — and isn’t that the greatest Christmas gift of all?
Posted by on Nov 09, 2011
Gather the family and head your RV for the nearest U.S. national park this weekend. Veteran’s Day weekend, November 11-13, is the final fee-free day of the year at America’s 396 national parks. Every year the National Park System sponsors five fee-free days to encourage Americans to get outdoors and enjoy America’s scenic beauty while exploring our many national parks.
While many national parks do not charge an entrance fee, more than 100 of our most popular parks do collect a daily entrance fee to help defray the costs of maintaining park lands. This weekend, however, RV travelers can visit national parks, monuments, battlefields, seashores, historic sites, recreation areas and memorials from California to Maine fee-free. (Click here for a list of participating parks.)
RV campers should note that the national park fee waiver applies only to entrance fees. Reservation, camping, tour and concession fees that are collected by third parties are not included; although many are offering special discounts and fee reductions this weekend.
The park system’s fee-free days are an excellent opportunity to slip away in your RV for a long-weekend getaway. RV campsites at most national parks tend to fill quickly, but RV campers will find plenty of excellent RV campgrounds near every popular national park site. Use RVT.com’s handy RV campground locator to find a campground near your destination.
RVT.com salutes America’s veterans and our active servicemen and women. We thank you and your families for your service to our country.
Posted by Claire on Nov 04, 2011
With the holidays on the horizon and school breaks coming up, people are starting to make travel plans. During the 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, millions of Americans will travel to share the holidays with relatives or enjoy a family vacation. The only hitch in your plans is likely to be how to get your family from point A to point B without busting your budget. High holiday airfares can quickly gobble up your holiday budget leaving little left for hotels and holiday fun. Driving is a more affordable option, but 8 to 12 hours in a cramped car with bored children isn’t a fun way to start a vacation. The solution? RV travel.
RV vacations are less expensive than any other type of vacation, according to a new RVIA study conducted by PKF Consulting, an international travel consulting firm. Even when fuel prices are high, RV vacations are still 26% to 74% cheaper than typical fly-drive-hotel vacations.
“In all cases, RV trips were more economical than other vacations analyzed, regardless of trip duration, distance or region of the country,” Kannan Sankaran, PKF’s lead researcher, reported.
In its cost comparisons, PKF included the cost of RV ownership to allow direct comparison of actual travel expenses. For every type of RV — motorhome, travel trailer and folding trailer — RV travel was considerably more affordable than any other travel option.
Posted by Claire on Aug 26, 2011
If you’re tired of straggling through airports and trying to keep the kids entertained during a cramped flight, if you’re tired of hefty hotel bills that take a huge bite out of your vacation funds, if you tired of spending money on food your kids won’t eat, maybe it’s time you tried RVing. RV vacations are 27% to 61% cheaper than any other type of vacation, according to a study by PKF Consulting, an international travel and tourism consulting firm. Vacationing in an RV combines transportation, hotel and food costs in one neat, cost-efficient package, allowing you to take control of your vacation — and vacation costs.
Travel. Vacationing in an RV gives families room to spread out comfortably while on the road. You can stop to check out local attractions, sample a piece of homemade pie or stop for ice cream along the way. There are no schedules to keep or security lines to get through. And no one arrives at your destination tired and cranky.
Lodging. When you RV, you carry your lodging with you. A night in a comfortable RV campsite costs a fraction of what you’d pay for a night in a hotel. And many RV campgrounds now offer hotel-like amenities such as swimming pools, free WiFi, game rooms, playgrounds and more.
Food. A kitchen stocked your family’s favorite foods and snacks is just steps away when you RV, allowing you to eat healthfully and inexpensively and serve the foods your family likes to eat.
Posted by Claire on Aug 12, 2011
Americans are big, bold and, let’s face it, a little goofy. How else can you explain the Giant Pink Dinosaur in Vernal, Utah or the Giant Rotating Globe in Wellesley, Massachusetts? At countless crossroads across the U.S., our kitschy love for all things odd and weird is displayed with supersized pride. When we Americans pay tribute to the things we love, we do it in a BIG way. America is the home of more “World’s Largest” and “World’s Biggest” things than any other place in the world — and we’re proud of it!
Part of the fun of RV traveling is the opportunity to experience our fellow countrymen’s excessive pride in some pretty strange things, such as the Giant Milk Bottles in Richmond, Virginia; the World’s Largest Baked Potato in Blackfoot, Idaho; the World’s Largest Strawberry in Strawberry Point, Iowa and the World’s Largest Egg in Mentone, Indiana — all things you might expect to find in the refrigerator of the World’s Largest Man, the Paul Bunyan Statue in Akeley, Minnesota.
Scheduling pitstops and lunchtime picnics at these pieces of true Americana is a great way to inject some silly fun into your next RV vacation. If you’re RVing with kids or grandkids, let them look for roadside oddities along your route on RoadsideAmerica.com. Or download the new Roadside America apps on iTunes before you hit the road. Six compilations of kooky regional oddities and attractions are available at the app store for $3 per region.
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