RVT.com RV Trader Blog

RV Shows Offer Chance to Compare Models

Ready to try out the relaxed, enjoyable RV lifestyle? Or perhaps you’ve been RVing for awhile and are considering upgrading to a newer or bigger RV? Maybe you just want to get a look at the hot new green RVs everyone is talking about? If you’re thinking about buying an RV, the place to go is an RV show. One of the nation’s biggest RV shows, the 57th Annual California RV Show, is coming up October 16-25 at the Fairplex in Pomona, CA. You can find other RV shows around the country on the RVT.com website.

At an RV show you can check out all the top RV manufacturers and their most popular models under one roof. It’s a great way to comparison shop. See what’s standard and what new features are being offered. Walk through a variety of models and get a true feeling for the space available and whether it’s a good fit for you and your family. Bring the kids. They’ll have as much fun at an RV show as you will.

At an RV show you’ll find plenty of folks to answer your questions and fill you in on the latest advances in RV technology. You’ll also pick up plenty of useful how to and been there done that tips from veteran RVers. Use the show to create a shopping list of must have features, then do your shopping online at RVT.com where you’ll find hundreds of new and used RVs at great prices.

More Fall RV Driving Tips

Falling leaves and dropping temperatures signal RVers that it’s time to shift from summer driving habits into winter drive mode. Fall and winter highway conditions are more hazardous,  requiring that RV drivers take a little extra care while traveling. Today we continue the safe driving tips started in our last post.

As the days shorten, the angle of the sun changes from high to lower on the horizon. RV travelers are more likely to be driving right into the sun for longer periods in morning and evening. Keep your sunglasses handy and use your sun visor. Push your visor all the way forward before pulling it back into position so that it angles slightly toward the window. A visor angled toward the driver’s face can cause injury in a head-on collision.

Be aware that sun blindness can affect not just you but oncoming vehicles and those crossing at intersections. Keep your RV’s low-beam headlights on during the day to make your vehicle more visible. Use extra caution at intersections. Inspect lights periodically and keep front windows clean.

As daylight dwindles be aware that depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision decrease in the dark.  This can be especially challenging for older RVers who may be experiencing night vision problems associated with normal aging. Take 2 to 5 minutes to allow your eyes to adjust after exiting brightly-lit areas. Schedule driving during daylight hours. You’ll have more time to explore your destination and enjoy your RV campsite.

Autumn Driving Tips for RVers

Colder weather has arrived and with it falling leaves are blanketing the highways. Frosty nights have already hit many states, and there have even been reports of snow in Colorado and Montana. Drifting leaves, frost-slicked bridges and the first flakes of snow can make RV driving a bit more hazardous. Of course, that’s no reason to curtail your plans for a leaf peeping tour, apple-picking weekend or trip to your family’s favorite corn maze. But it does mean you should take a little more care with your driving to keep yourself and your family safe while RVing this fall and winter. Just follow these smart autumn driving tips for RVers:

Watch out for leaves drifting across roadways. Particularly when slickened by rain or frost, dead leaves can be as slippery snow under your RV’s tires. And remember that bridges freeze before roadways. A hard frost can make bridges and overpasses slippery, particularly on curves. Slow down and put a little more distance between your RV and the car in front of you when you’re on the road. Increasing following distance gives you more time to brake and maneuver if you or the driver you’re following start to skid or lose control.

On city streets, remember that leaves and snow can obscure potholes, dips and other roadway hazards. Slow down and watch the vehicle in front of your RV for clues to road conditions.

More fall RV driving tips next time

Follow RVT.com on Twitter

If you’re not following RVT.com on Twitter yet, you’re missing some great RV travel destinations, helpful tips and the opportunity to be the first to hear important RV news. For example: Today we’re tweeting on cool zoos you can visit with your family. Zoos are popular RV trip destinations, particularly for families, and fall, when cool weather makes animals more active and playful, is the best time to visit our nation’s many zoos.

You can find first-class zoos in every part of the country. Most are planning special events for Halloween with special activities for children (the popular Boo at the Zoo). The whole family will enjoy a trip to a zoo with recent newborn animals, and it’s a great way to teach your children about wildlife and habitat preservation. U.S. zoos support vigorous breeding programs to preserve and repopulate the world’s animal species. Visiting zoos to watch the playful antics of newborn animals makes for a fun family weekend and a great RV destination. Before you go, check out the ZooBorns website where you can watch pictures and videos of recently born animals at U.S. and world zoos. Use the site to plan your next RV zoo trek.

Information about great zoos to visit is being tweeted to followers on RVT.com Twitter today. Sign up for RVT.com Twitter on our website so you don’t miss out. Sign up is easy. Just click the “Follow Us On Twitter” link toward the bottom of the left-hand navigation column on our homepage.

Tips for RV Traveling with Rover

Taking your dog along is one of the joys of RV living. No separation anxiety or kennel fees to deal with; when you RV, the whole family travels together — Rover too. Because of space availability small dogs are naturals for RV traveling; but even big dogs can enjoy the trip with a little thought and planning. Follow these tips and both you and Rover will enjoy your next RV excursion:

Dogs like a view. Small dogs love to take in the view from the RV dash, but it’s not the safest spot for them when you’re on the road. Let them take in the view from the lap of whoever’s riding shotgun in the passenger seat. Or secure a bed or crate to a surface by a window. Encourage floor time with chewy toys and treats.

Exercise breaks. Dogs need regular potty and exercise breaks, especially on long trips. Younger dogs will need more frequent play breaks. Stop at interesting sights along the way or stop at roadside rest stops to walk and play with Rover. Always leash your pooch and carry plenty of baggies for clean up.

Fun at camp. Invest in a portable exercise pen. They collapse flat for easy transport and fold out accordion style into a safe play yard for your dog. Play yards allow Rover freedom of movement so he can be outside with the family but safe from car traffic. Rover will love hiking; be sure to take along water and a bowl.

‘Green’ Driving Practices Save Money

Cheap gas prices have encouraged RVers to hit the highways this summer. The price of a gallon of regular unleaded hovered at a relatively comfortable $2.63 a gallon at the beginning of July, according to AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report. That’s an average $1.50 less per gallon than we were paying last year, but it can still make for a hefty charge when you’re filling up the tank on a Class A motorhome. More RVers are adopting “green” driving techniques to maximize fuel savings and keep gas charges low.

Promoted by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, EcoDriving USA offers tips to help RVers and other motorists save money at the pump and reduce their carbon footprints by up to 15%. Here are some of our favorite tips.

> Turn off your engine while you’re waiting at the curb while mom runs in to pick up a gallon of milk. You can save half a gallon of fuel for every hour spent idling.

> Remain calm while driving. You can increase fuel economy by as much as 33% by avoiding rapid starts and stops and driving less aggressively.

>Slow down. Sit back and enjoy the scenery; after all, isn’t that one of the reasons you RV? Gas mileage diminishes quickly at speeds above 60 mph. Every 5 mph over 60 will cost you the equivalent of 20 cents more per gallon of gas.

>Pump up. Check tires often and keep them inflated to manufacturer’s specifications. Properly inflated tires can boost RV mileage by 3.3%.

Staying Connected on the Road

Unplugging from the rat race used to be part of the allure of RV travel; still is for many vacationers who happily leave their computers at home. But with more full-time RVers on the road and more folks working from their RVs while traveling, staying connected to the Internet has become an essential element of RV life. Even vacationers are choosing to stay connected t0 plug into digital photography and scrapbooking sites, update their Facebook page or blog and follow the Twitterati.

Staying connected when you RV is easy, even for the technologically challenged. Many RV campgrounds now provide WiFi free or for a nominal fee. If your notebook isn’t already WiFi enabled, all you need to do is buy an inexpensive WiFi receiver card (about $50) that plugs into a slot in the side of the notebook, allowing it to pick up the broadcast signal. If you use a desktop computer or have an older notebook without an appropriate slot, you can use an external USB adapter. USB adapters run about $40. Plug it into an open USB port and you’re ready to go. 

If you work from your RV, you should consider purchasing a mobile broadband card, available for both notebook and USB adapters. Mobile broadband service can be purchased from any major cell phone provider. It uses a cellular device to access the Internet and allows you to connect wherever cell phone coverage is available from your provider. Plans and costs vary, so read the fine print.

More Travel Resources for Your RV Library

August is the heaviest travel month of the summer. Most RVers are on the road, traveling to their favorite vacation spots or heading for exciting new vacation destinations. While GPS devices have taken much of the guesswork out of getting from point A to point B, a well-stocked travel resource library is still essential for RV families on the go. Here are a few travel guides you might want to consider:

• Reader’s Digest Off the Beaten Path lists more than 1,000 places to go from the fabulous to the quirky. Easy-to-read state maps, a list of seasonal festivals and events in each state and plenty of photos make this a delightful aid to trip planning.
• Roadfood is a coast-to-coast culinary guide to the country’s 700 best roadside diners and regional gastronomic delights. From finger-licking barbecue joints to mouth-watering lobster shacks to old-time ice cream parlors, this guide is for anyone who enjoys good food.
• Michelin Road Atlas 2009 is a comprehensive road guide to the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Easy to use, this spiral-bound atlas features detailed maps organized in a grid format with helpful driving distances provided on every two-page spread. Those who prefer to take the road less traveled will find pages of scenic drives.
• Eyewitness Travel Guide: USA divides the country into 14 regions to aid trip planning. The guide offers exceptionally detailed information and maps chronicling major tourist sites, national parks, scenic routes, interesting walks and thematic tours with plenty of illustrations.