Super HOT Wheels for RV Parks...

Check out this article on tricked out golf carts in Florida...

"The cart-friendly design stretches far beyond this hub. Trails lead directly from the Villages to big chains like Target, Staples, and Starbucks, which line the nearby highways. Instead of parking lots crammed with minivans or SUVs, I see fleets of golf carts, often parked two or three to a spot."

Hypothetically speaking... what if our cities become denser and more compact - the roads optimized to smaller commuter cars while trucks have truck-only routes and then intercity, interstate transport becomes something else altogether.

You can't discount the whole tiny house (and I think RV's are part of that) concept and not start thinking about transportation. If everything shrinks down - completely different cars make a bunch of sense. Speeds change. Concepts around safety change.

Maybe these retirees aren't just being odd - maybe they are completely in front of something brand new?

Save the Date : 2011 Austin RV Expo : February 17-20

If you are in the central Texas area, this is a nice little expo. It is held in the Austin Convention Center and many of the local RV dealers are present as well as many service providers to the local central Texas RV community.

Sheri and I went last year and had a great time!

Here is the link to the RV Expo : Maybe I'll see you down there!

RV News : RV Sales predicted to grow in 2011

A friend sent me this article on the optimism in the RV industry for the year 2011.

I have to agree. I see the bias in the article around the idea that "RV's are just for vacation", which isn't true and I think is selling a mini trend short. It would also have some effect statistically on towables being preferred as those types make more sense for RV's that are not travelling a great deal [ why? it doesn't make sense to purchase an asset like a diesel motor and drive train systems and then not use it that often ].

What do you think?

RV Texas News : Flooding at Shady River RV Park

One of the upsides of having an RV park directly on a river is that you get great views, great fishing and can enjoy the water, trees, and nature.

One of the downsides of an RV park directly on a river is that if it rains a great deal at one time AND the river tends to flood (San Gabriel River) you can get your RV covered up!

It is flooding in Texas due to the Hermine tropical storm and in Georgetown, one of the parks I've driven through and captured video has flooded.

Prior article on Shady River RV Park

Fox News article on flooding with a picture of a flooded RV

I wonder if there were folks who were able to hitch up and move to higher ground - one advantage to owning an RV...

RV News : Pushups KEY to RV negotiations

If you are going to argue with an RV dealer on delivery of your vehicle, be prepared to do pushups to win your case.

I see all over that people complain about their RV when delivered and this actor named Taylor Lautner seems to be no exception. He is I guess an actor in a series called Twilight. (my daughter knows something about this).

Anyway, he sued due to the late delivery and incorrect delivery (I do not know the details or any veracity of the statements). As part of the resolution of the suit, the RV dealer issues a challenge.

Read on...

-> RV Dealer Challenge to Taylor Lautner's Lawsuit over delivery of an RV <-

RV News : Family sues Walmart after incident with stranger

No way I could capture the whole thing in the title, but the article is about a family that sues Walmart because they were staying in a Walmart parking lot in their RV and were attacked by a stranger. They claimed Walmart knew that the stranger was a loiterer and failed to act.

This is wrong on so many levels. I think Walmart was basically an innocent bystander. The family looks to me like they are just trying to get rich quick, which is what most lawsuits seem to be. Everyone was basically loitering.

But it takes just one family suing Walmart to get their policy on RV's changed.

RV Destinations : Bluebonnet ALERT

Today is April 11, 2010. If you are anywhere NEAR Marble Falls and want to see the Texas Bluebonnets then I highly recommend that you locate Horseshoe Bay on the map (about 10 min from Marble Falls) and drive to Horseshoe Bay. I've lived in Texas since 1993 and never, even in my life have I seen Bluebonnets like I have ever seen at Horseshoe Bay.

I'll be very specific. Once you get to Horseshoe Bay, drive on "Fergeson Drive" towards the power plant. Complete fields are full of bluebonnets. It is absolutely stunning and the best display I've ever seen. I have taken some video, which I'll post in the next few days (video is very time consuming).

To put in perspective, I live in Austin and have driven the 290 between Austin and Houston. Everyone knows that is a 'nice' bluebonnet drive. Well, folks, this PALES, in comparison to the Horseshoe Bay.

Enjoy everyone.

RV Innovation AND News : April Fools

I hope everyone yesterday realized that the amphibious RV was an April Fools Joke.

I couldn't resist.

Marlan

RV Innovation AND News : Unbelievable RV spotted on Lake Travis

Date : April 1, 2010

In an unbelievable stroke of timing and luck, Sheri and I were driving near Lake Travis and saw what appeared to be a Class A RV driving out of the water from Lake Travis.

Of course, being the authors of the world famous RV Information and Travel blog called RV52.com we wheeled the car around to take a look.

As we approached the machine we were rapidly approached by several people in business suits and dark glasses who were trying to stop us from getting near the big rig.

We explained to them who we were and after some convincing we were allowed much closer to the Class A big rig and were allowed some questions and answers after agreeing to several very difficult non disclosure provisions.

Here is what we learned. This big rig is truly Class A, but it does not run on a traditional internal combustion engine. It was fitted with a DC motor, a large variable frequency drive all powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. This in and of itself was completely amazing.

When we asked about what we witnessed, the company spokesperson stated that research has shown that water and RV's go together. However, for most, a boat would have to be towed with the RV OR a boat would have to be a cabin cruiser (essentially a RV in the water) but it is difficult to move the boat from water to water. So their approach was to ask the tough question "Why can't an RV be a boat AND a class A big rig?" So what their engineers figured out was that with the unique propulsion system, better sealing and with the addition of a retractable pontoon setup you could have a houseboat or an RV. We were absolutely flabbergasted. The company spokesperson said that this new RV didn't cost more than about $40,000 more than a similar standard RV.

The list of amazing features didn't stop there. It turns out that the plumbing system was split into a potable water system and a 'clean but not potable' system. The advantages to this is that some of the water is routed through the fuel cell for purification and so drinking water can be obtained very efficiently. Also, not having to have purified water of drinking water quality for showers and toilet use saves on the environment as well. Because the unit is fuel cell driven, there is no need for generators and when power is needed there absolutely no noise.

In fact, since the unit is both LARGE and quiet, it was decided that a large speaker system should be installed to simulate the sound of  a diesel engine. But I can ensure you that it is just a speaker system. With just the press of a simple button we also made the big rig sound exactly like a Honda 100cc dirt bike which made everyone break into a chorus of laughter.

There are other amazing features to numerous to list here, like the specialized fabric which can be hoisted above the RV to  break the sunlight and lower the cooling energy requirements by 30% or automatic misting system which is installed with the retractable awnings which can lower the temperature under the mister by over 20 degrees Fahrenheit. But I'll just leave it at this : Sheri and I are on the list for this bad boy.

RV News : Heartland RV Expands

Sheri and I have been very impressed with Heartland and we think that the Cyclone 3950 Toy Haulers are an amazing fifth wheel. Of all the fifth wheels we've examined, we keep coming back to the Heartland Cyclone Toy Hauler.

When I read this article, I couldn't help but wonder if Heartland can expand because they have been making a comparatively better product. If you read the article you'll see that this relative newbie (since 2003) has jumped to 3rd place in fifth wheels.

Article on Heartland Expansion.

RV News : RV Bursts into flames near Austin Texas

This story about an RV bursting into flames near Austin (the suburb is called Buda) Texas caught my eye.

Notice in the article the driver "noticed the floor getting hot".

So if your feet get hot, move your feet! Also more good advice : remove all birdnests from old RV's with engines.

I hope the driver didn't pay too much for his vintage RV.

Do many Americans own an RV?

As I drive around the Texas countryside, I can't but wonder "how many people own RV's?" On one hand it seems that I can't go even a mile or two without seeing a travel trailer or a fifth wheel parked in a yard somewhere. Many have hookups I can see even as I zoom past which I believe means that they are being used as a spare room or a guest house.

But then when I know how much they cost and that the IRS considers them a luxury item it amazes me that you would see so many. I have had discussions with RV salespeople, who might actually bend the truth, where they are telling me that more and more people are buying RV's as alternatives to apartments or homes.

Here is a snippet from the RVIA.org website that discusses how many people in America own an RV. It only talks about the USA, so you would have to AT LEAST double the number for worldwide.

"RV ownership has reached record levels.  Approximately 8.2 million American households now own an RV — a 16 percent increase since 2001 and a 64 percent gain since 1980."

Are RV owners good with their money?

I think there is a perception that RV owners are poor with their money. The thinking goes something like this : Hey these guys are buying boats, cars, RV, and all sorts of fancy items so they must be up to their eyeballs in debt.

But if you read a tidbit of the RVIA business outlook web page, you'll find that just isn't true. Here is a snippet from the RVIA web page :

"The credit worthiness of RV consumers remains at the top of all credit seekers.  The delinquency rate on RV loans was 0.95% from 1999-2007 vs. 2.0% for other consumer loans, according to the American Bankers Association Quarterly Delinquency Bulletin.  Current limitations on RV credit are expected to gradually diminish over time since RV owners are, on average, excellent credit risks."

RV Industry Tidbits : How many RV's will ship in 2009/2010?

People often wonder "How big in an industry?" That is a very tricky question. In the RV world, you can look at NEW RV's sold, used RV's sold, aftermarket parts sold, service provided. Then do you count things like the parks? Do you count the economic activity related to an industry? Its a FUN question and there are societal trends that go far beyond 'just business facts' in that data.

You can find many interesting statistics on the RVIA website. I'm spending a little bit of time there and they have a Feb 2010 post that has some industry stats and predictions.

I thought I would pick out the simple one : How many units are expected to be sold in 2009 (results still coming in) and how many do people think will be sold in 2010.

How many do you think are sold in a year? What is the scale? Thousands? Ten Thousands? Millions?

Here you go and this is quoted from RVIA.org :

2009 shipments.  RV shipments in November, 2009 were more than double the total shipped in the same month the previous year.  On a seasonally-adjusted annual rate, November shipments reached 225,000 units, topping 200,000 units for the fourth consecutive month.  Shipments reached their lowest point in the first quarter of 2009, but have improved steadily since then.  Lower shipments in 2009 were caused by the longest and deepest U.S. recession since the 1930s, the tightest credit conditions in several decades, job losses, falling household wealth, slower growth in real incomes, and historically low consumer confidence. Shipments are projected to total 159,500 in 2009.

·         2010 projection.  RV shipments are projected to total 203,500 units in 2010, a 27.6% increase from the projected 2009 total, according to RV industry analyst and director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan Dr. Richard Curtin. Gains are expected as negative financial factors give way to improved market conditions.

Austin RV Expo is Next Week / Last Week in February 2010

Next weekend Sheri and I plan on taking a Sunday afternoon and visiting the Austin RV Expo in Downtown Austin Texas. It will be at the Austin Convention Center. The entry tickets are $8 for each of us, but you can print a coupon for $2 and get in for $6 each.

We'll be taking our video camera and still camera and really just enjoying ourselves.

Sheri thinks we ought to get some RV52.com T-Shirts. I'm thinking thats not a bad idea. One of my friends (Ken) says our motto ought to be "We work 52 weeks a year and slough off the extra day". That's a pretty good slogan if you ask me.

We'll be focusing on fifth wheels since that is what we are thinking about living in full time. Right now, little ole Puma is just a weekend or month-long rig.

RV : The ultimate dating machine

Ok. This isn't really news, but I know know why I'm talking more about Puma (our RV) and sold the BMW 540i! Use your RV for dating! Read here for more.

The GOV is selling Travel Trailers like Crazy!

This government auction has a few RV dealers and a congressman up in ARMS! If you look around the web you'll find a few news stories about it.

I just think this is a very interesting question. The government has the unique ability to do things so BIG that it could really have an impact. That is one angle. But the other angle is that when the government buys your stuff - great - but when they are done with it, if they exercise the right - that all other people have - to sell the item for a terminal value, people get upset.

What do you think?