Archive for the ‘Recreational Vehicle’ Category
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 |
If you’re new to the whole RV lifestyle, you’ll soon discover that RV resorts have a unique vocabulary. You may want to brush up on your terminology so that you don’t confuse your mobile home with a motor home for sale, or your Class A with your Class B.
RV Basement: Sounds like a rec room under your RV, doesn’t it? It actually means the living room in your RV is built above the chassis, allowing for extra storage space under the floor. Many of these are designed so that the storage space is accessed from either side for easy access. These units are taller than most and the driver needs to be aware of the height limitations when driving.
Electrical: This term denotes that both electricity and water are available at the RV park.
Extended Stay Site: Some parks only allow campers to remain for short periods of time, in the case of an extended stay site, individuals can remain for up to an entire season at a time.
Federal Parks: These are RV parks run by the National Forest Service, NFS, or the National Park Service, NPS. If you’re looking to save some money, often times these facilities offer work programs in exchange for a reduced rate.
Fifth Wheel: Instead of being towed behind a truck with a standard hitch, fifth wheel trailers have a hitch that sits directly over the rear axle of the truck, right on the truck bed. They vary in length from 18-40 feet and can only be towed by a pickup truck.
Full Hookup: These park offer all of the common trailer hookup amenities including electricity, sewer and water.
Mobile Homes and Motor Homes: These terms are often confused, but describe two very different types of homes.
A mobile home is not a recreational vehicle and is not allowed in Arizona RV Parks. It can be towed to a trailer park or retirement community and set up usually on blocks. It is not meant for touring or moving on a regular basis.
A motor home is a motorized recreational vehicle that can be driven as opposed to being towed. It comes complete with a fresh water tank, and holding tank for waste water.
RV Classes:
Class A Motor Homes: These are shaped similar to a bus, and are powered by gasoline or diesel. They may range anywhere from 22 to 40 feet in length. The bedrooms are usually located to the rear of the unit and the main living area closer to the driver seat.
Class B Motor Homes: These units are similar to a standard van with a raised roof. They generally have a couch that converts to a bed, a small toilet and an icebox.
Class C Motor Homes: From the front, these look like a van, but the double bed is found above the cab. They are available in lengths from 20 feet up to about 36 feet.
Slideout: These are very common in newer RV’s and are very handy when it comes to creating additional living space. You park your trailer, extend the slide out and presto, your kitchen, living room or bedroom instantly widens by a few feet.
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Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 |
“RVing,” so to speak, is something that many people dream about. Driving down the open road in a recreational vehicle with everything that you need right at your fingertips can be an unforgettable experience. RVs will make your vacations better, and enhance your life in extraordinary ways. Owning an RV can be very freeing, allowing you the ability to have limitless adventures, whether camping or traveling. If your first recreational vehicle is going to be a used one, do your research. Used RVs, in great condition, are sold everyday; the key is in knowing where to find them.
Used RVs are typically sold by RV dealers. Finding a dealer that has a good reputation for selling used vehicles is not hard to do. Ask people that own an RV if they have a dealer that they can recommend to you. Let your friends know what you are looking for. Word of mouth is an excellent way to locate a dealer who will treat you right.
RV dealers will often have perfectly good used RVs on the lot that have been traded in for bigger and better models. Find out if they have one that had just a single owner before being traded in. Be sure that you walk through the RV, that is has the accessories you want, and that everything is in working condition. Don’t forget to test drive it as well. Your RV dealer will help you with every step, and answer any questions that you might have.
Finding a used recreational vehicle in great condition ss not difficult to do. Be sure that you are looking in all of the above places, and you will locate the vehicle of your dreams. That next family vacation does not have to be a distant dream; make it a reality and take your family on the best vacation they can imagine in a great used RV.
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Thursday, July 24th, 2008 |
If you are among the lot who think that a motorhome journey is the possession of only the rich and affluent, then rest assured that you have been misguided. Most people believe that hiring a motorhome would cost them a fortune, overlooking the fact that they would have to spend an equal or more amount on hotel bookings, food and local conveyance. Besides, journey via motorhomes is a completely unique experience, allowing you to feel the warmth of your homes even when away from it.
The first thing that crops in our minds while planning a vacation is budget. Preparing for a vacation requires booking hotels or guest rooms in advance. Besides, your enjoyment can be marred due to local conveyance hassles. Food is another requirement that is to be met at least twice a day and eating out at hotels or restaurants might be quite expensive. Hiring a motorhome or recreational vehicle (RV) can put a check on these extra expenses. Motorhomes answer your queries with regard to accommodation and food. You don’t have to book any hotel or guest room. The cozy comfort of home will be right inside your vehicle. Secondly, you can cook the dishes of your choice in the kitchen and enjoy the mobile experience of your ‘house on wheels’. Your rig will be your only source of conveyance, relieving you of the added hassles of changing conveyance mediums to visit the places of interest.
The benefits of RV vacation do not end here. An RVs vacation is completely at your discretion. You can start your journey anytime unlike those organized by tour agencies. So whether you want to have a gala time at the campsites or ride through the wide roads, it’s your choice. You just need to be cautious about the roads you drive, as there are certain road restrictions when it comes to a motorhome ride. Rental operators can provide instructions on the roads to follow. Coming to food, you can buy the cooking items from the local market or even stock your kitchen in advance to cook your favorite meals.
Planning an affordable RV vacation requires a little more thoughtful planning as the expenses might vary with the size and facilities of your rig. Your family size will decide the number of beds you want. Besides, your little children might require some space to play around. If you only settle for the very basic facilities in your RV, it would cost you only a small sum. However, if you can afford a little more, you can enjoy few more luxuries like full bathrooms, refrigerators, microwave, living areas, master bedrooms, satellite TV, Internet access, slide-out sections and awnings. These added luxuries are absolutely optional. Your choice of a basic motorhome will in no way, mar your enjoyment.
So ride your own motorhome this season to enjoy the warmth of beautiful surroundings, feeling at home all the time. Hiring motorhomes to spend your vacation can be easily affordable if planned with good discretion. All that is required is to set your priorities and then opt for the RV that best suits your purpose. With the RV of your choice, your vacation will surely turn out to be a memorable one.
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Monday, July 14th, 2008 |
In North America, the term RECREATIONAL VEHICLE (or RV, as they are commonly known), generally refers to a dual purpose vehicle that can also be used as a temporary or full time home - essentially, a MOTORHOME.
In Britain, on the other hand, common terms describing vehicles classified as RVs in the US are caravan, camper van and indeed, motorhome. In other parts of the English speaking world, such as Australia and New Zealand, the term RV may be used to describe a sport utility vehicle (SUV) or 4X4.
A minimal RV typically contains beds, a table, food preparation and storage areas. Larger models come with full bathrooms, refrigerators, living areas, master bedrooms and entertainment units. Some RVs are very elaborate, with satellite TV and Internet access, slide-out sections, and awnings; Most RVs can cost (new) from less than $10,000 to $500,000. Some of the more elaborate models can cost much more than that.
As their name suggests, RVs are mainly used for recreational purposes. RVs have varied uses - from short vacations and camping trips to full-time living at various levels of comfort. RV travel is a burgeoning segment of the international travel industry, and many RV rental firms - both large and small - rent vehicles in many cities around the world.
Several classes of vehicle are generally classified as RVs:
Truck Camper: Usually used on pickup trucks, a truck camper is a shell, usually made of fiberglass or aluminum, mounted atop the truck’s rear bed. It is generally large enough to be suitable for camping purposes.
Pop-up Camping Trailer: This type of RV is a lightweight trailer unit with collapsible sides, for quick setup at the campsite and easy storage. The unit is suitable for towing by most vehicle types.
Caravan (sometimes called Travel Trailer): This is a towable unit with rigid sides, designed to be towed by larger vehicles.
Fifth Wheel Travel Trailer: Designed to be towed by a pickup or medium duty truck with a special “Fifth Wheel” hitch.
Available in a range of comfort levels, this RV class usually has taller ceilings and slide-out walls. These are generally the most spacious of all RV models. Despite their size, however, they are quite easy to handle. Other great Fifth Wheel features include many home conveniences such as bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and entertainment units.
One of the greatest features to me is the ability to detach the tow vehicle from the trailer. You can then park your trailer and use the truck for sightseeing, shopping or basically whatever you please.
Toy Hauler: Toy hauler trailers are one of the hottest trends in RVing, and a total hoot to boot. Going under several names, they are also known as Toy Box, Sport Utility Trailer (SUT), Sport Utility RV (SURV) and Ramp Trailer. Designed as part living space - usually located in the front end of the vehicle - and part storage compartment in the rear, they are great for taking motorcycles, snowmobiles, watercraft, bicycles and the like on the road, and are a big hit with travelers who want to take their active lifestyle with them on vacation.
Motorhome: The term originally referred to the vehicle manufactured by the Winnebago company almost 50 years ago and still serves as a synonym for vehicles produced by Winnebago Industries.
Now produced by many different manufacturers both in the US and abroad, the term “motorhome” has come to refer to single unit recreational vehicles, as opposed to the towable type.
Motorhomes are usually divided into three separate class types:
Class B Motorhomes
Class Bs are built using a conventional van which has had a raised roof added or the back replaced by a low-profile body. Modern Class B motorhomes have progressed far since the early days of van conversions.
You will find that today’s Class B motorhome can be as fully appointed as many a full-sized motorhome. They are also much easier to maneuver in urban settings, and are much easier to use, especially for drivers who are not accustomed to driving large vehicles.
Class B motorhomes are very popular as rental vehicles, especially in Europe. They are also popular with former full-time RV addicts who want to continue RVing on occasion but don’t want the upkeep and expense of owning a large Class A motorhome, or for families with older children who need a dual purpose vehicle that gets more than just weekend use.
Class C Motorhomes
Class Cs are built on a truck chassis with and attached cab section. Class C motorhomes are intermediate in size, being larger than the Class B’s, yet smaller than the Class A’s.
These midrange motorhomes offer many of the advantages of bigger motorhomes, yet generally take up less space and are easier to handle on some roads.They are easier to drive and maneuver than the average Class A, and are essentially a motorhome body stuck on a van chassis.
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