recreational vehicles

#176, RVTravel.com expands, adds weekly podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:33 — 39.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More RVTravel.com is the country’s pre-eminent recreational vehicle website. It reports on every conceivable component of tthe ever-expanding industry. It has expert text and video, twice-weekly newsletters, daily tips, a huge social media presence and a forum. Its new feature is a weekly podcast. Scott Linden, a long-time television and radio broadcaster and an avid RVer, is the host of the podcast which debuted in early April. Linden our guest on episode #176 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I discuss with Scott the back story of how he started the podcast via his friendship with Chuck Woodbury, the publisher of

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New RV show and The Weekly Driver find way in heavy podcast traffic

A woman drove onto the lawn at The Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel Valley in a dark blue new Rolls-Royce Ghost. Everyone attending the private event at Monterey Auto Week in 2017 simultaneously turned to look at the artwork on wheels. A few minutes later, the Rolls-Royce was humbled by a local guy who arrived in his pristine, bright red 1955 Ford F-100. The new $500,000 rarity of English workmanship was “runner-up” to a 62-year-old $12,000 pickup truck. The occasion, an interview with the truck’s owner, and visits to the Mecum Auction and other events were the subject of The Weekly Driver Podcast debut. Co-host Bruce Aldrich, a producer, photographer, videographer and long-time friend, and I are now approaching four years and

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What to look for when buying an RV motorhome

COLLABORATIVE CONTENT If you are looking for a way to travel across the country in style, then you may have thought about renting an RV. RVs are also an important investment. Sometimes, people sell their house before they purchase an RV. If you are looking to get the most out of your RV, then you need to know what to look for. What are some of the most important factors that you should consider if you are looking at an RV? Consider the Age of the RV First First, take a look at how old the RV is. RVs have come a long way during the past few decades. Therefore, an RV that was built years ago is not going

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Splurging? How about a motorhome for a $1 million

If you’re in the motorhome market and have at least a million dollars to spend, consider the Perfect 1200 Platinum. Variomobil’s newest monster motorhome features a massive living space with three electro-hydraulic slide-outs. It has a symphony hall-grade audio system. It has intelligent lighting, top-line appliances. It has zero towing capacity because it can “swallow” a vehicle as large a Mercedes-AMG GT. The Perfect 1200 Platinum is manufactured by a family-owned business in Osnabrück, Germany specializing in opulent motorhomes. The new model is 39 feet long and weighs 52,000 pounds. Available furnishings and equipment include a touchscreen-controlled induction cooktop, 190-L refrigerator, dishwasher, full bathroom with mineral stone sink, LED TV with satellite, Bose audio system, washer/dryer, leather upholstery, real wood

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Go take a hike driving a new Winnebago

Winnebago has a new camper trailer with an unusual but appropriate name — The Hike. It’s designed for a more active consumer with an emphasis on accommodating lots of varied gear. The manufacturer is promoting The Hike as ideal for attaching to a 4×4 and with hauling kayak and bikes and heading off-road. It’s available in 20.6-foot single-axle models and 25-foot double-axle versions. An integrated rack system for bikes, paddleboards, kayaks and other recreational gear is a keen exterior feature. Gear is attached directly to the rack with ratchet straps and bungee cords. Winnebago Hike has five floor plans The slide-out kitchen is another innovation. Included on several trailer floor plans, the dual-burner stove and sink pull out of a

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Covid-19 oddity: dirtier, older trucks, cars, RVs

The automotive industry has been affected in many ways by Covid-19, including an increase in the average age of vehicles on the road. If the prediction holds, the average age of cars, trucks and RVs still on road will soon surpass 12 years — the highest level among American drivers in nearly two decades — according to industry analysts. The current rate is 11.9 years, a slight increase from 2018 reports IHS Market Ltd., the England-based global data company. Covid-19 could help some auto businesses While vehicle longevity was increasing before the Covid-19 pandemic, the health crisis has resulted in further economic decision-making. As a result of keeping vehicles longer, emissions and safety issues increases, but part manufacturers and repair

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RV industry booming in COVID-19 crisis but buyer beware

The COVID-19 pandemic has likely forever changed the business landscape — and not for much good. But the RV industry is an exception among the tragedies of long-time companies closing, furloughed employees and depleting workforces. RVing has provided a new part-time and full-time opportunity for travelers who are increasingly weary of the restrictions of home stay drug the coronavirus. Sales are up. The video below and its commentary on the CNBC network provides an excellent overview of the industry. It discusses ownership of different types of RVs and vans and the major companies that manufacturer them. RV industry quality control a concern With the RV ownership increase, the feature also reports on limited campgrounds for the influx of RV travelers.

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#140, RV expert Chuck Woodbury discusses Covid-19

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:48 — 45.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreChuck Woodbury has traveled in his motorhome for as long as two years at a time. He recently returned to his Washington state home from a seven-month RV trip that began as an expected far shorter journey. It quickly changed. In February, the first outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, six miles from where Woodbury lives in Everett. At least 37 people died. Early in their trip, Woodbury and his companion Gail Meyring heard the news from home and decided to remain on the road. Woodbury, the editor and publisher of RVTravel.com, is our guest on Episode #140 of

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Extreme RVs keep getting more extreme on truck chassis

Extreme RVs keep getting more extreme with companies like Global Expeditions making RVs on truck chassis. The Missouri-based company creates its vehicles utilizing several truck manufacturers. Its latest creation is the $650,000 UXV-MAX. It can be constructed on the chassis of a Ford-750. A kitchen, dining area, (king-sized bed) bathroom and are mainstays, just like an RV. But there’s a lot different. A dishwasher, washer and dryer part of an optional upgrade. There’s also a healthy supply of high-end features: custom granite countertops, a sink, single burner induction cooktop, 6.4-cubic foot refrigerator-freezer and a convection microwave oven. Extreme RVs get further extreme The UXV-MAX also has 2.36-inch walls for superior insulation and increased security. With its extreme construction, it’s ready

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Why not tow your RV with a Tesla Cybertruck?

The design resembled a vehicle is a Sci-Fi movie, and the flashy, carnival-like debut of the electric Tesla Cybertruck was everything Elon Musk desired. If nothing else the flash unveiling last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show was polarizing. The truck drew cheers and jeers. Officially, it’s “an all-electric, battery-powered, light commercial vehicle. Three models have been announced, with range estimates of 250–500 miles and an estimated 0–60 mph time of 2.9–6.5 seconds, depending on the model.” Is it possibly a precursor to more utilitarian vehicle creations or was Tesla owner Elon Musk pranking the industry? For RV enthusiasts, the prevailing question was, is it really a truck and, if so, can it tow an RV or trailer? Tesla

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#104, RV expert discusses the ever-changing industry

Chuck Woodbury, publisher of RVTravel.com, is the preeminent expert in the ever-evolving recreational vehicle community. He’s traveled throughout the United States and in several other countries, documenting his journeys via the RV lifestyle. With his website and electronic newsletters, Woodbury and his contributors provide the industry’s leading source of news and information. Woodbury is also one of the few repeat guests on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia cover multiple components of the industry in episode #104. As we previously discussed, the RV industry offers many types of vehicles and various ways to experience a mobile lifestyle — as a getaway weekend or as part-time or permanent residence options. Woodbury is an advocate for the enjoyment

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Winnebago Launches New Wheelchair-Friendly RV Collection

Winnebago has launched three accessibility-enhanced motorhomes, the Intent 30R AE, Adventurer 30T AE, and Forza 34T AE, to assist travelers with limited mobility. The new wheelchair-friendly models are available in three standardized floor plans that include the most commonly requested options. The new models debuted at the 2019 Florida RV Supershow in mid-January. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 report, there are around 3.6 million people over the age of 15 who use a wheelchair, with an additional 11.6 million people using a cane, crutches or walker to get around. To serve these large markets, Winnebago offers customers a sense of travel and adventure with an accessibility-enhanced motorhome. The new vehicles reduce the need for extra planning related to

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Website publisher shares RV horror stories on Facebook

Chuck Woodbury, editor and publisher of RVTtavel.com, the leading website for all things related to the RV lifestyle, was our guest in February on Episode 25 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Woodbury discusses many areas of the RV industry, a lack of quality control to the increasing number of people forced to leave their homes in expensive metropolitan areas around the country and now nomads in Woodbury, who has traveled throughout the world in an RV for many years, is an advocate for more regulations and watchdog programs for RV buyers. He believes the industry is ripe with shoddy manufacturing, and it needs more qualified repair technicians. Horror stories abound in the RV industry, which is why Woodbury and his

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Episode 29, Stunning new Lexus, bad tires and RV woes

The 2018 Lexus LC 500 is arguably the most attractive car made in the past several years. It turns heads in parking lots and gets stared at on the open road. Strangers point at it and give a thumb’s up. The new Lexus belongs on the list of the 100 most attractive cars ever made. It would be among the few modern-day vehicles on the subjective selections automotive publications publish about every 10 years. Bruce Aldrich, co-host of The Weekly Driver Podcast, and I shared driving duties in the new Lexus from Sacramento to the Delta hamlet of Courtland and back last week. We were on assignment at Hemly Cider, the craft cider maker. We discuss the new top-of-the-line Lexus

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RV industry awash in chaos; readers, advocate speak up

The Weekly Driver Podcast has reached its 25th episode, and we’re cruising toward highway speed. Our current broadcast, our most popular, investigates the complex issues in the RV industry. Sales have dramatically increased as more consumers can no longer afford traditional housing or are seeking a mobile lifestyle. But campgrounds are overcrowded, and retail box store parking lots, where more RVers live, are often unkempt. Further, the RV industry has a quality control crisis. Our podcast guest, Chuck Woodbury, editor and publisher of RVTravel.com, discusses his concerns. He believes the RV industry doesn’t care about the quality of its products. Too many buyers have faced major problems and they don’t have a consumer organization from which to get help. Woodbury

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