Posts Tagged ‘travel trailer’

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Staying Cool in an RV, Travel Trailer or Camper:

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Summer is sizzling. Even in the mountains temperatures are shooting up to the mid-90s during the day. With more and more people heading out in their RVs for vacation times, people are asking ‘how do we stay cool in our camper, our travel trailer or our Class A RV?’ Not to worry, we have answers for you.

Air Conditioning. In the heat and humidity of summer, sometimes there is no other way to stay cool in your travel trailer or RV than with an air conditioning unit. There are hundreds of units that can easily be installed in an RV. Some units operate on solar energy while others utilize a standard 12-volt system for operation.

RV Windshield Covers. These are great not just for staying cool while camping, but are great when RVs are stored outside. They help protect the interior for the sun’s UV rays which can cause fading and color damage. While camping, they help prevent the RV from absorbing the sun’s rays, keeping the interior cooler.

Awnings and window shades. RV awnings and window shades are another great way to keep the summer sun out. By opening windows and blinds at night and letting cool air in, then closing windows and blinds during the day, it helps keep the cool air inside and insulates against the heat, helping keep temperatures down.

Portable Fans. Battery operated mini fans can be clipped on to bed frames or onto lights for a direct shot of cooler air. They can also be used to move air out of places such as kitchen. When cooking, keep windows and doors open to allow the heat out.

Jump in a lake. It’s not going to keep your RV cool, but it will help you cool down. Staying at RV campgrounds that have swimming pools or camping close to the ocean or to lakes will let you jump in and cool down any time you need.

Cold showers. Along the same lines, taking a cold shower before bedding down can help you fall asleep faster and bring your body temperature down for a good night’s sleep. Drinking cold drinks will also help keep you cool. The hotter it gets, the more important it is to stay hydrated.

If it gets too hot in your travel trailer, fifth wheel or RV, you have the option of utilizing any of the above or driving to a cooler location. A few more tips would be to park in a shady area. Staying out of the sun will help keep the RV cool. Never leave pets alone in an RV in the summer even with an RV window shade or awnings. They can overheat and dehydrate quickly. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pets. Remember to open windows when there’s cool air and keep them closed and shaded during the hottest hours of the day.

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Toy Haulers Help Take the Fun With You

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Millions of families are opting for the scaled down, back to nature style vacations this year due to the lack of funds caused by the weak economy. Many are loading up their toy hauler with their fun things like personal watercraft vehicles, mountain or dirt bikes, motor cross and motorcycles and ATV’s and hitting the road to find a nice campground or spot near a lake to relax a little, play a little and save some of their money by not going on a large, expensive holiday.

Toy haulers for all the fun stuff one wants to bring with them on a trip come in many different shapes, sizes and styles. A family could even purchase one that is especially made for family pets and all their important items so animals won’t have to be left out of the family fun. A larger transporter would work well being pulled behind a sports utility vehicle, large truck or recreational vehicle.

What determines the type of carrier or trailer a family should purchase is the kind of trips they will be taking and what type of fun items they will be taking along with them. If they are only going to be going on a camping trip once in a while and don’t have a lot of equipment or bikes, then a smaller trailer should work. A transporter should have a flexible, yet strong, rear-ramp style door in which the back end folds down to form a ramp to glide the wheeled vehicles out of the carrier.

There are toy haulers that pull behind a larger vehicle or truck and then there are those that are actually campers with sleeping stations, a small kitchen and an extra room in the back for the fun stuff. There is a separate area for the bikes, ATV’s, personal watercrafts or anything a family wants to take on their outdoor adventure in order to have a good time.

There are millions of people who enjoy thousands of lakes across the country each year. More and more people are bringing their own boats instead of renting them. A smaller carrier can hold all the boating needs like tubes, waterskiing and wave boarding equipment in addition to life-vests. Of course there is always room for the family fishing equipment: poles, nets and waders.

These trailers that are pulled behind a vehicle are enclosed and will keep the family’s gear out of the elements. Unlike an open carrier, there will be no wet or bug covered gear when the family reaches their destination. Naturally, attaching a toy hauler to a vehicle will make driving the vehicle a little more difficult. In some states a special driving course on pulling something behind a vehicle is offered and often required, so be sure to check with your local DMV.

A camping trip is the ideal vacation for a toy hauler in order to make loading and unloading at the campsite a little easier. Many of the carriers will hold everything a family needs on an outdoor trip such as a portable kitchen and propane to fill the grill with as well as lots of pans and pots. You can also take along a couple of big size air mattresses, all the fishing gear and the large multi-room tent. Toy haulers are ideal for camping.

In order to get the best out of an outdoor vacation, many families fill up a toy hauler with their dirt bikes, ATV’s, water gear and everything they think might enhance their stay in the great outdoors. These pull-behind type trailers are tough and can take a trek up a mountain or a ride down by the river. And the best part is families save money and spend valuable time with each other.

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How To Sell a Motorhome or RV

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Figuring out how to sell a motorhome or RV isn’t as easy of a process as it may appear. There are lots of factors to consider, such as getting the word out, who you are selling to, figuring out what the RV costs and more. As summer begins to heat up, people are getting the itch to travel. For some that means buying their first RV, travel trailer or motorhome and for others it means upgrading an RV they currently own.

1.    Have the RV or motorhome detailed inside and out. In order to sell, you want the RV to be in the best possible condition it can be. Major overhauls are generally not necessary. It’s the small details that need to be taken care of such as cracked windshields, rust spots, or stains on carpets or furniture. The better shape the RV is in, the less a possible purchaser can negotiate on cost.

a.    Create an interior environment than anyone could imagine his/herself in. This means taking out items that speak to your personal life, such as photos of the kids, wife or dogs. While your life in your RV is filled with your memories, now is the time to let someone else imagine what new adventures they may have.

2.    It’s important not only to know what your RV or motorhome for sale is worth, but also to know what other people are selling comparable vehicles for. Do a little research on-line for sources that give a fair evaluation of your make and model RV and the condition it’s in. Pricing the motorhome at an exorbitantly high cost will ensure buyers pass you over for a better deal. If you under price the rest of the market, will you still be able to pay off any remaining debt? You want to be sure you get a fair deal on the sale as well.

3.    Publicize the fact that you are selling your RV by putting for sale signs in the windows with cost and a contact number. A great way to ensure visibility is to park the RV or motorhome in an area that draws a lot of people, such as a grocery store or park area in the summer. With the internet, having an on-line presence will ensure you get a lot more attention and lets people across the country see what you have to offer.

4.    Consider using a consignment dealer. Consignment dealers take a percentage of the sale in return for increased global marketing, handling test drives and phone calls and finding buyers for your used RV.

5.    Tell potential buyers tales of your adventures on the road with your RV. People like the emotional aspect of where this RV has been. It may give them ideas of where they want to go and shows them the kind of lifestyle they can begin to imagine for themselves.

When you have a used RV for sale, think about all of your options. Consider the best way to get your vehicle out on the market so people can buy what you’re selling. RV dealers are experts at selling, so if you’re having a hard time getting any buyers, or if you’re too busy to deal with the hassles of selling a vehicle, feel free to consult them. Know whom you’re selling to and what they are looking for and your used RV will be sold before you know it.

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New Book to Help RV Drivers

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Getting a drivers license doesn’t necessarily prepare people for driving an RV, fifth wheel or travel trailer. The skills to maneuver these vehicles often come only after years on the road. For those first stepping into an motor home, the thought of driving or trying to park it can be intimidating, which is why Lorrin Walsh penned “Tow Your Fifth Wheel Trailer Like a Pro,” which was published by Drive Smart Publications. Based on his experiences of driving trucks and RVs for over thirty years, Walsh is a pro and he’s spreading the knowledge.

Walsh has been driving trailers and motorhomes since he got his driver’s permit. His experiences first translated into the book “Drive Your Motorhome Like a Pro,” published in 2006. The positive response turned into a DVD and now, this second book.

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RV Traders Online Reaching Wider Audiences for RV Sales

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

It can be expensive to try to sell RVs through traditional media. The cost of advertising space in a newspaper or magazine can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars depending on where you live. Listing a classified ad is a lot cheaper, but can easily get lost among all the other vehicles for sale. There are better ways to get noticed and that’s online.

The Internet offers so many ways for RV traders and sellers to reach their audience. All it takes is a little knowledge and some trial and error before they can find their niche of buyers and other like-minded traders.

One of the first ways to reach people is through blogging. Setting up your own blog is a worth endeavor if you plan on trading for years. Blogs do take time for people to notice. However, you can also go to popular blogs and leave a comment. That way thousands of people who are already interested in the topic at hand can read your comment. Some sites will even link back to your website where you can have your information ready to go.

Twitter had become the latest social media craze. It seems everyone has something to Tweet about. It’s a great method for reaching people because it is free, it doesn’t take very long to send out a Tweet and if people are interested, the feedback is almost instant. A lot of businesses are using Twitter to promote their products, but they don’t understand that most consumers don’t care about the Tweets unless there is an incentive for them in it. So if you decide to Tweet, consider sending out something that will get people interested in your sale: ‘Vintage Airstream On Sale for One Day ONLY” might get more attention than ‘RV For Sale.’

What customers are craving in this impersonal world is customer service. They want a company that understands them and will go out of their way to make their experience a good one. So you have to figure out what you’re offering potential buyers that none of your competitors are offering.

Another option for RV traders or sellers online to consider is working with a consignment dealer. Consignment dealers have experience and a pretty big money allotment for advertising. They can often help people sell toy haulers faster than they would be able to on their own.

Liking what you do is also important. If you are passionate about what you’re selling or trading, other people will be too. Enthusiasm is infectious. Spread it around on the Internet and see what comes back to you.

Figuring out who wants the information you have is another key factor in being able to consistently sell and trade on-line for good prices. Know the age of the people that are most likely to buy your RV or travel trailer, then spend some time researching where they are looking to not only buy but get information about the vehicle.

Advertising in newspapers is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Today, consumers are savvier than they were in the past. They can compare prices on-line. Dealers who have fly-and-buy programs where they pay for plane tickets for guests buying an RV are reaching a national, even global market. What are you doing to compete?

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