Winter is on its way. What should you do?

With winter just around the corner, we are all starting to think about winterizing. When asked about the most important item to cover when winterizing, besides the obvious water system, Tony Kammerer, Service Manager of Camp-Land RV in Burns Harbor, IN recommends a SealTech evaluation. As a salesman, I see on a regular basis, used trade in campers with rotten and water logged walls, floors and ceilings caused by water leaks that were left untreated. A SealTech evaluation is well worth the expense of around $100. A blower machine pressurizes the inside of the coach with air. Then a soapy solution is applied to the entire coach exterior. If there is a leak present, bubbles will form over the leak. The purpose of the test is to find the leak with air, before the water finds it and causes a whole lot of problems. Once the leak is detected, it is repaired, saving you thousands of dollars in future repairs and also preserving your trade-in or resale value. Tony recommends the test on ALL RVs and Travel Trailers, new or used, EVERY YEAR! To schedule a SealTech test, you can contact the service department at Camp-Land RV at (219) 787-1040.
A few other items to consider would be the exterior cleaning and protection. The longer a stain sits on the surface of your RV, the harder it will be to remove. A good bath and an application of a good exterior protection will keep your coach from becoming stained, faded or discolored. This keeps the coach looking good but also adds to resale value down the road. Some exterior protection products will come with a warranty up to five years. For general cleaning I recommend Oil Eater. Be careful when using cleaners. Read the manufacturers directions and only use the product where the manufacturer recommends. Another good tip is to place a clean, unused urinal cake in areas where bugs are an issue. The compartment behind your refrigerator is a good place to battle a bug infestation. And don't forget about the little furry critters. I use a product called Store It Right. It is scented like cedar and repels rodents for 30days. It also keeps your coach smelling fresh and clean.
These are just a few suggestions to insure a pleasant camping experience come spring time. If you have any tips or tricks to add, Please do! We are all looking for better ways to make camping even more enjoyable.

Four season camping or Extended season camping?

Some manufacturers make claims that their travel trailers are FOUR SEASON campers while others conservatively advertise EXTENDED SEASON. The difference? Four season would allow you to camp in the middle of winter ANYWHERE in the continental US. Which would indicate that your water system and holding tanks are fully insulated and heated. Extended season would mean that you could camp in COOL weather up to the point of freezing. In my opinion, why settle for extended season when you can go all the way and camp through out the winter? Their are different levels of protection available for the cold weather camper. Some manufacturers wrap the under belly of the trailer with a plastic membrane and stuff some fiberglass insulation in for good measure. I appreciate the gesture but I can't believe that this would be enough of a precaution to allow cold weather camping. Others duct their heat into the compartment surrounding the holding tanks to offer another level of protection. This works well as long as your furnace is running constantly. I don't know about you but I'm not crazy about having my furnace run while I'm traveling down the road or while I'm away from camp for the day. The third option which in my opinion is the BEST, is an electric heating element that warms the holding tanks. This is a 12 volt system that will run off of your 12 volt battery while you are traveling down the road and can be left on when away from camp without running yourself out of propane. When you are plugged into a campground electric hook up, the campground pays to heat your tanks, not you. In addition it is better for the environment than burning propane constantly.  Though your tanks are heated with this element, not all manufacturers wrap the water lines. While your holding tanks are nice and warm, the water in your supply lines may be frozen. You'll need to investigate this when looking into a trailer with heated tanks. Some will run the supply lines closer to the center of the trailer but some designs have the water lines running the entire length of the trailer exposed to the elements. Another great option is to upgrade to a On-Demand water heater. Aside from the fact that you can take a longer shower than with a traditional 6 gal water heater, there is no storage tank in a On-Demand water heater. Which means you have one less potential for freeze-up. When shopping for a new travel trailer or RV, make sure that the manufacturer that you choose has taken all of this into account when designing their cold weather packages. If you have anything to add to this post, please do so. Also, any tips or tricks to cold weather camping will be appreciated.

EARTHBOUND is here!

I promised to bring you the NEWEST, GREENEST, BEST RV in the industry. Here it is. The EARTHBOUND! We've just taken on the EARTHBOUND line and BOY ARE WE IMPRESSED! Ultra low VOC & recyclable materials are just a few of the benefits to owning an EARTHBOUND. The quality of materials and construction methods are so high that EARTHBOUND is more than comfortable offering a 3 year bumper to hitch warranty which is a full year longer than their closest competition while MOST manufacturers only offer a 1 year warranty. It is AMAZING to see this much class and elegance in a travel trailer that can be towed by a small SUV. With dry weights ranging from only 4140lbs in a 26' model to 5010lbs in a 30' model, it is plain to see that the construction of this RV is the lightest that you will find. Currently there are 7 sizes and floor plans to choose from. We currently have 3 floor plans here in our showroom. 

NUTS & BOLTS:

Low VOC composite construction materials

All aluminum framed, vacuum bonded walls, floor, roof and interior walls.

Composite seamless roof and floors. (NO RUBBER or WOOD)

Roto-Cast holding tanks (insulated and heated)

Standard 10 gal water heater with optional On Demand Water Heater

Optional Carmanah Solar Power System

Seamless aluminum exterior and interior walls

Independent Torsion Suspension System (The suspension passes through the frame instead of under the frame. Which increases strength but also allows for a lower center of gravity which in turn provides for a MUCH safer and comfortable towing experience.)

Docking station with manifold plumbing including individual shut off valves for each line and a black tank flush.

(3) 20lb LP bottles are exchangeable. Instead of refilling, just pull them out and trade them in at the gas station.

Dual-Pane, Thermo-Pane windows with built in night shades and screens

What does it look like? Is it comfortable? You tell me.......

EARTHBOUNDRV.com WEBSITE
EARTHBOUND VS Airstream VIDEO
EARTHBOUND Interview VIDEO 

Good Morning Campers

As a life long camper and a salesman for one of the largest Rv and Travel Trailer dealerships in the Midwest, I've been looking for a way to communicate with the public about the newest and most exciting advancements in the RV and Travel Trailer world. What's New? What's Good?  What's Bad? As I discover the answers to these questions I will post them here along with any photos or video that I can obtain. In addition, I would like to hear from YOU. I'd like to know your opinions on these topics and I'd like for you to share with me anything pertaining to the RV business or camping lifestyle that you feel will be beneficial to other RV and Travel Trailer owners. From new technology and tips and tricks to your favorite campfire recipe, I want you to be as much a part of this blog as I am.
Tomorrow I will post on the NEWEST, GREENEST, most BEAUTIFUL Travel Trailer on the Market. So be sure to check back regularly.
David