In this case, the economy being down means that this family picked up RVing as a solution.

With the economy like it was in 2008 and 2009, there are more and more people turning to living in a RV and taking to the road out of necessity, not just out of choice. In the below video originally profiled on the NBC Today Show, this family of five from Washington State decided to live full-time in their fifth wheel trailer after he lost his job as a Vice President of a software company. Falling into the category of non-retired full-time RVers, the family decided to cut their expenses by selling their house, teaching their kids from on-line schooling, and paring down their possessions.  Doing these things cut their monthly fixed housing expenses to about $300 a month, compared to $3,000 a month in their sticks-and-bricks home.  With the economy looking up, the Dad - Dave - now has a job that he can do from the road, but they still see the benefits of going RVing.  It just goes to show you that you don't have to be retired or rich to enjoy the RV lifestyle.  Get out there, buy a new or used RV, and enjoy all of the benefits that RVing has to offer.

There are many RVer's who love to read, but a RV has very limited space and if you bring very many books with you, books start to take up a lot of area quickly.  The problem is especially compounded if you are a fultime RVer who doesn't have a permanent stationary residence.  When you carry all of your worldly possessions with you in the motorhome, space for books may be your last priority or that space can be very limited.

Well, you book-loving RV owners are in luck.  Recent technological advances, ebook readers, are suited perfectly for your book-to-space problems. There are actually quite a few Ebook readers currently out on the market.  Some of the more notable names include the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader Digital Book, iPhone Ereader Application, Asus Ebook Reader, and Barnes & Noble Ebook Reader.

One of the most popular is the Amazon Kindle.  In October 2009, the Amazon Kindle announced an International launch and then in November 2009, Amazon proclaimed that sales of the Kindle have broken single-month sales records.  While I haven’t seen official statistics of who the buyers of the Kindle are, I think that it is fair to assume that many RVer’s are part of this customer base as well as other’s who like to read on the go.

These Ebook readers are often lighter than the typical paperback and with wireless technology built right into the device, books can be downloaded right to Ereader from anywhere.  Choose from thousands of titles of books available and store up to 1,500 books in the reader.  The Ebook reader reads like real paper and the screen does not glare even in bright sunlight.

So, if you are an RVer who loves to read or you are someone who needs a gift for a RVer, an Ebook Reader might just be the perfect fit for the RV lifestyle.

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We are heading in to the winter season and if you plan to travel at all in your RV from November to April, you will probably want to bookmark this website, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Traffic and Road Closure Information Map.  The map on this website has the National links for 511 - America's Traveler Information Telephone Number, Weather and Road Condition related information, and regional links.  This Traffic and Road Closure Information map is not only useful in the winter months, however.  You could also use this map year round to avoid road construction, see what traffic conditions are, and check out other local and State transit links.  We hope that you have safe RV travels this winter and you will if you check this FHWA map website before you head out.

 Growing up on a farm in rural Kansas, I learned many things, but one of the things that I definitely came to believe is that...my Dad can fix anything.  Farmer's have a broad skill set.  For instance, my Dad knows how to roof a house, build furniture, weld metal, predict the weather, fix a disc, clean the air filters on the combine, navigate the coffee shop rumor mill, and much more. 

The same is true for many RV owners...RV owners can fix anything.  Sure you can hire the maintenance done on your motorhome, take the RV to the mechanic every time something needs to be fixed, and find a reputable RV Dealer when the repairs seem too much and it's time for a new RV.  But, there are savings to be had with doing the work yourself and plus when you do the work yourself, you already know what the ending quality will be.  Most RV owners are plumbers for when solids in the black tank turn to stone, air conditioning specialists for when the Dometic goes on the fritz, and repair people when a wall needs to be resealed and repaired after a water leak.  There is even a RV HandyMan Club for the people who don't just do RV repairs and modifications because they have to, they do it because they want to.  

So, to all of you do-it-yourself RV handymen and women, I would imagine that your grown kids (or your kids at home right now) have been admiring your craftiness and are saying the same thing that I said...my Dad (or Mom) can fix anything. 

Mike and Nicole Boschen were living in New York City when they married, but then they had their daughter Sage and it caused them to re-evaluate life. That's when the idea for their 50 States of Love trip came about. So, they decided to take the leap.

First they sold their businesses, bought a car, packed up their family and hit the road for a nationwide tour in a station wagon. When they got to Texas, they decided to buy a motorhome and keep going on the rest of their trip. The goal of their 50 States of Love trip is to learn from couples who have been married 50 years or longer. What things have made their love last? Then these interviews will be compiled into a book.

To read more about the 50 States of Love project, go to the 50StatesofLove website. That's the beauty of a RV, it allows you to spend more quality time with those around you. It allows you the freedom to travel and explore together. If you are looking to buy a RV, check out the RV Sales page.

When I was flipping through the TV channels the other night, there was a commercial shown for a new Nickelodeon channel show called "Glenn Martin,DDS". (and no, I really wasn't watching Nickelodeon, I swear!) It is a new animated series that centers around RV travel. The show, "Glenn Martin, DDS", premiere's on Monday, August 17th, 2009 on Nick at Nite. The show centers around the adventures of traveling dentist, Glenn Martin, and his family. After learning that his favorite childhood park is about to be destroyed, Glenn takes his family on a cross-country road trip to protest the demolition. Although the protest is ultimately a bust, Glenn and Jackie realize that the trip has brought their family closer together and they decide to keep on traveling. Along the way, Glenn discovers that hitting the road is more complicated than it sounds, and learns through various run-ins (with mobsters, the Amish, and psychotic navigators) that the road often hits back in unexpected and hilarious ways. Source: Nickelodeon

As in one of my previous posts, it will probably be debated as to whether this newest show is good for RV Sales and the RV industry as a whole. I suppose it will all depend on how the series and the characters are portrayed when the show airs. However, it does have the potential to spur a whole new generation of RV enthusiasts and with kids ability to pursuade their parents' purchases, who knows where the show might lead the RV market. According to The Kids Market in the U.S., a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, the buying power of kids tops $18 billion. Preschoolers aged 3 to 5, younger kids aged 6 to 8, and tweens aged 9 to 11 -- a compact consumer group that's nearly 36 million kids strong -- continue to pack a punch in purchasing power, which in 2005 was estimated to be $18 billion.

When you have your adorable-faced child in your ear constantly wanting something, it can sometimes be hard to ignore. Case in point, a forty-year-old colleague of mine had a junior-high-aged daughter that got it into her head that she wanted the family to buy a RV. Many of her friends' families had RVs and she wanted her family to get one so that they could be part of the fun at the local State Park every weekend. Since it was summer time, she had a lot of time on her hands. She would spend most of her days surfing the Internet checking out RVs and finding the motorhomes that she liked best. Then she would E-mail her RV finds to her father throughout the day. When that didn't seem to move him, she would call a couple of times a day, letting her father know of the "great deal" that she just found on a RV. "We had better move fast Dad or the RV will be snatched up!" She was more persistant that a used car, err...RV salesman!  So, let's see where kids buying power leads us when "Glenn Martin, DDS" premieres next week.

If you are looking for a used RV to enjoy with your family or want to search RV floor plans, please check out this RV Sales site.

I recently came across this RV video that originally appeared on the children's TV show Sesame Street, my guess, in the 1970's.

It is kind of a fun look at some "early" full time RVers. Notice though that the little girl rides a lot at the dinette, gets up and walks around the coach, uses the restroom, etc. I don't think that this is legal and/or safe in any State now, but I would imagine that it was widely accepted back when this video was made. Most of you can probably remember when cars did not come with seat belts and kids were not required to use car or booster seats. In addition, playgrounds did not have soft cushioned "floors" and we rode bikes with no helmets. It's amazing that we all survived.

If you are looking to buy a RV or rent a RV from a reputable RV dealer for your next travel adventure or you need RV Insurance, make sure to visit rvingplanet.com for RV sales or to share your story.