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by Mark J. Polk RV Education 101
Some economists say if you want to gauge how well the economy is doing look at what’s happening in the RV industry. During the first three quarters of 2013 RV manufacturer shipments to dealers increased almost 12 percent from the same period last year, and 2014 RV shipments are expected to increase almost 4 percent over this year’s projections. The bottom line is folks want to experience outdoor activities with families and friends and RVs are a great way to do it. You can enjoy quality time with your family and friends, you can travel with your pets, you can tailgate at you favorite sporting event, take a quick weekend getaway or hit the road for months at a time. And every night when it’s time to lay your head down on the pillow you get to do it in your own bed.
I coined the RV lifestyle as “The Best Kept Travel Secret in America”. Maybe that’s why more than 9 million households in America own RVs today. From young families to retirees folks are in the market for RVs. A key element to ensuring continued growth and interest in RVs rests on shoulders of RV manufacturers. Manufacturers need to design and build RVs that suit the needs and wants of these diverse buyers. I use the comparison to buying an automobile, you need to offer buyers a Chevrolet, a Buick and a Cadillac. In addition to offering a wide variety of RV types and sizes RV manufacturers need to account for other factors affecting RV buying decisions like fuel 2
economy, smaller size tow vehicles and RVs with green technology. Every year I attend two of the largest RV shows in the country. In September I head to the Pennsylvania RV & Camping show in Hershey, PA. and in December I trek to Louisville, KY. for National RV Trade Show in. When I attend these shows I try to cover the show from an unbiased perspective to offer RV owners, prospective owners, and RV enthusiasts an inside look at what’s new with RVs for the upcoming model year. I was not disappointed. At the PA. RV & Camping Show I saw lots of innovative companies designing and manufacturing new model year RVs that stood out and caught my attention. These companies are responding to RVers wants and needs with lighter towable RVs, smaller more fuel efficient motorized RVs and all the modern day technology you could possibly want in a Recreation Vehicle. There was no shortage of larger towable and motorized RV either. It really doesn’t matter what you are in the market for when it comes to an RV, today’s RV manufacturers have something for everyone.
haulers, travel trailers, hybrid trailers, pop ups, truck campers and 5th wheel trailers on display. Let’s start with some of the smaller towable models. Pop-ups or folding tent trailers are a great way to get introduced to the RV lifestyle. They are also a smart choice for folks who like to explore and camp in remote areas where larger RVs can’t always go. And they are great for anybody with a limited tow rating. My first camper was a used Coleman popup, and camping in it are some of my fondest memories.
For starters I think this is the largest pop-up I have ever seen. It is a 2014 Rockwood High Wall HW296, by Forest River. The exterior closed length is 21’ 4” and the GVWR is 4,573 lbs. If your looking for a pop up with lots of room this might be it. Click here for more information
Towable RVs A good place to start reviewing the 2014 models is with towable RVs. There were over 50 RV manufacturers in Hershey showcasing new models on over 21 acres so it was difficult to take it all in. There were large and small toy 3
The next thing that caught my attention was this A Liner Classic with a dormer and front storage compartment. The dormer concept is not brand new for A Liner, but I thought it was pretty cool.
This was an off-road adventure ready A Liner model. The interior was well appointed and the large dormer adds living space to the interior of the A Liner. Click here for more information on A Liner
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Next I checked out the Little Guy RV display. Little Guy Worldwide manufactures the Little Guy and T@B RV product lines. These are great little campers for folks who want an affordable alternative to larger campers , and for anybody with a limited tow rating. I was really impressed with what I saw so I asked the Little Guy Chief Operating Officer for an interview. Watch the video
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This is the Little Guy B.O.S.S. (Bug Out Survivor Shelter). I saw it in Louisville last year and liked it, and saw it again in Hershey this year and still liked it.
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The B.O.S.S. is for the adventurer who wants to go where others can’t. It is packed with features to make your off-road journeys the best they can be. With features like a platform with a large stowable rack, receiver rack, roof rack, hose reel, LP gas, battery and more you are ready to head to the back country. The galley features pass-through cabinets, a countertop, sink with 5 gallon fresh water storage, 2 burner stove and a converter. On the inside you won’t be disappointed either, the B.O.S.S. features cabinets, TV/DVD/CD/AMFM system, low draw LED lighting, power roof fan, AC & DC connections and a king size sleeping area. Click here for more information
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Little Guy Worldwide offers the Little Guy camper product and the T@B camper product. The biggest difference between the two is you can stand in the T@B RVs, but not in the Little Guy RVs.
New for 2014 is the T@G RV product. The T@G is a cross between the Little Guy and T@B. You can’t stand up in the T@G but you can sit up, so there is more room inside to move around. Another new product for 2014 is the myPod. The myPod is ultra-light and can be towed behind some motorcycles, and can be painted to match your motorcycle or tow vehicle. Click here for more information 7
For years and years the word Winnebago conjured up the thought of motorhomes. In 2011 Winnebago entered the towable RV market place as well. I thought I would go by their towable RV display in Hershey and see how the towable segment was doing. At the display I had the opportunity to interview a Winnebago District Sales manager. Here’s what he had to say.
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In the short time Winnebago has been in the towable market they have done a great job designing and building travel trailers and 5th wheel trailers for today’s RV buyer. Pictured above & left is the lightweight Minnie towable RV line. These distinctive and well-built travel trailers, at affordable pricing, makes a great value for the RV consumer. 8
Winnebago towables has also filled the niche in several other major market segments with it’s Ultralite line, the One travel trailer line and the mid-profile Lite Five 5th wheel trailer line.
The Winnebago Ultralite line is lightweight yet spacious and come packed with features.
The Winnebago One travel trailer line offers an all-aluminum super structure with hi-gloss gel coat fiberglass and spacious layouts with luxury features in each model.
The Winnebago Lite Five 5th wheel line offers a luxury mid profile 5th wheel that you can tow, along with all the features, comforts and quality you would expect. 9
Toy haulers have increased in popularity in recent years. A toy hauler or Sport Utility Trailer (SUT) has a large ramp door at the rear of the RV with storage space to load your ATVs, motorcycles or other toys. It also offers all the amenities and living arrangements found in other RVs. A toy hauler gives you the freedom to head to your favorite camping/riding destination and have a great time enjoying your favorite pastime. With the popularity of toy haulers comes a vast selection of types and sizes.
Speaking of toy haulers I saw some small travel trailer versions, 5th wheel versions and motorhome versions, so no matter what you are hauling there is a toy hauler out there for you. Let’s take a glimpse at some toy haulers on display at the show.
Work & Play by Forest River offers travel trailer toy haulers in floor plans from 21- feet to 33- feet . 10
As for motorhome versions of toy haulers the one that caught my eye was the Canyon Star by Newmar.
Newmar also had a Canyon Star motorhome with a wheelchair lift.
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One of the most popular types of RV is the 5th wheel trailer. And it’s no wonder; they are spacious and can be a pleasure to tow if equipped with the right tow vehicle. Fifth wheel trailers were well represented at the Pa. RV & Camping Show. There were smaller lightweight versions that can be towed using lighter weight trucks and there were 43-foot triple axle models.
I had to include this 2014 Road Warrior 415RW 5th wheel toy hauler. Just the shear size, over 43-feet, was overwhelming. If the exterior doesn’t catch your attention the interior will.
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I also liked this Redwood 38FL front living room 5th wheel by Thor. It retails for $110,862 and had a show price of $86,794
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Airstream was represented well with a line of travel trailers, including the Land Yacht and Bambi models
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I saw this military style severe duty offroad trailer by XVENTURE and thought it was perfect for back country camping trips. It has a payload of 1600 pounds so you can load your ATV or motorcycles and camping supplies and go where no one else can go. It is all aluminum weldless construction using a patented Alcoa Huck Bolt system. It has excellent ground clearance, tie-downs, large front storage and much more. More Info
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Motorized RVs On the motorized side of things a recent trend has been smaller more fuel efficient RVs. A legitimate concern RV buyers have is how many miles you can travel on a tank of fuel. As a result of this RV manufacturers started looking for ways to meet the demand for smaller, more fuel efficient models to add to their type B & C motorhome line-ups. A popular solution to the fuel economy concerns are motorhomes built on Sprinter chassis’ powered by diesel engines. Who can complain about getting 14-16 mpg with their motorhome?
One of my favorite Class Bs was this Airstream Interstate on a Sprinter chassis powered by a Mercedes Benz 3.0L V6 turbo diesel
more information on Airstream
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On the first day of the show I was walking through the Winnebago display and I noticed a new model called the Trend. It was a Type B motorhome, but what caught my eye was the badging on the front cab. It read Ram 3500.
The two models on display were prototypes. One had a 3.0L I-4 diesel engine and the other one had a 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine. This was the first time I saw this Ram Promaster chassis and was curious to learn more about it.
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The next day I found a Ram Promaster commercial display outside. From what I could gather the Ram Promaster chassis is based on the front-wheel -drive Fiat Ducato. It has a single rear wheel axle with gas and diesel power plants and is built in Mexico.
Later that day I saw several more Type B motorhomes built on the Ram Promaster chassis, including this Winnebago Travato
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For the family requiring more room and sleeping accommodations there is the Type C motorhome. I saw so many Type C motorhomes at the show that it would be impossible to cover them all. The good news is manufacturers are making strides to improve fuel economy, yet give you ample room to feel comfortable, and move around. Slide-outs are used in a multitude of ways to expand the interior living space on Type Cs for when you arrive at your camping destination. If a typical Type C motorhome is not what you had in mind you might want to look at some Super C models like this Ghost by Nexus.
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For the off-road RV enthusiast I found a Host Industries 4X4 Outback Explorer. I am a 4-wheel drive enthusiast so I walked over to to check it out.
What I found was a Host Industries Outback Explorer. It was on a FUSO chassis and was powered by a FUSO turbo-charged 4-cylinder engine. The General manager for Host was available so I asked him for an interview.
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At the display I also met Lance Gillies, an Australian with EarthCruiser. He came up with the concept for the Outback Explorer and worked with Host Industries to have it built in America. They designed it so two of the Outback Explorers can be put in a shipping container and sent anywhere in the world.
Click here for more information on the Outback explorer
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Host Industries is also well known for their triple-slide truck campers. It is amazing how much room there is in these truck camper models, but you need to have a truck capable of handling the weight. Host RV had their Mammoth model triple slide on display at the show. Let’s take a look.
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For those who are not too concerned with maximizing fuel economy manufacturers are listening. There are mid-line gas powered Type A motorhomes and 40-feet plus high-end luxury motorhome powered by large displacement diesel engines. This 2014 Dutch Star 4370 motorhome is beautiful coach. More Info
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I always say it’s about the Journey and this Journey by Winnebago is no exception!
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A new addition to the Winnebago motorhome line-up is the 2014 Forza. There are two impressive floorplans based on the Freightliner速 XCS straight-rail chassis with a Cummins速 340-hp diesel engine and Allison速 six-speed transmission delivering the power. MORE INFO
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There were many other 2014 RV brands and models on display at the show. I apologize for not featuring all brands and models in this 2014 preview. What I love about America is that during tough economic times it seems like new technology, innovation and design are at its best. This is especially true within the RV industry. The RV industry has been alive and well for over 100 years in America and that makes me feel good about where it is going in the future. ~ Mark Polk
American Tradition Nexus Ghost
Lance 1181 Sabre by Palamino
Winnebago Via ENTEGRA Coach
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