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RV manufacturers are building lots of RVs and RV dealers are selling lots of RVs. That's good news right? Yes, but there is concern where all of these RVs traveling the highways and byways will stop to spend the night, weekend or weeks-on-end. Talk is there are not enough campgrounds to accommodate all of the campers. I do see campgrounds at full capacity from time to time, but during peak camping season we try to make reservations well in advance so we always have a place to stay. 

That's not to say if RV manufacturers continue to build and ship nearly 400,000 units  a year there won't be campground shortages in the future. The problem is magnified during the summer months when everybody uses vacation time to take RV trips. The kids are out of school, the weather is great and there are all kinds of activities to do and enjoy. 

Recently we took an RV trip not knowing when we would be returning. It just so happened we headed back home over Memorial Day weekend. Every campground we called was completely full and we were lucky to get an overflow site that had water and electricity.

Several years ago when I wrote my RV Campground Basics e-book, data I researched and gathered stated there are approximately 8,500 RV parks and campgrounds in the United States. And currently there are about 9 million RV owning households in the United States.For the sake of an example let's say of the 8,500 campgrounds there are 500,000 campsites available. That would equate to about 60 sites per campground. Nine million RVs divided by a half million campsites would mean there are 18 RVs for every campsite available. 

I mentioned earlier this becomes more of a problem during peak camping season.If you keep building and selling 350,000 to 400,000 units a year it won't be long before finding a campsite is a problem year-round. All I can say is plan your RV trips and make campground reservations well in advance or you might be looking for room to park in crowded Walmart parking lot. 

Enjoy the newsletter, and if you have family or friends who like RVs and the RV lifestyle share with them. Happy Camping in 2017.

P.S. Enjoy your 4th of July weekend!
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Enjoy the RV Journey
Hitch Ball Tips
Towing a trailer safely involves more than just selecting the right class of hitch receiver. The hitch ball and ball mount also have maximum weight ratings that they are capable of handling. Hitch balls have three basic measurements, the ball diameter, the shank diameter and the shank length. The hitch ball base and shank play a major role in the hitch balls weight rating. Hitch ball diameter sizes come in 1 7/8", 2" and 2 5/16". The ball size must be the right size for the coupler on the trailer you are towing, and be rated to tow the trailers Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. 
   
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Need a Sway Control Hitch?

Check out the hitch Mark uses. The Original  Equal-i-zer Sway control hitch has been enjoyed by thousands of trailer owners for over 50 years. Learn more about the Equal-i-zer hitch, and find out which hitch will work best for you:


RV Feature Article

  What are you plugging into at the campground?
When you plug your RV into the power pedestal at the campground you have no idea what you are plugging into.  The potential for problems is high since it's quite common for your RV to be exposed to faulty wiring like an open neutral, open ground or reverse polarity.  Read More
Looking for RV Insurance

Explorer RV Insurance Agency is pleased to announce our 'Quote your own RV Insurance' tool.  In less than 10 minutes, an RV owner in most states can get an indication of the cost for our RV insurance, for the coverage limits and options you desire.  

          Get Your Quote Now
RV Videos of the Month

When you go camping in your RV there are essential items, nice to have items and consumable items. In this RV video Mark Polk with RV Education 101 discusses the top 7 consumable items they never leave without on an RV trip
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In this RV how to video Mark Polk with RV Education 101 demonstrates how to hitch and unhitch a 5th wheel trailer. 

   RV History
1954 Yellowstone
This is an example of a higher end travel trailer made in the early 1950s. The kitchen range and refrigerator are residential apartment style appliances, rather than the early white gas fuel appliances common during the period. And check out that heater! The rear door was intended as a fire escape.

If you like RVs and enjoy history you should plan an RV trip to the RV Museum & Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana. 
  Tired of dead batteries?

Stop the problem for good with the charger, maintainer & conditioner that Mark uses on all of his batteries.  The Battery Minder


RV Buzz Tip: Hot Weather Camping Tip
You can improve your air conditioners efficiency by keeping the A/C filters clean. In most cases you can wash the filters in warm soapy water, rinse thoroughly and allow them to dry before reinstalling. Another option is to clean the filters with a small hand held vacuum cleaner. I recommend you keep a new set on hand in the event the old filters have seen better days.
  Watch the video below for more useful hot weather camping tips.


Is your RV ready for the heat? When you RV in hot weather it's important the chassis and the RV are both ready for the heat. Here are 10 great RV tips for hot weather RVing.

      Mistakes RV Owners Make & How to Avoid Them

There are lots of things to remember when it comes to owning, operating and maintaining your RV and sometimes we learn things the hard way. In an effort to help prevent some of these common and expensive mistakes RVers make from happening to you I want to offer what I consider are the top 5 mistakes RVers make and how you can avoid them.

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RV Education 101 Product of the Month
The RV Orientation covers all types of RVs. Learn everything you need to know about how your RV operates. This DVD covers:
  • Campground set-up
  • Electrical system
  • LP gas system                     MORE INFO
  • Water system 
  • Waste water system
  • RV accessories
  • RV safety featores
            For only $24.95 you can't go wrong with this information packed DVD

RV Consumer Magazine Archives

The link below go to archives of our RV Consumer Magazine magazine issues. These past issues offer great information for RV owners, but keep in mind any offers or specials in these archived issues may no longer apply. The top link goes to the Flip book  formatted issues and the bottom link goes to the PDF formatted issues.
Planning an RV Adventure?    Stay at KOAs Along the Way



 Our digital RV Product Catalog puts all of our RV training products in one place, and we separate what products apply to what type of RV. For example if you own a travel trailer you can browse through the single DVD titles or go directly to the DVD value sets that apply specifically to travel trailers. 


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