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Wait on the Weight: Deciphering Towing Weights

Before buying an RV or a vehicle to tow the RV it is important to know some of the terms and restrictions associated with the weight of the unit. When you purchase a pick-up truck or SUV you will need to find out it’s towing capacity, meaning how much weight that the automobile can safely and securely tow. Once you have determined how much your vehicle can tow you then need to determine the weight of the trailer you are wanting to purchase. Here’s where it can get tricky. All too often people make the mistake of looking at the UVW or Unloaded Vehicle Weight. This is the weight of an RV before anything is placed in the unit. Sometimes people will refer to this as the shipping weight or the dry weight. The CCC or Cargo Carrying Capacity is the total weight of material that can be placed in an RV. This usually falls between 800 and 1200 lbs depending on the type of RV.

But the weight that I feel is the most important when it comes to staying safe and within your towing guidelines is the GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. This is the total weight of the vehicle and all materials placed in the vehicle. This includes everything from all of your clothing, your groceries, and toiletries. But what people often overlook is that this also includes your freshwater, LP gas, black water, and gray water weight. So when determining how much your vehicle can tow you need to take into consideration everything that adds weight to your RV in order to stay safe and steady on the road.

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Do you need Brake Controllers?

In a word yes. But unfortunately it is not entirely that simple. First of all to explain what brake controllers are it is a braking system that is needed to help stop your RV when you put the brakes on in your towing vehicle. There are two types of brake controllers. The first type is time delayed brake controllers. These provide a pre-determined amount of power to the RV’s brakes when the towing vehicle stops. Not huskybrakecontrolleronly does this type of braking system put more wear and tear on your entire braking system but it is not nearly as safe. For instance if you are forced to slam on your brakes to avoid hitting something the pre set 2 second delay for the brake controllers on your RV will seem like an eternity to stop. On the flip side you couldn’t set it much quicker or every time you hit your vehicles brakes the RV would attempt to stop on a dime… neither of these situations seem practical or safe.

The other more popular type of brake controller is the proportional brake controllers. These are set up where when you apply pressure to the brake in your towing vehicle the same amount of pressure it applied at the same time to the RV that you are towing. This is helpful especially when you need to stop quickly. The RV is able to brake just as quickly as the vehicle. This type of controller, since both the systems are doing the same amount of work, puts a lot less wear and tear on both braking systems.

It seems clear that you would want to invest in a proportional braking controller system. There are even some newer models of trucks that can come equipped with these already installed. If you don’t have one these already installed we carry one of the top of the line yet affordable Husky Quest Proportional Brake Control that allows for smooth and effortless braking and ensures safer traveling for your family.

 

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Self-Leveling Jacks: an Easier Way to Camp.

In my opinion Rving and camping should be just the right balance of work and fun with fun and relaxing being the biggest portion! I don’t mind setting up the campfire, prepping dinner, even hooking up the water and electric but leveling our fifth wheel was starting to become a rv-camping-back-sitestask I dreaded. Trying to make sure that the trailer was on level ground (which I’m convinced does not exist in most campsites) and then cranking the jacks to help stabilize our unit as much as possible was not my idea of fun. In fact when it was raining I would have to say it was quite the opposite of fun. On top of that I never felt like we had it 100% steady or level. I would try to ignore my kids toys rolling to one side of the RV or pretend I didn’t feel every step my husband took from one side to the other.

So imagine my excitement when I heard about 6 point self leveling jacks. These come on all new Traditions and are optional for Montana’s. These jacks are controlled from a centrally located key pad and with 6 leveling jacks the amount of stability you get far exceeds anything we had experienced before. Not only is this a wonderful amenity for myself and my family but a perfect addition for our older travelers who want the stability of a motor home but the cost and comfort of a travel trailer. This touch of luxury makes the entire camping process, set up and tear down, much easier and more enjoyable.

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Which came first – the Vehicle or the RV?

Don’t put the cart before the horse as the old saying goes. This would have you believe that you shouldn’t do things out of preconceived chronological order. But today I’m telling you to buck tradition and most certainly put the cart (your RV) before your horse (auto-mobile) at least when it comes to purchasing your investments.

So many times customers feel that they must have the perfect truck or SUV before they buy an RV but the opposite is true. It happens over and over again that someone will buy a truck with the intention to buy a fifth wheel only to find out at our lot that their truck is too cart_before_the_horse1small for the RV they want. Or they will buy a smaller SUV and come to our lot only to fall in love with a travel trailer that they cannot pull.

A luxury that we can provide at our lot that most other dealers cannot is that we have a campground on our grounds as well. This is especially handy for first time RV buyers. They can purchase the RV that they want without having to set limits based on their vehicles capability. They can then park it in our campground, enjoy coming and camping in it all while getting familiar with the RV. And then take their time finding the right vehicle to tow it with.

This allows for so much more flexibility when it comes to purchasing an RV. In the end you get exactly what you want and feel prepared to hit the wide open road!

– See more at: http://www.indianarvdealership.com/which-came-first-the-vehicle-or-the-rv.blog#sthash.71jpBt6g.dpuf

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The Perfect Gift for the RVer in your Life

First comes cold and then comes snow …
now Christmas will be here before you know.
Your RV buddies will be so glad
You’ll be their favorite pal
Cause you’ll get them the best RV gift
This Blog will show you how.

RVers live a certain type of lifestyle which requires a certain type of gift. If you are already an RVer yourself you’ll know what other RVers like but here are some good gift ideas. When I travel I love to be able to read but due to space and practicality I cannot very well pack all of pocketportableradiomy amazingly heavy books into our travel trailer. The best gift I have ever received to help combat this problem is my Kindle. I can order any books I like, it is lightweight, and easy to travel with. Another wonderful gift I received from my husband after complaining about every radio station from here to Alabama was a set of audio books. The most recent one we listened to was “Until Tuesday” which was an amazing story. It allows you to drive and yet it seems like no time at all has passed when you get so wrapped up in the stories! Much better than finding a new radio station with each town you pass through.

Another tool that I have found particularly useful and feel would make a great Christmas gift is a pocket portable weather radio. This allows the traveler to be aware of any detrimental weather approaching. It is especially nice during the tornado season. A remote car starter also makes a very practical gift that any RVer would appreciate.

If none of these seem like the right gift for the RVer lover in your life or if you wait until the last minute like so many of us do remember that gas cards always make a great gift or stocking stuffer. Happy Shopping!

 

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Tips for Experienced and Inexperienced RVers Alike

I always enjoy hearing tips from fellow RVer’s. It seems that everyone has a particular way of keeping things in order, clean, and safe. Here are a few tips that I have found incredibly useful in my travels. This is also perfect for a new RVer!

  • When packing always store heavier items lower down and the lighter items on top. This will keep things steady while you are actually traveling and less headache once you stop.
  • mothMany people I talk to prepare many meals ahead of time and then freeze them. (See our freezer meal recipes blog for great ideas) This allows you to spend less time in the kitchen and not have to pack as many ingredients and still be able to enjoy a home cooked delicious meal.
  • Put moth balls near the propane lines of the water heater and refrigerator. This will deter spiders from entering your RV.
  • To keep bugs from crawling into your RV put small amounts of vaseline around entry points. They are unable to crawl up the slippery substance and therefore stay out.
  • The person I received this tip from was unfortunately speaking from experience: but be sure your awning is securely fastened before you hit the road.
  • When you park your RV park in shady locations and use your awning to keep the inside cooler.

These are just a few of the tips that I have collected but we’d love to hear any that you have!

 

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Under Cover

Winter time is quickly approaching and before we know it we will be decking the halls and hitting the malls but before that there are some loose ends that need to be taken care of. Most importantly you need to protect your beloved RV for the winter. You don’t want the unpleasant discovery in the spring time of a rotted roof or interior water damage because you didn’t properly store your RV for the winter. Just as a bear puts on extra weight to coverprotect him during hibernation our RV’s need extra protection for their “hibernation” too. One of the best things to invest in this year would be our state of the art Travel Trailer Contoured Fit RV Cover. This is part of the designer series by ADCO.

What is so neat about this cover is that it is made of Tyvek. This is a super strong synthetic material that permits water vapor to pass through but not liquid. This allows it to keep all of the water out of your RV but still allows moisture to evaporate and therefore eliminating mold growth. There are vents added to prevent billowing and front and rear cinching using straps and buckles. While most RV covers are one layer of material thick our ADCO RV cover is 3 layers thick for added protection and assurance. Plus unlike many of the other covers out there that look wrinkled and unsightly, this one has a multi-color design that rids itself of being an eyesore.

So make sure you protect your RV investment by using the best cover possible. Trust me, when the birds start chirping and the ground starts thawing you’ll thank us!