Camping High Life » Recreational Vehicles

Getting a Deck Canopy for Your RV

Bill — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 11:01:05 +0000

For families who love the outdoors, getting an RV for the summer is a fun adventure. If you have already rented yours, make sure that you make the most of your vacation by bringing along a deck canopy. Given that you’ll be mobile most of the time, some roll-up awnings best suit your requirements.

A roll-up awning is attached to the side of your RV when parked and provides you with instant deck space. Summer months bring on a lot of heat, and your RV will fast be a tin can of hot air especially during the noon hours. Your roll-up awning will allow you to cool off outdoors and enjoy the breeze while shading you from the hot sun.

In choosing a roll up awning for your RV, make sure to choose one that you can easily install by yourself. Browse around for models that are easy to operate and make sure that you practice enough at home to be sure that you can do it confidently once you get to your destination. Aluminum frames are going to be your best options, since weight and compactness are main considerations. Look for crank-operated awnings if you are not very handy. Motorized models need to be installed professionally.

There are also a lot of accessories that you can use with your roll-up awnings, such as attachments for a screen room. A screen room attachment is composed of netting that will serve as walls for your awning when attached, thus converting it to an enclosed, yet airy space. This can be used as additional space, and can even serve as additional bed space for people who prefer to sleep in the night air for a camping-like adventure.

Always remember to retract your awning when there are strong wind forecasts. A strong gust may rip the canvas off from its frame and pose a hazard for nearby people, vehicles, or structures.

Find Your Camper Blue Book

Bill — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:20:02 +0000

Buying or selling a new or used camper? You’ll need to find your camper blue book value. Here are 10 handy tips to find your camper blue book. Make a list, by hand or by computer, to document the camper value. This list will give you categories of things to consider. If you are selling a used camper, your buyer will want this information, and it may be the bit of extra effort needed to seal the deal! If you’re listing your camper for sale on eBay or Craigslist, this guide to finding your camper blue book will be just what you need to write a full description accurately. If you’re buying a used camper, this resource will help you look beyond the emotion of selecting a used camper, and focus on the camper blue book, to help you make a wise and beneficial purchase.

Document the make, model and year of the camper.
List any modifications that may affect the camper value. Just like an old fixer-upper house, the modifications will affect the resale value.
List any repairs that might impact the used camper values. If there were any recalls on any part of the camper make note.
Make note of any damage to the camper that has not been corrected. Just like asking for the CarFax, you’ll wnat to know what the damage has been to help you determine the camper blue book value.
Check the title of the camper or folding camper. Here’s where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’re buying a used camper that does not have clear title, do your research before you write your check! A visit to the local Department of Motor Vehicles should be helpful to determine which documents you’ll need to establish a clear title. If you are a member of AAA you can always visit your local office for title questions and guidance.
If you are the camper seller, document the storage of the camper, and if you have this information from previous owners, make note of this. If the camper was stored dry and clean away from the elements this will help maintain the camper value. If the folding camper was stored wet and dirty outside exposed to the elements this will be a completely different picture. Also, a camper exposed to road salt without proper cleaning may have a lower value than a comporable model. Camper buyers should make an entry on their camper appraisal of the storage situation of the camper in question.
When you’re selling your camper, if possible take it to a reputable camper service provider for a check-up and tune up. This is the time to repair and replace any worn parts. Small inexpensive items in need of repair, such as door handles, window latches, stove and sink parts, seat cushions, steps, awnings, etc. should be checked and fixed. You may have grown accustomed to compensating or overlooking broken items, but your buyer will be looking at them in a different light. Buyers, look carefully at all parts of the camper or folding camper and make note of any broken parts. If you’re handy, you might enjoy restoring a camper that has seen better days, if the price is right. Then again, you might want to keep looking!
Tires. Simple, yet vital parts of your camper. Look for the year of manufacture on the tires installed and the spare(s). Old tires, even with good tread, may be rotten. If the tires aren’t one or two years old, you’ll want to make note of the size and get a replacement cost. Camper sellers, if those tires are old and seen better days, you might lose a sale. If you’re selling an expensive camper, it may be worth your while to put new tires and a new spare on board. This can really boost your camper value. Make an honest assessment, including the year of manufacture, the apx. amount of useage.
Electrical and fuel systems are very important factors to determine the camper blue book. If you’re the seller and you know of a problem, take the camper to a reputable service provider for the necessary safety repairs. If you’re a buyer, make a complete assesment of the electrical and fuel systems. If you’re qualified to make repairs, great! If not, this will be an expense for you if not taken care of prior to the purchse.
Overall, what is the condition of the camper or folding camper? Now that you’ve gone through this checklist, you’ll have more of an idea of the camper blue book. After making a complete documentation, you can compare your model camper with the recent local sales of other campers which are similar, and get a realistic look at your camper blue book. To get recent sales prices, eBay Motors is a useful resource. Log into your account, and go to the eBay Motors site. From here you can do and advanced search to locate the camper value. Once you’re on eBay Motors (and logged in), click on “Other Vehicles” and in the drop down menu click on “Rvs and Campers”. Once on this page, click on “Advanced Search” next to the search button. Once again, select “Rvs and Campers” and select the type, such as “folding campers”. Click on “Show Completed Listings Only”, and search. Look for the prices in green, these indicate sold prices, so they’re a good comparison for your camper blue book.

Vital Accessories for RV Patio Lights

Bill — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:45:19 +0000

You can find the perfect set of RV patio lights to fit your needs. These lights come in a variety of styles, from globes to lamps to miniature RVs, and are easy to hang on your RV awning to create a patio atmosphere. But don’t drive to the middle of nowhere and realize you have to resort to misshapen paper clips to hang your RV patio lights; get the proper accessories and hang them right.

Awning Hook Ups

These P-shaped plastic hooks slide right over your awning rail and then support individual or strings of RV patio lights. Ringing up at 10 clips for $12 or so, these are affordable and easily replaced if something goes wrong. Depending on the density of your light string (or the number of lights you have), you may want to purchase an extra packet, as these are not the strongest option on the market.

Light Hangars

Similar to clothes hangars, light hangars feature little hooks that catch the strings of lights and support them via the awning rail. These are slightly more expensive than hooks, priced around $11 for 7 hangars, and it is recommended that two packets be purchased for rails longer than 17′.

Lantern Snaps

Lantern snaps look a lot like metal clothes pins and work in much the same way: they clip to both the awning rail and the string for your lights. These cost $10 for a packet of 4, but are sturdier than the above two options (so less need to be purchased).

Replacement Strings and Bulbs

Just as important as the way you hang your RV patio lights is the way you tend to them. Lights unexpectedly burn out, and without a replacement handy, it’s easy to roll it up with the RV at the end of the summer and forget about it. Keep a set of replacement bulbs and cords on hand at all times.

Are New, Used or Repossessed RVs the Best?

Bill — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:25:48 +0000

To figure out if new, used or repossessed motorhomes for sale are the best choice for you, compare value, features, construction and selection to make your decision. Here is a general guide to get you started.

Value. New RVs tend to be overpriced and would cost around 30% less if they were to be sold right after they leave the lot. In the following few years, they continue to depreciate 10-20% more. Used RVs at dealerships reflect these savings, but are typically marked-up after the dealer buys them at a repo RV auction. If you go to the auction yourself and buy a repossessed RV for sale there, you can get one for even less. The banks aren’t interested in making a profit. They just want to sell the RVs as soon as they can.

Features. Both new and used RVs can have the same features. Repossessions tend to happen in the first few years of a loan, so the RVs aren’t usually very old. Sometimes it’s fairly easy and cheap to add an upgrade and this can be a way to make the RV just the way you want.

Construction. Not all RV manufactures have the same quality standards. Whether new or used, some are constructed with better parts than others. With new RVs, you pay more for superior quality, so if you have a smaller budget, your new RV may be constructed poorly. Buy a better constructed repo RV and get a lower price too.

Selection. It is simple to find out what is available at a dealership and most of the time if it isn’t at one, it is at another. Whether you want new or used, you can just call up a dealership to see what they have. When buying an RV at a repo auction, you may have to wait for what you want to be available since the type of RVs and the features they have will be different at every auction.

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The Five Best Times to Buy an RV

Bill — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:46:44 +0000

1. The off-season. The off-season for RV sales is winter, a few weeks after it starts to get cold and especially when the snow begins. Dealers want to move their inventory and it is hard to do that when customers aren’t coming in. When someone does come in, they are eager to make a sale. It saves them money since they no longer pay the interest on the loan for that RV, improves their cash-flow and makes room for new vehicles.

2. Right before the off-season. This is an especially good time to purchase from private owners who may be more desperate to sell then. They don’t want to pay to store their vehicle for all those months they aren’t using it or have to get it prepared for winter only to have to undo all of that just to sell it when it gets warmer. They may be more willing to accept lower offers, especially if they have had it up-for-sale all summer.

3. During dealership promotions. When a dealership is running a promotion, the salespeople are eager to have every customer make a purchase that day and will frequently offer discounts or incentives in addition to the ones that have already been advertised.

4. At RV shows. The salespeople are interested in making sure you choose to purchase your RV with them rather than someone else at the show. They frequently have special deals to help make this happen and you may be able to negotiate a great price for an RV with a lot of extras.

5. Months before you need it. Regardless of what time of year it is, it is never a good idea to buy an RV right before you want to take it on a trip. If you are overly eager to buy, it is harder to get a good deal and you may settle for an RV that isn’t what you really want. It is always better to have plenty of time so you can get what you want and snatch up that great RV when you see it.

You might also be interested in learning how to buy Repossessed RVs at RV Auctions

An Rv Surge Protector For The Winnebago Warrior

Bill — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:14:24 +0000

An RV Surge Protector is used to protect electronic equipment by limiting the voltage allowed to flow to the electronic equipment. It accomplishes this by sending the extra voltage to grounding wires, instead of the electronic equipment such as computers, stereo equipment, television and other appliances. The proper amount of voltage is still allowed to flow and will not interrupt the functioning of the electrical equipment. Without the 50 amp RV surge protector or 30 amp RV surge protector, expensive computer equipment wires can burn if a surge in power is not controlled.

RV surge protectors are also used at campgrounds when travelling because RV parks may have power surges and more faulty energy sources than a regularly wired residential area. A RV protector shuts down faulty power to protect the RV electrical system and electronics from the damaging electrical power. It also checks for faulty wiring from the power source and protects from the reverse polarity. Power surges can come in the RV through the power lines during electrical storms. In addition, be sure to look for how many joules the product has.

Over time, components of the computer can wear down and no longer function properly. All of the saved information on the computer could be lost at that time, wiping everything out and may not be able to be recovered. When selecting a surge protector for RVs, check the energy level to make certain to purchase the correct one. Prices for protection vary from $120 to $330, depending on the model. For the best pricing, be sure to research the Internet and local electronics stores to compare prices.

It is worth protecting your stereo, computer and other electronic equipment that you have in your RV by buying a surge protector. Just compare the replacement cost of these items to the cost of purchasing a surge protector and you will soon see what a great investment it makes. Compare the prices, evaluate the amp needed and look at amount of joules the product has and make an informed decision when purchasing protection for all of the electronic equipment inside your RV.

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