In Europe, the main form of mobile accommodation is the caravan. These carry with them a reputation for being old-fashioned, slow and cramped. However, in America the mobile accommodation of choice is the RV. This stands for Recreation Vehicle and is an umbrella term for a whole variety of vehicles with living space included.
The most impressive type of RV is the Class A Motorhome. This vehicle is similar in size to a bus and has a cabin at the front from where the driving is done. These luxury vehicles are ideal for long trips, vacations and even living in on a permanent basis. They can be equipped with all of the mod-cons associated with a typical home and can sleep up to 10 people, depending on the model. These large vehicles are often found with a standard car being towed behind to allow the inhabitants to park the RV and undertake local journeys in a more practically sized vehicle.
If you already own a pick up or towing vehicle, the fifth wheel trailer may be more beneficial to you. Considerably cheaper than an RV, the trailer attaches to the truck and is towed in this manner. The master bedroom usually sits over the truck bed, giving the trailer a two storey dimension. It can be detached from the vehicle and is then freestanding, allowing the vehicle to be used for conventional purposes.
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Jumping in your RV and leaving the rat race for the weekend is an American tradition. Did you know you can provide power to your RV with the sun while getting away from it all?
The Sun is Everywhere!
One of the biggest misconceptions regarding solar power is that it is limited to large panel systems on roofs. Au contraire! With new nanotechnology, solar power systems will soon be applied with the paint you use to improve your home. That’s still two or three years away, so what about now?
If you enjoy taking the RV out for an excursion, you can use solar power to provide your electrical needs. Whether you are going camping or to a NASCAR race, it is an exceedingly simple process.
Unlike homes, RVs run on direct current electricity. This makes them perfect for solar electricity since solar systems produce direct current electricity instead of alternating current. Put another way, there is no need for bulky converters to flip the electricity from direct to alternating. Instead, you can use the sun to power up your batteries directly.
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As the baby boomers retire, the recreational vehicle industry has seen an upsurge in sales. For many people, nothing measures up to the independence and flexibility of enjoying the open road in a recreational vehicle (RV). There is certainly much to be said for taking your hotel with you wherever you go, and the savings on hotel costs can more than pay for the initial cost of an RV.
RV travelers realize the cost savings of this type of travel. There are no hotel rooms to book and dining in your RV can save an enormous amount of money compared to eating in restaurants every day. Owning a fifth wheel or travel trailer, whereas you can unhook your RV from your truck, saves you from having to book a rental car. For those in motor homes, many travelers will tow a vehicle behind them.
When considering the purchase of an recreational vehicle, you will be faced with three choices; a fifth wheel which is pulled by a pick up truck and attaches to a wheel inside the truck box (hence its name fifth wheel), a travel trailer which is usually pulled by a truck with a rear hitch, or a motor home. All three types of RV’s have their pros and cons and each point will need to be considered based upon your needs and your budget. Other consideration for the RV lifestyle is the price of gas. However, it is still more economical than staying in hotels and eating at restaurants every night.
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I fancy buying an RV darling. Ok Honey, go out and get one and we can spend all our vacation time in it and have great fun. Wrong, very wrong. Do not buy an RV if this is how you are thinking. Your RV will just be a waste of money.
Buying an RV is an important decision and something the whole family needs to be involved in. An RV is also an investment, an investment in time and cost but you will not see a profit on an RV, well not in financial terms but it can have a huge payback in terms of satisfaction and enjoyment but if you just rush out and buy an RV without giving it a lot of thought then it could be, at best, an expensive waste of money, and an RV can be, at worst, a marriage breaker. I know as I have seen it happen.
When we were trading up to a larger and newer RV, my sister in law from Atlanta decided she was going to buy our old RV. The trouble was it was her idea and not a joint family decision. She had been on vacation with us a few times and liked the lifestyle, thought it would be great for her daughter to spend more time in the countryside but she never really considered if her husband wanted an RV. He was the type who would choose a sports car to drive without thinking of where his daughter was going to sit. He liked speed, acceleration and easy maneuvering, not something you tend to find with an RV. It lasted a few years with him being unhappy with all his vacations in the RV, he bumped into a few trucks and did some damage to the RV, (which I had to repair), and was just generally unhappy with the whole idea of having a vacation in an RV. It got to the stage of seriously damaging their marriage. What went wrong? Well my sister-in-law did not sit down and really think about an RVer’s lifestyle.
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