Thetford Corp.: Multi-Purpose Stain Remover

Survey found 63% of RVers use their rigs during the winter. Photo provided by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).

Editor’s Note: RV writer Mark Polk posted this story on the RV.net website, which calls itself “the official blog of the open road.”

The outcome of any poll depends on several factors like: what type of poll it is, how the questions are worded, who is asking the questions and of course who does and does not participate in the poll.

Each week we conduct an RV poll in our e-newsletter. The RV poll is not a scientific poll, a political poll or a marketing poll. It is basically used to give me some idea of what our newsletter readers are interested in, how they use their RVs and just for the fun of it. I thought it would be interesting to look back at some of our past RV polls and see how the participants responded.

Here’s what I found out.

• 85% travel with the refrigerator on and 15% travel with it off.
• 53% prefer diesel and 47% prefer gas.
• 79% eat more meals in the RV and 21% eat more meals out.
• 89% conduct a spring check-up on their RV before using it and 11% don’t.
• 67% said the recession won’t change plans to use the RV and 33% said it will.
• 72% said their average RV trips are one week or less and 28% said their average RV trips are two weeks or longer.
• 54% own motorized RV’s and 46% own towable RV’s.
• 91% plan two or more summer RV trips and 9% plan only one.
• 63% store the RV on their own property and 37% make other storage arrangements.
• 82% check the tire pressure before each trip and 18% don’t.
• 24% said a hybrid RV chassis would affect their buying decision and 76% said it wouldn’t have any affect.
• 90% said they use environmentally friendly holding tank chemicals and 10% don’t.
• 63% use their RV in the winter and 37% don’t.
• 51% RV green and 49% don’t.
• 100% have taken advantage of free overnight parking at one time or another.
• 70% have stayed in a friends or relatives driveway before and 30% have not.
• 77% were against the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations and 23% were not.
• 86% are not fulltime RVers and 14% are.
• 83% use a GPS in their RV and 17% don’t. Of those, 62% were led down the wrong path one time or another, but 93% would still. recommend a GPS to other RV owners.
• 81% were prepared for the digital TV switchover in their RV and 19% were not.
• 19% frequently stay at state or federal campgrounds, 34% stay at private campgrounds, 5% stay at public campgrounds and 42% stay at a combination of all three.
• 49% have experienced at least one tire blowout with their RV and 51% have not.
• 81% have stayed in their RV during severe weather and 19% have not.
• 70% have experienced rude behavior from other campers and 30% have not.
• 67% use a pre-departure checklist when they RV and 33% don’t.
• 98% have one or more slide outs on their RV and 2% don’t have any slide outs.
• 60% shower in the RV more than the campground bath house and 40% shower in the bath house more than the RV.
• 88% winterize their own RV and 12% have it winterized by an RV dealer.
• 34% take bottled water with them, 14% use filtered water and 52% use both bottled & filtered water in their RV.
• 92% take pets with them on RV trips and 8% don’t.
• 59% wash their RV as needed, 30% wash it after each trip, 7% wash it before storing and 4% never wash it.
• 71% pack as much food as possible before leaving and 29% buy groceries when they arrive at their destination.
• 30% pre-cook meals before leaving and 70% don’t.
• 30% traveled by RV last Thanksgiving, 36% traveled by car, 1% by plane and 33% stayed home.
• 36% have weighed their RV and 64% have not.
• 33% have used their RV as a guesthouse and 67% have not.
• 84% have cleaned their RV roof at some point and 16% have never cleaned their RV roof.
• 78% perform routine maintenance on their RV and 22% take it to a dealer for maintenance.
• 72% have dry camped with their RV and 28% have not.
• 81% have camped in a national or state park and 19% have not.
• 31% have had problems with rodents in their RV and 69% have not.

The RV Industry Celebrates 100 Years of Exploration and Innovation

RV sales rebound at Indianapolis show

CINCINNATTI, Ohio -- The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), an international organization for families who own and enjoy the recreational use of motorhomes, currently is finalizing plans and registering families and exhibitors for the group’s March 22-25, 2010, convention in Albuquerque.

The association will stage activities at both EXPO New Mexico and Balloon Fiesta Park. More than 3,000 motorhomes and approximately 8,000 people are expected to gather for this fun-filled event, which has been dubbed “Albuquerque Fiesta.”

The association hosts conventions twice a year in varying locations with the purpose of celebrating the motorhome lifestyle and is making a return visit to Albuquerque, having convened in the city in March 2004 also. The group has also hosted two conventions in Las Cruces.

Cranes Mill Park to be converted for RVs

Dog Ban Lifted at South Padre Island

Superintendent, Joe Escoto, announced today, that the dog ban that has been in effect since December 9 has been lifted. However, visitors choosing to bring their dogs to the National Seashore may still be placing their dogs at risk for severe illness and potentially death.

The park has limited information regarding the cause of the dog and coyote deaths that have occurred in the park in the last few months. The information that is available points to a probable connection between the

consumption of marine organisms by canines with the severe illness and death that has occurred in several instances.

The park suggests that if you do decide to bring your dog to the park, that you take precautions. Keep your dog on a leash (not to exceed six feet) and do not let your pet consume any dead fish or marine life that remains on the beach. If your dog does becomes ill after visiting the park please alert park authorities.[ii]

Shipment data shows RV Industry back on road to success