RV News and Stories

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The RV Education 101 Newsletter
Learning RV's the Easy Way by Video
Volume 34 - December 2006

To ensure future delivery of the RV Education 101 monthly newsletter to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders) please add our "From" address Dawn@RVEducation101.com to your address book or e-mail whitelist.

Mark,

I found your RVeducation101 website and read the short chapter about Properly Matching a Tow Vehicle and Trailer.
http://www.rvuniversity.com/staticpages/index.php/Matching_Tow_Trailer_101

But I have some questions I hope you can direct me to (get them) answered rather quickly.

We got the RV bug this past weekend and have already put a contract on a travel trailer (supposed to finalize the papers in less than a week) that we now fear cannot be safely pulled by our car, a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder automatic transmission with a 3.5 liter V-6, 240 hp engine. It states that it has "5000 lb towing capacity", and we thought we were being conservative by staying at around 4000 lb. (First instinct was to keep it under 3000 lbs.) However, our salesman assured us that the Dutchmen Kodiak series of ultra-light trailers were made just for the SUV market, and that we should be just fine with towing this 24ft, 4100 lb (dry weight per the sticker inside) trailer. The Pathfinder owner's manual states a GCWR rating of 9500, and the sticker in the SUV states the GVWR for the vehicle is 5050.

We just added a transmission cooler to the SUV and have ordered a weight-distribution hitch and sway bars for the trailer, but we are still unsure.
The panic we feel at the moment is also being fueled by well-meaning friends who have told us that we need a larger vehicle to tow this trailer, despite what the sales people have assured us. We are NOT planning on towing water, since the site we would be going to has water hookups.

At this point we are planning to weigh the vehicle at our earliest opportunity to start the estimates of how much towing we can actually handle with the vehicle, but wonder if there is anything else we can do to put aside these fears? If our estimates tell us that the vehicle indeed cannot handle the weight of the trailer when loaded and carrying passengers (just us and two dogs), what recourse do you think we can take for not fulfilling the purchase contract? Or is this another "buyer beware" situation?

Any advice you can give us is MUCH appreciated!!!

Jane Adams
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The RV Education 101 Newsletter
Learning RV's the Easy Way by Video
Volume 33 - November 2006

To ensure future delivery of the RV Education 101 monthly newsletter to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders) please add our "From" address Dawn@RVEducation101.com to your address book or e-mail whitelist.

I would like to ask all of the fifth wheel owners out there a question. Did you ever, or have you ever seen somebody else, drop the fifth wheel onto the bed rails of the truck while hitching or unhitching? If you’ve been RVing for a while you have probably seen this happen, maybe even more than once. When you’re at the campground look at the other trucks that are pulling fivers and you will likely see one with damaged bed rails.

The cost of the RV and how much you can afford to pay every month are important factors when deciding between a new or used RV, but there are several other factors to consider too. If you’re only going to use the RV two weeks out of the year, a used RV might be your best decision. On the other hand, if you are planning on going fulltiming or traveling cross country, a new RV with a full warranty would be a better choice.

The RV Education 101 Newsletter
Learning RV's the Easy Way by Video
Volume 32 - October 2006

To ensure future delivery of the RV Education 101 monthly newsletter to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders) please add our "From" address Dawn@RVEducation101.com to your address book or e-mail whitelist.

There’s never been a better time to take up the RV life. Whether you’re a weekend wanderer, a snowbird or a full-timer, there’s an RV to suit any travel budget and any taste. With baby boomers starting to hit retirement age, more and more people are taking to the road with their motor home, RV or travel trailer. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association recently reported that nearly 8 million American households have and RV, motor home or travel trailer and that there are as many as 30 million RV enthusiasts in the US.

Located in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1997 we have been specializing in RV specialty insurance. Our focus on the RV lifestyle and specific insurance needs of RV’ers has enabled us to develop expertise in understanding and counseling customers on the purchase of adequate and affordable specialty insurance. This knowledge and a reputation for top notch customer service is rapidly making Explorer Insurance Agency one of the fastest growing RV specialty insurance agencies in the USA.

We treat your specialty risk as our business and not just a sideline business to your home and auto insurance. We are able to provide unparalleled service and counseling because we have knowledgeable licensed insurance professionals that focus only on RV specialty insurance.

There are many choices of companies and coverages available to RV’ers.....

If you have been RVing for any amount of time you already know that a big part of the camping experience is the campground experience.