Elkhart County, Indiana, has been a poster-child for the ravages of the recession, but, now, the home of the recreational vehicle industry is making a comeback. RV sales are moving out of neutral, into first gear, and RV manufacturers are hiring again.
Source: WTTW, PBS Chicago, Illinois
Some New York state park campgrounds will not be opening this year.
Because of the state budget crunch, officials with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation say 11 of the 67 campgrounds maintained and operated by the office will not open this year.
With the closings, the number of campsites available through the parks department will fall from 9,400 to around 9,100, according to state officials.
Read the rest of the article from The Post-Star: State budget woes may make for not-so-happy campers.
The Better Business Bureau is warning about an Anchorage RV rental business.
According to the BBB, B&B RV Rental on the Old Seward Highway near Midtown has racked up numerous complaints over the past few years, all pointing to a troubling pattern of leaving customers with nothing to show for their money.
“Since July 2008, the Better Business Bureau has received over 300 inquiries and 12 complaints about B&B RV Rental,” said BBB spokesperson Tara Sims.
But it’s not the number of complaints that has the Bureau sounding the alarm.
“The key is that the complaints show a pattern of the same type of issues occurring over and over again,” Sims said.
Sims says the problems start when customers first arrive at B&B to pick up an RV.
See the KTUU video for more information and/or read the KTUU article: Anchorage RV rental firm doesn’t make the grade with BBB.
The story features the r-pod light weight travel trailer by Forest River and Damon’s Avanti motorhome.
Note – if you’re reading this in a feed reader, you’ll have to go to Haw Creek page to view the video
A RV manufacturing industry executive says that, as a result of the recent recession, the move to lightweight RVs is probably going to be permanent.
The ”Great Recession” probably has made permanent the RV industry’s move toward lighter weight, ”greener” units, Wilbur Bontrager, Jayco Inc. chairman and CEO, told a northern Indiana television audience this weekend (April 10-11).
“I’ve been through a couple of these downturns,” Bontrager said. ”We’re seeing a lot of the same dynamics where we, along with all the other manufacturers, have gone into building lighter weight products. This time around, I believe it will stick.
”This time around, we have technology, we have materials and suppliers who can produce components that can be lighter weight and greener. In the past, this has been more difficult.”
Read the full RVBusiness article – Bontrager: Lightweight Movement Will Stick
Other RV, Camping and Outdoors News and Information:
According to the National park Service, New York will violate Federal regulations if it persists in plans to close parks around the state and some state property may revert back to Federal ownership.
In a letter dated March 31, National Parks Service Northeast Regional Director Dennis Reidenbach wrote that the move would put New York in "non-compliance" with the requirements for taking funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Federal Land for Parks Program.
"Also, NPS may initiate suspension and debarment procedures to have all Federal funds (e.g. Recreation, Housing, Transportation, Education etc.) withheld from the State of New York," Reidenbach wrote. "In addition, closure of any park acquired through FLP could result in reversion of the property to Federal ownership and subsequent sale of the property."
Gov. David Paterson proposed the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites — the majority of which, Reidenbach wrote, have received federal funds. The cuts are slated to save $6.3 million.
Read the more in the timesunion.com article: Feds: Risk millions if state parks close.
Other RV, Camping and Outdoors News:
A California Assemblyman, Bill Monning, Democrat from Santa Cruz, has introduced legislation that, if enacted, would ban the use of 6 chemicals that can damage various types of septic systems and pose threats to groundwater sources.
The legislation, AB 1824, would ban the use of holding tank products containing bronopol, dowicil, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, paraformaldehyde and para-dichlorobenzene, according to a news release.
“We fully support this legislation and think it will encourage businesses to step up their marketing and distribution of environmentally friendly holding tank products in California,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (CalARVC), which has spent the past five years trying to find ways to protect its members’ septic systems and nearby groundwater supplies without forcing private park operators to become “potty police.”
Read the more in the RVBuisness article: Law Would Ban RV Holding Tank Chemicals .
Other RV, Camping and Outdoors News:
3rd Annual Roaming Times Green RV Award
Roaming Times, a leading RV review and RV consumer report website has selected Earthbound RV travel trailers as the 2010 Green RV of the Year.
David B. Hoefer, Earthbound’s VP of sales and marketing said:
"We’re at the cutting edge. Instead of traditional RV-building methods, we’ve turned to experts in other fields, such as automotive and plastics…”
The V-2 Earthbound being produced has already eliminated all wood and wood by-products. “Earthbound has leaped ahead with the use of composites, thermoplastics, and lightweight hybrid structural materials. We’ve been partnering with major international composite suppliers for over 8 years.”
Earthbound trailers are eco-friendly and lightweight. “We have the potential to add 11 million new customers to the towable RV buying market. Our RVs are towable with vehicles that are already parked in many of today’s family driveways.”
Read the rest of the Roaming Time’s announcement: Roaming Times’ Green RV of the Year Award 2010 – The Earthbound travel trailer.
Other RV, Camping and Outdoors News:
- Smokies campsites reopen with stimulated improvements, WBIR, Knoxville, Tennessee (use of federal stimulus funds for park improvements.
- New Report Reveals Full Extent of Public Outrage at Forest Service Concessionaire Policies, Fly Rod & Reel Online
- FEMA trailers at discount prices, todaysthv.com, Channel 11, Little Rock – Buyer beware!
- Teardrop trailer makes her a happy camper – The Daytona Beach News-Journal
- Jeep introduces campers built by Livin’ Lite, RV Daily Report
- Cost of sleeping under stars gets astronomical…Fees for your site, reservation, firewood — even getting through the gate — are on the rise, The Vancouver Sun
- Vermont state parks expect upswing, WCAX.com