In the 1970′s, General Motors entered the RV market. Drawing on the exuberance of the times, the company set out to create the ultimate American Motor home.
Their aim was to produce a top-of the-line vehicle with cutting-edge design and construction, not just another competitor in the already crowded vacation vehicle market.
The common design in this era was a boxy, ungainly and top-heavy unit on a truck chassis. The GMC vehicle was intended to be a completely new design in every way.
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RV camping can make for a great trip almost anywhere, but I think it is best in the west. In many areas, you can just drive into the desert, and stay free for up to two weeks. It’s true of most BLM (Bureau Of Land Management) and national forest lands, and many state forest lands too. You have to move every two weeks, but how far is open to interpretation, and mostly yours will be accepted.
Long Term RV Camping on BLM Land
RV camping, or “boondocking” is growing in popularity. In fact, the BLM has begun to establish special areas for longer stays, particularly in Arizona. A permit fee is around $140 now, but this allows you to stay up to six months, and you get pump stations, dumpsters and water. People are living in some of these areas. It’s cheaper than paying property taxes or rent for a lot to park on.
RV camping is common in Winter in Arizona. One of the largest gatherings of “boondockers” is in Quartzite. Several hundred thousand people spend at least part of the year in their RVs here. It’s near the California border, on Interstate 10, only 20 miles from the Colorado River. Surrounded by BLM lands, Quartzite is famous for gem shows, swap meets, and the multiplying of its population each winter.
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RV awnings add something extra to the experience of travelling and spending time in different areas of the country. You might think that putting up an awning each time you stop takes away time from your vacation, but once you see the awnings suitable for RVs, you will want to buy one. You can find these awnings for sale at retailers that specialize in the sale of awnings and at retailers that deal in RV sales. If something should happen to the RV awning, you won’t have any difficulty finding replacement parts. If you own an RV, you owe it to yourself to check out the line of RV awnings.
Once you install RV awnings, you can leave them there. You simply winch them in and out by hand or by pushing a button if you have a motorized awning. For RV’s, retractable awnings operate by means of a 12 v battery, so you don’t need an electrical hook up to use one. You can also get an RV awning replacement that has lighting included, which makes for the ultimate outdoor setting when you stopped for the night. Enjoy your meal outdoors in the dark or enjoy the beautiful sunset from under the shade of your awning.
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The joy of recreational vehicle ownership hasn’t been dimmed by rising gas prices. As late as August of 2005 recreational vehicle sales were seeing only a very small affect of rising gas prices. Sales of recreational vehicles in 2004 were the highest see in twenty five years. The popularity of recreational vehicles doesn’t seem to be waining at all. In fact, there is an RV and MV (Manufactured Vehicle) hall of fame located in Elkhart Indiana.
Today’s motor homes or recreational vehicles have all the comforts of home, and then some. With luxury leather recliners, granite floors, washers and dryers, plasma TV’s and looks of professionally designed spaces recreational vehicles are a stylish and comfortable home away from home.
There are several different types of vehicles considered “RV’s”. The first is a truck camper which is a unit affixed to the bed or chassis of a pickup truck. Then there is the folding camping trailer, or pop-up trailer. A travel trailer is a unit that is towed by another vehicle. A fifth wheel travel trailer is designed to be towed by a pickup truck. A motor home or what is frequently called a Winnebago which resembles a bus.
The process of purchasing a new recreational vehicle is somewhat like purchasing a new car. A recreational vehicle dealer will sometimes take advantage of an uniformed customer. There are huge markups on recreational vehicles by all dealers. The only way to come out with a fair deal is to do your homework before you buy.
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