“Our members offer this promotion to boost shoulder season camping and to entice consumers who have never camped before,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, which organized the promotion.

Parks that are participating in the Oct. 1st to 3rd promotion can be located through a special section on the association’s website at www.Camp-California.com. Simply click on the $50 weekend link on the lower left hand section of the home page to find listings of parks offering the $50 promotion. Here’s a sampling of participating parks by region:

Here’s a sampling of participating parks by region:

San Francisco and the North Coast

• Crescent City Redwoods KOA, Crescent City
• Kamp Klamath RV Park & Campground, Klamath
• Mirabel Trailer Park & Campground, Santa Rosa
• Novato RV Park, Novato
• Sportsman’s RV Park, Fort Bragg

Shasta – Cascade Region

• Fawndale Oaks RV Park, Redding
• Mountain Gate RV Park, Redding
• Old Lewiston Bridge RV Resort, Lewiston

Central Valley

• Bakersfield Palms RV Park, Bakersfield
• Flag City RV Resort, Lodi
• Merced River RV Park, Delhi
• New Horizons Mobile RV Park, Fresno
• Two Rivers RV Park, Manteca
• Vineyard RV Park, Vacaville

Gold Country and High Sierra

• Bridgeport Reservoir RV Park & Marina
• Clio’s Rivers Edge RV Park
• Coachland RV Park
• Frandy Park
• Meadowcliff RV Resort
• Movin’ West RV Park
• Paradise Shores RV Park
• Tahoe Valley Campground
• Wishon Village

Los Angeles

• Acton Los Angeles North KOA
• Valencia Travel Village

Inland Empire

• Anza RV Resort, Inc., Anza
• Golden Village Palms RV Resort, Hemet
• Pine Tree RV Park, Big Bear Lake

Deserts

• Big River RV Park, Big River (near Parker, Ariz.)
• Black Meadow Landing, Parker Dam
• Emerald Desert Golf & RV Resort, Palm Desert
• Fountain of Youth Spa, Niland
• Shadow Hills RV Resort, Indio
• The Springs at Borrego, Borrego Springs

San Diego Area

• Bernardo Shores, Coronado
• Champagne Lakes RV Resort, Escondido
• Circle RV Resort, El Cajon
• Escondido RV Resort, Escondino
• Oak Creek RV Resort, El Cajon
• Rancho Los Coches RV Park, Lakeside
• Sacred Rocks Reserve, Boulevard
• San Diego RV Resort, La Mesa
• Vacationer RV Resort, El Cajon

Bob Woolford has traded-in his Piper Cherokee aircraft for a Romahome motor caravan, made in Cowes, thanks to a deal made by Romahome sales staff.

Bob, 57, from Bembridge, almost gave up flying when a runaway plane struck him five years ago, causing serious injuries. He soldiered on after recovering but now his wife, Margaret, has decided she does not want to fly any more.

Bob said that with fuel costing around £2 a litre and his Piper Cherokee getting through 38 litres an hour, it meant his aircraft was becoming too expensive to run.

But his Romahome should go much further for the same money, making it easier to see the world.

He said: “When I spoke to Andrew Harris at the Romahome Centre in Southampton, I said I would do a deal for a new R25 if he would take my plane in part exchange. Within half an hour he was back on the phone having found a buyer, to provide me with the deal I wanted.”

Andrew said that during several years in the motor trade, he had never been asked to part exchange a plane before.
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Winter camping is available at St. Mary and in the Apgar picnic area from December 1 through the night of March 31. There is no fee for winter camping; however, a valid entrance pass is required.
Get transition status for all Glacier campgrounds

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association and a RV few dealers explained it this way. Through the 2000s, the market for RVs boomed, due to the economic good times and successful advertising campaigns targeted at younger buyers. By 2006, manufacturers were shipping 390,000 units per year to dealerships — a decent proxy for new-RV sales.

But RV sales are highly sensitive to high gas prices and recessions: RVs are generally a luxury item, not a necessity, and sales require good credit conditions because RVs can be quite expensive.

In 2007, manufacturers started producing far fewer vehicles, and sales of new RVs have plummeted more than 60 percent since the start of the recession.

The RV market is also unusual in that well-built American RVs tend to last for years, meaning that there is a vigorous resale market. (Your average RV will go through a number of owners, and a typical RV user might hang on to her camper for 20 years before deciding to buy a new or newer used one.) That means that while there are millions of RVs in circulation, relatively few new ones are manufactured per year.

Suddenly, in 2005, near the top of the RV production market for the decade, the government purchased approximately 145,000 RVs to house hurricane Katrina victims — meaning that rather than producing 3.7 percent more RVs in 2005 than in 2004, manufacturers actually made 43 percent more.

Soon after, the market for RVs seized up due to the recession. And soon after, the government started moving New Orleans residents out of the trailers and into permanent housing. In 2009, the government sold off more than 90,000s of those RVs — flooding certain sectors of the resale market and driving down prices during the worst of the RV recession. Needless to say, dealers aren’t particularly happy about that.
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The $10 will buy each resident a Recreation Passport, and the program is Michigan’s solution for funding our favorite recreation destinations. It begins October 1, 2010.

Instead of spending $24 for an annual motor vehicle permit or boating access permit, Michigan residents will now be asked to support the Recreation Passport with an optional $10 fee when renewing their vehicle registration with the Secretary of State. The license plate renewal sticker received from the Secretary of State will have a designation that indicates the Recreation Passport payment. If an individual purchases their Recreation Passport fee at the park, the park will provide an identifying sticker.

Camping fees will remain the same. Out of state visitors will still pay the $8 daily, or $29 annual fee for park and/or boating access site entrance. Michigan residents entering a park without the Recreation Passport designation will result in paying a Recreation Passport fee of up to $20 or could result in a $100 fine.
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When you think of camping you probably imagine family and friends barbecuing and enjoying the great outdoors.

“They just went for a hike. We’ve been cooking. They’ve been making mud pies and we’ll probably play Apples to Apples later,” says David Simmons who was camping at the Colorado National Monument.

But it’s nothing fancy. “There’s flushing toilets, that’s about it,” says Simmons.

Camping is traditionally thought of as roughing it. “Getting out into the wilderness and getting some fresh air,” says Simmons.

But some campers are changing that perception. “If you take a family, you need a bathroom. And it’s nice to have a shower,” says Steven Smiley who was camping at KOA Campgrounds in Grand Junction.

And perks like Wi-Fi are a huge attraction for campers like Smiley. “I will say we’ve never had Wi-Fi before. That was really nice,” he says.

Campsites like KOA in Grand Junction may not be in the most picturesque of locations, but campers say their amenities like the pool, game room and washer and dryers make up for it.

“This is nicer,” says Smiley.

Curtis Pauli is the owner of KOA Campgrounds. He says more and more people aren’t pitching tents. Instead, they’re rolling up in RVs. He’s even converted some tent only spaces into RV spots to keep up with the demand.

“Upper–end RVs are far more prevalent then they were years ago,” says Pauli.

“I think this camping is much better. We have a 25 ft. RV ourselves. It’s very nice and comfortable,” says Bruce Rahn, as he was staying at the KOA Campground.

But for some campers like the Simmons family, no amenity will ever be worth giving up the scenery of the Colorado National Monument.

“I’d like to make this a yearly thing. This is a beautiful place,” says Simmons.

With those amenities comes a higher price too. To pitch a tent at KOA Campgrounds, it will cost $27 a night. An RV $35 and a cabin between $50-90. At the Colorado National Monument, tents and RVs cost $10 a night.
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According to Richard Curtain of RVIA, Class A motorhomes are expected to spike 90% in 2010 and continue to increase into 2011, although the increase for next year is expected to show a more gradual growth of 11%. Beaudry RV Company isn’t the only one to notice the rise in sales, Class A sales tripled in June across the country according to RVIA. With 27,000 units sold, Class A motor homes have reached their highest level in more than two years.

“The Monaco line of Class A RVs has been really popular this year,” says Beaudry. “Consumers are looking for quality and luxury and Monaco delivers both of those. Other popular manufacturers include Forest River and Newmar.

The trend is balanced by the popularity of lightweight travel trailers that have also jumped sales this year. Environmentally minded vacationers are going with the less-is-more philosophy. Both high-end and economical vehicles are stealing the sales this year. Next year, sales may balance out with a more gradual rise including sales of Class B and Class C RVs and fifth wheels.

Beaudry RV Company has been a leader in the RV Industry for over 40 years. Their customer service, parts department and summer events set them apart from other RV companies. They carry an extensive selection of Class A, Class B and Class C RVs, motorhomes, travel trailers and more.

For more information on new and used RVs and Beaudry RV Company or current trends in the industry contact:
Scott Beaudry
Company: Beaudry RV Company
www.BeaudryRv.com
Phone: 520-239-5054

The 2011 Airstream 3500 Interstate continues the tradition of extraordinary design and handcrafted quality that has made the Airstream a style classic for nearly 80 years. The unique blend of these two premium brands has produced a fuel-efficient, luxurious, safe, and comfortable way for RV travelers to explore the open road.
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“We have made the difficult decision,” said Altman, “to suspend our operations and close our store at the American RV Expo in Colton. It’s been over two years since this serious economic downturn began and our efforts to maintain an adequate sales volume have not been sufficient to sustain profitability.”

Altman also stated that it was a very difficult and sad decision since the entire Colton crew made a gallant effort to
preserve the location. Altman continued saying,”The closure of our Colton facility is a reflection of some very difficult times in our country, not [the crew's] efforts, abilities, or work ethics.

“The time has come to focus on a new future and concentrate our resources where we can produce more concrete results,” said Altman. “Our Carson facility is still fully operational with more 2010 and 2011 Winnebago Motorhome and Lance travel trailer models than any other dealer in the west, and there are more on the way.”

Altman continued by saying that they we will meet the challenges ahead and that with over 39 years in the RV industry and all of their professional staff consolidated under one roof, they will still have competitors scrambling to meet the many Altmans advantages they can offer their customers.

For further information, please contact George Murphy at 310-518-6182 or visit www.altmans.com.

A retired neighbor joins him in the shade of an elm tree between their homes. She smokes a cigarette and sips a Mountain Dew.

The two have been neighbors and friends for a couple of years.

“She watches Toby while I’m at work,” explains Steve Porter, 53.

“And I call him when I need my propane refilled,” says Connie McGraw, 67.

Propane and friendly neighbors are key components to living year-round in recreational vehicles.

Both McGraw and Porter make homes out of campers less than 30 feet in length. These rigs are not mobile homes or modular dwellings. They’re RVs designed for short-term excursions.

The news that many Nevadans make homes in the cramped quarters of recreational vehicles could be grist for another damn-the-economy story. Though it’s not the case with McGraw and Porter, some folks are losing homes and trying to survive in small RVs until they can get into apartments or houses.

This is not that tragic tale. Many people living in Reno’s RV parks are far from miserable at the turns their lives have taken. They say RVs are a satisfying and inexpensive housing alternative. Their lives are simpler. Needs fewer. Communities stronger.

“This is a good way to live,” Porter says.
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