Winnebego Debuts RV for Disabled
March 10, 2010
By Staff Report | March 9, 2010 – 4:25 pm – Posted in RV News Service
Winnebago Industries, Inc. has debuted a new fuel-efficient ERA Class B motorhome for RVers with physical challenges. While Winnebago Industries is known as a leader in the sale of traditional class A and C motorhomes, it is also an experienced leader in the design and manufacture of vehicles that enable individuals with special mobility concerns to travel freely and comfortably.
Special Ability Equipped ERA features include:
*The Ricon KlearVue lift in the rear of the motorhome provides easy access into the ERA while its low profile design allows an unobstructed view out the windows of the rear entrance door.
*Wider aisle-way provides for easier navigation inside the motorhome.
*Wheelchair lock-downs are provided on the driver’s side of the vehicle behind the front cab seats.
*Bath doors swing out for easy access into the bathroom.
*The wet bath includes an assist bar and second shower head holder.
*The custom galley includes sink, stove top, and microwave mounted under the stovetop for easy access. The Waeco refrigerator extends on a sliding tray from the end of the galley cabinet.
Built on an 8,550-lb. GVWR Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis with a fuel efficient 3L 6-cylinder turbo-diesel Mercedes-Benz engine, the ERA features an aerodynamic design with smooth lines and full body paint. The exterior is further enhanced with stylized, 16-inch aluminum wheels and full-length running boards. A 5,000-lb. hitch and optional patio awning are additional highlights of the coach. In addition to the rear door with the wheelchair lift, the ability equipped ERA also has front cab doors and a large sliding door on the passenger side of the vehicle for easy entry for additional occupants.
The ERA also features Winnebago Industries’ RV radio that combines an AM/FM, CD and weatherband in one and includes an iPod/MP3 jack and hand held remote. The radio is also combined with a rear view monitor system with a touch screen, displaying weather alerts and song type, in addition to a clear picture of the exterior behind the motorhome. The rear view monitor system also features one-way audio to enable a person outside to communicate with the driver in tight spots.
The ERA has plush, UltraLeather furnishings, solid-surface countertops and a 15-inch pivoting TV with DVD player. A rear dinette pedestal table and bench seats easily convert to a 40” x 69” sleeping area. The front cab seats swivel fully to face the rear of the motorhome for easy access from a wheelchair. A removable pedestal table by the cab seats also provides a second dining area or a convenient spot for playing games. The ERA has a ceiling height of 6 feet, 3 inches and an exterior length just over 24 feet.
SOURCE: Winnebago press release and RVtravel.com.
A Drive to Fight Abortion
March 10, 2010
By KATE LINTHICUM – Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — Last year Dave Wilkinson asked God for guidance. He wanted to know what he could do to better fight abortion.Wilkinson, an evangelical pastor, runs three Ventura County, Calif., pregnancy clinics that encourage women to choose alternatives to the procedure. He believes the prevalence of abortion is the biggest test Christians face. “It’s probably one of the things that American Christians are going to have to stand before God and answer for,” Wilkinson said. “He will say, ‘You, as Americans, what did you do to fight abortion?’”
Wilkinson, a 55-year-old Simi Valley resident with a gray beard and a calm manner, said God answered his prayers with a directive to “go where the battle is.”
So last September, he brought his work to Watts.
Every Tuesday since then, Wilkinson and a handful of like-minded Christians have driven into the city in a donated motor home equipped with an ultrasound machine and parked it near the Imperial Courts housing project.
They come here because Watts is one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, and abortion rates tend to be higher in low-income areas, according to the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute, a leading authority on sexual health issues. For four hours, Wilkinson’s group offers free pregnancy tests, using the ultrasound to show women images of their fetuses and leading prayer-filled counseling sessions in which they urge the women to keep their unborn babies.
Many of the women promise to go through with the pregnancy, Wilkinson said, but some say they’re going to get abortions. In those “sad cases,” Wilkinson said, he and his colleagues pray for the woman and the fetus and offer a phone number for post-abortion counseling.
Frequently, the encounter becomes a religious experience, Wilkinson said.
“It can be a real catalyst for people finding God, or refinding God,” he said. “Because of the crisis they’re in, they’re more open – and that’s when we introduce God.”
The bright purple motor home is hard to miss. It’s covered with stickers, including a large one that says, “All services are free!”
Last week, the first visitor was Briana Lares, a high school student who decided to stop in with her boyfriend after passing the RV on her way to her Imperial Courts apartment.
Briana knew she was pregnant – her sparkly purple shirt was stretched snugly over her curved belly – and had come for the free ultrasound. She sat down on a soft couch across from Joyce Sexaur, 55, one of the counselors at Wilkinson’s Community Pregnancy Clinics.
Briana, who turned 17 that day, said she had an abortion last year because her boyfriend was in jail at the time and she worried she wouldn’t be able to support a child alone. The abortion had angered him, Briana said, and this time she was going to keep the child.
“I’m so happy you’re making this decision,” Sexaur told her. “Now, do you have faith?”
“I don’t really know what I am,” Briana said. “But I have accepted God in my heart.”
“Good,” Sexaur said. “Briana, that’s going to really help. Because life can be really hard, but God will be there for you, and Briana, I believe God has a plan and a purpose not only for you but for your baby too.”
Sexaur and the others who work at the mobile pregnancy clinic share a world view centered on one basic idea: that life starts at conception and is a gift from God.
“This is spiritual warfare,” Wilkinson said. “It’s a good versus evil thing. Jesus came to give life, and the devil takes it.”
His passion on this front was sparked in 1975, when his San Fernando Valley church screened a film by Francis Schaeffer, an evangelical pastor who was one of the first antiabortion activists. He was further inspired several years later when some of his classmates at a seminary in St. Louis staged protests and other acts of civil disobedience at a local abortion clinic.
While Wilkinson admired the brazenness of their work, it didn’t suit his disposition. In two decades as a pastor at various Simi Valley churches – including Sonrise Christian Fellowship and the Bridge Community Church – he always preferred one-on-one counseling to standing before an audience and preaching.
He believes the pregnancy clinics are a more compassionate way to urge women to see abortions as he does. In January, Wilkinson’s operation expanded. The mobile pregnancy clinic now makes weekly stops near L.A.’s MacArthur Park and in Oxnard, Ventura and Mission Hills.
In the RV, the emphasis is on birth.
“We want to educate them so they can see for themselves the miracle that this is,” said Stephanie Loring, a 22-year-old home care nurse from Westlake Village who volunteers two days a week at the clinic.
“It’s a way that I can serve the Lord,” she said.
On Tuesday, Loring patted the medical chair in the back room of the clinic and instructed Briana to hop up.
Then she lifted up Briana’s shirt and moved the ultrasound sensor to her stomach. Briana’s boyfriend, 17-year-old David Flores, looked on nervously.
An image appeared on a large flat-screen television, which had been donated by New Hope Christian Fellowship in Simi Valley. Most of the $40,000 for the ultrasound equipment came from Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Amid blurry gray and white splotches, the outline of the fetus appeared. Briana and David both brought their hands to their faces.
“Do you see the heart beating, David?” one of the nurses asked.
“Yeah.”
“Do you see the fists?” Loring said, pointing at the screen on which tiny hands appeared to be clasped. “It looks like it’s praying,” she said.
While the couple watched the screen in the back, Toni Dennis, 22, stepped up the RV’s front stairs.
A single mother raising a 2-year-old son, Dennis had missed her period and feared she was pregnant. She said she had an abortion last year because “I felt I couldn’t handle any more.
“I know it was wrong,” Dennis said. “I went to the altar. He wasn’t OK with it, but he is a forgiving God.”
“You do it once and you ask for forgiveness, you can’t do it again,” said Pamela Lineberry, 51, of Moorpark, who volunteers with the clinic as a counselor.
Together, the women waited through four tense minutes for the results of the pregnancy test. Dennis closed her eyes and muttered prayers.
A nurse came into the room. The test was negative.
“Thank you God,” Dennis exclaimed, lifting her eyes to the sky. “Thank you Jesus!”
RV Transporters Needed
March 9, 2010
by Jaimie Hall Bruzenakas appeared on RV Home Yet? March 6, 2010
RV Business reports that “Classic Transport, Elkhart, Ind., is backlogged six weeks on deliveries, according to CEO Bill Garvey. ”Drivers aren’t crazy about coming to IN in the snow.’”
Wave Express, on the other hand, has capitalized on the backlog by working directly with the dealers and had an easier time recruiting drivers in those markets rather than in Indiana.
Transporting RVs does have its downsides. You will wear out your truck much faster. Even Garvey admits, this is not full-time work. “We recruit part-time drivers, 50-70 year-olds. We are not able to recruit full-time drivers because when you sit down and do the math it doesn’t work out to full-time income.”
One way to add to your income is to team up with your spouse. Another is to get assignments where you take an RV in the opposite direction after you deliver the first, though that may not be easy to arrange. You’d probably be on your own for this and how many RVs are heading to Indiana?
If you are looking to break into this type of work, now would be a good time. Drivers who respond when the company has a backlog will be at the top of the list when deliveries aren’t as plentiful.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Please add your comment below or email Jamie at calamityjaimie@gmail.comreprinted with permission
NHTSA Latest RV Recalls
March 6, 2010
by RV Business March 5, 2010 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued recall notices for the following products related to the recreational vehicle industry:- Certain (2009-2010) TrailManor travel trailers equipped with Carrier AIRV ceiling units, model Nos. 68RV0010BA, 68RV0012CA, and 68RV0010EA. The heater element in these assemblies may be defective which could cause the unit to create smoke or sparks.
- Certain (2010) Keystone RV Co. Fuzion travel trailers and fifth-wheels with the Touring Edition II package. The rear ramp door cable support bracket bolts may fail when the door is used in the patio position.
- Certain (2010) Jayco Inc. Insignia motorhomes built on Freightliner chassis with Kongsberg Power Products Systems adjustable brake pedals. The drive pin which secures the brake pedal arm to the balance of the assembly may become disengaged, this may cause a reduction in vehicle braking and/or cause the brake pedal to ove out of position and interfere with throttle pedal function.
- Certain (2010) Entegra Aspire motorhomes built on Freightliner chassis with Kongsberg Power Products Systems adjustable brake pedals. The drive pin which secures the brake pedal arm to the balance of the assembly may become disengaged, this may cause a reduction in vehicle braking and/or cause the brake pedal to move out of position and interfere with throttle pedal function.
- Certain (2008-2010) Keystone RV Co. Cougar and Laredo travel trailers and fifth-wheel vehicles. These vehicles have experienced a limited number of failures with its spare tire carriers
Earlier recalls issued:
- NHTSA Issues Latest RV-Related Recalls Listings
- NHTSA Issues RV-Related Product Recall List
- NHTSA Issues Latest RV-Related Recalls Listings
- NHTSA Issues Latest RV-Related Recalls List
- NHTSA Issues Latest RV-Related Recalls List
Would You Pay for Better Wi-FI?
March 6, 2010
by Jaimie Hall Bruzenakas appeared on RV Home Yet? March 5, 2010
RVers do often complain that the “free” Wi-Fi service is less than desirable. Service may not reach all parts of the park and, when it stops working, the owner cannot be found or may not rush to restore service. Some RVers do download large files, slowing the service down for everyone. An outside provider might respond more quickly, or at least that is the theory.
In your RV travels, would you be willing to pay for Wi-Fi access in an RV park or would you choose the park with free Wi-Fi? Or, does Wi-Fi access not matter? Possibly you have your own equipment like satellite Internet or an Aircard? Vote below and see how you stack up.
Would you pay for Wi-Fi in an RV park to have better service? trend
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Please add your comment below or email Jamie at calamityjaimie@gmail.comreprinted with permission
Chilean Campers & Post-Quake
March 3, 2010
March 3, 2010 by Woodall’s Campground Management As international aid began to arrive in Chile, emergency workers shifted the focus of recovery operations to the country’s coastline, where hundreds of people are feared to have been swept to sea and drowned after Saturday’s devastating earthquake, according to theage.com.The Chilean government confirmed that 795 people had been killed in the quake, and a further 2 million made homeless. But many more, including tourists camping on the coast, are thought to have been dragged into the Pacific Ocean by the 40-foot-high tsunami that followed.
Survivor accounts and statements from police suggest the tsunami death toll could be in the hundreds.
For many, the waves came without warning and in the fishing village of Constitucion alone, 353 people were killed.
Saturday’s massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck during the last weekend of the summer holiday, when coastal bars, nightclubs and camp grounds were packed.
The transient nature of tourists has further complicated efforts to track survivors and compile lists of the missing.
”The quake was so strong we could not even sit up in the tent,” said James Derek Lyles, who was camping in Puertocillo. ”Everything was destroyed. My pickup truck, which was parked near the beach, was ruined – full of crabs and seaweed.”
In the town of Pelluhue, the surge of water dragged away a bus containing a group of retirees who had tried to flee after residents raised the alarm. ”We ran through the highest part of town, yelling, ‘Get out of your homes!”’ said Claudio Escalona, 43, who fled his home near the campground with his wife and young daughters.
”About 20 minutes later came three waves, two huge, about six meters (about 20 feet) each, and a third even bigger. That one went into everything. You could hear the screams of children, women, everyone,” he said. ”There were screams, and then tremendous silence.”
Interesting RV Poll Results
March 2, 2010
by Mark PolkMark is a regular contributing author 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 (Mark’s RV University). 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
Happy Camping,
Mark
Mark Polk is founder of RV Education 101 and RV University
Don’t Mess With Carbon Monoxide
February 26, 2010
by Mark PolkMark is a regular contributing author Carbon monoxide gas is invisible, odorless, and deadly.
It’s produced when any fuel is burned; this includes gasoline, propane, natural gas, wood and coal. It is extremely serious when combustion by-products are not vented outside. Carbon monoxide is the number one cause of poisoning deaths in the United States each year. Here’s what you can do to prevent the danger of carbon monoxide in your RV.
In RVs carbon monoxide gas usually results from:
* Exhaust leaks from either an engine or a generator.
* Improper use of portable powered heaters.
* Someone else’s vehicle or generator when camping in close quarters.
If your RV doesn’t have a carbon monoxide detector you need to purchase a battery operated one designed for use in RVs. Test it every time you use the RV. Replace its batteries when you change clocks for daylight savings time.
Here are some more important notes about carbon monoxide:
* Inspect the generator exhaust system before using the generator, every time.
* Avoid leaving windows down and roof vents open when in close proximity to vehicle and/or generator exhaust.
* Follow all directions and safety cautions and warnings when operating gas powered heaters.
* If you use a portable generator direct the exhaust away from the camping area.
* Never use the range burners or oven to heat the RV!
* When cooking with the range burners use the range fan & always leave a window cracked open for fresh air and ventilation.
Learn how to recognize the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:
1) Dizziness
2) Vomiting
3) Nausea
4) Muscular twitching
5) Intense headache
6) Throbbing in the temples
7) Weakness and sleepiness
You may also experience an inability to think coherently.
If you or anyone else experiences any of these symptoms get to fresh air immediately. If the symptoms persist seek medical attention.
Shut the vehicle or generator down and do not operate it until it has been inspected and repaired by a professional.
This information is an excerpt from our RV Safety Features, Tips and Tricks DVD.
Happy Camping,
Mark
Mark Polk is founder of RV Education 101 and RV University
RV Lifestyle Can Bring Freedom
February 23, 2010
as appeared in the Chicago TribuneFebruary, 25, 2010 Her e-mail nickname, “roadabode,” says it all. Evanne Schmarder is only 44, but she’s been living what many people consider a retiree lifestyle for a decade with her husband, Ray, 55. The couple live full time in a 31-foot recreational vehicle, combining a public relations business, RV cooking show and Ray’s music career.
“We don’t have traditional jobs, mortgages or children so we’ve felt for a long time that we have more in common with retirees than we do people our own age,” Evanne said.
Soaring gas prices and the nasty recession have put a dent in RV sales, inspired RV foreclosure Web sites and slowed the movement of warriors still on the road. Devotees say they are hopeful, nonetheless, that baby boomers will keep the industry alive, even if it means reinventing its image.
One example: Chicago-based Equity LifeStyle Properties last year began offering lectures by Ivy League professors at its RV parks in Florida and Arizona. Other parks offer kickboxing and yoga, though bingo and spaghetti dinners are still on most agendas as well.
Now that Ray is 55, the couple can stay in RV parks geared to older adults, where Evanne says she’s most comfortable.
“We meet mostly people in their mid-60s and up,” she said. “They’re the most vibrant, active and sharp people you could imagine.”
Anita Lalonde, 76, has essentially lived on the road for seven years with her husband, Robert, 69. Anita’s former husband was in the military, so she got used to moving.
“It’s an adventure every day,” she says of her lifestyle, which involves spending winters at the Fountain of Youth Spa in Niland, Calif., in a “park model,” an RV that is a fixed structure and stays put in the park. During other months, she travels to see relatives.
“I am not a person that’s attached to home,” said Anita, who said she lived in 35 homes before settling into the couple’s three-bedroom, two-bath park model.
Think life on the road might be for you? There are some caveats, though most RVers say they are spending far less to live than when they would in a permanent house:
Rising costs: Costs to stay in full-service parks have risen dramatically in the last decade, Evanne Schmarder said. There are ways to economize, however, including seeking RV-friendly retailers, such as Wal-Mart, where some stores allow free overnight parking. Many retirees work at some RV camps in exchange for stays. Check out http://www.work-camping.com and http://www.workamper.com
Logistics: This has gotten easier with conveniences such as online bill pay, RVers say. And an organization in Texas offers mail forwarding. Go to http://www.escapees.com. As for the mechanics of operating a giant mobile home, many RVers maintain Internet chat rooms devoted to minute details of issues such as repairing a GFCI outlet (basically the circuit breaker), but ask yourself whether you’re up for such hassles.
Finding the exits: Leaving the RV lifestyle can be costly if health issues arise. Finding a down payment on a traditional home can be prohibitive, especially if you’re relying on the sale of your RV to finance it, experts say. One strategy that’s gaining steam is the park model structure, where you own the RV and stay in it at least several months a year, but rent the campsite underneath on a permanent basis. One of the potential downsides, of course, is that you have little control over rental costs.
Appearances: Friends and relatives still ask the Schmarders whether they are ready to settle down and find a permanent home, and Evanne suspects they think the couple is poor.
“That really irritates me,” she said. “We chose this lifestyle and we love it.”
Gas To Go Over $3/Gallon
February 22, 2010
by Keith Bennett
The RV Travel Examiner
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has predicted that gas prices will continue to rise as we get closer to warm weather and that the $3 mark should be crossed in the spring and summer of this year. The demand remains very low in the U.S. but overall demand is up, mainly due to China. This continues to put upward pressure on the price of crude and therefore the price of gas.
RVers are very price sensitive to fuel costs and coupled with many state parks being closed for economic reasons; we predict that RVers will stay closer to home. The patterns may be very similar to 2009. The patterns may change if RV campgrounds increase rates to take advantage of fewer choices for RVers due to state park closures.
In informal chats with RVers the resistance point for a full hookup seems to get intense the closer the rate gets to $40 per night. Where is your resistance point for staying in a private RV campground if gas is at/above $3/gallon? Drop a comment with your thoughts.
Happy Camping
You may comment below or visit Keith’s site at The RV Travel Examiner for additional RV Travel articles.
Hosting Opportunities for RVers
February 10, 2010
by Jaimie Hall Bruzenakas appeared on RV Home Yet? February 10, 2010
The RV Daily Report notes that the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) is concerned that there is a shortage of trained hospitality employees to work and manage RV parks that now offer more amenities and live entertainment. Snowbird RV resorts in the Phoenix area regularly offer big-name entertainment plus have loads of activities and excursions planned for winter guests. Not all owners and managers have the experience to run RV parks and resorts at this level.
Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, says that parks struggle to find managers and support staff with the proper training and experience. She goes on to say, “Much of the hospitality industry does not even know that hospitality, entertainment and management job opportunities exist in the private park sector, which is why we’re trying to get the word out.”
ARVC is stepping up to the plate in several ways. They have a section at their Web site for national job listings. The have developed a fast track park management training program at The National School of RV Park & Campground Management, held in Wheeling, WV. They’ve also begun to develop park management and guest service training programs through local universities. The first one is being offered through Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
This creates more paid opportunities for Workampers who are looking for management positions or work as activity directors. Those still needing to make a living might find this a good career with a chance to move from park to park. See ARVCs Education page for more information about the programs they offer.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Please add your comment below or email Jamie at calamityjaimie@gmail.comreprinted with permission
Where’s The Spare?
February 10, 2010
by Mark PolkMark is a regular contributing author Why don’t some RV manufacturers include a spare tire with a new RV? Is it a liability issue or a cost issue? I have heard both sides of the story over the years, and it usually depends on what type of a RV you are talking about.
I have owned three towable RV’s and two motorized RV’s. Two of the towable RV’s came with spare tires when I purchased them and I ordered a spare tire as an option on our Class C motorhome, but I could not get a spare for our Class A motorhome.
It seems ridiculous that you buy an RV, designed for traveling all over the country, and the one thing not included is a spare tire. Let’s try to find out why there’s no spare!
It has been rumored that many years ago an RV owner got hurt while changing a tire on his motorhome and that he sued the RV manufacturer. This is supposedly why many motorhome manufacturers opt not to include a spare tire, especially on larger motorhomes.
Admittedly changing a spare tire on a large motorhome is not the same as changing a tire on your automobile. From a liability standpoint the argument is because of the size of the RV and the weight of the tire and wheel it can be dangerous for an individual to attempt changing a tire. Plus you would need to carry some special type of equipment to safely and properly change a tire. I would have to agree, but why not include a spare (without a jack or the other necessary equipment) and have a mandatory warning label stating the dangers of changing a tire along with a recommendation to use a professional road side tire service to change the tire for the owner.
Here is what some RV and chassis manufacturers have to say:
Why doesn’t the RV come with a spare tire?
The combined weight of the tire and wheel is approximately 110 pounds. Even if you feel comfortable lifting that amount of weight, other variables pose a problem when it comes to changing an RV tire. You may find yourself on the side of the road in a confined situation, or during the nighttime when it is raining.
Jacking up the side of the RV would be difficult. Leveling jacks are not designed to lift the entire wheel off the ground to change a tire. To change a flat RV tire, it would be necessary to store the correct jacks and jack stands for safety. The next hurdle would be the lug nuts, which are torqued to 500 pounds and difficult to remove. Once removed, and while reinstalling, a tool to properly retorque the lug nuts would be needed. All these necessary tools, combined with the actual spare tire, would take up a considerable amount of space and add additional weight to the RV. Call roadside assistance for tire repair and save yourself the aggravation.
My vehicle doesn’t include a spare tire. Where can I get one and where can I store it?
Most larger motorhomes don’t provide a spare for several reasons. Generally, the wheel assembly is too cumbersome and heavy for one person to change alone without risking injury. We’d recommend that, in the case of a flat, you enlist the help of a roadside service crew to fix your flat tire. If you do decide to obtain a spare wheel assembly, contact your dealer for details on ordering one and the proper way to store it.
Now that we know why some motorhome manufacturers don’t include spares why don’t some of the towable manufacturers include spares?
This is where the cost issue comes into play. RV manufacturers look at every penny going in to manufacturing the RV. Not including a spare in the base price of the RV can save money, so they list the spare tire as optional. What this means is when the RV dealer orders the unit they can add a spare or not add a spare. If a dealer is trying to bring a unit in based on price point they limit the options included on the unit. When I was a RV sales manager I included a spare tire on every towable unit just because it made sense and it really wasn’t that expensive.
You still need to consider the safety aspects of changing a tire on a trailer. Even though it’s smaller and lighter than a motorhome tire you still need equipment like a jack, jack stands, lug wrench and torque wrench. In addition to the equipment required, you need to have a basic understanding of how to safely and properly jack the trailer up. But again, if you have a spare you can always call a roadside service to change it for you. If you don’t have a spare you may be stranded in some out of the way place until the tire can be ordered and come in. This could take a couple of days, or longer.
That brings me to how this article came about. We are planning a cross country RV trip this summer and I refuse to go without a spare tire. Our motorhome has 22.5 inch tires with 8 lug rims. When I tried to locate a tire and rim it was difficult to find one. I’m sure I could order one from the manufacturer, but I would be afraid to know what the cost is. We have a good roadside assistance plan so what I decided to do was to just buy the tire itself and if I have a flat the roadside tire service can mount the new tire on the rim. It is less weight to carry and it eliminates the possibility of delays due to ordering and waiting for a tire to come in, if it isn’t in stock.
Regardless of whether or not your RV came with a spare I think it’s a good idea to get one, and I think for safety reasons you are better off having a roadside service plan that will change the tire for you.
What do you think?
Happy Camping,
Mark
Mark Polk is founder of RV Education 101 and RV University
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