Why Now Is A Good Time To Buy An RV

Above, at Alpen Rose RV Park in Durango, Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two weeks ago (already two weeks?!), my former roommate and I took a camping vacation to Durango, Colorado and Navajo Lake State Park in New Mexico. We had an enjoyable time. The high gas prices were mitigated by the fact that both places were under 200 miles from home and I had some extra cash from New Mexico's rebate program.

Paul Hemphill at The News-Review says that now is a good time to buy an RV.

His article begins with:

I can hear my readers now saying “How can you say it’s a good time to buy a RV when gas prices are high, interest rates increasing and inflation on the rise?” All great points.

However, the current economic conditions also present unique opportunities to buy an RV.

Not long ago, RV dealerships were struggling to get inventory, with supply chains hampered by COVID-19. RV dealers were ordering units from manufacturers with long wait times for delivery. Now, the orders for those same RV dealerships are flowing in and, once again, filling the lots up with RV inventory.

One of the first rules of economics tells us that when the supply of a product is low, the demand is generally high. Conversely, when there is a lot of supply, the demand is often lower and therefore prices are lower.

To read more, go here. 

Nine Steps For Servicing Your RV For Spring

Above, getting The Beast cleaned up for upcoming trips. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that we are in spring, camping season is starting up. 

Before getting the RV out on the road after it has been in "mothballs" during the winter, there's a few things that Paul Hemphill at The News-Review recommends doing.

It is a checklist of nine steps to servicing your RV.

He begins with:

As Oregonians, when we see the sun coming out more often, flowers starting to bloom and the weather getting warmer, we know it’s time to enjoy the fun and sun of the great outdoors. This includes firing up the grill and digging out the RV to be used again.

Here’s a checklist to review before your first RV trip of the year:

To see what they are, go here. 

Eight Mistakes That Newbie RV Campers Make

Above, The Beast somewhere in Oklahoma. Photo by Armand Vaquer

People who travel the country in RVs are a varied lot. But all have one thing in common: the have made mistakes when they were RV newbies. I have made some myself.

To help mitigate mistake-making when traveling by RV, Paul Hemphill in The News-Review provides an article on eight mistakes that newbie RV campers make.

He starts it with:

Now before you write letters to me, I already know that I’ve probably left off a few key items on this list. However, given my RV experience over the years, these are the eight mistakes I’ve noticed RV newbies overlook.

To see what they are, go here. 

Eight Tips For RV Campground Etiquette

Above, the Ely, Nevada KOA Kampground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As in one's home base neighborhood, nobody likes noisy and discourteous neighbors at all hours of the day or night while out camping in the Great Outdoors.

Paul Hemphill at The News-Review posted eight tips for RV campground etiquette. 

He starts it with:

We’ve all been there: Tucked in after an evening of stargazing and enjoying the sound of crickets when a crew of campers crashes the campground and hoots until the early morning. It’s a great recipe for a restless night and is an experience that can quickly sour your seventh heaven. Here are eight tips to avoid being “that guy.”

To read more, go here. 

The News-Review: Why Are RVs So Popular

Above, RVs on display at the California RV Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Those who regularly follow this blog will know that the RV industry is seeing a boom.

This boom has been going on for the past several years and has accelerated since the pandemic began last year.

Paul Hemphill at The News-Review asks, "Why are RVs so popular?"

He begins with:

Ok! I get it, RV’s are hot these days. But why? And for how long? The truth is the RV business has been hot for almost 10 years now. In fact, RV manufacturers are up over 24% from last year.

So, what is driving this prolonged hot trend in RV popularity? It turns out that the reasons people are turning to RVing are as many and as varied as the people themselves. Let’s explore some of the most popular reasons folks of all ages and backgrounds are jumping on the RV trend.

To read the full article, go here. 

Diamond Lake and High Cascades

Above, The Beast at the Diamond Lake RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my 2017 Great American Eclipse trip, I headed into Oregon to the Crater Lake National Park Area. Since I didn't have any campsite reservations at the national park, I stayed instead at the nearby Diamond Lake RV Park.

The visit into the area was slightly marred due to wildfires in the area. A firefighter encampment was about a mile away from the RV park.

Still, the area was beautiful and Diamond Lake is a great place to visit. Beware! There was no WiFi during my stay and I found Oregon to have non-existent to spotty (at best) cell coverage from the time I left Idaho to Bend, Oregon.

The News-Review has an article on Diamond Lake.

It begins with:

The High Cascades in eastern Douglas County offer stunning beauty with mountains, forests, wildlife, waterfalls and some of the best high lakes fishing in the Northwest.
The biggest lake in Douglas County is about 80 miles east of Roseburg. Diamond Lake is known as the Gem of the Cascades and the 10,000 acre lake’s fishery is legendary. 

The area draws visitors from all over the world. Because of the close proximity to Crater Lake National Park, many people from around the country and from many other countries will stay at Diamond Lake and make the short 20 mile trip to visit the national park. 

“We, here at the lodge, have 41 cabins and 50 motel rooms,” said John Jonesburg, marketing and events coordinator for Diamond Lake. “And there are 100 summer homes on the west shore that are privately owned.” 

The resort has motel rooms, cabins, studio units, campsites and an RV park where visitors can make their home base to see the whole area.

To read more, go here. 

Drawing Visitors To Crater Lake National Park

Above, a view of Wizard Island. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two years ago, during my Great American Eclipse trip to Idaho, I took a long way home to California by stopping for a couple of nights at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

The only thing that marred the visit were wildfires in the area that left a smoky haze inside the crater. Last year, the same thing happened again.

However, that didn't stop visitors from coming.

The News-Review has an article on the allure of Crater Lake National Park.

They begin with:

CRATER LAKE — Oregon’s only national park may not be located completely in Douglas County — in fact most of the park is in Klamath County — but many tourists head east from Roseburg on the North Umpqua Highway to access Crater Lake National Park from the north entrance. 

Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all parts of the world come to the park each year, although attendance last year was held down because of wildfire and smoke. And last winter, heavy snow closed the park entrances to winter visitors for several days. But park officials say they get about 750,000 visitors each year. 

There are a lot of reasons people are attracted to the park. 

“It’s a beautiful place, the deepest lake in the United States and that color of blue is unlike anything you see anywhere,” said Public information officer Marsha McCabe. “It’s one of those things that takes people’s breath away the first time they see it.” 

But that’s not the only draw. Many come to use the hiking trails, see old growth forests, or boat tours on the lake in the summertime. McCabe said the guided ranger tours have been popular and they also offer educational talks with the rangers and junior ranger programs for the kids in Rim Village.

To read more, go here. 

Tokyo and Kyoto: History and Culture

Above, Kinkaku-ji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those considering visiting Japan, The News-Review has a good article on Tokyo and Kyoto.

For modern Japan, Tokyo is the place to visit. For history and culture, Kyoto is the place to go.

They wrote:

Japan is a great choice for travelers who have Asia on their bucket list. It’s a relatively small country with a high-speed train network that makes it easy to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. 

Tokyo, the bustling, cosmopolitan capital, will be your entrée to modern Japan, while Kyoto, the former imperial capital, will immerse you in the country’s ancient history and culture.

Above, the Sumida River and the Asahi Beer Hall in Tokyo from the Skytree. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The article includes places in each city to visit.

To read more, go here.