Thunder Inc

An RV warranty may seem like just one more expense after you have made one of the biggest investments in your life by purchasing a new or used RV. So, why should you spend the extra money and buy coverage that you may never need? While a new RV will come with a manufacturer's warranty, this RV warranty usually only lasts for 3 years at the most (although some offer a drive train warranty that is longer.) Once the RV warranty is expired, you will be responsible for the cost of all repairs. Don't confuse the warranty with the insurance coverage which only covers your RV in the event of an accident or theft. To find out which RV warranty is best for your needs, research carefully to[..]

Since I use an RV as my primary bug out vehicle the safety of my valuables is of major concern to me. I am always looking for more secure methods of keeping money and jewelry safe from theft and intruders. These are one of the little things in life that the manufacturer seems to have forgotten all about. One such option would be to install a fireproof safe. It is likely that when you first viewed your motor home with all the locking compartments around the outside that you figured you would be safe from any burglars that may try and capitalize on your hard earned assets. Well my friend, nothing could be further from the truth. The sad truth of the matter is that just about every RV brand[..]

We spent a few nights at various Walmarts before we came across the first one that did not permit over night stays in their parking lot. It caught me so far off guard that after we got home I decided to call Walmart's corporate office and ask what their position was about over night stays in their parking lots. What I found out was that it is left totally up to each store manager, and their decisions are usually based on space and the affect it has on traffic. They told me to make sure I talked to the manager, and not an employee. A few weeks later we were traveling and needed a place to spend the night, so I pulled into a Walmart, and went in to ask if it was alright to spend the night[..]

Everyone seems to be talking about the Flying Cars of the future and is not considering the offshoots of this. Such as the Flying Recreational Vehicle of the Future; imagine taking a trip to see America and flying over the sites of interest or flying or hovering over those areas you really want to get a good look at? Of course you think this is all fantasy right? Well it isn't really. You see with new carbon nano-tube construction the materials will be much stronger and 20-50 times less weight. Meaning the entire RV may only weigh 1000 lbs or less. It does not take much energy to fly something that only weighs 1000 Lbs. Most ultra-lights weigh a third of that much. Maneuvering in parking[..]

Cheap Retirement Living in an RV means you can have it all...the freedom of an RV without breaking the bank. It is 2009 and most (certainly the writer) have been rocked by the stock market plunge of last year. Once the future was assured, now we are scrambling to see if we can retire at all. Here is the lemonade you get from last year's lemons. Living in an RV is fun and cheap living as well. Full-time RVing is a very doable retirement option. We have RVed for 8 years and full-timed for 2. It was a blast. Disney World in Florida in the winter...Yellowstone in the summer. It is tough but someone has to do it. Why not you? Stop getting sick looking at your brokerage statement and hit the[..]

Renting an RV is the best way to explore Canada and United States. It is possible to rent an RV year round, for a day, week, month or even longer. If you are planning to rent an RV the following are ten things you need to know: 1. Choosing the Size and Type of RV There are several different RV types. The most common is the motorhome, generally speaking, the larger the unit, the more space, privacy and comfort it will afford its guests. If you are planning to stay at one place for a long time and would like some luxury it would be a good idea to rent a Fifth Wheel. This will enable you to park your trailer and have the ability to use the truck for daily excursions. If you are planning to[..]

Going on vacation is supposed to be fun. No one wants to get out on the road and have problems. Nothing ruins a trip faster than unexpected problems with the car or RV. Therefore, it is important to do these three things before each and every road trip. Check the Oil While this may sound weird, checking the oil is very important, especially on a long road trip. When you consider that you could be traveling one thousand, two thousand or more miles, it starts to make more sense. Whether you are pulling the travel trailer or driving the motor home, your oil works hard on any trip. If the oil breaks down, the entire trip can be ruined. Therefore, it is important to check to make sure you[..]

Most people who are serious Recreational Vehicle folks have Satellite Television and normally do not rely on attempting to get a local television signal where ever they go. Why is this the preferred option? Well with Direct TV for instance you can have all the channels and still subscribe to your local station for your RV. You also can take all the Movie Channels too so you do not need to take a DVD collection or VHS Movie Collection with you. But nevertheless, sometimes it pays to have a back-up redundant system. For instance consider if you will installing a TV antenna to pick up local stations if you need too. Why? Well when it is terrible over caste weather or super stormy you will[..]

When I worked at a RV dealership, every spring our service department was booked with appointments for generators that either wouldn't start, or if they did start they had that all too familiar surging sound. This was a result of letting the generator sit for periods of time without starting and exercising it. Lack of use is one of the biggest problems with generators. In gasoline generators the fuel breaks down and gums up causing hard starting and surging problems. This can happen in as short a period of time as one month. RV generators are extremely dependable and in many cases will out last the RV if they are properly maintained and cared for. They do not require your constant[..]

Going on a RV is an excellent way to travel and to see the country. It is also a great way to spend quality time together with your family. An RV is actually a home on wheels. It has all you'll need for a comfortable dwelling, minus some of the electrical gadgets. As a matter of fact, if you want to bring along some of the appliances from home such as television, microwave over, computer, Xbox etc, you can do so. But you'll need to prepare a power source for them. There are ready made RV solar kits in the market. However, these kits will be quite expensive. Your investment cost will depend on the amount of power you need on your RV. A system that can produce 300 watts of electricity will[..]

Most motorhomes are used in countries with seasonal climates, hence motorhomes tend to get used during the summer time and then parked up during the winter. Inactivity and a harsh winter can cause untold damage to your campervan. Here are some tips how to protect your motorhome during the winter. First up, if you can garage your motorhome, you should do so. Keeping it out of the wind, rain, snow, ice and even sunshine offers protection to both body and engine. Due to the size of the vehicle, it may not be possible to keep the vehicle indoors, so most vans will have to winter outside. One point to note if a van is indoors over the winter -- on occasions moving it outside on dry days is[..]

With gas prices at an all time high, affording diesel or regular RV fuel is threatening the carefree RV lifestyle that so many people have discovered. Are you going to let the high price of RV fuel keep you from getting out on the open road and spending time enjoying new places and friends and family? If you don't want to give up your recreational vehicle, but you want to save on your RV fuel costs, there are ways that you can do that, which are fairly simple to implement and you may start seeing savings right away. You have probably heard the first way to save on your RV fuel costs already. It is the same thing that you can do to save on fuel for your car. Slow down. By lowering your[..]

Are you someone who is interested in making sure that your RV's awning looks great and functions well? If so, it is time for you to consider how you can get the best RV awning parts. RV awnings do stretch out, corrode and even break over time, and if you want to make sure that your awning continues to protect you and to look good, you are going to need to know what the best RV awning parts are going to be. How to Find Good RV Awning Parts If you want to make sure that you are getting the right parts for your awning, you are going to want to take your search online. There are plenty of retailers out there who have exclusive presences online and they can make your search much more simple.[..]

When selling a recreational vehicle, whether it is a motor home, fifth wheel, travel trailer, folding or pop up camper, truck camper or any other type of RV, establishing it's real value will directly affect how quickly it sells. I think we all feel that our recreational vehicle is worth what we want it to be worth, in many cases at least what we still owe on it. The reality is that the real value is what someone else is willing to pay for it. The value is definitely affected by the condition of every part of your RV, the closer it is to new condition, the higher it's value should be. Something that can be difficult to swallow is that it may not be worth what you still owe on it, and[..]

Do you like the freedom of a recreational vehicle (RV) lifestyle? Taking long RV trips on the road is a great way to spend quality time with the family. An RV is basically a house on wheels with all of the basic amenities and comfort on a home. Most people going on RV road trips would want to bring along all of their electrical gadgets such as television, personal computer, satellite dish, hair dryer, Xbox, microwave oven etc on the vehicle. Due to the limited power supply on board the RV, you cannot run all of the appliances simultaneously because doing so will deplete the battery very fast. To overcome this issue, many recreational vehicle owners are installing RV solar panels. There[..]

RV industry salespeople will tell you motor home; fifth wheel and travel trailer "slide outs" are the greatest invention in recent history for the RV industry. They may be right as slide outs provide a transformation on the inside of a RV. I have four slides on my fifth wheel and I love them but anytime there are positive attributes negative ones also go along with it. I must admit the first multi-room slide out I saw which covered twenty to twenty-five fee on a large motor home sent a shiver up my spine. What a nightmare! The nature of the systems themselves invites a host of electrical, mechanical and logistic challenges. I get many questions on slides, so here are some basics.[..]

Living in an RV is a wonderful lifestyle that gives you the freedom not available with a fixed dwelling. There are few rules and regulations that will hamper your ability to have a good time. There are also a few things that you should be aware of to be a good neighbor in the RV park. Your pet...if you have a dog and you keep it tethered outside. Clean up after it on a frequent basis. Not everyone will think Fido is cute if they step in something the owner should be picking up. If your dog barks it is really uncool to leave your dog locked up in your coach while you are gone for 6 hours. Try and lower the shades or whatever calms your dog. Best of all take Fido with you. Your sewer[..]

It's no surprise that higher fuel prices are changing the pattern of RV owners. Many are using their RV less and, when they do go out on the road, they tend to stay closer to home and not move between RV parks as much. However, there is one RV park user who is not affected by gas prices and is a growing segment of the traveling population. And that's the customer seeking camping sites. Camp site customers come from all socio-economic levels. They drive Mercedes and Buicks and Chevrolets - both cars and SUVs. What they all have in common is a love of camping and, when on the road, they want to camp rather than stay in a hotel. Since they are driving regular cars with 25 miles per gallon[..]

Spring fever hits hard to those of us in colder northern climates. We've had enough of the snow and sleet and look forward to seeing and hearing the robins in the backyard returning to their summer homes and signaling that a re-birth is about to happen. Lawns will begin to turn green, trees will be budding, and RVers will begin our favorite rite of spring -- dewinterizing our rig! Knowing that temperatures are not going to go below freezing for the next six months or so is a definite cause for celebration! We've put together some information to help those of you who may be new to the RV world to join us in this rite of passage! Dewinterizing the water system is a simple process. 1.[..]

When the temperature gets hot out, your RV refrigerator can struggle to keep it's temperature cool enough to avoid food spoilage and to keep your beer at the perfect drinking chilliness. There are several factors that contribute to refrigerator efficiency, such as the sun beating down on the refrigerator side of your RV, or a dirty gas burner creating a poor heating flame. Even the levelness of your RV can cause inefficiency over time. One of the simplest and most effective mods that can be made is to improve the ventilation at the back of the refrigerator by using a fan to direct air up and out of the refrigerator vent column. An RV refrigerator is not like a residential unit. It uses a[..]

Thousands of Americans are taking to the road in an increasingly wide variety of RVs, mobile homes, campers, and more. These units offer an incredible amount of freedom, but the small living space can sometimes feel stale. Many owners feel that there is nothing that can be done to update it, and that they must simply tolerate whatever they get with the RV itself. There are many modifications that can change the look and feel of your RV's interior, from small changes like slipcovers and cushion covers to larger more expensive projects like a new floor. With any combination of these changes, you'll see a big difference in the way your RV's interior space looks. Using Slipcovers To Change[..]

To avoid the unpleasant surprise of your interior RV doors and drawers flying open when traveling, think like an airline flight attendant. For us who have flown on commercial airline flights, we have seen the flight attendant walk up the aisle before take-off pushing on every overhead storage door ensuring each is closed and latched. I use this same method and think like a flight attendant when securing the doors and drawers inside of our motorhome before travel. I begin by turning on a light in each area of our motorhome, which for us is the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/living area. I start in the furthest corner of the bedroom and push on each overhead cabinet door and every drawer to[..]

Hot Water Vents: Show your children where the water heater and furnace vents are located and explain to them how hot they get. Keep children away from these vents, they can cause serious burns and injuries. Don't allow children to turn any hot water faucets on. Hot water temperatures can be extremely high if not set properly. Odd-Even: If you ever get confused about the direction you're traveling in keep in mind that most odd numbered Interstate highways run north to south and even numbered run east to west. Poor Emissions: Poor emissions and/or a faulty oxygen sensor can cause a 40% reduction in fuel economy. Can you believe that? A 40% REDUCTION! Potable Water: You never know the[..]

Casita Travel Trailers are known for being aerodynamic, gas efficient, lightweight, and made of sturdy fiberglass construction. You can buy a Casita travel trailer direct from the the manufacturer as they sell directly to the public. The travel trailers for sale are space-age two piece fiberglass shell construction. Choosing a siding style of manufacture versus a frame construction makes Casita trailers one of a kind. The trailers are easily repaired and cleaned due to this fact. Additionally, this lowers the risk of rusting and wear do to road traveling. The all fiberglass bottom pan reduces rust problems and under carriage water leakage. Casita has built sealed floors made of[..]

Take a trip through the south in an RV! If you’ve never taken a trip in a motorhome, you could be missing out on the time of your life! Motorhomes/RVs are great ways to do road trips with your family. Travel all over the country. If you’ve never been to the south, take a trip through Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, all in the comfort of your RV. RV sales have increased as people do not have the funds to stay in hotels. If you don’t have the money to purchase an RV, try RV rentals. Not sure if you want an RV? Take a look at a camper, a tent camper or travel trailer. There are many ways to travel all over the country and bring the comfort of your home with you! RV rentals[..]

Today I got back from a much needed trip. We were celebrating my girlfriends graduation from college, so we decided to go to Vegas and get away for a couple days. When we got there I was surprised by the amount of people that were there vacationing. The lobby of our hotel was filled with 8 check-in lines, ten guest deep each. I asked the front desk if these guest were checking in or out ( not that it mattered)? You see the reason I say it doesn't matter is because, regardless it was good news. It just went to show, that even though our economy is currently down people aren't going to stop enjoying life. I think you have a decision. You are either part of the recession or you are going to[..]

Once you have seen the magazine pictures and realised how much fun caravanning can be it is hard to resist the urge to fork out for a caravan straight away. It may not however be worth buying new right away; after all, you may not fully understand the world of caravanning and a new caravan will be expensive. At this point you should probably consider looking at a used caravan as a more affordable and worthwhile option. When you are looking at used caravans there are certain things you must remember so you do not get hoodwinked into buying a disgraceful example of a towed home. What follows is a checklist of the problems that can regularly occur in a caravan and issues that should be[..]

Electric conductivity meterhardness tester The secret is really no secret at all but when you are tied to a job or a "box of bewilderment" it's hard to see the forest through the trees. To change our situation we must ask different questions. The 1st one is quite elementary really. Why do McDonalds, Subway and Dominoes Pizza NEVER fail? You have never seen a Sale or lease sign on these buildings have you? Why? They have a system that is unparalleled and they can plug anyone into their drive thru marketing machine and make a profit. They are NOT in the restaurant business. They are in the marketing, branding and real estate business. What is the 1st major sign you see when driving down[..]

Though Jeep Grand Cherokee is known for its vehicle performance, it is known to have one of the worst lights that a vehicle can have. It is impossible to see anything at night due to haze and these lights are very unsafe for night drives. The solution to match the headlights to that of the vehicle performance is to have it upgraded to the Jeep Grand Cherokee HID kit. The HID lights produce very bright light which allows you to see the road very clearly even in the poorest of poor visibility conditions. If you have traveled the countryside with the standard lights that the Cherokee comes with you will know how painful it is driving during nights with those lights on. They are so dim that[..]

When you are preparing for a long road trip, there’s a chance that the farthest thing from your mind is the bedding that you’ll be sleeping on in your RV. One of the main reasons you purchased a motorhome, though, is for the convenience and comfort. If your current RV bedding is old or just not appropriate for your needs, consider looking into purchasing a new mattress. Investing in a good quality bed will likely pay for itself by providing you comfort and support for many long nights on the road. First of all, do you even need a new RV mattress? While most motorhomes come with decent bedding accommodations, you'll probably discover that an upgrade will do you well. If your mattress[..]