(Dec. 3, 2008) -- Why couldn't that massive piece of government property at Camp Shelby have been used for this purpose? If not, it certainly would have been cheaper in the long run for FEMA to buy land rather than lease it. How much cheaper? FEMA is now paying $28 million a year - and will be doing so for several years to come - to lease and store trailers on 1,154 acres at five sites in South Mississippi. Those millions of dollars cover more than just the cost of leasing the land, but still, that averages out to $24,263 per acre per year.

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(Dec. 2, 2008) -- The Give Away, co-sponsored by the South Dakota Division of Parks and Recreation and the South Dakota RV Dealers Association, gave state park visitors the opportunity to win one of 10 different travel trailers offered by participating dealers.

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(Dec. 2, 2008) -- According to Gary and Valerie Bermans, America’s estimated Hispanic population exceeds 44 million people — 15 percent of the nation’s population. Hispanics had purchasing power of $863.1 billion in 2007, a number projected to grow to $1 trillion by 2010. The Bermans urged RV manufacturers and dealers to reach out to Hispanics in an effort to tap into this large and growing market.

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(Dec. 2, 2008) -- More than 46 percent of survey participants – up from roughly half that (24.5 percent) in the summer – were most concerned about speed, flexibility and adaptability to change. Global economic performance (44.6 percent) and financial risk including liquidity, volatility and credit risk (43.8 percent) were the fourth and fifth most pressing concerns, but were not in the Top 10 list of concerns in the summer survey. Business confidence also jumps into the Top 10, moving up 25 ranks from 34th out of 94 challenges to 9th. Those rating business confidence as being one of their “greatest concerns” rose four-fold from 9.1 percent in July/August to 36.3 percent in October.

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(Dec. 2, 2008) -- Our research helped us make an extremely important point," Gary LaBella, RVIA's vice president of marketing and public relations told industry professionals this morning. "That RV sales are down because of external forces beyond the industry's control, not because RVs are becoming unpopular." RVIA cost comparison and owner research was a major factor behind the positive coverage in a difficult year. “Our research helped us make an extremely important point,” said LaBella, “that RV sales are down because of external forces beyond the industry’s control, not because RVs are becoming unpopular.”

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(Dec. 2, 2008) -- “RV travel will be up significantly, with 33 percent of our members planning to travel more and another 48 percent planning to travel the same amount as last year,” said Sue Bray, executive director of the Good Sam Club. “With gas prices continuing to go down, RVers appreciate the convenience and cost effectiveness of traveling in their RVs without having to deal with extra airline costs, lost luggage, or flight delays. Something fun we learned from this study is that RVers find it tougher to stick to their diets than to their travel budgets.”

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(Dec. 1, 2008) -- Milo Media, the parent of RV Industry News, experienced 37 percent growth in revenue in 2008 compared to 2007. “In 2009 Milo Media plans on seeing continued growth. RV Industry News, which was launched this past year, should hit full stride and we will be tapping into the ‘going green' phenomena with our Green Construction Purchasing publication. We will also be introducing new and exciting electronic advancements and offerings.”

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(Dec. 1, 2008) -- The project will cost $2 million to build and take 75 days to complete. The elevated ground will have room for 74 RVs to park facing the backstretch, similar to what Las Vegas Motor Speedway has on its backstretch. An RV slot, or courtyard, will cost $15,000. Measuring 60 feet by 30 feet, the massive paved area sits over the backstretch seats and includes full service hook-ups for RVs, live TV feeds for races, wireless Internet, and a concierge to cater to your every need.

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(Nov. 30, 2008) -- In the interview filmed in Tiffin Motorhomes' new 43-foot 2009 Allegro Bus, Tiffin shares his wisdom about business and the RV industry. He recalls the past, talks about the challenges the industry is facing today, and his vision for the future. "This is a must-see for industry professionals, and consumers alike," concluded Executive Producer Mark Summers.

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(Nov. 30, 2008) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency is spending $28 million annually to store travel trailers and mobile homes at five Mississippi sites while the agency determines whether they'll be reused or sold as scrap. It could be as long as 2011, based on renewal options for leases on the land, before FEMA decides what to do with all of the trailers and mobile homes.

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(Nov. 30, 2008) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched an investigation into the potential health risks of formaldehyde use in pressed-wood products and is seeking public input. EPA is asking interested parties to submit comments, information and data to determine the extent of the problem and what to do about it. In addition to a 60-day public comment period, the federal agency has scheduled five public meetings in Research Triangle Park, N.C., Portland, Ore., Chicago, Dallas and Washington, D.C., to obtain more input.

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(Nov. 28, 2008) -- Readers are asked to fight hunger across the U.S. by simply commenting anytime between now and Dec. 31 about what they are grateful for. Comments can be a single word, an illustrative story or anything in between and readers may comment up to three times per person/ per week. RV Cooking Show staff will donate food items to local food banks as they travel across the country and will post frequent updates on the blog.

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(Nov. 28, 2008) -- An economic downturn affecting what is known as “the RV capital of the world” is not new. And according to indicators, so far, it’s not as bad as the downturn Elkhart weathered 30 years ago. Wholesale RV shipments turned lower over the last year and a half as gas prices skyrocketed and the credit crisis took hold. But shipments this year are expected to remain higher than 2001, the most recent low point.

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(Nov. 26, 2008) -- This new study, which was released by the New York-based Children’s Health Fund, did find that many of the children suffered from symptoms that could be related to formaldehyde exposure. According to USA Today, 42 percent of children were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, known as hay fever, and/or upper respiratory infection. Around 24 percent had a cluster of upper respiratory, allergic and skin ailments, the report said. Irwin Redlener, president of the Children’s Health Fund, told Newsweek that he was extremely alarmed by the study’s findings and declared the children in the study were “the sickest I have ever seen in the U.S.”

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(Nov. 14, 2008) -- Some fear Warren Buffet, who is financing the sale, will become a "juggernaut," owning too many aspects of too many industries. Others see the news that the purchase of a company that will continue operating in the area is a "good thing."

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(Nov. 24, 2008) -- The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest loans to those that lost sales because of either this year's heavy smoke or sub-freezing temperatures. Small businesses and most private, nonprofit organizations of any size may apply. The Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available because of disaster declarations covering Shasta, Trinity, Siskiyou, Tehama and 17 other northern counties. Applications are allowed not only for physical damage from wildfires, for example, but also the economic toll of lost business, administration spokesman Ron Foss said.

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(Nov. 24, 2008) -- The new ordinance expands the number of recreational vehicles allowed to be maintained on a residential property to any number that can be stored within a legal structure, in a side yard or within 25 percent of the back yard of the residence but still restricts the residence to one oversized vehicle or boat.
It requires the RV storage areas have impermeable surfaces on which the vehicles are to park. It also establishes standard screening requirements.

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(Nov. 24, 2008) -- As of Friday, FEMA said, 1,233 Texas Gulf Coast families were living in agency-supplied mobile homes — fewer than one-tenth the number occupied by Hurricane Katrina and Rita evacuees two months after Katrina struck in August 2005. Rita made landfall a month later. The mobile homes FEMA now uses are larger and more comfortable than the travel trailers, but their size makes them more difficult to distribute and install, contributing to delays. Moreover, some communities are resisting mobile homes because of concerns about their appearance.

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(Nov. 21, 2008) -- The Reno City Council failed Wednesday to decide whether to change an ordinance allowing motor homes to camp overnight in hotel-casino parking lots. In an e-mail campaign in September, RV users threatened to boycott Reno if they cannot park overnight at casinos. Atlantis and Peppermill casinos have put stickers on RVs in their lots to notify the owners they shouldn't be there.

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(Nov. 20, 2008) -- The new ordinance requires an RV to be parked in front of the resident's home and no more than twice a month. Mayor Mary Sue Maurer assured the owners that each case would be evaluated fairly. "I want to underscore that," Maurer said. "This is not to penalize at all the law-abiding, thoughtful RV owners."

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