California is certainly known for the off-beat. Here’s an offbeat RV trip if you’re thinking of the Sacramento area in early August: Check out the world-class outrigger canoe sprint races on Lake Natoma. We know, some of you may have been taken in during your innocent youth by somebody who wanted you to accompany them to watch the nightly “submarine races,” but take heart, this one is legit.

Never heard of Lake Natoma? It’s at the lower end of the Folsom Dam complex out east of Sacramento. We spent a couple of days in the RV at Folsom Lake Recreation Area. Yep, camping is available, but if the outrigger races are a big hit, you’d best get your reservations in for RV parking now.

Just what’s included in the big canoe race program? According to an official media release from the Pacific Outrigger Canoe Association “There will be 1800-2000 International Outrigger Canoe Paddlers competing with their respective Country or Affiliate. American Samoa, Australia, Brazil, California/USA, Canada, Cook Islands, East Coast/USA, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Guam, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Japan, Marianas, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Aotearoa/ New Zealand, Niue, Pacific Northwest/USA, Palau, Rapa Nui, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Wallis & Futuna, just to name a few.”

After race-hours, you can check out cultural dances put on by respective countries and cultures represented by the racers. The closing event is a night of music from an all Maori roots music band called KATCHAFIRE. (Just don’t let that happen to your RV).

The races and festivities start Tuesday, August 5, and run through Saturday night, August 9. For more information on the races or the festival, dial up Marilyn Steele at (916) 988-2419. To reserve camping space, call (800) 444-7275.

Photo by thelastminute on flickr.com

When First Lady Laura Bush toured Afghanistan in June to visit troops, she traveled from place to place in comfort, even though she was aboard a bare bones troop carrier aircraft. A specially outfitted Airstream trailer was loaded onto the plane, named the Strom Thurmond after the long-time U.S. Senator.

PHOTO: The First Lady’s flying Airsteam inside the aircraft — “Home Sweet Flying Home.”

The comfy RV was complete with luxury wood paneling, TV, DVD player and two beds. But even more importantly, it included black out window shades so Mrs. Bush could imagine she was wherever she wished – Yellowstone, Yosemite, the lawn of the White House — anywhere but high over the War on Terror. The Airstream is just one of 11 such “Senior Leader In Transit Conference Capsules” the government plans to position at various spots around the globe.

With fuel prices heading toward $5 a gallon, it’s no surprise that many RVers plan to cut back on their RV travels this summer. According to a June survey of 1,800 RVers by RVtravel.com, 42 percent will travel fewer miles this summer than last.

More than 13 percent of the RVers surveyed reported they would not travel at all this summer with their recreational vehicles. Twenty-eight percent said they would travel about the same as last summer, with only 15 percent planning to travel more.

PHOTO: “Gas for More” might be more appropriate (photo by Chuck Woodbury in Arizona).

“Last summer we drove from Houston to Alaska and stayed for three months. This year we will travel between two membership parks in Florida, only 70 miles apart,” one reader noted. Another commented, “We plan to make the same number of trips but to closer destinations and will spend more time parked and less time driving. We will never give up our RV no matter what the fuel cost.”

High gas prices are likely to remain high according to RVtravel.com readers. In a March survey, only four percent believed the price of gasoline would ever drop to $2 a gallon again.

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Buying an RV? Don’t do it until you read RVbuyingTips.com.

MIDDLEBURY, Ind. (June 24, 2008). — Coachmen RV has redesigned the floorplans of its larger Chaparral fifth wheel trailers with a new mid-profile front end and other user friendly features. The resulting three-quarter ton towable, mid-profile Chaparral is offered in four floorplans and available with a competitive MSRP beginning at $32,510.

Stand-alone furniture is featured throughout, providing a more homelike atmosphere is amplified with raised panel cabinetry, designer window treatments and oil-rubbed bronze hardware. Three fabric decors and two wood options are offered.

Spacious sliderooms make the Chaparral mid-profile living area roomy and comfortable. Adding to the spacious feeling is an optional skylight in the living area and large windows, including windows in each end of the slideouts.

In redesigning the Chaparral mid-profile, Coachmen added two new and innovative floorplans. Each floorplan features three slideouts and purpose-designed layouts. One floorplan is the family-friendly, dual bedroom 299TSB; the other, the 322RLTS, has wide-open living space.

The 299TSB has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The front master bedroom has a queen bed slideout and a large walk-through bathroom. The rear iskids’ bedroom includes a bunk bed slideout and a second bathroom. This bathroom even has an entry door to the outside.

The 322RLTS has an extra-large rear living area and galley that’s expanded by double slideouts. A large entertainment center is built into one slideout, featuring 5.1 surround sound and a DVD player. A stand-alone bathroom provides total privacy, and a side aisle gives easy access to the spacious bedroom.

ONE OF THE MOST NOTICEABLE CHANGES to the Chaparral mid-profile is the all-new fiberglass front cap. The new cap is more aerodynamic to help improve gas mileage and towing performance by reducing wind resistance. Coachmen also engineered notches in the front cap that allow up to a 90-degree turning radius, even with most shorter bed pickup trucks. This makes Chaparral very maneuverable in tight spots at campgrounds and service stations. Coachmen made sure that properly equipped three-quarter ton pickups can tow these fifth wheels. Another easy touch is the addition of the pin-seeker mirror system on the front, making it easier for a driver to back a truck up and engage the hitch.

The Chaparral features spacious pass through storage, up to 45 cubic feet; and a standard, new exterior four-bike bicycle rack that pulls out from under the bumper.

Coachmen’s exclusive Water Works utility panel allows owners to perform key water functions, such as filling, draining and winterizing, with the turn of a single handle. This is much easier than the panels that require switching multiple valves to accomplish the operation. Another distinguishing feature is the black tank flush that makes for easy cleaning of the black water tank after it has been emptied.

Fleetwood Enterprises’ RV Group announced on June 17 the launch of a new retail program for its Icon and Pulse Class C diesel motor homes. The program, which launches this month, offers qualifying customers a $7,000 cash rebate when they purchase a new, unused 2008 or 2009 Icon or Pulse from a participating Fleetwood RV dealer.

“We have created this program to assist families that may be interested in purchasing a more fuel-efficient motor home to enjoy the RV lifestyle,” said Paul Eskritt, President of Fleetwood’s RV Group. “Both Icon and Pulse average 15-18 miles per gallon, so they are the perfect RVs to combine with this rebate program. At Fleetwood, we understand the pressure climbing fuel prices have put on the RV consumer’s budget, and this is one way to help them go on the road this summer at an affordable cost.”

Featuring the new Dodge Sprinter chassis, exterior highlights on Icon and Pulse motorhomes include the Mercedes-Benz 6-cylinder, 3.0L turbo-diesel engine for increased fuel-efficiency; pass-through storage; up to 138” long slide-outs for increased living space; highly styled front cap; and standard DuPont full-body paint.

Interior highlights include contoured, European-style cabinetry; Corian® countertops; Jensen 19” LCD HDTV; and contemporary interior décor options.

The rebate program is available for a limited time on products registered in the United States only. For more information about the $7,000 customer cash rebate program or Icon and Pulse, call 1-800-322-8216.

Orchard Park, NY (June 4, 2008) -– The Buffalo Bills football team announced Tuesday that it has reached a new partnership agreement with Buffalo RV to offer discounts and specials to all Bills fans that stop in on their way to a home game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Fans attending a Bills game in an RV can stop at Buffalo RV for special discounts on propane, free refreshments and use of the RV dump station.

“This is the perfect venue for Buffalo RV to showcase their vehicles and services,” said Pete Guelli, Buffalo Bills Sr. Vice President of Business Ventures. “Bills fans are passionate about their recreational vehicles. Through Buffalo RV, they will have the opportunity to see the newest and best RV’s on the market every week.”

Buffalo RV was founded by Western New Yorkers, Anthony and Kathleen Strollo, in the early ’80s. Now retired, Strollo’s sons Don, Mark and Matt handle the company operations. The company has grown to four other locations in the United States including Albany, Indiana, Iowa and Florida. 

Recently, the dealership expanded in Western New York by opening a brand new 10 acre facilityin West Seneca, just 4 ½ miles from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Psst! Wanna save some money on your new RV? How about a Montana RV registration program? A few Colorado residents gave it a whirl, and now their lives are in the public blender of the court system.

A report from the Denver Post says that Colorado state officials took 12 Centenial Staters to court where they were found guilty of misdemeanor tax evasion. Rather than clutter up jail space with the miscreants, however, the court sentenced them to community service, ordered restitution be paid, and directed they must register their RVs in Colorado. According to local tv news reports, the 12 had set up limited liability corporations in Montana to avoid what many complain of high taxes in Colorado.

Another 122 Coloradan RVers were also netted. These got off easier, being billed a paltry $2.7 million in taxes, penalties, and interest for their attempts at registering their RVs up in Blue Sky Country.

Regarding the sweep, a state revenue agency spokesman told the media, “It’s a significant problem. At the end of this last legislative session, there was a rush to try to find money to help pay for crumbling bridges and roads in our state. This is a very significant problem and every penny counts toward making that work better for all of us here in the state.”

Photo: R80o (Mark Strozier) on flickr. com

Washington, D.C.– Bring your RV, bring your money, but leave your firewood and kindling up north.  That’s the ‘welcome message’ from the US Customs and Border Protection officials.

Saying that firewood can host harmful bugs, customs officials say any firewood from Canada is up to suspicion, and some from eastern parts of the country will be flatly refused.  Even if the firewood isn’t from eastern Canada, any firewood is subject to further inspection by US officials.  Any firewood found to be infested with critters considered a threat to US agriculture, for example, Asian Long horned Beetle, European Gypsy Moth, and Emerald Ash Borer (and there may be more), will be turned back at the border.

US Customs warns that trying to sneak firewood or kindling into the US by failing to declare it at the border could lead to a hot at the border:  Possible fines of $300 or more on the spot.

BILLINGS, MT (May 20, 2008) –Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) and BIG4, Australia’s leading holiday park group have signed a long-term, first-of-its-kind master licensing agreement. BIG4 operates 176 campgrounds.

“This extraordinary partnership brings together the world’s two leading brands in camping,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers. “We’re going to have the opportunity to share each other’s best operational practices and investigate new crossover employment and marketing opportunities. This exchange of expertise between our two organizations will undoubtedly make us both much better at what we are both already very good at - serving our camping guests. We lead the industry in customer service on both sides of the globe.”

Rogers said Australians are known worldwide for their extraordinary hospitality and service, and BIG4 will help KOA to continue to raise the standards of outdoor hospitality excellence and service in North America.

In a recent foray into an RV electronic trade journal, we read with great interest about blossoming sales for Kia Motors. The journal focussed on increases in what a news release called their share of the “recreational vehicle” market. So, touts the trade journal’s headline, “Yes, they make RVs, too!” Since we know an RVing couple who swears by their Kia sedan, this seemed like some news. What is it, we wondered, some kind of fuel efficient mini motorhome?

Well, don’t let the campfire chats on this new Korean “RV” take you off guard. We did a little scouting and found that in United-Kingdom speak, “recreational vehicle” (which is where Kia is currently making a market stab) ain’t what it is here in the US. Of course, that shouldn’t be too surprising, they regard the term, “travel trailer,” with a bit of impish surprise–after all, across the pond they’re “caravans.”

So put get the story straight, here’s a photo of the Kia Carens, their “recreational vehicle.” For the record, this puppy looks suspiciously like what we might call a “minivan” here in the states.

Apparently Kia will try and sell the Norte Americanos this little rig, only they’ll market under the model name of Rondo. Call it a “recreational vehicle” if you will, but somehow we doubt we’ll be seeing many of them in Louisville at the next show.