Pete’s RV News

Welcome to our April e-newsletter!  As always we look forward to sharing recent news, events, information and tips with our dedicated community of campers and RVers.

All it took was the first sunny, warm weekend in the northeast to get everybody excited about the new camping season!  The Pete’s RV Service Team is in high gear prepping new units and making repairs or providing maintenance on customer trailers and motorhomes.  You can catch a glimpse of the service area and team in action on the Pete’s RV YouTube Channel–plus a bunch of other “favorited” video clips from Keystone RV Brands, Equal-i-zer Hitches and new Go RVing television ads.

We are delighted to announce that Devra Metevier was named manager of the Pete’s RV Parts and Accessories Store.  Devra’s been with us for six years, starting as a service technician and working her way up to a position with many “moving parts”.  On any given day you’ll find Devra in the store, at the service desk, on the phone, and yes, even driving the forklift!

We hope you enjoy this edition of Pete’s RV eNewsletter and welcome your feedback.  Please tell us what’s great about it as well as suggestions on how we can make it even better.

Thanks for thinking Pete’s RV!

Recent Pete’s RV Bloglines

Pete’s RV Chimes in on 2010 Camping Upswing in VT

RV Buyer FYI: Rebound in 2010 RV Sales Hampers Deliveries

Pete’s RV Does Double-Duty, Hits Two RV Shows on Same Weekend

Product News:  Extended Delivery Dates, New Interior Color Option for Outback

Expect longer delivery times: With the sharp increase in demand for new RVs this year, there is a production bottleneck and shortage of drivers to deliver new units to dealers nationwide.  As we mentioned in a recent blog post, manufacturers and dealers are working hard to resolve this issue, but please be prepared to wait 6-8 weeks when ordering an RV.  If you are looking to be camping this spring in a new RV,  we recommend shopping in stock items on our website or visiting the dealership.

The Outback RV line offers Moonlight Interior Decor Option: “Moonlight” is an available interior option on Outback RV models.  The others are Russet (Brown) and Havana (Green).  As shown in photos of this 301BQ, Moonlight blends blues and other earthy tones whose accents compliment nicely with interior cabinetry, trim and light fixtures.

March Top Views on Pete’s RV Website

1.  Montana 3750FL Fifth Wheel
2.  Cougar 293SAB Fifth Wheel
3.  Outback 250RS Travel Trailer
4.  Outback 301BQ Travel Trailer
5.  Outback 210RS Travel Trailer
Honorable Mention: Cougar 322QBS Fifth Wheel

Pete’s RV Store Feature:   Spring Sales Flier

Spring is sprung!  Time to get your RV prepped for camping season!  Pete’s RV Parts and Accessories Store has everything you need to get the job done.  Timely specials in April’s Sale Filer include 5-piece cleaning kits, deep cycle batteries, replacement lights and vent covers.  It’s also a great time to retire any severely aged camp chairs.  Nothing is more embarrassing than one giving out under you while sitting around the campfire!

Pete’s RV Facebook “Find Phil!” Contest

Find This Pic on Pete's RV Website!

You’re probably familiar with “Where’s Waldo?”.  “Find Phil!” is similar, but instead of a book, I’m going to use our website.  With the hundreds of pictures I take of our new RVs, I thought it would be fun to hide a photo of myself amongst our website unit pictures and see if our Facebook friends can find it!

If you do, send me a message to our Pete’s RV Facebook profile (don’t give away your answer and post it on our Wall!).  Include the name and model of the 2010 travel trailer or fifth wheel you found my picture.  At the end of April, I’ll pick one winner to receive a $100.00 Gift Card to the Pete’s RV Store.  Good luck!

Congrats to last month’s “What Is It?” winner was Terry N. from Burlington, VT.  “It” was a Hot Dog Rotor.

RV Service Tips:  5 Spring Preparation Reminders

1.  Remove protective coverings and tape from all vents and exterior openings used to keep out rodents and insects.

2.  Look for rodent and rodent intrusion.  Remove traps and other deterrents.

3.  Check thoroughly for leaks and possible water damage.

4.  Examine all seams and sealants (and condition of any previously repaired areas.

5.  Test smoke, LP gas leak and carbon monoxide alarms.  Replace batteries if necessary.

This is just a few of the many checklist items when preparing your RV.  For a complete list and further instruction, we recommend the valuable resources found at RV University.

RV Q and A:  Battery Types

Question: What is the difference between a regular car battery and deep cycle battery?

Answer: A car battery is designed to provide a surge of electrical current over a short duration while a deep cycle battery provides a steady current over a longer period of time (allowing the use of lights and other electrical amenities in RVs and boats).  Chemically similar, they are both classified as lead-acid batteries, but deep cycle batteries contain thicker plates.  This allows them to be discharged much more frequently than a car battery, which is ruined very quickly under these conditions.  Furthermore, a deep cycle battery has lesser cold-cranking amps, but higher reserve capacity.  It likely won’t start a vehicle in sub-freezing temperatures, but can maintain higher amperage two or three times longer than a standard car battery.

Customer Feedback

“…Anyway this whole event has been a dream come true for my husband and myself and we have you [Joe] to thank for that.  I really can’t believe our good fortune to get you the day we called Pete’s RV.  From the start you were kind, personable, and honest.  It was evident that you wanted to help us find what we were looking for and you definitely did that and a lot more. Simple words like, “thank you” just do not seem to be enough.  When we do start traveling we will be stopping by to meet you and thank you in person!”–Frank and Michelle V. from Crescent City, CA

Read more about what customers have to say about Pete’s RV Center!

RV Flashback:  1974 VW Beetle and Fifth Wheel

This is vintage stuff!  A “fifth wheel” customized for a VW Beetle.  The floorplan included a full bathroom, kitchen sink. stove, and room for four.  What really made this neat was the 360 degree turning radius (and I thought Keystone’s Max-Turn fifth wheels were good!).  To fully appreciate this, you need to check out the video on YouTube.

Campground Recipe:  Barbecued Rattlesnake (yes..this is genuine!)

Northwest River Park - Chesapeake, VA (from Woodall’s Family Camping)

We have rattlesnake barbecues here for the park staff every once in a while! Our park is 763 acres and is filled with many trails for horseback riding and hiking. We also have fishing, canoeing and row boating, along with an amphitheater for our campers’ enjoyment.

Ingredients
1 rattlesnake, freshly skinned, head removed, 4′ or longer. Barbecue sauce. Salt & pepper to taste.

Directions
Cut snake into 4-6 in. sections. Marinate snake in barbecue sauce several hours. Wrap sections in tinfoil and barbecue over charcoal for 45 minutes. To keep meat from drying out, baste with barbecue sauce every 10 min.

Pete’s RV Center’s very own Dave McGinnis was recently interviewed by local news station WCAX.  He provided his thoughts on the upcoming 2010 Vermont camping season.

Solid RV and camper sales and reports that campground reservations are up this year (with some planning to open before May 1st) are early indicators of a promising season.  The increased activity has led to Pete’s RV hiring additional sales staff and service technicians to handle the welcome bump in business.

Click on the image above to view the video spot or read the story at the WCAX website.  Reflecting a nationwide trend, the local story was picked up by the RV industry media, including RV Business.

RV buyers are on the prowl so far this year, and manufacturers and RV dealers couldn’t be happier.  After a sluggish 2009, nationwide sales numbers are way up as well as attendance at RV trade shows.

According to the Recreation Vehicle Association (RVIA), RV units shipped from manufacturers to dealers increased by 116% from January 2009 to January 2010.  With such a staggering rise in activity, RVIA predicts shipments to increase by 30% this year.

While manufacturers have bumped up shifts to meet the welcome demand, a shortage in drivers is delaying the delivery times to dealers across the nation.

Manufacturers, and dealers alike, are working diligently to seek new drivers and creative solutions to reduce delivery time.  However, RV buyers should be prepared to wait up to six weeks for an ordered model.

For RV buyers looking to be camping in a new travel trailer or fifth wheel by May 1st, Pete’s RV recommends acting sooner than later. Pete’s RV entered 2010 with a solid inventory.  There is still a decent selection of models to choose from, but they are selling faster than previous years.

New units purchased straight off the lot can be prepped and readied in time for the campground, or to hit the open road. For those looking for a specific floorplan or interior color, custom orders are no problem, but please be aware they will not be ready for delivery until late spring, early summer.

With the sharp increase in RV sales and May 1st right around the corner, RV owners should also book service and maintenance appointments as early as possible. Again, this will ensure that you and the family are grilling burgers and roasting marshmallows for the first weekend of the 2010 camping season!