You’re problem assuming that I forgot to stick an “and” in between the title of today’s post, “motorhome racing.” However, I did no such thing.

While motorhomes and racing have long been associated with each other with most if not all Nascar superstars owning at least one luxury RV, that’s not what I’m talking about today.

I’m talking actually racing your motohome. Yep, it’s as crazy as it sounds and can only be described as part racing, part demolition derby.

Check out the video and all the carnage:

Remember, when you’re camping you usually aren’t sitting in front of a TV so you may not know if severe weather is imminent (or if it is, how severe) or if the clouds are merely bluffing.

That’s why I highly recommend you add a weather radio to your list of essential camping gear. Several GPS devices and handheld radios now include weather radio so you don’t have to get a dedicated unit for the task.

If you get yourself a dedicated pocket weather radio, you’ll be able to keep track of temperature and wind changes throughout the day.

Remember that severe weather can sneak up on the best of us and to remind us of that we only need look at the tragic death of four boyscouts in June of 2008 when a tornado hit their camp.

You can get a weather radio for less than $50, but I’ve picked out a bunch of cool ones below so feel free to browse and decide which one is best for you, but just remember to get one and if the camper in your family doesn’t have one yet, then put this at the top of your list.

Deep fried food….yum! Whoever first thought of it was a genius because there are a lot of foods that are so tasty when they’ve been given a dunk in a vat of hot oil and cooked to crispy goodness. I could go for a crunchy piece of deep fried chicken (or fish or fries or onion rings) right now! But you can keep the deep fried Snickers bars, Oreo cookies, and Twinkies. Those are some of the things that, in my opinion, should be kept far away from a vat of hot oil.

But, no matter what you’re cooking in a deep fryer we all know how messy it can be when done inside so why not give the camper or RVer on your list a portable deep fryer they can use outside.

Coleman makes a portable table top fryer that uses a propane cylinder to heat it rather than a cord that needs an electrical outlet. It’s cord free and completely portable! It has a 6 quart capacity, can cook at temperatures up to 450 degrees F, has built in carrying handles so it can be moved easily, has a striking high-gloss red metallic steel exterior that resists weather and corrosion, and comes with a 2 year warranty.

There’s also a carrying case available to keep the fryer dust free and protected from scratches while not in use that also has 2 handy pouches for storing propane cylinders that is a great companion gift.

Winnebago has received the award every year since 1995, a feat not accomplished by any other manufacturer. Winnebago Industries Chairman, CEO, and President Bob Olson said, “We are extremely proud to receive the Quality Circle Award again this year. We are also very proud that Winnebago Industries has received the Quality Circle Award every year since 1995, an accomplishment no other motor home or travel trailer manufacturer in the industry has been able to attain.”

The winners of the quality circle awards are determined by a Dealer Satisfaction Survey conducted by the RVDA. It rates manufacturers’ performance in eight specific areas: sales support, sales territory, vehicle design, vehicle reliability/quality, competitive price/value, parts support, dealership warranty support and overall dealer communications.

While I personally never put too much stock into industry awards, I’m writing about this one because receiving a quality award for 13 consecutive years must mean a company is doing a pretty good job of putting out a quality product for consumers. Although I have never personally owned a Winnebago manufactured camper/RV, I’ve looked at lots of them over the years at camping/RV shows and at campgrounds when I chat with fellow campers where the conservation almost always turns to the type/brand of camping unit each of us has. And I have to say the Winnebago manufactured RV’s I’ve seen look like they are of good quality to me.

I am by no means an expert but I can spot shoddy workmanship and have unfortunately seen quite a bit of it in brand new camping units over the years. Winnebago products may be a little more expensive than some other brands out there but it’s like my Mom has always said “You get what you pay for.” But don’t get the idea that I crawl around under RV’s and rip apart walls just to see how they are put together. My “inspections” are on the surface only but when I see a countertop that was put on sloppily or an outlet that is crooked it makes me wonder what else wasn’t put together with care and pride. It’s kind of like when you go look at a house and it’s dirty or a window is cracked. It gets you thinking about what else the homeowner isn’t taking care of, whether or not you can see it.

To read the entire article, click here.

Congratulations to Winnebago Industries on their award and achievement!

Whether you are interested in building your own teardrop trailer, have built a teardrop trailer, are in the process of building your own teardrop trailer or are like me and are in awe of anyone who can build anything that won’t fall apart when someone touches it with their pinkie (can you tell I’m severely challenged in the “building things” department?), it’s fun to read and follow along with their project.

The teardrop isn’t quite done yet, but in their latest post on November 22 they said the outside is pretty much done. Check out their post on November 10 to see some nice looking pictures of the exterior.

I’m guessing it won’t get christened with its first camping trip until 2009 though because, like me, they said they aren’t good winter campers (although I would be if I could camp someplace warm and sunny like Florida!).

To see all their blog posts and pictures click here.

Setting up a popup camper does not take very long nor is it hard. When my family goes camping, setting up the camper is the easy part.

It’s all the rest of the stuff we lug along like a gazebo, extra tent, grill, chairs, campsite decorations, rug, tripod for the fire, food bins, hammock, radio, and clothesline that take a lot of time to get set up.

That’s why packing our vehicle and popup for camping requires excellent “use of space” strategies. By the time we’re done packing, there’s hardly enough space left to squeeze a pack of chewing gum into.

Yeah, sometimes I’m my own worst enemy.

If a person keeps it simple and doesn’t take a lot of extra “stuff”, setup and takedown is quick.

To see a great instructional video on how to set up a popup camper, watch the YouTube video below:

I am so jealous. I wish I was handy but it is a challenge for me to pound a nail in straight so I don’t think I should EVER try to tackle anything as complicated as a 5th wheel or teardrop trailer.

I guess I’ll just sit back and admire other people’s handiwork.

Chad Nicholls of Toledo, Ohio is handier than most people. He built a 5th wheel trailer from scratch at his house and it looks great! It took him 7 months and cost him $9,300 which proves that being handy really saves money.

To see the transformation from a pile of “stuff” to an awesome looking 5th wheel watch the photo video below. For more information on the project including Chad’s cost spreadsheet, info on how to build a slide-out, and the RV specs, go to Chad’s website, chadsprojects.com.

There will be travel trailers, fifth wheels, expandable hybrids, hybrid lite weights, folding campers, truck campers, class a motorhomes, class b motorhomes, class c motorhomes, park models and toy haulers on display.

Some of the manufacturer brands that will be on display include Forest River, Heartland, Cruiser RV, Monaco Coach, McKenzie, Coachmen, Cikira RV, Dutchmen, Sunvalley, Keystone, Carriage, Fleetwood, Crossroads, Airstream, Hitch Hiker, Open Range, Doubletree, Adventure Manufacturing, Thor, Starcraft, Winnebago, Discover Canada, Damon, Tiffin, Great West Van and KZ-RV.

Expert Garth Cane will be at the show with seminars on how to Winterize Your RV.

Plus anyone purchasing an RV at the show will have a chance to win up to $25,000.00 cash back.

Show Hours:
Friday October 17 - 10 am to 9 pm
Saturday October 18 - 9 am to 7 pm
Sunday October 19 - 10 am to 5 pm

Admission:
$10 - individual
$18 - couple
$23 - family
Seniors get reduced admission on Friday only with a single costing $6 or $10 for a couple.
There is also reduced admission on Friday evening from 5 pm to 9 pm with individual admission costing $7, $12 for a couple, or $18 for the entire family.

Official Show Website:
TorontoFallRvShow.com (there’s a handy exchange rate calculator, loan calculator and a metric conversion calculator on the home page of the website in the left hand side menu).

There will be over 250 RVs on display including class a motorhomes, class b motorhomes, class c motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, folding trailers and park models. Over 90 manufacturer brands will be represented at the show.

For easy travel to and from the show, take the New Jersey transit system train. Trains from as far away as Philadelphia travel to the convention center. Click here for more information and for train schedules.

Show Hours:
Friday - 12 pm to 7 pm
Saturday - 10 am to 9 pm
Sunday - 10 am to 5 pm

Admission:
Adults - $10
Kids 12 to 17 - $7
Kids 11 and under are FREE
Senior Day is Friday with admission for seniors costing $7.
For a link to a $1 discount coupon for adult tickets, click here.