Winnebago Industries, the top selling motorhome manufacturer in the United States is set to receive their 13th consecutive Quality Circle Award from the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) at a ceremony on December 1, 2008 at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Kentucky.

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!

Earlier this year, two brothers decided to embark on an adventure to build a teardrop trailer and also decided to write about it in a blog. Their first conversation on the topic started on March 15, 2008 and they have since written 17 blog posts about their progress on their teardrop and have posted pictures as well.

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.

One subject I get lots of questions about is setup and takedown of my popup camper. People who are thinking of purchasing one want to know how hard it is to do and how long it takes.

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: