An easy way to be Eco-conscious when you are experiencing the RV lifestyle is to go green when you clean. Here are five green cleaning tips that you can take on the road or even use at home if you desire to:

1. Make your own: Cleaning green doesn’t have to cost a lot of green. There are many green products out there on the market but an easier and cheaper approach is to make your own cleaning solutions. All you need is good ole’ water, white vinegar, and baking soda. Between the three you can clean almost anything in your RV.
2. Reduce and reuse: Think smart when you recycle. Instead of throwing out spray bottles when you’re out of cleaning solution, rinse them out and use them again! Reuse plastic baggies, plastic food containers, water bottles, and aluminum foil. Recycle when you can, but reusing is even greener!
3. There’s nothing baking soda can’t do: Beyond being made into a cleaning solution, baking soda has tons of other uses around your RV (and your home). Sprinkle a little on your carpet or upholstery before vacuuming for a fresh scent, keep in your RV fridge as a deodorizer, and sprinkle into garbage cans to keep odors at bay. 
4. Air freshener:  No need to add chemicals to your RV to give it that fresh smell.  In a 16-oz spray bottle, combine: 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of fabric softener (use a natural/organic softener) and 6 to 10 drops of vanilla or almond extract. Fill the remainder of the bottle with water and you’ve got your own, green air freshener.
   
5. Stains are out: Stains on vinyl are no match for a little lemon juice and elbow grease.  Use straight lemon juice to rub out any stains on your RV’s vinyl flooring.
   

It might require a wee bit more time to use some of the above ideas, and it might seem easier just to grab that bottle of cleaner. In the long run you will be doing yourself and the environment a favor.

Safe Travels and Happy RVing!

RV START-UP CHECKLIST

• Inspect and work all interior and exterior latches and locks (lube if necessary).
• Make sure the batteries are fully charged and installed correctly. A bad battery can make for a bad camping trip.
• Inspect the power cord and carefully clean the contacts if necessary. Plug in the power cord to an appropriate power source.
• Turn on the interior lights and check outlets for polarity. If needed, replace any blown fuses. Check the circuit breakers and test the GFCI.
• Inspect and test all safety detectors. If needed, replace any drained or discharged batteries. If you have a defective or damaged safety detector, replace it immediately.
• Inspect and turn on the propane system. If you have any questions, contact your dealer or a qualified propane service representative for assistance.
• If the propane system is functioning properly, test the pilot lights on range, refrigerator, furnace and water heater (if so equipped).
• Inspect the leveling jacks (if so equipped) for operation. If needed, perform maintenance as specified by the leveling jack manufacturer.
• Test all exterior and interior lights. Replace any bulbs if they are burnt out.
• Inspect the tires for wear, cracks and inflation pressure.
• Wash the exterior of the RV.
• Do a sealant inspection and repair as necessary.
• De-winterize and sanitize the fresh water system.
• Connect your tow vehicle to the RV and test all connections and lights. This should be done every time you hook up to tow.

Some of the above items should be looked over a couple of times a year. We recommend having your RV thoroughly checked when you have your required state inspection completed.  Preventative RV maintenance will allow you to enjoy a trouble-free camper for many years to come.

Safe Travels and Happy RVing!

1.  You have a kitchen so cook a feast!

Go gourmet in your RV. When you have tons of cabinetry for storing ingredients, a spacious refrigerator, and 3-burner stove, you’re set to cook like a chef. Have hotdogs and burgers one night, but plan a night where you break out the spices, the premier cuts of meat, the vino, and a homemade dessert. There are tons of RV cooking resources that can help you find RV-friendly gourmet recipes.

2.  There’s tons of sleeping space, so bring your friends. You have room!

In an RV, there’s way more sleeping space than you might ever use. Some of our current inventory floor plans sleep up to twelve campers. Why waste the space, the more the merrier. Grab your friends (or your kids’ friends) and bring them along. Memories are made when you get big groups together. Why do you think so many families try to go camping together?

3.  Make the most of entertainment systems.

Whether your RV has flat screen TVs inside, outdoor TVs, or both, you get the best of both worlds. Roughing it, while being able to laugh along with your favorite movie or TV show. Don’t feel guilty using (and loving) your TVs. Invite the neighbors (campers in the spots nearby) over for movie night or put the game on the outside TV.

Have any gourmet RV recipes, stories of packed RVs, and favorite RV movies? Share with us in the comments. Especially if you love RVing as much as we do!

Safe Travels and Happy RVing!

The RV/MH Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame reaches fundraising goal at last-minute…

ELKHART — The leadership at the RV/MH Hall of Fame is ready to reach for the lighter.

In the final day of the “burn the bank-note” push to raise $150,000 by April 30, the hall was still $20,000 shy of what it needed to get a $50,000 matching grant from the Ingram family.

With 12 hours left to go, one unidentified donor stepped forward with $5,000, and another came up with a donation of $15,000, according to Darryl Searer, president of the hall.

”On behalf of the hall’s board of directors, I would like to thank all of those who contributed and helped us achieve this success. I continue to be amazed by the generosity of those who believe in the hall’s mission and continue to open their hearts and pocketbooks. We cannot thank them enough,” Searer said in the written announcement of the successful fundraiser.

At the top of the list of generous donors is the family of Robert “Boots” Ingram, who have postponed some debts and offered matching grants to retire other debts, bringing the hall back from the brink of financial ruin and shutdown a little more than two years ago.

Between the $150,000 in matching grants from the Ingram family and the money donated by others, the hall will be ready to burn the note for their loan from 1st Source Bank, a loan that stood at $840,000 in early 2012.

The city of Elkhart forgave roughly $115,000 in fees owed by the hall, which also helped reduce the stress on the museum, hall of fame and events center near C.R. 17 and the Indiana Toll Road.

Wednesday morning, May 1, Searer said, “I spoke with Tony Ingram last night with the good news and was assured that the $50,000 check is in the mail and we’ll be able to pay off the bank loan soon. As soon as the Ingrams’ check arrives, the bank loan will be retired with a blazing ‘burn the bank-note’ ceremony.”

Congratulations to the RV / Motor Home Hall of Fame….

Article from The Elkhart Truth (elkharttruth.com)

So I ask that you please once again help us, help out a great organization!

Did You Know that Interest Paid on Most RV Loans

Is Tax Deductible as Home Mortgage Interest?

If you did not read on….

To qualify, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has ruled that:

• The RV must be used as security for the loan.
• The RV must have basic sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities.
• The RV must be rented out less than 15 days per year.
• Interest expense deductions on the RV must exceed the taxpayers standard deduction.
• Nearly all RV types — motor-homes, travel trailers, truck campers and many folding camping trailers — are equipped with these facilities.*

So enjoy the benefits of RV travel and get a tax advantage too!

*An RV with full facilities can qualify as a “dwelling unit” under the IRS code section 280A(f)(1). The U.S. tax court case of Haberkorn v. Commissioner, 75 T.C. 259 (Nov. 12, 1980 filed) gives further guidance on the tax deductibility of RVs. Taxpayers many not claim the interest from more than two qualified homes on their tax returns. Ask your tax adviser for more information.

Baby boomers have long been recognized as a generation on the move and many of them have plans to pick up the pace even more in retirement.

They’re flying overseas for exotic African safaris, European river cruises and walks atop the Great Wall of China.

But they’re also staying closer to home, getting an up-close-and-personal view of the nation they grew up in, perhaps along two-lane roads, stopping for the night at some secluded campground. For those trips, many will use recreational vehicles.

RV sales have spiked in recent years due to several factors, including an improving economy and more boomers retiring.

“RV sales will benefit as aging baby boomers continue to enter the age range in which RV ownership is highest,” noted the authors of a 2012 report from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association.

Boomers are drawn to RVs because they have, in general, always been drawn to travel.

Baby boomers, in fact, are America’s most traveled generation, even to this day, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute.

“When they were younger, baby boomers traveled more than older people, and now that they are older, they travel more than younger people,” according to a recent report from the institute.

The increase in interest by baby boomers has certainly been good news for RV dealers and manufacturers, but destinations, too, are adjusting to the influx of boomers.

RV travel is still camping, but many baby boomers are now accustomed to traveling in style so campgrounds are modifying their offerings as a result.

Many RV resorts have in recent years added wellness centers and exercise classes — two trends that have long been popular with baby boomers. Others offer concierge service, elegant dining halls and lighted tennis courts.

Some resorts have added live shows and musical acts to draw in boomers.

The Rocky Fork Ranch Resort in Eastern Ohio offers an indoor pool, fitness center and sauna.

Baby boomers also enjoy their technology so many campgrounds now offer cable TV and free Wi-Fi. It’s not exactly roughing it, but it’s certainly something many boomers don’t want to surrender while away from home.

“The baby boomers have arrived … and RV parks and resorts are responding by providing a greater variety of activities and entertainment,” Paul Bambei, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds recently told RV Business magazine.

The RVs themselves these days also allow for luxurious travel. The big ones can be 40 feet long and cost $200,000 or more.

Some have maple cabinetry, satellite-fed LCD TVs, washer and dryers and even fireplaces. All in all, “camping” isn’t what it used to be and boomers are enjoying the change.

information written by RICK ADAMCZAK, The Daily Reporter

Closed campgrounds, Sunday closures of National Park System units, and 900 permanent positions that will go unfilled are just some of the latest details of how the National Park Service is responding to the ongoing federal budget sequestration.

* At Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, officials said the 64-site Elk Mountain Campground would remain closed. That move eliminates the need for two summer employees to maintain the campground and interpretive rangers to present evening campfire programs, park officials said.

“The sequestration has forced us to make some tough decisions that will impact visitors to Wind Cave National Park,” said Superintendent Vidal Davila. “People will have fewer opportunities to tour Wind Cave, the park’s primary resource, as a result of less staff.”

The 5 percent budget cut also will lead to a reduction in invasive plant control at the park, maintenance of fences and building repairs, science and research activities, natural resource monitoring, and wildlife management programs.

* In Alabama, Park Service officials said the sequestration forces them to close the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail on Sundays until further notice.

* At Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, the cuts could lead to delays in snow plowing this spring on the Rainy Lake Ice Road, the Kab-Ash Ice Road, and the entrance to the Rainy Lake Visitor Center as park officials look to reduce fuel consumption and overtime pay.

Park officials say that when snowfall occurs before or after regular park operating hours, snow removal will be delayed until personnel report for normal duty hours. If significant snowfall occurs during weekends the Rainy Lake Visitor Center may be closed.

* At Badlands National Park in South Dakota, the 5 percent budget cut equates to a 24 percent reduction in seasonal hires for positions that support interpretive talks and walks, school programs, custodial services, road, fence and building repair and maintenance, science and research activities, natural resource monitoring, and search and rescue operations.

“The seasonal workforce is the heart of the park,” said Superintendent Eric Brunnemann. “This sort of loss cuts deeply into our ability to serve the public, something we are dedicated to doing every day.”

* Across the entire park system, 900 permanent positions that currently are vacant will not be filled, Park Service Director Jon Jarvis said Friday in a memo to the entire agency.

“In an organization with 15,000 permanent employees, 900 vacant jobs have a profound effect. Every activity will be affected. Some impacts will be immediate, others will accumulate over time,” Director Jarvis said. “Fewer law enforcement rangers and USPP officers mean lower levels of protection and longer response times. Fewer maintenance personnel mean that parks may have to close facilities completely when breakdowns occur – and that the $12 billion maintenance backlog will continue to grow.”

The memo did not, however, mention how many vacant positions the Park Service has been carrying in recent months.

Director Jarvis said the agency, system-wide, would see seasonal hirings drop by more than 1,000 employees, would furlough some staff in the U.S. Park Police, and would ban all non-essential travel.

“‘Essential’ travel includes only the following: travel that is critical for health and safety, and travel to attend training required to retain current, mission critical certifications – such as contracting warrants. International travel is cancelled,” wrote the director.

Director Jarvis also noted that the most recent continuing resolution to fund the federal government expires March 27.

“We do not know how, or if, the debate on a new continuing resolution will impact the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013 or the Fiscal Year 2014 budget negotiations. For now, please assume that we will operate for the remainder of the year at the 95 percent spending level envisioned in your sequestration plans,” he wrote.

From nationalparkstravel.com by NPT staff.

The York RV Show is being held once again this year at the York Fairgrounds, York Pennsylvania.

March 8-10,2013

Show Hours:

• Friday 11am – 9pm
• Saturday 10am – 9pm
• Sunday 11am – 5pm.

Lerch RV will once again have the largest display of RVs at the York Camper/RV Show for our customers to view. Stop by our display in the Memorial Hall-East building. Along with having the lowest sale prices at the show on great travel trailers and fifth wheels. We will also be giving away a new iPad, and over $1,000 in additional prizes.

Say Yes to the RV and purchase you new RV at the York RV Show and we will reimburse your entry fee when you accept delivery of your new travel trailer or fifth wheel.

Do not forget to pick up a copy of our annual EARLY BIRD SALE flyer. This is your last chance to take advantage of our available low winter discounts.

Say Yes to the RV!

And buy now, before our industry leading manufacturers; Keystone RV and Open Range RV, raise their prices. Do not allow these discounts to disappear…

Give our Sales Team a call at 800-722-1236.

Lerch RV Early Bird Sale