Bring your family - have a party ¶ WITH ADVENTURE AS AN IMPLIED THEME, Fleetwood introduced the 2005 Orbit towables at the Louisville RVIA industry show, and one thing we can say is this isn't your grandma s RV. ¶ Dave Partin, director of RV group design, claims, "It's much more European in look. It has some colors that may offend some of the older generation, but will appeal to the younger generation." Indeed, the exterior styling and graphics...

Tires connect you to Earth ¶ EVERY RV HAS NOT THING IN COMMON: WHEN in motion, the tires are the only contact with the ground. They carry the load, transfer motive and stopping forces, change directions and are the first part of any suspension system to receive any impact. The important question is, do you know enough about them? ¶ Early man had no idea the can of worms he opened by inventing the wheel, but the wheel has adapted well and has...

April Fuels ¶ Making an EMERGENCY-SITUATION CHECKLIST, discovering HIDDEN GEMS and a FELINE WITH WANDERLUST ¶ GREAT ARTICLE IN THE DECEMber 2004 issue titled "Fuelish Thinking." It settled some things for me, like the mistaken assumption that axle ratio and gas mileage had a more linear...

The trouble with TRANSMISSIONS, getting hot UNDER THE COLLAR (but not in the trailer) and steadying a SHAKY STEERING WHEEL ¶ I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS MECHANIcally inclined, but I sure am getting lost in tow ratings lately. We have a Jayco CLQS 35-foot trailer on order. I am now searching for the correct unit to pull the trailer. The Dodge Ram 3500 seems to be the answer, but the more I look and read, the more confused I get. This trailer comes with a...

Medium-duty tow platform for heavy-duty fifth-wheels ¶ IT'S BEEN SAID THAT OLD TRUCKERS NEVER die; they just get a new Peterbilt. However, a trucker can now retire from a Class 8 Peterbilt tractor to another Peterbilt, a Class 6 Model 335, ideal for towing large fifth-wheels. High miles and mountain passes will present no obstacles even with a 12-ton fifth-wheel, and the Pete's as easy to operate as most pickups: Start it, select Drive, release the...

DRIVE-THRU ¶ Coachmen makes it easy to load and unload gear with opposing side ramps in the new 29-foot Freedom Ramp & Camp SURV. "Most other toy haulers feature a rear drive-on, and you often have to back off (in reverse)," said Jon Gallagher, Coachmen's gas/motorized product manager. "Having the drive-through concept is the huge feature." With an MSRP of $67,500, the Ramp & Camp is built on a 14,050-pound GWVR Ford E-450 Class C cutaway chassis...

One of the most attractive ways of putting side-mounted turn signals on your tow vehicle is to install a mirror with built-in signals, and Muth's Signal Mirrors are some of the best-looking products on the market. With the LEDs hidden behind the mirror glass, this concept makes the turn signal almost invisible whenever it's not illuminated. Furthermore, by selectively etching the mirror surface and pointing the LEDs away from the driver, the light...

NO MUSS, NO FUSS ¶ Dometic has equipped the 2005 Side Wise refrigerator with three RV fridge revolutions in one: an in-door ice dispenser, a stainless-steel exterior and automatic defrost. The slim-line frame, hidden controls and platinum or black stainless-steel exterior add a sleek look to interior décors. For more information, call (574) 294-2511, or log on to...

WEB WAVE ¶ According to a database survey of transactions, the No. 1 search item on eBay in 2004 was "RV," followed by "Louis Vuitton," "moon," "BMW" (last years No. 1) and "gold." ¶ For the second year in a row, USA Today asked the online auction site to use its eBay research indicator to determine eBay trends and publish the results. More than 125 million people use the eBay Web site...

DOG-GONE TIPS ¶ * Take your dog for a walk before a long ride. You'll still need to stop, but he'll be more comfortable. ¶ * Do not feed him for at least three hours before your...