FAMILY FLOORPLAN LUXURY & COMFORT - Amazon Web Services

102 Pages·2012·25.86 MB·English

by  Rick Damien

HALF-TON FIFTH-WHE»EL EZ POPUP B&W SUPER AERO 2
PROJECT TRUCK CONNECTOR EXTENDER HITCH SPRINGS MIRRORS
OCTOBER 2012
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FAMILY
FLOORPLAN
Colorful Fall
+
LUXURY &
Getaways
COMFORT Missouri River Drive
South Carolina’s
Cherokee Foothills
CrossRoads Sunset Trail Reserve 26BH
GET THE DIRT ON AIR FILTERS
www.trailerlife.com
KZ-RV, Circle 108 on Reader Service Card
CONTENTS
OCTOBER 2012 |VOLUME 72 |NUMBER 10
42 48 50
FEATURES
18Boston’s Historic Harbor 38Project Packaging 50Diamond in the Rough
Adventure and history await visitors in The Dutchmen 202RBS wraps some big This ‘47 Aero Flite Falcon was once junk,
the “Cradle of Liberty” features inside a little trailer but now is a jewel to behold
22Technicolor Drive 42Now That’s Entertainment 52Clearing the Air
Delightful fall colors line Cherokee A selection of trailers equipped to move What you really need to know about
Foothills National Scenic Highway your party time outdoors automotive engine air filters
30Rolling Beauty 48All Aboard! 58Tow Ready
Glacial Hills Scenic Byway offers RVers a The second of the Good Sam Rallies for We finish setting up a Ford F-150 to tow
bounty of activity amid a rolling landscape 2012 brought top-notch entertainers and a fifth-wheel trailer
friends together in Louisville, Ky., for good
34CrossRoads Sunset Trail is a Trail Blazer
times and good tunes
Family amenities with luxurious highlights
Below:Autumn is prime time at Lake Jocassee,
one of the many stops along South Carolina’s
Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway.
DEPARTMENTS
5Driver’s Seat 66New Products
News from the Editor Goodies to improve the RV lifestyle
6Letters 67Performance Corner
Readers respond loud and clear Tech, accessories and news
8Around the Bend 69Hands On
News, events, places and trends A-frame remote electric jack upgrade
12RV Action Line 70RV Clinic
Trailer Lifeis your referee Answers from the Trailer Lifetech team
16Outdoorsman 9410-Minute Tech
Capture the action on your next trip Now why didn’t I think of that?
98America’s Outback
«Starcraft’s Autumn Ridge line offers 13 different floorplans. Soo Lock sights
On the cover:The 2013 CrossRoads Sunset Trail Reserve 26BH at Ventura Ranch KOA, Santa Paula, Calif. Photo by Rich Cox Photography.
October 2012 TRAILERLIFE 3

DRIVER’S
SEAT OCTOBER
PublisherBob Livingston
Editor-in-ChiefStuart Bourdon
Managing EditorTom Kaiser
Associate EditorAmanda Lepinski My Favorite
Senior Art DirectorRick Damien
Production Manager Angela Schmieg
Production CoordinatorAndrea Schneider
Season
Sales AdministratorKatey Purgatorio
Consulting EditorsWes Caughlan, Ken Freund, Jeff Johnston
ContributorsSue Bray, Kristoper Bunker, Bill Graves, Trent Rid-
dle, Pamela and Guy Selbert, Larry Walton Nothing beats fall travel
Vice President National Sales Terry Thompson
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
RV MarketplaceSue Seidlitz
10556 Combie Road #6443 Auburn, CA 95602
Tel [phone] Fax [phone] Fall is my favorite season for RVing. The days are cooling off again, the leaves on
[email protected]
ClassifiedsKathy Schurman many deciduous trees have begun showing their golden hues, the second
3300 Fernbrook Ln N Suite 200 (southbound) of the great semi-annual North American avian migrations is in full
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
[email protected] flight and, for the most part, the crowds of vacationers have gone back home.
Tacy Hendershot-Sargent (Southeast Region)
1010 SW Lighthouse Drive, Palm City, FL 34990 Far too often, the easy destinations within a couple hours’ drive of town are
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
overrun with appreciation during summer, so we tend to avoid RVing during the
Lou Cicirelli (Northeast Region)
1400 NW 108th Avenue, #266, Plantation, FL 33322 summer months and, instead, make the most of the off seasons — especially fall.
Tel [phone]
Scott Oakes, John Marciano (Western Region) It’s also easier to find better campsites, or campground reservations at all,
1818 Westlake Avenue, N. #420
Seattle, WA 98109 during autumn because the demand is lower. You can have that summer-camping
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
activity level and find beautiful scenery, temperate days and cool nights — but with
Crompton Holdings Scott Crompton (Detroit, MI)
2031 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71103 no crowds. It just requires a little planning and a high state of readiness to take ad-
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
[email protected] vantage of quick-and-easy fall weekends near home. Here’s how we do it:
Chairman EmeritusArt Rouse Keep all your gear in stackable-style plastic packing tubs that are easily trans-
Publisher EmeritusBill Estes
portable. Keep a checklist that you can run through quickly and have all your gear
Production SpecialistCherri Perschmann, Digital Advertising
and Marketing ManagerJeffrey Larson, Senior Marketing tubs packed, stacked and ready to go Thursday night, to be quickly loaded into the
ManagerKathryn Knudson, Administrative Assistant-Audience camper when you get home from work Friday. That way as soon as you get the tie
DevelopmentMolly Sullivan, Digital Media Content EditorMike
Davin, Digital Media ManagerChris Soash, Digital Marketing off, you can hit the road!
SpecialistKathryn Benson, Digital EditorNicholas Upton, Asso-
ciateEditorChris Gerber Practice setting up at night in the driveway, so it’s a familiar chore when you
arrive at your destination late on Friday night. Keep meals on Friday simple. Box,
bag dinner or drive-though (make it decent) might be a good way to save some
President Stephen M. Hedlund
time on the road and get you to camp before it’s too late, while appeasing poten-
Senior Vice President/Group PublisherBob Livingston
Senior Vice President/Digital Media Stacey Marmolejo tially cranky passengers. Let people sleep late Saturday morning if you get into
Senior Vice President/Production Barb Hammer
camp late Friday night – it tends to maintain a positive attitude.
Vice President/Advertising Sales Terry Thompson
Vice President/Audience Development Jill Anderson These are just a few of the strategies we use to help best take advantage of
Trailer Life(USPS#454-970) is published monthly by GS Media & the fall weekends and better RVing opportunities after the dog days of summer
Events (a division of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC), 3300 Fernbrook
Lane N #200, Minneapolis, MN 55447. Periodicals postage paid at have gone. For more ideas of great places to spend your weekends this fall, read
Plymouth, MN 55447 and additional mailing offices. The annual
subscription rate is $15.97 per year in the U.S. For Canadian & the destination articles in this issue of Trailer Lifeand check out the archive of
International subscriptions, add $12 per year. U.S. funds only.
travel stories available at www.trailerlife.com. Then pick a place to go, and enjoy
Postmaster Send address changes to Trailer Life, P.O. Box 5860,
Harlan, IA 51593-1360. my favorite season! q
Canadian Return Address GS Media & Events, 4960-2 Walker
Road, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6J3. Publication Sales Agreement
#40012332. –Stuart Bourdon, editor-in-chief
Customer Service:
Email [email protected] or Call [phone] or
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ings. You can ask to not be included in future offerings at any time, Hit the keys and start searching for hot fall color
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Foliage Spots In The United States” are discussed, and links to leaf color updates
in specific regions and states, as well as color-lined road trips are offered.
Chairman & CEO Marcus Lemonis Executive VP Tom Wolfe
October 2012 TRAILERLIFE 5
LETTERS
OCTOBER YOUR OPINIONS, STORIES AND FEEDBACK
More Women’s Content! Towing Guide Gap MOLOFEN TTTTHEHER
My husband and I have been receiving
Trailer Lifefor many years. He really
enjoys all the technical articles. 
I have noticed over the years that Thank you for the year-by-year tow vehicle ratings you offer on your website.
your magazine has moved away from I use it daily. I have noticed that one has been missing for some time. Is the
including any articles geared toward data no longer available for all years? Where else can I find it?
women — other than travel articles. Paul Chipman, Via email
Years ago there was an article written
by a woman that I looked forward to BACK AGAIN
with anticipation every month!  I’m »
Thank you for the note Paul. We’re glad you enjoy using the tow
sorry I can't remember her name, but
ratings and guides. We’ve corrected the problem, and the complete
her articles were very informative and
collection of ratings and guides are now live again. All can be reached
interesting to read and written with a
at www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides.
very personal flair.  Perhaps you
would consider including more
women-specific articles in the future.
Thank you again though for provid-
ing such a great magazine for us RV out the Airstream Guy you recently printed about this place, it
people! (www.airstreamguy.com) site that has was helpful. We camped by the lake
Patricia Lennox, Sebastopol, Calif. good information, including older and spent our evenings watching
models listed for sale. beautiful sunsets with the campfire
Silver Streaker
blazing. It doesn’t get much better
Eureka! Good Service
I just started receiving Trailer Lifea than that.
short time ago. I am especially inter- Somewhere north of Eureka, Calif., a You asked what I like to do when I
ested in classic travel trailer articles grease seal failed. We didn’t know it go RVing: I like to just hang out and
such as the one about about Wally and when we stopped we saw what strum the guitar a little bit, but I also
Byam and the Airstream trailers. We had happened — the damage was a enjoy fishing, boating, swimming and
own an old Silver Streak travel trailer, twisted up spindle. We called our bike riding along with the things I
which we enjoy a lot. It’s a little rough towing service and they put us in mentioned above. Any articles pertain-
on the outside, but almost perfect on touch with Wright R.V. Sales and ing to those things would interest me.
the inside. I am hoping that more arti- Service in Eureka (707-443-6542). I would also enjoy more articles
cles about classic travel trailers will He talked me through blocking up about places relatively close to where
continue in future issues. the bad axle on the tandem-axle I live in southwest Oklahoma. There
I have unsuccessfully tried to get trailer and we went limped back to are city parks near me with RV
info on my trailer, and I’m hoping you Eureka. They let us stay in their lot hookups in Sayre and Anadarko.
folks would have more sources and overnight, diagnosed the problem Maybe an article about such parks
better luck at it. I am also interested and fixed it along with quite a few would be interesting to other readers
in finding unique artifacts pertaining other good tips. They were true gen- too. Also, I really like reading about
to our trailer, but I am limited in tlemen, stuck to their estimate and antique RVs.
knowing what related resources might got us on our way. We can recom- Craig Custer, Via email q
be available. mend them with no reservations.
Tony DeLuca, Virginia, Minn. Edmund Strickler, Livingston, Tex.
Strumming the Guitar
Tony, we’re glad you’re keeping your FACEBOOK POLL
very cool Silver Streak trailer in action. My favorite thing to do at the campsite
A quick Internet search reveals sev- is to enjoy a crackling fire and take in
How would you describe
eral sources of information about the the surroundings. A couple of months
your own RV lifestyle?
Silver Streak, including Tin Can ago we spent a few days at Lake Law-
Tourists (www.tincantourists.com) tonka, near the Wichita Mountains,
that has history, models, interior lay- which are part of the wildlife refuge of
outs, unique options and many pic- the same name in southwest Okla- 44%
Part-time camper
tures. You also might want to check homa. Thanks for the excellent article
32% Occasional camper
Write to:Trailer Life, 3300 Fernbrook Lane N., Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55447 14% Full-timer living in my RV
TALK TO US!
or e-mail [email protected]. Please include your full name and location.
7% Soon-to-be camper
6 TRAILERLIFE October 2012
YOUR RV ISN’T A CAR. DON’T INSURE IT LIKE ONE.
Progressive covers your RV in ways auto policies don’t. With Total Loss
Replacement and Personal Effects Coverage we’ll replace your totaled RV
with a new one and cover your personal belongings too. Taking care of your
home away from home, now that’s Progressive.
1-800-PROGRESSIVE | LOCAL AGENT | PROGRESSIVE.COM
Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & affi liates. All coverage is subject to policy terms. Total Loss Replacement coverage is not available for all vehicles and coverage selections. Not available in NY.
11D00460 (06/11) Progressive, Circle 140 on Reader Service Card
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A R NEWS |EVENTS |PEOPLE |PLACES |PARKS |RV TRENDS by Amanda Lepinski
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Visitors should be sure to travel Darling Hill road in East Burke where the route is lined with century-old maple trees. OTOS C
H
P
Fall in Love
Vermont’s “Northeast Kingdom” is a vacation paradise
As the air develops a chill dents, or one-tenth of the one knows each other’s classic Victorian building.
and tree leaves change from state’s total population, name. That said, farming Built in 1904, the Haskell
green gradients to various however in many towns, like the land is something King- Free Library and Opera
shades of red, orange and Willoughby and Westmore, dom residents take pride in; House straddles the U.S.-
yellow, many people venture about twenty percent of the living off of fresh-grown Canadian border. For a truly
out to enjoy nature’s trans- population heads to warmer produce and raising animals unique experience, catching
formation. Fall colors can be climates from late fall until for dairy and meat. a show means that patrons
seen throughout most of the Memorial Day Weekend. Mixing history and en- in the auditorium are in the
country and some of the The Kingdom truly appeals tertainment, the Kingdom United States while per-
most popular places to to outdoor enthusiasts by explodes with a variety of formers on stage are tech-
catch a glimpse of nature’s offering up nearly 200,000 places to go and things to nically in Canada.
vibrant wonder are found acres within publically see. Ideal for families, the Book travel to the King-
along the New England owned or have public recre- Fairbanks Museum & Plan- dom the last few weeks of
states. In particular, Ver- ation/access easements etarium in St. Johnsbury September into the first few
mont’s Northeast Kingdom such as Big Falls State was founded in 1889 and weeks of October to catch
offers a variety of foliage, Park, Victory Basin Wildlife contains animals and arti- the peak of fall colors. Infor-
animals, activities and his- Management Area, facts, dolls and tools, shells mation: 800-884-8001,
tory, sure to satisfy any trav- Willoughby State Forest, and fossils, all set within a www.travelthekingdom.com.
eler. Fifty towns and two Averill Mountain WMA, Bill
cities are nestled through- Sladyk WMA, the Long Trail
out this part of the state State Forest and the Nulhe-
DEAD NORTH – FARMLAND OF TERROR
known as the Northeast gan Basin Division.
Kingdom spreading across The lifestyle of the King-
approximately one-fifth of dom is set in a time where October 5-6, 12-13; 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.Wagon
Vermont. The Kingdom is mom-and-pop businesses rides, a half-mile walk of terror through a haunted
home to roughly 64,000 resi- line the streets and every- cornfield and buildings give visitors a Halloween-esque
experience.802-748-1399, www.vermontcornmaze.com
8 TRAILERLIFE October 2012
Bully Dog, Circle 116 on Reader Service Card
A R O U N D
B E N D
TH E
Clean and
Functional
Efficient Fire
Inside and Out
To save space as well as the
Starcraft’s 2013 Autumn privacy. And while enter- matter heat or cool hassle of a mess, the BIC
Ridge travel trailers taining, there’s no need to breeze, the directional FlameDisk is a product billed as
afford space and options run in and out of the vents provide a 20 per- a charcoal alternative for grills.
for families of any size or trailer to keep an eye on cent increase in airflow FlameDisk fits comfortably in-
while entertaining guests. dinner or miss out on throughout the trailer, side most charcoal grills and of-
Capable of bunking up to quality family or friend keeping campers happy. fers a quick-heating, cleaner
9 people, Autumn Ridge time, an outdoor kitchen Autumn Ridge’s thought- way to grill. Marketed as ready-
travel trailers offer plenty including a fridge, sink ful addition keeps mud to-use only a few minutes after
of interior space among and Coleman grill come out of the trailer with a lighting, the FlameDisk provides
13 floor plans ranging standard. standard outdoor a steady flame for about 35-45
from 23 feet to 38 feet in Dual exterior speak- shower; perfect for dirty minutes and cooks at nearly the
overall length. Families ers add your favorite dogs, kids coming in same rate as charcoal. When the
with kids or grandkids playlist to a relaxing from swimming or those flame burns out, FlameDisk
will love the bunk-bed night outside the trailer who want to wash a day’s cools rapidly for easy disposal
options on certain floor with friends or keep you dirt off their feet. Pricing with no ashes or soot, according
plans, giving kids their up-to-date with weather starts at $16,800. to the company. Taking up less
own area to play so the and news on the radio. 800-945-4787, space (and weight) than charcoal
adults can enjoy a little Speaking of weather, no www.starcraftrv.com. bags, the FlameDisk is a wel-
come addition to just about any
camping trip. MSRP: $4.99 (one
Spotlight RV Show disk). www.amazon.com.
The 60th Annual California RV Show takes place at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., Octo-
ber 12-21, where RVIA and RV manufacturers will be showcasing their newest products.
This year, the show layout will welcome guests with a campground front entrance com-
plete with several RV products. Additionally, a mobile application is being developed to
release the show layout in advance with a list of RV seminars and cooking shows among
more. Guests can enter to win a brand new 2013 Lance lightweight trailer by Lance
Camper Manufacturing. Show goers can take advantage of complimentary RV parking,
while vehicle parking is $10. Tickets are $10 for adults, children under 17 are free;
multi-day wristbands are available for $15. 818-248-6600, www.thebestrvshow.com.
READER RECIPE:
(serves 8-10 people) Lindsay Strand, Minnetonka, Minn., says, “This hearty
PUMPKIN and comforting soup will warm you up on chilly autumn nights and has become
a long-standing Thanksgiving tradition in our family.”
CARROT SOUP
Directions:
Saute sliced onion until golden brown. Bring the onion,
Ingredients:
bay leaf, carrots and chicken broth to a boil and sim-
• 1 cup heavy cream • ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
mer for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Puree the
• 1 large onion, sliced • 3 tablespoons chopped
mixture and then return it to the pot. Stir in
• 2 tablespoons butter chives or scallions
the nutmeg and brown sugar. Reduce
• 1 29-ounce can of pumpkin • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
the heat and stir in the cream. Add
• 2 carrots, chopped • 1 bay leaf
chives and/or scallions, salt and
• 3 13-ounce cans of
pepper to taste. Enjoy!
chicken broth
Have a great recipe? Email your recipe and finished food photo to [email protected].
10 TRAILERLIFE October 2012