--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When you pass a construction site and see something hanging from a crane, you probably stop just to look. So imagine if you saw this: a pickup truck dangling from a crane more than 30 feet in the air. But this isn't just any pickup truck, it's the new 2008 Ford Super Duty. Since a large portion of full size pickup truck owners work in the construction industry, Ford transformed a parking lot into a construction site to make a point when it launched the new Super Duty at the Texas State Fair.

(See video at: http://media.medialink.com/WebNR.aspx?story=32454)

Despite all the talk to the contrary, Ford is confident that the full size pickup segment will remain strong as long as the economy is growing. The company estimates that 2.3 million pickups will be sold industry wide in 2006 and, in the end, Ford is confident that for the 30th straight year it will be the leader in the pickup truck business.

The new 2008 Ford Super Duty has some features that are a first in the industry, including a step integrated into the tailgate, which allows you to walk right up into the bed of the truck.

The new 2008 Ford Super Duty pickup goes on sale in early 2007.

COLUMBUS, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI) announced today the availability of its Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel engine for the 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 models beginning January 2007, providing increased performance for outstanding towing capability and drivability.

The Cummins Turbo Diesel will feature increased displacement of 6.7 liters, with increased horsepower and torque. The all-new 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, producing 650 lb-ft of torque, has a life-to-overhaul interval of 350,000 miles, providing more than a 100,000-mile advantage over the competition. Full Story...

MISSOULA, Mont. — In addition to its wide-open skies, roaming grizzlies and world-class fly fishing, Montana has another lure for Californians: the prospect of a tax dodge.

Much to the displeasure of California law enforcement officials, Montana has become a haven for motor home owners who prefer not to pay the Golden State's sales tax when they buy their costly coaches. Montana has no sales tax, and recreational-vehicle aficionados are taking a break from their road maps and AAA Trip-Tiks to set up shell corporations in the state.

Doing so allows them to take advantage of loose registration laws — without having to set foot in Montana — and shave perhaps $20,000 off the cost of a luxury motor home. Enough Californians are doing it to support a cottage industry in Missoula, where a dozen or so people make a living creating tax avoidance plans for RV owners. Full Story...

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ay and Karen DiEugenio, along with their three young sons, Nick (14), Luke (12) and Frankie (5), pursued a lifelong dream of tailgating at NFL games around the country last year. They visited all the cities with NFC teams in their RV and published a tailgating cookbook called I Got Your Tailgate Party Right Here.

Along the way, the DiEugenios discovered the many rewards of RV travel. “We got to experience our favorite hobbies—football and tailgating—together as a family,” said Jay DiEugenio. “Our family really bonded as we discovered America, met interesting people and wrote our cookbook.”

The DiEugenios enjoyed their RV travels so much that they decided to visit all the AFC stadiums for the 2006-07 football season. This year’s tour will be substantially upgraded with laptops, digital video and still cameras. The RVing family will have an active blog and vlog on their YourTailgateParty.com website, with links to the GoRVing.com website. The kids will be “road schooled” during the trip with schoolwork and encouragement from their local school district.

RVIA’s marketing communications agency, Barton Gilanelli, will arrange media interviews with the DiEugenios during their NFL tailgating tour. They will promote GoRVing.com in every interview as the best resource for families interested in RV travel. They will also discuss the advantages of tailgating in an RV and the many discoveries they have made while touring America by RV.

Fleetwood RV is providing the DiEugenios with a 2007 Bounder Diesel Type A motorhome for this NFL season. Amenities includes slideouts and a satellite dish-ready 26” LCD TV with home theater sound system.

“RVIA has had great success promoting RV tailgating with Commissioner of Tailgating Joe Cahn in years past emphasizing the tasty food and community spirit tailgaters enjoy,” said Gary LaBella, RVIA’s vice president of public relations and advertising. “The DiEugenios are adding family togetherness to the RV tailgating recipe as they’re interviewed in stadium parking lots before games and on the road.”


RVIA (rvia.org) is the national association representing more than 550 manufacturers and component suppliers producing approximately 98 percent of all RVs made in the United States.

RESTON, Va. (September 22, 2006) — Jim Kaat has devoted the past 50 years to major league baseball, first as an All-Star pitcher, and now as a broadcaster for the New York Yankees. He also has another passion: traveling in his state-of-the-art recreation vehicle.

The former king of the hill is now the king of the road. “I’ve gone from being a major league pitcher to a major league RV owner,” says Kaat. “I’ll travel roughly 5,000 miles in my RV this year. It’s a great way to see America, and as relaxed a way to see the country as there can possibly be.”

When the Yankee season ends, Kaat, his wife, Mary Ann, and their two cats, hit the road in their 36-foot motorhome, and by the end of the year will have visited at least 20 states.

“You can’t beat the convenience and comforts of an RV,” says Kaat. “It really takes the stress and hassle out of traveling.”

The RV makes it possible for Kaat to combine his love of travel with golf. “I’ll play many of the top courses during our trips,” he says. “The nice thing about the RV is that we have our home with us. We don’t have worry about reservations and losing our golf clubs or our luggage. We keep everything we need onboard and we’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. And we don’t have to leave our cats behind.”

The Kaat’s motorhome has a living room and bedroom that both slide out with the push of a button to create extra space. “I love that feature,”says Kaat. “When we pull into a campground and put the slides out, we have all the room we need. I also have plenty of storage space for my clubs.”

Kaat appreciates the freedom and flexibility RVs offer. “RVing allows for impromptu detours,” says Kaat. “If something looks interesting, we can go exploring because we’re not on a set
schedule. And if Mary Ann and I get tired while we’re on the road, we’ll take a break and have a snack in our climate-controlled motorhome.”

The Kaats also enjoy spending time at RV campgrounds as they travel around the country. “We’re real campers,” says Kaat. “When we pull into a campground, we love to roll out our awning, set up our lounge chairs and cook on our grill.”

From 1959-1982, Kaat won 283 games in the big leagues pitching for five teams. His best season came in 1966 when he won 25 games for the Minnesota Twins. He was an All-Star three times, won 16 Gold Glove awards and earned a World Series ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.

Kaat discovered RVing through baseball friends Bob Gibson and Bill White, who are avid RV owners. “They got us interested, so we rented an RV for a couple trips and found out about all the benefits and decided to buy our own,” says Kaat.

As a professional athlete and Yankees broadcaster, Kaat is a frequent traveler. But he’ll tell you his most memorable trips have been in his RV.

Order a free RV “getting-started” DVD or CD-ROM at 1-888-Go RVing or GoRVing.com. Surf the website for lists of Go RVing dealers and campgrounds in your area, as well as RV shows, publications, rental sources and clubs. Or write to: RVIA, P.O. Box 2999, Dept. P, Reston, VA 20195.

RVIA (rvia.org) is the national association representing more than 550 manufacturers and component suppliers producing approximately 98 percent of all RVs made in the United States.

First time RVers get off to rocky start:

"How are we going to endure another two weeks of this?" I whispered to Annabel as I turned on the mattress with what seemed like inches of space above my nose. She couldn't hear me above the 'BEEP, BEEP, BEEP' of a reversing dump truck. It was well past midnight.

The RV campground we were staying at consisted of downtown acreage that was now worth a fortune to developers. Because the building season is so short in the Canadian Rockies the condominium units were being thrown up 24-hours per day.

But by the the end of their two-week vacation they had learned why RVing is so great:

At the end of our two weeks RVing holiday we didn't want the holiday to end. We had sussed out how to use our little home to maximum advantage.

For anyone with young children, it's a soft adventure holiday I'd highly recommend and the advantages are obvious. You don't have to pack up each morning to move to yet another hotel room. Full Story...

CHEHALIS, Wash. Carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected in the deaths of two hunters in a travel trailer at a campground south of Packwood.


Fred Ramiskey and his son-in-law Melvin Daniel, both of Puyallup, were found dead Friday by a third hunter in their party, Robert Haney of Yelm. Haney told investigators he slept next to an open window and awakened with a terrible headache and trouble moving. Full Story...

Lots of campgrounds are dog-friendly; Four Paws Kingdom is dog-centric.

The three-year-old business in Rutherfordton, N.C., has more amenities for dogs than it does for their people.

The four-legged creatures get a huge fenced dog park, a separate fenced small-dog play area, an agility playground, an obedience arena, a doggy bathhouse and grooming stations, hiking trails and a swimming pond. The two-legged creatures share the hiking trails and swimming pond. Full Story...

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CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- A Cape Coral, Fla., man was justified in shooting an intruder who forced his way into the man�s motor home at a Wal-Mart parking lot, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Iron County Attorney Scott Garrett said no charges will be filed against Carl Coltellino, who was taking his wife, Tracy, and their two daughters to Grand Canyon National Park when they made an overnight stop July 25 at the Wal-Mart in Cedar City. Full Story...

MONROE Wisconsin -- They come from all over: Illinois, Iowa, California, Indiana and Florida. They inhabit the Green County Fairgrounds for one weekend every other September. They have a wanderlust.

Mike Zigler of Sterling, Ill. washes the windshield of his "diesel pusher" motor home Thursday at the Green County Fairgrounds. Zigler is a member of the Cruisin' Chariots, a 35-unit motor home club that has attended Cheese Days for at least 10 years.

People, mostly retirees, converge on Monroe in campers and motor homes to take in Cheese Days, held in September of even years. For up to five days, the migrants mingle with friends and strangers. They take in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Cheese Days. They live life away from home in total comfort.

"Cheese Days is the draw. We come together to catch up," said Jim Vitte of Lyndon, Ill., at his sixth Cheese Days via motor coach.

Vitte is a member of Cruisin' Chariots, a 35-unit chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association. Ten of the chapter's 35 units were coming to Cheese Days.

Vitte, like many temporary Monroe residents, arrived late Thursday morning, hoping to get one of the prime spots. Clem Brabender of Gurnee, Ill., did the same thing. He's been coming to Cheese Days since 2000. Full Story...

hen Ken Broostin drives down the highway, other drivers stare.

Some point, while others laugh and wave.

But, when you’re driving a motorhome that looks like an enormous Tweety Bird, attracting attention is to be expected.

“This is ‘Tweety’,” said Broostin, of Foyil, sliding the side door open on the bright yellow motor home. “Come on in.”

From the outside, yellow and aluminum, Tweety looks just like its namesake with wheels. From the inside, it has all the comforts of home — stove, sink, bed — with a few Tweety Bird throw pillows, just to make sure you don’t forget where you are.

There are Tweety Bird dolls, mugs, and even a Tweety Bird keychain to help start the classic motor home.

But it was hardly love at first sight for Broostin.

“My wife, Doree, and I were looking to buy a motor vehicle a few years ago, when we saw ‘Tweety’ at a lot in Catoosa,” he recalled. “At the time, we both saw it and kind of went ‘ Ugh! We don’t know about this ...’ but it eventually grew on us, and now, Doree doesn’t want us to ever get another one — she says ‘Tweety’ is her favorite.” Full Story...
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The RV Group recorded an operating loss of $13.3 million in the quarter, compared with an operating loss of $5.1 million last year. At the operating line, the motor home division incurred a loss of $3.5 million compared to earnings of $5.2 million in the prior year; the travel trailer division lost $10.0 million compared with a loss of $8.7 million; and the folding trailer division earned $0.2 million compared to a loss of $1.6 million. The results in motor homes were primarily attributable to a 24 percent drop in revenues, which were $225.2 million, compared with $297.8 million in the prior year. Although travel trailer sales were up 16 percent to $121.7 million from $104.8 million, previously reported difficulties with the changeover to the new model year products and part shortages led to incremental labor and freight costs. Folding trailer sales increased by 18 percent to $24.3 million from $20.6 million, which, in conjunction with significant cost reductions, led to improved margins. Full Story...

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Tropical Storm Ernesto left many parts of Dare County flooded but little other damage was reported.

One of the few serious related incidents was in Rodanthe where seven campers received minor injuries after the camper they were staying in was blown over during the early morning hours on Friday, Sept. 1.

Mike Daughterty, chief of Chicamacomico Volunteer Fire Department, said that the campers -- four adults and three children -- were in a 20 to 25-foot camper waiting out the storm at Cape Hatteras Campground when the camper was blown approximately 30 to 40 feet onto another camp site in the park. Full Story...

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301 Ways to Make RV Travel Safer, Easier and More Fun - save time, money and effort

It takes a few minutes and a paper towel for Cheryl Barnholdt to clean her kitchen and bathroom floors.

“I don’t have much to clean,” said Barnholdt, who lives year-round in a 25-foot motor home.

Barnholdt has spent the past seven summers working for Wall Drug Store (See related story on Page A1).

Life in miniature has its advantages and disadvantages, according to men and women who have forsaken the solid foundation of home for a mobile lifestyle that allows them to explore the country and earn a living as “workampers.”

“Life is easier and lighter, if gas was just cheaper,” Dottie White said. White and her husband, Jake, still have a house in Mississippi where a son lives.

For the Whites, home is a recreational vehicle parked in the small RV park that South Dakota’s 1880 Town provides. Full Story...

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301 Ways to Make RV Travel Safer, Easier and More Fun - save time, money and effort

For people who have never done any serious acting themselves, Loren and Robin Dunfee spend an awful lot of their time directing amateur theater. The Lakeland couple spend 30 to 35 weeks each year producing original dramas.

If that sounds like a lot, consider that almost all of those weeks are spent on the road -- traveling from one town to another, putting up sets and lighting, casting and rehearsing, overseeing one to three live performances, then tearing everything down and moving on to the next town where they'll repeat the process.


The Dunfees travel in a motor home, pulling a trailer with their drama equipment, accompanied by their 12-year-old son, 10-year-old twin daughters and a Boston terrier. The kids are home-schooled by Robin, and the family tries for as much normalcy as possible, with gymnastics and tae kwon do lessons in between trips. There is educational value in their travels, and the children seem to adapt well to the gypsy life, say their parents.

"We love to travel, and we love to see people's lives changed," says Loren Dunfee, 39. Full Story...

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301 Ways to Make RV Travel Safer, Easier and More Fun - save time, money and effort

Apart from all the usual mod cons including spacious dining room, kitchen, bathroom and a couple of bedrooms, the Volkner Mobil mobile home comes complete with its own garage for your car.

As if it were straight out of Knight Rider, the huge motor home, which is based on a 53 seater Mercedes Benz or Volvo bus chassis with tail engine, uses the space normally associated with where you keep you luggage to stow a sports car such as the Smart roadster, BMW mini Cooper Cabriolet, BMW Z 4, Mercedes Benz SLK according to the company. Full Story & photo

"The RVers Guide to Internet Access on the Road" covers all the options for getting internet access... Wi-Fi, Cellular, Satellite... more!