Sand and surf in LA area for less than $40 a night - At Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey campers get an occasional whiff of a nearby sewage treatment plant and the regular roar of planes from LA International. But they also have sand and ocean views for a bargain price in winter. Los Angeles Times
Fleetwood Enterprise Inc. stock drops to an all-time low - While the recreational vehicle manufacturer was showing off its new hybrid RVs at the National RV Trade Show in Louisville, its stock dropped to 12 cents a share. Inland Valley Bulletin
A new theme has been rolled out with revisions to the following pages:
RV Industry Slumps - RV shipments for 2008 may be at a 12-year low this year and may slip further in 2009. “Credit restrictions are causing RV buyers to delay purchases and RV dealers to keep inventories low ” - Bloomburg.com
Poor economy adds to recreational vehicle industry woes - Innovations are being displayed at the national trade show this week while sales are dropping. The faltering economy, this summer’s record high gas prices, and the credit crisis have resulted in a 27% drop in shipments to dealers compared to last year. CNNMoney.com
RV in a chase by police ends in a crash - An Arizona man fled in his RV after pulling a gun on paramedics, then crashed his motor home after a police chase. TucsonCitizen.com
Coachmen expects profit after selling RV business - The company plans to focus on manufactured housing and specialty vehicles. It expects to sell 400 to 500 handicapped-accessible vehicles that sit low to the ground and have retractable ramps. Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
RVing to the Inauguration? Parking of self-contained RVs 11 miles from the nation’s capitol — 4 days for $950 (includes shuttle to metro station) — money raised to go to a scolarship fund. PR.com
Hybrid Motor Home: “Built on the ecoFRED, a hybrid electric power train system chassis fromFreightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, Fleetwood Hybrid features increasedfuel economy up to 42%* and can be re-fueled at any diesel fuel station” International Business Times
Texas Motor Speedway adds luxury RV spots - “TMS is decreasing its seating capacity for 2009 from 159,000 seats to 138,000 by removing 21,000 seats in the backstretch. Those seats will be replaced by 74 luxury spots for motor coaches.” Star-Telegram.com
Thor Industries inc. says fiscal first-quarter income dropped 87% - Forbes.com
Coachmen getting out of the RV business - deal with Forest River prohibits manufacturing RVs for five years. More at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly.
RV industry has seen much worse times - Elkhart County unemployment reached 10.7% in October, but in the late 70s, early 80s, unemployment was nearly double that. More at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly.
New Trailer Line at Camping World - Camping World will be selling lightweight recreational vehicle trailers from Little Guy Teardrop Camper Trailers. Models are available around 500 lbs and range in length fro 4 to 6 feet. See press release for more information.
Madison, Wisconsin, September 9, 2008
I started working today on updating the RV manufacturer pages on Haw Creek Outdoors and on the first site — Airstream — noticed a very big change.
The only motorized Airstream in the 2008 lineup is the Interstate — what Airstream calls a touring coach.
There’s no SkyDeck motorhome on the site. Not only that, there’s no large motor home of any kind.
AutoWeek called the SkyDeck “a frat house on wheels.” It’s only 10 inches taller than a 
standard coach, but, with its roof top deck, in good weather it has essentially twice the usable”floor” space. There’s room on the top for as many as 15 people, including amenities such as wet bar, barbecue, and entertainment center.
While the SkyDeck was included in the 2007 lineup, along with a couple of other motor coaches, it looks like Airsteam has returned to what they do best, for the most part, with several models of quality trailers and the Interstate touring coach.
RVers who call ahead can time their visit to take advantage of various ways to avoid crowds. Information officers can provide data about conditions that affect the volume of visitors, such as weather and scheduled park activities. Also, some locations allow RVers to reserve campsites in advance.
Continue reading about Crowd Free Camping - Call Ahead Before Going.
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