When Forest River Inc. introduced its No Boundaries travel trailer lineup in late 2017, the rugged towable line helped push the envelope in lightweight, versatile trailers that could be towed by the type of smaller vehicles often used to head off-highway. The modified teardrops have proven popular with outdoors enthusiasts by offering such features as a mix-and-match Rhino Rack system for carrying everything from jerry cans on the side to kayaks on the roof.
Built with a 12-volt DC power system and solar prep, the line comes in both “traditional” travel trailers as well as off-road editions.
Small wonder that Rollin’ On TV, the nation’s premier weekly RV-oriented show, partnered with Forest River in 2020 to offer a specially outfitted “NoBo” travel trailer as the grand prize in a raffle designed to benefit KOA Care Camps. The camps host children with cancer to a fee-free week of camping at various locations throughout the year. Since inception, Care Camps has raised more than $16 million so kids can attend camp.
The first “NoBo” trailer was awarded Dec. 16. Response was, in the words of ROTV Producer Jose Moniz, “tremendous” — so ROTV and Forest River are going to do it again.
The grand prize this year is a No Boundaries 16.6 bunk bed model that will be customized with eye-catching graphics by Graphix Unlimited “and all the latest custom features we can add and build into it,” Moniz said. While last-minute additions haven’t yet been finalized — the raffle goes “live” May 1 — it’s expected that the No Boundaries trailer will be fully equipped for off-grid living with such components as a Winegard 360 Air, Go Power! 300-watt solar system with inverter, No Dirty Water purification system and more.
In addition to the grand prize, there will be a number of other prizes awarded, as well, including an inflatable kayak and electric bike. For more information, visit https://rollinontv.com.
RV enthusiasts are well aware of the continual ups-and-downs of prices at the gas pump. Graphing fuel prices is like creating an outline of a particularly angular mountain range.
According to GasBuddy, an online firm that tracks fuel prices by covering more than 150,000 gas stations in North America, that graph will be on an upward trajectory for the next few months.
According to the site — which can be downloaded as an app or monitored at www.gasbuddy.com — the national average for a gallon of gas may breach the $3 barrier by Memorial Day. The last time the national average reached that level was October 10, 2014.
There are some things you can do to lessen the pain at the pump. GasBuddy recommends a number of tips to save money during and after the price rollup:
- Shop around — gas prices can vary as much as $1 per gallon in some areas;
- Drive mindfully — aggressive driving can reduce gas milage by as much as 40%;
- Pay and save — joining a gas station loyalty program can save drivers hundreds of dollars per year on fuel. The app, by the way, offers a “free forever” gas card that provides savings of as much as 25 cents per gallon; go to enroll.gasbuddy.com for more details.
Wondering where to stay during your travels this summer? Canpendium, a popular web app that allows users to search, review, preview and even take a virtual tour of more than 21,000 campgrounds thoughout the lower 48 states and Alaska, recently announced its Fourth Annual Campers Choice Awards.
The awards recognize 527 campgrounds that received four or more 5-star reviews in 2020 from the Campendium community.
Among the top winners:
- Best National Park Campground — Gros Ventre Campground, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson, WY
- Best National Forest Campground — Nomad View Dispersed, Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Wall, SD
- Best BLM Camping — Sacred White Shell Mountain, Mosca, CO
- Best Free Camping — Nomad View Dispersed, Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Wall, SD
- Best RV Park — Mountain View Campground, Hiawassee, GA
- Best State Campground — Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Santa Rosa Beach, FL
- Best County Park Campground — Gilbert Ray Campground, Tucson, AZ
- Best City Campground — Junction City Park, Junction, TX
The site also shows best camping of 2020 by state and best camping overall by state. All awards also provide direct links and additional information on each park.
Beyond campground reviews, Campendium provides visitors to its site with links to camping gear coupons, promo codes and deals, a list of free campgrounds in every state and even a state-by-state rundown of dump station locations. Visit https://www.campendium.com for more details.
The iconic image of an Airstream “silver bullet” travel trailer is perhaps the most recognizable shape in the RV industry. Founded by Wally Byam, Airstream Inc. is the oldest RV manufacturer in the world. Needless to say, there are a lot of these riveted aluminum trailers (and motorized units) on the road today— with more leaving the company’s Jackon Center, Ohio, complex every day. The company recently announced its “Caravan to Carbon Neutral” initiative, which seeks to neutralize estimated carbon emissions created by the driving of the company’s products.
Airstream will directly underwrite the planting of a approximately 118,405 trees by the National Forest Foundation (NFF). Those trees are projected to help sequester the estimated carbon generated by the first year of driving of new Airstream travel trailers and coaches manufactured in 2021. That figure also includes the estimated carbon emitted during the manufacturing and transportation of Airstreams to dealerships nationwide.
The initiative also allows any Airstream owner to help through the purchase of “Carbon Reduction Kits” from the NFF. The kits are available in Silver ($50), Gold ($100) and Platinum ($250) levels, are tax-deductible and 100% of the proceeds will directly support the NFF’s tree-planting program. The program will be ongoing beyond 2021.
Purchasers of the kits will be recognized with custom decals, flags to display on their Airstream and other signifiers.
Airstream has long been a proponent of reducing its environmental impact. The electricity used at its production facility is offset by renewable energy credits and airstream vehicles are Certified Green by TRA Certification, Inc., a third-party rating system based upon resource consumption, energy and water efficiency and indoor air quality during the manufacturing process.
For more information, visit https://www.airstream.com.
Given the exploding popularity of the Blackstone griddle line with RVers, the JayPort should find a ready audience. The system incorporates a 2-inch receiver hitch that fits into a campside receptacle on the Jayco trailer and mounts either a 17-inch single-zone or 22-inch duel-zone Blackstone griddle.
“We worked extensively with Blackstone on a way to offer their griddles in our campers in a way that is unique and functional for our customers,” noted Matt Fisher, Jayco director of product development-Jay Flight.
One of the oldest and largest RV clubs in America — the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) — is currently offering a discounted enrollment fee of just $60 to welcome new RV owners to its community and introduce them to the support the group provides.
Among the benefits of an FMCA membership are the FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program; a tire-purchasing program; group rates on roadside assistance; RV and auto insurance; and discounts on mobile Internet access through Sprint. Then, too, there’s the camaraderie that develops among people enjoying the common interest of RV travel — the world’s largest nonprofit association for RV owners, FMCA currently has nearly 150,000 active members. FMCA also annually holds several major rallies each year featuring technical seminars, products, new RV displays, games and plenty of fellow members. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, the association recently staged its 102nd International Convention & RV Expo in Perry, Georgia; the 103rd International Convention & RV Expo is slated for July 7-10 in Gillette, Wyoming.
Available for a limited time, the discounted rate is $25 off a regular membership — a 30% savings. For more information, visit http://join.fmca.com/join60-b/.