Friends of mine have suggested that I put a new coating on the existing roof, which is not that difficult. Do you agree? I’m afraid if I leave it alone, the roof is going to get much worse and I’ll have no choice but to install a new roof at a much higher cost.
— Dwayne Roberts

Dwayne, I assume you have the original EPDM roof — and after 23 years it’s, well beyond its lifespan due to age, sunlight and weather. The black color is typical for a roof that old.

If you decide to have the rubber roof membrane replaced, make sure that the service people use a high-quality TPO material; it will last much longer than the original roof. I think you’ll be okay using a long-lasting coating on the roof and you can probably do it yourself, which will save a lot of money. Just make sure there are no serious tears or missing sections of membrane. Generally, the membrane needs to be in fairly decent shape to make a coating work properly. There are products available at RV supply stores that are designed specifically this purpose. Just stay away from hardware store products that contain silicone or the petroleum distillates. Dicor (dicorproducts.com) markets products for this purpose and are DIY friendly.

here’s nothing exotic about getting into and out of a trailer or fifth wheel. Steps have been around for as long as there have been entry doors — and those used on towables have looked the same for as long as most owners can remember. Then, a few years ago, a company reimagined how to employ steps, which made for better footing and versatility. These new steps store upright in the entryway and swing out to provide uniform rungs and the ability to stabilize the landing on uneven ground. Quite novel at first and now commonplace.

The current models of these “drawbridge-type” folding steps have been tweaked over the years and provide a high level of safety and convenience. Torklift International (torklift.com), a company known for its RV products, took it a step further (pun intended) with its Glowstep Revolution Uprising product. Actually, these new steps take strong cues from the company’s scissor mechanism that have changed the paradigm when it comes pickup camper entry and egress. Expanding the lineup to include models specifically designed for towables was expected and now are available for rigs with various-size doorways.

V technicians compile a vast amount of knowledge over the years, especially when it comes to absorption refrigerators. While the cooling concept remains the same, these refrigerators have evolved into safer appliances. I can remember when I started RVing in 1972 — you actually had to light a tube with several holes that would run all the way to the burner and heat up a Klixon valve to allow the gas to flow through the burner. Today, RV refrigerators have electronic controls, which should make them more efficient. But hold that thought for a moment.

Although absorption refrigerators have grown in size and capacity, they still utilize cooling units that require heat to move the hydrogen, ammonia and water solution up through the boiler into the condenser. One of the major drawbacks to using high temperatures to make the refrigerator/freezer cold is its operation in hot weather. High ambient temperatures allow the absorber coils to get really hot, which interferes with the separation of the hydrogen, ammonia and water before it goes into the storage tank. As the ammonia vapor tries to turn back into liquid, the temperature needs to be controlled. Efficiency really suffers when the ambient temperature rises well above 100-degrees F.

op-up shops are the rage today — “flash” retailers opening short-term spaces that last for just a few days, often to feed a fad from athletic shoes to fast-dining entrees. Imagine, though, if this concept took over an entire city; as you drive down major routes, you spy location after location displaying their top designs for the coming year.

That’s kind of how Elkhart County, Indiana, looks during the Elkhart RV Open House. It’s four hectic days where virtually every major (and many smaller) manufacturers gear up to introduce their new models to literally thousands of RV dealers who fly or drive to northern Indiana from most every U.S. state and Canadian province.

During those four days, the staff of RVBusiness — the country’s premier trade magazine — views hundreds of new RVs slated for production in order to present what it considers to be the best new towable and motorized RVs. For the 2024 model year, editors of RV Enthusiast joined them in visiting dozens of RV manufacturers during this event. At each stop, we viewed new models and queried executives, product managers and engineers to learn how certain designs and products were developed — and how they were expected to impact the industry.

he RV Suite, a new travel trailer model for the Ibex and No Boundaries brands from Forest River, is a bit of a conundrum. While technically a travel trailer, the unit looks like a compact park model or destination trailer. One observer even said it looks like a train caboose.

It is also the RVBusiness “RV of the Year”.

Why? Because it pushes the envelope. Because it’s loaded with industry-first features. Because it stands out in a “sea of sameness.” Because it successfully offers a glamping experience in a lightweight travel trailer — it’s a comfortable, functional, tech-laden, extended-stay basecamp for adventure.

ith five Delta-branded floorplans already in production, Alliance RV looks to disrupt the travel trailer segment much like what it’s done to the fifth-wheel and toy hauler markets.

According to Eric Bailey, Alliance RV’s product manager overseeing the Delta brand, the line could eventually grow to as many as 10 different configurations. Lengths will range from 26 feet up to 34 feet, with dry weights starting at about 5,500 pounds and topping out at up to 8,000 pounds. MSRP will start in the low $50,000 range.

One of those models, the 294RK, debuted at the Elkhart RV Open House and earned strong consideration as a Top 10 RV of the Year Finalist. The 294RK is a rear kitchen model measuring 33 feet, 11 inches long and 7,156 pounds (UVW).

“What we’ve done here is we’ve come out with a rear kitchen layout, but we’ve done something different,” Bailey said. “It’s a floorplan that you haven’t seen on the market in a travel trailer.” Equipment includes 26 feet of awning coverage, outside TV and a 25-inch griddle; inside, RVers will find everything from a full-size, full-height pantry with a swinging door to a 50-inch TV and 40-inch fireplace. “But really,” Bailey said, “it’s the layout and the feel and the space on the inside that is just awesome.”

alliancerv.com

or 2024, Airstream introduces the all-new Trade Wind, a dual-axle 25-foot travel trailer designed for going way off the pavement — and with the power system to stay there for longer periods of time.

With pricing starting at $129,400 (MSRP), the Trade Wind delivers the largest battery bank, solar array and power monitoring system in any Airstream travel trailer manufactured in the company’s 92-year history.

Standard power features include:

• Three 270-Ah heated lithium Battle Born batteries that form an 810-Ah battery bank and provide four times greater capacity over most other Airstream travel trailer models.
• A 3,000-watt inverter/charger combination that boasts 1,000 added watts above other current Airstream models, with the ability to simultaneously run a microwave and 15,000-Btu air-conditioner.
• A 600-watt solar system doubles energy harvesting capacity above most other Airstream models; an interior monitor is Victron-powered and app-compatible to bring more visibility to power management.
• A SmartPlug 50-amp shore power inlet allows for connection to shore power for extended use and recharging the battery bank.

Featuring a 3-inch suspension lift that provides more ground clearance as well as 16-inch Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse tires, the Trade Wind is positioned between the brand’s International and Globetrotter model lines and available in one floorplan — the 25FB — and two interior décor packages: Terracotta and Fieldstone.

The primary sleeping space has a queen bed (optional twin beds available in early 2024), and when combined with the convertible dinette, Trade Wind can comfortably sleep up to five travelers. When not configured into sleeping accommodations, the dinette can be used for lounge seating or personal workspace. Trade Wind also includes optional features, like a water-saving composting toilet, a convection microwave with air fryer, a rear and roadside window awning package, and rear hatch door with sliding screen.

airstream.com

ow that carpeting is virtually extinct among RV builders, woven vinyl has found its way under — and on — a lot of slideout-room floors. In our fifth wheel, woven vinyl was installed in place of the carpet and we elected to have binding sewed into the edges of the material.

Big mistake.

After a few months of walking on the transition section of woven vinyl permanently adhered to the cabin floor, the binding started to wear — and just a short time later, the cloth-like material gave way entirely and presented a pretty ugly picture. To say it prematurely aged the look of the interior would be an understatement.

ater may sustain life — but when allowed to leak in an RV it does just the opposite. When leaking water goes unchecked in an RV, the results can be disastrous — many RVs have been damaged beyond repair from water that was allowed to flood the interior. If you don’t find out about a leak until water drips on the ground — or pours out the entry door — it’s likely too late. Last month, neighbors who left their motorhome vacant in an RV park got a rude awakening when the interior flooded due to a leaking faucet. The damage would have been much worse if friends didn’t notice the wet ground under the motorhome and shut off the water.

You can prevent an expensive clean-up by taking a proactive stance and installing inexpensive leak detectors that can give you advance warning before things get out of control. Not only is this easy to do, but the cost is peanuts when compared to potential repair bills.