Tag Archives: RV

30mp Service to an RV

By CyrilNewf

I have permanently connected my RV to a small building and am using it as a cottage. The building has power and I want to connect the RV. One option is to install a 30 amp outlet and plug in the RV. Another is to connect the RV’s power cord (minus the plug) directly to a single pole 30 amp breaker in the panel box. Is the latter a doable option? Thanks!

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Source: DoItYourself.com

Subpanel Neutral & Ground bonding question

By Steve T MQ

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Hi all,

Did a little bit of research, and can only find conflicting answers. I have a 100A subpanel in the garage, which directly feeds from the main service panel just right next to it (opposite the garage wall) via a 3-wire feeder.

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the #4 green feeder wire (from main pnael) is tapped into the subpanel’s ground bar. Now, I’m planning to convert the 6-50R outlet (connected to the 40A breaker) into a 14-50R so I can plug in our RV. However, this requires a Neutral wire. Based on this wiring diagram I found online, would it be safe to connect the neutral wire to the ground bar?

Or do I need a separate neutral bar to connect to the main panel?

Thank you in advance

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Source: DoItYourself.com

RVania Resident Taxed By New Mexico

By Peter J Reilly, Contributor

Full time RVers have not applied for statehood – yet.  I have not been able to come up with a good estimate of what the population of RVania would be.  I have seen estimates of anywhere from 200,000 to 1,000,000.  The latter would put five states behind RVania in population.  I saw one estimate, a bit implausible, that 500,000 full-time RVers claim South Dakota residence.  That would mean that most of the people who live in South Dakota (Population 833,000 +/-) don’t live in South Dakota.  If you are interested in the RV lifestyle you can find a lot of advice about every aspect of it by googling, including how you should pick your home base.  Not surprisingly, state income tax is a consideration.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

how much bleach for clean water system in RV?

By kmeyer301

Does anyone know how much bleach should be put in a RV water system to clean it out overnight? They would like to clean it out over night in about 6-12 hrs. They have a 6 cubic square ft water tank for drinking water. have read they can put as low as .75 cups of bleach in the system to clean it but i read u can do 3.5 for our volume.

I am asking this for my son and his buddy that are in another state. I don’t know the answers and I don’t have an RV but I thought you guys might be able to give some good help. Thanks

Source: DoItYourself.com

‘Inspiration Mars Foundation’ Mission Flooded With Applicants For Planned Voyage To Red Planet

By The Huffington Post News Editors

By: Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer
Published: 04/16/2013 10:01 AM EDT on SPACE.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — They’ll be crammed into a space the size of an RV for more than a year, breathing recycled air, subsisting on dehydrated food and drinking their purified urine. If they die, they’ll be freeze-dried in a body bag. And if they survive, they’ll have to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at a screaming 8.8 miles (14.2 kilometers) per second.

But the applications are already rolling in for the first manned mission to Mars, the project team said Thursday (April 11).

Speaking at the National Space Symposium here, members of the Inspiration Mars Foundation described the challenges inherent in launching two humans on a 501-day flyby journey to the Red Planet and back in January 2018, but remained optimistic that those challenges aren’t insurmountable.

“So far, we haven’t come up with any show-stoppers, so that’s exciting,” said Jane Poynter, president of the Paragon Space Development Corp., which has partnered with Inspiration Mars. [Private Manned Mars Mission (Gallery)]

Making history

Millionaire Dennis Tito, who became the first space tourist in 2001, unveiled Inspiration Mars‘ “Mission for America” in February.

The goal is to send two people (a man and a woman, possibly a married couple) on a 501-day there-and-back flyby around Mars in January 2018. The positions of Earth and Mars are then ideal for such a quick trip; the next such opportunity won’t come around until 2031.

The date also coincides with an 11-year solar minimum, meaning the Inspiration Mars crew will be exposed to less solar radiation than during other launch windows, officials said.

Tito plans to fund the Inspiration Mars Foundation for the first two years with his own money, with private donations covering the rest of the mission’s costs.

The plan is to use a commercially available spacecraft, rockets and hardware to get the space-faring couple to the Red Planet. SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is one possibility, but that vehicle has not yet been used to transport people, only cargo.]

“There are a lot of unknowns. We don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket,” Tito told SPACE.com in February. [Infographic: Private Mission to Mars]

A ‘simple’ mission

The goal of the mission is to inspire the public — and Congress — to recommit to long-distance space travel, Tito said at the National Space Symposium.

To prove that humans can explore deep space, Tito and his team are planning a stripped-down, austere mission: The spacecraft will pass within 100 miles (161 km) of Mars’ surface, but won’t enter orbit or touchdown, because that would require additional propulsion systems.

“It’s like a boomerang,” Tito said. “You throw it out there and it comes right back in 501 days.” 

As part of the keep-it-simple philosophy, the crew won’t go on any spacewalks during the mission, and opportunities for

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/inspiration-mars-foundation-mission-applicants-red-planet_n_3094726.html

Rv deep cycle batteries

By CougGuy

I have a two year old RV fitted with two deep cycle batteries. Never have had a problem with the electrical until this weekend: The batteries didn’t appear to charge or hold a charge. After driving several hours to the campsite, I checked the batteries to find they were low. Started and ran generator to charge them. When I shutdown the generator, checked the battery indicator which was ‘full’ but within five minutes went to empty. Repeated attempts to charge using the installed generator, shore power and the RV engine had similiar results.

I believe the most likely cause is the batteries are shot but don’t want to believe it — theyre only a couple of years old, don’t get alot of use and I’m religious about ensuring there is sufficient electrolyte levels.

Short of buying two new batteries, any suggestions on validating and isolating the problem?

From: http://www.doityourself.com/forum/pick-up-trucks-campers-trailers-rvs-motor-homes/493280-rv-deep-cycle-batteries.html

T3 Motion Prepares to Launch New T3 Vision Series Personal Electric Vehicle

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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T3 Motion Prepares to Launch New T3 Vision Series Personal Electric Vehicle

The Revolutionary T3 Vision™ Series Vehicles are designed to compete in the Consumer, Resorts, RV and Touring markets

COSTA MESA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– www.t3motion.com– T3 Motion, Inc. (NYSE MKT: TTTM) the dominant leading provider of EV technology to law-enforcement and government markets, today announced their upcoming launch into the consumer and related markets with the development of a new personal EV, the T3 Vision™ Series, which will launch in the coming weeks. The T3 Vision™ Series, after completing rigorous beta and final field testing, has now entered full production and will be released and widely distributed throughout a new global dealer network.

“With the huge success of our professional T3 Patroller™ Series in law enforcement and commercial security applications where we hold an estimated 84% market share, we’re now prepared to launch a next generation ESV designed to fulfill the large number of requests we receive for a smaller consumer sized vehicle where we believe our superior and patented technology will once again demonstrate our ability to dominate the market.”

“As an important element of our aggressive, growth-oriented business plan the new Vision™ Series of vehicles will target new markets first by launching into the consumer market space and then also expanding us in to numerous other commercial transportation solutions. The beautiful new designs and functionality we’ve incorporated in to our T3 Vision™ Series vehicles will set new standards and offer significant advantages over any other competitive technology in the market today,” stated William Tsumpes, T3 Motion Chief Executive Officer.

“As the proven leader in Electric Standup Vehicles technology T3’s new Vision™ Series is the result of 7 years of experience in building vehicles to meet the demanding environments of government and law enforcement applications but incorporates a consumer-oriented twist, a smaller footprint and rich accessory line, resulting in a fully-customizable vehicle that will be perfectly suited for any market from airports and indoor applications to campuses, parks, RV and touring applications.”

The new vehicles will continue our proud tradition of being “Made in America.”

About T3 Motion

T3 Motion, Inc. (NYSE MKT: TTTM) designs, markets and manufactures the T3 Patroller and Vision Series Electric Stand-up Vehicles. Headquartered in Orange County, California, T3 Motion is dedicated to raising the

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/11/t3-motion-prepares-to-launch-new-t3-vision-series-/

Video: '80s Vixen RV is the 'first driver's motor home'

By Zach Bowman

Filed under:

There is no class of vehicles that drives worse than RVs. Period. Who would of have thought strapping a house worth of furniture, appliances, carpeting and plumbing to a bus would have detrimental effects on a machine’s drivability? It turns out there was one machine in the ’80s that promised to rethink the modern RV. The Vixen was designed and built in Pontiac, Michigan to be everything the rigs of the day were not. Powered by a BMW turbodiesel engine and wearing an aerodynamic body, the Vixen was low enough to fit in most standard garages, had a top speed of 100 miles per hour and could net 30 miles per gallon.

It also happened to look like a suppository. While critics praised the Vixen for its clever packaging, which allowed a six-foot tall individual to stand up inside without ducking, the public didn’t quite rush to take these things home. According to some reports, the Vixen Motor Company only managed to sell 300 original turbodiesel models, and though other variations showed up to attempt to lure in customers, a total of just 587 units were moved over three years, from 1986 to 1989. That makes it something of a novel curiosity today, as evidenced by the fact that the kitschy factory-produced video below has only just now gone viral. Check it out below.

Continue reading ’80s Vixen RV is the ‘first driver’s motor home’

’80s Vixen RV is the ‘first driver’s motor home’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Frontier Communications Sells Its Interest in Mohave Wireless to Verizon Wireless

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Frontier Communications Sells Its Interest in Mohave Wireless to Verizon Wireless

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Frontier Communications Corporation (NAS: FTR) sold its one- third partnership interest in Mohave Cellular Limited Partnership (“Mohave Wireless“) to Verizon Wireless on April 1, 2013. Verizon Wireless now has 100 percent ownership of Mohave Wireless. Financial terms are not being disclosed.

“During the years in which Frontier was the General Partner, the investments in Mohave Wireless enabled the partnership to provide excellent cell coverage and service in northwest Arizona. Traffic – both voice and data, not to mention car, RV and truck – has grown steadily due to the popularity of Lake Havasu City as a resort, Bullhead City for gaming and Kingman as a business and retirement destination. I am proud that we delivered value year over year to all of the partners in this venture,” said Melinda White, Executive Vice President, Revenue Development for Frontier.

Ms. White added, “We are delighted to have the public opportunity to thank the employees of Mohave Wireless for all they did for their customers and the community. Their experience and dedication will be great assets to Verizon Wireless as it integrates Mohave Wireless. We also applaud Verizon Wireless for adding Mohave to their wireless network in the region.”

About Frontier Communications

Frontier Communications Corporation (NAS: FTR) , is an S&P 500 company and is included in the FORTUNE 500 list of America’s largest corporations. Frontier offers broadband, voice, satellite video, wireless Internet data access, entertainment services like TumTiki.com, data security solutions through Frontier Secure, bundled offerings and specialized bundles for residential customers, small businesses and home offices and advanced communications for medium and large businesses in 27 states. Frontier’s approximately 14,700 employees are based entirely in the United States. More information is available at www.frontier.com.

Frontier Communications
Luke Szymczak, 203-614-5044
luke.szymczak@ftr.com

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Arizona  Connecticut

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article Frontier Communications Sells Its Interest in Mohave Wireless to Verizon Wireless originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

LeMons Sears (Even More) Pointless: Even More Winners!

By Murilee Martin

Because the track at Sears Point aka Sonoma Raceway can’t fit more than 175 or so LeMons cars at one time, many of the hundreds of applicants for the 2013 Sears Pointless 24 Hours of LeMons couldn’t be accepted for the race. What to do? Why, stay over through Monday and run a special one-day Sears (Even More) Pointless race, that’s what! This race featured all the same prizes as the full all-weekend-long race that preceded it, and that means we’ve got another set of winners.


Sears Point has always been hard on LeMons cars, with plenty of bent metal and obliterated engines. This jar of pickles flattened by an RV in the paddock sums up the condition of many of the cars after two or three days of racing.


Taking the Class A and overall wins once again, it’s Cerveza Racing and their 1983 BMW 533i. We impounded this car (back when it started turning some suspiciously quick lap times) and subjected it to a surprise dyno test a couple of years back, and it produced something like 120 wheel horsepower. It turns out, shockingly, that driver skill counts for more than horsepower in road racing, and the Cerveza wheelmen have used that skill to win five LeMons races… so far.


Normally, the LeMons Supreme Court puts most Volkswagen GTIs in the class for the fastest cars: Class A (yes, GTIs usually blow up in LeMons, but they can turn some quick lap times before the explosion). However, the Dirty Duck Racing GTI has been so terrible for so many years that they’ve earned a spot in Class B (it didn’t hurt that they gave your LeMons correspondent a very thoughtful gift). Finally, the Dirty Ducks were able to stay out of the penalty box and their car’s pistons were able to stay inside the block for an entire race, and they won the Class B trophy. The Class B battle was hard-fought, with the Communists-Я-Us BMW 320i hanging on about 40 seconds behind the GTI for what seemed like hours, but the Dirty Ducks held off the E21, placed eighth overall, and got their first class win.


Winning Class C was Legend of LeMons Spank’s 1962 Mini. How did a very loose, very tired Mini manage to place 15th out of 72 entries, with lap times 5-10 seconds slower than most of the other cars near it in the standings? Consistency, reliability, and clean driving.

<img src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/07-Sears-Even-More-Pointless-24-Hours-of-LeMons-Winners-626×426.jpg" alt="" title="07 – Sears …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Winnebago Earnings: An Early Look

By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Earnings season is just about over, with almost all companies already having reported their quarterly results. But there are still a few companies left to report, and Winnebago is about to release its quarterly earnings report. The key to making smart investment decisions with stocks that are releasing their quarterly reports is to anticipate how they’ll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you’ll be less likely to make an uninformed kneejerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

Winnebago may not make the fastest vehicles on the planet, but its stock has been a speedster lately. What’s behind the company’s stratospheric rise? Let’s take an early look at what’s been happening with Winnebago over the past quarter, and what we’re likely to see in its quarterly report on Thursday.

Stats on Winnebago

 

 

Analyst EPS Estimate

$0.15

Year-Ago EPS

($0.03)

Revenue Estimate

$170.9 million

Change From Year-Ago Revenue

30%

Earnings Beats in Past 4 Quarters

2

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

Will Winnebago race ahead this quarter?
Analysts have gotten really optimistic on Winnebago recently. They’ve upped their estimates on earnings for the most-recent quarter by nearly $0.10 per share over the past few months, and they’ve lifted their full-year fiscal 2013 calls by more than $0.30 per share. The stock has jumped by more than 30% just since late December, after a spectacular 2012 that saw share prices double.

Winnebago was almost a casualty of the 2008 recession. As potential customers saw their savings disappear in the market meltdown, recreational vehicles were the first discretionary-spending item they marked off their list, and many of Winnebago’s peers ended up filing for bankruptcy.

Yet, Winnebago managed to survive. Because of Winnebago’s vertically integrated business, which includes its own production facilities, the company is able to respond more quickly to changes in consumer demand. Moreover, its customer service gives Winnebago a vital competitive advantage over rival Thor Industries and its Airstream brand of RVs, because customers know that Winnebago will be around to honor warranties and deal with issues.

Moreover, as baby boomers begin to enter retirement, Winnebago should see a natural demographic upturn in sales. Motorcycle-maker Harley Davidson has shown similar promise lately, with growth in its target upper-middle-age customer demographic pointing toward higher revenue, and the stock has risen near multi-year highs as a result. Similarly, Winnebago has regained much of the ground it lost during the financial crisis, and appears poised to continue its winning ways.

In its quarterly report, watch for Winnebago to discuss the impact of stubbornly high fuel prices on its sales. Given how well Winnebago has done, even in the face of high prices at the pump throughout the past year, it seems likely that the RV company will be able to overcome that obstacle once again.

The best investing …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Clearwater River Casino &amp; Hotel Selects Software Suite from Agilysys

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Clearwater River Casino & Hotel Selects Software Suite from Agilysys

Expanding Casino Hotel Implements Solutions for Property Management, Point-of-Sale, Inventory and Procurement

ALPHARETTA, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Agilysys, Inc. (NAS: AGYS) , a leading provider of innovative information technology and hospitality software solutions, today announced that Clearwater River Casino & Hotel in Lewiston, Idaho, has selected a comprehensive software suite from Agilysys, including the Visual One™ PMS, InfoGenesis™ POS and Eatec® inventory and procurement solution. The property, which includes a hotel, casino, convenience store, gas station and RV park, is currently undergoing a 35,000-square-foot expansion to add an event center and 200 gaming machines.

“We needed property management, point-of-sale and inventory and procurement systems that could handle the needs of a growing enterprise,” said Troy Mariano, MIS director at Clearwater River Casino & Hotel. “The Agilysys solutions were the right fit, and the company’s reputation for service and support was also an important factor in our decision. Other properties that had worked with Agilysys had only good things to say about the company’s support, which has proven to be true. We are pleased with our partnership and are confident the technology will streamline operations, enhance guest service and give us a competitive edge.”

Clearwater River Casino & Hotel is using the following Agilysys software solutions:

  • Agilysys Visual One PMS, a comprehensive and fully integrated property management system that offers a wide range of features and functionality, including front office operations, guest history, housekeeping, reservations management and more. Its user-friendly screens are laid out in a logical and understandable format with quick-feature icons and drag-and-drop capabilities. The software, which runs on a Microsoft® SQL Server® database, has modules for accounting, activities, club management, comp accounting, condo accounting, guest marketing, sales and catering and spa management.
  • Agilysys InfoGenesis POS, an award-winning point-of-sale software solution that combines powerful reporting and configuration capabilities in the back office with an easy-to-use touchscreen terminal application. Designed for multi-unit operations common in hospitality environments, the system can manage any combination of dining, bar service and retail operations. InfoGenesis POS features real-time reporting capabilities, packages and prix fixe menus, signature capture, multi-language capability and advanced sorting, filtering and grouping options. It interfaces with a wide range of host systems, such as gift card and guest management solution providers, and is available as an on-premise solution or hosted application.
  • …read more
    Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Rigrodsky &amp; Long, P.A. Announces A Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Navi

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Rigrodsky & Long, P.A. Announces A Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Navistar International Corporation

WILMINGTON, Del.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Rigrodsky & Long, P.A.:

  • Do you, or did you, own shares of Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV )?
  • Did you purchase your shares before November 3, 2010, or between November 3, 2010 and August 1, 2012, inclusive?
  • Did you lose money in your investment in Navistar International Corporation?
  • Do you want to discuss your rights?

Rigrodsky & Long, P.A. announces that a complaint has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of all persons or entities that purchased the common stock of Navistar International Corporation (“Navistar” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NAV) between November 3, 2010 and August 1, 2012, inclusive (the “Class Period“), alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the “Complaint”).

If you purchased shares of Navistar during the Class Period, or purchased shares prior to the Class Period and still hold Navistar, and wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact Timothy J. MacFall, Esquire or Peter Allocco of Rigrodsky & Long, P.A., 825 East Gate Boulevard, Suite 300, Garden City, NY at (888) 969-4242, by e-mail to info@rigrodskylong.com, or at: http://www.rigrodskylong.com/investigations/navistar-international-corporation-nav.

Navistar is an international manufacturer of International® brand commercial and military trucks, IC Bus™ brand buses, MaxxForce® brand diesel engines, and recreational vehicles (“RV“) under the Monaco® RV family of brands, as well as a provider of service parts for all makes of trucks and trailers. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements, and omitted materially adverse facts, about the Company’s business, operations and prospects. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that the defendants concealed from the investing public that: (a) Navistar’s attempted methods to …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Carmanah's Go Power! Group Starts 2013 with a Strong Canadian Booking Program Performance, Worth $87

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Carmanah’s Go Power! Group Starts 2013 with a Strong Canadian Booking Program Performance, Worth $875,000 CAD

VICTORIA, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Carmanah Technologies (TSX:CMH) announced the successful results of the annual Canadian Booking Program from the company’s proprietary Go Power! brand. The popular sales campaign, now in its eleventh year, reported sales of more than $875,000 CAD of the Go Power! product line for the RV market. This represents a 23% performance increase from the 2012 program.

Carmanah’s Go Power! group produces and distributes solar charging kits and power inverters for the Canadian RV market and continues to show strong year-on-year growth in 2013. In 2012, the company turned in a record setting $711,000 CAD of orders by their Canadian dealer network through the Booking Program. The recreational vehicle network grew again in 2013 and pre-orders increased by 23%. Much of the program’s success is attributed to the release of new solar products, including the largest single 12 volt solar kit currently available on the market, and two folding Portable Solar Kits,recently featured on Vancouver’s Breakfast TV.

“Our team provides dealers and consumers with relevant solar and inverter systems at competitive prices. The demand for our products continues to grow, and this translates into excellent sales and service opportunities for our dealers,” explains Bruce Cousins, Carmanah CEO.

The new solar product line will be available for both the Canadian and American RV market in time for the spring/summer buying season. For more information, please contact Mike Stephens, Managing Director of Carmanah’s Go Power! group, at mstephens@carmanah.com, or visit Carmanah’s Go Power! team at the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association Learning Weekend on May 24th.


About Carmanah Technologies Corporation (TSX: CMH)

Carmanah Technologies is a world leading manufacturer of solar-based technologies designed for industrial and commercial applications worldwide. Market-driven to deliver reliable and dependable solar LED light and power system solutions, Carmanah’s trusted expertise in energy management, LED optics and controls is leveraged across the Company’s six business groups. The Company’s proprietary brand, Go Power! is a leader in the mobile, solar power industry with more than 15 years of experience in the RV and fleet truck market. Go Power! by Carmanah is one of North America’s most popular and recognized brands in solar power for both recreational and industrial use. Products include …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

As Boomers Prepare To Retire, Winnebago Pulls Ahead

By Zacks.com, Contributor

What’s an indication the economy is back? Consumers are buying RVs again. Winnebago Industries (WGO) managed to make it through the Great Recession, gobbling up market share along the way. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) is now poised for triple digit earnings growth in 2013 as RV sales rebound. Winnebago’s brand recognition is so strong that when you think of RVs it’s the first name that comes to mind. Founded in 1958 in Iowa, Winnebago manufactures a variety of recreation vehicles (RVs) including motor homes, travel trailers and fifth wheel products. Given consolidation in the industry during the Great Recession, Winnebago was able to add to its market share and now has about 20% of the RV market. Motor home sales peaked in 2004 at 69,000 and plunged during the Great Recession. By 2011, only 25,000 motor homes were shipped. But that number is expected to slowly rise as the economy improves and the Baby Boomers age. The key segment of RV buyers is 55 to 64 years of age. The Baby Boomers are just on the cusp of reaching that age range right now with more to come in the next few years. That’s a built-in market for RVs. Additionally, the stock market has recovered its pre-recession highs and housing is starting to recover, both which will free up cash for Baby Boomers to take to the road. All of this adds up to good things for the RV manufacturers. The RV and manufactured home industry has a top Zacks Industry Rank of 9 out of 265 industries. Special Offer: What you don’t own is just as important as what investments you do own. Top investing experts named names when it comes to securities to avoid in the year ahead. Get the results in this free downloadable report, 24 Widely-Held Investments You Should Sell Now. On Dec. 20, Winnebago reported fiscal first quarter 2013 results and blew by the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 189%. Revenue surged 46.8% to $193.6 million in the 14-week quarter from $131.8 million in the 13-week quarter a year ago. Inventories at dealerships are low and demand is rising. The company has had to hire additional employees to meet production demands the last two quarters. It also warned that production would slow during the winter holidays due to employees taking time off. Given the grim years of the Great Recession, having too many orders is certainly a problem the company will gladly deal with. The tide is turning in the RV industry. Just 90 days ago, the analysts were not as bullish. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Fiscal 2013 was just 47 cents. But given the big beat in the first quarter, the estimates surged to 80 cents. That is earnings growth of 220% as Winnebago earned just 25 cents in 2012. While the short term picture looks bright, the longer term outlook past 6 months is also strong for Winnebago. It has a Zacks Recommendation, which looks out further than the Zacks Rank, of …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

'4-Star European Hotel … on Wheels'

Truck

‘4-Star European Hotel … on Wheels’

TravelChannel

Doug wanted a year-long overseas family trip, but also a steady home. So with $171K and his own hands, he built a jaw-dropping RV.2-floor palace that went to 22 countries

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at AOL

Greg Grossmeier: Grandpa’s tool chest

My grandpa (Grandpa Jenks, mom’s dad) was an amazing guy.

Actually, I could just say:

My grandpa was the guy you think of who lived through the depression and World War 2. He built a house with hand tools. Was a farmer. Was a carpenter. And raised 3 kids with an equally amazing wife.

He was an amazing carpenter.

I have several pieces of furniture he made over the years including a bookshelf that is the sturdiest one you’ve ever used and a sitting chest with casters that used to be underneath the upstairs phone where my grandmother would chat with her friends and family.

Each of his granddaughters have a cedar hope chest. One of those big chests that sit at the bottom of a full-sized bed that hold all the special things in your life. They smell amazing and I’m still a little jealous that grandpa never made me one.

Until today.

My grandpa passed away a number of years ago; I was still in undergrad. When he died all the extended family came to the house to grieve, remember, and (sadly) go through his possessions. Of course my other male cousin and I (the only two male cousins) went to the garage to go through his tools.

At the time I was beginning to get an itch for woodworking (an itch I haven’t fully scratched yet) and my cousin was (and is) a bang up mechanic; so it was pretty easy to divvy up the tools.

My grandpa, of course, had a wooden tool chest for his woodworking tools. I call it a tool chest because of its size and weight, but apparently my grandpa called it a toolbox and carried it to the work site every day. Grandpa sure was a buff son of a gun. That’s what I got; this amazing wooden tool chest filled with a good number of woodworking tools (even the pencil bag my mom sewed for him), still in a great condition (sharp as all heck and oiled). Since I was still in school I didn’t have a place to keep it; it has spent the last near decade in my parents’ basement.

Now it made the long trip out to California in my parents’ RV and I couldn’t be happier. Take a look why.

grandpa's tool chest

The chest

mom and grandpa's tool chest

My mom and the chest, for size comparison

grandpa's tool chest open

Opened

grandpa's tool chest open with planes

With planes

grandpa's no. 6 plane

The No. 6 plane

pencil bag

The amazing pencil bag my mom made for him that he used until the end

grandpa's chisel

A still amazingly sharp chisel

Not all of the tools are pictured; many were taken out of the tool chest for easy loading and unloading (again, he was a buff son of a gun).

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Planet Ubuntu

RVs On A Roll At Thor Industries

By Zacks.com, Contributor Thor Industries Inc. (THO – Snapshot Report) reported solid year-over-year advances in earnings per share and revenues during its fiscal first quarter, driven by solid growth in the recreational vehicles (RV) market and a stable bus market. Despite economic uncertainty and strong competition, this Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) manufacturer of RVs, buses and ambulances is expected to deliver double-digit growth in earnings for fiscal 2013 and beyond.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest