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In contrast to the monster motorhome in the last post, I have come across this one at the other end of the scale.

This 5 wheel motorcycle RV was originally featured on a family blog but the source is no longer available so there is very little information available. It is however featured on the following websites:

• Motorcycle Motorhome - Well, that’s no longer a problem with this crazy motorcycle motorhome which has the front end of a chopper and the back end of an RV. Of course the RV part has flames on the side so you can maintain your street cred with the biker set. …
• Motorcycle motorhome - Customized motorcycle motorhome. This customized 5-wheeler was posted on the “Johnson Family Blog.” No additional information was provided about the owner or who built this unique “fuel friendly” rig.

Here’s another monster motorhome for you to check out. This one is claimed to be the largest ones in the world and featured in the Guiness book of records in 1997.

The vehicle has two decks with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining area, guest berth and bathroom all on the upper deck. The lower deck consists of the driver area, 8 passenger seats, conference area, reception, bar, vehicle garage and storage room.

Floorplan - Upper Deck

Floorplan - Lower Deck

You can check out all the details and many more images at this website

Authentic Off-road RV

For the next the ‘‘Unusual Motorhomes‘ series we have this amazing Unicat vehicle. This is not really a garbage truck as it seems but actually a fantastic off-road motorhome designed and built by Unitcat.

This company specialise in off-road 4 wheel drive RVs. The owner started out converting a vehicle for his personal use travelling through Africa.

They now make a series of vehicles to choose from all with have individually designed interiors.

As you can see from these photos,  the workmanship in the vehicles is superior.

The living area

The Lounge / Bedroom

Great storage space for those bumpy off-road tracks.

There are a loads more pictures of this model and of several other interesting models too at the Unicat Website Gallery

Technorati Tags: Unitcat, motorhome, off-road motorhome, 4wd rv

Don’t try this at home!

Motorhome Racing - New Sport.

Be warned, some motorhome owners may find this video disturbing.

Motorhome Racing

The rules are simple:

• Drive to the event in your motorhome
• Preparations to the vehicle must be completed the night before the race
• The driver must spent the night in the rig
• After the race you should drive home in it

Technorati Tags: Motorhome Racing, motorhome, RV racing, RV, motorhome video, RV video

Last week I was expressing the importance of renting RVs to get the feel of the model you really need before taking the plunge and purchasing one for yourself.

Well after having rented for a while there are those who do their calculations and discover that they might as well keep on renting.

For example, if you are going to go for say 8 weeks in every year then you can easily work out the payments on rental. Depending on the size and quality of RV you need and the time of year then the cost for this could be anywhere between $5,000 and $8,000.

Now this is not cheap by any standards but when you take into consideration the depreciation of price on a new or used RV along with any routine maintenance and repairs combined with any off road storage you might have to pay then you might be better off financially renting on a permanent basis instead of buying.

Consider this - Lets say that a 4 year old class A motorhome costs you $125,000. In 6 years time that same vehicle will probably only be worth around $70,000. So, in this case, on depreciation alone, in 6 years it will have cost you $55,000 as opposed to a possible $48,000 rental fees.

It will be worth your while to do your own calculations according to the size of rig you will be using, how often you will be using it and the depreciation, maintenance and storage fees to find out whether it would be financially beneficial to rent or to buy.

Of course, it is always a luxury to have your own RV to hand for any unplanned trips. You will have your own kitchen and food supplies, your own clothes, music and entertainment all to hand and you will get to know and love the vehicle with all its own peculiarities.

So even if the numbers don’t work out and you find that you will be paying a little bit more by buying as opposed to renting then it may be worth the extra investment just to have the luxury and peace of mind of owning your own rig.

Louise at MomReponds.com addresses this very same question well in her blog post Winnebago Motorhomes For Sale Or Rent

Technorati Tags: renting RVs, RV, class A motorhome, motorhome for hire, rent motorhome, buying motorhome, used motorhome

Motorhome Terminology - RV lingo

Here are a few RV terms that you need to get used if you are buying your first motorhome.
If you come across any that aren’t listed here or you know some that you think should be added then leave them in a comment below and I’ll update the list if it appropriate.

Arctic Package:
Extra insulation for the holding tanks and water lines for winter use.

Backup Monitor:
A closed circuit camera that is mounted in the rear of the larger class A rigs which has a monitor installed in the driving area so the driver can see behind the vehicle when backing up. Many of the monitors come with graduated guide lines on the screen so you can see exactly how many feet away from an object you actually are.

Basement or Basement Storage:
This is the area used for storage beneath the floor and is usually accessible from the outside.This usually refers to Class-A or Class-C motorhomes.

Black Water:
The waste water from the toilet which is stored in a special holding tank under the RV known as the black water tank.

Boondocking:
Camping without using electrical hook-ups nor sewer or water. The house batteries, generators, water and holding tanks are relied upon. Also known as Dry Camping.

BTU - (British Thermal Unit):
The heat rating applied for RV air conditioners and heating units. The higher the number the more effective the unit..

Caravan:
3 or more RV travelling together in convoy.

Chassis:
The metal frame supporting the engine and bodywork.

Class A Motorhome:
See RV CLASSES EXPLAINED.

Class B Motorhome:
Also known as campers or camper vans- See RV CLASSES EXPLAINED.

Class C MotorHome:
See RV CLASSES EXPLAINED.

Converter:
The device that converts 120 Volt AC electricity into 12 volt DC. When using electrical hookups most of the lighting and other accessories are designed to work at 12 Volts.

Dinghy:
The name for a second vehicle that is towed behind the RV - also referred to as the Toad.

Dry Camping:
See Boondocking

Dump Station:
The facility where you can empty your black and gray water holding tanks.

DW (Dry weight):
The weight of an RV when empty, i.e. with no water, fuel, passengers, supplies or belongings.

Fifth-Wheel:
An RV that is designed to be towed from the back of an adapted pick up truck - See RV CLASSES EXPLAINED.

Fiver:
A fifth-wheel RV.

FMCA:
Family Motor Coach Association.

Fresh Water Tank:
The tank in which clean water is stored and is connected to the faucets.

Full Timers:
Refers to those who live permanently in their RVs all year round.

Gray Water:
The waste water from the sinks and shower. This is held in the Gray Water Tank.

GVWR (Gross vehicle Weight Rating):
The maximum permitted weight for a RV including passengers, supplies, fuel and propane.

Hook-ups:
Electricity and fresh water connections that can be found at campsites.

Newbie:
A newcomer to the world of RVing.

Pull-Through:
These are RV campsites where you drive into the allotted space forwards and later when you leave you drive out forwards too. This saves having to back up.

Puller:
Refers to an RV that has its engine mounted in the front of the vehicle.

Pusher:
Refers to an RV that has its engine mounted in the rear of the vehicle (usually diesel).

RV:
Recreational Vehicle.

Slideout:
A portion of the RV unit can expand to create more room inside the rig.

Snowbirds:
Refers to those who live in their RV in the south during the winter months and move north in the summer time.

Toad:
The name for a second vehicle that is towed behind the RV - Also referred to as the Dinghy.

In the News:

RV Education 101 Simplifies RV Ownership by Releasing RV DVD Value Packs

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