What Do You Read (regarding RVs)?

[jimmoore13]

When I bought my 2014 HW-277, many "perks" came with it. One of them was a trial subscription to Trailer Life. http://ow.ly/8GTV30bOpKo
I liked it enough that I continued to subscribe, and I bought gift subscriptions for my brother and a friend (both RV-ers).

I've learned a lot from Trailer Life (wheel bearings and what NOT to do with zerk fittings on their covers comes to mind). Other topics include trailer weight, suspensions, tow vehicles, tires, and more. The latest issue has a great article on batteries...design, charging, maintenance, etc.

But there must be other great sources. What else is out there that you would recommend?

[bikendan]

I've learned more on various RV forums, than I ever did from years of Trailer Life magazines.
Also YouTube videos.

[Scrapper]

Trailer Life magazine is written by the same people who own Camping World. With all the complaints you see here about their service, wouldn't you think they would take their own advice on how to fix things?

[Wiscampsin]

We stopped getting Trailer Life years ago. I mathematically figured out how much was advertising vs articles. There are so many on line sources of info that's better than the mag was.

[Iwannacamp]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

Trailer Life magazine is written by the same people who own Camping World. With all the complaints you see here about their service, wouldn't you think they would take their own advice on how to fix things?

tisk tisk tisk not nice

[jimmoore13]

These forums are great, and I've learned a lot from this one, but when I post a recommendation, you have no idea if my suggestions have any merit.

It appears that none of the respondents have other published sources, but I'd appreciate any recommendations.

RE: Trailer Life articles vs. service experience at Camping World and elsewhere, expert published advice is not the same as your experience with a mechanic or tradesman. You can get solid advice at Home Depot, but that does not mean their installers will adhere to that advice. I had an auto shop leave the oil cover off my cam cover on my Rav-4 after an oil change. That's not recommended in any "book." Mechanics don't always read or go by "the book."

[Cover Dog]

IMO the FMCA magazine Family Motor Coaching is the best out there for MH owners. Still receive trailer life and motorhome magazine's until the subscription runs out. They are one big advertisement for camping world.

As far as forums, I like IRV2 the best. No longer own a FR product, but still come here daily.

[biznsa]

Trailer Life, Motorhome and RV Repair Club. Also visit this forum and Montana Owner's Club forum. About the magazines, although they are one huge advertisement for Camping World, I do scan them for any new products that are being advertised. You Tube also has a lot of videos available for RVs.

[Hoffwmn]

Originally Posted by bikendan

I've learned more on various RV forums, than I ever did from years of Trailer Life magazines.
Also YouTube videos.

I totally agree with bikendan. The folks on forums have solved real life problems. When you're out there on your own, well, "necessity is the mother of invention". I feel like most dealers, salesmen and service techs have never even camped in an RV.
Beside forums I also love to read RVtravel.com every Saturday but forums are definitely my go-to for problem solving.

[jimmoore13]

Thanks for the great suggestions.

I'm a fan of learning what I didn't know that I need to know...thus the interest in "pushed" info. By pushed info, I mean articles and other info that is presented as "this is something you ought to know." That's where magazines come in.

I agree that if I have a question and I need an answer, the forums are vastly superior. And I use you-tube and other sites often, not only for RV info, but for tricks in Excel, how to get the most from an Amazon Fire Stick, and so on.

My first PUP, a 10' Viking, came with zerk fittings on "bearing buddies." We bought used from a dealer, and the sales person gave me truly bad advice. "Before each trip, shoot about 3 pumps of chassis grease into the bearing buddy on each wheel." Before long, I had blown out the grease seals on both wheels, and I had grease all over the inside of the wheel and hub. This, of course, prompted to keep adding grease, because it was leaking out doncha know.

When I got my new HW-277 in 2014, I got the same advice from the dealer sales person. Fortunately, Trailer Life had an article - or perhaps an LTE thread or tech commentary on the subject - and it was Trailer Life that made it clear that "bearing buddies" are a stupid idea on a trailer that doesn't get dunked in the water. Wheel bearings warrant wheel bearing grease, a hard, heavy grease that must be forced into the (typically) roller bearings and races. As on a car or truck, you don't give the wheel bearings a shot of chassis grease on a regular basis. The premise of bearing buddies is that the spring loaded zerk fitting cap keeps the entire bearing chamber filled with relatively light chassis grease to prevent drawing water into the bearing chamber when a hot axle on a BOAT TRAILER hits the cold water on the launch ramp.

This is the value of a publication like Trailer Life. I tend to read a magazine cover to cover. It's the nature of the beast. But the essentially infinite amount of info in forums and elsewhere on the internet requires that I be selective.

I didn't know I needed to ask the question. If someone else asked in a forum, and if the topic caught my attention, I might read it and relay the horrible advice I received. But since two so-called "experts" gave me bad info, I thought I knew the answer. Why would I read a thread about which I (allegedly) already knew what I needed to know? And, I probably would never have asked the question. My old Viking was light and had no brakes (to ruin with chassis grease), my new RW HW-277 is a beast, and the brakes had better work or I'll be careening over a Rocky Mountain cliff. And I don't need to be cleaning/turning the drums and replacing the linings because two ignorant sales people gave me bad advice.

Again, I appreciate the advice and will follow it. Meanwhile, in defense of Trailer World, as a 22 year veteran of the media, I think the ad content is about the same as that in, say, Car & Driver, but the heavy emphasis on Camping World (the publisher?) reflects the fact that CW needs the ad space AND that Trailer Life can't attract other advertisers. In 22 years of TV, we gave the unsold space to station promotion (ads for our shows) and public service announcements. The time reserved for ads was always consistent, so if you saw a ton of promos for shows on our station, you knew we were starving for revenue.

[camaraderie]

I don't do paper magazines anymore and of course forums are a superb resource but I DO like some of the RV industry online publications (rvdailyreport and rvbusiness)to see what is new in the industry and I like the weekly RVTravel blog and their archives which are invaluable. I also like some of the sites from their columnists. theRVGeeks.com are a great help in keeping up with technology for on the road use...as are their YouTube videos.
But if I could only read one thing...it would be this forum.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

I don't do paper magazines anymore and of course forums are a superb resource but I DO like some of the RV industry online publications (rvdailyreport and rvbusiness)to see what is new in the industry and I like the weekly RVTravel blog and their archives which are invaluable. I also like some of the sites from their columnists. theRVGeeks.com are a great help in keeping up with technology for on the road use...as are their YouTube videos.
But if I could only read one thing...it would be this forum.

Outstanding! Thanks.

[Terier]

When I was a new RV owner I found Trailer Life interesting to read. Since then any interest in reading paper magazines or books has pretty much died off. The advantage of forums like this is that I can seek advise from others that can communicate well with me while reading it in a paper source can be a bit too technical for my knowledge or experience.

[jkoenig24]

I've been reading Chuck Woodbury's online "RVTravel.com" for years now. I think he's spot on regarding the world of RV travel. He used to have a daily email but, roughly a year ago, he went to a once a week column (emailed Saturday morning). I find the larger, once a week column to be too much information at once and, feel somewhat overloaded. I preferred the old daily format which I found it easier to "digest" in smaller daily posts.

Mark Polk ("RVEducation101.com") and Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor) are two other sources I regularly read online. Finally, Roger Marble is a great source of information re:RV tires.

[SidecarFlip]

RV Industry News for me, this forum, Expedition Portal,and RV Net Open Roads Forum (and no you don't need to be a CW junkie to be on that forum either).

Lots of good tips on there and very knowledgeable old hands with RV's. I enjoy the rebuild / restore sections and the trip reports.