Happy Camper January 2020

Happy Camper

Welcome to Happy Camper 2020. This issue of Butler RV Center’s Happy Camper covers topics related to winter camping and brief summary of the recent Pittsburgh RV Show. So like a snowbird at the first sign of a blizzard, LETS GO!

Pittsburgh RV Show

Best in Show Winners

Every year RV News features RVs that one Best in Show in Elkhart, IN. This year we brought 2 of these great units to the show.

Best in Show Bunkhouse – Grey Wolf 26BH

This wonderful half ton towable bunkhouse has a great layout and great upgrades that make it one of the best in the market. It sleeps 10 between the queen bed, bunks, large dinette & sleeper sofa.

Customer input facilitated a full redesign of the outdoor kitchen. It now has a grill, outside fridge and ice maker. The sink also has hot & cold running water.

Best in Show Fifth Wheel – Wildcat 384MB

Forest River tweaked this fifth wheel bunkhouse model to include stouter axles, heartier rated tires and upping the carrier capacity to 3,000 lbs. The living area feels spacious and alterations to the bunk room give this RV plenty of sleeping options.

Most Asked for at Show

Cherokee Wolf Pack 335 PACK13

This is definitely the wolf that ate your grandmother’s camper. A large fifth wheel toyhauler with a seperate garage and half bath makes this a great RV to take all your toys, friends & friends’ toys. This toyhauler has been updated with a collapsible rear half bath, giving you more space to haul vehicles the whole length of the garage. Click on the floorplan below for more information.

RV Heating Accessories

Supplemental Heaters

If your planning on camping in your RV during colder months, then consider one fo these great supplemental heaters to keep the interior of your unit toasty and warm.

Decorative Wall Panel

Offering infared heat that can increase the temperature of room up to 15 degrees, and adding some style in more than just a white box. This great heater has an auto safety shut-off, claims to be more efficient than other heaters, and maintains moisture in the air (remember to vent your RV to reduce condensation).

Top 10 RV Heaters

Check out rvweb.net review of 10 heaters to either add heat or supplement your heat. They go into great detail for each unit and summarize pros and cons.  I’ve personally used DeLonghi’s oil filled radiator, but it can be hot to the touch and not best for little ones or pets.

Driving in the Winter

Improve Your Winter RV Driving Skills

Almost the same rules apply to RVs as other vehicles when driving in wintery conditions. Be sure to practice the tips below and even practice some in an empty parking lot.

• Drive slower. You should naturally slow down in icy conditions, but not everyone drives slower on wintry roads. You don’t get the traction you need when you’re driving too fast on icy roads. Be sure to slow down and be prepared to stop.
• Speaking of slow, accelerate and decelerate more slowly. Take your time moving from a stopped position. Start breaking early when you’re slowing down for a stop light or stop sign.
• Follow the 6-10 second rule. Choose an object ahead and when the vehicle in front of you passes it, count 6 seconds before you reach it.
• Try to slow down just enough to be able to keep rolling until a traffic light changes. Moving ahead is a lot easier this way than from a dead stop.
• Avoid changing lanes on multi-lane highways as often as you might during summertime. It’s easy to lose control when driving over built-up snow between the lanes. If you’re on a 4 lane highway, stick to the lane that’s most recently been cleared.