Advanced RV Showcases New Builds For 2014
Advanced RV, based in Cleveland, Ohio, builds personalized Type B motorhomes on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platform. All models feature the company’s unique, “off-the-grid” power system, which enables owners to take their motorhomes anywhere the road leads them, without the need to rely on shore power.
Mike Neundorfer, who founded Advanced RV in 2012, described the company’s commitment to customer-driven design: “At the beginning of every project, we sit down with our clients, learn about their travel plans, and set out to make those dreams a reality,” he said. “Every step of the way, our customers lead our design team.”
Advanced RV products are built on the 2014 Sprinter chassis, which features a seven-speed transmission and a four-cylinder engine with dual turbocharger for smooth acceleration. “We’re constantly amazed — and challenged — by the new design ideas our customers bring to the table,” Mr. Neundorfer said. “With each new build, our customers push us to rethink the possibilities of what you can do in a Class B motorhome.”
The latest Advanced RV motorhomes incorporate countless client-guided innovations, such as an RV that features built-in dog crates with internal lighting, waterbeds, and advanced climate controls for those who show prize-winning dogs. The Mobile Professional is designed as a commuter coach for a doctor who serves several hospitals. This motorhome prioritizes fuel economy and remote connectivity. The vehicle features a functional galley and bathroom, and lounge space that converts to sleeping quarters with the push of a button. The Occasional Equestrian is built to tow a horse trailer and two horses to riding competitions around the country. A six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz diesel engine provides the muscle, while carefully selected materials and finishes give the coach a personalized touch.
For more information about Advanced RV, visit www.advanced-rv.com or call (440) 283-0405.
KOA Owners Adopt New Brand Positions
A total of 107 KOA campground owners have adopted one of Kampgrounds of America’s three new brand positions.
The newly branded campgrounds are identified by either KOA Journey, KOA Holiday, or KOA Resort in the 2014 KOA Directory. These brand designations are being used to help define the KOA camping experience and better match camper expectations.
KOA Journey campgrounds are conveniently located near highways and are equipped especially for campers after a long day on the road. KOA Journeys offer long pull-through sites that help make setup fast and easy; have well-lit after-hours check-in service; and offer a robust line of RV supplies.
Whether campers are looking for a base camp as they explore an area or a fun place to stay, KOA Holiday campgrounds offer plenty of on-site activities and numerous amenities and services. Each KOA Holiday features full-service RV sites and KOA Deluxe Cabins with bathrooms.
KOA Resort campgrounds offer a vacation spot in the great outdoors with patio RV sites and Deluxe Cabins. KOA Resorts also have an abundance of activities led by recreation staff, as well as on-site food service, group meeting space, and more.
The 2014 KOA Directory currently is available free to campers throughout North America and online at KOA.com.
Stay Connected To Grandkids With Kidscork
With families scattered throughout North America — and the world — grandparents often miss out on day-to-day interaction with their grandchildren. KidsCork.com offers a way to bridge the distance.
KidsCork.com was founded by Justin Butler as a way to keep families closer together by offering a secure, private online space for parents, grandparents, and other family members to record themselves reading books that kids or grandkids can gain access to at any time. The site also features interactive maps that allow kids to learn about the geographic areas where their relatives are, without the unknown results that some Web searches can return. KidsCork.com also offers a Photo Booth for sharing photos and a Personal Notes section for leaving messages for kids.
“Children can go to the corkboard, open the book, and listen to their grandmothers and grandfathers reading as the pages turn seamlessly along,” Mr. Butler said.
KidsCork.com is said to be easy to use and navigate, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy. “If you can turn on a computer, you can use KidsCork,” Mr. Butler said.
KidsCork.com family sites are completely private, and are available through three plans ranging from $2 to $6 per month. Access to a private corkboard is free for military families.
For more information about this service, or to start a free trial, visit www.kidscork.com.
La Mesa RV Closes Sarasota, Florida, Facility
La Mesa RV Center recently announced that it has closed its dealership in Sarasota, Florida. The facility housed one of the largest air-conditioned indoor RV showrooms in the state. A fire broke out in the facility during the morning of October 19, 2013, causing smoke damage to RVs. The building required certain repairs and remodeling in order to reopen, but that work was delayed and the facility could not be used for its intended purpose, necessitating the closure.
Business usually handled at the Sarasota location has been transferred to the company’s dealership in nearby Fort Myers, Florida. Jim Walters, president of La Mesa RV Center, said that the company remains interested in having a presence in Sarasota when the right opportunity and location are available. The company was able to offer employment positions to many of the Sarasota-based employees at one of La Mesa RV Center’s other Florida facilities where opportunities existed.
La Mesa RV Center continues to operate 11 sales and service locations across the United States, including Sanford, Port St. Lucie, and Fort Myers, Florida; as well as in San Diego and Davis, California; Tucson, Mesa, Phoenix, Yuma, and Quartzsite, Arizona; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Additional information about the company, its product offerings, and current locations can be found at www.lamesarv.com.
RV Caucus Introduced To FMCA Members
FMCA Tour Connection, powered by Fantasy RV Tours, hosted this year’s Washington D.C., Springtime Celebration Rally, March 26 through April 1, 2014, in College Park, Maryland. During the rally, more than 50 FMCA members enjoyed a seven-day extravaganza of historical significance and loads of fun. In addition to the tours and events, the group was introduced to the work of the Congressional RV Caucus. U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross (F234921) of Florida, who formed the caucus along with U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana, joined the group to explain the impact and direction of the caucus, which was created to educate members of Congress about the issues that impact RVers and the RV industry.
Congressman Ross recounted fond memories that have served as a driving force behind his involvement with the caucus. “As a young boy, I traveled the country in the summers with my grandparents in their 1960 Airstream, which I now own and have worked hard to restore to its original beauty,” he said. “Now as an adult, my wife, Cindy, and I have taken our sons, Travis and Shane, on countless trips by motorhome, stopping in each of the 48 continental states. The RV industry pumps billions of dollars into our economy and encourages families to take advantage of everything our great states have to offer.”
He encouraged all RVers to contact their congressional representative and ask him or her to become involved in this important caucus that highlights the contributions of the RV industry.
An advocate of RVers and the manufacturing community, Dennis Ross and his family celebrate the passion for American history, national parks, and the great outdoors — all of which they have explored and experienced via RV travel. Learn more about Rep. Ross at his Web site: www.dennisross.house.gov.
The FMCA Tour Connection returns to Washington, D.C., in 2015. For more information about this outing and others offered through the FMCA Tour Connection, visit www.fantasyrvtours.com/fmca or call (855) 385-3622.