Triple E Introduces Innovative Seating Plan
Triple E Recreational Vehicles, the Manitoba, Canada-based manufacturer of Leisure Travel Vans, marks its 50th year in business in 2015. The company recently unveiled a redesigned seating option for the 2016 Unity Murphy Bed (U24MB) floor plan. The patent-pending Leisure Lounge Plus is the work of Italian designer Angelo Natuzzi.
The Leisure Lounge Plus features dual oversized Ultraleather-covered swivel chairs with power recliners that allow for multiple seating configurations. They have integrated headrests and footrests, plus pop-up armrests. The setup also includes a drop-down dining room table; a 39-inch pop-up LED TV with a secondary drop-down glass viewing area; and integrated USB plugs. The residential-size Murphy bed stored in the slideout measures 68 inches by 74 inches.
Also new for 2016 is the optional Matte Glamour interior décor package. It features Italian-designed matte-finish upper-cabinet doors with soft-close technology; white Corian countertops; and indirect LED lighting. Three solid-wood cabinet options are available.
All Unity models are built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 chassis with dual rear wheels and are 25 feet long. The engine is a 3.0-liter V-6 BlueTEC turbo diesel rated at 188 horsepower. Color options for the 2016 Unity are euro sport, white suede, and silver.
The Unity Murphy Bed (U24MB) starts at $127,465 (U.S. dollars); the Leisure Lounge Plus option adds $2,600. For more information, visit www.leisurevans.com/leisureloungeplus; (877) 992-9906.
Pleasure-Way Anniversary Brings New Features
As Pleasure-Way Industries commemorates its 30th anniversary, the company is incorporating a number of new standard and optional features into its 2016 line of motorhomes. The components include Pleasure-Way’s Eco-Ion battery system, which will be standard on all the company’s new motorhomes. The lithium-ion system’s 200 amp-hours of power will enhance energy storage and extend boondocking capabilities.
Other new standard equipment includes multiple USB charging ports; the Winegard Rayzar Automatic digital HDTV antenna; MCD roller shades; a Girard instant water heater; an Atwood Mobile Products next-generation furnace; Corian counter extensions; a Progressive Dynamics lithium battery charger; and a propane grill tee.
New optional equipment for 2016 includes Go Power solar packages and enhanced painted body molding.
Pleasure-Way, based in Saskatchewan, Canada, is family owned and operated. For more information, visit www.pleasureway.com; (800) 364-0189.
Roadtrek Launches Ecotrek Power Module
Roadtrek Motorhomes Inc. has introduced its new EcoTrek power module. It relies on lithium-ion technology to deliver the kind of energy independence that company officials call “a boondocker’s dream.”
The lithium-ion batteries in EcoTrek have a number of advantages over lead-acid batteries, according to Roadtrek officials. Ninety percent of available power can be used before any voltage loss will occur. Plus, the lithium cells weigh less, charge faster, and have a long life of up to 3,000 cycles (lead-acid batteries typically are good for 500-800 cycles). In addition, the lithium system contains no acids and produces no gases.
EcoTrek’s cell protection system is designed for all weather and electrical demand situations, according to company officials. Roadtrek’s E-Trek charge control allows the EcoTrek system to charge from any available power source.
The EcoTrek power module is available in 200, 400, 800, and 1,600 amp-hours. EcoTrek can be combined with Roadtrek solar systems ranging from 200 to 600 watts, as well as Volt Start, Roadtrek’s automatic-start battery protection system. For more information, visit www.roadtrek.com; (888) 762-8735.
TV Producer Trades Hollywood For RV Resort
Scott Swanson has 20 years of experience as a freelance producer for various Hollywood studios. His credits include episodes of “Gilmore Girls,” “Everwood,” “Person of Interest,” “Eli Stone,” and numerous other TV shows and pilot productions.
But these days, Swanson has a job that he says is even more appealing: running Leaf Verde RV Resort, his family’s 377-site park in Buckeye, Arizona. The park is a commercial member (C13005) of FMCA.
“It’s a lot of stress to deal with executive producers. It’s a lot of stress to deal with the actors. But here, I’m free of all that,” Swanson said. “It’s like being on a cruise ship.”
But running the RV resort hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
Swanson’s grandfather built the park with other family members in 1985, partly out of frustration over not finding a park with RV sites large enough for his Prevost motorhome and towed trailer. But when the family member running the park retired, it fell into disrepair. Five years ago, Swanson and his mother, Sandy Catalana, came back to run it.
Swanson’s original plan — to fix up the park and sell it — changed when he fell in love with the place. Since 2010, he and his family have invested more than $1 million in improvements. Those improvements and the park’s customer service have helped Leaf Verde earn overall “A” ratings in GuestRated.com consumer surveys in 2013 and 2014.
Business, meanwhile, has jumped 210 percent since 2010. Last year, 5,488 visitors stayed anywhere from one day to several months.
As for Swanson, he joined the board of directors of the Arizona Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, which hosts GoCampingInArizona.com, the statewide travel planning website. He recently was elected president of the association.
It’s all a far cry from his work as a producer in Hollywood. Even he has a hard time believing he gave it up for a chance to work at his family’s RV resort.
“If somebody would have told me when I graduated high school that I would be running an RV park in Buckeye when I was 50, I would have told them they were out of their mind,” he said. But he said he enjoys working at the park and providing a safe, enjoyable place for travelers and snowbirds to stay.
For more information about Leaf Verde RV Resort, visit www.leafverde.com; (626) 386-3132.
New Videos Focus On RV Safety
The Recreation Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation (RVSEF) has produced two new safety videos that are available via pay-per-view.
“RV Tire Safety” is a 30-minute video that provides information about topics such as proper air pressure; tire size designation and markings; speed and load ratings; and tire maintenance and care.
“RV Weight Training” is a 20-minute video that discusses weight and balance issues related to safely loading and operating an RV. It covers the potential hazards and expense of operating an RV that exceeds weight limitations.
Each video can be watched at the pay-per-view cost of $19.95. The videos can be found on the RVSEF website, www.rvsafety.com; click on the Store tab. For more information, call (321) 453-7673.
Lazydays RV Resort Offers Extended-Stay Package
RVers looking for a place to spend the winter months might want to consider Lazydays RV Resort near Tampa, Florida. An extended-stay package with full hookups is being offered at the recently expanded 300-site resort for $1,200 a month, plus tax. The package, available from October 2015 to April 2016, requires a four-month minimum stay.
Amenities include a heated pool, a hot tub, and a deck with outdoor furniture; free high-speed Wi-Fi; a business center; a dog park; a children’s playground; a newly resurfaced tennis court; and two new half courts for basketball. Horseshoes, beanbag toss, ladderball, badminton, and pickleball also are offered. The on-site RV-themed restaurant and pub, Exit 10, will offer dinner and drink specials for winter residents. A full-time concierge will assist guests with travel plans and discount tickets to local attractions.
The resort, near the interchange of interstates 4 and 75, sits amid the Lazydays campus, which includes a 125-acre RV dealership with 200 service bays.
For more information, visit www.lazydays.com; (800) 350-6731.