Want To Be Knotty?

Have trouble tying and untying knots? If you are all thumbs like me you will appreciate the Figure 9. It eliminates the need for tying or untying or adjusting knots. You can see from the picture how this device holds the rope secure. You can use these to tie down stuff on your RV ladder, hold your awning ropes taught or secure a load just about anywhere. The company is Nite Ize and they make two sizes. The small size is for 1/16 to 3/16-inch ropes and the large size is for 1/8 up to 3/8-inch ropes. They are made out of strong aluminum so they are very light. Most of all they are cheap $2.99 for a pair of the large size and $1.99 for a pair of the small size. You can find them at REI, hunting and fishing shops or online at Figure 9 .

Have a Bucket Ready When You Need One

Need a bucket but don’t have the space? Here is Camco’s latest addition to the RV solution locker a collapsible bucket. This bucket holds 3 gallons and comes with it’s own storage case. It has a handle and is made of watertight fabric. Water the dogs, wash the rig, bail out the boat, keep your drinks on ice, put out the camp fire and then fold it up and store it under the seat of your car or truck. Look for them wherever Camco products are sold or order them online here http://www.camco.net/

Lightweight Cargo Trailer Easier Tow & Cash Outlay

Crossing the country on the highway and your apt to see a motorhome lugging a cargo trailer. We mean "lugging," because most enclosed cargo trailers are so--well, durned heavy--it’s almost as much as a poor old Class C (or even A) can handle. And if what you’re trying to do is to haul a small load, who needs something that looks like it should be loaded on a cargo ship bound for Japan?

Enter the GearWagon 125 Sport Performance trailer. Light enough to be pulled along easily by an SUV, it may be just the thing you’re looking for to secure and tote your ATV. Described by its makers as "The modern version of a pickup bed," the GearWagon provides 125 cubic feet of cargo space, but feathers in on the scale at just 340 pounds. Mind you, you can’t put two ATVs and your mother-in-law in back, the cargo capacity here is 1,000 pounds. However, the company is working on a tent accessory--maybe you could put the mother-in-law up in the tent when she drops in for a visit.

Nevertheless, with towing capacities of some motorhomes down near sea-level, a lightweight utility trailer may be right up your alley--or tailpipe, depending on how you look at it. The GearWagon 125 with its optional "TwinRunner" lid set SRPs at less than $3,000.00. Visit the Let's Go Aero website for more detail.

New bumper and hitch offers extra protection

Mohr MFG. of Burnsville, Minnesota has just introduced a patented, receiver mounted bumper and trailer hitch it calls the "Superbumper." The bumper and hitch combination pulls and cushions trailer towing while protecting a vehicle's occupants and vehicle by combining a ball mount with an energy absorbing bumper. The result, says the company, is that it will protect a vehicle from rear-end collisions, reduce whiplash injuries, shield a gas tank from under-ride, eliminate parking lot and parallel parking dents and dings while lowering insurance claims.

The company claims it is the only bumper (original or aftermarket) to pass the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's 5 mph "Rear Into Pole" crash test without damage to the vehicle or the bumper.

It is designed to fit any vehicle with a two-inch receiver hitch and comes standard with turn signals, brake lights, running lights and emergency flashers to give additional visibility to the rear of the vehicle. The hitch is rated Class III/IV for pulling trailers up to 6,000 pounds with a tongue weight of 600 pounds and is adjustable up or down. Receiver-mounted applications like bike racks and cargo carriers may still be used without removing the bumper. For more information contact: Jeff Mohr at Mohr Manufacturing at 1-952-882-8800 or email him at superbumper@qwest.net.

Pelham Sloane's PSynergy 1700 computer

Some of the best products for RVs were designed with other applications in mind, and such is the case with Pelham Sloane's interesting PSynergy 1700 computer. Because it's not sold in stores or advertised in RV publications, you've probably never heard of it. I hadn't either until I visited the company's headquarters recently in Southport, Connecticut, and saw a demonstration. Although Pelham Sloane developed this computer as a home-automation system, I quickly realized that its versatility and compactness make it ideally suited for RVs.

The PSynergy 1700 is a sleek (2 3/4-inch-thick), powerful computer with an all-in-one design, meaning there's no external adapter or CPU tower and a minimum of wires to mess with. You can mount it for either a landscape or portrait view on a wall, armrest or pivoting stand--it comes with mounting hardware--leaving only the keyboard and mouse to take up space on a desk. The keyboard and mouse can be wireless. And except for e-mail and document creation, you really don't need them at all; the 17-inch screen incorporates a touchscreen that can perform virtually all computer functions, from running a home-entertainment system to organizing digital photos. The Pelham Sloane team told me the PSynergy 1700 can even be configured to operate heating, lighting, air-conditioning and other RV systems.

The computer also comes with TV and FM radio tuner cards, as well as four external USB ports and two PCI Express slots. For
Internet and wireless operations, the PSynergy 1700 has 802.11 a/b/g, Bluetooth and Z-Wave. A biometric fingerprint reader is included for security-minded RVers. You can order the unit with Windows XP or the new Vista operating system and up to 200 GB on the hard drive.

According to Pelham Sloane, the PSynergy 1700 uses no more energy than a conventional computer and is built more solidly than a laptop--something to consider for those bumpy back roads. At a base price of $2,200, the PSynergy 1700 is a bit more expensive than a run-of-the-mill computer, but you’re getting a central-control system as well as a computer. When the PSynergy 1700 becomes better known, I wouldn’t be surprised if upscale RV manufacturers begin offering it as an option. Pelham Sloane is eager to get into the RV market and offers customized service to individual RVers. You can contact the company at (203) 259-4357 or 2551 Post Rd., Southport, CT 06890-1412. The website is http://www.pelhamsloane.com/.

Wine Cooler for the Well Heeled RV Set

While Poe has his cask of Amontillado, some RVers simply don't like to carry the "good stuff," because of lacking the proper wine cellar. Sure, there's a lot of room in Class A "basements," but somehow, it's just not the same.

Now if you can afford that pricey grape blood, you surely can take it with you. Wine enthusiasts know the importance of proper storage to preserve the distinctive flavors of fine vintages. Now touch control digital technology makes temperature control easy and precise on the U-Line 2115WC "Échelon Wine Captain."

With a touch control digital display panel elegantly integrated into Échelon's bottom wine rack, you can set the inner workings to keep whatever your vino is happiest at: 55°F for red, 50°F for white, and 45°F for sparkling wines. It provides the ability to set the middle temperature and see the temperatures in all three zones.

The slim cabinet stores up to 24 .75-liter bottles. The wine connoisseur's prized collection is attractively presented against a black interior on maple-trimmed, slide-out racks that can be stained to match surrounding cabinetry. The lower one can be tilted at a 40° angle to best display the bottles. Adjustable interior lighting achieves a dramatic effect, while the black or stainless door features tinted, thermal-tempered glass to protect wine from UV rays. Oh my, I'm drooling already.

Aboard your RV, the bottles are safe in the vibration-free U-Line Échelon. A 50% internal humidity is maintained for short- or longer-term storage. An alarm will sound when the door is left open and the interior lights automatically shut off after four hours. No drain is required and it defrosts automatically. All of this, and the price for some is right: Suggested retail prices of the U-Line Échelon 2115 Wine Captain start at $1,709 for black and $2,251 for stainless steel models. Since you no doubt have an on-board generator when "roughing it," the small ac draw should be minimal.

Visit the home offices of U-line at www.u-line.com, and tell 'em "Bubbles" sent ya.