2014 Seattle RV Show in Seahawks Territory

On Saturday I made a run over to Seattle to the annual Seattle RV Show. Just days after an estimated 700 thousand Seahawks fans converged on the city for the Super Bowl victory ceremony, Centurylink Field was hosting the 2014 Seattle RV Show. 

I could still feel the Seahawks fever in the air. Some dealers were even offering Super Bowl specials. Here are some highlights from my RV show adventure:

After sleeping in, I took the ferry from Bainbridge Island over to Seattle. It was below freezing outside but a beautiful day. I couldn't resist spending the 30 minute ride outside taking pictures and shooting some video while the rest of the passengers remained inside staying warm.

A look ahead at Seattle and the Cascade Mountains

Looking back at Bainbridge Island and the Olympic Mountains

When I arrived at Centurylink field, I payed my $12 for a ticket and started my journey through the many, many, many RVs, trailers, campers, and RV stuff. There were so many RVs this year in multiple rooms, that I found it very difficult to get my bearings at first. I tossed the show map I was given at the door because I didn't think I'd need it. Turns out I needed it several times. After a while I figured out the lay of the land and started touring rigs...one section at a time.  Check out my video for a recap.

I also picked a couple seminars to attend. My favorite was the show director himself sharing tips on boondocking. I learned a few things that got me excited to come home and plan a boondocking adventure of my own. I'll have to put some of those tips together in a future post. Keep an eye out for that.

The show organizers promised a "Bigger and Better" show this year and they certainly delivered. I couldn't even see everything. After about five hours I was exhausted. It was time to head back to the ferry before darkness set in.

If you are in the market to buy, I recommend attending an RV show near you. You will be able to comparison shop and tour many RVs under one roof. As a bonus, most dealers offer RV show discount pricing. So save yourself the headache, time and gas driving all over the place to find the right RV for you. Go to an RV show first. You'll enjoy it.

Have you attended an RV show this year? What was your favorite RV?

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2014 RV Show - Coming to a City Near You

February is the month most RV shows come to town. Whether you are in the market for a shiny new RV or just want to see what products are hot in 2014, an RV show is the best place to see it all under one roof. Many shows also host seminars with industry experts on a variety of hot RV topics including my favorites...solar power and boondocking.

The RV industry has taken a big beating in sales in the last four years. If you've attended an RV show lately, you may have noticed the abundance of used travel trailers and RVs and the absence of high-end rigs. I noted this in my last RV Show video.

A look back at a past Seattle RV Show

Lately, the word on the street is that the RV industry is starting to bounce back and I'm sure that will be reflected in RV shows this year. The Seattle RV Show promises to be "Bigger and Better Than Ever." 

Click here to find an RV show near you

Eight cities, including Seattle, are hosting RV shows this weekend. The rest will host events throughout February and March. So why not drag the family out and check out the latest motorhomes, travel trailers and RV products.

UPDATE!

I'm back. The Seattle RV Show was huge and packed full of cool stuff! Read more about my visit and check out the video.

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Port Townsend Film Festival - A Great Getaway

It is so nice to pack up the RV and escape for an extended weekend. Am I right? Sure you could catch up on some yard work, but I prefer plan B. When Friday comes, I tell my boss that I've got to leave work a little early because I'm heading out of town. "Where will you go this time" he says. I explain "We're heading to a film festival with friends. So excited!"

Each night you can enjoy a family movie in the street in front of the Rose Theater

Last fall, we did just that. About an hour from our home in Washington is the lovely historic city of Port Townsend. Throughout the year Port Townsend hosts several festivals. Our favorite is the annual Port Townsend Film Festival.  Since 2000 the annual festival has attracted film lovers from around to region and from afar. This last year, there were over 50 documentaries, features and shorts presented in five venues around town. They even close off a downtown street in front of the Rose Theater for three days. The PTFF motto is "A film lover's block party celebrating films and film makers."

For the last few years we've taken our RV to Port Townsend for the film festival and have had a blast each time. Enjoy this video from our last visit.

If you are looking for something different to do in your RV, search your nearby towns and attractions for cool stuff like this. We have found this to be a great way to experience a new place. Try all the restaurants, browse the shops and hang with the locals. Who knows, you may find new home away from home.

Learn more about Port Townsend, WA festivals and events. We stumbled upon the Kinetic Skulpture Race a few years ago. There was strange crazy cool stuff going on there.

If in Port Townsend I recommend you book a reservation at nearby Fort Worden State Park. Fort Worden is one of our favorite places. Enjoy!

What are your favorite cool weekend getaways?
How about a music festivals, beer festivals, wine tour?

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Money Saving Apps for RVers

The RV lifestyle seems simple and inexpensive from an outside perspective, but it can be difficult to keep expenses down between food, gas, and parking. These apps are designed to help travelers find ways to save money on the road.

Gas Buddy for iPhone and Android is a free app designed to help you find the cheapest gas prices in the area. This app will show you all of the local gas stations with their per-gallon rate, as well as their distance from you. Gas prices generally only vary by $.02-$.20 so the savings don’t always seem drastic, but when you regularly venture hundreds of miles it can really add up.

This app depends on drivers to report gas prices, and there are prizes and points for reporting the cost of gas when you fill up. There are some inaccuracies and it does not cover all gas stations in all areas, but it’s worth a try if you spend a substantial amount of time traveling in an RV (or even just for a min-road trip).

If you are looking for places to camp, Passport America for iPhone or Android is a free app for finding campgrounds and getting discounted nightly rates. You can search by park or area to find prices, amenities, and contact info.

Passport America Search

Some people prefer to save money by spending the night in parking lots or other free public areas, but if you are in a less RV-friendly area or are looking for a place to stay a while, you will find 50% discounts at participating stops. 

Allstays Truck Stops and Travel Plazas for iPhone or Android ($9.99) is another great one for finding stops along your journey. It is designed for truck drivers, but can be equally useful for RV travel. It will show you big stops like Flying J, Love’s, and TA Travel Centers.

All Stays iPad Screenshot

You can filter searches for specific amenities like a particular brand, or ATM or UPS stops to make it useful to what you are looking for. It also works when your phone is out of service range.

If you are looking to use free overnight parking it can also help you identify places that allow truck and RV parking so that you can avoid camping fees.

Check out Tito's Must-have RV Travel Apps

There are also endless apps useful for purposes such as navigation, weather updates, world news, and entertainment. If you are traveling with kids you can load up your phone or tablet with games and puzzles, or if you want to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in your hometown, most regional newspapers have mobile apps as well. Smartphone data plans can be costly, so make sure that you are getting the full benefits that they provide.

Andi Singer is a blogger for www.yourrvconnection.com, a Jayco dealership based out of Indiana, and former cellphone salesperson. She regularly travels around the Northern United States and is always on the lookout for ways to save money.

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LED Light Bulb Comparison

Walk through the light bulb section of Home Depot these days and you're likely to see more LED replacement bulbs for your home lighting fixtures. Though expensive, the claims are that they use very little electricity and that you'll probably never need to replace them. So let's see. 

The Battle of the Bulb
Most of us already know that LED bulbs use much less electricity than traditional bulbs and that they last forever. I wanted to run my own test. I decided to replace the bulbs in my RV light fixtures with LEDs. During that project I ran this comparison to see exactly how much more efficient my LED replacement bulbs were over the original incandescent bulbs.



Are you thinking of replacing your bulbs with LED bulbs? Event if you just replace a few, it's probably worth the expense and it's very easy to do. I picked up my bulbs from Amazon. Here are some quick links (below) if you want to check them out for yourself.

I used this 9 LED bulb in my RV for about $7 each (I needed about 16 of them).	I later found these that come in a 2 pack for around $12.

If you try this out on your RV, leave a comment. Do you like the result? How much power do you think you've saved?

Be sure to read my other post on LED replacement bulbs.

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