RV MAIL
LIGHTEN UP
The motor industry is changing as people look to more economical transport. For the second month in a row, plug-in battery electric vehicles accounted for over 15 per cent of new vehicle sales while used plug-in battery electric vehicle sales were up 60 per cent month on month.
The RV industry needs to look at new ways to be relevant. New investors to the industry are being fed the hype that they need a 22ft, twin axle, 3.5-tonne apartment on wheels, lifted to 3m high, built to travel on the Gibb River Road, will operate for a week or more without external connection and can only be towed by a diesel 4WD or a petrol pick-up( as opposed to a ute).
Some owners will embrace more remote travel, but most will only be able to dream of this scenario.
RV OEMs need to return to building quality smaller, lighter RVs that can be towed behind modern plug-in battery electric vehicles, and caravan park chains and operators( and their insurance companies) need to immediately embrace plugin battery electric vehicles and offer charging facilities.
Steve Amor
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LETTERS FROM THE ROAD
DODGY DIESEL?
I just read and viewed your podcast about the cost of fuel, diesel in particular. We went to Uluru, returning home on April 23. I Have a Ranger Wildtrak Next Gen V6 diesel and towing a Millard 19.6 Toura. Fully loaded, it weighs about 2900kg.
I usually get around the 16.5 to 17L / 100km. Getting fuel was not a problem all the way but after my refill in Wagga, the rest of the trip my fuel economy got gradually worse with it going up to around 19 to 20L / 100km.
I didn ' t change my driving or my speed but did go a bit bit slower to try to get better economy but it didn ' t help. We met up with three other couples in Mildura. All complained of increased fuel usage, so we reckon it was the quality of the diesel. The most expensive point to fill up was at Uluru Campground.
We had a fantastic trip and were glad we did not cancel it, which was discussed, so we just had to budget a fair bit more on our fuel costs. I like reading you magazine when it comes out with information on the industry.
Paul Robertson
If you have an opinion or thought about the RV lifestyle, or about this digital magazine, we’ d like to hear it! Email your feedback to info @ gorv. com. au