June 2007 · Tuesday June 5, 2007
Well you might be saying finally…...another White Belt Chronicles…..or not. A friend of mine recently reminded me that the good thing about writing a blog is that you can share your views, however unpopular or misguided, with the great unwashed, on-line masses…..the bad thing is that the people who subscribe to your blog will get expect regular updates. I haven’t done so well on the latter. Allow me to offer my lame excuses and get on with things. We have been busy finishing up shooting Season 4 of RVTV. It’s hard to believe but we will have completed 52 episodes after this season is delivered! OK one more bit of bragging…..we won 2 Telly Awards for Season 3 episodes!
Well it seems that my first attempt at writing something that people would care to read was along the lines of carping. I don’t really want to pigeon holed or perhaps curmudgeon holed as a person who complains full time…...oh who am I kidding? The title of this blog has done that already, so let’s talk about the misconceptions people have about RVing. When we first decided to purchase a Motorhome several years ago, I can remember friends asking (somewhat facetiously) if I was going to retire and move to a trailer park in Florida. First of all, I hate the term “Trailer Park”....it begs for the suffix “Trash”. We like to stay in Campgrounds or RV Resorts. There are a lot of tired facilities out there that probably warrant the stigma that goes along with the Trailer Park moniker and we should do what we can to make sure they either update or fade away into oblivion. How do we do this? Well we vote with our wallets for starters.
There are many places that we have pulled into that did not live up to their billing. Karla is pretty diligent about seeking out good, clean, reputable places to stay, but occasionally, even supposed “experts” like us are led astray by deceptive or….. less than accurate advertising. In the great lyrics of Tom Waits, “The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away.” We use the directories, but don’t forget they are all supported by advertisers…..sooo they are rating and reviewing the same people who are paying them to publish the book. Now, I am in no way impugning the people who publish these directories, even though it’s the same huge conglomerate that owns both of the most popular ones. The web is also a great resource for selecting a destination or an overnight stay, but here too we have been burned. We make sure that there are pictures on the web site. If you haven’t got anything nice to show, you probably won’t show anything at all.
I think the best way to police the campgrounds/resorts/RV parks of the world is through impartial, consumer generated reviews. There are a few web sites out there that do just that…..but they need all of us to post reviews that are as current and as impartial as we can be. RVFamilyFun.com is one site that allows consumers to rate RV facilities. Remember to be fair and objective in your reviews.
Some of the best places we’ve stayed at have come recommended to us by fellow Rvers. Most people who are savvy in the RV Industry realize that we are communicative and sharing community. The best advertising, and sometimes the worst, takes place around the campfire or in a lawn chair at happy hour. Please feel free to respond to this edition of White Belt Chronicles with your best and worst stories.
I leave you with this pledge…….it won’t be nearly as long until my next dispatch…..AND, lest I forget to share this newsflash, watch for the first ever RVTV video podcast coming out this month. If you don’t know what a podcast is, don’t feel bad, it’s a relatively new technical innovation born out of the iPod and available to anyone with a computer and an internet connection……if you’re reading this……that means you. Watch the web site for the podcast launch date……if you like it, simply subscribe and new podcasts will automatically come your way when we spit them out, if you don’t like them (which means we’ve failed miserably and your rejection will send us seeking expensive therapy) then you can simply unsubscribe and never be bothered again with current RV news and information for free. OK, I’m done with the sales job and the guilt trip. Until next time…..in the very near future (still pretty non-committal) , keep the dirty side down……travel safe and have fun.
— Rob Engman
I laughed when I saw the part about the word Trailer Park…and how it begs for the word trash. I thought I was alone!!!!! We have been so disappointed in “5 star resorts” that we are seeing, and are frustrated with RVing already and haven’t even gone anywhere. Why do people love to display their beer bottles on RV windowsills and create makeship sunrooms with blue tarp. I seen nothing wrong with a older model RV, but upkeep is so important in a 5 star resort. Stuff should be put away in a storage unit not for display, and sites should be free of mess. of mess & clutter and kept neat. I also think the gardening in a 5 star resort should be left up to the owners of the park and uniform. Call me a snob. I just don’t see why I half to give up the presentation I would have had with 5 star hotel, just because I’m traveling by RV. I’m still looking for luxury.
— kj · Jun 18, 09:21 · #
Where are you? Bob and I are anxious to talk with you. Give Karla a hug and the pooches a pat.
— Dumper Doug · Sep 5, 10:28 · #