Cirque Du Soieil RV fire shuts down highway

By Chris Dougherty

Certified RV Technician

A conversion coach for the Cirque Du Soieil performers caught fire and burned in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The vehicle was a total loss.

According to KATC-TV, the cause of the fire hasn't been determined, although fire investigators suspect some sort of mechanical malfunction was responsible. The driver was the only occupant, and he escaped without injury.

The blaze reached as high as 50 feet in the air and damaged some electrical transmission lines. Utility crews rendered repairs and reopened the area to traffic.

While motorhome fires are relatively rare compared to the number of units out there, they are still a concern for RVers. Proper maintenance is essential to help avoid the possibility of fire. Make certain your RV has smoke, propane, and carbon monoxide detectors, and that they work.

Just like at home, use EDITH - Exit Drills In The Home. Have an escape plan for your RV. Have fire extinguishers in various places within the RV and in an easily accessed outside compartment.

Before driving, look around your coach for anything that looks amiss, like a leak, something that has landed on the engine, or an unusual smell, and investigate and fix the issue before leaving.

Source & Photo: KATC-TV

Ford to end E series vans; Class C chassis not included

Louisville., KY—A representative of Ford Motor Company at the RVIA National RV Show in Louisville confirmed to RV Travel that Ford will be discontinuing the E series van starting in model year 2013, and will be replaced with the European styled Transit van, in a larger size than the current Transit available in the United States.

According to a Ford press release, “Production of Ford’s E-Series, currently built at Ohio Assembly Plant, will continue to be available in certain variations through most of the decade. A new full-size van called the Transit – slated for production beginning in 2013 at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Mo. – also will be introduced for Ford’s commercial van customers in North America.”

Ford will, however, continue to build the E series cutaway van chassis used for class-c motorhomes, and other cutaway van applications such as box trucks and ambulances. In addition, production of F-650, F-750, and the F-53 motorhome chassis will move from Escobedo, Mexico to its Ohio Assembly Plant in Avalon Lake, Ohio. “By moving our commercial vehicle production in-house, we will be able to streamline and strengthen the engineering and manufacturing of our next-generation medium-duty trucks,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company’s president of The Americas.

Fleetwood adds diesel option on its classic motorhome

Fleetwood RV Inc. debuted a front-diesel chassis option for its 2012 Bounder Classic Class A motorhome at this week’s National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky.

Fleetwood said the new, front-engine diesel adds increased power and contributes to better fuel efficiency, featuring a Cummins ISB 6.7L engine, full air suspension and air brakes. According to a news release the platform represents a collaboration between Fleetwood RV and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC).

“One of the most exciting features of the new Bounder Classic diesel is that it has air brakes and air-ride,” said John Draheim, president and CEO of Decatur, Ind.-based Fleetwood RV. “It offers a premium ride and drive, which is something our customers have been asking for.”

The diesel chassis on the Bounder Classic also eliminates the “dog-house” -- a hump between the driver and passenger seats. The flat floor in the cockpit allows both the driver and the passenger to have improved access to the cockpit area. It also creates additional legroom when the chairs are swiveled to be part of the living area.

Consumer research in this product category has shown potential buyers have concerns about increased noise and heat in front-engine diesel applications, which Fleetwood said has been addressed in the new Bounder Classic. The coach features a newly engineered cockpit sub-floor and engine compartment with premium thermo-acoustic liners and insulation. The result is a driver’s cabin that is said to be quieter and has less noise intrusion than comparable gas powered coaches at cruising-speeds.

"Graffiti-bombed" motormhome has life as mobile art gallery

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- WelcometoCOMPANY.com's ArtV is a 36 foot Class A motorhome retrofitted as a mobile, pop-up art gallery that is staking a claim on the future of displaying art. From New York's Chelsea neighborhood to Florida for North America's largest international art fair, ArtV is there--and making waves.

Every day the graffiti-bombed mobile gallery will shuttle anyone and everyone that hops onboard regardless of VIP status between the myriad of art fairs comprising the world's largest conglomeration of art for sale. While doing so, Welcome to COMPANY will provide collectors a welcome respite from the art orgy by hosting a gypsy-style mobile party with DJ music and free-flowing, complimentary "beverages."

"This is the coolest thing I've experienced in the art world in years. As an emerging artist, I have been wresting with how to make my art more accessible, really reach the public and not just the two percent jaded art snobs. This mobile art gallery literally takes the artwork to the streets. Totally dope," commented Dani Howard of Brooklyn during the city's recent art crawl.

Disrupting the traditional gallery system seems to be a hot trend, what with the proliferation of online art websites; but as one of the fastest growing companies, WelcometoCOMPANY.com is easily the most ambitious. In addition to its mobile art gallery, this early stage company hosts a monthly meetup for new art enthusiasts called The Collector Series™ and they are producing a documentary series to discover emerging artists in each of NYC's boroughs, which will air on cable TV beginning in January for six weekly episodes.

"Art is life and if there is a way to make it more approachable to everyone without the attitude or economic intimidation, then I gurantee we will try it. It is way too much fun so why not?" claims welcometoCOMPANY.com Founder/Prexy CJ Follini.

Source: WelcometoCOMPANY news release and rvtravel.com

New, all-electric motorhome debuts at RV trade show.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., November 29, 2011-- MVP RV, Inc. is showing off an all-electric, zero-emissions Class C motorhome at the National RV Trade Show that opened today. The 24-foot pre-production E Tahoe is powered by lithium-ion batteries.

MVP is showcasing a similar, all-electric Class A vehicle in China.

The RV is fitted with a drive train, external charger, and battery system developed by Harbor City, Calif.-based Balqon Corporation, which develops zero emission heavy-duty electric trucks, lithium battery packs and electric vehicle drive systems.

According to Scott Degnan, MVP vice president of sales, production models will produce more power than the pre-production model. The pre-production E Tahoe uses 96, 260-amp-hour-batteries to generate 332 volts DC. The production model will have 1,000-amp-hour-batteries.

Depending on options and use, the coach should travel about 100 to 250 miles on a charge. A full recharge takes about 90 minutes. The pre-production coach requires a 240 volt AC shore line connection for charging. The company is exploring various on-board recharging options. MVP expects the batteries to last 10,000 cycles.

The battery system is liquid cooled. Unlike present day RVs, the entire coach will operate off the 96 batteries instead of separate automotive and house systems.

The coach has about 10 percent less storage space than a traditional Tahoe due to space occupied by the batteries. The batteries weigh about 3,000 pounds. The extra weight is offset by the absence of a powertrain: the company has not released the actual difference.

Degnan would not discuss price, but said the coach should be available for retail sale by the third quarter of 2012.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We will have more detailed report on this RV within a week or two. Our big question: is this "for real" or a gimmick? It's hard for us to imagine why anyone would buy an RV that needed constant recharging, especially when such facilities are rare.

Thor introduces new Palazzo diesel motor coach

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 29, 2011 -- Thor Motor Coach showed off its new Palazzo diesel motorhome at the Louisville National Trade Show today. The Palazzo’s foundation is a 26,000-lb GVWR Freightliner rear diesel chassis powered by a 300 horsepower Cummins ISB/660 Ft-lb Toque engine.

Features includes two slideouts, Vizio Home Theatre Bar, a residential Whirlpool refrigerator, cockpit PC workstation, solid surface countertops and a 6,000 watt Onan generator.

The RV features more than 5,000 pounds of cargo carrying capacity. It's patio area is completely covered by the awning, and slide rooms do not take away from living area or storage access. The interior of the coach has eliminated the typical diesel cockpit wind noise, the living area is not fully traversed to get to the bath, and cabinet and wardrobe storage is spacious. “Outside of the box thinking, plus an understanding of what will make a dealer successful with today’s diesels, are the reasons we created the Palazzo, explained Dana Simon, VP of Sales and Marketing for Thor Motor Coach.