Comments on: Will hybrids help? http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/ Welcome to RV Weekly where the editor of RV Trade Digest will be updating you on the latest news, trends, and products important to the RV industry. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:43:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: hybird rv http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-4632 hybird rv Tue, 27 May 2008 00:06:26 +0000 http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-4632 [...] its place in the RV Industry. ... that Ford could put a Hybrid powered RV chassis on the road in ...http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/The details about the farmers, area sown, insecticide spraysThe Monitoring Committee comprising of [...] […] its place in the RV Industry. … that Ford could put a Hybrid powered RV chassis on the road in …http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/The details about the farmers, area sown, insecticide spraysThe Monitoring Committee comprising of […]

]]> By: Earl http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-3058 Earl Sat, 29 Dec 2007 20:51:29 +0000 http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-3058 I bought a 2003 Ford Super Duty Diesel to pull a 10K lb fifth wheel.I have plenty of power and without pulling it gets 20-21 mpg and 10-11 mpg pulling. At the time I did what I thought was the best thing to do. Good power, good mileage. Now I hear they are making refined jet and diesel fuel that burns cleaner than refined oil with coal. And they do it for $40 a barrel. Will this ever be passed down to the RV'ers or will the industry continue to suffer and eventually die due to the increased costs of fuel which should be cheaper than gas in the first place? I know I'm reaching a point where I can't afford to RV much longer if this continues. Thanks, Earl I bought a 2003 Ford Super Duty Diesel to pull a 10K lb fifth wheel.I have plenty of power and without pulling it gets 20-21 mpg and 10-11 mpg pulling. At the time I did what I thought was the best thing to do. Good power, good mileage. Now I hear they are making refined jet and diesel fuel that burns cleaner than refined oil with coal. And they do it for $40 a barrel. Will this ever be passed down to the RV’ers or will the industry continue to suffer and eventually die due to the increased costs of fuel which should be cheaper than gas in the first place? I know I’m reaching a point where I can’t afford to RV much longer if this continues.
Thanks, Earl

]]> By: Ron Estrada http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2991 Ron Estrada Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:34:27 +0000 http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2991 Hybrid electric ranks right up there with ethanol as a viable alternative fuel. Essentially, it's designed to give the appearance of progress, with nothing really gained. A few Hollywood types will drive them around to show how green they are, but that's about it. Real alternative fuel sources are out there, but the time to develop the technology tends to run beyond the terms of the current congress, so they have to make a good showing with psuedo technology. Can anyone here tell I'm in the Detroit area? We get a little tired of the government trying to force what a free market will take care of on its own. Hybrid electric ranks right up there with ethanol as a viable alternative fuel. Essentially, it’s designed to give the appearance of progress, with nothing really gained. A few Hollywood types will drive them around to show how green they are, but that’s about it. Real alternative fuel sources are out there, but the time to develop the technology tends to run beyond the terms of the current congress, so they have to make a good showing with psuedo technology. Can anyone here tell I’m in the Detroit area? We get a little tired of the government trying to force what a free market will take care of on its own.

]]> By: E.T.Andrysiak http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2988 E.T.Andrysiak Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:58:08 +0000 http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2988 I have been here before as well remembering 1979. The year I went into the RV business! It was a time of no gas and not just price. The hybrid, me thinks, will evolve into a two passenger go to work and shopping vehicle for every day driving and will replace all those suvs you see on the interstate every morning with one person going to work! Those suv's however will sit in the garage awaiting their turn to pull the family boat or travel trailer and use when a family outing is taking place. Same for pick up trucks. They will guzzle as well but we will still have them but for limitted use. What will change is what we drive EVERY DAY to and from. To think of a hybrid that will tow or power a motorhome is just silly...you'd laugh if someone told you they had a hybrid semi. Better gas mileage is on the way but nothing revolutionary. Remember the old saying...anything that does a lot of things does not do any of them well...we may be expecting too much from a hybrid! We will have a "driver" that gets a lot of gas mileage AND our trucks, motorhomes and suvs for FUN and RECREATION. I have been here before as well remembering 1979. The year I went into the RV business! It was a time of no gas and not just price. The hybrid, me thinks, will evolve into a two passenger go to work and shopping vehicle for every day driving and will replace all those suvs you see on the interstate every morning with one person going to work! Those suv’s however will sit in the garage awaiting their turn to pull the family boat or travel trailer and use when a family outing is taking place. Same for pick up trucks. They will guzzle as well but we will still have them but for limitted use. What will change is what we drive EVERY DAY to and from.
To think of a hybrid that will tow or power a motorhome is just silly…you’d laugh if someone told you they had a hybrid semi. Better gas mileage is on the way but nothing revolutionary. Remember the old saying…anything that does a lot of things does not do any of them well…we may be expecting too much from a hybrid! We will have a “driver” that gets a lot of gas mileage AND our trucks, motorhomes and suvs for FUN and RECREATION.

]]> By: Gene http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2960 Gene Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:25:57 +0000 http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2960 Thank you Erica for finally bringing this subject to the Forum. I feel that it is time to have a discussion about the role of hybrid technology and its place in the RV Industry. While I am not an ultimate expert in the field of hybrid powered vehicles, I do have a lot of first hand experience in the field. So to cut to the chase regarding the question "Can Hybrids do the job?", the answer is a big YES. You might wish to check out this Web Site for some background on high-powered hybrids. It has lots of good information. http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_Shadow,,00.html Hybrids vehicles that have the capability to pull or drive large RVs are not new. However, the movement of Hybrid technology into the commercial marketplace is fairly new and is becoming an accepted high-end vehicle for the automotive marketplace. Being in the Technology business, I know from experience that Technology development cost a great deal of money. Yet, there is no limiting technology in the development of high-powered hybrid vehicles except for the desire and will to spend the up-front dollars required to bring those vehicles into existence. Both Ford and GM have successfully demonstated Hybrid vehicles, including state-of-the-art Fuel Cell powered vehicles. There is no doubt in my mind that Ford could put a Hybrid powered RV chassis on the road in less than 5 years. All that is needed is for one of the Motorhome manufacturers to step up and place an order. When I polish up my crystal ball, I would be willing to forecast that a Ford or GM powered Hybrid RV Chassis could show up on the floor at Louisville in the next few years. RVers like new technologies. Given the availability of a Hybrid powered RV, my guess is that it will sell. Gene Thank you Erica for finally bringing this subject to the Forum. I feel that it is time to have a discussion about the role of hybrid technology and its place in the RV Industry.

While I am not an ultimate expert in the field of hybrid powered vehicles, I do have a lot of first hand experience in the field. So to cut to the chase regarding the question “Can Hybrids do the job?”, the answer is a big YES.

You might wish to check out this Web Site for some background on high-powered hybrids. It has lots of good information.

http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_Shadow,,00.html

Hybrids vehicles that have the capability to pull or drive large RVs are not new. However, the movement of Hybrid technology into the commercial marketplace is fairly new and is becoming an accepted high-end vehicle for the automotive marketplace.

Being in the Technology business, I know from experience that Technology development cost a great deal of money. Yet, there is no limiting technology in the development of high-powered hybrid vehicles except for the desire and will to spend the up-front dollars required to bring those vehicles into existence. Both Ford and GM have successfully demonstated Hybrid vehicles, including state-of-the-art Fuel Cell powered vehicles. There is no doubt in my mind that Ford could put a Hybrid powered RV chassis on the road in less than 5 years. All that is needed is for one of the Motorhome manufacturers to step up and place an order.

When I polish up my crystal ball, I would be willing to forecast that a Ford or GM powered Hybrid RV Chassis could show up on the floor at Louisville in the next few years.

RVers like new technologies. Given the availability of a Hybrid powered RV, my guess is that it will sell.

Gene

]]> By: Kevin | InteractRV http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2958 Kevin | InteractRV Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:01:04 +0000 http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2958 Don't forget the new Hybrid 2008 Durango coming out. It has quite a large towing capacity comparably. That's not to say I personally am a Dodge guy, but those are the facts. Don’t forget the new Hybrid 2008 Durango coming out. It has quite a large towing capacity comparably. That’s not to say I personally am a Dodge guy, but those are the facts.

]]> By: Dick Charron http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2957 Dick Charron Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:41:31 +0000 http://www.rvtradedigest.com/interactive/2007/12/18/will-hybrids-help/#comment-2957 Some of us have been down this road before. In 1973 people were trading in their big gas guzzling cars and opting for what were then called "compact cars". The car dealerships were full of used Cadillacs, and Lincolns. The love affair with the small car lasted about a year or so and then all of these "compacts" were traded back in for the big cars again. We are a strange breed we Americans we are not going to give up our luxuries without a fight. I don't see us changing our recreation habits because chicken little (Al Gore) said "the sky is falling". Patience is all we need. This too shall pass and we'll find another way to keep doing what we're doing. Some of us have been down this road before. In 1973 people were trading in their big gas guzzling cars and opting for what were then called “compact cars”. The car dealerships were full of used Cadillacs, and Lincolns. The love affair with the small car lasted about a year or so and then all of these “compacts” were traded back in for the big cars again. We are a strange breed we Americans we are not going to give up our luxuries without a fight. I don’t see us changing our recreation habits because chicken little (Al Gore) said “the sky is falling”. Patience is all we need. This too shall pass and we’ll find another way to keep doing what we’re doing.

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