A huge and luxurious Class A motorhome may be enticing, but a single traveler or couple camping without children may find a fifth wheel a more reasonable choice. Save money while enjoying all of the best features by picking a model like the Keystone Laredo Fifth Wheel. This trailer saves space, allowing you to fit into smaller camp sites and parking spaces, without leaving you feeling cramped. At 30 feet long with two slide out sections, this fifth wheel has enough space for everyone to relax after a full day of hiking or boating.
Proper Layout
When you want the maximum amenities in a small package, you need to look for a fifth wheel with an optimal layout. The Laredo has a large and open design for the main room. Space saving features like swiveling captain’s chairs and flip up counter extensions. The sofa sleeper next to the dinette folds to three different configurations for comfortable sitting and sleeping. A stovetop, double sink, and even a pantry are worked into the kitchen area.
Easy Cleaning
The corner shower makes it easy to rinse off after your favorite outdoor activities. If you accidentally track in some leaves or dirt, use the built in central vacuum system to quickly restore the cleanliness of your floors. Even the roof vent is designed for blowing away odors from cooking.
Details That Remind You Of Home
Many of the decorative accents in the interior are designed to make the space feel cozy and just like home. The queen sized bed gives everyone plenty of room to stretch out, while the ducted air conditioner keeps the entire trailer evenly cool on long summer trips. The spacious 8 cubic feet refrigerator holds enough food for two to three days, cutting down on grocery trips and restaurant meals if you enjoy cooking. Sit around the freestanding, table style dinette and extend the leaf if you’re hosting guests from the next campsite over.
Exterior Beauty
Everyone at the campground will envy your sleek fifth wheel when you pull in. Large bus style luggage doors allow you to store plenty of luggage without cluttering up your living space. A special Equa-Flex suspension system provides a smooth ride as you head down the road, while the tinted windows and automatic awnings keep you cool by blocking the heat of the sun.
If you’re interested in the 2013 Keystone Laredo Fifth Wheel, arrange for a visit to your local RV dealership in Minnesota. It’s best to walk around the spacious living room and sit on the comfortable bed to really appreciate the features that make this recreational vehicle a good choice for couples and small families.
The RV lifestyle is romantic for a number of reasons, and when we think of life on the road, we think of the platonic RV, perhaps white and tan with silver trim, a bedroom in the very back and a homey feel to the living room, and of course, the guest bed over the cab. There are some who ride with travel trailers hitched to cars or trucks, but when we imagine the RV lifestyle, we think of a motorhome.
A travel trailer may be worth considering, though, if you’re looking for a new vehicle to hit the road with. Here are a few of the things that a travel trailer can do that a motorhome cannot:
1. Detachability
One of the trickiest things about the RV lifestyle is that it’s a major gas expense just to drive from the RV park into town for a few groceries. By hitching your trailer to a truck or a car, you can detach and drive wherever you need to go without the hassle of disconnecting from your hookup or spending the gas to drive your whole house into town to pick up a few steaks.
2. Cost
It varies, of course, and there are cheap motorhomes and expensive trailers, but if you’re buying your first travel-home, a trailer might wind up costing you less at the local Minnesota RV dealership than a motorhome.
3. Hooks to Any Compatible Vehicle
A problem with a standard RV is that when the engine is totally shot, you might be stuck somewhere for a long time. When you can simply scrap your junky old truck and attach a new one to your trailer, this is less of a concern, and you don’t have to trade in your whole home along with the vehicle that pulls it.
The motorhome is the platonic ideal for the traveler’s lifestyle, but the travel trailer has its advantages, as well. Consider the purchase carefully before you go with one or the other.
Little by little, inch by inch, and bloom by bloom, spring will soon be bustin’ out all over! If you’re stuck inside on a rainy or snowy day, it’s the perfect time to plan an Minnesota RV road tripfor the whole family. The wildflowers will be blooming in no time!
Minnesota is home to hundreds of native wildflowers, and our state parks and roadsides offer beautiful backdrops to explore and photograph these natural wonders. Here’s a tip: for the best of the best, start with Wild River, Carley or Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, and check out upcoming wildflower events in the parks. Each state park offers the perfect setting for maximum RV enjoyment with scenic campsites, hiking trails and more.
Minnesota Wildflowers is also a great place to learn more about where to find your favorites and learn about wildflower preservation. Or, join the Minnesota Wildflowers Facebook page to share your pics and wildflower hunting stories.
For all you amateur shutterbugs longing to get up close and personal with some lowland yellow loosestrife and have the beautiful shots to prove it, try these photo tips from the pros:
You’ll get your best photos on a cloudy day.
Experiment with using your flash and decide which photos you like best.
Don’t be afraid to move in close on your subject.
Photograph early or late in the day to avoid harsh shadows.
And most importantly, when you’ve set off in your camper or motorhome, but spot a vista where you just have to pull over and capture a photo, don’t forget these rules:
Watch your step.
Watch for traffic. It’s easy to get distracted and forget to watch for oncoming traffic when you’re crossing the road or opening your vehicle door.
Check the area for insects and snakes before you plop your child or grandchild into the flowers for photos.
Don’t trespass on private property.
Don’t trample the flowers.
Hooray for spring! Let’s keep our parks and open spaces blooming for years to come!
Been longing for a little adventure? Fan of scavenger hunts or The Amazing Race? Want to evoke the spirits of the pirates without the actual plundering and pillaging? If so, grab your GPS (your smart phone will do), load up your Minnesota travel trailer or RV, and hit the road for the very latest in treasure hunts–Geocaching! Check out this simple video on “What is Geocaching?” to get the lowdown on the family-friendly craze.
The beauty of geocaching is in its simplicity. You can plan an easy day trip, take a scenic detour, or build an entire vacation around it from wherever you’ve decided to park the motorhome, because there are over 2 million geocaches worldwide! Geocaching.com is your first stop for finding geocaches on the go, plus they provide a rundown of upcoming events in your state, latest caches hidden and latest trackable items. It’s a goldmine of geocaching tips and tricks.
Geocaching is sure to be tons of fun for the whole family and a great activity with something to engage everyone. You can find the geocaches or hide some—think high-tech hide and seek. Imagine the fun you’ll have picking out the perfect geocache that represents your family. What might you include? Campfire recipes, a stuffed animal, a local rock or gem?
Our state parks are getting in on the action with geocaching guides and special programs and events, like the Geocaching Avian Adventure. Many parks even have GPS kits to get you started. The “sport” has even gotten so big that there are local groups to join and a Minnesota Geocaching Association! Check out their page to learn more about special events and campouts, and which enterprising geocachers have found the most treasure.
Whether you stay close to home or find a far off trail while road-tripping in your new or used RV, geocaching will provide some lasting memories of your shared family adventure!
Renting makes more sense if you don’t have the time to use an RV more than once or twice a year. Many people who are working get a week of vacation; and then they have to try to schedule their vacation around the time kids are out of school. That is not always possible since everyone can’t take the same week off from work. If you do manage to get that treasured vacation so you can do something with the entire family, an RV dealership Minneapolis can help make your dream vacation come true.
RV Rental Types
You can choose from four types of RVs for your RV rental vacation. All have the comforts of home except for popup campers.
Class A: Class A RVs have all the comforts of home, including a full kitchen, bath with a shower or a showerand tub, entertainment center and central heat and air. Class A RVs are built on a specially constructed chassis.
Class C: Class C RVs are also well-equipped with all the comforts of home. Unlike a Class A, which generallyhas flat front, the Class C has a cab over. The cab over could be a bunk, entertainment center or storage. Class C RVs are built on a van chassis.
Travel Trailers: Travel trailers have many different floor plans and sizes. They are lighter so vehicles with a low tow rating can pull them. You also have a choice of a park trailer model, which is larger than a typical travel trailer. All models have at least one bathroom, a bedroom, extra bunks or sofas that convert to bunks, a full galley and many have entertainment centers.
Popup Trailers or Tent Trailers: Tent trailers fold down into a small, low towable trailer. When you open a tenttrailer it is tall enough to walk in and two bunks – usually queen size – pop up in the front and rear. Most have a cubby where you can store a portable toilet, but do not have a full bathroom. They also have a small “portable” kitchen. If you prefer tent camping but want to be off the ground, a tent trailer is a perfect option.
Visit our RV dealership St.Cloud, to walk through several of our rentals to help determine which one is best for your family trip – or fishing trip.
If you’re looking for some great locations to take your new motorhome, you may want to consider Black Hills Badlands and Lakes. A quintessential American landscape, Black Hills area is noted for its beautiful spires climbing impossibly high into the sky, and its gorgeous gorges, setting the mood of an old western and bringing you back to the days before any white person set foot on South Dakotan land.
The area is loaded with incredible sights, including waterfalls and wildlife. Home to six national parks and historical areas like Deadwood and Wounded Knee, Badlands National Park houses the immense memorial-in-progress for Crazy Horse.
The lakes here are wonderful whether you like to boat, fish, or just park by the water and have a few drinks while watching the sun set over the trees. You’ll want to bring your camera, as there will be plenty of things you’re going to want to see again and again.
The nature trails here are enough to keep you busy for years on end if you ever want to take a serious trek. If not, there are plenty of short trails that will take you along some beautiful scenery for your lunch break.
Whether you’re an American history buff, a lover of nature, or just an RVer looking for an inexpensive way to spend the summer, the Black Hills area is perhaps the best you’re going to find in South Dakota when it comes to combining fresh air, mountain living and old western appeal. A drive through the area puts you back in the days of the original settlers, the Native Americans and the pilgrims who explored the country from coast to coast.
We haven’t invented time travel just yet, but a little time spent in Black Hills is the next best thing. Check out the Badlands and the various lakes and see for yourself if Black Hills isn’t one of the most beautifully preserved areas in the country.
Since spring is coming up, it is the perfect time to start planning the first RV trip of the season. You can either rent an RV, buy a new RV from a RV dealership Minneapolis, or if you have an RV, bring it in for spring RV service. Once your RV is set and ready to go, you’ll need to pack for the long weekend. Be sure to bring the ingredients needed to make Beer Butt Chicken.
Whole chicken
1 can of your favorite beer
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Badia Redfish Seasoning
Poultry seasoning
Wash the chicken. If the giblets came with the chicken, remove them. You can use them to make gravy, or you can feed them to your four-legged friend – your dog will love you for that.
Drink about a third of the beer. Add about a teaspoon of each of the spices to the rest of the beer in the can.
Hold the chicken upright – legs down. Push it onto the beer can. Balance the chicken on the grill. The beer can and legs make a tripod so it will stand up. Coat the chicken with all of the spices. If you like “mild,” go easy on the redfish seasoning. If you like your food a bit spicier, go heavy on the redfish seasoning.
If you are using charcoal, be sure to put enough in the grill to last about four hours. If you are cooking on an open grill, you may need more than four hours. If you are using gas, adjust the grill to 350 degrees. If your grill doesn’t have a thermometer, turn on two of the burners. Put the chicken on the opposite side. If you are using a wood fire, build a big fire and let it die down to almost coals. Prop the chicken on the grill, but make sure you have room to add wood under the grill. If you can find it, use green hickory – it will burn slowly and smoke quite a bit, giving your chicken a hickory smoked flavor. The chicken is done when you poke it and clear juices run out or at a minimum of 185 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also test it by pulling on one of the wings – if it comes off with little to no resistance, the chicken is most likely done.
Serve the beer butt chicken with your favorite potato salad, macaroni salad, roasted spicy potatoes or baked potatoes. Send us pictures of your first RV trip, and if you make beer butt chicken, be sure to send us pictures of the chicken before you demolish it!
If you properly winterized your RV at the end of the last camping season, it should have made it through the winter with minimal damage or wear and tear. However, you’ve got to flush out the anti-freeze compounds and dust off the exterior before you hit the road again. Picking up a few extra accessories and cleaning products will make the entire process much easier. Add these four handy additions to your RV care tool chest are for year round use as well. You can find all four at Pleasureland RV Center.
It’s easy to remember to wipe down the shade screens and sweep the floors inside the RV when you open it up for the first time in a few months. However, don’t overlook the cleanliness of the engine while you tidy up the rest of it. This spray cleaner removes deposits and build up from the carburetor. This debris reduces the power of the engine, especially when you need it to climb a steep hill as you explore your favorite national parks. Using this handy spray to clean up the carburetor is a great way to tune up your engine before setting out in the spring.
Even many of the best motorhomes produced today feature solid rubber roofs to protect the top of the RV from falling branches or flying road debris. This rubber is susceptible to fading and hardening when exposed to constant UV rays from the sun. Mildew growing on the surface can also cause it to deteriorate. Use this dual purpose cleaner and protectant to clean away grime from last year while giving the roof an extra boost of protection from moisture and sunlight.
Driving without proper electrical connections to your towed trailer or vehicle puts you and your RV at risk for an accident. Each state also has regulations regarding the lights that must be displayed on a towed vehicle, with punishments costing hundreds of dollars in fines. Toss this tough connector cleaner in your towing box to clean off the electrical connectors each time you prepare to tow. The stiff wire bristles knock off any dirt, corrosion or rust that would impede the transfer of your signals to the trailer or vehicle. This can eliminate the chance of your lights giving out as you are rolling down the road and unaware of the problem.
Draining your fresh water tank at the end of the season is the best way to prevent freezing. You can quickly prepare to use it again by dropping in a few of these quick water cleaning tablets with the first rinse of water. This will clean and disinfect the entire tank, making it ready for use as soon as you drain it out again without a professional flush from your favorite RV dealership in Minnesota.
If you’ve always wanted to take an RV vacation, but just can’t swing the purchase of an RV, you can take that vacation now. Pleasureland RV Center has RV rentals – you can rent anything from a Class A motorhome to a popup trailer, so start planning your dream RV trip today. If you are not sure what type of RV would be best for you, visit Pleasureland, an RV dealership Minneapolis to tour our rental RVs.
When you rent an RV, you can afford more vacation. Not only that, but you are not constrained by schedules for flights, the return of rental cars and other constraints. You can simply hop in with the entire family or a bunch of friends and enjoy your trip. You can stop when and where you want, cook home-cooked meals and stay in a place as long as you want to stay, especially if you choose to camp on private land.
The best rental depends on you and your family or friends. If you prefer tent camping, but would rather be off the ground and have some amenities, a popup camper might fit the bill for you. If you prefer to have all the amenities at your fingertips, including an entertainment center and a hot shower, you should choose a motorhome or a travel trailer. If you want to go ice fishing, the ice house is the best rental.
Pleasureland RV has several different models to rent. If you need to sleep 10 people and don’t have a tow vehicle, ask about our Class A or Class C motorhomes. If you would rather tow a trailer so you can have your truck to drive around your vacation spot (and you don’t want to tow a car behind a motorhome), choose a travel trailer.
Pleasureland RV offers free mileage to certain popular destinations, including Yellowstone, Orlando and the Great Smokey Mountains. Ask about our free mileage rentals when you choose your RV.
When you are on your RV vacation, be sure to take plenty of pictures so you can share your trip with us when you return.
Minnesota is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful states in the union, and one of the very best to cruise through in your RV, especially in Spring. Watching the flowers bloom and animals frollicking by the roadside as you roam from town to town, it’s really what being an RVer is all about. Here are a few of the best locations to hit up in Minnesota on your Spring Break vacation:
Beaver Trails at the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort
If you like to mix your outdoors explorations with a little bit of good old fashioned R’n’R and maybe even a little pampering, this camp/resort in Jellystone Park offers you everything that you could possibly want whether you’re after rugged or relaxing. With 225 full hook-ups, you can probably bet that there’ll be a spot open for you when you arrive, and the five star resort boasts an arcade, shuffleboard and boat rentals. A great place to get away from it all this Spring Break.
Stony Point Resort
Stony Point Resort rates five stars from Woodall’s, thanks to its great fishing spots, swimming opportunities, boat rentals, grills, and a small shop with some groceries in case you don’t want to make the trip to town for some supplies. Stony Point Resort is great any time of year, but especially in the Spring.
Dakotah Meadows Park
With 122 pull-through sites and full hook ups including Wifi and electric, this incredible spot actually has a rock climbing wall, a family fun area, a fitness center and a swimming pool. It’s almost a luxury apartment building for RVers, so it’s no wonder it regularly scores four and five star reviews from a wide range of RV park review websites. If you love the outdoors as much as you love your creature comforts, Dakotah Meadows mixes the two so that you never have to compromise. The only problem with staying here for Spring Break is that you might not want to leave.
Spring is really just about the best time of year to be an RVer, and these three camp sites prove it.
Hi, my name is Dan Pearson and I am the Owner of PleasureLand RV Centers based out of St. Cloud, MN. We have three other Minnesota locations to serve all of you RV needs. I look forward to providing you with all your RV information from buying an RV to tips and maintenance. If you would like to contact me, be sure to leave a comment.
By Dan Pearson
