July 15th, 2014 -
The 2015 Winnebago Journey 36M is perfect for a larger family. It is just over 37 feet long and has an interior height of 7 feet. It also has large holding tanks so you don’t have to refill the water or empty the holding tanks every other day, even with a larger family.
The freshwater tank holds 85 gallons, the hot water heater holds 10 gallons, the black holding tank holds 46 gallons and the gray water tank holds 61 gallons. It also holds 28 gallons of LP fuel and 100 gallons of diesel. To take a walk through of the Winnebago Journey 36M, stop by PleasureLand RV today.
Chassis and Powertrain
The 360-horsepower Cummins ISB XT 6.7-liter turbocharged engine rides on a Freightliner Maxum chassis. It is backed by an Allison six-speed automatic 3000 MH transmission. The engine is cooled by a rear radiator. This RV also featurs NeWay front and rear suspension, a 160-amp alternator, airbrakes with ABS, an engine exhaust brake, automatic hydraulic leveling jacks, a seven-pin wiring harness for a trailer, a trailer hitch that supports 500 pounds of maximum vertical tongue weight and stylized aluminum wheels.
Cab Features
The cab features an infotainment center with GPS, a 10.4-inch touch screen color monitor, AM/FM radio, CD/DVD player, steering wheel-mounted controls, a handheld remote, Bluetooth, a color rearview camera, sideview cameras, multi-position armrests, adjustable lumbar support, swivel/reclining/sliding seats, cruise control, a powered stepwell cover, power mirrors with a sideview camera, turn signal indicators and defrost, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel with a foot actuated pedal, and power door locks with remotes.
Interior Features
The interior of the 2015 Winnebago Journey features a 40-inch HDTV in the middle of the coach, it’s ready for a satellite system, it features a digital TV amplified antenna system, dual pane contoured windows, LED ceiling lights, roof vents and a home theater sound bar system.
Galley Features
The galley features Corian countertops, a residential stainless steel French door fridge with water dispenser, microwave/convection oven, three-burner stove, and a cold water filtration system.
Bath Features
The bathroom also features Corian countertops, a flexible showerhead, a textured glass door shower, skylight and porcelain toilet.
Bedroom Features
The bedroom features a 32-inch HDTV, a queen bed with an innerspring mattress, ceiling fan, bedspread, pillows and pillow shams.
To learn more about the 2015 Winnebago Journey 36M including the rest of the features and additional options, stop by PleasureLand RV today.
July 10th, 2014 -
Sometimes, you just want to take a short drive to get away – and visiting RV parks in Minnesota is the perfect way to do this. Choose a new park each time you go out – then remember which parks you liked best. That way, you can visit those you like between visiting new parks throughout the season.
If this sounds like a lot of fun and you don’t have an RV, stop by PleasureLand RV to walk through several floor plans. We have RVs with various prices, including barely used RVs, right through luxury models, which means we have something for everyone.
Lebanon Hills Regional Park Campground is located at 860 Cliff Road, Eagan, Minn. 55123. It features 93 sites and features 50-amp electric hookups, water, sewer, wireless Internet, pull-through sites, big rig access, shade trees and is family friendly. The restrooms, laundry and showers are clean and the roads are paved. Be sure you have your camera charged and ready to go as there is a lot of wildlife in the area.
Bunker Hills Campground, located in Coon Rapids, features 64 secluded sites. There are rustic sites and sites with hookups. Hookups include 30-amp sites with water and 50-amp sites with water. Additionally, there is one site that will accommodate up to 30 people with tents. That site has water and electric hookups. Amenities include a visitor center, RV sanitation station, shower and restrooms and a playground. Bunker Beach Water Park and Bunker Park Stables are nearby.
Leech Lake Recreation Area is in the middle of the Chippewa National Forest, Federal Dam, Minnesota. It has fishing and boat access to Portage Bay. Leech Lake has 316 miles of shoreline and ash, maple, elm, birch, basswood, aspen and pine forests. Be sure to have the camera ready as the area is filled with wildlife – you may even hear the loons out on the lake. Activities include fishing, hiking, boating and canoeing. Leech Lake features 73 wooded sites with electric, which include five sites with full hookups. The camping area also features four primitive sites – you’ll need your hiking boots to reach these.
Before you head out, be sure to have your RV serviced at PleasureLand RV if it’s been some time since your last service or checkup.
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Image by Tom Kelly via Flickr Creative Commons
July 8th, 2014 -
Sometimes you want to take the RV out, but you just don’t have the time off from work. You can still use the RV to attend events right in your Minnesota backyard – you just have to find an event that you would enjoy. RVs are great for going to the race track or airshows – you can watch the excitement right from the top of the RV and not have to worry about someone taller than you blocking your view.
If you haven’t brought your RV into PleasureLand RV for service yet, now is the time to do it as there are many upcoming summer events. If you don’t have an RV yet, we have plenty of models and floor plans to choose from.
The Scott-Carver Threshers Harvest Festival will be held from August 1, 2014 through August 3, 2014 at the Scott County Fairgrounds, 19375 Fairview Lane, Jordan, Minn. 55352. This year makes the 51st year for this three-day festival that features machinery, gas and steam engines, and tractors. A pancake breakfast will be held at 7:00 a.m., plus there will be craft vendors, a parade, live music, a food stand, potato digging, a blacksmith, print shop, and a lathe and shingle mill. Plus you’ll get to enjoy a vintage baseball game played by rules from 1860. You’ll also get to see an 1876 Altman-Taylor steam engine. For more information, call (952) 686-3191 or (952) 492-2062.
Farmfest 2014 will be held from August 5, 2014 through August 7, 2014 at the Gilfillan Estates, 28269 State Highweay 67, Morgan, Minn. 56266. Admission is $7 for those over 18 years of age. This national trade show is quite popular and attracts up to 40,000 people each year. If you are interested in activities dedicated to the improvement and advancement of agriculture, then this is a show you shouldn’t miss. For more information, call (507) 637-2828.
Live at the Levee will be held on August 2, 2014 at 1 Main Street, Winona, Minn. 55987. This festival is the fourth in a series of free music and arts events. There will be events for all ages starting at noon and running until 10:00 p.m., including food and drinks, activities, recreational opportunities and arts and crafts vendors. For more information call (507) 452-0735.
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Image by USDA via Flickr Creative Commons
July 3rd, 2014 -
If you’ve always wanted an RV but other obligations preclude you from getting financing; or if you are not sure that the RV lifestyle is for you – even for a weekend – consider renting an RV. You can rent an RV to see if you like it – or you can rent an RV for a vacation if your financial situation won’t let you buy right now.
PleasureLand RV Center has four locations and many floor plans. You can find us in St. Cloud, Ramsey, Brainerd and Willmar. And, for the summer of 2014, you’ll get unlimited mileage on any motorhome rental.
If you’ve never been RVing, you’ll learn that it’s all about the flexibility, freedom and fun. We offer affordable rates on current year models – and no hidden fees. Plus, you can take a longer vacation for less money when you rent an RV—and if you don’t like the place you are staying; it’s easy to move to another place.
Visit and stay at national parks, music festivals, NASCAR races, sporting events and more. An RV with a walk-on roof is perfect to take to the races. You don’t have to sit in the crowded stands to see everything – just get on top of the RV: Tall people in front of you won’t be able to block your view.
Renting an RV also has other benefits. You can explore places that you’ve never been before – places that don’t have a hotel nearby or the hotel is just too expensive for the entire family. And, with an RV, you don’t have to eat out for every meal. You’ll save a ton of money by cooking your own meals at “home.”
If you want to travel a long distance but prefer not to fly and don’t want to go through the hassle of renting a car or finding somewhere to eat out every day, rent an RV from PleasureLand RV Center and drive. You’ll be able to stop and see sights along the way and can take your time getting to your destination.
Choose from Class A, Class C, travel trailer and folding camper rentals. We have floor plans that sleep from four to 10 people. We also have “extras” such as a kitchen kit, a personal kit, pick up and drop off and a cleaning service.
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Image by Frank Swift via Flickr Creative Commons
June 30th, 2014 -
Part of planning for a road trip is making sure your RV is in good working order and packing clothing, groceries and other necessities to take along with you. You should also have a list for non-necessities – things to keep you busy while on the road if you are not driving – and things to do if the weather keeps you stuck inside for a day or two.
On the list of things to do before you leave, include a visit to Pleasure Land RV to have your RV serviced if you haven’t done it yet. On the list of non-necessities, you should have a couple of good books to bring with you while you are on the road. You can either buy a paper version of the books, or if they are available in digital format, download them to your Kindle or Nook. Consider all types of books from romance to historical accounts to travel books.
Kilingiri, by Janna Gray, combines mystery, drama and romance into one novel. It also touches on religion and redemption, loss and gain, and exotic locations.
Sleeping People Lie, by Jae De Wylde is about a young woman from Stamford, England who meets a writer from Boston, Massachusetts and their fixation with each other. But fate deals some nasty blows sometimes – and they face disaster.
Riptide, by Amber Lea Easton, is about an anchorwoman that becomes a lead story – instead of reporting the lead story. The anchorwoman tries to evade the spotlight by staying at her brother’s house in the Cayman Islands.
The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, is a good read if you haven’t already read this mystery. Paris, the Louvre, murder and a trail of clues left in Da Vinci’s works will keep you spellbound as the miles tick away – as long as you are not the one driving!
Of course, these are just a few suggestions. Don’t forget to grab some reading material before you hit the road!
Making lists so you won’t forget what you need and want on your trip makes getting ready – especially if you are taking a long road trip – less stressful and allows you to enjoy the trip more since you won’t have to worry about learning about something you forgot right when you need it. Stop by Pleasure Land RV to pick up any accessories or to have your RV serviced if needed.
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Image by Ben Babcock via Flickr Creative Commons
June 27th, 2014 -
When you take a long road trip, you may want to look at the scenery, especially if you’ve never been through the area. However, the kids will definitely be bored! It is good to have some activities planned to keep them occupied – or at least have something for them to do.
If you are traveling in a motorized coach, it’s a bit easier to keep the kids occupied – they can play games at the dinette or they can take a nap on the bunks. If you are hauling a travel trailer or fifth wheel, it’s not going to be that easy. Before you go, make sure you have something that will keep the kids occupied – that is as important as stopping at Pleasure Land RV before you leave so you can have the RV checked and so you can pick up accessories you may need.
- Play road games such as the alphabet game, the license plate game, yellow car or even a story-telling game where a person says a sentence, then another person has to add to it. You can also include I Spy and variations of any of these games to keep them interesting.
- Bring hand-held gaming modules such as the Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Portable.
- If you have games on your tablet or phone, you can also keep the kids occupied with that if the games don’t require WiFi.
- Catch up on your reading. Kids can also catch up on reading. If they brought homework with them, they can also study.
- Be sure to pack a lunch – or stop someplace to eat. If the kids are getting grouchy, taking a break from driving – even if it’s eating a sandwich in the car – might calm them down. And, with a carbohydrate high, they just might crash for a couple hours!
Keeping everyone happy while on a trip is the key to sanity. Kids tend to get bored easily with one thing – be sure to bring several things for them to do or be prepared to play games with them.
As always, stop by Pleasure Land RV before you head out on your road trip to make sure the RV is working properly, to have the engine and transmission checked on a motorized coach, and to pick up any accessories you may need.
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Image by AnneCN via Flickr Creative Commons
June 19th, 2014 -
When you’re in an RV, sometimes you just can’t bake a full pan of brownies, you can’t bake a large pie or space is too confined to make any elaborate dishes for dinner. These recipes created for RV camping will come in handy in a pinch – and they are quick to make and easy to clean up.
When you walk through some of the floor plans at Pleasure Land RV, you’ll find that some don’t come with an oven, some have an oven but it’s smaller than the oven in your house, or some come with a convection/microwave oven. You can make these recipes in the microwave or on the grill.
Brownies in a Cup
- Coffee mug
- ¼ c. sugar
- ¼ c. flour
- 2 tbsp. cocoa
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. water
- Ice cream (optional)
Add the dry ingredients to the cup and mix them well. Add the oil and water. Mix until the mixture is smooth.Microwave it for 1 minute and 40 seconds. Remove it – be careful, it will be hot. Add the ice cream.
Beer Butt Chicken – Boondock Style
- 1 whole chicken, cleaned and rinsed
- 1 can of your favorite beer
- Salt
- Pepper
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Redfish blackening spice
- Poultry seasoning
- Barbecue sauce (optional)
Prepare the chicken by sprinkling it liberally with the spices. Drink about a third of the beer. Add a teaspoon of each spice to the beer. Using a brush or folded paper towel, “paint” the chicken with barbecue sauce (optional).
Stick the beer can in the chicken’s “butt.” The can and the legs form a tripod so that the chicken will stand up.
Enclosed Grills: Turn on one or two burners on one end. If you have a four-burner grill, use two burners. If you have a three-burner grill, you can use two if they are far enough apart so that the chicken isn’t close to the flame. Watch the temperature – adjust the flame to keep the temperature between 325 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stand the chicken on the grill and close the lid. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Depending on the size of the chicken, this could take up to 3 to 4 hours.
Open/Charcoal Grills: You can still cook this on an open grill. However, you have to be able to keep adding charcoal. Lifting the chicken and the grill is a good way to lose your dinner to the ground. Make sure you can stabilize the chicken when you move the grill. Cooking Beer Butt Chicken this way will take a bit longer – closer to four to five hours, depending on the size of the chicken. Be sure to cook it until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut the chicken off the bones and serve on a platter. Discard the bones and the beer. Serve with your favorite potato or pasta salad.
Stop by Pleasure Land RV for any accessories you might need for grilling or baking, including a grill, mugs, storage helpers and more.
June 13th, 2014 -
Whether you’re planning your first long RV trip or you’ve been on several, you’ll appreciate some of these tips to save space or to make living in a smaller space easier. You can even decorate your RV without storing things that take up a ton of space.
Summer Décor
You don’t have to get super fancy and bring statues and fountains with you – wind spinners, windsocks and string lights do a fine job of decorating your RV awning and camp spot. Keep them in a small covered tub in the basement storage so they don’t get damaged and so that they are easy to get to. You can choose from many styles of wind spinners and windsocks. You can also find small figurines that stick in the ground to decorate the outside of your RV.
Organization
Choose any of these accessories, available at Pleasureland RV, to maximize the space in your RV and to make preparing meals easier. Camco Mfg. makes a coffee filter dispenser that mounts under the counter. You simply push the button to open the lid and remove one filter from the stack. This frees up valuable cabinet space in the galley.
Trash is always a problem, especially if you’re in an area with lots of wildlife – particularly raccoons. A collapsible trash can keeps your trash in one place and away from pesky animals – and it saves a ton of space. The can uses a heavy duty spring to support the shape and has tough carrying handles. The trash can uses 33-gallon leaf and lawn bags so you’ll have plenty of room for trash. The trash can collapses to 1½ inches so it doesn’t take a ton of valuable space.
Another issue is grease storage – if you put the grease in the trash can, it could leak out of the bottom of the bag if the bag has a hole, thus causing a complete mess. The smell also attracts unwanted visitors. The kitchen grease storage system puts an end to this, and allows you to dispose of grease without putting it into the black or gray water tanks. Simply pour the cooking grease into foil-lined bags and close the top. The top locks in odors so you don’t have to use it and immediately throw it away – wait until it’s full, then dispose of it in the trash receptacle.
Visit Pleasureland RV before your next trip to pick up any accessories you may need for your next trip.
June 10th, 2014 -
If you’re in the market for a travel trailer with a bunkhouse and you need something that is suitable for full-time living, tour the 2014 Dutchmen Aspen Trail destination trailer. This RV is large enough for a family to live in without getting in the way of each other.
PleasureLand RV Center has a Dutchmen Aspen Trail ready and waiting for you to haul to your next destination. This RV features tons of residential appointments and high-quality finishes.
The galley features a residential microwave oven with a carousel, a three-burner range and oven with auto ignition, a 6.3 cubic-foot double door refrigerator that runs on gas or electric, a large double sink with a high rise faucet and a range hood with a light and exhaust fan.
Cabinets have full access and radius corners and the doors and drawer fronts are made of distressed maple hardwood.
The living area features residential furniture, radius corner overhead cabinets in the slide out, 12-volt dinette lights, mini blinds and designer window treatments, swivel chairs, a fold-down sofa, an 83-inch U-shaped dinette and wall switches for the overhead lights.
The bedroom features television hookups, under-bed storage, a designer bedding package including a bedspread, reading lights, and, in the bunk room, a privacy curtain for the bunks. The main bedroom features a queen bed and the bunkhouse features four bunks.
The bathroom features a shower/exhaust fan, an ABS tub and shower surround, a glass shower door, towel hooks, a porcelain foot flush toilet, 110-volt GFI outlet and a designer mirror.
Appliances include a six-gallon DSI water heater that runs on gas or electric, a water heater bypass, a 34,000 BTU furnace, a 13,500 BTU ducted air conditioning unit, a 12-volt water pump, a 55-amp electronic converter, monitor panel, a digital television antenna with a booster and the RV is wired for cable when you stop at places with cable hookup or if you want to purchase an RV satellite dish from one of the satellite television providers.
The RV also features smoke, LP leak and carbon monoxide detectors.
Stop by Pleasure Land RV Center today to walk through the 2014 Dutchmen Aspen Trail destination trailer or any other models on the lot.
June 5th, 2014 -
If you are taking your vacation during the summer and have the time to drive, load up your RV and take a trip to Sevierville, Tennessee. The trip takes about 16 hours if you go through Chicago. If you want to skirt Chicago, it takes about 17 ½ hours. On the way down, take your time and visit some destinations on your way.
Before you leave, stop by PleasureLand RV to have your RV service or checked since this is quite a long drive. Also be sure to pick up any accessories you may need for your trip.
Once you get to Sevierville, you have numerous places to camp, including places in Pigeon Forge. Places include River Plantation RV Resort, Riverside RV Park and Resort, Up the Creek RV Camp and Riveredge RV Park. Since Sevierville and the surrounding area is a popular destination, it is advisable to make reservations before you leave.
Once there, you’ll find tons of shopping and activities, including hiking, fishing, boating, swimming and more. Don’t forget to spend a couple of days at Dollywood, even if you don’t have children.
Other nearby places include Lynchburg, Tennessee, home of Jack Daniels Distillery. If you take I-40 West, you’ll pass close to Oak Ridge, America’s Secret City and Muddy Pond, which is just outside of Monterey. Muddy Pond is a Mennonite community that has a leather shop, outdoor furniture maker, general store, and, if you visit in the Fall, you can see how to make sorghum the “old-timey” way.
Also in the area – within a 1- to 3-hour drive from Monterey, you’ll find tons of state parks – some that offer RV camping – such as Burgess Falls, Sunset Marina, Caney Creek and more. If you want to go about 2 hours out of your way, you can take 101 out of Crossville to Fall Creek Falls State Park to see some of the best waterfalls in the area.
Dale Hollow Lake, accessible from many points including Sunset Marina and East Port Marina offers big fishing opportunities – the lake is huge. You can rent pontoon boats, bass boats, ski boats, house boats and jet skis at both marinas. Sunset Marina is about an hour from Monterey while East Port Marina is about 45 minutes from Monterey.
Before you leave for this large trip, stop by PleasureLand RV for service and accessories, and be sure to visit our Facebook page to tell us about your trip.
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About Me
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.
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