Now’s your chance to tell us about your experience with Sky River RV. If your story is picked, it will be featured on our Blog and Facebook, and you will receive a $250 Certificate to the Parts/Service Department at Sky River RV!

Please fill out the form below to be entered to win. Entry must be received by May 31, 2012 to be valid. The best story will be chosen by our staff and the winner will be informed no later than June 5th. Winner will receive a certificate for $250 off and Parts or Service department purchase and have their story featured on our blog. By submitting your entry you give Sky River RV permission to use your testimonial for promotional purposes regardless of the outcome of the contest.
 

Enter To Win Here!

 
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Door Prize: 2 week Sky River RV Vacation Rental Package valued at $5,000!

 
Join Us For The Good Times:

• Saturday Live music in Mission Square.
• Wine and Beer, Mission Square Wine Bar, open all weekend with 15 Degrees C.
• Saturday, bring your Antiques, Estate goodies, Jewelry, Coins, for a free appraisal.
• Sunday, The Santa Margarita Auction Barn will hold an auction featuring items from the Hearst Family.
• Sunday Game Movers Video Game Party check out this 30 foot, portable gaming trailer, 50 inch HD TVs, XBOX & Wii games, holds up to 16 players.

Bring your smile and sunscreen to Fun in the Sun in Paso Robles.

What do you want to see on the next episode?

Just let us know in the comments below!

Greetings from the Road

Rolling solo – Three wise women share their trailer tales

Single gal Cari King had one eye on the road for several years, and recently reached a crossroads in her life when she was ready to become an Airstreamer. “It’s time for me,” she said. “All of a sudden my kids were gone and my family had lives of their own. When I lost my mother a couple years ago that was pivotal for me. This is the first time I’m not taking care of anybody: no kids, no parents, no boyfriend, no husband. I’m learning how to take care of myself for the first time. I thought if I’m going to do it, let’s just do it. Life’s too short and wonderful not to get out there.”

“I’ve always wanted get a travel trailer, and I looked around,” she said. “When I came across Airstream, I was hooked. I love the whole idea about them, the interior and exterior . . . they just make you smile.”

King settled on a shiny new 16-foot, 2011 Sport; choosing a new model under warranty enhanced her comfort level. “The Sport is a perfect size for me,” she said. “It’s totally self-contained and easy to tow. And it’s an affordable model — cost was definitely a key factor.”

King has no trouble using the manual hitch jack on her Sport. “The dealership showed me through the whole thing, but it was fairly quick and at the time it looked simple,” she said. “When I actually did it myself it took some time, but I would just pull out the manual or the specific instructions for each piece of equipment and figure it out. I was a little nervous about hooking up, but gosh, within just a couple of times doing it, it felt really comfortable. It felt awkward at first, and backing up was a chore, but now it’s a piece of cake!”

King recommends joining the Airforums to learn more about your Airstream and owner activities. “I sign up for rallies there; I go to the newbies threads to read about winterizing or something that might interest me,” King said of the online community. “I’m interested in people who are out there doing it by themselves; I glean a lot from them. And I love meeting new people.”

“I’m proud of myself that I’ve done this. It really has had an incredible impact on my confidence. I’m excited for all possibilities,” King said, as she prepares for a long trip to visit friends and make new ones along the west coast. “I feel very confident in being able to handle what comes my way.”

Her advice for other women considering the trailer life? “Just get out there and practice and try, because it really does become second nature.”

“This is my first experience with trailering,” said Janine Robberson, owner of a 29-foot 2010 International. “I said, well, I’ve never done this before, but I’ve got a pilot’s license so I guess I can tow an Airstream!”

Robberson jumped feet first into Airstreaming, “figuring it out” on her own, and had a friend’s son — a trucker who drives 18-wheelers — coach her on backing up. “Basically that was the one time I had some help,” she said. “At first, when I was trying to back into a space, I had a lot of people get tired of waiting for me and they said, ‘get out and I can do that for you.’ I always said yes, but sometimes it made me mad; I thought, I’ve got a learn how to do this!”

She can now squeeze her rig into tight spaces. “It’s not necessarily pretty, but I can get it there,” she said. “What’s hard is when everyone’s telling you what to do. Just leave me alone I’ll get it done,” she laughed.

Janine has towed her Airstream solo (“just me and my dog”) to the Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI) convention in Wyoming, and zigzagged across America, state to state, visiting national parks. “There is such a camaraderie of people with Airstreams,” she said. “You see another Airstream parked, and what you do you do? You go talk to them.”

“I like the camping experience, and I like having my own bed and being able to take a shower,” she said of her decision to buy an Airstream. “I just thought, it’s time to just do what you really want to do, and that’s what I really like, and that’s how I started.”

“I’ve always liked to travel, and I like the outdoors,” she said. “I love the experience of seeing this gorgeous, gorgeous country of ours. It’s so diverse. My husband died six years ago, and you know, that kind of makes you realize that life is fragile and you better take advantage of all the things you want to do.”

Shelah Johnson, founder of TrailerChix.com, an online and real-world community “that fosters fabulous living in small eco-friendly footprints”, downsized her lifestyle and became a Airstream full-timer three years ago. She now lives in a 30-foot 1976 Excella 500 and is currently restoring an Airstream Argosy Minuet to tow in search of her next adventure.

She entered the RV lifestyle when, years ago, she and her friend Diane bought an oil-leaking American Clipper motorhome they saw for sale on the street. “We knew absolutely nothing,” she recalled. “Diane’s husband thought we were crazy. We didn’t care; we were putting in new curtains! The first thing we got was a martini shaker, and Diane started sewing up cushions.” Hilarity ensued, involving road trips with girlfriends (with a husband acting as designated driver while the women partied on the highway).
“We get together now and laugh and say ‘remember that trip?’ Adventures like that bond us,” she said.

“I think we have to give ourselves permission to have an adventure,” she continued. “The hardest thing to do is believe in yourself. It sounds crazy but you really have to say, ‘I’ve got this. I can do this,’ and stop overanalyzing. Once you make the decision to do it, everything gets easy.”

Letting go is part of Johnson’s mantra on the road. “You might be traveling through traffic, or come onto a road that you’re not familiar with, or backing into a space, and you just have to let go of expectations and outcomes. They are never what you want anyway. I have been so amazed at the things that have come into my life because of that; meeting new friends and seeing new places I would’ve never dreamt possible, just by saying yes. Yes, I’m going to do it!”

“The fear I experience is overcome by the fact that I know that there’s a solution for everything,” she said. “I’ve seen it happen time and time and time again. We may be in a small jam, but you can get out of it, and laugh about it later. The times we were stuck in some horrible situation are now the storyline of so many parties. If everything goes perfect I’m not sure I’m pushing my limits enough.”

This Story Appeared In Airstream’s Monthly Newsletter You can subscribe here

Class B Van Campers are great because they offer increased fuel economy and capitialize on thier small size to park at national campgrounds easily. Class B Van Campers are easy to store  in your drive way as most communites with CCR’s do not list them as vehicles unwelcome in their neighboorhoods. If you would like more information regarding Class B Van Campers, visit us on our website at www.skyriverrv.com or call 805 226-9292 to schedule an appointment. We will be happy to show you around the lot and provide you with a test drive .

Sky River RV is pleased to announce it’s newly formed relationship with Road Trek Van Campers.
The Canadian based  Ontario Kitchner manufacturer has entered into a dealer agreement that allows it’s Central Coast Van Camper owners access to service and sales .

Sky River RV management and its employees couldn’t be more excited about the recent partnership!

The Road Trek RV Van Camper will be featured in local events and RV shows in the near future!

Currently it is a challenging market for people who intend to sell their RV on their own.  RV owners face problem areas like arranging RV financing and does the person who wants my RV qualify to buy it? Is your interested buyer trying to offer you a trade? As the seller, what’s your legal obligation to the buyer of your RV?

SKY RIVER RV OFFERS CONSIGNMENT OF YOUR RV!

Here at SKY RIVER RV, we offer consignment of your RV. It is to your benefit as a seller to use our services. Sky River RV can arrange financing, RV service and safety inspections. Our RV consignment program can even take a trade to make buying your RV easy for the perspective buyer.

WHY SHOULD I LET YOU SELL MY RV?

The benefits to letting Sky River RV sell your RV are really quite simple.

NO late night phone calls about the “RV “you have for sale
NO financing hassles or delays
RV safety and service inspections performed by Sky River RV
You don’t have to deal with a trade
You are protected legally and the transaction assures your privacy.
In today’s world, some people are looking for opportunity without the best of intentions. Allowing Sky River RV to sell your RV eliminates that possibility.
No Advertising costs paid by you !

HOW DO I CONSIGN MY RV WITH SKY RIVER RV?

It’s really easy. Simply visit our RV consignment page

Or call us at 805-226-9292 and ask for the RV Sales department!

Then simply wait, and collect payment when your used RV sells.

In a segment produced for the today show, Airstream once again shows why it’s America’s legendary RV!
The 3 min on NBC’s today show offers insight as to why, after 70 plus years, Airstream remains the RV industry’s constant leader in quality and appeal. Please click this link to view the Today Show’s Airstream
segment.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/36131440#36131440

Actor Matthew Modine commented in the article about Airstream’s ability to allow Americans to roam this great country of ours in an Airstream RV ! We hope you enjoy it .

Remember as a child, those nights sitting around the camp fire, roasting marshmallows or looking at the lake or ocean and wishing you could stay there forever? Are you tired of the Hotel and Motel’s regulated check in and out policies? Dealing with room availability can be a nightmare as well.

 Sky River RV has the answer to your wishes. We offer Travel Trailers and Motor homes for RENT. Whether it’s just two of you, or a family of eight we have RV Rentals available at reasonable rates. An RV rental allows you to take advantage of your vacation without the hassle of airports, and hotels.

RV Rental as a Test-Run Before Purchase!

Are you considering purchase of an RV? Using an RV rental may help you not only determine what type of RV you want to own, but renting an RV may save you money by helping you decide which style of RV works best for you and your family.

Sky River RV has Travel Trailers from 18 ft. to 32 ft. and Motor homes from 26 ft. to 32 ft. We provide detailed instruction when you pick up the RV Rental. Our rental department makes it easy for you by taking the hassle out of cleaning and stocking the unit with supplies.

If you would like more information about RV Rentals at Sky River RV, you can click on the rental tab on top of the page.

You can always call Ken Baker at 805-544-2500 for rates and availability.

Remember that reservations are recommended but fun is required!

You find yourself at an RV dealer’s lot walking through the various styles and types of RVs. Pretty soon they start to blur and all look alike. It becomes confusing!  Class A motorhomes? Class C motorhomes? Travel Trailers? Fifth Wheels? OH the insanity of it all!

Here at Sky River RV we are proud of our ability to slow it all down, and start helping you on your journey to fun, adventure and excitement. The following are some questions when considering the right RV – along with a few tips on selecting an RV that best works for you and your family … OR just you!

1. How many people do you need to sleep in the RV? (this helps determine size and floor plan of the RV)
2. Do you want to drive one or drag one? (This can narrow down the selection between styles like Class A motorhomes or Travel Trailers?)
3. Do you want to go for weekends or long term “Staycations” (6mo’s or longer)?
4. Where do you like to camp now (some RV parks and campgrounds have length restrictions, so this may help determine style and size)
5. Imagine inside the RV… “Where will I put my dishes and food etc”… (Is there enough storage for the camping you want to do?)
6. Before you shop for the RV of  your dreams, determine your desired “Fun Budget”. Here at Sky River RV we call it a “Fun Budget”  because that is just what RV’ing should be – FUN! (this can help determine an RV that meets your family’s needs in the budget you set for it and getting the most for your RV’ing dollar!)
7. When shopping for a Travel Trailer, Fifth Wheel or RV motorhome, it is important to determine if the manufacturer you choose is still in business. (this can be of help with warranty, parts and RV service!) If the RV manufacturer is or has gone out of business your RV service needs may go unmet!
8. When you are shopping for an RV, does the dealer offer a full RV service and RV parts department? (this can be important during your ownership experience – knowing and having a reliable RV Service Center!)
9. What options and amenities are important and functional for you and the type of camping you want to do?
10. Last and most important … Is it comfortable? Does it feel right? If you answer yes to those questions, there is only one thing left to do!

Move forward with getting that RV and GO RV’ing ….. 

Until next time, the staff at Sky River RV wishes you happy trails!

Let us know if you have any other thoughts on choosing the right RV!

We plan to discuss many different RV Living topics to accommodate our many customers and readers who LOVE the world of RVing like we do!

Welcome and enjoy our RV blog… and please let us know what you’d like to read here… let’s go RVing TOGETHER!

Until next time!