all in one sink & stove

[Carol H]

my buddy in Canada says he is paying $4.25.

Oh gosh Gary that was last weeks price. In Vancouver this week we have hit what works out to about $5.00 per US gallon. UCKS! For those that may be thinking thats ok its C$ vs US$ take a good look at the current exchange rate.... it's not what you may be thinking.

When people complained about the cost of gas here I would try and make them feel better by telling them what it cost me to fill up a very small rental car in England a few years ago. Yesterday I filled the Subaru and the bill was more than the bill in England. I felt slightly better yesterday when I looked over at the next pump and saw what the bill for the large SUV filling up there was climbing up to. Your right that when you add the cost of gas to the cost of mortgage/housing - average 1950's built 3 bedroom bungalow in an older middle class neighbourhood going for well over a million (no interest write off here) you start to see smaller cars in the driveways. Had already noted big changes in our various neighours chooses of new cars over the past couple of years. The station wagon seems to be making a come back.

On the light side of it all, a local radio station is asking people to post pictures on the web of any oil company executives they may know. That way we will all know what they look like should they walk into a store looking for service/goods. If we know who they are we can share the love by jacking up the price of what ever they want to buy. A Starbucks coffee will suddenly jump to $25.00 a cup or a CD/DVD $75.00. The cost of anything on a Friday of a long week-end will of course be double for them.

The neat compact trailer equipment designs coming out of Europe are IMHO because people tow with **much** smaller cars than in North America and they have been doing that for years due to gas prices. I know a lot of people in the UK who will figure out the cost of the gas before they decide if they are going to hop in their car and drive 30 miles to visit a friend on the week-end. I use to find it somewhat funny they would bother to do that but now I wonder how long before we start to do that? Suspect that it will take a bit more time for those of us in NA to come to the conclusion that although we may be producing the gas here, the price is going to stay high. IMHO in 10 years time we will see a lot fewer SUV's and large trucks on the urban streets of NA. Automakers seem to have come to this conclusion as well - just look at the large number of new cross over models this year- wonder how much smaller those cross overs will be in 10 years?

Carol

[Brian B-P]

I'll stay out of the gas-price debate, because it quickly becomes political and unproductive. However, I do see the clever packaging of kitchen fittings by European suppliers as a consequence of making everything fit in the small space resulting from small tow vehicles, which in turn results from more expensive fuel (and narrower roads, and different lifestyles...)

... but what I see a lot of is people just not driving their RV's as often. When they do, they still tow a small car behind it. (The ultimate is the humongous RV towing a Prius.)

What I see is people towing whatever they have behind their motorhome. If the family needs a 7-passenger vehicle to get around at home, and the whole family goes on an RV trip, they still need that 7-passenger beast when they get there. Besides, who is going to buy an extra car just for "toad" service?

Although a friend of mine (with two kids) set up a little Ford Escort as a toad for his motorhome, I commonly see larger sedans and SUVs of all sizes docked to the mothership on highways here... including minivans and a Hummer H2.

[Lex M]

Despite all that people in Holland tend to buy bigger trailers.
Models with fixed beds are extremely popular.
Average inner length between 4.5 and 5 m (14.8 and 16.4 ft).
And more and more SUVs (BMW, Volvo, Hyundai, KIA, ...) (called P C Hooft-tractors, the P C Hooft Street is Amsterdams most expensive shopping street ).

[Gary Lynch]

"Despite all that people in Holland tend to buy bigger trailers.
Models with fixed beds are extremely popular.
Average inner length between 4.5 and 5 m (14.8 and 16.4 ft)."

Those are still tiny compared to the USA. 40 foot motorhomes and HUGE 5th Wheelers are common. On my way to, and back, from the Casita factory in Texas I only saw (4) eggs on the road! I'm taking 3700 miles.

[CharlynnT]

sink/stove combo: I had to go out to the driveway to examine exactly what I have in the Boler, even though we just got back from camping.

You know, if I had one of those fancy combo's, I would love it, especially the older-style European one pictured.

But I love the galley I have now, because I have learned how best to use it. The countertop behind the sink and stove is the ideal length for storing the two-by-four we use while travelling to keep the food box/lego box/back packs wedged tightly under the bunk/sofa.

The stove and sink must both be uncovered because the wash water is warming on two "hobs" while the sink houses a Rubbermaid basin I found that fits it exactly. We have aded on a counter-top extension so that the child may safely dry dishes without scorching his elbows.

The space behind the stove top, right next to the door is reserved for things one might want to fetch from outside without taking off shoes: the clicker for starting fires, the flashlight, the rum and the coke.

I would have to re-learn a lot of things to change my ways. But driving home from every camping trip, I can't help but think, "If only this were moved there, how wonderful life would be!"

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[Chester Taje]

[Frederick L. Simson]

My experience with 'combination' units of all types - mechanical, electrical, plumbing and appliance - suggests that the problems also come in combination.

Now Jack, what are you, a rabble rouser?
Didn't you know that if the left burner of your Hobb goes dead, you're supposed to buy a whole new trailer?