First Glance: Making Progress

By the time you read this column, you may already have noticed that we have a new look this month at RV Life.

The transition began last November as we converted the cover and a few other pages of the magazine to a glossy format, improving reproduction. This month we have extended the glossy appearance to the entire magazine.  You will see that the ads and photographs are brighter and bolder, and the whole magazine is more attractive.

We’re continuing our efforts to improve the magazine both in print and online.

We try to pack as much varied content in the print edition as we can, but obviously there are space limitations.  That’s why our online presence is so valuable; we not only put the entire magazine online, but also add more content.

I encourage readers of the print edition to check out rvlife.com. You will find an abundance of useful information. We make all the articles in the current issue easily accessible, and, if you want to see the whole magazine, page-by-page as it appears in print, you can click on our digital edition. You will not only find the current issue online, but back issues as well, and you can use the search function to find articles on specific topics. In addition, we have blogs on RVing, lists of festivals and events and updated news.

We circulate our print edition only in the West, but we have many readers elsewhere in the U.S. and overseas who regularly read the magazine online. Whether you would rather get the magazine in print or online is a matter of personal preference. I spend a lot of time reading publications both in print and online and both have their uses, though most of the time I would rather hold a newspaper, magazine or book in my hands than read it on a screen.   

One RVer who was on a cross-country trip told me how convenient it was for her to travel with a Kindle from Amazon and download books. Certainly, I can see the advantage of putting all your reading matter on a little chip. I have a garage full of books that I may never read again, but can’t quite bring myself to get rid of. It would certainly be better to have that library stored electronically rather than stacked in my garage. But I spend enough time staring at computer screens. Do I really want to read books that way?

I am glad that paper hasn’t vanished and I am still living in a time when I can open a storybook and read it to my grandchild while the child looks at the book’s simple illustrations. I suppose in a generation or two grandpa and grandchild will be sitting in front of an electronic screen while grandpa reads the words and the child views 3D animation amid some sort of light show.
But I digress. In fact, I am rattling on like a blogger who has the unlimited space of the Internet. My intended point was that at RV Life we give you not only a magazine to hold in your hands, but lots of other information to access online at your convenience. I particularly want to call your attention to five features that you will find on our website under the heading “blogs.”

The Silver Gypsy: Sharlene Minshall, who writes the Silver, Single, Solo column in our print edition, started chronicling her trip cross-county last summer and now that she is back home in Arizona, she is continuing to write about her life and the things that interest her. Her posts are lively and entertaining.

Adventures in RVing: Dave Helgeson, who promotes RV and manufactured housing shows in Washington state, is a dedicated RVer himself, and in this blog he shares information about places on the road. Check his blog, and you will learn, for example, about the oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi in Placerville, California, and about a restaurant in Mariposa, California, that has a 12-page menu that lists 21 kinds of hamburgers, 28 flavors of shakes and a dozen kinds of fries.

RV Interiors with Dave and LJ: If you have an RV whose interior needs updating, you can get some ideas on what you can do in this blog from the owners of a leading RV remodeling center.

Great Escapes: Denise Seith, an Oregon writer, graphics designer and marketing expert, is an experienced traveler who shares photos and stories of places that RVers might like to visit. Every week, Denise spotlights a new destination.

Chassis Solutions: If you have a question about steering, braking, suspension, handling, fuel economy, tires, safety and maintenance of your RV, you can get the answer here. One of the industry’s most respected technical experts, Robert Henderson, president of Henderson’s Line-Up, Brake and RV and SuperSteer/SuperStop products, of Grants Pass, Oregon, answers questions from readers in this informative column.

You will find Chassis Solutions on Page 21 in this issue, and you can go online to see more questions and answers. If you have a question of your own, please send it to me at editor@rvlife.com and I will forward it to Robert. You will get a prompt reply from one of the most knowledgeable people in the business.

Write to Mike Ward, editor at RV Life magazine, 18717 76th Avenue West, Suite B, Lynnwood, WA 98037 or e-mail editor@rvlife.com.  Find First Glance online at rvlife.com.

Mike Ward