RV Weekly Round-Up (April 4-10, 2009)

Check out these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week.

Countdown to The Rally: 7 days!

1. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may soon require all new passenger vehicles to have some sort of rear view monitoring device to help drivers avoid people or other obstacles while backing up. The NHTSA has released a PDF report in advance of proposed rulemaking for the public’s review. At issue is how to better protect small children, who are the biggest group involved in backover accidents. These accidents most commonly involve pickup trucks and utility vehicles, although all vehicle types are represented in statistical data. See section IX. for options being considered for minimizing vehicle rear blind zones.

2. MIT Students Develop New Shock Absorber: A team of MIT undergrads has developed a shock absorber that gernerates electricity from bumps in the road. Active electronics in the unit deliver a smoother ride while generating electricity to charge batteries or run electrical equipment. The new shocks can also produce up to 10 percent better fuel efficiency, the team said. The group has formed a company, filed for a patent and plans to begin with production for heavy fleet customers first. Read the full story from MIT.

3. Quick Tips from RV Today: Watch this short video for tricks and tips on safety and convenience around the RV. Topics include where to put your gas cap when filling up, quickly servicing your batteries, avoiding slips when climbing the outdoor RV ladder, and how to keep your cable connection dry when it rains.

4. New sites added to National Park System: President Clinton’s birthplace home in Hope, Arkansas and the 78-foot high Great Falls of the Passaic River and battlefields near Monroe, Michigan were designated to be preserved in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama.

5. National Park Foundation Essay Contest: Many of you have probably taken your children or grandchildren on an RV trip to a National Park, so why not encourage them to write about their experience? Kids age 9-12 may enter the essay contest, answering the questions “Why are our national parks important to you and what is your best idea to protect our parks for the future?”

6. The Return of the Road Trip: The Chicago Tribune reports many American families plan to vacation closer to home this year, traveling by car to get there just as they did when they were children. Nostalgia and tightened belts are spurring this renewed sense of wanderlust, aided by falling fuel prices. Will you be joining the thousands of other families on America’s highways this summer?

7. MSNBC’s Elkhart Project: MSNBC has started a blog page chronicling the town’s struggle in the souring economy. Elkhart, Indiana, known as the RV Capital of the World, has suffered a 19.6 percent unemployment rate as the local RV industry took a stumble in recent months. But MSNBC has taken an interest in the town mainly for the positive spirit and resilience of its residents in the face of such adversity.