Other RV online ad competitors RV Trader and RV Search, while holding steady, drew fewer than half the number of unique visitors as RVT.com. RV Search was viewed by just 64,981 unique visitors; RV Trader, by only 42,429 unique visitors.  RVT.com proved its competitive advantage with viewings by 126,221 unique visitors and that didn’t include the 30,000 additional unique visitors who visited our sister sites RVtowables.com and RVmotorized.com.

A unique visitor is an individual who views a website. Unique indicates that each visitor is counted only once, even if he makes multiple visits to the site. In advertising, a greater number of unique visitors coming to a website means more individual people are viewing the online RV ads posted on the site. For RV sellers, both owners and dealers, this means that when you advertise your RV on RVT.com your online RV ad is seen a greater number of potential RV buyers.

1. How will you be using your RV? Do you plan to live in your RV full-time, take the family on a summer-long cross-country trip, use it only for weekend travel or occasional fishing trips? If you plan to spend a lot of time in your RV, you might want a model that offers greater space and more amenities. If you’re just planning weekend camping or fishing trips, a folding camping trailer may fit your needs.

2. Do you want an all-in-one motorhome or a towable RV? Towables allow you to park and use the tow vehicle to get around when you reach your destination. Motorhomes, particularly bus-sized Class A models, require more maneuvering and parking space but give you more living area. And you can always tow a get-around car behind your RV.

3. How many people will usually be traveling with you? If you have a large family or plan to do most of your RV traveling with friends, you’ll want to choose an RV with enough sleeping berths to accommodate the whole crowd comfortably. Consider buying an RV with one or more slide outs to give you extra interior space.

Learn more about buying an RV online and about the different types of RV available on RVT.com.

Spicing up your family RV weekends with a few special treats and activities will build memories and create fun family traditions that you and your kids will look forward to every time you head out in your RV. Try these ideas adapted from FamilyFun magazine.

- Prop Charades. Use objects found in your RV — a paper towel tube, pillow, cereal box, fork, etc. — as props for family charades. Players must use the prop to act out their clue while others guess. A paper towel tube might be a pirate’s spyglass or Statue of Liberty torch.

- Tiny Treasure Hunt. To make hiking more fun, give each person a small bag to fill with things they find along the way. Create a list of things to hunt for or go freestyle and compare treasures when you get back to your RV. Ideas: acorn top, funny shaped stick, colored leaf, interesting stone, etc. You can also take a big bag and pick up litter during your hike to protect the outdoors.

More ideas next time.

This year’s Rally will celebrate the centennial anniversary of RVing in America with an Oldest RV at the Rally contest, the winner to receive 100 gallons of fuel. A unique display of vintage RVs will allow visitors to experience the many changes in RV life over the decades. New this year, Trailer Life publisher Bob Livingston and his wife will lead an RV caravan on a special Centennial Caraventure from Elkhart, Indiana to the Rally.

The Rally is a wonderful opportunity to scope out the latest RV models and features and products, get advice form RV experts and rub shoulders with fellow travelers in the RV nation. It’s a great experience for RV newcomers, veteran RVers and folks who are contemplating joining the RV nation but haven’t taken the plunge. 

With more than 4,500 RVs descending on Louisville, it’s a good idea to make your Rally reservations early. You can find complete Rally  information, including campground locations, on TheRally.com.

RVers get a front row seat when rare spring wildflowers start to bloom. A stop at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas in Austin will show you which wildflowers to look for and where to get the best views. Brenham, Washington and DeWitt counties also offer wildflower viewing maps and information. Wildflower blooming is expected to peak in mid-April this year.

The bluebonnet isn’t the only wildflower blooming in Texas. Bright red poppies, feathery Indian paintbrush and lovely Drummond phlox wash the state with color. Thank the Texas Department of Transportation for the abundance of wildflowers in the Lone Star state. Its aggressive wildflower planting program along highways and roadsides has been adopted by the state’s citizens who plant wildflowers in their yards and pastures. At peak wildflower season, you can RV from one end of Texas to the other with a constant view of wildflowers dancing in the wind.

Wildflower lovers may also want to stop in Death Valley where rare desert wildflowers have just started to bloom.

RVing is the quintessential family activity — mom, dad and the kids piled into a small space, working together to survive in the wild, bonding, depending on themselves and each other. It doesn’t matter that the modern “wilderness” includes electric and sanitary hookups, a pool, Wi-Fi, a playground, mini golf, a small grocery and a host of other not so primitive amenities. And it doesn’t matter that the RV in which your family is “roughing it” is equipped with all the comforts of home — a fully-stocked kitchen, spacious living room slideout with plasma TV and surround sound, its own bathroom with shower, comfortable sleeping berths for everyone and plenty of storage to hold all the kids’ toys. What matters is that RVing brings families together.

RVing takes you away from all the distractions of normal everyday living and helps you focus on what’s truly important in life — your family. RVing offers opportunities for parents to teach and children to learn and in the process build self-confidence. RVing offers opportunities for families to play together and parents and children to bond. Parents who have found memories of RV camping trips with their families want to share that experience with their own children. Buying an RV is a wonderful way to build family memories.

When they want a peaceful weekend, RVers may switch the ring tone on their smartphone to mute, but they’re definitely taking their phones along. The myriad new RV-oriented apps available for smartphones have turned smartphones into very handy portable travel aids.

If you haven’t cruised the app store lately, you’ll find a wealth of great new apps tailored to travelers in general and RVers specifically. Trailer Life magazine is the latest of several RV publications available as an iPhone app. Check out the latest RV news, destination reviews and camping products while you’re on the road. Need a place to hook up for the night? Use an app to find an RV campground.

Many states have apps with info about places to go and things to see. There are apps that provide info about the historical markers you pass as you’re driving down the highway. You can even use your smartphone to connect to the Internet and check out the latest results of your RV ad search on RVT.com. Now that’s a smart phone!

Once you’ve narrowed your choice and decided on the perfect RV for your lifestyle, family size and travel plans, you really don’t want to keep looking at every RV that comes on the market. RVT Advanced Search lets you narrow your search in multiple categories, allowing you to focus on the RV ads that meet your criteria.

RVT.com makes finding the RV of your dreams even easier. Sign up for auto notify and you’ll receive an email alert whenever an RV meeting your search criteria  is posted. Just join My RVT (it’s absolutely free!) and you can save your search results, save RV ads you’re interested in and, of course, take advantage of RVT.com’s helpful auto notify feature.

If you’ve got your heart set on a certain RV and don’t want to wait another minute for someone to sell theirs, you can use RV Finder to see if the RV of your dreams is available from a dealer. When you use RV Finder, RVT.com uses its extensive dealer network to help you connect with RV dealers who have the RV you want.

1. Start your search by learning about the RV family of vehicles in RVT’s helpful RV Buying Guide. RVs come in two types: towable RVs and motorized RVs. Towables do not require permanent onsite hook-up and can be left at the site while you use your vehicle to take in nearby sites. However, they do require a tow vehicle capable of handling the weight. Fortunately, RVT.com also offers RV tow vehicles for sale.

Motorized RVs are self-contained vehicles that combine transportation with living quarters. They allow you to use your RVs features while on the move. Your family has full use of the kitchen, living and sleeping areas while you’re on the road, giving everyone plenty of room to spread out and relax.

2. Refine your online RV search by checking out the thousands of new and used RV Classified Listings on RVT.com. Organized by model type, RV listings make it easy to shop new or pre-owned and gas or diesel to quickly narrow your online RV search.

3. When you start to hone in on the RV you want, use RVT Advanced Search to specify make, model, year, fuel type, special features you’re looking for and more.

Who owns RVs? According to RVIA, the typical RV owner is 49, married with kids, a homeowner with an annual household income of $68,000. New RV owners aged 35 to 54 are the fastest growing segment of the RV Nation. Affordability, low living/travel expenses, family values, superior comfort and portability are the main draws attracting people to the RV lifestyle.

The recession actually increased RV ownership. RV manufacturers did hit a small bump in the road, but they were among the first to rehire and even increase their work force to keep up with RV demand. Any minor losses in new RV sales were made up in increased used RV sales, particularly on online RV sales sites like RVT.com. RV buyers looking for a cheaper lifestyle or inexpensive way to travel with their families are finding great used RV bargains on RVT.com. Isn’t it time you discovered what your neighbors know and explore the joys of RVing?