by Rick Kessler
The Travel Channel’s “RV Week” debuted Sunday (June 22) night with four program premieres, including a “Mega” motorhome owned by an 18-year-old who was given the 2009 Millennium Fuego as a high school graduation gift.
It may not have the same bite as the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, but the Travel Channel’s “RV Week” will surely strike a chord with millions of RVers. From Sunday through Thursday, “RV Week” features no less than 11 premieres of RV-related programs every night at 9 and 10 p.m. EDT.
According to the Travel Channel, “Big Time RV” gives viewers an all-access pass inside Lazydays RV, America’s largest RV dealership located in Tampa, FL. While touring and testing every make and model of RV available, the sales force and service center work together to satisfy the demands of RV lovers looking to buy or rent the biggest, most over-the-top RVs in the business.
Four premieres opened Sunday night, including “Mega RV Countdown: The Best of Sturgis RVs,” which featured the over-the-top Class A motorhomes of Shane Guidry and his son, Ashton. The special RV programming is a build-up for the network’s July 27 premiere of “Big Time RV.”
Ashton’s 2009 Millennium, which came with a matching 28-foot trailer, was loaded with the high-end amenities, including six televisions. One of the basement storage compartments converted into a bedroom, complete with access through a hidden panel in the floor of the motorhome’s interior.
Shane Guidry said his motorhome gift to his son was to reward Ashton for his good grades. Also shown was Shane’s $2.8 million 2014 Millennium Trevo. Dubbed “The Mac Daddy,” the coach features three slides, seven televisions, two satellite systems, Brazilian wood cabinetry, an over-the-top custom galley with a built-in coffee maker, and a residential-sized shower.
On the exterior, the Mac Daddy has the ultimate tailgate setup with television, ice box, kitchen and more. Among its jaw-dropping technology are a handful of cameras connected to a dashboard monitor and an anti-collision system. The Mac Daddy also comes with a matching 28-foot, 20,000-pound trailer which transports a four-wheel ATV powered by a Corvette engine.
The Guidry’s RVs occupied Nos. 1 and 2 on the show’s countdown of the Top 10 Mega RVs at the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
Among the other programs debuting was another version of “Mega RV Countdown.” Among the eye-popping Class A’s were the $650,000 2009 Newell that takes Jeg Coughlin Jr. around the pro drag racing circuit; Steven Clement’s 2003 Skydeck Airstream – one of only 18 made and whose roof converts into a party space for 20 people; and a 1949 Flxible Sightseer that was brought back to life by Dirk van Rees and his wife, Linda. A beautiful restoration, the Sightseer’s most prominent feature are the curved glass windows along the length of the roof on both sides.
“It’s wonderful because we can see the stars at night,” said Linda van Rees.
Also making its debut on the Travel Channel, was “RV 2014,” which originally aired on HGTV. The show’s familiar format pitted three families on the lookout for a new RV at America’s Largest RV Show in Hershey, Pa., allowing host Chris Lambert to explain the differences among the different RV segments.
Although at least 14 motorized and towable RVs were toured, in the end one family settled on a $98,000 Dutchmen Voltage fifth-wheel that had plenty of space for the couple’s six children, and a second picked out a $322,000 Newmar Ventana that was driven off the lot by the two men who bought it. The third family couldn’t decide between a $92,000 Winnebago Trend and $156,000 Nexus Ghost and were to make their final selection later.
The final premiere was a new episode of the Travel Channel’s “Extreme RVs,” which featured a Newmar King Aire, Forks Continental Coach and EarthRoamer.