[Bob Thompson]

Count me as one of the supporters for higher gas mileage standards. For years the RV industry has been obsessed with bigger is better. This years' model is always bigger than last years model. Bigger and heavier trailers mean bigger and more capable tow vehicles. After years and years of sailboat class racing where the creed is "every ounce counts", I was unprepared to deal with the useless excesses in RV's. In sailboats, you took everything out that wasn't necessary. It helped the boat slide thru the water easier. It had the secondary effect of making the interior feel more spacious. Applying this same logic to RV's, making reductions in weight and size, coupled with improved aerodynamics can't be a bad thing. Properly done, the interiors will feel just as spacious, but you won't need a locomotive to get it down the highway.

I've taken this approach with my 25' Excella. Original weight was around 6000 lbs dry. I've made many many modifications to reduce weight and increase spaciousness. It now weighs around 5000 pounds dry, it's quite spacious feeling inside without feeling stripped down, and I don't need a locomotive to take it where I want to go. The industry could learn from this "retired Architects' " efforts because it really is "better".