Is a Smart Car in your RVing future?

This is Fran Wolford from Ellensburg, Washington. Her and her husband Norm have been RVing for 16 years. They recently imported this Smart Car from Germany (an automotive brand of Daimler AG) and had it converted for legal use in the United States. This car is Germany's most cost efficient automobile since the VW Bug.
The Wolford's trailer it when they pull it behind the motorhome, but once they arrive at their destination the car comfortably takes them wherever they want to go averaging 45 miles per gallon. With the conversion, the cost is between 18 and 19 thousand dollars. The biggest problem with this type of vehicle is finding a qualified shop to service them. If you need a critical part, it may be weeks before one arrives from overseas.Traffic studies demonstrate the average automobile comes to a complete stop approximately every .8 miles. Taking advantage of this information the Smart Car uses idling phases to switch off the engine and thereby avoid fuel consumption while stopped. The car does this automatically using a special belt-driven generator that supplies the car's electrical system and has a secondary function as a starter. This allows the car's computer to smoothly start up the combustion engine in a fraction of a second when the driver releases the brake pedal. The new terminology for this type of vehicle is "Green" meaning it is more friendly to the environment.

These cars are a big hit in Germany and are being sold in new markets all over the globe. You can be sure we'll be seeing more of these on the road in the future. Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing