Newsletter July 2021
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Spring is here and it's time to get back on the road.

COVID-19 affected so many things last year. Now, as we recover so much of what was put on hold, our newsletter is back! We hope all you RVers will find this issue helpful as we move toward more normal times..

Dealing with COVID-19.

As part of the automotive industry, Leale's RV has been open during the restricted business operations due to the Coronavirus outbreak. As it appears that recovery from the COVID-19 is slowly progressing, Leale's continue to provide its usual full range of services for your RV. We are keeping our regular business hours while still adhering to all COVID guidelines for your safety.

Our staff continues to strictly adhere to all national guidelines for cleanliness and workplace hygiene.

Masks are still required at all times while on Leale's RV premises.

Our Parts Department is closed.

Because of extra city and county COVID-19 precautions, and our need to keep our employees and customers safe, we have temporarily closed our Parts Department to walk-in customers.

Leale's RV will not sell over-the-counter parts to the public at this time.

For now, our Parts Department will be used to help us focus on the work within our shop.
This step will be one more way to help prevent exposure to the virus.

The "Year of the RV."

RV purchases and rentals are way up.

The popularity of recreational vehicles, already increasing over the past few years, has surged during the Coronavirus pandemic. People want to get out. They need to get out. And they want to do it in a responsible and safe way. You still can't go just anywhere like before COVID-19, but RVs offer a travel option where you can stay safe by social distancing, feel like you're really "getting away," and don't have to go very far from home. RV industry reports are showing that RV travel is now the overall preferred choice for families to take socially distanced vacations while other forms of travel and hotel stays still raise concerns over health safety.

As a result, there has been a surge in RV rentals and purchases. In fact, RV shipment reports show that after an initial pandemic slump in rentals and sales early last year, last summer's RV sales were the highest in forty years, an increase of over 50% more than for the summer of 2019. Bookings for fall rentals increased 123% over last year. During last summer, it was almost impossible to get a rental reservation. RV rental companies report that they are using all of their inventory all the time.

It looks like this trend will last well into this year. As campgrounds continue to ease restrictions, and people have been sheltering in their homes for months, people are still looking for safe alternatives to traditional travel. And the new RVers who have rented for the first time are becoming "hooked" on this type of travel. So, RV sales should continue to climb this year.

Travel in the age of COVID-19 - hop on the road in an RV!

As you know, the whole travel industry has been hit hard during the COVID-19 crisis over the past year. "Getting out of town" and vacationing has been next to impossible for much of the past year. RV camping was affected too with RV park and campground closures. As this situation begins to loosen up and people are moving around a bit more, right now camping really is the safest way to get out of town. Makes sense. So, if you've been bitten by the travel bug or experiencing "cabin fever," RV camping is the safest way to do it. That's because you bring your own equipment and food with you, spend most of your time outdoors, and travel within your own enclosed vehicle. All of this greatly reduces your exposure to others so you can travel more safely.

When getting away safely in your RV, here are a few things to continue to keep in mind for at least a few more months:

• Do your destinations have special restrictions or requirements for travelers? Before you go, check all state, local, territorial, or tribal websites for health information.

• It could be easy to forget the extra steps we all need to take to remain safe. Make sure you continue to protect yourself and others by remembering to do all the things recommended to help stop the spread of the virus.

• Even if you're in an RV and mostly separated from others, don't travel if you are sick or have tested COVID-19 positive, even without symptoms.

• At bathroom rest stops, wash your hand thoroughly or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

  

  Disinfecting RV Surfaces

• When getting fuel, use disinfectant wipes, if you have them, on the pump buttons, and gas pump handle. Then use hand sanitizer and wash your hands as soon as you can. Or use disposable plastic gloves and carefully remove them inside out before getting back into your RV. Then use sanitizer for extra protection.

• It is still a good idea to bring as much of your own food as possible to reduce supply stops.

A few more common sense reminders that are still relevant:

• Don't travel if you or anyone traveling with you is sick.
• Be especially careful if you or anyone with you is seriously health compromised.
• Avoid groups of people gathering together.
• Stay apart from others when visiting parks, recreation facilities, or even in RV parks where you stay.
• Avoid areas that are known to have serious COVID-19 outbreaks.
• It's best to visit local parks and recreation areas that are close to your home.
• If parks and recreation sites are crowded, skip them.
• Remember to check in advance if there are any area restrictions.

At this time, it still takes extra preparation, care, and diligence, but it will be worth it to keep yourself and those traveling with you safe and well.
At least you can get out of the house and enjoy some outdoor time.

RV parks are open.

At the beginning of the pandemic, RV travel, like all other travel, was severely restricted. But over the past few months, RV parks have been easing restrictions. National, state, and private organization parks have re-opened services a bit differently, but all types of RV parks are now open. Just contact your destination park ahead of time to make sure of the status of its services.

National Parks

Lassen Peak Volcanic National Park, CA.

Although there are still some temporary park closure advisories in place, access and services are gradually being increased in a phased approach across the National Park System. Many parks are open but the interiors of facilities may remain closed, such as visitor centers, museums, park stores, etc. Many tours are also unavailable. Some also have road closures but are open to hiking and biking.

Face masks are required in all the NPS buildings and facilities and other areas in the parks where physical distancing is difficult.

Before visiting a national park, check the individual park website to find out its operating status.

Here are three helpful links:
www.nps.gov/coronavirus
www.nps.gov/findapark/advanced-search.htm
www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/alerts.htm?t=closure&p=1&v=1

In addition to the COVID-19 response, fires, natural disasters, and other reasons for closure, there may also be fire advisories that include the impact of smoke and air quality later this year.

California State Parks

California parks have been dramatically affected by all the fires, in addition to COVID-19. Although many are open now, please continuously check to make sure your destination will be open for your reservation. And, like national parks, many services within the parks continue to be restricted.

For information on CA State campgrounds, use the link below: www.parks.ca.gov/COVID19camping

Crystal Cove State Park, CA.

Local Bay Area private and group parks

San Francisco North/Petaluma KOA.

Most of the local Bay Area parks that are privately owned or managed by groups such as Good Sam and KOA, are open. However, as with national and state parks, some services continue to be closed or restricted, like laundry, shower, playground facilities, etc. Call ahead, even if you have reservations.

Add these "Stay Healthy" items to your RV trip packing list.

Here are a few additional recommendations for staying healthy while traveling:

It is especially important to make sure all your RV's surfaces are clean and disinfected. Many RV parks are offering only partial services, so showers, stores, and laundry facilities may not be available.
Consider adding the following items to your RV trip packing list:

• Multi-purpose cleaner & disinfectant
• Disposable gloves
• Extra paper towels
• Extra TP
• Disinfecting wipes (Clorox, Lysol, etc.)
• Hand sanitizer
• Bleach
• Garden Hose
• Extra plastic garbage bags
• Scrub brush
• Spray disinfectant
• Laundry detergent
• Extra holding tank treatment
• Lots of hand soap

Don't forget Larry!
The 2021 Customer Photo Contest Ends October 31st!

We wouldn't want you to miss out on all the fun our customers are having photographing Larry while he travels with them.
If you don't have your very own "Larry" and would like to take him on your next trip, just give us a call or send a message to marketing@leales.com.

Larry, the Leale's Tech.

Calendar photos are needed! Please send yours throughout the year!

.....in other words...

Larry will once again be featured in our calendar for next year. We always need lots of entries, so start snapping those pictures!

Take photos of him wherever you travel. We can't wait to see your "Larry" pictures, so please send them as soon as you can. Get your photos to us before October 31, 2021.

Send photos to: marketing@leales.com

(Landscape orientation for your photos works best for the calendar.)

Learn from our technicians at our new "Tech Talks"!

Exciting news! Leale's RV is starting a series of customer seminars. These "Tech Talks" will be short, on-line, virtual presentation and question/answer opportunities for our customers to learn about RV related topics, and have a chance to ask our technicians questions about the topic covered in that seminar.

This educational series is designed for both people new to RVing as well as our seasoned customers. We plan to start with “inspecting your RV before you go”: what to look at and what to look for to make sure your RV and all its systems are in good working order. You want to catch potential problems before you leave home rather than have them turn into real problems when you’re on the road.

While we plan to begin this series with virtual on-line experiences, we hope to hold in-person seminars here at Leale’s RV in the future.

What we need from you:
please let us know if you might be interested in participating in these Tech Talks. We would like to get an idea of how many of our customers might be interested to help us plan the rollout of this program.

If interested, please just reply YES in an email message to:

marketing @leales.com

Subject line: Tech Talks

"Leale's Deals" are here!

As an RV owner, you know the importance of keeping it in good condition for optimal performance and safety. To give our customers an opportunity to reduce the cost of frequently used services, we have bundled some of those services together into specially priced service packages.

Check out the special package for your RV:
www.leales.com/leales-deals/

We have a new smooth approach.

7th Street has been re-paved!

Potholes and mud begone! Finally, 7th Street was recently re-paved.
No longer an obstacle course trying to avoid all the potholes, you can now enjoy a smooth ride to Leale's RV.

Special RV service offers for May & June:

• $89 refrigerator maintenance service special - (Good thru May 31, 2021)
• 10% off labor for awning replacement (Good thru May 31, 2021)
• $200 off any RV customization job of $1,000 or more (Good June 1 – June 30, 2021)
• $100 off labor for chassis (engine) A/C service (Good June 1 – June 30, 2021)

Free Monthly RV Service:

• Free diagnosis for one LP appliance (Good thru May 31, 2021)
• Free roof A/C diagnosis (Good June 1 – June 30, 2021)

Remember to check your Leale’s RV calendar for monthly special offers for each month.

RV Camping Tip.

Always a good idea, and especially now, a necessary piece of camping equipment is a handwashing station. You can buy one already put together, but a DIY (Do-it-yourself) version is super easy to set up!

Here are a couple of examples you can put together yourself:

• Buy a plastic water container with a closable spout or just use an empty laundry detergent container, which works just as well.
• Get a plastic paper towel holder and a couple of bungee cords, easily found, even at a dollar store.
• Add a roll of paper towels. Bungee the holder to the water container. Use a hand soap dispenser.
• Put an empty bucket or pan underneath the spout to catch the used water and you have a great little hand washing station that will be good for many future camping trips, long after the COVID-19 crisis.

Purchased water container

Empty laundry detergent container

And now...a word from our customers

Very professional; explained every service and repair. Honored their quotation even after finding hidden damage. Savio provided detailed quotes and bills and got the job done on time. Highly recommended.

J. Bagley

Request appointments online.

Contacting Leale's is easy. You can give us a call or request appointments online through our Website too. There you can also contact us with questions or comments. Even write a review!

For all parts of our business:

• RV service & repair
• RV customization
• RV collision center
• RV storage

Remember your tow vehicle

Remember that you can also get expert automotive care at Leale's Transmission and Auto Repair facility.

For high-quality, fast service for your car, contact Leale's Transmission and Auto Repair: