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176 Recreational Vehicles rallying in Albany

Albany- Joel and Annette Adler are always just a few steps from home.

That's the point when you travel the country RV style.

"This is like a condo on wheels," said Annette Adler.

So inside their home away from home, they can do about anything they want. Annette usually draws, while Joel navigates his 40 feet long portable apartment.

"I can drive and control the whole motor home from right here, right here at the steering wheel."

Taking their time, they traveled all the way from Las Vegas.

"There's a lot of things that you'll see as you go across the country and just take your time and that's what's nice about RVing," Adler said.

They're in Albany to be part of the National RV Rally, because like everybody in this room, they're National RV owners. The company holds four of these a year. It's a sales strategy used to stay tight with their customers.

"When they go to trade in their recreational vehicle, that they'll stay in the National RV family, because that's where their friends are," said Brad Albrechtsen, CEO of National RV Holdings Inc.

This is where companies get the chance to show off the latest models. These days they come equipped with everything from flat screen televisions to luxury bedrooms. It's important to show this off when your average owner buys a new motorhome every three to five years.

"Some of these folks here have owned four, five, 10, 12 National RV products and we want to keep them in the family," Albrechtsen said.

Joel Adler owned six National RV's in the past ten years.

"Now we're at the top of the line," he said. "We really enjoy it. We enjoy the rallies, we enjoy the people. The nicest people in the world are RVers."

"Just seeing the United States is really exciting to me. There's so many beautiful things here," said Annette Adler.

So the Adlers will keep traveling state to state, rallying with their rest of the world of RVers. Many of the RVers in Albany are headed to the Family Motor Coach Association in Perry this weekend.

There will be anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 motor homes there. That's where all the RV companies get a chance to show off their latest merchandise.

posted by brannon.stewart@walb.com