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Gas guzzling no road block for RV lovers Free-spirited RV owners hitting the open road this Memorial Day weekend might want to carry open wallets. Gas prices are flirting with new highs and consumers expect the prices to keep climbing, says a recent Harris Interactive poll. But RV owner and Boston native Richard Swiman is hellbent on seeing the country. He - along with wife, Sherri, and 4-year old son, Henry - are embarking this summer on a yearlong tour of the United States and Canada. ``We're going to try and see as much of the country as we can,'' Swiman said. Heading into the holiday weekend, the unofficial start of the summer driving season, average Bay State gas prices have fallen from $2.35 a gallon on April 11 to about $2.13 a gallon, according to AAA. The numbers are bothersome, Swiman admitted, ``But it's not going to change my trip.'' Swiman is not alone. Even though it can cost more than $200 to fill up an RV tank, sales are on the rise and RVers have no intention of canceling their summer trips, according to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. ``RV'ers are very determined to keep on traveling,'' said RVIA spokesman Ken Sommers. ``Historically gas prices have had very little effect on (RV) traveling.'' Still, some RV'ers are eliminating miles in light of gas prices. ``This year we are staying closer to home,'' said Jamaica Plain resident, James Kimbrough. He and his wife, Jane, have been RVing for three years. Usually they make trips up to Quebec but this year will bow to the high price of gas. ``We're going to see some beautiful locations nearby,'' he said. Common sense? Maybe. But not a common answer. Studies suggest more than 50 percent of RV'ers will head even farther from home this season, according to the RVIA. Whether it's exploring the back yard or going cross-country, motor home fanatics all agree - no matter the cost, the vacation must go on. ``We wouldn't have canceled (our trip) - we enjoy it way too much,'' Kimbrough said. ``We absolutely love it.'' Nearly seven out of 10 RV owners are planning trips this summer. Motorhome shipments rose 6 percent in 2005. And ``RV'' was the most searched item on eBay last year. A typical motor home gets about 12 miles per gallon on the open highway. Tourists all of stripes are shirking traditional vacation expenses - like restaurants and hotels - homes on wheels. ``It's really the flexibility and the freedom that RVs give that has been the driving force for years,'' said David Woodworth, a motorhome enthusiast who has collected more than 50 motorhomes ranging in date from 1914 to 1937. His own RV is equppied with a plasma television, washer and dryer. http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=86906&format=text
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