Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 11, 1995 TAG: 9504110111
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KIMBERLY D. DAVIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
David Woodworth, a self-proclaimed goof-off and recreational vehicle historian, roams the country for the National RV History Tour, sponsored by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. On Monday, he stopped at Dixie Caverns Campground in Roanoke County.
Woodworth, who began collecting antique RVs 25 years ago, has 23. The newest addition to his collection is a 1916 Telescoping Apartment that extends lengthwise like a telescope. ``It's so weird, it's terrific,'' he said.
He stores the collection in a barn at his home in Tehachapi, Calif.
This year's is the fourth tour for the retired Baptist minister and auto mechanic, and he says he wouldn't trade it for anything.
``I love traveling around in the RV,'' he said. ``There's no better way to see the country, and it's great being able to always be at home.''
Right now, Woodworth's home away from home is a sleek, 35-foot, $75,000 Thor Residency that is on loan from the association for the tour. It has all the comforts of home, and then some: central heat and air conditioning, large bathroom, gas range, microwave-convection oven (for his Hungry Man frozen dinners), refrigerator-freezer, two kitchen sinks, bay windows, skylights, queen-size bed, sectional sofa, two swivel chairs, two TVs, VCR, hardwood floors and carpeting.
Believe it or not, Woodworth has seen nicer. Once he met a man with a custom-designed $800,000 gold-plated RV with a Jacuzzi and storage space for his Ferrari.
``A lot of people have a lot of money,'' he said. ``That's the beauty of it, though. You can get a nice, used unit for $500 to $1,000. You see the same country and the same view.''
Woodworth's pride and joy on the tour is his gun-metal gray, fully restored ``aerodynamic'' 1937 Hunt House Car, which he hauls on a trailer behind the Thor. The antique vehicle was designed and manufactured by cinematographer J. Roy Hunt.
Woodworth began traveling and camping in a Coleman tent with his wife and two daughters, but he grew tired of getting drenched during rainstorms.
With the RV, Woodworth says, he could turn on the TV, watch Willard Scott and know when and where it was going to rain or shine.
The Residency gets six miles to the gallon. Some people may be concerned about the gas mileage, but Woodworth says gas is ``tons cheaper'' than staying in a hotel, and an RV is more flexible.
``See that lady, with her dog over there chasing that leaf?'' he said. ``She wouldn't be able to stay in a hotel. RV travel is going to revolutionize the way people see this country.''
Besides educating others about the history of RVs, Woodworth gets to see the country - all expenses paid.
``To walk the beaches of Florida and hear the sand squish under your feet,'' he said. ``You've never seen the stars until you've been to the deserts.''
Name any of the 48 contiguous states, and Woodworth probably can tell you about some experience he's had there.
In Atlanta, he camped in the parking lot of Fulton County Stadium, home of the Braves baseball team. When he visited South Dakota, he parked in the middle of a grazing buffalo herd. And of course, he has been to the Alamo in Texas.
``One thing all of us want to do is see the country,'' he said. ``With an RV, you can see the country, see it in comfort and be with your family.''
Woodworth also enjoys meeting people from different walks of life.
``To get to know people and to learn from them - it really enriches your life,'' he said.
Woodworth plans to finish up the first two months of his tour in the East, then go home for a break. His wife, who oversees a medical clinic, periodically joins him on the tour, and when his college-age daughters were younger, they sometimes would travel with him, too.
So if you're planning a vacation, here are two Woodworth hints for the road:
``There's always that next sunset.
``The best route to go is the one you've never gone.''
by CNB