The nation’s top-selling motor home maker is testing out the first hybrid recreational vehicle to try and improve the fuel efficiency of RVs. Forest City-based Winnebago Industries is rolling out the Adventurer. Travelogue author Brad Herzog and his family are driving it around the country to test it out.

Winnebago CEO Bob Olson says they want to see if a hybrid can be a part of the RV industry’s future. He says they don’t know how well-received this model will be since there will be a cost premium, just like with any hybrid car. Olson says Herzog and his family, who are spokespersons for the R-V Industry Association, are traveling around in the Adventurer this summer as they promote the benefits of R-V travel.

He says Herzog will be able to provide useful feedback while demonstrating that the Iowa-based company is considering fuel-saving alternatives. Olson says the Adventurer’s engine is set up just like a typical hybrid car. He says it’s a diesel-hybrid combination, so when you are going down the road the diesel engine will kick in, while the battery side of it will operate at the slower speeds.

Olson says one of the main goals of the Adventurer’s trial run is to improve the number of miles that can be driven per gallon.

To learn more about the new hybrid RV, visit Winnebago’s website: www.winnebagoind.com .