RV Podcast 298: RV Battery and RV air conditioner gadget hack for boondocking and moochdocking

We love our RV air conditioner…except when it’s really hot and we’re boondocking or moochdocking and we don’t have enough RV battery power to run it. That's where SoftStartRV comes in. This week on the RV Podcast we dig deeply into RV battery and power management challenges faced by those who enjoy off-the-grid boondocking or moochdocking (camping in the driveways of friends and relatives) and want to run their RV air conditioner. Our guest in the RV Podcast interview segment is a top RV electrical expert who breaks down our power needs and tells us about a way we can run those RV air conditioners under low power with a device called SoftStartRV. Plus, we have RV news of the week… we answer a question on why we’re getting a new Rv in a couple of weeks ...and Tom and Patti Burkett stop by with a great off the beaten path report. RV PODCAST UPDATE ON WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Mike & Jennifer Wendland, hosts of the RV Podcast..this week we talk about RV battery issues, a product called SoftStartRV and boondocking and moochdocking This episode comes from the road… We’re in Jacksonville, FL, staying at Hanna Park on the Atlantic, just east of town. We share what we’re doing here and look forward to our travel to Michigan next week and, at the end of the month, our purchase of a new RV… the 2021 Wonder by Leisure Travel Vans, built on the new Ford Transit chassis. We’ll share the reasons we’re making the switch when we answer one of our listener questions coming up in a few minutes, RV PODCAST NEWS OF THE WEEK If traveling to Alaska, expect to take COVID-19 test If you are thinking of visiting Alaska this summer, the state now requires a COVID-19 test before t]raveling around the state. The new rules took effect Saturday. The COVID-19 test is required within 72 hours before flying into Alaska. But, if you are unable to do that for some reason, or you are driving there, you will need to quarantine at your own expense for 14 days once you arrive or take a COVID-19 test at the airport and quarantine until the results are back. You may not quarantine in an RV, and you may not go out for groceries or anything other than medical care during this time. We recently interviewed someone about ways to get your RV to Alaska while the Canadian border is closed (click here) and wanted to share this, too. For the complete list of Alaska rules, click here. President Trump and the first lady hitting the road in an RV? Well, that's what he said At a press conference last weekend about the economy starting to rebound after COVID-19, President Donald Trump said he might get an RV, and head to upstate NY with the first lady. While that off-the-cuff comment may have drawn the headlines, we have to reiterate it again - LOTS of newbies are buying and renting RVs right now. They are making travel plans to camp because of COVID-19 safety concerns about airplanes, cruises, and hotel rooms. To see more about why many say this is the year of the RV, click here.   Here is a new one: Man buys an Airstream trailer for studio office during quarantine Speaking of newbies, we saw a story last week out of California about a man in the Silicon Valley who bought a 22-foot Airstream trailer for his office. He parked it in his yard,and set it up to be his office with a souped up conference table. The trailer, on a 30-year-loan, costs $370 a month, is a deductible business expense, and he can sell it when he is done. This is the first time we have seen a story of someone buying a camper for zoom calls, but in these times, we see how it makes sense! More campgrounds continue to open, but check before you go  Again, more and more states are starting to permit camping. California is expected to start opening campgrounds June 12, Wisconsin state parks are open today, June 10, Oregon opened more campgrounds yesterday, June 9 ,while other states, like Michigan, remain closed for a few more weeks.  As always, if you are heading out,  check ahead.