RV Lifestyle RV Podcast

Everyone loves RV Hacks, those little tips, tricks and inside knowledge that help the RV Lifestyle be easier, safer and economical. And in Episode 353 of the RV Podcast, our friends Marc and Julie Bennett of RV Love stop by to share their favorite RV Hacks from their book of the same name that has more than 400 tips on just about every aspect of the RV Lifestyle from driving to cooking in the camper to working from the road. Here's a link to a video version of our entire Podcast from our YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel, in which we also share RV News of the week, answer your RV Lifestyle questions, offer travel tips and reveal another Hidden Campground Gem. The interview about RV Hacks with the Bennets can be found about 38:20 in. Here's an audio plater of the podcast:   RV Hacks interview with the Bennetts Mike interviews Marc and Julie Bennett on their new RV Hacks book. Mike Wendland: I want to welcome to the program two of our longtime friends, Marc and Julie Bennett.  You may know them as RV Love? And they have just released our brand new book RV Hacks and there are over 400 from you guys in this book. It's good to see you. You are in your RV somewhere in Colorado, which is always a good place to be. For the folks who are maybe new to the RV world or they are unfamiliar with RV living,  why don't you give us the thumbnail description? Julie, start with that and tell us how long you've been doing RVing. And Marc tell us a little bit more about RVLove.com. Julie Bennett: We hit the road as full-time RVers back in 2014, sold our home in Colorado, bought a motor home, and explored all 50 states, traveling a while, living, working from the road, and it was amazing to see this country. And we've been sharing as RV love it, in a blog, on YouTube, social media, and written a couple of books now. It's been a wild ride. Mike Wendland: Now, Julie, I know people who may not be familiar with you are going to say, what is that accent? That's not a Southern accent. That's not a British accent. But you're from Australia, and you have an announcement to make about that too. You just recently became a US citizen. Julie Bennett: Surely. I did. Yes, actually in February on the 11th and I've been here, living here since the end of 2008. And yeah. Finally got my citizenship and my little US flag. It was very exciting. The 4th of July felt really different,  I can't explain it, but it did feel good. It’s a bit late in the day but we hope you had a happy 4th! It’s my (Julie’s) first Independence Day as a US citizen and I have to say it really does feel different! Boondocking with friends in Colorado. Hope you had a good one! #july4th #4thjuly #boondocking #rvlife pic.twitter.com/yLpIiMCBv8 — RV Love (@RVLoveTravel) July 6, 2021 Mike Wendland: That is great. And Marc,  tell everybody about the various platforms that you have and how you guys are celebrating and enjoying the RV love lifestyle? Marc Bennett: It started off with just a blog and YouTube for fun, and now it's grown. We also have an official school for RVers. And then we also have the two books. Of course, we're all over social media with Instagram, Facebook, and all that. Julie Bennett: It was a labor of love Mike, and we just love creating educational RV content. Mike Wendland: Let's talk about your book, RV Hacks. It's actually the second book. The first book that you guys had was a best seller and it was called Living the RV Life. That's still available. It's still a great read, but this one is a little bit different? Why don't you talk a little bit about what RV Hacks is all about? Marc Bennett: Sure.  Our first book like you said, was a really big hit and it was living Living the RV Life and talked about the overall lifestyle. In this book, we just thought, there are so many little things over the years that we've learned that make this lifestyle more easy and more fun.

Camping experts predict the campground overcrowding will continue for the foreseeable future. And with millions of marketing money being invested now in the booming RV rental market, campgrounds are overwhelmed. The fact is, at many campgrounds, there just are no open spots to be found this summer. That's where a whole new aspect of the RV industry has developed - the campground alternative.

Frustrated that you can't find good used RVs for sale? You know that some manufacturers are reporting two-year backlogs for new RVs. And you know that right now, used RVs are hard to find. But that is about to change... Big Time!

Why is it so hard to find open camping spots in 2021? Are you wondering why it so hard to find open camping spots in 2021? And what about the confusing and always changing prices being charged for campsites? That's what we talk about in Episode 350 of the RV Podcast.

Have you wondered what's behind the RV backlog and why new RVs are sold out for many, many months to come? As they say, it's complicated. And very frustrating to the industry. Read (and HEAR and WATCH) the perspective of a manufacturer, a supplier, and dealer have with the current (and future) situation for customers.

Have you heard about our crowded National Parks and the confusion changing policies have brought over not just getting in, but reservations, too? It's also the same at many State Parks as more and more adopt reservation-only camping policies. This week on Episode #348 of the RV Podcast, we dig into that issue and much more. And not just here on the blog and our audio version of the Podcast but also with our new video podcast released simultaneously on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel.

We've had lots of requests for for more info on owning your RV campsite in response to the story we did on The Landings in Tennessee. Here's an interview with the developer.

Because your RV motorhome, 5th Wheel or Towable Trailer camper is one of the most expensive investments you can make, protecting its roof and finish from unnecessary damage is a top priority for many of us. And an RV cover just may be the best way to do that.

In these days of high demand for RVs of all types, a lot of people have heard about RV Brokers but wonder just what does an RV Broker do? The answer is... a lot! In Episode 345 of the RV Podcast, we talk to Dr. James Upham, a well-known RV broker with years of experience. He offers a very candid explanation of just why someone may want to use an RV broker to either help them find and buy the RV of their dreams or to sell their current model. He also reveals some little-known insider information about a secret industry sales tactic that explains why some RV salesman may steer you towards a particular RV that pays them an under-the-table payment called a "SPIF" instead of recommending what may be the best choice for you. Click the player below to listen to the entire podcast. And for a complete transcript of my interview, keep scrolling down. Here is an edited transcript of the interview with Dr. James Upham of MyRVBroker.com: What does an RV Broker do? Mike Wendland: RVs have never been in higher demand. It's harder and harder to find what you want. And that's why I thought that you would make such a great guest. Tell everybody, first of all, what is an RV broker? What do they do? James Upham: So an RV broker works much like an auto broker. Okay? So they work... The term is used often the middleman, but really the person in between so that it saves, hopefully,  saves money, time and it gets you the best deal. Exactly what you're looking for. RV brokers are generally used to sell or buy or sometimes both, motorhomes. So if you're looking to get out of one, get into one, you don't want to deal with negotiation. You don't have time. Maybe that's an issue for you. You definitely want to get the best deal. You appreciate the whole sales process. This is where you would hire an RV broker to come in and do the work for you. Why use an RV Broker? Mike Wendland: So, one way would be to sell my RV. And of course, this is a prime time to sell them. You might just talk a little bit about that. So if I contract with you to sell my RV, what do you do? Why would I do that rather than putting an ad in one of the trade publications or put a sign out front? James Upham: Well, right now, you hit it on the head, Mike, you don't want to do that. The market right now is such that it's amazing what some of these RVs are getting in the used market right now. I mean, I happened to spend a lot of my time helping buyers, new buyers, first-time buyers, especially. And a lot of first-time buyers are looking into the new market. The reason being is that a lot of the used market, where, as before, you would save a substantial amount of money. In this market, you don't save a lot. So you really don't need an RV broker in my opinion, to sell your unit. Your best way to do that now is to go to Facebook Marketplace, saved Craigslist, some of these free sites that you would do it on your own. Now, with that said, let's say that you still didn't want to mess with that and you wanted to hire someone like us in order to sell. What we would do is we would pre-negotiate some arrangement with you. RV Brokers take a percentage of the deal We would decide on what our fee would be, and then we would take it from there. So we would take all your pictures. We would list them for you. We do things a little differently for our services and what brokers generally do. But yeah, your big RV sites and such, they'll try to line up certain buyers for your motorhome. But it may cost you five, 10% depending on what people are charging. And you just don't want to do that right now in this market, because you have a much better chance of selling it yourself. Mike Wendland: I appreciate you being so honest about that because it really does seem to be a sellers market. So flipping it on the other side and the side that I think is of most interest right now, to so many new people who can't find that RV they want,

Many RVers wonder whether an Extended RV Warranty is worth the investment of protecting what already is the most expensive investment they will ever make besides their sticks and bricks home - the RV. The answer is dependent on a number of factors that we consider in Episode 344 of the RV Podcast. But for those who plan to keep their RV for many years, an extended RV warranty provides something hard to measure: The peace of mind of knowing that pretty much whatever happens, whenever it happens, they're covered. Listen to the entire podcast in the player below. Scroll to about 25 minutes in to hear the interview. And keep reading below for a transcript of the interview Here's a transcript of my Interview with Staci Ritchie Roman of Wholesale Warranties What is an Extended RV Warranty? Mike Wendland:           Well, joining us now to sort out this whole issue of extended RV warranties is our friend Staci Ritchie Roman from Wholesale Warranties. And Staci, first of all, welcome to the podcast. It's always great to have you on. I think you've been on, a couple years ago we had you. Staci Ritchie Roman:      Yeah, thank you so much for having us on again. Mike Wendland:           It's such a crazy time in the RV business. Let's start off with the real basic discussion. What is an extended RV warranty? Staci Ritchie Roman:      Sure. So what most of us know as an extended RV warranty is actually an RV extended service contract, and what it is, is a policy that will step in to pay for repairs to some of the most common mechanical failures your RV is going to face. And so that ranges, everything from a diesel engine down to a microwave, and pretty much everything mechanical and electrical in between. Do you need an Extended RV Warranty for a new RV? Mike Wendland:           Well, then what about when someone buys a new RV? Do they need an extended warranty for a new RV? Staci Ritchie Roman:      Yeah, so it kind of comes down to personal preference, but we'll tell you what we think. So your RV comes with a manufacturer's warranty and that definitely takes precedence. So if you have a manufacturer warranty, you're going to go there first. Those don't always cover everything, and things start to drop off after a couple of years. The great thing about an extended warranty is you can lock in several years of coverage all at once, and the best rate you're ever going to get, the best price you're ever going to get for an extended warranty, is when it's brand new because the extended warranty companies know that they're probably not going to be paying too many claims right off the bat. So the longest term, the best price you're ever going to get is to buy right when your rig is brand new. And there are some added benefits that come with the extended warranty that you'll be able to use as well, during that first year of manufacturer coverage. What are the added benefits of an Extended RV Warranty The most common times major breakdowns occur on an RV  Source: Wholesale Warranties Mike Wendland:           What are some of those added benefits that you can use? Staci Ritchie Roman:      Sure. So there are additional things like roadside assistance on some of the policies. So it kind of varies policy to policy, and so as a broker, we have several different options available, and that's something that you'll want to discuss with your warranty specialists. But some of these policies do come with added benefits and coverages that maybe the manufacturer coverage didn't come with, so appliances and things like that. Every rig is different, and the manufacturer warranties that come with them are different, as well. Mike Wendland:           And that leads me to a question. You talked about being a broker. When you buy a new RV, they try and get you to sign up right there at the dealership. Is that necessarily the best place to do it? Staci Ritchie Roman:      You know, you have options. That's what we want RVers to know.