RV Lifestyle RV Podcast

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.

With so many newcomers embracing the RV Lifestyle, this is a good time to go over 10 Unwritten Rules for Campers. For the fact is, there are too many inconsiderate campers these days, people who think it is all about them and that because they rented a space in a campground, they can do as they please with no regard to those who also rented their spaces and are camped nearby. They also need some etiquette suggestions about driving their campers and parking it in parking lots. I know this post will stir up some angry reactions. Whenever you suggest that people adjust their behavior in consideration of others, there are a few who will loudly push back. But in the interest of making it better for everyone, I'm going to share them anyway. We talked about this a lot in Episode 343 of our RV Podcast You can listen to the podcast in the player below. And scroll down this page for shownotes and a transcript of the interview, plus links and resources about all the things we talk about. We did a video version of the rules for our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube. Click below to see: Our 10 Unwritten Rules for Campers The reason these rules are unwritten is that there once was a time when people were polite and considerate. Some things didn't need to be said. Unfortunately, those days are gone and the same rudeness and incivility that we see in social media becomes evident in all aspects of life, including camping. Jennifer and I have been RVing for almost 10 years, We've covered at least 250,000 and crisscrossed the country numerous times staying in all sorts of campgrounds. And we know, there already are lots of rules you'll see posted along the way. Rules like: Don't burn trash in your fire pit. Clean up after your dog Make sure your TV antenna is down and the steps are in before you take off Don't drive fast in campgrounds Don't overload your RV You know all about those kinds of rules, or if you are a newbie, you'll soon find about them. But, there are also some unwritten rules we want to pass on, some things that we've learned probably through trial and error. A lot of error. On our part and the part of others. Ready? Take 'em or leave 'em, here they are: #1 - Try not to park right next to another camper Now, there are times you're going to have to break the first of our unwritten rules for camping if there is just no other room except next to somebody. People will understand that. But if you're in a campground and there are two empty spots on both sides of somebody who is already there, and there are other empty spots down the way, take one of those other empty spots. Let them enjoy that space, and you'll get some extra space too. Just because they have a good spot, don't think have to get right next to them. It's kind of like when somebody is in a fishing hole and you've come into your boat right next to them, it's just not good manners. That especially is true for when you're boondocking. I remember we were boondocking somewhere in Arizona, and we're in the middle of nowhere and when we woke up in the morning, we had somebody right next to us. It was crazy. There was room. It was a huge national forest, and they set up right next to us. #2 - Don't leave your porch and outside awning lights on all night long This makes our unwritten rules for campers list because, well, shining your lights all night long is just plain rude.  People want to be in the dark and quiet and see the stars. They don't want to see your porch light. No matter how cute the little flamingos or lanterns or whatever may be, all that illumination ruins the camping experience. If you want to leave them on right after dark for a little bit when everybody's still up, that's great. But at 2 AM it just causes light pollution BONUS: Lots of RVers have Pet Peeves and suggest different Rules for Campers. CLICK HERE to read a similar post from one of our friends on the blog: #3 - Don't smoke cigars if there are other campers within a...

Roger Golden is eBike boondocking his way across the United States, living, in his words, "home free, not homeless." He has a great story and some boondocking tips we can all take to heart. Out on the road I recently met into Roger, a "home-free" American with a dream to travel around the USA and raise awareness for Ostomates through his nomad lifestyle. I met Roger in a park off US 98 in Fort Walton Beach, FL a few weeks ago. When I checked in with him tonight as I wrote this post, he was in Texas, still headed west. Roger is on an eBike boondocking cross country trip, towing a customized trailer with two solar panels Roger rides a converted 26" mountain/eBike, pulling a trailer that houses his 200 Watts of solar power and a place to store his gear. He doesn't travel alone though... his cat Phideaux comes along on every trip. Roger's store of ebike boondocking is featured in Episode 342 of the RV Podcast. You can hear the whole podcast in the player below. Or scroll down for a video version of the interview, and a transcript of our conversation You can learn more about Roger, and follow him as he continues his mission here: https://www.facebook.com/diginomad3  Here's my video interview: Here's an edited transcript of our interview: Roger's story of eBike boondocking Mike Wendland:           Meet Roger. He is on an e-bike and he is on his way across the country from Florida to California, boondocking all the way. He wants you to know that he is not homeless, he's home-free. Having sold off his sticks and bricks home, he is towing a small homemade trailer with solar panels that charge the battery for his e-bike, his laptop, and cell phone. He is not alone. He travels with a very cool cat and he is the ultimate boondocker who's doing this for the adventure, despite some very serious health issues. Roger:              This will be my second trip across the country. My first trip was from Washington state to Florida, now I'm going from Florida to California. In 2019 we went from Jackson... That was the first trip my cat was with me, we went from Jacksonville, Florida to Calais, Maine at the border, turned around, and came back. I got about as far as Washington DC and started having problems. Roger is doing this eBike boondocking adventure despite a major health challenge Mike Wendland:           Chest problems? Roger:              No intestinal problems. I got as far as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and I couldn't do it anymore. I called a friend in Jacksonville to come pick me up. That's the first time I've ever had to give up on a trip. I got back down to Jacksonville and I had surgery and I woke up and there were intestines sticking out of my belly. They told me I had to give up my biking lifestyle.                         He said, "You can't do that anymore." I told him, "That's not an option. That's what I do." So here I am doing the impossible with a cat, 200 watts, a solar panel and electric bike. Mike Wendland:           I want to just look at this. I ask you because we see down here, in Florida, there's probably a lot of homeless people. I said, "Are you homeless?" You had a great phrase for it. Don't call him homeless! Roger:              I am home free. There's a difference between being homeless and home free. A lot of times homeless people are at the mercy of their environment. I'm experienced in my environment. For a lot of homeless people, they don't have a choice in the matter, it was something that happened to them. In my case, I gave it all up to get rid of all of the time that I waste to give money to somebody else. Mike Wendland:           What do you mean by that? Roger:              We spend most of the waking hours of our adult lives working so that we can give our money to somebody else. Mike Wendland:           Taxes. Roger:              Taxes. Mike Wendland:           Mortgages. Credit Cards? Roger:              Mortgages, your car insurance, your tires, your maintenance,