RV Lifestyle RV Podcast

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,

Across the country, officials are shutting down boondocking areas in many areas because of growing problems with vandalism, litter, and even human waste. Blame it on a combination of homeless encampments in some areas and inconsiderate campers who fail to clean up after themselves and keep clean campsites. But the result is the same, frustrated state, federal, and local officials in charge of public lands once open to dispersed camping, are closing them down rather than fight what they see as a losing battle. But the people who lose the most are those who like to boondock in wilderness areas, campers who do follow the rules but now find themselves with fewer and fewer places to enjoy off the grid camping on public land. For RV Podcast Episode 349, we talk with an expert in free camping spots, Kyle Brady, publisher of the Drivin and Vibin Website. Kyle has been closely tracking the growing list of closed boondocking locations and has lots to share. You can listen to the entire RV Podcast episode in the player below. Or keep scrolling down for an edited transcript of our interview. Why are authorities shutting down boondocking? This is a reason why authorities are shutting down boondocking For starters, consider these recent stories about the shutting down of boondocking areas: In Oregon, Trash, Human Waste, Forces Authorities on Oregon to Shut Down Dispersed Camping In Utah overnight camping has been banned in Middle Fork because of trash, vandalism and rowdyism Popular Colorado area closed to dispersed camping Those are just three examples. There are many more, from all over the US. We talk about the trend in-depth with Kyle Brady. Here is an edited transcript of our interview: Mike Wendland:          Kyle Brady joins us right now. Hey, Kyle. How are you doing? Kyle Brady:                  Very good, Mike. Thank you so much for having me on today. Mike Wendland:           Kyle, you are the guy when it comes to finding free camping spots and all these dispersed spots. You've been a specialist in that. And I know you are disturbed and have been keeping track. They're shutting down boondocking. What's going on. They are shutting down boondocking indefinitely Kyle Brady:                  We have seen so many reports over the last six months, and even the more specifically, in the last three months of these sites getting shut down indefinitely. And it's just becoming a problem because so many more people are out there on the road. And I guess these sites are seeing more usage than they've ever seen before. Mike Wendland:          I get email, and I bet you do too, from people saying, quit telling everybody where to go boondocking. Is that part of the problem? I don't know. Kyle Brady:                  Well, yeah. You know what? I get those same emails and nothing that we share isn't available on camping websites. So there are huge resources out there. And that is part of the problem, that everyone now knows about free camping. But to me, it is all of our land. They are shutting down boondocking on public land in many areas It's government land that's paid with tax dollars. And it's there for us to recreate on. So I don't, by no means, think we should keep it a secret to people because people should be encouraged to go out there and camp and connect with nature. But I feel like there are a few points that are being missed seriously, and that's teaching people proper etiquette, whether that's the manufacturers or the dealers teaching them what it is, what boondocking etiquette is. But then also we see this huge homelessness problem across America. That's a totally different issue when it comes to the sites being closed down, but that affected equally. Mike Wendland:          Where are the sites being shut down, and what are they shutting them down for? I've read all sorts of horror stories about what they find when some of these people leave.

Frustrated about how to get a camping reservation this summer? We can help with some insider tips on using campground reservation technology. We know. There are a lot of people trying to book camping reservations this summer. Demand has never been higher. It seems like the entire country - frustrated after a long year of COVID-19 travel restrictions - is anxious to hit the road in their RV and find the perfect camping spot. But campgrounds across America are reporting record demand. In the most popular destinations - around national parks, for instance - finding an open spot will not be as easy as it was pre-COVID. Mark Koep, the CEO of CampgroundViews.com, is our special guest on Episode #339 of the RV Podcast. He offers up lots of insider tips for us on how to get a camping reservation this summer. You can listen to the podcast in the player below. Or keep scrolling down for a video version - in which he demonstrates just how to use the Internet to get a camping reservation. There's also a full transcript of the interview, so keep reading! How to Get a Camping Reservation: Tips from Mark Koep First, here's a video of the interview in which Mark demonstrates how to get a camping reservation this summer:  Here's an edited transcript of the Interview: Mike Wendland: To help us get into the right possible groove for finding those difficult-to-locate open campsites is our friend Mark Koep, of CampgroundViews.com. First of all. Hi Mark. How are ya? Mark Koep: Hey, Mike, doing good. How are you doing? Mike Wendland: The camping season is here. People are out moving about and I thought, there's no one better suited to help us learn how to navigate the challenges of finding open reservations than my friend Mark Koep. So Mark, let's talk about your site for starters. I know we have a big surprise that we'll have coming up in a few minutes, but first of all, a lot of people are in the planning mode right now and they hear all these stories, "We can't find a spot. We can't find a spot." How can we help them with finding a spot? And maybe we can actually bring up your site and show them. How to get a Camping Reservation: Get Creative Mark Koep: Yeah, Mike, it's going to be a busy camping season, flat out. We did a survey last week of 2000 campground owners. And 50% of them said that their advanced bookings are up significantly over average, everybody's just going camping. But Mike you've been camping long enough. I've been camping long enough to know that this is true. You can find a campsite anywhere you go as long as you're willing to travel a little bit to go do it. And the best example- Mike Wendland: And do a little research. Mark Koep: Exactly. Mike Wendland: I'm looking at your site.  Walk us through. We see a map, what are we looking at? How to get a Camping Reservation: Widen your search area Mark Koep of CampgroundViews.com tells us how to get a camping reservation this summer Mark Koep: The first example I'm going to pull up is Yosemite Valley. And the reason I do this is that there are only four or five campgrounds on the Valley floor in Yosemite. And everybody will say Yosemite is full. But if you notice my default radius is set to 50 miles and Mike, how many campgrounds are there within 50 miles of Yellowstone National or Yosemite national park? Mike Wendland: Probably 75, a hundred? Mark Koep: 107 campgrounds within 50 miles of Yosemite Valley floor. So within that, you can figure the average campground has 60 sites in it. That means there are 6,000 campsites within 50 miles of Yosemite National Park. I guarantee you can find a campsite any night of the year, as long as you're willing to do a little bit of research and go find them. How to get a Camping Reservation: Alter your expectations The first suggestion on how to get a camping reservation is to widen the search area So the trick, the first rule at finding a campsite, and it's going to be nutty all summer long,

If you were disappointed that RV Shows around the country were mostly canceled last year, I have bad news for you. There will be many that simply will not happen again. A leading RV industry expert says in-person RV shows may be a thing of the past. With RV sales booming like never before, RV dealers have discovered they can sell more units - and more efficiently - in their own showrooms. It's no secret that dealers have long complained about how much work RV shows are. But now, many feel they no longer need big shows. For despite the COVID shutdowns of 2020 that saw almost all in-person RV shows canceled,  RV sales were through the roof. And they are even stronger in 2021. As. result, Bob Zagami, the executive director of the New England RV Dealers Association, says in-person events at fairgrounds and convention centers may largely be a thing of the past, except for mega shows like Hershey every fall, and Tampa every January. Instead, look for more online-only shows, like the one Zagami is organizing for April 10-11 in place of the annual in-person Boston RV Show. It's a trend he suggests has already taken root in many places. Zagami is our interview of the week of Episode 338 of the RV Podcast. You can hear his interview in its entirety on your favorite podcast app or by clicking the arrow in the player below.' Keep scrolling for an edited transcript of our conversation. RV Shows are moving online Before we present the interview transcript, here are the details of the  New England RV and Camping Expo Event Name:  New England RV and Camping Expo Dates:  Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 Register and buy tickets at:  www.newenglandrvandcampingexpo.com Discount tickets are available on the event Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/newenglandrvandcampingexpo Here's the edited transcript: Bob Zagami Mike Wendland: Well joining us right now to talk about RV Shows is our friend Bob Zagami from NERVDA, the New England RV Dealers Association. Hey Bob, how are you? Bob Zagami: Hey Mike. Great. Thank you. Very good to be back with you again. Mike Wendland: I'm really curious about how online RV shows work. Tell us about it. Yours will be April 10th and 11th, right?  Bob Zagami: Saturday, April 10th, Sunday, April 11th. Mike Wendland: How's it going to work? Bob Zagami: Well if we take a step back, we did manage to get the 2020 Boston show and then COVID hit. As we come to 2021, we had it scheduled for January, rescheduled it for April, then realized we were not going to be able to do it. RV Dealers don't miss RV Shows A lot of the dealers, quite honestly, do not miss the in-person shows. The consumers are missing it because they want to touch them and feel them and talk to people and see all the different units. But there are some shows that are not going to survive. We came up with a unique platform through an event manager here in Boston, He has a program called Hopin that comes in out of the UK, He studied all of these other programs and several things were missing. But the primary thing missing from most of the commercial programs was the interactivity, the connection with the customer. They could watch a presentation, but they couldn't communicate very effectively. Then they also lost the networking, walking down the hall and seeing an old friend, catching up or going to the bar and having a drink with your competitor that you haven't seen for a year, those types of things. This platform does that. Will online replace in-person RV shows? We were very careful from the beginning to make note that this does not replace the Boston RV show. It doesn't replace any RV show. At RV shows, you touch, you feel, and you spend a lot of time looking at units. Online is more educational and information But we have RV dealers and we have campgrounds as exhibitors, but we put a lot of emphasis on the online video presentations and gearing it towards the many first-time buyers that we all saw come into the marketpl...

Harvest Hosts just signed up its 2,000th location and it has plans to reach 3,000 by year's end. Here's how to find the best camping with the program. Harvest Hosts is nothing short of a phenomenon in the RV industry, a service that lets you camp free overnight at wineries, farms, distilleries, tourist attractions, and even golf courses all across North America. While you are expected to patronize and purchase some of the produce or products at the Harvest Hosts locations where you camp, your RV camping is free, covered in the membership fee you pay to belong to Harvest Hosts. With commercial campground fees of $50 a night pretty much commonplace now, Harvest Hosts is one of the best camping bargains available. Just a couple of stays more than pays your membership fee. Here's a video we did on one of our stays not long ago: The latest News from Harvest Hosts In Episode 337 of the RV Podcast, we interview Joel Holland, the CEO, about his plans for the service in the coming months. You can listen t the complete podcast interview in the player below or on your favorite podcast app. But keep scrolling down for a transcript and video version of our interview with Joel. And keep scrolling down for a  special offer to our community that will save you 15% off your membership fee. Here's the video of the interview: Here's an edited transcript of the interview with Joel Holland, Harvest Hosts' CEO: Mike Wendland: Joel Holland joins us right now, from Harvest Hosts. And Joel, it's time to go camping again. How are you? Joel Holland: I'm doing great. And I think like most of your viewers, I'm itching to get back on the road. We live out in Colorado. So, it's been our winter season, but the RV is winterized and I'm ready to de-winterize. So, it's exciting times. Mike Wendland: And you are going to be traveling with a new companion, a three-month-old baby girl, right? Joel Holland: That's right. Yeah, Waverley was born on December 8th. She's had all her baby vaccinations now, and it feels like she's going to be a good traveler. You never really know. But as far as driving her around in the car, she seems to like to look out the window and it's very... Really enjoys traveling. So, she got that from us, hopefully, that carries over to the RV. RVers are Traveling Again! Mike Wendland: Well, let's talk about this year that is just now really getting underway. In most places, COVID at least seems to be on the decline. There's a general feeling that we're going to be able to travel again. You guys did a pretty comprehensive study, in fact, I think it's one of the more in-depth studies that we've seen anywhere, about travel, RV travel in 2021. And can you give us a quick recap of what you learned from that study? People are hungry to find the best camping experiences Joel Holland: Yes, absolutely. So, we had 10,000 RV mainly owners respond to our survey. So, it's a lot of data. And it was very positive for the travel outlook, the high-level data points. 76% of respondents said they plan to travel more this year than last year, which was not hugely surprising. What was surprising was a full 60% said they plan to travel more this year than pre-COVID. There's a lot of people who are just like, "I'm itching to get out and on the road." So, we're going to see... 2021 is going to be a massive RV travel season And here's why it's going to be domestic, 81% of respondents said they do not plan to go internationally this year. 69% said they still don't feel safe getting on an airplane. And 56% said they don't feel safe staying in a hotel. No surprise, 99% said they do feel safe traveling in an RV. So, all this data, kind of, points to more travel, it's going to be domestic, and it's going to be in an RV. Mike Wendland: Now, you guys still had a lot of people that were out using Harvest Hosts locations in 2020. As not every venue, of course, was open, but lots of people were out there using it. So,

We have a lot for you in this report: We talk about the coming cicada invasion, the Canadian border, and Rootless Living. After being closed for more than a year, disturbing new reports are surfacing that have many wondering when will the U.S. Canada border reopen for RVers.  That's one of many topics we explore in Episode 336 of the RV Podcast. We also have a fascinating report about a coming invasion of billions - yes, you read right, billions - of bugs that will soon be evident to RVers who travel through 15 Mideastern States. After 17 years of dormancy, Cicada Brood X is about to reemerge and fill the air with noisy buzzing as they perch in trees, on utility poles, shrubs, or any other structure they can find.  And we meet Demian Ross, whose Rootless Living podcast and magazine chronicle life on the road for the millions of RV nomads who taken to the RV Lifestyle. Plus, we answer your RV questions, hear another off-the-beaten-path report from our friends the Burketts and we look at the RV calendar of coming events. You can listen to the entire RV Podcast in the player below or via your favorite podcast app. Scroll down for notes and links and more resources. When will the Canadian border reopen? That is the question as Canada's Prime Minister said late last week that he could see the border with the U.S. remaining closed until September or later if necessary. His comments were in response to some U.S. politicians in states that border Canada pushing the Biden Administration to open the border as soon as Memorial Day. Justin Trudeau said he would not open the border until the number of new daily COVID cases in the U.S. drops even more. The current number of new COVID cases in the U.S. is about 50,000, while in Canada, it is about 3,000. The U.S. population is about 328.2 million, Canada's is about 37.6 million. The border with Canada has been closed to non-essential travel (like RVing and camping) for over a year. The current closure is set to expire on March 21, but everyone expects it to be extended longer. The Invasion of the Cicadas For 17 years, they have been underground in the nymph stage, munching unseen on tree roots. But sometime soon - when the soil warms to 64 degrees - billions will emerge at the exact same time across 15 U.S. states and cover trees, shrubs, utility poles, flowers, and any structure they can find, hatching into ugly red-eyed bugs that many mistake for grasshoppers or locusts. But these periodical cicadas are not grasshoppers. And they are mostly harmless, except for tender shoots on shrubs and flowers. They don't bite. But they are extremely noisy, making their buzzing mating calls for a few weeks at most before they die off. They are one of the most fascinating mysteries of nature. Watch this short YouTube video done by the BBC: Expect the periodical cicadas to emerge from mid-May through June. The cicadas, about 2 1/2 inches long with a 3-inch wingspan, will emerge in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. Unlike the common green cicadas you see every year, this 17-year cycle Brood X as it is called, has bright red eyes and black bodies. Birds, frogs, snakes, raccoons, opossums, and all sorts of other creatures will gorge on them. It's the males who make all the noise, trying to attract females. After they mate and the female lays eggs, they die off. And when the eggs hatch the nymphs all burrow beneath the surface, to stay there for another 17 years. So don't worry about the invasion. They make a lot of noise but they aren't drawn indoors. Other than the racket they make and the piles of their bodies after they die off, they are at most a nuisance. Marvel at them instead. The periodic cicadas are one of the great wonders of nature. Insight into the Digital Nomad and Rootless Living Craze Seemingly everywhere you go,

When it comes to how to make the RV Lifestyle a reality, it's as simple a matter as deciding "I will." Not "someday." Not "I hope." I will. That's what our guests on this week's podcast said. And did. And today, Lisa Maas and her husband Dr. Gary Daniel, are traveling the nation in a Class C motorhome, experiencing all the joys and fulfillment that comes from living out their passions to help others, while at the same time working remotely as they explore the country. You can listen to our RV Podcast Interview with them in the player below. Or keep scrolling down for a transcript. As the couple approached their retirement years, they wondered what to do. Both agreed that traveling in their RV was at the top of the list. But they wanted more than just travel. They wanted purpose. Dr. Gary is a longtime behavioral psychologist. He now practices from the road, working remotely and helping to motivate others to find their passions and purposes, often by embracing the RV Lifestyle. Lisa - wait for it!- has become a Professional Archer. She was a realtor and had a corporate job. Now, in her late 50s she plans to crisscross the country attending archery tournaments, competing for prize money, and selling a new line of clothing and archery gear she developed that is aimed just for women. The process they followed and the process they recommend to others has three simple but powerful steps. Step 1 - Count the Cost Don't go into this naive. Do your research. If you are planning to go full-time, realize that the RV Lifestyle is not cheap. It costs much more than many suggest and it takes emotional maturity to adapt to a life constantly on the move and away from family and traditional support systems. Step 2 - Make a decision Once you conclude you can afford it, don't waste time overthinking about it. Decide. Buy the RV. Make your travel plans. Book those reservations. Or don't. But decide and don't look back. If it doesn't work out, you can return to your previous life, the richer for the experience. Time moves very fast. Go for it. Step 3 - Stop with the what-ifs Don't hope this will work out. Say to your selves I will. I can. The power of positive affirmation is huge.  How to Make the RV Lifestyle a Reality - Lisa and Gary's Interview Here's an edited transcript of our interview with Lisa and Gary: Mike Wendland: Well, joining us now from Twin Falls, Idaho are Lisa and Gary, and we are delighted to have you guys on the program this week. How are you? , Dr. Gary Daniel: To be any better. Mike you'd have to have two of us. Mike Wendland: Well, I do have two of you, so I'm pretty excited. There are so many people who think they're going to retire, but you're not really quite ready to give all that up, but you almost feel a little guilty and just throwing yourselves into the party lifestyle of constantly vacationing. But we all need purpose. That's the way Jennifer and I like to tell people, and I think we can tell everybody through your story and particularly through your expertise, Dr. Gary. Lisa tell us your background. And then Gary we'll get into yours and, and then we'll get into the meat of this operation, which everybody wants to hear about how to really make the RV lifestyle fulfilling and everything you'd hoped it would be. And then some, so Lisa talk, start off with your story. How Lisa and Gary came to the RV Lifestyle Lisa Maas: Okay, thank you first for having us. I've had a really interesting life and an interesting story. I started out in the travel business after I graduated from college and traveled all over the United States and Canada as a guide and owning a travel agency. And then I retired from that. I didn't really want to travel out of a suitcase anymore and hotels and moved to Hawaii. I had never been there. I went there sight unseen and got into the real estate industry and became quite successful, then eventually owning my own agency. I did that for 15 years and eventually moved to the West coast.

Here are 17 insider RV Campground tips to score and enjoy that perfect spot this summer. If you are a new RV owner on your maiden voyage you will want to pay particular attention! Our guest in this week's Episode 334 of the RV Podcast is a campground owner and she has some great info for both new RVers and veteran campers. Her candid suggestions are a great resource and you may want to bookmark this article or share it with a friend. She is Marcia Neese and, with her husband, Jim, she runs a brand new campground in a very popular location in North Carolina. The first thing we want to make clear in this article is that, just like it is a seller's market in the RV industry where the demand is so strong that new RVs take a year to 18 months to get, it is a renter's market in the campground industry, whether that recreational vehicle campground is a state park or any of the thousands of private RV parks across North America. RV Campgrounds are selling out very fast We have some RV Campground Tips for finding a place to camp this summer It makes no difference if you have a travel trailer, a Class B, C, or A motorhome, a fifth wheel, or even a pop-up, RV campgrounds are filled right now for most weekends and holidays during the summer months And down south or in the Southwest, it's already the same in the winter months of 2021-21. Your fellow campers may have already beaten you to getting an RV camp site. And that's true whether its with campgrounds in National Parks, State Parks or privately owned campgrounds. Don't panic, though, because we have RV tips that will help. Below is an edited transcript of our interview with Marcia. Although we talk a lot about those RVers who are on their first RV trip, her advice applies to everyone who enjoys RV life. So listen up! We are sure you'll find a great idea or two! Marcia and Jim of RiverWalk offer us lots of helpful RV campground tips Marcia and Jim Neese opened RiverWalk RV Park in Jonesville, N.C. on June 11, 2020, just as the rest of the world was literally shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To their surprise, even with social distancing and travel restrictions in many place, their 51-site campground on a wooded 11-acre site along the Yadkin River was completely booked every single weekend from the day they opened until even now. Here are highlights and tips from our conversation.  Mike Wendland:          Joining us now from North Carolina, from Jonesville on the beautiful Yadkin River, is Marcia Neese. She is the owner, with her husband, of the beautiful RV Riverwalk Park, the RiverWalk RV Park. I guess you're right between Jonesville and Elkin, right? Marcia Neese:              Yes, yeah. Hello, hello everyone. We are. It's a very fine line there. The river is the only thing separating us so we're just a couple of minutes from Elkin and located... The park is in Jonesville. Mike Wendland:          Now your park is described as a sort of "boutique" RV park. What does that mean in terms of the RV lifestyle? What is a boutique RV park? Marcia Neese:              Yeah, it is a different term as it relates to the RV lifestyle. My husband and I, we're always trying to think outside of the box. We're RVers and we've created our park for other RVers. As we were building it, we were trying to understand exactly where it fit in. Was it a premiere park? Was it a corporate-type park? We're on 11 acres. We have 51 spacious sites. And the area that we're in is very quaint and boutique-ish as well. We came up with that we're a boutique size park. We have just enough for everyone, but not too much to where you're overwhelmed when you come. I like to use the word quaint again, but we feel that we offer a quaint environment. Mike Wendland:          We'll talk a little bit about some of that in a couple of minutes, but the first thing is you opened this park right in the middle of the COVID shut down. What was that like last year?

Most of us rely on insurance. But when you suffer a Medical Emergency on an RV Trip, that insurance may not be adequate, especially if you need a land or air ambulance. In fact, many of those air and ambulance costs claims are rejected by the insurance companies, even if the transport was called by EMTs or the hospital. It's a giant loophole that is particularly important for RVers to know about because they often find themselves in remote locations where hospitals can be few and far apart. In RV Podcast Episode 333, we learn the startling high percentage of ambulance runs that are rejected by insurance companies and the catastrophically high costs for emergency air ambulance that also go uncovered by insurers. You can listen to the entire podcast episode in the player below, or go about 20 minutes in to hear the interview. Or scroll down and keep reading this post for a full transcript of the interview. Our guest is Tim Gustafson, who runs an outfit called the Medical Air Service Association (MASA) which offers a special program to cover those 100% of those ambulance costs. I met Tim a couple of weeks ago and after hearing some of the horror stories that RVers have had because of uncovered ambulance fees, I thought his information would be of great interest to RVers. Transcript: Interview about ambulance costs related to a Medical Emergency on an RV Trip Mike Wendland: Joining us now to talk about these issues is Tim Gustafson. Tim is with a group called MASA, for Medical Air Services Association. I met Tim a week or so ago, and we were talking about some of the issues that RVers encounter when medical emergencies happen on the road. He had some pretty scary stories to relate to me that I in turn want to relate to you. So Tim, thank you for agreeing to come on the program and talk about some of this stuff. Tim Gustafson: Well Mike, thank you so much for having me. Mike Wendland: So let's talk a little bit about a lot of us think that if something happens on the road, we're all covered with all the different insurances. Walk through some of the scenarios that we need to understand about ambulances, whether it's emergency air ambulances or even ground ambulances. When an air or land ambulance is called during a Medical Emergency on an RV Trip Tim Gustafson: Yeah. I've been an insurance broker for 16 years or so now. What that means is that I work for my clients, but I represent about 90 different insurance companies. One of the biggest gaps that I see is ambulance coverage, by ground or by air. Statistically, there's roughly three and a half million ground ambulance runs per year, and one out of seven is just outright denied, because it's not up to you, it's not up to the EMT to determine whether it's medically necessary. They have some heartless dorks sitting behind a desk at a home office and an insurance company to decide if it's medically necessary or not. So 14%, roughly one out of seven get denied. Most health insurance plans do not cover emergency transportation The denials by air ambulances are far greater than that. Denial rates are through the roof really, because air ambulances are not considered a medical expense due to the Deregulation Act of 1978. They're actually classified as a common carrier so they can just charge whatever they want whenever they want. The Department of Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid services, any insurance company, they have about as much influence over the pricing as they do over Southwest or Delta Airlines. Mike Wendland: Give us an example. The costs of an air ambulance during a Medical Emergency on an RV Trip Tim Gustafson: I had some great clients that were taking their RVup to Alaska in the summer of 2019. They got just North of the Washington border and the husband ended up having a heart attack. So they called 911, which is the number you call if you're in Canada, by the way. I didn't know that. Both he and his wife were airlifted into Seattle.