RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

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, all you hear about in the RV world is the Rootless Living and Digital Nomad craze. Our guest in the interview of the week segment of the podcast is Demian Ross, the publisher of Rootless Living Magazine and the Podcast of the same name. Demian is a lifelong traveler and an expert in the lifestyle behind the craze. He is a former skateboard fanatic and now a fulltime RVer. He has interviewed dozens of those living such a lifestyle, even as he recently did a video on his own RV experiences for 1,000 days in a row! Here's an edited transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland: Demian, how important is it, when you talk to all of these other RVers out there who are living full-time on the road, some of them blogging, and doing YouTubes, and podcasts, others, finding other ways to earn a living. How important is it for them to have a challenge like your 1,000 videos in 1,000 days project? Is there a common theme there that you see that any of these people have? Demian Ross: I think there are times where people will find some sort of niche, we're going to visit every national park, we're going to try to go to all 50 states, whatever that is. I think what most people don't realize is that most podcasts quit after seven episodes, most YouTubers quit after about four videos. If you can set yourself up to say, "I'm going to do 30 videos in 90 days, or 30 podcasts in 90 days," you're going to get into the habit of it. Demian Ross: When I stopped doing my 1,000 videos in 1,000 days, December 15th was my last 1000th video, I took two months off of not creating any videos. It was really nice, but I'm also really jonesing to get back to it. I think people need to focus on that. Don't focus on the subscribers, don't focus on the numbers, don't focus on the views, just do something on a regular basis, be consistent, and you'll learn your craft. My voice, 1000 days ago compared to what it is today when I'm doing videos and what I'm talking about, is completely different. There was no plan, day one was the day I thought of it. Literally, there was no planning into it. The challenges of the full-time RVer and rootless living Mike Wendland: When it comes to all RVers, do you think that there is this rush to get into full-time life? And pretty soon, some people call it decision fatigue sets in. Maybe you may want to talk a little bit about that, too. When do you see people dropping out of the full-time lifestyle? Demian Ross: Yeah, I think really it's expectations. I think they set false expectations. Demian Ross: My dad used to say, "No matter where you go, there you are." It really reminded me that you can try to take on a unique lifestyle, it's just not going to make you unique. I think people forget that sometimes, and they get kind of burned out. Or, all they're seeing is the positive, and then maybe on Instagram or in videos, and then when they're out there in real life, there's a lot of negatives that are in every other life. If you're living bricks and sticks, you'll have the same problem. This toilet wasn't the first toilet that ever got clogged in my 50 years of life, but for some reason when an RVer's toilet gets clogged you would think it's the end of the world. Demian Ross: When I started the lifestyle ... I'll go back to my own story. I wasn't influenced by anybody, I didn't know that anybody did this. I thought this was what retired people did. I wanted to get out of California and I wanted to move to Texas, but I didn't know where in Texas. So the idea hit me, get an RV, travel around Texas, figure out where I wanted to live. I immediately found out that people do live full-time, obviously, in an RV, while still working, it's not just for people that are retired. How he started Rootless Living Magazine Demian Ross: Demian also publishes a print edition of his Rootless Living publication Immediately, in 2016 I was like, "Well, if a million people do it, there's probably a magazine about it," and there wasn't. There were lots of YouTube channels and blogs. But, that's one person's perspective. You have to really relate to them. If you're watching my videos, maybe at the time you had to be 40-something, maybe your kids didn't live with you, you weren't married, and you were just doing something different and that would drive you in. Where most people are, "Oh, he's so much older than me, or he's so much younger than me, that doesn't fit my niche." Demian Ross: I think where I noticed a difference is when I started really working in and around the industry, now my life became my job, my job became my life, it's much different. Where when I hear people saying, "I want to get on the road and start a YouTube channel," I'm like... don't. Either start a YouTube channel where you're at or get on the road. But, you don't have to do both. It doesn't mean you have to buy an RV and buy a camera, you don't.  Demian Ross: But honestly, the people that have been on my podcast, I would say I'm close to 60% that have never done a podcast, 60% don't have 500 followers if they added all of their social channels, because I don't believe in social proof, I don't believe that really makes you someone. They're really great, unique stories that everyone else can relate to because maybe they're not creating content but they want the lifestyle. It's a hard pendulum of where you need to be with that. Demian Ross: I would say, to your advice, I'd be creating content before I hit the road, because learning how to RV and trying to create content at the same time, probably not very safe, and really probably mentally draining. Mike Wendland: It's insane. People always say, "The market's too saturated," and it seems sometimes that it is, there are so many. But, why do people do this? If they're going into it to make money, and that's how we're going to live our life on the RV, my advice is don't even try because there are so many other people who are out there doing it. Or,

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. I had a few little health challenges that I wanted to solve and. now here I am getting into the RV Lifestyle and working as a, eventually a Professional Archer. Mike Wendland: Well, you kind of gave him my big secret away and we'll come back to that. Everybody's going to say, what did she say? She's an Archer, but we'll come back to that in a minute. Stay tuned folks. And Dr. Gary, how about your story? How did you guys meet how long you've been married? Give us a little background on you. Dr. Gary Daniel: Well, we, you know, who knows how it actually works, but I've been in a motivational psychology business for a long time and wanted a change in lifestyle. Because of working so hard for so long, I wanted to do something much different. And I've always been fascinated with buying a motor home and doing a little bit of traveling. I'm a pilot, you know, helicopter and airplanes. And I got to meet a lot of people, but I was always working all the time. And so I traveled, but I never got to see anything. And Lisa and I met through a friend of mine who's a chiropractor and they introduced us and we just hit it off. And I came to this harebrained idea of buying a motor home and doing some traveling and going full time. And of course, Lisa didn't want any part of it. And she just looked at me like I was out of my mind. And said, there is just no way we can do that. And we had all this stuff to get rid of. And so we went through a process of eliminating a lot of possessions and a lot of things that we thought we were attached to. And we weren't. And finally, we went and looked.  I studied about motorhomes. I'd watched you Mike, a lot. You helped influence us. Looked at all of them and zeroed in on this one (a Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX). Even though it's a little spendy for entry-level. But I agree with you, the quality's there. So we put the deposit down and thought, we're going to have it done in about five months and it ended u being almost a little over a year later. But we finally got it. But in the interim, Lisa is now gung ho. She said, I can do this full time, but we're part-time working. Full-time RV. Chasing the dream of the RV Lifestyle But we realized a lot of other people out there doing the same kind of transitioning and in the business I'm in, I find myself able to help people stressed out about how do you make a living doing this? How do you cashflow it? How do you keep the ball rolling? The stress of doing this is a lot different than we thought it would be. It's fun, but yet it's a lot of work. And the things I appreciate about your program is you guys are straight up about all of that and it looks like the romantic part is great. However, there is a lot of work to it, a lot of planning Mike Wendland:  I want to get now back to that line that Lisa just told us here you are Lisa. You are a travel agent. You are in real estate and now let's go into some detail. How do you make your living Lisa? Lisa Maas: Well, right now I'm in between, I'm still working off of some residual that I had in the real estate world. And I also am a human design analyst. Lisa's Dream: Becoming a Professional Archer Lisa's dream of becoming a professional archer and a full-time RVer has come true So I work with mostly women clients to help them with their relationships, with their businesses on how to develop their businesses and who to hire small businesses. So I do that part-time, but for the most part, I'm putting all my energy and effort into becoming a Professional Archer. So I train every day. I thought it'd be a lot easier. I do have talent for it. However, it's like golf, every movement counts now. And so I just got into it. Mike Wendland: I've never met a Professional Archer before. I've never heard of an RVer doing this. How did this come about? Was this new? Were you an Archer all your life? Lisa Maas: No, my dad was a baseball player, so I do have some traits in my DNA on that part of it. But we were just sitting around one night talking and I shot arrows at camp when I was a kid and I liked it and COVID had started and I wanted to do something different and I just went to Amazon and bought a bow. I had no idea what I was doing. I ended up with a kid's bow. I didn't know. So I started out with a kid's bow and just found I loved it. It's fun. Any age can do it. And that's my inspiration too. If you're four years old or 104, you can shoot a bow. Mike Wendland: So how does one earn a living as a professional archer? Lisa Maas: It's amazing how many tournaments and how many people are actually in the archery world. It's like golf, although it's, it's an Olympic sport. So there are lots of tournaments. The tournament's all pay money at a certain point. You know, you have to get to a certain category to compete. There are different categories, over 50, professional, children. And I decided to get into it. I saw a little niche that there's not a lot for women as far as accessories. There's their quiver, which you carry the arrows in. On a belt, with maybe a vest. And so I'm working on the quiver and redesigning it right now. I have a gentleman in Italy designing a tech pack. And then I have a company and factory out of New York that will produce them. And so that's how I see myself in this career, going from tournament to tournament, promoting the bow gear accessories. Gary's Dream: Helping others Turn their Dreams to reality Gary and Lisa have made their RV Lifestyle dream a reality Mike Wendland: And Dr. Gary, how did your background end up influencing Lisa in this decision?  Dr. Gary Daniel: Well, Lisa is a real creative individual. She's also a pretty good athlete. I mean It just the way she looks, the way she moves, she's into exercise. She's taken really good care of herself. She's, she's been really wanting to be in a place where she can empower women. She sees women that from ages 50 on up kind of give up and don't think they can do anything. And she's proven that to be wrong.

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? What a great spot for chillin' at the RiverWalk RV Park in North Carolina Marcia Neese:              Yeah. If I had a dollar every time I were asked this question... I started looking for land several years prior, and it took us a little bit because we were very... We wanted to make sure that when we did this, we did it right. So we found the land, we started building, and we did everything ourselves. We have a small grading business so that was very helpful. But it took us a couple of years between permitting and rains and droughts and things like that. So we were set to open last March, and we got put behind because we couldn't do some burn permits, as I said, because it was too dry. So we opened right in the heart of COVID. We have not had, or had not had for the whole season, June through December, an open spot on the weekend out of all 51 sites since the weekend that we opened in June. Mike Wendland:          Oh my goodness. Marcia Neese:              Yeah. There's so many mixed feelings about COVID and so many different ways to look at it. We always try to see the positive things, but we did feel a little guilty in the beginning because so many people were going through so much turmoil with it and heartache, and there was depression and different things like that. 2020 was the year of the COVID Campers The way that we looked at it was it was a blessing for us and for everyone else because we've given so many families an outlet and a sense of normalcy, hence us being booked every weekend. We're like a big community. We have return guests on a lot of the weekends. But I think that COVID was huge for us because it's created a community and a bonding experience where other people could look at it in a negative light. Mike Wendland:          It also is creating a bit of frustration this year for a couple of reasons. Marcia Neese:              And last year Mike Wendland:          And last year but I think the reality is setting in with a lot of people that so many new RVers have come to the RV lifestyle in the last year because, I mean, let's face it, it was the most- Marcia Neese:              The COVID campers. #1: You REALLY need to make campground reservations The top RV Campground Tip this year is to make advance reservations! Mike Wendland:          The COVID campers. It's socially distanced, it's healthy, it's good, it's getting away. But now, as people try and make reservations for 2021, with travel a little bit better, they are finding no occupancy. Full campgrounds are everywhere they can go. That's the first thing I'd like to get some advice from you, Marcia, if you could help us. What would you say to our audience who's saying, "I got this RV and I can't get in anywhere." What do they do? #2 - Check for cancellations when you find full campgrounds Marcia Neese:              I can speak to our park and then as an RVer speak to that as well. For us, we tried last year to keep a cancellation list and it became so overwhelming it was a full-time job, and to treat everyone fairly. So we started posting on our website, on our Facebook, I'm sorry. When we get a cancellation, it lasts about maybe three to five minutes, and that's been nonstop since last year Social media often lists cancellations you can snag So I would first recommend checking social media. Actually, I would first recommend calling the park themselves, or call a series of parks that you're interested in and find out what their cancellation policy or cancellation list looks like. If they have one, and that's another reason we built a park, not to get too deep into that, but we couldn't find a spot anywhere several years ago. No one would call us back and no one kept lists. But we're finding more people are doing it nowadays. #3 - See if there's a waiting list So call the park, see if they have a waiting list. If not, see if they have social media and if the cancellations would be public to understand. As an RVer, the one thing I've done, if there's somewhere I really want to go, as horrible as it sounds, I find myself stalking the availability to see if anyone's canceling. It's bad, but that's what we do. And then lastly, being a part of the forums. #4 - Monitor online camping forums Here in North Carolina, there's six, seven, eight forums. I'm a part of all those. As a camper, especially state parks if someone cancels, a lot of times they're posting it. With private parks like ours, it doesn't really work that way because it's not first come first serve, but if you're looking at state parks I highly recommend getting into the forums and if someone cancels, they'll let you know. Campers love helping other campers. Mike Wendland:          The frustration on your end is all of those phone calls. "Hey, do you have any openings? Did anybody cancel?" As it translates into the RVers end, it's, "They're not answering the phone," because you also are doing a lot of other things. So that's where social media and all that helps. I don't think anyone would resent a call saying, "Look, how can I keep track of this without pestering you?" And then find out the social end. So that's one thing. #5 -Plan your camping trips as far out as possible Mike Wendland:          How far ahead now do people have to book for a reservation? Take your case. You're in a very popular area, beautiful area, high demand area. How far do I have to book in advance? Marcia Neese:              Well, for us, as a matter of fact, I just posted this morning, we have some limited availability on weekends through, I would say, July. Holidays book up pretty quickly. But as for us, for later in the year we do have availability. Our signature sites, which are more riverside, larger spacious sites, are the ones to go quickly. Reality Check: You may need to book a year ahead! A lot of our repeat guests will book five, six, seven, eight reservations from last year they've already booked this year. It just depends on the park I would say. We have availability later in the 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. So it was an international air flight. He successfully had heart surgery, spent about two weeks in the hospital, and then recovered from home. Luckily they had this MASA program, because not only did MASA pick up 100% of any out-of-pocket costs for the air ambulance, but it also paid the associated fee to have his wife be part of the escort with him. There was enough space in the helicopter to fly the wife as well. Then once they got released from the hospital, MASA paid for them to fly commercially from Sea-Tac to Sky Harbor to get back to Arizona to fully recover. By the time they got to their house, MASA actually paid to have the RV towed from Canada all the way to their front door in Chandler, Arizona. Mike Wendland: Now if they had not been in that association, do you have any idea what they would have paid for all of this? Tim Gustafson: I think there's roughly 10,000 air ambulances and only about 15% are actually in network for any of the insurance companies, because they don't have to be. They can charge what they want. The average cost of an air ambulance is $54,000 these days, which is slightly higher than the average income for somebody nowadays. So the total bills between the transportation of the air ambulance, the cost for the RV to be towed, and the flight costs was roughly $117,000. Air ambulance costs for a Medical Emergency on an RV Trip are often rejected Air ambulance helicopter returning from a life-saving mission. But afterward, the costs may not be covered! Mike Wendland: Now I guess the thing that got my attention on this is an air ambulance is probably going to be more apt to be the case for an RVer having an emergency someplace because more often than not we're in the middle of nowhere. And that is the only way to when you have to get to the hospital in a short period of time. I always was under the assumption that when the hospital or the police on the scene said, "OK, this guy's got to be air evaced out." Who in turn does make that decision about when an air ambulance is called? Tim Gustafson: The doctors, the EMTs, they're always going to err on the side of caution because they don't want to have it as a lawsuit or anything like that against them. So usually it's their decision whether or not it's medically necessary. But the majority of air ambulances are actually from one hospital to the other. So in a typical series of events, you call 911, a ground ambulance is usually the first on the scene. They pick you up, they bring you to the nearest geographical hospital. If that is not a Level 1 Trauma, and this is something serious as a heart attack, a stroke, a severe injury of some sort, head trauma, they're going to airlift you from one hospital to the other because of what is called the golden hour concept that says if you have a serious medical something, you have about 60 minutes to get emergency coverage or your chances of dying seriously increases. So they airlift you from one hospital to another. Roughly 67% of all air ambulances are from hospital to hospital. But again, it's not the doctor that decided it was medically necessary. It's not you that decides if it's medically necessary. It's the insurance company that ultimately makes that decision looking at the doctor's notes and everything like that. Mike Wendland: And the insurance company rejects how many of these did you say? Tim Gustafson: For ground ambulances, one out of every seven,  or roughly 14%. Usually again, if a ground ambulance brings you to the hospital and they decide that they're going to transport you from hospital to hospital via helicopter, they have the patient or the patient's family sign something called an ABN form, which stands for Advanced Beneficiary Notification of Nonpayment. That makes you 100% financially responsible if that bill gets denied by the insurance company. So what I've been coming across and a lot of my colleagues have been coming across lately is any air ambulance pretty much gets outright denied, and the reason for that denial is that a life service was provided that day. Average ambulance costs are astronomical - especially for air ambulances Typical Interior of a medical helicopter used for a Medical Emergency on an RV Trip So because the insurance company covered the ground ambulance - approximately $1,900 is the average ground ambulance cost - they completely deny the $54,000 air flight. And you've already signed the form stating that you're 100% financially responsible. Mike Wendland: That's just an amazing thing because you would just assume ... Your heart and mind is all caught in the emergency. You've got to get to the hospital, a helicopter lands, takes you to the hospital. You assume you're covered, or you go to the hospital and you have to get air evaced someplace else. They ask you to sign a form when you're under all of this stress. Can you appeal this? Do they have any luck to people when they appeal it? Tim Gustafson: They can appeal. A lot of times a ground ambulance, if that's been denied, I've seen success having those appealed. But air ambulances, if you sign that ABN form, I very rarely ever see that appeal get approved. Unfortunately to clear that debt, again, because it's not classified as a medical expense, it's classified as a common carrier, you actually have to file a full bankruptcy, not just a medical bankruptcy to clear that debt. How to get air and land ambulance fees covered 100% during a Medical Emergency on an RV Trip The benefit of joining this association is that you get 100% of charges covered by ground or by air, anywhere. That is their motto, and those are the benefits. It's worldwide coverage, and they have a slew of other benefits as well. EDITOR'S NOTE: Check the end of this report for two other programs that cover RVers in medical emergencies Mike Wendland: For our listeners to this podcast, I want to just go back and make one thing clear to them. If they're in an accident situation or they have a medical emergency,

We have emergency winterization tips for RVers and campers caught in sudden cold. What a mess. Historic low temperatures, snow in places where it is all but unheard of. Power outages. Freezing water pipes. All this has been the plight of thousands of RVers whose getaways to what they thought would be warm places turned out to be anything but! Many of the campers caught in sudden cold were not ready! The campers hit by the February 2021 cold snap have been for the most part totally unprepared. Areas, where snowbird RVers would normally expect temperatures to be in the 60s and 70s, have plunged to the single digits. Heavy snow and ice have resulted in massive power outages. And RVers, snowbound and stuck in sometimes powerless campgrounds, are finding their RVs getting uncomfortable cold, pipes freezing and propane needed for heating and gasoline needed for generators running low. In Episode 332 of the RV Podcast, we hear from several of them. You can hear their firsthand reports in the player below, staring about 21:30 in. Campers caught in sudden cold share their stories and emergency winterization tips It's no fun for campers caught in sudden cold if unprepared! That's what happened to many snowbirds who thought they were heading to nice warm southern weather. A cold motorhome in Memphis RV Lifestyle Facebook Group Member Laurie Sollas was camping in her 34-foot motorhome in Memphis, TN, when the cold and snow hit. "We filled our propane tank on Sunday ahead of the snow," she said. "We are now below a half of a tank and hoping not to run out. Temps won’t be above freezing until Saturday and we have six inches of snow on the ground. We are expecting another 3 to 4 inches later this week. Our gray water tank froze. We finally managed to thaw and drain it. So, we are putting nothing in any of the tanks. We are using bottled water. This is no fun." Waterless in Waco Marlene Hacenfuss Wacek was at a Corps of Engineers campground in Waco, TX where the cold and unusual snow brought rolling power blackouts. "There is no water," she said.  "The low last night was about 4 degrees and the high today was about 17. This is colder than home, which is the Buffalo, NY area! Marlene and her family were in a popup camper with "a huge tarp thrown over the whole thing to help with the howling winds." The good news is the propane furnace in the camper works great, she reported. "We're keeping at the lowest setting so we don't burn through as much as fast, so we're about 60-65 degrees. Also have two ceramic heaters to help. Had the foresight to get water in gallon jugs before the spigots froze. There's no water anywhere in the campground or the bathroom and the stores are completely wiped out. This is nuts! Frozen in Ft. Polk Jennifer Romeyn was amping in Ft. Polk, LA, where the temperature dropped to 12 degrees at night. "We knew it was coming, said Jennifer. "We emptied the black and gray tanks yesterday and added pink stuff (RV antifreeze)  to them. We filled the freshwater tank and disconnected from city water. We woke up this morning and the supply line to the toilet was frozen. We put a heater on the floor and it thawed quickly. Other neighbors in the park are frozen and have no water." Putting a skirt around the trailer in Alabama Sharon Hamilton was camping in her trailer in Town Creek, AL when the freeze warnings were issued. "I bought black plastic sheeting and gorilla tape," she said. "With those, I made make-shift skirting around the trailer. Unhooked the water. Using bottled water. I have all the faucets open. Am keeping the furnace on 60 so I won’t use as much propane and it will heat the underbelly. So far we still have electricity, but I have an onboard generator and 30 gal of gas, just in case. Hoping the propane doesn’t run out before this is over." Throughout a huge swath of the country, from Texas to the Florida panhandle, RVers reported long lines for propane, with some places selling out. RV antifreeze was in short supply There were also problems with RV antifreeze running out, as camper Yvonne Maddox reported from Texas, where the temperature was 18 degrees.  "Couldn’t find any antifreeze anywhere so we covered the bottoms of the RV with plastic and put heaters under the RV and turned on the heaters inside," she said.  "It's holding in the 40s under the Rvs so far! Hooked them up to our bus so that when the power went off, the heaters were powered by the bus generator." Emergency Winterization Tips for your RV or Camper Emergency winterization tips can help if you are among campers caught in sudden cold As you just read above, you can see how ingenious some of the RVers are in trying to cope with the sudden cold.  Nobody saw this coming. But from the experiences being reported by campers caught in sudden cold all over the south, there are some emergency winterization tips and cold weather preparation suggestions we can pass along. What to do if you are among campers caught in sudden cold: Our list of emergency winterization tips: The first and best of the emergency winterization tips we can offer those whose RVs are not already winterized is that when a hard freeze is expected (28 degrees at night and continued sub-freezing temps during the day) drive out of the area. Seek warmer climates if at all possible. If your RV has not been winterized and you've been using your plumbing system, your pipes will freeze. And if they break, you will be facing a major repair job.   In the wintertime, always carry two or three bottles of RV antifreeze, even if you do not expect cold weather on your trip. The weather can change in a matter of hours. Please note: USE ONLY RV ANTIFREEZE in your RV or camper. Regular automotive antifreeze is toxic. If you put it down your tanks or in your plumbing your entire system will need to be sanitized before you can use it again. RV antifreeze - the "pink stuff" - is not harmful to you or pets and is the only kind to use in a camper.   If you can not move and you are in a campground when the freeze warning comes, drain the freshwater tank and empty the black and grey tanks. Don't burn up your water pump but turn on the taps to get as much water out of the line as possible. Unless the RV park has heated city water hookups, unhook your RV from the water supply. Drain your freshwater hose and put it away.   Drain your water heater. If you've never done this, get out the manual. You do not want any water to freeze in there.   Do your best to get RV antifreeze into your plumbing system. Many RVers have a bypass valve and hose function that will suck water from a jug of antifreeze. On Amazon, Camco makes a hand pump with a length of hose that will siphon antifreeze into the waterlines. It's good to get this and just carry with you. But if you don't have this when you are hit with sudden cold, after emptying the freshwater tank, pour two to three gallons of RV antifreeze into your freshwater tank and then turn on the water pump and open a faucet till you see pink stuff come out.   The sudden cold snap that hit the southern states underscores why we always want to have our propane supply topped off. The first thing that ran out in the current crisis was propane. If you are in a place where you expect to need your heater, fill the LP tank up before setting up camp. Set the thermostat to about 60 degrees to conserve propane and dress in layers to stay warm.   Carry along a small ceramic space heater.  This is the one Jennifer and I have used for years. It's something like $35 on Amazon. If you are plugged into electricity and in your RV, you will be amazed at how much heat this puts out.    Cover the windows. Pull the curtains and blinds. Regular winter campers use a product called Reflectex that is available at home improvement stores. It's like a bubble wrap insulation that cuts very easily and can be fitted into the window openings.   When you use the toilet, pour antifreeze down the toilet to flush it until the freeze ends and you have running water again.   Outside the RV, try to restrict airflow. Like one of our Facebook members shared above, get to a big box store and pick up a roll of heavy plastic. Wrap it around the RV from the ground to the top of the tires, like a skirt. If you have another one of those ceramic space heaters that you can plug into the campground electric pedestal, put it under the RV beneath the pipes.   If a pipe does freeze (like the toilet tank), use a hairdryer to blow hot air down it. That worked for one of our Facebook members as described above.      Curious about the gear, gadgets, accessories, and RV products Mike & Jennifer use and recommend? On this RV Lifestyle Travel blog, our RV Podcast and our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel, we mention all sorts of RV-related products and gear that we use, So we created a special page links to them. We update this all the time.  CLICK HERE to go to it directly.  Looking for a warm place to explore? It NEVER snows in the Florida keys!

Family Camping, whether in a tent, pop-up camper, a towable trailer, motorhome, or any other type of RV, unites families through great memories! That's what we talk about in this 331st episode of the RV Podcast. And through our special podcast guest - a Mom and Grandma who has passed along a love for the outdoors and family camping to her children - and the remembering of Jennifer and me with own experience with our kids.  We hope that this article and our podcast will inspire newcomers to try it out and cause others to rekindle a love affair of the great outdoor and family camping. You can listen to the podcast in the player below or scroll down this page for shownotes and a transcript of the interview, plus links and resources about all the things we talk about.  There is great power in family camping Jennifer and I have camped our entire married life. I grew up in a family that hunted and fished but we never really camped. When Jennifer and I got married, one of the first things she insisted on was that we would be a camping family. She grew up camping and spent family vacations in tents and trailers along the shorelines of our Michigan Great Lakes.  The first big expense we made as a married couple was a 13-foot Shasta trailer. As we started having kids, we replaced it with a Coleman pop up camper. And although we camped in state and county cames every time we could, our preferred style even way back then was boondocking - though no one called it that then. It was truly off the grid, with no hookups, down a rough two-track carved out of the woods in Ogemaw County and along the Rifle River. This Coleman Popup was what we used for family camping back in the '70s. That's our favorite spot along the Rifle River in northern Michigan. My sister and her family owned a bunch of raw acreage up there and even in this empty nest stage of our life, we take our RV to the exact same spot as often as we can. Photo of the tent Jennifer and I used from the 80s through the 90s Our three kids grew up camping and the memories we made around campfires, hiking deer trails, taking innertubes down the swift-moving river, and being together made memories that we all still laugh about today. After our kids went to school and grew up, Jen and I sold the popup and turned to tent camping for many years. We've been in small Class B and Class C motorhomes since 2012. Our daughter, Wendy camps in a tent with her family and has passed her love of family camping to her husband, Dan, and daughters, Elizabeth and Rachel. Son Jeff didn't have to work to convince his wide Aimee to camp, She, too, grew up in a camping family and they camp every chance they can in a travel trailer with their kids Jovie and Jax. And all of us get out a couple of times a year for big family campouts. Our third child, Scott, along with his wife, Lauri, and grandsons Zachary, Nick, Matthew, and Jacob, lives in Nashville. And while he is not doing much camping these days because of work responsibilities, we expect him to do so.  Here's a video of one of those summer family campouts we do with our grown kids and grandkids, this one from Silver Lake along Lake Michigan. That was from a couple of summers ago. Here's our latest family campout, this one taken just this fall, right around Halloween time. \ The benefits of Family Camping Here's a list of 7 camping benefits that Jennifer and I can quickly identify: Disconnecting from devices and connecting with one another Having quality one-on-one-time away from the daily routines of home, work and school Learning about God's creation, the natural world, wildlife, and the seasons not from a book but by seeing it and living in it Learning how to handle challenges together, be it mechanical problems on the road, sudden storms, or sorting out personal issues. There's nothing like being in a confined space together to quickly get to issues that otherwise may simmer and build resentment. Working together setting up camp, planning meals, gathering firewood, taking down camp Appreciating each other. When there are no shopping malls, social pressures, work or school distractions, and competing activities, family becomes so much more than a word. The ties formed from camping last forever. And - perhaps the most important benefit - understanding that life is not all about me. It's us. We're all in whatever it is we are in... together! An Interview about Family Camping: Nancy Einheuser While her husband had to stay behind each summer running the family business, Nancy introduced her three kids to family camping when they didn't know the meaning of the word "vacation." Our guest to talk more about the power of family camping is Nancy Einheuser. Nancy has been a camper all her life who introduced her husband, Robert, to camping and then their three children. She is a member of our RV Lifestyle Facebook Supporters Group and shares with us what camping has meant to her and her family. Mike Wendland:           Joining us to talk about that power of camping for a family is one of our Facebook supporters and one of our regulars on our Facebook group and all of the RV lifestyle stuff we do, Nancy Einheuser. Nancy, first, thank you for being willing to share your story and offer some encouragement for the people out there who are wondering, "Should I start this? Should I do it?" Tell us about camping and your family, how far it goes back, and what it means to you? Nancy Einheuser:          Oh my gosh. Well, thank you, Mike. Thanks for having me. And yeah, you've touched on a tender spot in my heart because my camping history goes back to being a little girl, one of five, and my dad had started the camping. He actually was self-employed, like a lot of self-employed people, overworked. He had a medical issue, popped him in the hospital for a while, and he had a lot of time to think about what he wanted to do differently with his life. Family Camping was a priority When he came home, that was the first thing he did is made sure that we took vacations together, and our vacations every summer involved camping, and camping pretty much in Michigan. We found enough to do in Michigan that we never felt that we were lacking to go anywhere else. We went somewhere different every year until we got very fond of a particular spot. And as we became teenagers and we're having jobs and getting our own cars, we would congregate there together. Dad would go up, put the home-base base camp down, and then we would come in as we could, from school or job. Mike Wendland:           Now, I was taught a long time ago, never to ask a lady her age. So, I'm not going to do that, but I am going to ask you to help us understand how long ago this was that camping became a part of your life and- Family camping started at a very early age Nancy Einheuser:          Okay, well, I have no problem saying my age, even though I am a lady. I'm 62 and my father started taking us camping when I was about four. My brother was an infant, my younger brother. I have an older brother and two older sisters and I was the fourth of five. So, the youngest one was in diapers, he was my younger brother. Mike Wendland:           From your earliest memory, camping must have played a pretty big role in that. And what kind of camping was it?  Tent camping with 5 kids! Nancy Einheuser:          Mostly tent camping with five kids. My dad went through first a large, large family tent and a large screen porch for the area where we would cook and keep our coolers. And he was a fisherman. My father loved the water, loved boating. And if it weren't that my mom would get seasick, he would have lived on a houseboat, for sure. He loved the water, but we started out with a camp and we would always get two sites, one for the tents and the cars, and then we'd have one for just the fire pit and the cooking and the picnic tables and so on and so forth. So, that's how we started out Then came the pop-up camper I do remember him getting a pop-up and it had the slide-outs with the big beds and he'd stack us like sardines on one side and mom and dad on the other. He snored hard at night. He drove during the night a lot of times, and he worked long hours and he would be so tired and he would just snore so loud. We would throw our flip flops at him during the night to get him to turn over. We would take turns, trying to sound like our mother saying, "Dave, turn over." So he could stop snoring. But during the day we played hard. We just had the... It's sort of like a Huck-Finn-type of life, camping. We just, we had the best time. We were free to go. Kids don't have that kind of lifestyle today at all. There was no necessary check-in. We were just home before it's sundown, whether that was at home or when we camped, but camp adventures, the adventures were just far and wide. Mike Wendland:           So, that was as a child. Nancy Einheuser:          As a child. Her husband didn't have the family camping tradition...but soon embraced it! Mike Wendland:           And then you married and had children of your own. And how did camping continue? Did your husband camp? Was he a camper at first? Nancy Einheuser:          He never really was a camper. He had done camping with the Scouts program. He was not real excited over it. And when we first got married, of course, I already had all of my own equipment. I had been camping with girlfriends and on my own from the time I was old enough to drive. So, when we first married, one of our first trips was to take the Jeep and throw the tent in and go camping. And unfortunately, we had a rain cloud follow us. We went through one of those situations where we'd take the top down, we had a soft top, and we'd get on the highway and the rain would start. So, we'd pull under a tree or off the side and put the top up and we'd get back on the road, get ahead of that cloud. And we went back and forth, back and forth.

Our friends Tom and Patty Burkett have this great Off the Beaten Path discovery about bygone life on Chilo, Ohio along the beautiful Ohio River Scenic Byway. Lock up, lock down—these are phrases we’re all familiar with.  Two or three generations ago they were familiar, too, but often meant something entirely different.  That was the time period when lots of people and goods moved across and around the eastern part of the USA on canals.  To listen to their report as delivered on the RV Podcast, click the player below. They appear about 44:10 in. Their written report appears below. Life along the Locks - Canals and River Traffic Most canals have one end higher than the other and though they may move imperceptibly slowly, they wouldn’t be navigable for two-way traffic were it not for locks.  In addition to dealing with elevation changes, locks sometimes helped navigators conquer the occasional rapids or other difficult terrains. How River Locks work To understand how locks work, there’s no better place than the Cuyahoga National Park in northeastern Ohio, where there are detailed models in the visitor centers, and you can actually operate the real lock just outside the front door.  For a boatside view, paddle your canoe or kayak along the Erie Canal in New York and ask the keeper to lock you through one of the fifty-plus locks along the way.  For a special treat, either to boat or to watch, stop in Lockport, New York where the original flight of five stepped locks still operates next to a more modern barge lock. If you’ve been to the Soo Locks in Michigan or the Eisenhower Lock in New York, you may have seen huge oceangoing ships moving in and out of them, sometimes with just inches to spare along the sides.  Big inland rivers, like the Ohio, see mostly barge traffic, and though the barges aren’t as large as those big container ships, they’re still impressive.  Most of the dangerous to operate wicket locks have been replaced, but you can watch a video of one being closed. Lock keepers had an interesting life   They were tied, necessarily, to their locks, where a boat might come along at any time and ask for service.  At the same time, they spent the long minutes (or hours) waiting for the lock to cycle in conversation with the ship captains who had lots of stories about far off exotic places.  Stan Rogers, the great Canadian songwriter, captured the dichotomy movingly in a song.   The lock at Chilo along the Ohio River Scenic Byway   When you travel the beautiful Ohio River Scenic Byway, you’ll pass through a little town called Chilo,  It’s the only settlement in a fairly large geographic area with no big towns and no restaurants.  The church there has a pizza night a couple of times a month and folks travel from miles around for dinner out and a chance to socialize. At any rate, Chilo was for many years home to Lock 34.   The lock, a wicket lock, had to be regularly serviced by divers who descended into the river wearing outfits that looked like something from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.   The Chilo Lock 34 Museum The old lock building is now a museum with three floors of nicely curated displays about river life and history.   Just outside the museum is a concrete stairway going down into the river, marked with depths along one side.  It’s easy to imagine one of those suited divers descending into the river.   Easy, too, to imagine what it might have been like for that apocryphal diver who walked down them one stormy spring day and became untethered from his air and safety lines.  Legend says you can see his helmet light pass by the bottom of the stairs on a still Spring night. Overnight parking is not permitted at the Lock 34 park, except by permission.   We weren’t intending to stay the night, so we didn’t ask, but our experience in all these river towns is that if you simply ask a police officer or a business owner where you might spend the night, you’ll be directed to a safe and pleasant spot, often on the river, where you can watch for mysterious underwater lights, out here off the beaten path. Looking for more awesome places to visit in your RV? Try the Adirondacks! This ebook is a seven day guided exploration of the Adirondack Park and Finger Lakes area in New York! We provide a suggested route and itinerary, links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking spots, and the best spots to see along the way. Although it’s not a “National” Park, the Adirondack Park is immense. It’s greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined. Created by New York in 1892, it is a constitutionally protected “Forever Wild” area and contains 85% of all wilderness in the eastern United States. Of the Adirondack Park’s 6 million acres, 2.6 million acres are owned by New York State. The remaining 3.4 million acres are privately owned. As such, the Adirondack Region is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States. It is also home to 105 towns and villages. There is often a misperception that the Adirondack Park is a national or state park, yet the region’s mix of public and private land allows for conservation and civilization to thrive. There are about 3,000 beautiful clean lakes in the region, surrounded by lush forests and dozens of small charming towns to visit. To the south and west, the Finger Lakes region and wine country also beckon.

Hundreds of thousands of camping newbies are flocking to our federal lands, with many of them ignorantly - but sometimes intentionally - causing damage to National Parks. It is a nationwide problem, unprecedented in scope, brought about by COVID travel restrictions and the need for people to get away. And the flood of new campers and RVers shows no signs of abating. posing great threats to the sustainability of our national parks, already hamstrung by bare-bones budgets and hiring freezes. That's the topic of our interview of the week on the RV Podcast as we talk to the superintendent of one of our most pristine hunks of federal wilderness, the beautiful Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. You can listen to the podcast in the player below or scroll down this page for shownotes and a transcript of the interview, plus links and resources about all the things we talk about. The interview can be heard about 26:20 in. About the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the stress caused by Camping Newbies  Some of the Lake Superior Cliffs of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore... photo from  National Parks Service Our guest is David Horne, the Superintendent of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which hugs the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It's known for the dramatic multicolored Pictured Rocks cliffs and its unusual sandstone formations like Miners Castle and Chapel Rock. It covers the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and has pristine beaches, rugged hardwood forests, abundant wildlife, and little development. BONUS: Click Here for our blog post on seven special attractions in Michigan's Upper Peninsula Size of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore It covers 73,236 acres (114 square miles), roughly between the towns of Munising on the West and Grand Marais on the east. Hiking trails crisscross the lakeshore, with the most popular being a 42-mile section of the North Country Trail that traverses the hilly lakeshore.  There are three rustic, but small, campgrounds. Backcountry camping is available by permit through the lakeshore. Normally, the park gets around half a million visitors every year. But this past year was anything but normal. The number of Camping Newbies exploded last year Here is a video we shot last fall that shows parts of the Lakeshore which even in the fall, saw every campground filled:  Over a  million people flocked to the lakeshore in 2020, shattering the 2019 record of 859,000, which itself broke the previous year’s record of 815,000. The growth started about 2015 when the park averaged around a half million visitors a year. The result has been more than troublesome. The visitors and camping newbies have damaged trails. Made their own trails where they shouldn't. They have so congested some of the two-lane roads in and around the park that many places had traffic jams, with hundreds of cars competing for a few dozen parking spots. Trash, human waste, littering, illegal camping, and a massive strain on the park's infrastructure and staff have reached a point of crisis. Again, this is not happening just at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It is all across the country. But in looking at the problem through the lens of what the invasion of the camping newbies and other new visitors have brought to just one park, perhaps we can better understand what is happening everywhere.  So we can figure out what to do about it. Yes, I said "we." For those parks are our parks. And they, and the dedicated staff that works so hard to protect them for us, need all our help. 12 Mile Beach on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - photo from National Parks Service Interview with David Horne, Superintendent of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore David is a 26 year veteran of the National Parks Service and took over running the lakeshore in 2018. A graduate of Humboldt State University in northern California with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Horne spent four years in the U.S. Coast Guard, stationed primarily in Kodiak, Alaska. His career with the National Park Service began in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in natural resource management. He then joined the ranks of Visitor and Resource Protection working at Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Big Bend, Yosemite, and Pinnacles National Parks as well as Lake Mead National Recreation Area and in the Intermountain Regional Office. He loves the park, as is evident in the interview and he has some great suggestions for all of us to help. Here is a transcript of our conversation: The problems with Camping Newbies Mike Wendland: Joining us right now to talk about this is David Horne. He is the superintendent of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore up near Munising, Michigan in the beautiful snow-covered Michigan upper peninsula right now. David, thanks for being on the podcast today. David Horne, Superintendent of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore David Horne: Well thanks a lot. My pleasure. Mike Wendland: So let's talk about last year. We have seen all of the stories. We've actually encountered as we've traveled some of the congestion. But help our listeners understand exactly how crazy it really got out there, as so many people, locked down, looking for a place to vacation, said, "Let's try camping and RVing." David Horne: That's a great question. For the last five years, every year has been a record. I don't want to pepper you with a bunch of stats, but in the last 10 years, we've had 143 percent increase, which is a huge increase for us. We have the same infrastructure that we did 10 years ago, same budget. So it really had an impact. The stats: There have been lots of Camping Newbies David Horne: But last year (2019) we had 860,000 visitors. In 2020, the preliminary number we're getting is 1.2 million. Mike Wendland: Oh my goodness. David Horne: So it was a huge jump in one year from 2019 to 2020. So yeah, unfortunately, the natural resources of the park took a little bit of a hit, just that many people just, our parking lots our infrastructure, the restrooms, trails, roads. We're literally not made for that level of visitation and that many people. David Horne: We got through it. A lot of people came. A lot of people had fun. But it was definitely the most crowded the park has ever been in the history of it. Mike Wendland: Now many of those people, if we're to believe what we're hearing from elsewhere, were new people, people who maybe have never really done a lot of camping or haven't been real active in terms of visiting national parks and national lakeshores like Pictured Rocks. Was that's your experience? Did you find a lot of new people who maybe are trying something for the first time? Illegal camping caused damage to National Parks David Horne: That was our experience. We don't really keep hard data on that. But just anecdotally, it's easy to look on a map and say, "Oh, that's three miles in. There's the trail. You just walk in." Those are mountain miles. They're tougher when you're actually walking with equipment. Our staff actually picked up a lot of equipment. People hiked in to backcountry sites with ice chests and mattresses, giant tents, and several people, many people actually just abandoned that in the backcountry. So we cleaned up a lot of that. David Horne: That's just based on inexperience. Those miles look easy on paper, and when you started actually walking them, it's a lot tougher. So yeah, I think we did. It's fair to say we have a lot of first-time visitors and first-time park users. Visitors late this fall at the Miner's Castle Overlook at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Mike Wendland: I'm kind of laughing at that because I can just picture somebody walking through the woods carrying a chest thinking, "Oh, it's only a quarter inch on the map." David Horne: Right. Right. Mike Wendland: But the problems have been pretty severe. Maybe you could help enlighten everyone about what kind of problems you saw besides that, besides people just leaving stuff that was too heavy to carry back. This really stressed our lands, and I think it has to make us wonder about the sustainability of this kind of growth on our national lands like this. The influx of Camping Newbies came as a surprise David Horne: It is really fast growth. Last year with COVID, we were thinking it's not going to be a big year. But it definitely, it was a 41 percent increase. It was a huge year for us. I have people that are speculating that you couldn't fly, but you could drive here. So that was probably a big part of it. David Horne: But yeah, there were some real measurable impacts. Our trails got widened, the most popular trails just by the volume of people walking on them were widened. A lot of social trails, social trails, they're not trails until a few people walk off trail and it starts to look like one. That attracts more people and essentially turns it into trail. So we had a huge increase in social trails. They're tough to rehabilitate and get it back to that natural condition after that happens. David Horne: A lot of illegal camping, camping that isn't in a campsite. The reason we have campsites is we limit the damage. We want people to come in here and enjoy the park, but we also want to try to keep it as pristine and as much of a wilderness experience is as it can be. So when you have a lot of people creating new sites it denudes the foliage and it just makes it look like a campsite, which draws more campers. So there was a lot of physical effects of that, of the increased visitation this year. Parking problems at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Full campgrounds are the norm at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore... like most National Parks across the country because of so many newbie campers Mike Wendland: And the parking lots,

The White House has issued an order that some say requires wearing masks in national parks and BLM land when we are outside. But does it really? It is an understatement to say that there is a lot of confusion over the new COVID rules put in place by the Biden administration requiring the use of masks on federal land. Does that mean we need to mask up while hiking in a national park or hanging out at our BLM campsite? When we are outside? That’s what we’re going to try and answer this week on episode 329 of the RV Podcast. Plus we have lots more RV news, tips, your questions, an interview about a new service that promises to help RVers who have breakdowns on the road, and, of course, another great off-the-beaten-path report from the Burketts. Do campers have to wear a mask when outside or hiking in National Parks or Federal land? There is confusion about whether you need to wear masks in National Parks Last week one of the first things the new Biden Administration did was issue an executive order requiring all people to wear masks on federal land - even when outside. In order to stop the spread of COVID-19 the order states: "individuals in federal buildings and on federal lands should all wear masks" which, if taken literally, seems to imply everyone in a national park or camping on land owned by the federal government popular with boondockers would fall under this order. I know, other RV writers and websites have been really stressing the literal application of the order but it’s been my experience that few things in life are to be taken literally and I would like to suggest we look more at the intent here than the most extreme application. The fact is, right now many details are lacking. For example, it is not clear exactly when this order takes effect, how it will be enforced, or what the penalties are for violating it. Actually, President Biden signed two orders. One requires that masks be worn at airports and on many planes, trains, ships, and intercity buses. That is pretty clear. The Order About Wearing Masks on Federal Property The second order requires masks on federal property. Let me quote from it: “Accordingly, to protect the Federal workforce and individuals interacting with the Federal workforce, and to ensure the continuity of Government services and activities, on-duty or on-site Federal employees, on-site Federal contractors, and other individuals in Federal buildings and on Federal lands should all wear masks, maintain physical distance, and adhere to other public health measures, as provided in CDC guidelines.  Who must wear masks in national parks? So the intent of the order is to protect federal workers and those interacting with them. That could include rangers, campers, the folks who staff registration booths, concessionaires. Campground volunteers. Got it. that’s clear. So the requirement is that masks and social distancing be required inside buildings. Understood. What about masks "on federal lands?" But besides buildings, it also says “and on Federal lands.” That is where the confusion comes. Some sensational reporting in the RV media…maybe to get ore clicks… imply that means you now would have to always be wearing masks while anywhere in a National Park or BLM lands. That is NOT what the order says. "Should" instead of "Must" regarding wearing masks in National Parks Let me read what it says: It says “should all wear masks.” Not must. Big difference. It also references that people should follow the CDC guidelines. Well, guess what those guidelines say about wearing masks outdoors? It says masks need not be worn outside, when not in close proximity to people. What the CDC says about outdoor mask use Here’s the exact CDC quote: Masks may not be necessary when you are outside by yourself away from others, or with other people who live in your household. However, some localities may have mask mandates while out in public, please check for the rules in your locality. How is the mask requirement on federal lands to be enforced? Also, the President’s order goes on to leave the implementation and enforcement of this to the heads of agencies, giving them discretion to “make categorical or case-by-case exceptions.” When the media asked the White House if the order specifically means that, campers, for example, will have t wear masks in National Parks and federal land, a Biden administration official said such decisions will be left to their overseeing agencies to implement, while also following "science." The COVID science changes each week as the medical and public health community learns more about the disease. As I read the order signed by the President last week, I don’t think campers and boondockers need to be concerned about wearing masks on a hike or when they are out exploring… unless they come into contact with others. Realistically, the order is broad and vague and its enforcement is very up in the air. But don’t expect rangers to be hiking behind boulders ready to cite you for not wearing a mask when you are out in the boonies hiking. We will keep monitoring this and report back as the order becomes clearer and more guidelines are developed More RV News … Pay attention to when popular state and federal campgrounds open (for some it is Feb. 1) and book now! Many popular state campgrounds are opening their reservation lines and it is important to pay attention if you're seeking to camp in a popular spot this summer. Feb. 1 is the day Nebraska (click here) opens up for summer reservations; Maine has one park open Feb. 1 (click here) with reservations for others opening shortly thereafter. Colorado is also open (click here) and filling up. Failing to reserve now may mean you can't find a spot later. Recently when we predicted trends RVers should expect in 2021, one was campgrounds will be booked out by the end of February 2021. To review that story and other ways to prepare, click here. Learn more about America's newest national park in West Virginia Many campers make it a point to visit as many national parks as possible, and so we thought you may enjoy learning more about the beauty of America's newest national park: New River Gorge National Park and Reserve (click here). The park and reserve sit on 72,000-plus acres in West Virginia, and IT became a national park as part of December's COVID-19 relief package. The park has rock climbing, white water rafting, and the longest steel arch span bridge in the western hemisphere where people parachute off the 876-feet from the bridge to the river below every October on Bridge Day. Camping is permitted, though it only offers primitive campgrounds currently. This is definitely a place Jennifer and I will want to visit. To see our 10 tips for visiting a national park in an RV, click here.   Constitutionality of Maine's quarantine order for out-of-state travelers upheld by federal court Two campground owners in Maine who sued their governor over an executive order requiring out-of-state campers to quarantine for two weeks lost their appeal in federal court. The campground owners had argued in part that the COVID-19 executive order barring people from traveling freely between states was unconstitutional. Maine's governor was one of many last year that put a quarantine requirement on out-of-state travelers that devastated those who make a living in the hospitality industry - like campground owners. While the full case is pretty complicated, and it sounds like the matter is not over,  Maine's governor has since modified her order. Now most out-of-state visitors must test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arrival or quarantine for 10 days once they arrive in Maine.   Why hiking is good for your brain Many of us RVers got into the lifestyle because we enjoy nature. When we are outside and on a hike, it can be the ultimate de-stressor. But did you know hiking is actually scientifically proven to be good for your health? (click here) A hike provides exercise, which is good for your body, but navigating a trail is much better than walking a treadmill because of the cognitive work required to not get lost and stay aware of your environment. Plus, the study said, simply being outside does wonders for your health. And of course, if you find yourself at a campground today, and decide to head out for a hike, it is also important to keep safety in mind. Click here to read our story on what every hiker should know. RV PODCAST QUESTION OF THE WEEK This message left on the RV Podcast voicemail number from a listener named Nancy: Hi Mike and Jen. it's Nancy. I've been following you for quite a while and I really enjoy your podcast and your Facebook page. I’m one of your pretty common campers. We started with a pop up lightweight travel trailer, went to a bigger travel trailer, and recently a motor home. Now that I'm into the motorhome and actually haven't used it at a winterize it right after purchasing it, there's a lot of features and each level is more complicated. Even a tent came with instructions, but one out of particular comes to mind that pop-up came with a video. I always liked the fact that their company gave us this video that I could put in and look at watching it being demonstrated and today not just because of COVID 19, but because time is short for the training and the walkthroughs,  everyone feels pressured to go quick and everyone else is telling them, don't let them, you know rush you through. But that's very hard to do and you know, what would even be better is walking away with a demo DVD. I just think that the more complicated of the more expensive the unit, it should be almost a given and I would love to see manufacturers do videos demonstrating off all the different features. And they can actually offer that with the unit to the next owners. So they're not at a loss when they come into a used unit. I keep a binder and that goes to the next person.

Listen up RV Industry! Here is what Real RVers say are the most important RV features they want when they buy their next RV. We surveyed and heard from more than 300 of them and it's clear they know what they want. And between the lines in their responses, it's equally clear that the RV Industry hasn't been delivering it. You can listen to the podcast in the player below. And scroll down this page for shownotes,  plus links and resources about all the things we talk about. Results of our Survey: The Most Important RV Features wanted by Real RVers We really hope the RV Industry gets ahold of this report because it's pretty clear to us that there seems to be a pretty big disconnect between what this industry is making and what real RVers want. Earlier this week, we asked a simple question on our RV Lifestyle Social Media accounts: What features do you want in your next RV? The response, from our RV Lifestyle Group, our RV Lifestyle Facebook Page, our RV Lifestyle YouTube community and our @rvlifestylemike Instagram followers was immediate, detailed, and well-informed. We had nearly 300 responses to that question, and more are still coming in. But from those responses we seen some clear trends. Here are the 10 things RVers say are the most important RV features they want in their next RV: Four-season capabilities, with things like heated tanks Lithium batteries for coach power Solar panels Office space for remote workers Ducted air conditioners Comfortable beds Stand up dry showers More storage space Pet friendly amenities Quality workmanship They said lots more, so much more we are going to share many of the messages we received on our voicemail line (586-372-6990) and we are going to print some selected text responses we received, too. From them all, we picked 54 responses that reflect on just about every single aspect of an RV. Clearly, consumers today know what they want. And clearly, many think the industry doesn’t know what they want. That’s why we think it so important for these voices from Real RVers be heard. Let’s start with some of the audio messages we received: Roger says local service and creature comforts count the most "Hi Mike and Jennifer, this is Rodger Stambaugh in response to your request about what we look for most in a RV. Number one is local maintenance of the chassis in the RV build. We recently ordered a Wonder we may have to change to a Unity because the local Ford dealer need not maintain that chassis of the Wonder. Next is a large storage area and a full-time bed. So in the unit they would go with the island bed, which has almost the same storage as The Wonder of rear twin beds. Next would be a dry restroom with a separate shower, and ease of dried driving, so it'd be a van chassis." Rod & Carla want a four-season camper "This is Rod and Carla in Topeka Kansas. We recently bought our first travel trailer a couple of months ago. Haven't even been out yet because of COVID but getting ready, learning a lot, reading a lot and learned a lot from this site. One thing on the table we will look for when we upgrade would be a four-season camper. We didn't even know there was such a thing before now. I think we would have to have that for starters. Enjoy camping" Reese wants an AWD Class C "Hi, Mike and Jen. My name is Reese with my husband is Mike and we're calling from Chesterfield, Virginia. We watch your Ask Us Anything show every Sunday night and have watched probably all videos over and over. Our next RV is actually our first RV and we have spent months and months during the shutdown, or lockdown, studying all the different models. And what we want for our next RV is a Class C model with all-wheel-drive, inverters, heated tanks, leveling jack options… things like that. We've looked at the Odyssey and the Quantum and the Four Winds and the Winnebago's and something lately called a Gemini. But we're not real fond of the Murphy bed, either. So big thing is we want to see more all-wheel-drive options in class C models. Thanks for your help, and you guys are great, bye-bye." Liz & Anthony want 4x4 and 4 Season RV capabilities "Hi, Mike, and Jennifer, this is Liz and Anthony from Adventures. We're calling in today to answer your question. What do you want in the next RV?  For us, the two things that would love to have in our next RV is four-wheel-drive capability and Four Season ability. Thanks, and hope to see you guys again soon." Staci has a long list of desired RV features "Hey, Mike, and Jen. This is Stacy and we have our ideal RV for right now. We definitely have different things we want later in life. But now we are a family of three who love to get out and go we're looking for a true four-season travel trailer pull behind our bumper with a heated tanks package, including sufficient outside storage. generator on board. less annoying LCD light's please, under 28 ft front to tail. We would like the master at the rear under-bed storage, a secure small bookshelf in the corners at the head of the bed so we can throw some books up there, front viewing window at the head of the bed, windows on each side of the room that open for ventilation. And a door on the master. Right outside the master, we would like a full side to side walkthrough bathroom with a shower and no tub. My life husband is a double amputee and the tubs are a pain, especially if there's a railing he has to slide over. And a little bit of a larger countertop, maybe just a skinny one that goes down the wall so that we can get the Kitty food up off the floor. We do not want ants! We would like a 12 volt compressor 12 cubic foot fridge freezer combo, a decent pantry doesn't have to be huge, but decent size, a place for a for small trash can or a bag to hang, just some place that we're not going to kick it. Instead of a dinette, how about a breakfast bar under a large window that opens that can seat three to four people and put that on a two foot deep slide. I really dislike these three,  three and a half foot deep slides. just something small. Give us a little bit of room but nothing giant wise. If there's any place for seating for a small couch for a few chairs, comfy chairs, anything like that. In the front over the hitch, one full double size bed, a bunk that's elevated maybe halfway up instead of three-quarters of the way up so a kid could actually sit up up there. Underneath t in the corner a closed storage cabinet. They can store all their stuff and their toys, doesn't have to be huge something useable leaving the the rest of the space open with tie-down anchors for bicycles so I have secure indoor storage for our bikes. Also in the kid's bunk. a wider window would be fantastic. Insulated blackout shades throughout, and a 30-inch entry door so the banks can go through easily without damaging anything. A bonus would be a twelve-inch wide wall space to store fishing poles on a hanger. That would be amazing. We have that right now that we we put in a trailer. And something I have only seen on  class B Vans would be a hammock hanger built into the outside frane so that you could hook one of the hammock there and one side of the hammock to a tree or something. All right. That's all I have. Thank you." Jim wants room for grandkids in his next RV "Mike and Jennifer. Hello, Jim calling with your question about what we would like to include if we would upgrade or change our our current RV. We're actually pretty happy with our current Roadtrek 210. But if we would do an update probably a couple of things. Number one, the lithium battery storage is much better than it used to be. So certainly that is something that would have to be as part of the discussion. It would be nice to be able to run the microwave maybe turn on the air conditioner for a couple of hours if it was hot just using battery power. So lithium batteries would certainly be something that would be considered. I posed your question to Carolyn and she didn't even hesitate. Her comment was to make sure we had room for some grandkids as the grandkids get older. It would be fun to take them and have a little bit of extra room. So we would probably have to upgrade from our class b to a class C of some kind.  We would certainly not want anything larger than that, but room for the grandkids or at  enough seatbelts. Have a great day. Good question!" Reliability is this listener's #1 concern "Hi, Mike, and Jennifer. What do I want in the next RV? I would like to have an RV that's built to the same standards that modern automobiles built something that doesn't fall apart. Thanks. Bye. Now we want to share some of the text messages we received from our social media platforms. This is jst a selection. There are many more than what we will share. We collected more than 300 responses in all. On our RVLifestyle.com Travel Blog, we will print a much more complete list." Here they are: Responses from  Facebook about the most important RV features Donna - Better sealing of gaps/mouse proofing! Kim -More choices in small class C for retired couples. Bigger showers..Lithium batteries..solar included Steve- A reliable RV. Sharyn -If I could have whatever I wanted, I would want solar and battery power to run anything without requiring shore power or a generator, a true King bed that could convert to two twin beds, and a self-driving RV! Valerie -Would love to have a small 5th wheel such as a Scamp 19 ft. or an escape 5.0. Really wish one of the mainstream rv manufacturers would make a small 5th wheel. Sheila - Optimum storage without compromising interior living space Dawn -Bathroom in the back on a diesel pusher. The bedroom in the back stays hot for hours after a long road trip. Moving it a bit forward would help. Kathi -dedicated office space. Some of us want to work remotely even while 'retired' from the 9-5.