RV Lifestyle RV Podcast

In this episode, we talk to a leading expert on lithium batteries – Sean Nichols of Battle Born Batteries, one of the best known companies making lithium batteries for RVs. Sean tells us that lead is dead, that the old lead acid batteries found in most RVs are rapidly being eclipsed by more powerful and efficient lithium technology. He explains just what lithium will – and will not – do for the RVer and how they can be made to reliably work even in very cold weather. Sean Nichols will be coming up soon in our interview of the week. Also in this episode, your questions, RV news if the week and an off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #236 April 3, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER Before we get started, two housekeeping notes. One, in this podcast we will mention a bunch of different resources, news stories and web links that will give you more information about the things we’re talking about. Whenever possible, we build in direct links to those topics on the shownotes page for this episode. You can find that at rvlifestyle.com/236 MIKE Also, you may have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. Mike and Jennifer at the beach We share our whereabouts and plans We’re down in Florida on the Emerald Coast enjoying a spring break vacation with family The next big trip will be to Phoenix Arizona and the huge Super B Small Motorhome RV Show. Once again, Jennifer and I will be attending the Super B RV Shownear Phoenix. The dates this year for the show are April 11-14 and it will be held at what is now known as State Farm Stadium (formerly University of Phoenix Stadium) in Glendale, AZ,  Jen and I will be doing meet and greets Friday and Saturday, as well as video live streams direct from the show. Over 100 Class B and short Class C RVs will be on display.  There will be some new products being shown at the show for the first time, as well as new floor plans being introduced. Manufacturers represented include Winnebago, Leisure Travel Vans, Pleasure Way, Midwest Automotive Designs, Fleetwood, Tiffin, Entegra, Roadtrek, Hymer and Thor Motor Coach. Sponsored by LaMesa RV (which has RV dealerships in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Florida), this is the largest RV show in North America that features only small RVs. Attendees can see in one place all of the latest floor plans and the and most popular motorhomes from the top manufacturers. People coming to the show will be able to talk with factory reps,  RV manufacturing company owners and RV experts and celebrities. Dean Corrigal from Leisure Travel Vans will be there, our own RV Lifestyle Personal Chef MJ Curry will be talking about cooking in an RV kitchen, and there will be a seminar on solar power presented on Saturday, April 13 at 11:00 am by David Copeland from Van Dyke Enterprises. We’re in our second week of ownership of our new Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX. We have it being detailed tomorrow. Look for a video on the YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel thus week in the 2019 Mercedes Sprinter chassis and the big improvements it offers compared to previous Sprinter chassis used on RVs. Jennifer has sheets and bedding coming for the Murphy Bed. I need to order a cellular booster. Probably won’t install it until we get back to Michigan in late April. Considering lithium… as you’ll hear in the interview Next 7 Stop Adventure Guide is coming out. Probably next week. It will be on Utah and joins the one we did on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Judge rejects request to form a creditor committe...

With the recent purchase of Europe’s Erwin Hymer Group, US-based Thor Industries has become the largest RV manufacturer in the world, with dozens of brands and billions in assets. CEO Bob Martin is an avid RVer himself, now owning his sixth RV. We got a chance to sit him down for a one-on-one interview at the recent RVX industry show in Salt Lake City and talked about Thor’s vision for the RV future, which Martin says will be dominated by Class B and smaller RVs. We asked him to talk about rumors that Thor may still eventually buy Roadtrek Motorhomes, and while he conceded the brand had lots of value, he was careful not to imply anything. But he did note that Thor plans to soon introduce an entire new line of Class B motorhomes. The photo above is of a Thor concept Class B shown at the RVX show called the Sequence. Listen up for Bob Martin from Thor industries in our interview of the week, coming up shortly. But also this week, lots of RV news,your questions about the RV lifestyle, an off the beaten path report and much more. Show Notes for Episode #235 March 27, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Our mobile podcast studio in the front lounge area of our new Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX We update our travels to date, including our recent stay in New Orleans. We’re still getting used to our new 2019 Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX, which we purchased last week.  We're excited about a fun video we will be releasing this Thursday. It's all about Harvest Hosts, and how we used this awesome service to find three phenomenal spots to overnight on our recent trip west. Make sure you subscribe to the RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube and check out the video, which should post about noon Thursday. We'll have a special coupon code that will save you 15% of the cost of a Harvest Hosts membership, which lets you stay overnight for free at over 700 awesome attractions, farms, wineries, and orchards all across North America. Use the code RVLS at checkout on the Harvest Hosts website to save!  We invite listener calls on our special Podcast Voicemail at 586-372-6990. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK  Jennifer Record floods leave Nebraska officials closing many parks, campgrounds, as damage is accessed  Extreme flooding in the Midwest has been in the news this past week as homes, farms and large areas of many communities are underwater after melting snow and record rains fell on frozen land, particularly in Nebraska. Among the damage are state campgrounds, with many state parks closed until further notice as Nebraska officials evaluate damage. seek help. MIKE The sale of Erwin Hymer Group could be completed next month  An Ontario newspaper is reporting the Erwin Hymer Group North America, the makers of Roadtrek, could have a new owner as soon as next month. The company went bankrupt earlier this year, closing the doors and laying off 850 employees, after financial irregularities were discovered. Some $273 million is owed to more than 900 creditors. JENNIFER Grizzly bears are starting to wake so be prepared when traveling outdoors  Grizzly bears are starting to wake out west from their winter hibernation and officials are urging outdoor enthusiasts to travel in groups, be alert and bring bear spray. For tips on bear spray safety from an expert we interviewed a while back, click here. MIKE Five state parks one newspaper says are among the most stunning in the U.S.  Earlier this month we visited a breathtakingly beautiful state park in Utah that many consider one of the best in the U.S. (see story here). So it was with interest that I saw this article in the Chicago Tribune last week, that highlighted five other state parks in five different states all breathtakingly beautiful. More wolves headed for Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park At least four wolves captured on a seculuded Canadian island in Lake Superior were headed to Isle Royale National Park in Michugan.The four were caught Friday,

This week we interview the newly named CEO of Kampgrounds of America about the changing demographics of camping in America. Toby O’Rourke shares with us highlights of the company’s latest study and reveals that millennials now make up 35% of all the active campers in the U.S. She also talks about how her company is continuing to grow and thrive in an increasingly digital world. Plus an update from Mike and Jen on their new RV, their travel schedule for the next month and an off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #234 March 20, 2019 of The RV Podcast: Mike and Jennifer talk about their recent activities and whereabouts This is a photo of us taken Monday, after signing on the dotted line and buying a 2019 Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX. We're giving it a shakedown trip now. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Two Canadian national parks install country's first electric vehicle charging stations Two Canadian national parks in British Columbia are the first in the country to install electric vehicle charging stations. Glacier National Park and Yoho National Park are both along the Trans-Canada Highway and are part of a national goal of improving electric travel.  Improvements to cell coverage debated at Grand Teton National Park: Would it take away from wilderness experience? The debate about whether to improve cell service at Grand Teton National Park was in the news last week. Proponents argue it would help retain workers and assist in emergencies, while those against say excellent cell service takes something away from the wilderness experience. Great whale watching opportunities along Oregon coast in upcoming week If you're planning to be anywhere near the Oregon coast between March 23-31, you might want to check out some of the many whale watching sites. The gray whales are making their way from Mexico to Alaska, and will be swimming by, and many special view sites are set up to see the giant mammals that week. Fire at Forest River factory in Elkhart, Indiana, leaves production of some towables in question A fire last week completely destroyed the factory in Elkhart, IN, where the Forest River Vibe and Vibe Extreme are built. Officials were still trying to determine what caused the blaze as of this writing, along with what will become of the towable trailers and jobs of those who built them.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping  RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK  This week we interview with Tony O’Rourke, the new CEO of Kampgrounds of America: Mike Wendland:           Well first of all, congratulations. Toby O'Rourke:             Thank you. Mike Wendland:           I think we first started interviewing you when you were doing marketing, digital marketing, and then of course President and now CEO President and the Chief everything of Kampgrounds of America. So congratulations Toby. Toby O'Rourke:             Thank you, I appreciate that. Mike Wendland:           You know one of the things that you do [inaudible 00:00:20] is you do the annual camping report every year. Toby O'Rourke:             We do. Mike Wendland:           And I know it's a little early, it hasn't been completed yet, but can you give us any sneak peaks of what the data is showing for 2019 compared to previous years? Toby O'Rourke:             Yeah, so now we've been doing the North American Camping Report for five years, which is great to look at it as a body of work that shows the trends over the past five years. And there's several key trends, things we've talked about before, but we definitely are seeing a lot of people camp, and people are camping more frequently. That's my favorite part of the data, is we're seeing 72% increase over these past five years in the amount of people that are camping at least 3 times a year, which is exciting. The data's also pointing,

This special episode of the RV Podcast comes to you direct from Salt Lake City, Utah, where we are attending the RV Industry Association’s glitzy new RVX show, which has brought nearly 5,000 RV manufacturers, dealers, suppliers and media to this cold, wintry city to kick off the 2019 camping season with the introduction of new RVs, RV-related technology and new products aimed at the camping public. We’ll have interviews, inside information and more direct from the show floor. Show Notes for Episode #233 March 13, 2019 of The RV Podcast WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Part of the Reveal awards to the best in category RVs at the RVX show. This one is for the Unity 2020 Rear Lounge model from Leisure Travel Vans which won the best in the City Escape Category JENNIFER This is a busy week out here in Salt Lake City, where the area is under a winter weather advisory with lots of snow and high winds predicted during the show dates out here. We’re going to devote the whole podcast to this event out here, which is really a big deal as it’s done by the RVIA – the RV Industry Association, which is the influential trade group whose polices and promotions set much of the industry agenda. MIKE There was a lot of skepticism about this show this year. It replaces the traditional November show the RVIA did every year right after Thanksgiving in Louisville. That show suffered with dwindling attendance over its past several years because the Industry Open House in Elkhart, Indiana – the RV capital of the world -  drew away most of the dealers who felt they couldn’t afford two industry shows a month apart. So Louisville ended in 2017 and the RVIA promises to reboot the show with RVX, which will go to different cities each year. And this one is the first, but there’s a lot riding on it. I’m hearing from a lot of manufacturer reps we’ve talked to that many dealers are not here. March is a busy time for them as they prepare for the new season and, let’s face it, Salt Lake City in March is not exactly a garden spot this time of year. JENNIFER There may be snow and wind outside, but inside the Salt Palace Convention Center, it does look a lot like spring. The displays are big and glitzy and we do want to compliment the RVIA for adding a lot of excitement to every aspect of this, including big reveals of new RVs, even RV concept vehicles. It reminds me of the big Detroit auto shows we have attended, with a touch of the Consumer Electronic Shows in Las Vegas. MIKE We were brought out here by Leisure Travel Vans, and we’re doing some meet and grets with those attending RVX at their booth. Plus we will be doing a live YouTube broadcast on our RV Lifestyle Channel Thursday March 14 at 3PM right from the show floor. And we’ll be learniung as much as we can about what’s coming in 2019 for the industry, which we promise to share with you. JENNIFER Now we should point out that this show is not open to the public. It’s just for the industry. But we’ll do the best we can to be your eye and ears and let you know the big news from here. Speaking of RV news, let’s do a quick check on the RV News of the Week. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER The 2018 list of the 10 most visited U.S. national parks released last week More than 318 million people visited America's national parks last year, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remaining America's most visited park in 2018, with 11.42 million visitors. Next up was the Grand Canyon National Park, with 6.38 million visitors, followed by the Rocky Mountain National Park with 4.59 million. All the parks are gearing up for another big tourism year in 2019. We visited Arches National Park in Utah this past weekend and learned that there is quite a controversy brewing about a proposal by the National Park System to limit visitors to the park during the peak spring and summer season to only those who make reservations. You’d have to reserve a time slot to enter the park,

Across the country, there’s a growing movement for something known as R2R, or Right to Repair. It’s being fought by the RV industry, which often limits just who can repair their products, usually through a tightly controlled dealership network. For RV owners, this often means that necessary repairs can take days, even weeks because many of those dealership service shops are booked solid. But what if those repairs could be done by other repair facilities, not financially tied at the hip to the manufacturer? When manufacturers own the only repair shop around, prices go up and quality goes down. Competition is better for customers, but mom and pop repair shops are struggling with unfair practices by multinational corporations. Consumers and repair pros are starting to fight back. Today, in our interview of the week segment, we’re going to talk about the R2R movement, why the industry is so against it and what this means to you, the RV owner. Plus, your comments, questions and tips, plus the RV news of the week and a great off the beaten path report.   Show Notes for Episode #232 March 6, 2018 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER This week finds us on the road again. We’re on a week-long roadtrip that will eventually take us to Salt Lake City Utah for a big trade show next week. But we’re taking our time getting there, trying to keep to our “330 Rule” of not traveling more than 330 miles in a single day or stopping by 3:30PM so we can enjoy the area. MIKE We can’t gIve you an itinerary because, well, we seldom have one, other than a direction. We’ll be staying at Harvest Host wineries, farms and attractions as well as any interesting state or local campgrounds or boondocking spots that catch our eye. And yes, Bo is with us on this trip, though we will be using Rover.com to find a local family that he can stay with in Salt Lake City since we’ll be working during the RV show hours. JENNIFER We can’t say enough good things about Rover. It is a free app that connects you to a nationwide network of dog sitters, doggie day care centers and boarding facilities. We often use it when we travel to different areas. The sitters are well screened and Bo seems to really enjoy his visits. MIKE Many of you have been following our travels over the past month in a 2019 Leisure Travel Van Wonder, RTB, for Rear Twin Bed. We have been interested in test driving it for two purposes: One, to see what it’s like driving an RV on the Ford Transit chassis. We just posted a video on that experience on our RV Lifestyle Channel. Overall, we have been very pleased with it, except for a few things. But we think the Transit is going to give the Mercedes Benz Sprinter a real run for the money as the most popular chassis these days for small motorhomes. JENNIFER The second part of the Wonder we wanted to experience was our comfort level with a slightly larger van than we’re used to. Leisure Travel Vans are what is known as B+ vans, a sort of cross between a Class B campervan and a larger Class C Van. Technically, a B+ is listed for insurance purposes as a Class C motorhome but they call it a B+ because it does not have the typical cab overhang you see on most Class Cs and it’s a little less boxy looking. We will have a full video review of the Wonder and our experience with it coming it this Thursday. You can see all our videos at YouTube-dot-com-slash-rvlifestyle. MIKE The show we are attending next week is called RVx and is organized by RV Industry Association and will be attended by TV dealers, RV manufacturers, industry leaders, suppliers and the media. Jennifer and I will be hanging out at the show doing meet and greets for the attendees all three days. Tuesday from 3-5PM, Wednesday from 4-5 PM and Thursday from 11AM-1PM. If you are one of those who, will be at the show, look for us at the Leisure Travel Vans Display. We’d love to say hi. And for those who are not attending,

This episode of the podcast looks at solar power and asks the question, has the RV industry over sold solar power? Just how effective is it? We’ll hear from an industry insider who says while solar power is certainly beneficial for RVers, it just may not deliver all that some RV manufacturers and sales people have claimed. The truth about solar will be the topic of our interview of the week, coming up in just a few minutes. Show Notes for Episode #231 Feb 27, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Our Meet and Greet at the Beach JENNIFER Once again, we come to you this week from the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida, where we are hanging out for another week or so before beginning a big trip west. MIKE Speaking of hanging out, we want to give a big shout out to all those who came to our Meet and Greet on the Beach this past Sunday at the Gulf Island National Seashore near Navarre Beach, Florida. We had a great turn out of more than 30 RVers who showed up, a great mix of locals as well as snowbirds down here in the Sunshine State escaping that brutal winter up north. JENNIFER Also this week, we are very excited to announce the publication of our latest project: Mike & Jennifer's 7 Day RV Adventure Guide to the Michigan UP.This is the first of what will soon be a growing series of special 7-day adventure guides around various regions of North America. We have a whole list of them that will be coming,  but this first guide is of one of our absolute favorite destinations - Michigan's wild and beautiful Upper Peninsula. MIKE This ebook is a seven day guided exploration of the Michigan UP. We provide a suggested route and itinerary, links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking spots, and the best spots to see along the way. Don’t plan your trip to the Upper Peninsula without it!  You can hit everything in seven days, do a whirlwind weekend tour, or you can take your time and explore the area over a 2+ week period. Cost is just $7, you can get more info and download instantly at https://rvlifestyle.com/UP RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Forest River safety record skewered in local TV investigation A local TV station serving Elkhart, Indiana has released results of a year-long investigation into RV manufacturer Forrest River, documenting a fast-paced work culture filled with alleged drug use and lax safety practices. The records show the company has been hit with $250,000 in fines by the government for safety violations, way more than other RV makers or suppliers in the area. There was no comment from the company. JENNIFER Texas may see biggest wildflower display in a decade this spring  If you are anywhere near Texas, officials are predicting the biggest wildflower bloom in a decade this spring thanks to above average rainfall. We thought the Texas bluebonnets were gorgeous last year (see our report here) and are looking forward to heading back to the state in the next few weeks. MIKE After wolves from Banff National Park legally killed outside park's boundaries, some urge passing of buffer zones  At least two radio-collared wolves were legally hunted on federally owned land just outside Banff National Park recently, triggering concern among some in Canada about the need to have a buffer zone surrounding national parks. The story reminded me of a similar one we shared a few weeks back about a beloved wolf legally killed just outside Yellowstone National Park recently. JENNIFER Reservations to camp at bucket list Alaska's Katmai National Park to open March 2 Reservations to camp at Brooks Falls Camp in Alaska's Katmai National Park will open March 2 at 12 pm eastern and spots at the bucket list site where giant brown bears feast on salmon are expected to be booked within hours. The reservation dates are delayed this year because of the federal government shut down. To see a report we did on the famous Katmai bears and their webcams, click here. MIKE North Carolina developer wants to open retro-sty...

We’ve been traveling North America for the past month. Checking out small motorhomes and visiting various RV manufacturing facilities and this week, we want to share the visit we just made to Manitoba, Canada and the factory where Leisure Travel Vans makes its excellent line of Class B-Plus motorhomes. In our interview of the week, you’ll meet the two brothers who run the operation,Ryan and Mike Elias, and they’ll tell you about their quest to make beautiful, reliable and functional motorhomes that are also foolproof. Plus, we’ll discuss our just-announced partnership with Leisure Travel Vans, offer up the RV News of the week, share some tips and suggestions and hear a great off the beaten path Valentine’s Day report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #229 Feb. 13, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE Hello my dear and Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine’s Day. JENNIFER Thank you. This episode is being recorded Feb. 12, my birthday, for release in Feb. 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day. And it looks like we’ll be spending this Valentine’s Day on the road… headed off to Florida in a brand-new Leisure Travel Vans Wonder RTB…. RTB standing for Rear Bed Model. And I suppose now is a great time for us to officially announce that we have become the brand ambassadors for Leisure Travel Van and as part of that sponsorship, they provide us the use of one of their beautiful motorhomes. MIKE Yup. And we’re excited. The unit we drove home from the factory up there in Winkler, Manitoba last week is on the Ford Transit Chassis and that is the chassis more and more RV manufacturers are adding to their model lineup. It’s the HD 350 Transit, a diesel unit, and driving it about 1,200 miles to our Michigan home – in subzero temperatures and a blizzard no less – I find it to be very stable and very easy to drive. After we finish recording this podcast we will finish packing it up and skedaddle down south in search of Spring…to Florida and eventually to Salt Lake City, Utah in mid-March, where we will attend a big RV industry trade show and swap out the Wonder for a new Unity model, built on the 2019 Sprinter chassis. So, we’ll be using the Wonder for about a month or so and will be doing a full review of how it works with a motorhome. JENNIFER Not only are we testing out the Ford Transit as a motorhome chassis, we are also trying out a B+ van, something we have been curious about for years. Mike and I have been big fans of Leisure Travel Vans for years now and as we started looking around for our next RV and the model that would best fit our needs, we found their coaches checked every box. We had some very specific things we were looking for – more storage room, for our photo and video gear and our camping accessories; comfortable, permanent beds with a mattress so we didn’t have to sleep on a pads atop a bunch of sofa cushions; a designated work space for Mike to edit videos and work on the blog and our ebooks; and we also wanted a stand up dry shower, a bigger bathroom and , as we were looking for a new sponsor, a certain type of company we could confidently attach ourselves to. MIKE And that was a big item on our list: We wanted a family owned company with a solid reputation for quality, integrity and customer care. And Leisure Travel Vans is all that and more. You’ll be able to understand why we are so delighted to be their ambassadors and drive their products in a few minutes, when you meet Ryan and Mike Elias. And Tomorrow, Thursday February 14 at 7PM Eastern, we will have a premiere showing of our visit to the Leisure Travel Vans factory on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel. Those of you listening to the podcast after Feb. 14 can find it available to watch on demand on our RV Lifestyle Channel at youtube.com/rvlifestyle. But a You Tube Premiere is a big deal. We’ll all be able to watch it for the first time together as it rolls at 7PM, interacting in a chat room as the video plays.

We’ve been asking you guys to share with us your most embarrassing RV mistakes, the things you wish you hadn’t done, those “learning opportunities” about problems and setbacks we have no one else to blame but ourselves. And, wow, have you guys come through for us, baring all, telling all and thereby offering great advice that can help someone else from “learning the hard way.” We’ll feature a whole bunch of audience stories…coming up. Also this week, lots of RV news, comments, questions, tips and another fascinating off the beaten path report…. But first, I’m joined by my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer, so we can bring you up to speed on what we’ve been doing this past week. Show Notes for Episode #228 Feb 6, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER It has been another busy week with lots of traveling as we continued our series of visits to RV manufacturing facilities around North America, learning about the build processes and technology going in to today’s RVs. We’re concentrating pretty much exclusively on small RVs, Class B, B+, maybe even Class C motorhomes and vans, as that’s the size that best fits us personally. MIKE And while our factory videos are helpful for us as we look for our next RV, they are something we hope to do all year around, visiting as many as we can as we travel through North America over the next year. We want to tour not just RV makers, but also places where RV parts and accessories are made. You guys have been giving us great feedback so far and are telling us that you really like seeing how they are built and learning a little about the different companies. JENNIFER As to our choice, we haven’t made a final choice yet. We have a checklist of the things we want in our next RV. We’ve easily looked at more than 20 different models so far and we’re winnowing our list down. I think we’re getting close. We have learned so much. MIKE And we are still deciding how we’ll get one. Whether we purchase one outright or rent one for a while or become brand ambassadors for another company, or some combination of all of those options. We also like changing models frequently so we have experience with the different innovations and trends shaping the industry today. This all started out for us as a hobby back in 2012, then a blog, then a podcast, then a YouTube Channel and then a weekly newsletter and lately a regular series of guides and eBooks as well. It’s become a business. We have four other people now working for us. We need that help so we can spend as much time as possible traveling and producing RV Lifestyle related content. To pay for all that requires sponsors. So choosing the next RV we will be traveling in and developing sponsors and partners we are important decisions not to be hastily made. JENNIFER We’ll have another factory tour coming this Thursday. And as this podcast is released, we’ll be visiting yet another RV maker learning about another brand. It is really enlightening seeing all these places and we want to invite you guys to recommend other factories or RV parts makers we should visit. Like we said, no matter what RV we end up choosing for our personal travel, we want to continue visiting those factories and RV shows. MIKE But I can’t wait to hit the road for ourselves. When always do a “Search for Spring” trip that has us driving south from Michigan to the first place we find flowers or shrubs in bloom. That’s where we officially designate spring. It’s also where we dewinterize! Then we continue south till Florida. JENNIFER We’ve got a fun report planned around Florida involving baseball and spring training, another RV factory tour we want to do, a meet and greet along the Gulf Islands National Seashore for a Sunday afternoon in late February or early March and then a trip west with stops in New Orleans, Texas, New Mexico and Utah. I can almost smell the spring flowers! RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE

Lots of interesting RV information is in this episode of the RV Podcast, including a fun – but instructional – account of a newbie RVer. And in our interview of the week, we’ll meet a man who is following his life’s passion of engineering and building luxury Class B motorhomes, gorgeous custom-made campervans that start in price at a quarter million dollars a year!. Plus the RV news of the week, your questions, comments and a great off the beaten path RV report. Show Notes for Episode #227 Jan 30, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE What a week this has been! JENNIFER It sure has. We talk about change the RV Lifestyle blog  and our decision to end our role as brand ambassadors for Roadtrek and to return the RV the company provided as we rebrand ourselves under the RV Lifestyle banner (see https://rvlifestyle.com/announcement-why-we-have-changed-from-roadtreking-to-rv-lifestyle/ ) JENNIFER So we have ended one chapter that we have enjoyed very much as we are looking forward to this new chapter that will expand our horizons. Bottom line, though, is nothing in our reporting will change except maybe that we will reaching a lot more people who previously thought we were only about one brand of RV… Really, we’re not about any brand at all…we’re about the lifestyle. In fact, I call an RV an “Adventuremobile.” That’s what they all do… take us to great adventures. MIKE Thanks to the many who sent us encouragement and well wishes and support as we continue what we have been doing in reporting the RV Lifestyle and traveling North America. In fact, we’ve been doing that. We’re in the midst of visiting various RF manufacturers around North America, learning about new technologies and RV features and seeing their different build processes. It’s been really fascinating. There is so much innovation out there. JENNIFER We’ll have a video released tomorrow on our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube about one such company Advanced RV near Cleveland. We spent some time at their factory last week and I think you’ll enjoy seeing the beautiful custom Class B coaches they make. The CEO of ARV, Mike Neundorfer, will be our special guest in this podcast episode’s interview of the week, coming up in just a few minutes. MIKE And tomorrow, we’re off to Elkhart, Indiana for another factory tour of another manufacturer, Elkhart of course being the RV Capital of the world where so many great RV manufacturers and accessory companies are headquartered. JENNIFER As we explained on the RV Lifestyle blog in announcing our rebranding here under the RV Lifestyle label, we are shopping for our next RV and taking our time. Maybe we’ll buy a used one. Or a new one. Or get one from a rental fleet. Or maybe we’ll become brand ambassadors for another company. We really don’t know yet. It’s pretty exciting, really. There are so many wonderful machines out there. MIKE But we will have to do something soon because a lot of RV events and stories are on our schedule over the next few months and we are going to need an RV to do them. But we doi want to get away, preferably to a warmer climate. Right now, our home state of Michigan is gripped by the arctic vortex. Today’s high… the high… is supposed to be no more than minus 4 degrees F. That’s the air temperature…four below. With the stiff winds blowing out there, the wind chill is supposed to be 50 below. JENNIFER Hmmm. Florida does seem to be beckoning quite assertively doesn’t it? RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Couple and two dogs rescued by helicopter after becoming stranded by a snowstorm that hit when winter camping A couple and their two dogs were airlifted out of a remote, snow-covered road north of Los Angles last week some two weeks after they became stranded. The man and woman were pick-up truck camping on a mountain when a severe snowstorm hit. They stayed warm by turning the truck on occasionally but after running out of food and fuel they knew they needed to find help.

Imagine that you are about to retire. In the driveway, is a brand-new RV. Your dream machine. The Florida sun is shining, and life looks good…until you look out over the Gulf of Mexico to see a hurricane named Michael barreling down towards you. That’s what happened to a couple we met this week, who shared their harrowing story of what happens when a hurricane hits …how you – and your RV - need to be prepared, from having enough RV insurance, food and off-grid battery power in the RV. You will not want to miss the interview of the week, coming up in a bit. We also have lots of RV news this week, answer your RV Lifestyle questions about alternate energy for the RV and four-season RVs ready for cold weather camping and we have a great off-the-beaten path report from our friends the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer. Show Notes for Episode #226 Jan. 23, 2019 of The RV Podcast WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Mike and Jennifer doing a Live stream on YouTube from the Tampa RV Supershow JENNIFER We've been attending the annual Florida RV Supershow for the past four days and it's good to be sitting! We put on a lot of miles shooting video on the new models and RV Lifestyle accessories we've seen down here. MIKE It seems like we walked pretty much every inch of the 26 -acre display area - several times - each day! There was so much to see with more than 1,500 RVs on display and 400 vendors showing off their RV products and services. JENNIFER Look for a full video on all the cool stuff this Thursday on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel at https://youtube.com/rvlifestyle  And please, if you have not done so, subscribe to our channel there so you can be notified of new videos as we publish them. MIKE We also met dozens and dozens of fans and followers. It was truly humbling to shake so many hands and get so many hugs. We leave the show on an emotional high from all the encouragement and kind words. Thank you to all for taking the time to introduce yourself to us! And we’re off traveling again. By popular demand. We asked you on a recent YouTube live stream what kind of stories you’d like us to focus on besides our regular travel and trip reports and there was an overwhelming response to do more RV reviews and factory tours. So that’s what we plan to do over the next few weeks, visit various RV factories and suppliers and do a video report on how they build RVs, what new gadgets and innovations they have, who are the people building today’s RVs and what are the exciting things they are seeing for the future. So we’re off tomorrow to shoot our first one this week. We have another scheduled next week and you’ll be seeing them all soon on our YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel – https://youtbe.com/rvlifestyle We should note there was a definite downer part to this past weekend. Several very disturbing stories broke about a shakeup and serious allegations of financial irregularities surrounding the Erwin Hymer Group of North America, the parent corporation that owns Roadtrek Motorhomes. Many of you know that Jennifer and I have been on-the-road ambassadors for Roadtrek and the company has been one of our sponsors. We know many of the people who work there and our hearts go out to them in this time of uncertainty. Most of the stories we've seen come from unnamed sources and, as we write this newsletter, the company has not issued any comments at all. I’ve written all I know on the RV Lifestyle blog and if you need a background on it… check there. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Several unique Florida state parks still closed five months after Hurricane Michael hit An interesting story ran last week out of Florida, highlighting the lingering damage Hurricane Michael did to Florida's state parks with several remaining closed - some five months after the Category 4 hurricane hit. Some of the damage includes the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park's peninsula turning into an island,