RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

RVs for MDs RVers are helping front line doctors and medical personnel fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by donating their RVs to those health care workers to give them a safe place to hang out without infecting their family. In our interview of the week you’ll learn about RV4MDs, an awesome Facebook group that is helping provide RVs for those health care workers. Show Notes for Episode #289 April 8, 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK It's another week of being hunkered down for all of us. We have so much bad news it there that we want to remind everyone that this national crisis that so overshadows our lives right now will come to an end. We may not yet know when but we will be able to travel again and we choose to think of our many plans being delayed, not denied... postponed not canceled. We announced over the weekend that Bo, our Norwegian Elkhound, now has his own Instagram Page. You can follow his adventures @bothervelkhound on Instagram. Or go to his page directly at https://instagram.com/bothervelkhound. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram, too. We're sharing several times during the day and can be followed at https://instagram.com/rvlifestylemike. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Many current and 100 new hosts at Boondockers Welcome providing a place for full-timers, snowbirds, to stay One hundred new hosts joined Boondockers Welcome in March to help full-timers and snow birds find a safe place to stay. Many of the new and current hosts in the U.S. and Canada are also extending the amount of time campers can stay on their private property to help people hunker down during the pandemic. Boondockers Welcome is a web platform that lets members arrange overnight stays with hosts for typically one to five nights.  For more information check out our special link at rvlifestyle.com/boondockerswelcome. click here.  Tucson area sheriff deputies seeing a large increase in distress calls as more people hit the trails unprepared Everyone’s anxious to get outdoors for exercise during these days of social isolation but in Pima County near Tucson, emergency officials are seeing a huge spike in distress calls from hikers hitting the trails without taking basic safety measures. Search and Rescue deputies have answered 17 such calls in the last two weeks, a time frame in which they’d normally see half a dozen or so cases. That’s roughly a 100% increase in call volume, a strain on emergency responders. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says the increase may be due to more novice hikers venturing out at a time many are off work with limited recreation options during the COVID 19 pandemic. The best way to avoid trouble out there is to carry enough water, about one liter for each hour of hiking, bring along a fully charged cell phone. And be sure to let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return. Bears are starting to wake from hibernation in Georgia, Maryland, elsewhere Across North America, bears are waking up, coming out of hibernation, and looking for food. BearWise is an education program developed by bear biologists from each of the 15 state wildlife agencies that make up the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The program, anchored by the website www.bearwise.org, offers lots of tips. And we urge you if you plan to get some outdoor exercise in bear country, that you check out their advice. Most states close campgrounds, numbers constantly changing Most states have now closed their campgrounds, as COVID-19 continues to spread across the continent. Most recently this week… Texas. The Governor has closed all Texas State Parks effective April 7th. Most ocean beaches across the country are closed. Fewer and fewer national parks are open. Instead of listing every state here that may be out of date when you see it, We want to again direct you to the folks at Campendium. They have compiled a list of what RV parks and services are open that provides a good overview. It is updated daily and you can access that list HERE.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Do you have any suggestions for how to get an RV cleaned and waxed? It seems to be very expensive. We are too old to do it ourselves. - Karen and Ron. We just had ours washed. It cost $80 at an RV dealer. Waxing would have been another $100. Last year, we had the exterior our 25 foot RV detailed and the total cost was $350. I want to do a little maintenance on the RV while home and off work. Thought I’d re-caulk my roof. What do you recommend? - Jon Good question. This is something many manufacturers recommend should be checked and, if needed, be done each season. First, don’t just apply new caulk over the old. Remove the old caulk and then apply new. The caulk that is pretty much universally recommended by both RV service techs and manufacturers is called Dicor. It costs about $12 a tube and it’s very easy to apply. It’s self-leveling so even someone as mechanically challenged as me can do it. Here’s an Amazon link - https://amzn.to/34gG96y Do you 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe, and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK RVs for MDs - RVers are helping frontline doctors and medical personnel fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by donating their RVs to those health care workers to give them a safe place to hang out without infecting their family. In our interview of the week, you’ll learn about RVs4MDs, an awesome Facebook group that is helping provide RVs for those health care workers. This week in our interview of the week, we meet Emily Phillips and Holly Haggard, two Texas women who have put together the Facebook Group and are providing a real service to those on the front line in the grim battle against this dangerous disease. Here’s a video version of the interview: The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country  OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    By Tom & Patti Burkett From the Rockies to the Mississippi River, and from North Dakota to Texas, one thing you can count on seeing as you travel the blue highways is dinosaurs.  Many of us grew up fascinated by these prehistoric creatures, and had our first look at one either on the Sinclair Oil gas station sign.   If we were really lucky, the local station had an actual model sitting on the curb out front.  Sinclair chose the dinosaur as its mascot because it was believed the crude oil that formed the basis for the business was created at the time dinosaurs walked the Earth.  The company capitalized on dinosaur fascination, offering a stamp album that was distributed to four million young people, and drawing record crowds to its displays at the Chicago Wold’s Fair and the Texas Centennial Exhibition. You can see the original models—a brontosaurus, tyrannosaurus, triceratops, and several more at Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose, Texas.  If the water in the Paluxy River is low, you can actually walk in the prehistoric tracks of the creatures preserved in the stone of the ancient river bed.   Along the highways throughout the region, you’ll find prehistoric creatures of every size and description gracing city parks, playgrounds, businesses, and museums.  Some are genuine life-size replicas and some are whimsical creations painted in bright, eye-catching colors.  Among our favorites are the ones in Dinosaur Park, high on a hill overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota. The park opened in 1936 and was an effort to capitalize on the popularity of nearby Mount Rushmore and draw visitors to the city.  It was built by the Works Progress Administration and designed by Emmett Sullivan, a sculptor who worked on Mount Rushmore and also designed the Christ of the Ozarks statue in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.   The seven life-size creatures here are all based on fossils found in the Black Hills and were painted green and white to mimic the Sinclair Dino.  Sullivan also designed the dinosaur at Wall Drug, down the road a bit near the entrance to the Badlands National Park.  They’re all made of concrete over iron pipe frames. The classic long-necked, tail-dragging behemoth we all think of was originally called a brontosaurus.  Later it was renamed apatosaurus and is similar to the brachiosaurus of the same time period.  Whatever its name, it stirs the imagination.  Imagine the thrill it must have been to see seven of these giant beasts floating down the Hudson River on a barge, en route to the New York World’s Fair!  After you climb the many steps to the hilltop park, you can get up close and personal with the stock, climbing the accessible parts, and taking great photos.  The nearby gift shop offers actual fossils and memorabilia. If you want to hunt fossils yourself, the Badlands is a great place to start.  Because it’s a park, you can’t keep them, but many important finds have been made by visitors and reported to the park’s fossil rangers, who investigate every discovery.

In this episode, we meet a young couple ( The Adventurous Way,) who left lucrative jobs in the tech industry to travel in an RV and visit all 400 plus U.S. National Parks and Monuments in their own…unique way. Our guests are Matt & Dianna of  The Adventurous Way, bloggers, and YouTubers who share their life on the road as they visit America’s most beautiful locations. Plus, we have your comments, questions, and a fascinating off the beaten path report. Show Notes for Episode #288  April 1, 2020, of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK This week's podcast comes with our sincere hope that you are all healthy and hunkered down. It looks like we have another month or so in which we are urged to avoid unnecessary travel and practice social distancing. We've been doing a lot of live YouTube videos. Besides our regular Sunday night Ask Us Anything show at 7PM Eastern time, we've now added a Friday Night 7PM "Virtual Campfire" YouTube live stream in which we can connect, interact, answer questions and talk about the places we want to go once this crisis ends. You can find links to these live broadcasts on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel.  CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE. Then click the little bell icon to be notified when we have new broadcasts or are going on with an update. And don't forget to follow us n Instagram. We're sharing several times during the day on Instagram and can be followed at https://instagram.com/rvlifestylemike. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK More national parks close, as locals and park rangers urge visitors not to come amid Covid-19 Utah's Arches and Canyonlands national parks closed over the weekend because of COVID-19 (click here), and a push is on to close more of the national parks. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks also closed last week, but others remain open. One ranger from Grand Canyon National Park - a park that is open - told a reporter that he had 600 close contacts with people on a single day. We expect the list of closed national parks to grow, and wouldn't be surprised to see them completely close nationally in the weeks ahead. More state parks, federal land, and private campgrounds close throughout the country Colorado was another state in the news last week after the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado along with Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced closures of campgrounds, trailheads, playgrounds, and bathrooms in an effort to keep people home. There are so many campground closures coming in daily, we again want to repeat our advice to stay at home. Think of it as not canceling your travel plans - rather think of it as postponing them. The folks at Campendium compile a list of what RV parks and services are open that provides a good overview. It is updated daily and you can access that list HERE. Some states that ban camping kept their state parks open for hikers- now thieves are stealing the toilet paper and hand sanitizer Meanwhile, several states, like Michigan, which canceled all camping but kept the state parks open for hikers and day users, are experiencing a new problem stolen toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Several parks in Michigan and elsewhere around the country report thieves taking the large rolls of toilet paper and draining all the hand sanitizer in park bathrooms - even those with only a vault toilet. Some RV rental companies now seeing business in helping government, essential services, vulnerable during COVID-19 Like much of the country, RV rental companies have seen their vacation rentals tank as Americans are hunkering down and staying home. But some RV rental companies say they are getting new business from government agencies, health services, and people trying to get loved ones home and need a safe way to do so. Because RVs have their own beds, bathrooms, and kitchens, some families are renting them to go pick up an elderly loved one instead of flying. Some companies are using them for housing essential workers. Even the Mayo Clinic in Arizona has rented an RV for staff. Roadblocks, quarantines await visitors from COVID-19 hotspots if they try to come to Florida Florida's governor issued an order to place roadblocks on main interstates to intercept anyone trying to enter the state from a COVID-19 hotspot. Visitors trying to escape New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New Orleans, in particular, are being urged to stay home and not come to Florida. The roadblocks require visitors to self-quarantine for 14 days. All people over 65 years are being urged to stay at home. All beaches are closed. Entry to the Florida Keys by non-residents is forbidden. The governor says he is hoping the steps will keep visitors from coming to the state. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From Vanessa - I have LTV murphy bed questions for you. My husband and I are planning on purchasing an LTV in 2 years (either the MB model or an FX like yours). We are enamored with the murphy bed idea. My question is about bedding and pillows. I know you can keep your sheets on the bed when you fold it up, but are you able to keep a light blank/comforter and pillows in place? Or must you store those things in a cabinet? If you can keep a light blanket/comforter in place, is it difficult to avoid it from sticking out in view when the bed is folded up?  We wanted to share this story from our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group. It was posted by a member named Mike R: A little funny story for everyone. I saw an RV with a for sale sign in the window the other day. So I stopped and called the number. It was a 2014 Coachman Freelander. They were asking $3,800.00. I was very interested as you could imagine. I called the number and this guy showed up saying he was selling it for a lady from his church that recently lost her husband. I checked everything out and it was in perfect shape. I asked him why she only wanted $3,800.00, he told me that's what was owed on it and she didn't want it. So I told him to consider it sold and I'd meet with him on Monday to pay him cash. He had the title on him already signed. So he calls the owner and told her it was sold. So she went over today to take the for sale signs out and make sure she didn't leave anything in the RV. She noticed the error in the price that her friend had listed the RV for and called him frantically making sure the title wasn't already signed over to me. She was asking $38,000.00, not $3,800.00. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer or 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe, and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Our guests are Matt & Dianna of The Adventurous Way, bloggers, and YouTubers who share their life on the road as they visit America’s most beautiful locations. Here’s the video version of the interview:  The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    By Tom & Patti Burkett When you cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge heading out of Baltimore, you end up on a long strip of land that runs between the bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  This piece of geography is shared by three states and is called the Del-Mar-Va peninsula.   It was a hotbed of activity leading up to and during the Civil War.  A number of things factored into this, but most important was the fact that the northern portion was populated mostly by freed slaves and free blacks, and the southern portion was just the opposite, most of the black people there were enslaved.  This was the setting for much of the work of Harriet Tubman, recently featured in the popular motion picture named after her. It was here, on the farm of Edward Brodess, that young Harriet, her brothers and sisters, and her mother were enslaved.  While still a girl she worked in the house, cleaning and taking care of her owner’s children.  She was frequently rented out to other landowners and, as a result, acquired many skills.  Winding through the peninsula is the Harriet Tubman Scenic Byway, which stretches from Philadelphia south to Church Creek.  You can drive by the site of the Brodess Farm. No house stands there now, and we agreed it was probably just as well, because who would want to live in it? At the southern end of the byway, near Church Creek, is the Visitor Center for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park.  This is a new park, opened in 2013.  It has a counterpart in Auburn, New York, where her family residence is preserved, along with a church and retirement home she founded.  At the visitor center, it’s instructive to start with the film that gives a brief history of her life and the special nature of the land in the area.   Because there is so much water—creeks, inlets, rivers, and marshes, it both helped and hindered the efforts of slaves to escape.  The free black watermen from Philadelphia and Baltimore provided a source of news and a potential road to freedom as they worked the coast down to Virginia. The displays detail many aspects of Tubman’s life,

In an effort to give you the latest about how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting RVers, we have up to date interviews with some key folks representing several different segments of the RV Industry. Show Notes for Episode #287 March 25, 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER Like almost all of you, we're hunkered down, avoiding in-person social contact with others and staying off the road as we follow the recommendations of our national leaders during this unprecedented coronavirus emergency   MIKE Jennifer and I are still at our condo along the Emerald Coast of the Florida panhandle. We're unsure of our future travel plans right now and taking it day by day.  JENNIFER We prefer to say we have postponed, not canceled out travel plans. This will end. I wish I knew when. But I am convinced we will all get through this. MIKE We've been doing a lot of live YouTube videos. Besides our regular Sunday night Ask Us Anything show at 7PM Eastern time, we've added a Friday Night 7PM "Virtual Campfire" YouTube live stream in which we can connect, interact, answer questions and talk about the places we want to go once this crisis ends. You can find links to these live broadcasts on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel.  CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE. Then click the little bell icon to be notified when we have new broadcasts or are going on with an update. JENNIFER RV-related shows around the country have all be cancelled. In addition, the Escapees RV Club has cancelled or postponed all events currently scheduled through June 17. This includes Convergences, Hangouts, and Head-out Program (HOP) events as well as our RVers Boot Camps. MIKE The FMCA, which just cancelled its March Tucson Convention, has now cancelled its big summer rally and exhibition scheduled for Aug. 26-29 at the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln, Neb. The FMCA’s next national rally will now be March 10-13, 2021, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry JENNIFER And also this week, Pleasure-Way, Thor, Winnebago, Grand Design RV, Newmar Corp. and numerous other RV Manufacturers have temporarily suspended production and closed their manufacturing plants because of the COVID-19 virus. This part of the podcast is brought to you by the Nimble Pet Monitor 4G, the surest way we know of to have peace of mind that the temperature for your pets back in the RV is not too high. More information and a discount for listeners ot the RV Podcast is available at https://rvlifestyle.com/nimble RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Entrance to national parks may be temporarily free, but many locals are urging visitors not to come amid Covid-19 Most national parks throughout the country are generally open, as of this writing, and entrance is free, but visitor centers, lodges, shuttles and restaurants are closed, and many surrounding communities are urging people not to come. Some national parks, such as Yosemite or Rocky Mountain, are closed. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt last week temporarily waived entrance fees at national parks to make it easier for people to get outdoors and practice social distancing. But hospital staffs near the national parks are urging people to stay away, saying they can not handle more patients. And even some park officials say if someone is injured, they may not be able to get rescued because resources are focused on fighting coronavirus. While some state parks are closed, others are open urging people to get outdoors while practicing social distancing As far as state parks go, we are also hearing reports of more people than ever heading outdoors to state parks as daily life as we have known it comes to a temporary stop around the country. Some states are encouraging people to get outdoors - as long as they practice social distancing and stay away from things like playgrounds - while other states are completely closing their state parks. Missouri (click here), Wisconsin, (click here) and Colorado (click here) are open. And since things are changing everywhere so quickly, if you find yourself near a state park and are seeking to practice social distancing outdoors, be sure to check first if that park is still open. RV manufacturers offer to donate rigs to help those fighting the coronavirus The industry group for RV manufacturers is offering to donate RVs to hospitals or other organizations that may need them to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The agency wrote a letter to the head of the Coronavirus Task Force making the offer to donate 20 to the most critical health care settings in the country, and another 100 at below market costs. Overworked healthcare workers, nurses and physicians could use the RVs for much needed rest. Parks Canada keeping "doors" open to national parks, but camping, restrooms, other services closed In Canada, Parks Canada closed campgrounds, restrooms, and visitor centers to its national parks last week, but is still allowing visitors to enter for day use. Visitors are being told if they enter the park they are responsible for their own safety. But the parks are still open for those seeking a place to enjoy nature.   This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From Rich – Hi. Since we have a lot of time on our hands and we live in New York where everything is closed down, my wife and I are thinking of getting out of the cold and heading down towards Florida to get warm in the sun. I know the state parks are closed but you never could get into them anyway because in the best of times they are always filled. So no loss there. Can you recommend some private parks? Will we encounter any problem getting fuel as we drive? Our advice: We have not heard of any issues with fuel….BUT…Stay Home! New Yorkers are not welcome in Florida right now. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he plans to issue an executive order mandating that anyone arriving on a flight from New York City and the surrounding area submit to self-quarantine for two weeks. Granted you may be coming by RV but that should give you an idea of the sentiments down here. The Florida Keys are totally shut down to visitors. Almost all Florida beaches are closed. All bars, restaurants and tourist attractions are shut down. This is NOT a good time to be traveling. And with New York being the epicenter of this pandemic in the U.S., I think you will find lots of resentment that you are traveling and encountering fears – justified or not – that you are bringing the disease with you. Here’s something from our Facebook Group that I feel I need to bring up. It comes from an RVer named Susan: “We just lost our caretaking job and are evicted. We live in our RV and have a very limited income. We are retired. Does anyone know of a place we could either get a workamping g position or monthly, reasonable priced spot in Arizona, Nevada, Utah areas. Then, in response to that, another RVer, named Rach, said: “So am I I am stuck on a side road with no plug in, shower, way to cook.” And out in California and a famous place called Slab City where a lot of RVers have boondocked set up semi permanent camp to save money… there is this from an RVer named Virgo…also from our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group: “Several travelers have posted on this and other group pages that they were turned away at Beal Road by the Sheriff. Just wanted everyone to know that *Slab City is closed to new entries*. The Slabbers are no longer allowing any new RVs to come into town, nor are they allowing any tourists. The number of tourist have shot up to 600 people per day going to Salvation Mountain and the Slabbers quickly realized they putting them in danger. So no new RVs/campers/weekenders allowed. The road is blocked and closed, and at night there is someone at the guard station to make sure people don’t try to sneak in. There are a few thousand people there, the last thing they need is for someone to start infecting that community. There is a very very small hospital nearby, it has exactly 35 respirators.S o, if you thought you would plan to ride this out at the Slabs or you are already on your way, change your plans accordingly. They are seriously not letting people in. and they are very serious about it.” Here in Florida, on our limited outings in the dog park, we have seen several times over the past few days, rundown, ratty-looking RVes day camping in the park. The police come by and chase them away at night but clearly, these people are finding n where to stay. Folks, this is the danger of so many people who have limited incomes who think that fulltime RVing is the right way to live. When a disaster or crisis hits like this, they encounter serious problems and become, essentially, homeless But there is one resource I want to share. It’s a Facebook Group called Displaced Nomads and Full Time RVers Relocation Service. Here is the link - https://www.facebook.com/groups/DisplacedNomadsandRVers/ Do you 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK In an effort to give you the latest about how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting RVers,

Travel plans for RVers are being disrupted by fear of the coronavirus and state campground closures, interstate rest area closures and growing travel restrictions. But lost in the deluge of news is the fact that the vast majority of private campgrounds in North America are still open and still welcoming RVers. Many are seeing increased bookings from RVers who want to hunker down there during the crisis To get an idea of where RVers can still camp during this crisis, our guest is Mark Koep, of the website campgroundviews.com, which works very closely with more than 1,700 privately owned campgrounds in North America. Show Notes for Episode #286 March 18, 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK   What a week it has been: Many State Parks – New Mexico, North Carolina, Illinois, all 175 Florida State Parks and state and local parks in many other parts of the country  - have been closed to camping. Schools, Bars, restaurants, movie theaters and businesses are shut down or have limited services pretty much nationwide. People are urged to stay home, indoors and practice social distancing. Some places have total lockdowns. Further restrictions are threatened and leaders are urging people to postpone all discretionary travel… which would obviously include RVing. There are hundreds of thousands of RVers already on the road. Where can they stay until the immediate crisis has passed? In our interview of the week, we’ll talk about that  but even though the information we are giving you is current as we record this podcast, everything is changing… daily…sometimes hourly. So… our best advice to you right now is… stay where you are. Or, if you must, try a private campground and then stay there. We are in our condo on Okaloosa Island along the Florida panhandle’s Emerald Coast. Like many of you, we had travel plans. This week, we were supposed to be speaking at the RV Entrepreneur Summit in Lake Gunterson, AL. Like all RV rallies, RV shows and other events, it has been cancelled but moved to online. You can attend virtually by going to https://therventrepreneur.com/. After that, we were planning to head to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. But all those plans, as with millions of others, have been put on hold. So we are hunkering down on the beach… not a bad place to be at all. So we don’t know where you are but we want you to know we are all in this together. We’ll try and stay in touch on social media as much as possible and we will use our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube to do live reports and updates about the coronavirus and its effect on RVing from time to time. But we will all get through this and it’s our hope that as we follow our government’s recommendation to lay low and practice social distancing this will all pass and life will quickly get back to normal. So hang in there everyone! Here is a link from our friends on Campendium that tacks the latest closings and openings of RV-related businesses, events, campgrounds and the like  This part of the podcast is brought to you by the Nimble Pet Monitor 4G, the surest way we know of to have peace of mind that the temperature for your pets back in the RV is not too high. More information and a discount for listeners ot the RV Podcast is available at https://rvlifestyle.com/nimble RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Some states close state run campgrounds because of coronavirus If you are planning to move into a new campground anytime soon, be sure to call ahead to make sure it is not closed because of coronavirus. State run campgrounds in New Mexico , Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania all have closed because of coronavirus concerns. Many tourist destinations are also closing. The changes are numerous. Hotel reservations may be down, but campground reservations are up in some places as people seek to escape the coronavirus Last week we told you how the coronavirus was the reason Japan was experiencing a surge in campground reservations. This week it is happening in California and some western states. As the virus spreads, many are leaving their neighborhoods and heading to the outdoors. One campground owner in California said people are trying to avoid airports and cities, and are turning in the last few days, to camping in large numbers. Stay tuned for our interview of the week, where we will talk much more about this. Some events in National Parks canceled because of cornoavirus fears The Washington Monument has closed because of coronavirus concerns, and a maple sugar harvesting event was canceled at the Indiana Dunes National Park, but otherwise things are generally going on as normal as of this writing at the nation's national parks. But the way things are changing so quickly, it wouldn't surprise me if we see certain things temporarily close in the weeks ahead. So far, all is open, but if you have any doubts, call ahead. Strong winds rip through RV Park in Texas, injuring one Strong winds, that may have been a tornado, struck the Highway 285 RV Park in Texas last weekend, injuring one. The park, near the New Mexico state line, was destroyed, with pick up trucks flipped over, slides ripped out of trailers, and many lives turned upside down. Witnesses said the RV park was the only place hit by the winds. Two people bit by rattlesnakes in separate incidents while walking on Arizona trails And one final story for those of you in the southwest. The rattlesnakes are waking up. As spring temperatures have been rising into the 80’s and above, the snakes are slithering out of their winter dens. At least two people have been bitten while hiking on trails in Arizona. A woman hiking Gateway Trail in Scottsdale had to be rescued when a snake struck   EDIT on Tuesday morning. She was alert and responsive before she was taken to a hospital. And over the weekend, crews helped a 77-year old man from another hiking trail near Phoenix and took him to a hospital when he was bitten. Both survived but the lesson for all of us is look down when hiking in snake country - which is all over the west and southwest – and if you see a snake, back away and give it plenty of room to slither away,  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From Nicholas – We are hoping to buy an RV in the next couple of months. What percent off off of the sticker price should I expect?   From Angel - I’m interested in taking some drone video and was wondering if you could share what type of drone you utilize. From Mark and Kathy – See you are on the Emerald Coast and I recall you promising a Sunday meetup this month. When and where… and we’ll be there! We answer.... on the podcast Do you 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK As we’ve been talking all during this episode, travel plans for RVers are being disrupted by state campground closures, travel restrictions and fear of the coronavirus. But lost in the deluge of news is the fact that the vast majority of private campgrounds in North America are still open and still welcoming RVers. To get an idea of where RVers can still camp during this crisis, our guest is Mark Koep, of the website campgroundviews.com, which works very closely with more than 1,700 privately owned campgrounds in North America. Here’s a video version of the interview: The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    By Tom & Patti Burkett Almost all our reports are from RV travel here in North America, but we’d like to share an off the beaten path story from a trip we recently took to the eastern European nation of Bulgaria.  For the most part, Bulgaria is off the tourist maps, and that’s one reason we went there.  We spent more than three weeks exploring the country by car, much as we do in our RV, visiting small towns and out of the way attractions.  Before we went, I consulted my ever-growing Google map of things to see someday and noted that, if possible, we wanted to visit a place called Cherni Vit. This little town in the Sredna Gora Mountains has, for generations, been a sheep herding center.  It’s also the home of a unique green cheese.  shepherds make the cheese in the spring and put it in a local cave to age.  It ripens all summer while the sheep and their keepers are in the high mountain pastures.  When cold weather returns, so do the sheep, and the cheese is brought out for winter eating.  According to our sources, the cheese could be sampled in the local hotel dining room. We arrived in Cherni Vit on a Sunday morning and soon discovered that the hotel, along with most of the other local businesses, was permanently closed.  In that regard, it was unlike many of the small towns we’ve visited in the Midwest and South of the USA.  The only store in town was closed, and the bar next door looked like an unlikely prospect for any satisfaction.  As we took one last run through town, we noticed a group of old men sitting at an umbrella table on the sidewalk.  In Bulgaria,

We’ve had  many fun conversations with RVers as we’ve met up with them in our travels over the past few weeks. In our interview of the week segment coming up, you’ll meet and hear from a bunch of them as they share just why they have chosen the RV Lifestyle. Plus we have RV News, tips, Q&A and an Off the Beaten Path report from the Burketts. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Mike and Jen at the back of their campsite at Boyd's campground in Key West, FL Mike and Jennifer share their travels and their current location – Key West, FL! Note: Our next meetup will be this coming Sunday, March 8, in Naples, FL. We'll  meet from 3-5pm on Sunday March 8th at Bone Hook Brewing Company, 1514 Immokalee Rd, Naples, FL 34110.   Mike, Jen and Bo on their golf cart touring Key West Our campsite at Boyds Campground in Key West with our rented golf cart for exploring This part of the podcast is brought to you by the Nimble Pet Monitor 4G, the surest way we know of to have peace of mind that the temperature for your pets back in the RV is not too high. More information and a big discount for listeners ft the RV Podcast is available at https://rvlifestyle.com/nimble RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Drivers who stay in the left lane instead of using it to pass can now be ticketed in Arizona JENNIFER If you are planning on driving through Arizona on any interstate anytime soon, be sure to only use the passing line for, well, passing. A new state law that went into effect in January permits police to ticket drivers who stay in the fast lane instead of using it to pass. Increasingly states are enacting laws permitting police to ticket those who stay in the left lane since it not only is poor driving, but it can be dangerous, putting other drivers at risk. To read more about Arizona's law click here. Great Smoky Mountains National Park leads country with most visitors in 2019 MIKE Ever wonder which American national parks get the most visitors? The Great Smoky Mountains National park received the most visitors with 12.5 million in 2019, followed by the Grand Canyon National Park at 5.97 million and the Rocky Mountains National Park at 4.7 million. The figures were released last week and showed 327.5 million visitors to all of the national parks in 2019, up by 2.9 percent from 2018. Also, the 2019 visitors number was the third highest recorded since 1904. Volunteer RVers help repair Florida's Caverns State Park campground so site can soon reopen from Hurricane Michael JENNIFER A team of RVers descended on Florida's Caverns State Park to help officials restore the campground devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Contractors did some repairs but much still needed to be done, and Florida state park staff were limited in how much time they could spend restoring the campground. So, the team of volunteers descended and completed almost all of the jobs, leaving just one - involving the campground's well- to be done before the site can reopen. Click here to see our visit to the state park before Hurricane Michael hit. Space heater, extension cords blamed for fire in Florida RV park that claimed two lives MIKE A very sad story out of Florida last week highlighted a couple, snowbirds, who died in their RV because of a fire at the Highbanks Marina Camp and resort on West Highbanks Road near the Central Florida town of Debary. While fire officials were still investigating, it appeared to be caused by a space heater. Apparently multiple space heaters, extension cords and power strips were in use in the RV. In a report on fire safety we did a few years back, we learned there are about 1,000 RV fires each year, and space heaters are a common cause. Our heart goes out to the loved ones of this RVing couple, and we thought it could be helpful to share this post, to remind us all on what we can do to reduce the likelihood of accidentally starting a fire while we camp. Article examines the true costs of RVing fulltime JENNIFER Readers Digest had a story last week examining how much it really costs to live fulltime in an RV. Long time readers know this is a subject we covered many times through the years (click here or here), and much of the costs depend on how you choose to travel. (RV parks or boondocking, eating out or preparing your own meals, etc.) Still the article does include some important information about budgeting for RV maintenance, insurance, and such, so wanted to share it with those considering such a move.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK A listener asks about adaptive safety features on RVs.   We answer... Do you 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK We’ve had  many fun conversations with RVers as we’ve met up with them in our travels over the past few weeks. In our interview of the week segment coming up, you’ll meet and hear from a bunch of them as they share just why they have chosen the RV Lifestyle. Here’s a video of the interviews: The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    By Tom and Patti Burkett Before it gets to Lake Michigan, the Kalamazoo River widens to form a couple of connected lakes.  On either side are the towns of Saugatuck and Douglas.  There seems to be a (mostly) friendly rivalry between the two, both established as getaway destinations for Chicago residents fleeing the summer heat.  Saugatuck has a reputation as an artist colony, and Douglas as a classic lake resort town.  You can’t visit one without seeing the other, and there’s no reason to try.  Both are delightful and, although residents have turned down a merger more than once, they share a school, a library, and a fire department. In the 1950s, when resort life was getting fired up (and still today), Oval Beach on Lake Michigan was a favorite summertime hangout for families.  Joe Decker got the idea he could make a good living selling cold drinks and hot dogs to beach visitors.  This was the heyday of the American road trip, and roadside attractions were springing up everywhere.  Decker and his friend Kelly went to work in his back yard in Flint.  They cut and fitted staves to make a twenty-foot-high barrel.  After it was finished, they took it apart and moved it to Douglas, where Decker owned a piece of land right on the way to the beach. The Douglas Root Beer Barrel was the spot to be in those days, selling frosty mugs of Mason’s signature brew along with footlong hot dogs.  Inside the barrel was room for two workers, and outside a carhop or two took and delivered orders to the thirsty patrons just arrived from the city or returning from a long day at the beach.  Residents who worked at the barrel in the summers recall lines a block or more long on many summer nights, and how the local doctor and police officer were always passed to the front of the line as a courtesy. The barrel operated until the early 1970s.  Then, as was the case with many outdated notions, it lost its popularity, closed, and fell into disrepair.  When word began to circulate in 2011 that the barrel was going to be demolished, residents formed a group called Friends of the Barrel and rallied to save it.  The building was once again dismantled, and dozens of volunteers repaired and refinished the 125 staves that make up the exterior.  Students from the high school industrial arts program built a new base and support structure for it, and in 2018, it reopened at a new home along the beach road. Now, again, you can stop in for a frosty mug of barrel root beer and a footlong coney dog on your way to or from the beach.  And if you’re traveling near Westport or Olney, Illinois, keep your eyes open, because that’s where the other two of these can be found.  They’ll be in a back yard or on a street corner in one of the neighborhoods you won’t ever see unless you take time to wander off the beaten path. RV CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 5-8, Battle Creek RV & Camping Show, Kellogg Arena, Battle Creek, MI March 5-8, Colorado RV, Sports & Travel Show, National Western Complex, Denver, CO March 5-8, CNY RV and Camping Show and Sale, NY State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY March 5-8, Montreal RV Show, Palais de Congres, Montreal, Quebec, Canada March 5-8, North Dakota Boat, Camping & Vacation Show, Fargodome, Fargo, ND March 6-8, Central Illinois RV Show - Peoria, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL March 6-8, Fredericksburg RV Show, Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, Fredericksburg, VA

This week we talk with the CEO of the new Roadtrek Inc. and how the company is counting on a new emphasis on quality to overturn the tarnished reputation left when the once iconic maker of Class B campervans was caught up in a massive financial scandal last year. We also update you on the recalls and investigations plaguing the old company as the new owners begin production at their Cambridge, Ontario, Canada factory. The old company was known as Roadtrek Motorhomes. The new one is Roadtrek Inc. This episode of the TV Podcast features a very candid interview with Dane Found, the new CEO of Roadtrek Inc,  owned by the Rapido Group of France. Found talks about the challenges involved in restarting production and winning back business following the sudden collapse of the old Roadtrek, once the best-selling Class B manufacturer in North America. Plus, we have lots of RV news, tips and an off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #283 Feb. 26 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER We're on the road, heading into Florida this week doing last-minute research and taking lots of photos for our 7 Day Adventure Guide series on different regions of the country. We’re recording this podcast from Albany, GA, where we stopped to see our son and his family and take in a baseball game with grandson, Jacob. MIKE I used the visit to put the final editing touches on the movie I made that chronicle’s grandson Matthew’s senor year of playing football. JENNIFER And on the way down we stopped north of Atlanta and were able to have dinner with our grandson Nick and his girlfriend, Liz. Our 4th grandson, Zachary, is moving to Phoenix, so we won’t be able to catch up with him in person until we et there later in the spring. That’s one of the nice things about traveling North America in an RV…we get to visit with our kids and grandkids, who are scattered all over the country. As this podcast is being released we will be heading to Forida, where we’ll be spending the next couple of months. As we travel, we're trying to do meetups from various spots. The first will be this Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Ocala RV Show in Ocala, FL from 11AM to 1PM at the Sunshine State RVs display. We look forward to meeting our Florida followers and snowbird friends wintering down there. MIKE We're also posting videos, photos and lots of social media updates on our travels, meetups, adventures, and plans, especially on Instagram. You can follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rvlifestylemike  As a special for the leap year day coming up at the end of February, we've decided to mark down our Beginner's Guide to Boondocking to just $20 from TODAY (2/26) until the end of the month (midnight EST, Sat 2/29)! No discount code needed. Use our guide to get more comfortable with boondocking (or learn some new tricks), throw off the shackles of traditional RV Parks and campgrounds, and STOP paying high fees every night that you spend in your RV!  Get Your Copy Of The Beginner's Guide To Boondocking Here! This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Lack of Chinese tourists because of coronavirus expected to impact Yellowstone tourism industry this year Yellowstone National Park tourism groups are preparing for a downturn in visitors this year as a fall out of the coronavirus. About 350,000 to 400,000 Chinese tourists visit Yellowstone each year but because of the virus, the Chinese government has proposed mandatory quarantines on parts of the country and the U.S. government has greatly restricted travel from China. All Chinese tour groups are completely suspended right now. My guess, based on the numbers of Chinese visitors we have seen in our travels, that many U.S. national parks will see their numbers down as Chinese tourism stops until the virus is under control.  MIKE Ever wonder how many campsites exist in the National Parks? Take a look! Ever wonder just how many campgrounds there are in the National Park System? Or ever wonder which of the campgrounds are the busiest? A break down by the National Parks Traveler last week explored the question of whether there are enough spots. It is not easy to get a campsite in many national parks and we found the information so interesting we had to share. We will build in a direct link in the shownotes for this episode at rvlifestyle.com/283 JENNIFER Yosemite's famous fireball phenomenon may be a bust this year Recently we wrote about the Yosemite National Park's "Firefall" tourist attraction where the Horsetail Waterfall looks like a fire or lava fall in mid-to-late February for a few minutes before sundown. The illusion has become Internet famous and attracts hundreds of visitors, triggering special parking and viewing instructions. But this year it is looking like the attraction of the seasonal waterfall may be a bust. The reason? No water.  MIKE Toddler dies after falling into a septic tank at a Texas RV park A 2-year-old fell into a septic tank at a Texas RV park and died last week in a tragic accident. The toddler was apparently jumping on the lid of the tank when it buckled under her and she fell in. Several news reports (click here) said the lid was not screwed down properly. Family and neighbors at Paradise Lagoons RV Resort in Arkansas Pass tried to reach the toddler with a rope, but the rope wasn't long enough and the toddler died. JENNIFER About 2,000 recalled Roadtreks need to get second row seatbelt removed The owners of about 2,000 recalled Roadtreks should take their RVs to a dealer to have the second row seatbelts removed, and a new warning sticker put on. Apparently bankrupt RV manufacturer Erwin Hymer Group North America could not prove the second row seats were safe, and this was the solution provided. MIKE The safety concerns point to some unsafe and highly questionable actions by the management of the Erwin Hymer Group of North America. Those concerns arose last April when the receiver was given a 2016 test report from a former Erwin Hymer Group North America employee that indicated the second-row seats inside certain Roadtrek RVs did not pass Canadian or American motor vehicle safety standards, known as "pull tests." The receiver, along with certain former employees, conducted an extensive search of the bankrupt company's books and records and spoke with other former employees about the issue, but still could not determine if the seats passed or failed those important safety tests. So they hired an engineering firm to study the problem and it found the design did not pass the tests. The Roadtrek brand was purchased last summer by France-based RV maker Rapido Group, but the purchase agreement included a clause that expressly excluded any liability or obligations related to the recalled RV units. So who is responsible for fixing this? The owners. Erwin Hymer of North America is no more and the new French owners say they had nothing to do with causing the problem. JENNIFER Isn’t this the second major recall following Erwin Hymer Group North America's closure a year ago? MIKE Yes. Hundreds of new tow-behind trailers were also recalled last year after the court-appointed receiver for the bankrupt Hymer of North America outfit realized the trailers had not received final approval from the Canadian Standards Association for critical hitch and brake components before they were shipped to dealers. I suspect there will be more bad news still coming because a multimillion dollar insurance claim has been filed by many of the suppliers and creditors left holding the bag when Roadtrek shut down. That suit alleges Roadtrek misrepresented its operations and cash flow in the years leading up to the purchase by Hymer back in 2016. it seems there have been very questionable financial dealing there going back to 2013. JENNIFER So we probably haven’t heard the last yet about all this? MIKE Not by a long shot And you have to feel sorry for the Rapido Group, which is now trying to move forward with the brand. As you’ll hear in the interview with the new CEO of the new Roadtrek coming up in a few minutes, the main emphasis now is in restoring quality… something that it appears the old Roadtrek suffered greatly from going back to the recent years before the financial collapse. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK This week, we want to share an awesome email we received from one of our listeners: Hello Mike, and thank you for the content both you and your lovely bride Jennifer provide, though I am new to your Instagram and podcast programs it always a joy to hear you speak On what got me into the world of RVing, it’s kind of long-winded, however it has stayed with me for many years.  Several years ago working as a mechanic I had a customer that brought her motorhome to us for a repair. She asked if it was alright that her and her husband remained in the coach while I performed the repair. This is not normally a practice that is accepted by professionals for many reasons. However I agreed to it. In conversation I asked the woman just what got her into RVing. She said it was never her real desire to leave her home and to do this, however she told me when her and her husband first got married he had told her when they retire he wanted to travel the United States so he could show her just how wonderfull this country is.

This week we meet the executive producer of a Discovery Channel show about the RV Life… who tells us how RVing has changed his life in the most unexpected way… Our guest is Anthony Nalli, who shares a behind the scenes look at the popular RVers TV series, as seen on the Discovery Channel and the PBS network…. Plus we have RV news, tips, your questions and a very interesting off the beaten path report from our friends, the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #282 Feb. 19, 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We’ll…here we go again. We’re off, this time on a trip that will probably last about three months. This is a crazy busy week for us, getting the RV serviced, topping off the propane, packing it and then taking off across the south and southwest U.S. We hit the road right after this episode is released. We've got lots of great adventures planned, starting with a big circle tour of Florida. Speaking of Florida, we'll be doing a meetup at the Ocala RV Show in Ocala, FL Saturday Feb. 29 from 11AM to 1PM at the Sunshine State RVs display. We look forward to meeting our Florida followers and snowbird friends wintering down there. We plan to also visit the Space Coast, Key West, the Everglades and Naples. We also will be checking out a brand new RV resort that just opened for the over 55 crowd in Summerfield, FL (Sunkissed Village RV Resort). And then on up and along the Gulf Coast, first to Texas and then heading all the way to New Mexico. We'll have videos, blog posts and lots of social media updates on our travels, meetups, adventures, and plans by sharing regular updates on our travels, especially on Instagragram. You can follow us on Instagram by clicking https://www.instagram.com/rvlifestylemike    If you have some suggestions of things we should see and do and report about. Just send them to us via email. You can email us anytime at mikeandjen@rvlifestyle.com.... This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK California state parks building new campground with stunning, ocean side views California state parks are in the process of building a new, 110 site ocean-side campground at Fort Ord Dunes State Park. The state park opened about a decade ago off Highway 1, near Seaside. It is a former army base with four miles of breathtaking coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Currently the land is a favorite of surfers and beach walkers. The state plans to start construction on the campground this fall, and open it in 2022. Utah officials want to create new state park near Arches National Park Speaking of new state parks, Utah state legislators want to create a "Utahraptor" state park that will recognize Utah's dinosaur discoveries and provide a second entrance to Arches National Park. The Mayor of Moab spoke in favor of this, saying the community has had problems with people boondocking in areas where it is not allowed, causing community problems. The spot of the proposed park is 15 miles north of Moab where the Utahraptor was discovered. The site was also an internment camp in WWII. Some large RV parks hiring RV service technicians to help customers, provide new revenue source Long time readers know we have reported at length over the years about the shortage of RV service technicians. (click here or here). So it was with interest we read a story in RVBusiness about RV parks hiring their own RV technicians as a side revenue source- and a way to help campers. Hiring RV technicians and employing them at a large campground makes sense to us. To read the story click here. Owner of Newmar RV successfully sues under lemon law   A story about a court deciding in favor of a 2016 London Aire RV owner - and against Newmar Corp. (now owned by Winnebago) - caught our eye over the weekend. The owner of the pricey, new RV sued Newmar under various lemon laws, according to a story in RVtravel, after he experienced numerous breakdowns - nine in a two year time. Influencing this RV owner's decision to buy the London Aire was a promised extensive service network with well-trained technicians. Yet according to the story, as this RV continuously broke down on trips in Oregon and California, the owner discovered service technicians were not trained and could not fix the RV, leaving him without a rig for months. Apparently Newmar placed some blame on subcomponent manufacturers, but ultimately Newmar was found responsible. More Pennsylvania state park campgrounds to allow pets If you camp with your pet, and plan to use a Pennsylvania state park, in 2021 you will have more campsite options. Pennsylvania state park campgrounds only permit camping with your dog or cat in certain campsites. By 2021, 46 new spots in six campgrounds will open up to pets.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping    LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Via email: Question: Just got our 2020 FX. Any great  tips for how you store - haul- your outdoor chairs with the small exterior compartments? - Cindy Answer: Bringing chairs is an issue for those with smaller RVs. These are the two we take... telescoping chairs that fit in one of the driver side outside storage bins. https://kit.co/rvlifestylemike/rv-gear-mentioned-on-our-rvlifestyle-blog-our-rv-podcast-and-our-rv-lifestyle-youtube-channel/gci-outdoor-pico-arm Also, we had the optional rear ladder installed. I've seen others affix larger chairs to the ladder, though Jennifer hasn't yet let me do so as she thinks we'll look like the Beverly Hillbillies From our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group: Question: The Jayco RV we have a deposit on has a soft floor in front of the oven and the bunks. The dealer thinks its standard wear. The dealer said they would have service "look at it" and they would call Jayco about it. Anybody have "soft floors" from standard wear? It feels like its soft in between beams. Thoughts? - Juliana Answer: This question broght a huge response. More than 80 RVers weighed in. The consensus: Don’t walk away from the deal…. RUN away from the deal. The soft floor is most likely water damage. Here is the post and comments: https://www.facebook.com/groups/roadtreking/permalink/1503838623108445/ After reading the comments, Julianna did follow the advice and cancel the deal. Do you 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK The Discovery Channel series "The RVers" is an informational TV series about the people who roam the world in recreational vehicles. The show's creator and producer Anthony Nalli. Anthony is an also the creator of the award-winning series, the Aviators and he is an RVer himself, a fulltimer in fact, who has both a Class A and a Class B RV. We caught up with him in the Arizona desert and Anthony Nalli is our Interview of the week. Here’s a video version of the interview:    The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country    OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    By Tom & Patty Burkett If you’re like most of us, by the time you get close to Glacier National Park you’re anxious to be there and begin enjoying the incomparable sights, sounds, and smells it offers.  As you head for the entrance at Saint Mary or Babb, you zip through Browning, Montana on US 89 without a sideways glance.  And when you do, you miss some things worth a good look, even though the mountains are calling.  First and foremost, as we see it, is the Museum of the Plains Indian, on the north side of the highway as you’re heading west.  It doesn’t look at all impressive.  The building may be an old school.  If not, it was built to resemble one, an elementary school from the forties.  When we visited we wondered, until we actually pulled open the front door, if it was operating.  Sure enough, in the cool bright interior we found what we were looking for.  A Native woman in traditional dress greeted us at the desk and explained the museums layout, the special exhibits, and welcomed us as the first visitors of the day. Although there were nice displays of pottery and basketwork, some paintings and blankets, and nicely worked silver and turquoise jewelry, the standout items in the collection were the dresses  and shawls.  Made of handwoven fabric and supple deerskin, they were worked with exquisite designs in beads, quills, and silver ornaments.  Some had eagle, hawk, raven, and crow feathers.  Some were pure white and others dyed rich, deep colors.  As we moved from gallery to gallery we were humbled by the artistry and patience required to make such things, and certain of the pride with which they were worn. Off the main exhibits is a workshop area where artisans can gather and create.  There was a painter working the day we visited,

It’s time for a reality check about fulltime RV Living. This week you’ll meet Kevin and Laura of Chapter3Travels.com, who have been fulltime RVers for nearly five years now and are known for telling it as it is. We’ll have a great discussion and talk candidly about why so many fulltimers come off the road, not lasting nearly as long as they had hoped. Plus, we have lots of RV News, your questions and a great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Here are the shownotes: But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride, Jennifer… who just happens to be celebrating her birthday today! Happy birthday, my dear! WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK This photo of Jen posing on top of the RV is meant as a spoof... as explained in the elsewhere in the podcast. It was shot las week in Arizona We are still celebrating a major event! We reached 100,000 subscribers for our our RV Lifestyle Channel! As that grows, our next goal is to reach 10,000 Subscribers to our Instagram page - @rvlifestylemike We’re home in Michigan after a great trip to Arizona.  Next week, we take off for Florida where we are finalizing research and photography for our next two 7 Day Adventure Guides, one to Florida’s East Coast, anther devoted just to the Keys. Those two will join our already published Florida 7 Day Adventure Guide to Florida’s Gulf Coast. Florida is such a popular RV destination that we feel we need three guides to cover it all and we hit the road next week to finish up the next two books, which should come out the first of the next month. That’s one reason we love doing these 7 Day Adventure Guides as eBooks. They can be published so much faster than traditional books and they can easily be updated without long printing delays. We have six of them now available covering various regions of the county. You can find them at rvlifestyle.com/books. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Katmai National Park considering permit system to protect visitors- and bears Alaska's Katmai National Park is taking comments on a proposed rule to require permits for those seeking to wander about the Brooks River Corridor, a popular place for watching the famous brown bears. The permits are in response to a growing concern about the numbers of visitors getting too close to the bears. The park is worried the bears will lose their fear of people, and wants to avoid having to put a bear down. The park is also considering expanding its camping to up to 14 days and permitting e-bikes. To learn more about Katmai's bears, check out interview we did with a ranger here. Oregon set new record in number of campers staying at state parks in 2019 Oregon state parks set record in number of campers last year. The state has experienced incredible growth in camping for about a decade, but last year it reported 2.93 million camper nights at its 56 state campgrounds setting a new record. The trend of more campers is also showing up on federally managed lands in Oregon. Smoking near playgrounds at Pennsylvania's state parks now illegal If you are planning to camp at any of Pennsylvania's state parks this year, and you smoke or vape, better listen up. The state has a new law that prohibits smoking within 30 feet of a playground and that includes 135 locations in the state's 121 parks. Signs will go up, detailing the new rule, by Memorial Day. Campers rescued from North Carolina campground after heavy rains trapped them on site   Eight people and three dogs were rescued from their campground at Dan River Campground in North Carolina after rushing waters swept through their site. The flooding happened when heavy rains swept through the area over the weekend.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping    LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group: I’m New to RVing. Question: if we encounter snow covered roads in a freak snowstorm, will a 26 ft class c handle it ok? – Kathy Read all the answers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/roadtreking/permalink/1498512036974437/ From our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel You have a 3-way fridge. Would you prefer a 12 volt compressor fridge? That would give more capacity and eliminate the need to start the night before. It also means less need to level rig, fewer propane refills and less fire risk. Modern batteries and solar systems should easily handle the load. The Norcold ones also have a "night " setting that decreases nocturnal power draw, assuming you are not opening fridge at night. I am frankly puzzled by some manufacturers that are clinging to propane fridges, even in high-end coaches. – Richard Frankly, we have had no problems with our fridge, which is a three-way Dometic absorption refrigerator that runs on LP, 120volt and 12 volt all in one. While a compressor fridge would work with lots of batteries and solar and sunshine, dry camping, or boondocking, could be a problem. If you run out of battery power - no fridge.   An electric fridge like that can be a problem as well if you if you have an electrical failure in the motorhome, breaker box, charger, powercord, fuse. That means no fridge. A three-way fridge runs three ways. For me to lose cooling or not to have my fridge work means I would need all three power sources to fail (LP. 120V and 12V).   A simple three-way fridge works, works for all types of RVing – Dry camping, electric serviced campgrounds, boondocking, daytripping, you name it. It works in the cold, it works in the heat. And modern absorption RV refrigerators no longer have problems working when you are not perfectly level like the older models did. Do you 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Like many of you, Jennifer and I love to follow the adventures of other RVers. One of our favorite RV Lifestyle blogs is called Chapter3travels.com, written by Kevin and Laura, a young couple who have been fulltime RVers for about five years now. They write with humor and total honesty, chronicling the good and bad about life on the road. They are our guests for this week’s Interview of the Week and, among other things, they sound a wakeup call about some of the realities of RV living that may not be apparent if all you do is watch those glamorous and sometimes unrealistic photos posted on Instagram. Plus, we talk about when it may be time to come off the road. Here is a video version of the interview:  To visit their website, Chapter 3 Travels, CLICK HERE To read Laura’s post on the silly Instagram photos, CLICK HERE To read her post about how full time RV travel wears you down, CLICK HERE The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    The Burketts By Tom & Patti Burkett If you’ve ever crossed a bridge or a causeway of the saltgrass marshes of the Mid-Atlantic coast, you’ll have seen the network of waterways that crisscross them.  At low tide you can often see masses of oysters (or at least oyster shells) poking up out of them, and high tide or low you’ll see pelicans skimming the grass tops and bone white egrets scattered among the green.  These marshes play an outsize role in coastal ecology, providing spawning grounds for many marine creatures and a protected area for young to mature. One of the ways you can enjoy some time along the marsh is to go crabbing.  Forget about the fact that you might well come home with a bucketful of the best eating along the shore, it’s both fun and relaxing.  You need a little bit of gear, some bait, and a few facts about crab behavior to be successful at this pastime.  First, find a good stout stick, about as thick as your thumb and eight inches long.  Wind onto it thirty feet or so of good cotton cord.  At the business end you’ll have to tie a triangular fishing weight, one of those ones that look like the great pyramid of Giza cast in lead miniature.  You’ll need a net, too, with a long handle.  You can use a high quality fish landing net if you have one, but any bait store or tourist shop along the coast will sell you a perfectly adequate cheap one for less than ten bucks.  Remember, you’re not doing battle with a toothsome shark, you’re just impeding the progress of a crab long enough to get him into your bucket.  Crabs are scavengers, so any numbers of things will work pretty well as bait, but the hands down favorite is chicken necks.  They’re cheap, and since most people don’t use them in cooking, plentiful.  Tie the neck on your line a few inches upstream of the sinker, and you’re ready to go! Some people go crabbing successfully on the beach, others along tidal inlets or even off low bridges.

This week in the RV Podcast, we learn about having Less Junk and More Journey from Marissa and Nate, a young couple with a very popular YouTube channel who fulltime in their RV with their young children. It all started in an effort to declutter and downsize Show Notes for Episode #280 Feb 5, 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK   This episode is coming to you from the road and it may sound a little different because we don’t have all our normal podcast gear with us. We made a very impromptu trip to Arizona this week and, because we flew out here we didn’t have room for all that equipment. We borrowed an RV from a friend, though, and have had an awesome time boondocking in the desert, hiking and exploring… first at Quartzsite and later down south closer to Yuma in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. As we record this, we are in Tucson, attending an RV industry event called Dometic in the desert, attended by lots of industry folks and our fellow RV Lifestyle YouTube influencers. Dometic is a major player in the RV industry that innovates technology so RVers can go further and stay longer – that’s their motto  and they make everything, such as RV coolers and refrigerators,  toilets, air conditioning, heating, climate control devices, awnings, cooking and RV kitchen appliances…you name it they make it and they are planning even more, researching and developing improvements in lithium and solar energy products for RVers…and lots more. Anyway, we’re here learning about some of those developments and hanging out with a lot of our friends who also do RV blogs, YouTube Channels and the like. We should point out that out borrowed RV, after our desert boondocking, is in the parking lit and we and everyone else at this event are staying in the beautiful and five star luxury Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, which Dometic has taken over for this event.  Talk about contrast. From the stark beauty of the desert to the luxury of a five star resort. Wjat an awesome week this has been. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK RV manufacturers who reply on parts manufactured in China watch for signs of supply chain delays  As public health workers strive to contain the coronavirus, which first surfaced more than a month ago in China, the effects of keeping people home and closing shop have the RV industry bracing for a hit on its supply chain. Many RV manufacturers get parts from Chinese factories. But as Chinese officials tell people to stay home, and keep factories closed, many RV manufacturers are carefully watching the situation, wondering how factory delays, increased sickness, or mandatory quarantines could ripple through the supply lines and - possibly - a few months down the road, lead to production delays. Are you planning to see Yosemite's "firefall" this month? Have you heard about Yosemite National Park's "firefall"? The time to view it (February 14-27) is fast approaching, and park officials are putting in restrictions in anticipation of large crowds. For those unfamiliar, each winter - usually in February - when the sun is setting, its colors reflect on Horsetail Falls, which flows over El Capitan, making it look like bright orange lava is flowing down. This usually happens shortly before sunset, and has become a major tourist attraction. In anticipation of the crowds the National Park Service is requiring most visitors to park one and a half miles away and walk to the Fall. It is also recommending people bring flashlights and warm clothes for the walk back in the dark. GM unveils new brake system for pick up trucks that enables trucks hauling a camper to stop faster Those who camp by hauling a fifth wheel or other trailer with their pick-up truck might be interested in a story out last week about General Motors unveiling a new braking system that enables a pick-up hauling a trailer to stop faster. The breaks reduce the stopping distance by using GM's e-boost braking system. Some are saying that the new technology is so good and improves safety so much that it should be mandatory. Coyote attacks woman cross country skiing at Yellowstone National Park  A young coyote attacked a woman cross country skiing in Yellowstone National Park last week, coming up from behind and pulling her to the ground. Other people, in a snow coach, saw the scene and came to the woman's rescue, scaring the coyote away. The woman had puncture wounds to her head and arm, and officials later captured the coyote and it did not test positive for rabies. It is extremely unusual for a coyote to attack a human. Officials say when an animal is very hungry, as apparently this one was, is can happen. The coyote was later captured and euthanized.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK This week’s question comes from George, from Lakewood Washington: There are a lot of RV shows this month and we are shopping for a new RV. My question is are the bargains at RV shows really that good? How about for trade-ins? Are we better shopping there or visiting a dealership? We share our thoughts, bottom line being that usually the best prices CAN be found at RV shows. Do you 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK This week in the RV Podcast, we learn about having Less Junk and More Journey from Marissa and Nate, a young couple with a very popular YouTube channel who fulltime in their RV with their young children. It all started in an effort to declutter and downsize Here’s a video version of the interview with extra material:  The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    BY TOM & PATTI BURKETT When you leave Fort Worth, Texas on your way to Big Spring you’re likely to drive Interstate 20. Just past Sweetwater you’ll see a small airfield off to the north of the highway, and, if you know what’s there, you’ll exit and pull into the lot at Avenger Field.  This is the site of the National WASP WWII Museum, a collection that honors the contributions made to aviation by determined and courageous women flyers in that great and tragic war. Avenger Field first served as a training center for British pilots, but shortly became the center for the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, and by 1943, was populated entirely by female trainees and a few male instructors.  More than 1800 passed through flight training here, and over a thousand of those earned their wings.  For the most part, women pilots were employed ferrying aircraft cross-country.  Despite repeated efforts by generals and senators, the women were not admitted to military service and, at the end of the war, returned to civilian life without benefits. The museum is great.  There’s a recreated dormitory where you can see what life was like for the trainees, along with letters home and some of the fashions and accessories of the day.  There are several aircraft on display, and a good collection of uniforms and flying gear.  Most prominent, though, is the story of the service itself, told with timelines, interviews, newspaper reports, and correspondence.  Although assignments, compensation, and recognition improved for these fliers as the war went on, the tireless efforts of founder Jackie Cochran and commanding General Hap Arnold did not win them military status. One of the fun exhibits at the field is Fifinella.  This tiny winged woman was designed by Walt Disney for an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book The Gremlins.  The film was never made, but the WASPs asked Disney for permission to use her as their mascot, and he agreed.  She appears painted on airplane fuselages, enameled pins, and knitted into service patches on WASP uniforms.  Among the several planes on display are a UC-78 Bobcat and and a Texan AT-6.  You can hear an interview with WASP pilot Beverly Bessemeyer, one of several to tow targets behind her plane so ground troops could take target practice with live rounds. Whatever your age or outlook, the stories told here are inspiring and thought-provoking, and provide a glimpse into life during another age of our national development.  While you’re there, don’t miss seeing the Congressional Gold Medal, awarded to the service in 2010, and accompanied by an order that all remaining WASPs should receive full military benefits for their service.  On the ground or in the air, there are stories flying around out here, off the beaten path. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Harvest Hosts - https://rvlifestyle.com/harvesthosts a network of farms, wineries, museums and attractions where RVers can stay overnight, for free.

This week on the RV Podcast our special guests are the RV Geeks…Peter and John, hosts of the popular Discovery Channel TV series called the RVers and their own RV Geeks You Tube Channel, which teaches how to maintain and modify your RV. We’ll meet them, learn their fascinating back story and get some great advice about the RV Lifestyle! WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We’re recording this 279th episode of the RV Podcast  on Jan. 28, 2020 and did you know, today is National Plan for Vacation Day? Did you know that more than half of Americans fail to use all of their vacation days from work each year? Today is National Plan for Vacation Day - a day dedicated to taking the time to plan a vacation and commit to utilizing that vacation time. Annually, U.S. workers left an average of 6.5 days off, unused - imagine what you could have done with that week!   I bet RVers don’t leave unused vacation days! But having a National Plan for Vacation Day is a god idea. Now is the time to start making plans to enjoy every minute of your well deserved vacation days in 2020. Lets get bout there! We are starting to really get excited! We're now only about a little more than 1,000 subscribers short of the 100K mark  on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel! Having 100,000 subscribers is a really big deal in the YouTube world and it has been a goal we have been working for hard over the past few years. You can help us reach that goal by subscribing to the channel. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR RV LIFESTYLE CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE. We are almost there! Please, if you haven't yet subscribed, please help us reach our goal. If you are already a subscriber... THANK YOU! And please tell a friend. How should we celebrate when we cross that 100,000 mark? Should we display the award YouTube will send us in the RV? Should we try and go live when we turn the dial to 100K?  The time is approaching and I admit, we're starting to obsess a bit as we watch those subscriptions slowly trend upwards. This week, we're trying to finalize our travels. We have some exciting trips coming up… even this week! We will have the itinerary completed day or so and will tell you on our Sunday night Ask Us Anything live show on YouTube about a quick trip that we’ll be leaving for right after we finish this podcast. That will be at 7PM Eastern Time Sunday and we hope to be live from a fun location that we will do our best to show you. After the trip this week, we will pack up the RV and take off for what looks like a several month cross country trip. But the 2020 travel season for us is off and running! This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Environmentalists call on Florida governor to stop oil company near Big Cypress National Preserve  Environmental groups are urging Florida's governor to block a Texas oil company interested in drilling near Big Cypress National Preserve in the Florida Everglades. The area is home to Florida's black panther, and the swampy land is an  aquifer, operating as a major source of drinking water to nearby residents and clean water for the Everglades. The whole matter of oil drilling near national parks is a growing one in the news, and this story drawing lots of interest from those concerned about protecting the nation's natural parks. Manatees are back at Florida state park and campground, with new webcams for those who can't visit Ok manatee lovers, you knew this was coming. The live webcams at two Florida state parks with hot springs are full of manatees trying to stay warm this winter. Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park has two new webcams. (click here) Webcams are also at Florida's Blue Springs State Park, also home to many wintering manatees. Jennifer and I have camped at this state park several times through the years (click here to see our report), and recommend it for all who enjoy watching manatees in their natural habitat. Have you visited the top 15 most photographed national parks on Instagram? Ever wonder what the most Instagram photographed national park hikes are in the country? Well, apparently the folks at goalloutdoors.com did, too. So the group published a hashtag analysis, and came out with a list of the top 15. The views and pictures were of course, stunning, and might give some ideas of where to visit this year. By the way… do you follow us on Instagram. Look for our photos and posts us with the hashtag rvlifestylemike. State run campground in Illinois to get $1 million in upgrades Illinois' very popular Pere Marquette state campground will close down for six months as $1 million in improvements are made. The 80 site campground will add 50 amp service to all of its sites (currently set up for 30 or 20 amp). Also additional watering and grey and black water dump sites will be added, among other things. The improved campground, which is usually open year-round, is expected to open back up in July or early August. Florida expects 3,000 new RV sites in next two years Anyone who failed to plan ahead can agree that finding a spot to camp in Florida during the prime winter months is challenging at best. A story out over the weekend says in response, many new RV parks are in the works in the sunshine state, and many existing RV parks are expanding. The article estimates 3,000 new RV spots will be created in the next two years to meet a growing demand. That is very good news. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From e-mail comes this question: QUESTION: We’ve shopped several dealers and we are wondering if they are playing bait and switch with us. The consensus is that if we want an RV on the 2020 Sprinter chassis, we will have to wait 12 to 14 months. If we order one on the 2019 Sprinter chassis, it’s more like an 8 month wait. Is this true? Are they just trying to get a quick sale? Are we better off waiting for a 2020? What are the differences in the 2019? – Terry, Fort Myers, FL ANSWER: They are telling you the truth. And there are no major differences between the 2019 and 2020 Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis. Do you 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. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK This week on the RV Podcast our special guests are the RV Geeks…Peter and John, hosts of the popular Discovery Channel TV series called the RVers and their own RV Geeks You Tube Channel on how to maintain and modify your RV. We’ll meet them, learn their back story and get some great advice about the RV Lifestyle! Here's a video version of the interview: Here are links you can use for them and the show: RVgeeks: Website: https://www.thervgeeks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/rvgeeks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rvgeeks The RVers: Website: https://www.thervers.tv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therverstv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/therverstv The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country