RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

This week on the RV Podcast we learn one of the best kept secrets for finding free places to overnight, Boondockers Welcome, which offers some 2,000 locations across North America where RVers can stay for free! Show Notes for Episode #267 Nov. 6, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We share our travels, share a disturbing story about Bo after we picked him up at some pet sitters this past weekend, and update you on what’s happening in the RV world. 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 Road construction coming to Yellowstone National Park beginning next summer Yellowstone National Park is planning to do $75 million worth of road repairs and maintenance beginning next year. Next summer the park will replace the Pelican Creek bridge, and visitors can expect delays along the East Entrance Road between Fishing Bridge and Indian Pond. Another lane is going to be added to the North entrance and buildings there will be replaced. The whole project is expected to take two years. MIKE Minnesota professor and students collect adult ticks in mobile lab at state park, analyzing within hours which carry diseases  All of us who love the outdoors, know the importance of using bug spray to protect yourself from ticks. So, it was with a keen interest that I read a story out last week from Minnesota about a professor and his students who spent some time collecting ticks from Ithaca State Park last August.. The professor and students bought a  mobile lab with them, and after collecting the ticks were able to analyze them in just a few hours and discover if the ticks carried diseases. They learned 25-30 percent of the adult ticks they collected carried Lyme. That is a sobering reminder to all of us about how important it is to protect yourself when in the woods. Click here to see a story we did with an expert on what to do. JENNIFER Woman lost in California national park found after spelling SOS with rocks A Mississippi woman reported missing after telling family member she was visiting a national park in California, was found last week after she spelled SOS with rocks.  The woman's car was discovered in Sequoia National Park, and her SOS message was spotted by air three miles away. The woman had apparently gone on a hike and gotten lost. When she was found she was thirsty and hungry, but otherwise stable. MIKE Parks Canada officials are seeking "poop fairies" In one of the more ... let's say unusual ... stories out last week, Parks Canada is asking the public to help them scoop wolf poop on Vancouver Island's Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Officials are calling the volunteers "poop fairies" and will provide training and safety items like gloves and eyeglasses and GPS trackers. Officials hope the wolf scat will help them understand more about what the wolves eat and where they go to help officials reduce their contact with humans. JENNIFER RV catches fire in California, spreads to brush   An RV caught on fire in Oceanside, California, last weekend spreading to brush, and apparently one other vehicle before firefighters had it under control. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The RV fire was one of several I've seen in the news this past week, which got me thinking of the importance of fire safety. A while back we interviewed an expert on what you can do to reduce the likelihood of your RV accidentally catching ablaze. To learn more click 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 Hello Mike and Jennifer! Enjoy the videos and different points of view . Currently have a Winnebago Trend '17 23D (twin bed ) . Wife retired 3 years ago and decided she didn't want to put up with northern Illinois winters anymore ! Interested in the Wonder RTB , which you did a video on, and have a couple questions . 1- are the coach seats in front comfortable and 2- did you have any problems with leveling at campsites ? Leveling is our biggest pain . No major issues with unit , do most all maintenance myself too.  Happy and safe motoring to you both ! Thank you, Wally T Hi Mike and Jennifer, I own a Roadtrek Adventurous RS.  Do you have any updates as to when the Roadtrek factory will be up and running again? Thanks. Gary UPDATE - Although I had not heard back from Roadtrek when we recorded this episode, after the podcast was already edited I received a reply from Roadtrek Marketing Director Karyn Torcoletti who said: "You can tell Roadtrek owners that Roadtrek Inc is up and running. We are manufacturing motor homes, however we are rolling things out very slowly and taking our time to make sure all quality checks are in place so we can offer Roadtrek customers the top quality campervan they remember. For any retail service support for parts or warranty they can contact the office at 519-745-1160 or email retailsupport@roadtrekinc.com" Dear Mike and Jen We happened upon one of your YouTube videos and got hooked.   Great information and a terrific resource for us. Our biggest problem is deciding on a manufacturer that produces a quality product.  We have decided on a “C” class but who builds a good one?  We have heard of the poorly engineered and manufactured ones and really want a well built and engineered motor home. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you, Lloyd 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 Our guest this week is Marianne Edwards of Boondockers Welcome, which is one of the best resources available for RVers to find free places to overnight. There are more than 2,000 spots listed throughout North America and staying just once or twice a year with one of their hosts can save you much more than the cost of membership. We thought this would be a great time to introduce this awesome service to our listeners because as of NOV 15, 2019, the price of membership will increase to $50 per year, from the current $30 per year. But current subscribers will be grandfathered into the new rate and new subscribers who join before the 15th will also get that same $30 rate per year, and they to will be grandfathered in. The best way to join is through our special affiliate link…just go to https://RVLifestyle.com/boondockerswelcome and you can lock in that special rate. We love Boondockers Welcome and we think you’ll find our interview with Marianne very interesting. Here’s a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland: Marianne Edwards. Thank you so much for joining us and welcome back to the podcast, it's been a while. Marianne Edwards: Great. Thanks for having me, Mike. Mike Wendland: Let's talk about Boondockers Welcome. It's been a couple, three years at least, since we've had you on and there are a lot of new listeners to the podcast. And a lot of RVers who started off in campgrounds and are growing increasingly disenchanted with that, and are attracted to the idea of getting out of those, I call them “tinaminium” complexes, that surrounded by all these monster RVs, 10 feet away from them. And why boondocking appeals and let's talk about Boondockers Welcome. First of all, exactly what is Boondockers Welcome? Marianne Edwards: Okay. It's a free overnight parking online service that matches up RVers with private property owners. Essentially we've been dubbed driveway surfing for RVers. So we have almost 2000 hosts across North America now who are able to open up a spot on their private property to allow traveling RVers to spend a night or two. It's not meant to be a destination place, but a night or two or three, up to five nights. Many of them, aside from boondocking, which is of course how we got the name, which just means dry camping and a free place to park. It's always free, they don't charge. But many of them also are able to extend electricity if they have it or water, about 75% of them are able to offer that as well. We do ask guests to offer to compensate a host for the cost to stay if they use those type of hookups. But otherwise, aside from joining the website and using it to find hosts, guests really are not paying anything for camping when they stay with those hosts. Mike Wendland: Tell us Marianne Edwards: But other than the free aspect ... Sorry, may I say, the best part is meeting the local people. Mike Wendland: Sure. Being friends, making new friends. Yeah. Marianne Edwards: Yeah, that's right. That's right. And they know the area. They can tell you where to go, what restaurant, lend you a tool maybe. Mike Wendland: Sure. What things to see. I've never heard of anybody that has stayed at a Boondockers Welcome place that hasn't come away with a new set of friends. But talk about what kind of places these are. This is private property, and where are they located and what do they range between?

This week in Episode 266 of the RV Podcast, we’ll meet Len and Sherrie Johnson, a remarkable California couple with quite a story to tell us, a story of a devastating injury from an airplane crash and a determination to embrace the RV Lifestyle afterwards despite the obstacles. You’ll be inspired by this couple! But also this week, lots of RV news, RV Tips and an off the beaten path report from the Burketts. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE This episode is being released on just before Halloween 2019 and it’s a time that many, or most of the campgrounds in the northern states and provinces have now pretty much shut down for the season. This is also the time for the first wave of the annual snowbird migration, when the frost and early snow flurries up north are sending tens of thousands of RVers flocking to southern states like Florida and Arizona. JENNIFER The second wave always happens right after Christmas as snowbird RVers who stayed home with family for the holidays head south to take advantage of those snowbird campground special seasonal rates, typically from Jan 1 through March 31. MIKE For those whose remain in the colder states, now is the time to make sure they winterize their RVs, draining out water and running antifreeze through the plumbing system. There are about as many ways to winterize an RV as their RVs but if you’re new to this, or maybe looking for some new ideas, head over to our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube, where we have put together a whole playlist of videos related to winterizing. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE RV LIFESTYLE WINTERIZING PLAYLIST ON YOUTUBE While we’re talking about the YouTube Channel, lets remind everyone that the best way to stay up to date on our videos and special YouTube reports is to subscribe. And when you do subscribe, be sure to click the little bell icon you’ll see there on YouTube to be notified as soon as we post new material, which we do all throughout the week. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE RV LIFESTYLE CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE JENNIFER We are coming to you this week from Florida, where we’ll be until about Thanksgving time. Among other things, we’re using this time to travel Florida’s Gulf Coast, from pretty much Naples up through Tallahassee, doing research for one of our 7 Day Adventure Guides. We’re actually planning two of them on Florida – one on the gulf, or west coast; the other on the Atlantic, or east coast. We hope to have those guides ready right after the holidays and they’ll be joining our growing library of RV travel guides. MIKE We have five of those 7-Day Adventure Guides already available… for the Michigan Upper Peninsula, for Utah, Colorado, Yellowstone National Park and the Adirondacks. Plus we have a guide on boondocking and how to buy an RV. We hope to get the new Florida guides out right around the first of the new year. CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON OUR LIBRARY OF RV LIFESTYLE GUIDES JENNIFER Besides the research for our Florida RV travel guides, we’ve been traveling around in our RV, visiting small southern towns and digging into the history of how they got their names. We’ll have a video on it in a couple weeks but it was another reminder to me about how much better it is traveling off the interstate on two lane roads. We’ve also forced ourselves to slow down and take our time as we travel through those small towns. They all have a story to tell and there are always fascinating things to see and do. 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 MIKE Fears rise over fate of Missing RVers near Padre Island, TX As this episode was being reported the RV community was intensely following the disappearance of a New Hampshire couple and the discovery of two bodies near where their truck and travel trailer were known to be camping. The truck and trailer were later spotted being driven across the border to Mexico with someone other than the owners at the wheel.  There have been at least five other disappearance cases in the same general area this fall and police were awaiting a complete forensic examination before releasing the names of the male and female body discovered this weekend buried in a sand dune on the beach. JENNIFER Extreme weather hits U.S. last weekend, be safe and be sure you are prepared Much of the country experienced extreme weather this last weekend, with strong winds, up to 80 or 90 mph in California, further fanning the already raging wildfires and resulting in massive power outages. Meanwhile in the southeast, starting around Mobile, Alabama, on up all the way into Michigan, strong winds and heavy rains brought downed trees and inches of rain through the weekend. We hope, wherever you find yourself, you are safe. And perhaps this is a good time for all of us to make sure we are watching the weather. Here is a report I did on our favorite weather apps for RVers. MIKE Woman purposely drives her RV into Las Vegas casino, seriously injuring janitor A woman was arrested over the weekend after she apparently drove her RV into a casino in Las Vegas, seriously injuring a janitor who was inside. The 50-year-old woman had been kicked out of the Cannery Casino, and was angry about that. She then intentionally drove her RV into the entrance of the casino, according to police, where she hit the 66-year-old janitor, trapping him underneath her vehicle. JENNIFER Off-road vehicles will NOT be permitted in Utah's national parks after all, in reversal of order that was about to take place The National Parks Service rescinded an order that would have allowed off-road vehicles into national parks in Utah one week before it was to take affect. ORV advocates were disappointed, saying if state laws permit ORV to go anywhere, that should include national parks. But conservation groups and others were thrilled at the reversal, saying that the vehicles already have tens of thousands of miles of dirt and other roads in Utah to ride and permitting them in the state's national parks would have been impossible to police, opening the parks up to potentially irreversible damage. MIKE Monarch butterflies arriving en masse to southern states - keep an eye out while camping Back in mid-September we shared the annual monarch migration, and how the popular flying creatures were being seen en masse in southern Canada and northern continental United States parks and areas. Now the monarchs are being spotted in large numbers in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Mississippi and other southern locations. If you find yourself camping in these areas this week, see if there are any festivals or special events planned, or check here for the latest on the annual migration. JENNIFER Washington releases list of more than 100 parks open for winter camping and activities  Live on the west coast and interested in doing some winter camping? The state of Washington recently released its list of more than 100 parks that will remain open this winter for camping or outdoor activities. As many long -ime readers know, we are big fans of winter camping. To see a video of a winter camping trip we made last January in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, click 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 QUESTION: Hello, Mike and Jennifer. This is Mark again from Austin, Texas. You may remember me. I called and left a question a good year or so ago and you guys were very helpful as well as many of your listeners. I wanted to ask a renewed question. We are just about to finally break ground on our RV park east of Austin. We've got all of our ducks in a row, but we're still making some last-minute decisions. So my question is pretty simple. How important is the pedestal? In other words we can spend $1,000 on a pedestal that looks like a little light house that I'm sure you've seen. Well we can suck $250 on a more generic one and put that extra money into more trees. So we were curious to know what you and what your listeners thought about how important that pedestal is. Is that something that you deeply appreciate when a park has spent more money on that or is it something that is kind of no big deal to you one way or the other dead. Thank You so much. Love your show have now listen to dozens and dozens and dozens of your episodes. Probably well over a hundred and enjoyed every time. All right. God bless. ANSWER We’ll ask our listeners to add their comments via. Post to the shownotes or leaving us a voice message but a pedestal is a pedestal. Go with the generic pedestal and invest the extra in landscaping. QUESTION: Hi, Mike, and Jennifer, this is Suzie calling from the road. My husband and I recently became a full-time RVer. We've been listening to and enjoying your podcast four years. In fact, it may have actually helped us decide to hit the road. Our question is about device today. We first heard about them on your podcast now. We've tried them and love them. We are very close to place your order with Rad, but we've recently seen two examples of signs forbidding e bikes on bike trails now. We're concerned that will get rid of our standard bikes and find that we're not going to be able to use re bikes on bike paths. Have you encountered this? Thanks in advance for your podcast and for your response. Have a great day. Bye. ANSWER: Good question. And yes, we have seen this. Most recently on Mackinac Island during a recent trip there. Technically, eBikes are allowed on the roads wherever regular bicycles are allowed. But individual locations can and do restrict their use from time to time.

This week on the podcast we are going to learn about the booming popularity among RVers of Electric Bikes and out special guest is Ty Collins, the marketing director of Rad Power Bikes. Regular listeners know that Rad Power Bikes has been a loyal sponsor of this podcast for years now. But my interview with Ty is not a commercial. I asked him to come on the show to answer so many of the questions I get from RVers about ebikes. Show Notes for Episode #265 Oct. 23, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER It's been another busy week of RV travel for us. Friends have joked that the day after we had the first frost of the fall, we were on the road headed to warmer climes. That's true! MIKE We are now on Okaloosa Island on the part of the Florida panhandle they call the Emerald Coat and we'll stay here pretty much through Thanksgiving, driving a few hours every Friday to Southwest Georgia where our so Matthew is a senior playing his last year of high school football. JENNIFER But though we surely love it down here (October and early November are fabulous months weather-wise on this part of Florida), we'll head back to Michigan for Thanksgiving and Christmas. MIKE And then it's our annual winter campout in the snow at Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan's snow-covered Upper Peninsula. The dates for the gathering are January 10-12, 2020. Here's a link to the details on our special RV Lifestyle Winter Campout group on Facebook. You have to join the group to read it but if you've never camped in the winter and want to try it out, request to join and you can join our winter fellow travelers. It's a ball. 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 Check out this interesting feature on the lone federal judge who oversees the wild court of Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is one of Mike and my favorite American national parks. It is just such a unique place - so I read with interest a story that ran yesterday on the federal judge who works there. The judge handles all those crazy cases we write about from time to time - people trying to pet elk, walk on geysers, harass bison, etc. The judge also handles the more mundane things like drunk driving, domestic violence, and other issues that come up. If you are a person like us who is fascinated by everything Yellowstone, the story is well worth the read. MIKE Haunted campgrounds sure to send chills up your spine  We've all heard of haunted houses, haunted corn mazes, but have you ever heard of a haunted campground? Outside magazine had an article on haunted campgrounds, just in time for Halloween. The story highlighted several campgrounds throughout the country that some considered haunted. Some of the places offer night time tours in late October. Halloween camping has become so popular many campgrounds sell out months in advance. JENNIFER Many express strong opposition at idea to privatize national park campgrounds and add WiFi, food trucks and other services As word spread of a proposal we shared with you last week to privatize campgrounds in some American national parks, so did opposition to the idea. An advisory committee recommended last week that American national parks turn to private companies to modernize the nation's campgrounds by adding WiFi, food trucks, limits to senior discounts, more rentals, etc. But opposition to these ideas is also rising, as various groups express concern saying they like getting away from modern life, enjoy the rustic feel, and are worried some would be priced out of updated, privatized campgrounds. This is a story we surely continue to be hearing more about in the weeks to come. MIKE Woman shares story of how her dog was possibly bit by bobcat when camping  Ever let your dog go off leash and run a bit on a camping trip? A woman was in the news last week after she went camping in northern Michigan, let her five dogs off leash at her camping spot, and when she came home noticed a strange bite pattern on one of her dog's neck. She took the pet to her vet and the vet told her the marks appeared to be those of a bobcat. The story is worth checking out, and a good reminder of how our pets can be at risk in ways we may not even consider. JENNIFER Human noise pollution becoming greater problem at national parks, researchers say Human noise is getting harder and harder to escape even in the nation's parks, according to a new report. In a fascinating story out last week, researchers discussed sound recordings they are making at the nation's parks, and how prevalent human noise is - even in the most remote locations. They are analyzing the recordings to discover how often sounds generated by humans can be heard. The idea of reducing your sound footprint is something we have heard about before, and the story touches on the impact human noises make on the environment - something most do not often consider. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From our 586-372-6990 Voicemail number: QUESTION: Hi, Mike, and Jennifer. My name is Sarah and I am from California and I do have a question for you…So my husband came to me about 5 months ago and said what would you think if we rented our house and we took a year… we took all four of our kids, bought a fifth wheel and a truck and toured the US.. and I said, okay. So hey, I've been doing a lot of research listening to a lot of podcasts specifically your Facebook group your YouTube channel and am just really trying to understand what this mean. I wanted to know if you guys have any special advice for us with traveling the US with four children. We are gonna be hitting about 31 national parks. A lot of the major cities. My children are ages fifteen thirteen nine and five. I know but we are super excited and I just want to make sure I have all my ground covered. So if there's anything you can give me advice on I would be so appreciative. Thank you. Bye. ANSWER: The first advice we have for you is to keep doing what you are doing, reading and watching everything you can and asking lots of questions, like on our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group. But I also recommend you join an RV Club. One in particular, though there are certainly a bunch – the FMCA, RVillage, for example. And both are great organizations. But the one I most recommend for you is the Escapees RV Club. It is absolutely perfect for fulltime RV families, which you will be. It can help you handle everything from mail, to putting you in touch with other RVers who Road School their kids as they travel, to finding ways to supplement your income on the road. It will also connect you with a group of instant friends, other young families who have been doing just what you are about to do and can help you along the way. Here’s our affiliate link to the Escapees Club [Full Disclaimer: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if your purchase a membership  through this link.] We did an interview a few months back on the RV Podcast with Travis and Melanie Carr, the leaders of the club and I think that will help you prepare a lot, too. You can hear the interview here RV clubs serve as a network of like-minded folks, offering support, encouragement, adventure and fun, usually with special perks and discounts for its members. 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 [Full Disclaimer: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if your purchase through this link.] RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK This week on the podcast we are going to learn about the booming popularity among RVers of Electric Bikes and out special guest is Ty Collins, the marketing director of Rad Power Bikes. Regular listeners know that Rad Power Bikes has been a loyal sponsor of this podcast for years now. But my interview with Ty is not a commercial. I asked him to come on the show to answer so many of the questions I get from RVers about the bikes. Here’s a transcript of the interview. Mike Wendland: Well Ty Collins, thank you, first of all, so much for being with us on the podcast. We're delighted to have you with us as we've been talking about Rad Power Bikes for years now. It's the first time I think we've had you on. Ty Collins: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, Mike. First off, thank you so much for having us. Any excuse to talk electric bikes, we'll gladly take it. Mike Wendland: Now, let's talk about them because as we notice every week, we are seeing ebikes, electric bikes, more and more as we travel across North America. So, let's sort of start as a primmer. I know a lot of our audience is either considering it or wondering now after seeing them if this is really what they need. So, maybe you can help answer some of the more common questions. Let's start with just that question, why are electric bikes so popular today,

This week, we have lots of RV news for you, plus an interview with one of the organizers of an event called Fulltime Freedom Week that brings together more than 30 top RVers to help teach you what you need yo totally embrace the RV Lifestyle, whether as a fulltimer or a successful vacation and weekend RVer. We also have a great off the beaten path report and a rundown on the major RV happenings this week. Show Notes for Episode #264 October 16, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We just returned from an awesome family getaway over a long weekend on Mackinac Island, where motorized vehicles like cars, trucks, motorcycles and RVs are not permitted. Walking, horse drawn carriages and bicycles are the way most people get around the 8.3 mile island and we had a ball. The weather was cool, brisk and a little rainy at times. High waves on Lake Huron washed over the road in a couple spots. But we rode bikes around and through the island, toured the attractions and had a ball. And yes, there were frequent fudge breaks (Mackinac Island is famous for fudge)! Look for a video in a couple weeks. As this podcast is being released, we expect to be on the road again, this time headed once again for Florida, by way of our grandson Matthew’s football games in southwest Georgia. We expect to attend as many as we can, hanging out at our condo on Okaloosa Island and also traveling Florida to do some research for some upcoming 7 day Adventure Guides we hope to publish right after the holidays. You can get info about the five we already have published at https://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 JENNIFER Smoking banned on California state parks and beaches under new law  Planning to light up on a California beach? Better think again. Starting Jan. 1 smoking is banned in all California state parks and beaches in an effort to reduce wildfire risks, pollution and liter. The smoking ban includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, vaping devices “or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation.”  Makes me wonder what other states will be next. MIKE Committee recommends National Parks Service privatize campgrounds, limit senior discounts and more to raise money   An advisory committee is recommending the national park service privatize campgrounds in the national parks, limit senior citizen benefits and allow food trucks into the parks as a way to bring in new money. The committee said the campgrounds have outmoded infrastructure, and not enough funds to keep up with demands. The committee also wants to have senior discount blackout periods to bring in more money. You can bet this idea will stir up some heated debate! JENNIFER Keep your distance from the elk park service warns visitors in North Carolina and Tennessee The National Park Service is warning visitors to national parks in North Carolina and Tennessee to beware of elk. Elk were reintroduced to the area in 2001-2002 after over hunting and loss of habitat had eliminated them. But since their reintroduction, their numbers have grown significantly. The NPS last week urged visitors to keep their distance, because they have been know to be aggressive and charge when they feel threatened. MIKE Dog saves sleeping couple after fire breaks out in their travel trailer  A dog saved a couple who were asleep in their camper in the middle of the night when a fire broke out last weekend. The couple were camping in Pinellas Park, Florida, sound asleep, when their dog woke them up. The couple told officials they felt heat, looked around, saw the fire and were able to escape with their dog. A second travel trailer also caught on fire, but the owner was not at home. No one was hurt in the blaze. JENNIFER Holly, the bear, wins Katmai's fattest bear contest for 2019 Last year we interviewed a ranger at Katmai National Park & Preserve (listen here) to learn more about the Alaska park's amazing bears. So, when we heard about this year's fattest bear contest at Katmai, we had to share. Since 2014 the park has organized a "fattest bear" contest where the public can vote. People view pictures of how specific bears looked in the spring, and how they looked in the fall after gorging on salmon all season long, and cast their votes. Bears need to fatten up for hibernation, and the whole contest is a fun way to educate the public on the park's bears. This year's winner was Holly, and you can see her for yourself here, she is one plump creature. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Listener Don called in to offer a name suggestion for our RV… as we talked about last week. He thinks we should call it Bowie… named after our dog, Bo, we suppose. Hmmm. We’ll think about that. By email from a listener named Bob: QUESTION: Do you tow a vehicle with your RV? ANSWER: No, we never have and don’t plan to. Between our ebikes and just picking up and driving the RV whenever and wherever we want to go, we never had a need to go to the expense and hassle of towing a car. 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 Camille Attelle of More than a Wheelin' is one of the organizers of Fulltime Freedom Week Have you been dreaming of the RV Lifestyle, ether as a fulltimer, a vacation timer or a weekend warrior? But maybe you don’t know how to start? What you need to do to find and buy an RV…how to manage mail…what to pack…what kind of maintenance will be required…or how to find work you can do from the road? Well, coming up November 5-8, 2019 is an event we want to tell you about called Fulltime Freedom Week and for would be RVers, this can save you a lot of time. It taps into the knowledge of 30 top RVers and the best part is you can get a free pass to the whole event. Our guest this week on the podcast is one of the organizers, Camille Atell, who with husband Bryce, runs the RV travel blog More Than A Wheelin'  Here’s a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Well, as I said, you know Camille Attell from her website, More Than a Wheelin' and she is a key part of the Full-Time Freedom Week event. This is the third one coming up. And for full-timers and would-be full-timers, this is something I think that you really want to pay attention to because if you've been dreaming about RVing and spending hours researching, this is going to help you make it a reality. Camille, welcome to the podcast. Camille Attell:               Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Mike Wendland:           Well, we're excited to have you because this is the year-long goal for a lot of people. They started this year saying, "I'm going to be a full-time RVer," or they're looking... Some of them have been dreaming about this for years. Camille Attell:               Yeah. Mike Wendland:           Tell us about this event and how... Why will just this event help them get off their sofa and get in the RV? Camille Attell:               Absolutely. Well, so you mentioned Full-Time Freedom Week. That's the official title. And I'm sure you'll link to it in your notes. And so this is a third-year event that friends of mine and I have designed. We're all full-time RVers, but we've designed this event not only for people who want to full-time, but really who want to live an RV lifestyle their way. So it's kind of like a full-time mindset. It doesn't mean you have to live on the road forever, or you have to give up your house. You can, and we'll certainly provide content to teach you that, but we provide content that will help you figure out how to make it happen, how to find the right RV, what you need to know before you get in the RV, how to stay in that RV. Everything from maintenance to lifestyle decisions when you RV, where to find camping, how to work from your RV, finding a community and so much more, Mike. We've packed it full of everything you could ever imagine to start RVing and stay RVing. Mike Wendland:           Well, explain how this works. People have heard about blog series and digital summits and all that kind of stuff, but how is this, how is this structured? How does someone partake of Full-Time Freedom WeeK? What will they get out of it? Camille Attell:               Yeah, so I'm so glad you mentioned that because there are some amazing blogs and vlogs and podcasts, like yours, out there where people can go and learn all kinds of things. So what we've done is we've pulled together some of the best out there. We've got over 30 RV experts over four days. We even have some amazing partners that are joining us, different brands, and we make it all available online. So you don't have to go anywhere, you don't have to drive your RV,

This week, we talk to RV salesman who has become a celebrity video star with a huge following you’d never have expected from the first video shot almost a decade ago He is Dean Corrigal, from Leisure Travel Vans, who shares with us how he became a YouTube star in his own right and therefore the most popular RV Salesman in all of North America We have lots of RV News for you, answer your questions, share some RV tips and trips, including a great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #263 October 9, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We're just back from the California RV Show, held at the California Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. We met so many of our followers and really enjoyed this show, the biggest in the West. Look for a full video on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel this Thursday. This week we head up to Mackinac Island n a short family vacation. 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 Growing popularity of Glacier National Park triggering new plans to manage crowds  Long time readers know we love Glacier National Park, so it was with great interest we read a story out last week about the Park Service's concern in how to deal with the growing popularity of the park. Nearly 3.5 million people visit the park each year, which is three times the population of Montana. The growing crowds are causing extreme gridlock, parking lot congestion, and many other challenges. One of the options under consideration is a shuttle system. Glacier is one of our favorite national parks, with wildlife and views that are spectacular. To get a glimpse of what makes it so special, see one of our videos of a gathering we held at Glacier here. MIKE Man severely burned after falling into hot spring near Yellowstone's Old Faithful geyser  A man was severely burned at Yellowstone National Park last week after he fell into a hot spring at the Old Faithful geyser. The man told rangers he went for a walk after dark without a flashlight and fell into the thermal water. But rangers found the man's shoe, hat and a beer can and footprints leading to and from the geyser. The matter is now being investigated and the man is recovering at a local hospital. JENNIFER Park service seeks to know why so many wolves relocated to Isle Royale die We have shared with you before the year-plus effort by the National Park Service to repopulate remote Isle Royale National Park in Michigan's upper peninsula with wolves. The island is overrun with moose, which are wreaking havoc on its ecosystem, and its once thriving wolf population which used to keep them in check is dying out, down to just one male and one female, both aging. But as the park service has captured and released wolves from Minnesota, Michigan and Ontario, Canada, on the island, three have died shortly after their release and one walked across the frozen ice to return to the mainland last winter. This interesting article explores what scientists are doing to try to determine why. MIKE Man dies at Idaho campground after fifth wheel falls on him  A 71-year-old man died last week in an Idaho campground when his RV fell on top of him. The man was jacking up his fifth wheel trailer when it fell on top of him, trapping him underneath. Others at the campground freed the man and started CPR until first responders arrived. He died at the scene. The man was camping at the Snake River RV Park and Campground. JENNIFER Wildfires in New Mexico's Carson National Forest burning near El Rito Wildfires in New Mexico last week were reported near the El Rito Campground in the Carson National Forest and were still burning as of this writing. The cause of the fires is unknown and is near the city of El Rito. If you're planning to head that way to camp, be sure to check ahead. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK QUESTION: I am going to purchase a Class A RV in the near future and after reading your guide about the loss of value as soon as you drive a new rig off the lot, I want to buy a low time used RV.  My question:  Are there "buyer brokers" that could find me the best value for the money that I could "contract" with, that would really just represent my best interests?   Are there knowledgeable buyer  brokers out there  that will be completely subjective as to my needs and not have a "seller" agenda?  If you know, I would appreciate your advice about this and how I would find one.  Thanks, Gary ANSWER: I know of no such person or company that does that, though some dealerships may claim to do so, their first interest is always in selling their company’s inventory and not that of a private seller or the units on a competing dealers lots. There’s no way t get out of doing your own careful shopping and searching for TVs that meet your needs. We can help with ur RV Buyer’s Guide ebook and once you narrow your search down to a coiple of prospects, our best advice is to hite a qualified RV Inspector. Go to the National RV Inspectors Association website https://nrvia.org/ and you’ll find a search form that will locate the closest certified inspector to you. QUESTION: Ran into your youtube channel and love you both!!  I'm probably 10 years from purchasing a new RV, but hope to rent one for some upcoming vacations.  I'm intrigued by Leisure Travel Vans, but my question would be is demand going to outweigh supplies?  All the research I do says that finding a LTV is going to be a long wait - and renting one seems even more unlikely. Thanks for your work - you guys are very informative and oh so cute! Dan ANSWER: For popular RVs like those made by LTV, it is a seller’s market, Demand really outstrips supply. It takes 8 to 10 months from the time you put in your order until the RV is built and delivered to you. There are several private companies that do rent out RVs. To see if you can rent one of the make and model you want, try https://www.outdoorsy.com/ or https://rvshare.com/  But let me also tell you that there is also a huge demand for RVs to be rented. That’s one of the reasons we have our RV Renting School course. More info can be found at https://rvlifestyle.com/rentingschool  Finally, you say you won’t be buying for 10 years. A lot will change in the RV industry in that time. But by buying an RV now, and then renting ot out, you can literally have the RV pay for itself. That then gives you the enjoyment of using it now, whenever you want, then renting it out and earning income from it when you’re not using it. 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 One of our most favorite characters in the RV industry is Dean Corrigal, the very enthusiastic on camera spokesman for Leisure Travel Vans. Over the past few years, Dean has become the most popular RV Salesman in North America. His on camera tours of his company’s RVs have been watched more than 31 million times and the channel has over 136,000 subscribers. Dean has become not only the best-known RV salesman in North America, but a full-fledged celebrity in his own right. He’s also a terrific guy who we’ve gotten to now well over the years as we’ve encountered him at various RV shows. Last week at the California RV Show in Fontana, we got him to come in to the display a little earlier, before the public arrived, and to sit down for an interview about how it all began and what it’s like being a celebrity salesman. Here’s a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Well, we're sitting in a brand new Leisure Travel Van, and this is the first time I think I've ever seen Dean sit down at an RV show, but we had to come early because once it starts, there you go. Dean Corrigal:               That's right. Mike Wendland:           Thank you for spending some time with us. Dean Corrigal:               No problem. Thank you for having me. Sounds fun. Mike Wendland:           What we want to know is about Dean. Tell us about Dean Corrigal. How did you get into this business and how did you become this guru of doing RV video tours? Dean Corrigal:               You know, kind of a funny thing, I started selling RVs at a retail lot back in the '90s and the factory reps would come in and I thought, oh, they were pretty cool. They didn't have to set up the show, they go out, drinks for the guys after the show. I thought, "Oh, I should be an RV rep, that's way more fun." Be careful for what you wish for, right, because then you get it. The video thing just came out of necessity, we were coming out of that recession, '08, '09. I mean, half the RV dealers in the US went bankrupt, GE cut off all the flooring plan money. We had just come out with the new Unity model and we didn't know how we were going to sell it. So Ryan,

This week we talk about the RV industry’s efforts to do something about its biggest scandal… the unacceptable 21-day delay average to get an RV repaired at an RV dealership or service center. There is and has been a desperate need for trained RV technicians. But with the opening of a special training facility last week in Elkhart Indiana, we finally have some good news to talk about that will mean that you as an RV owner will soon be able to get your RV serviced in an acceptable amount of time. Plus, RV News of the Week, your RV Lifestyle questions, Tips and a great off the beaten path report. Show Notes for Episode #262 Oct. 2, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE We’re just back from a very busy week at the annual RV Dealers Open House week in Elkhart, IN. We have a full and complete video of the show waiting for you on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel JENNIFER This week finds us headed to the California RV Show. This is an awesome show, the biggest on the west coast and one of the biggest in the nation. It will be held at the Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana, CA. MIKE This is a new and larger facility for this amazing show and it offers free parking now, instead of the $15 parking fee there used to be at its previous location in Pomona. Jennifer and I will be there that this weekend and we’ll be doing meetups Friday and Saturday, Oct. 4 and 5. You can get tickets and learn more at https://www.californiarvshow.org/  JENNIFER Friday and Saturday afternoon, from 1:30-4PM, we'll be hanging out at the Leisure Travel Vans Display. From 11am-1PM Saturday, we'll also be at the Camp California/Campground Views display area. The rest of the time, we'll be wandering about shooting videos. We look forward to meeting you! MIKE We realize that everyone can’t attend the California show. But we are in the heart of the RV show season this fall and there ar a whole bunch. At then end of this podcast we will have the RV calendar of events that lists what’s coming this weekend across the country…and of course we have links to them all on the shownotes at rvlifestyle.com/261. But RV shows are the best way to find the perfect RV or get ideas on how you and equip and accessorize yours. Plus they are just a lot of fun. JENNIFER Can you believe it is October already? It’s my favorite month. I love the bright colors of the trees, especially in Northern Michigan where we’ll be heading right after we return from California. In the upper Midwest, we can have either beautiful Indian summer or freezing rain and snow flurries. So we’re hoping for Indian summer. MIKE Did you notice that last weekend in Montana, our favorite part of Glacier National park near the Many Glaciers are received four feet of snow? That is early. And on our early morning walks with Bo, we’re seeing lots of wooly bear caterpillars, which have the reputation of being able to forecast the coming winter weather. Whether this is fact or folklore, we don’t know, but supposedly the wider the rusty brown sections there are, the milder the coming winter will be. The more black there is, the more severe the winter. The ones I’ve seen have way, way more black. JENNIFER I suppose this is a good time to remind everyone of our upcoming annual winter campout at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The dates are January 9-12, 2020 and already, we have 40 brave souls signed up to come and play in the snow with us. MIKE This will be the sixth year we have gathered up there in the beautiful UP. This is an informal gathering, which means you have to make your own reservations with the Michigan DNR. Go to their website at https://midnrreservations.com/. Book the dates you want (some of us are coming Thursday, some are even staying over to Monday). After you make your reservation, be sure to join our special winter campout Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1697339513886451/and introduce yourself and tell us what site you booked. All communication, announcements, etc as we get close to the date will be done through that group. You have to ask to join it but we’ll approve you right away. JENNIFER They better hurry though because at the rate people are signing up so early, it looks like this one may fill up fast. By the way, we don’t charge or make a cent from this. It’s just for fun… and that we certainly do with snow shoeing, hiking, exploring and hanging around roaring campfires. It’s one of my very favorite things we do each year. 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 Bull elk charges woman, knocking her down, at Rocky Mountain National Park News out of Rocky Mountain National Park this week is a good reminder for all of us to stay away from elk during mating season - which is happening now. The other day a woman in the Colorado park was charged by a bull elk who knocked her down and repeatedly charged her with his antlers. A worker drove a pick-up truck on to the sidewalk to get between her and the elk, and then the animal charged the truck. Bull elk can be extremely territorial during mating season so remember- keep your distance. MIKE New policy permits off-road vehicles to drive roads in Utah's national parks, causing conservationists to predict policing nightmare Off-road vehicles like ATVs and UTVs will be allowed in Utah National Parks beginning Nov. 1 under a policy change that was apparently made without public input, and has made plenty of people mad. The new policy requires Utah's national park superintendents to have their laws agree with Utah state laws which permit off road vehicles on main access and back access roads as long as the off-road vehicles are equipped with standard safety features, registered and insured. A national parks spokeswoman was quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune saying this does not mean people can take their off-road vehicles off the roads. But conservation groups say this is creating an enforcement nightmare because these vehicles are designed to go off-road, and it is impossible to ensure everyone follows the law. Conservationists and critics say the ATVs are loud, and if people do go off road, they will cause unnecessary damage to land considered a national treasure. JENNIFER Michigan family budgets $2,500 for camping fees during trip out west, spends just $33 thanks to boondocking A Michigan paper ran a feature story on a family who budgeted $2,500 in campground charges for a trip west but spent just $33. Why the big savings? Boondocking. The family researched how boondocking works, and details in the article how they saved money by camping on public land, Boondockers Welcome sites, Walmart or Cabela parking lots, and more. The article was a fun read, and really shows how much can be saved by using for free or low cost camping options. If you are interested in learning more, we wrote a full guide on boondocking that could be checked out here. MIKE Canada's Liberal Party promising free camping for all qualifying low income kids and their families if reelected Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made news last week when pledging, if his federal Liberal Party is reelected, to expand a "Learn to Camp" program. The expansion would provide funding so up to 75,000 low income kids could go on an all expense paid camping trip with their families for up to four days in one of the country's national or provincial parks each year. They would also teach kids camping skills by eight grade in the program. JENNIFER Buffalo Roundup at South Dakota's Custer State Park attracts 25,000 visitors Last weekend's buffalo roundup at Custer State Park attracted 25,000 spectators to the annual event that counted 1,460 buffalo. The South Dakota State Park brings in riders on horseback to corral the animals where they are given a health check, counted, and separated. This year 470 will be sent to auction in November. The park sets a goal of 1,000 wild buffalo in the 71,000 acre state park to maintain the ecological balance. Custer State Park consistently ranks as one of the best state parks in the country. Here is a story we posted from a visit many years ago. EDI EDIT EDIT This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK QUESTION: Hi, Mike and Jennifer, it's Chris calling from Pennsylvania. My wife and I just upgraded from a pop up to a beautiful new travel trailer and I had some questions actually just one major question regarding insurance. I was wondering if you can help me understand a little bit about how Insurance works on an RV. I know that when you have insurance on a vehicle it may cover the trailer or not. I'm not exactly certain and also what I'm hoping to find is a policy that in the case of an accident or destruction of the RV and some sort of tragic event. It would replace or cover the replacement cost. Not just the value. Say the Blue Book value like on a used car. So I was wondering if you had some maybe some suggestions about insurance, and that's how best to ensure your RV to make sure that it's covered. Thanks. Mike and Jennifer. I love the podcast. I can't wait to hear your answer. ANSWER: Our Best advice is to all the experts at lecreation Insurance Specialists - http://rvlifestyle.com/insurance  They have access to comprehensive RV insurance options with specialized coverages like Total Loss Replacement, Agreed Value, Scheduled Personal Property and Secured Storage. They can provide specialized coverage for harder to place insurance such as full-timers,

.This week we learn all about RV Renting School, which is a way to earn money with your RV -  so much money, in fact that your RV can actually pay for itself. We’ll talk about the ins and outs of renting your RV, choosing insurance, wear and tear and why this option is a great choice for many. Show Notes for Episode #261 Sept. 25, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK This episode of the podcast was recorded on location at RV Dealer Open House in Elkhart Indiana. We shared the background of the event, the things we’ve seen and how, once it ends on Thursday, RV dealer Open House will have seen almost $2 billion worth of business written for the 2020 season. Our Opening segment is sponsored by Dish Outdoors, which lets you take HD satellite TV in your RV. To get more information and a special discount, go to our special link – https://rvlifestyle.com/dish RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER If you're planning to camp this fall during peak color, be sure to check out this website Fall has officially arrived, and so has fall color in parts of the country. Several websites exist to help you track fall color nationally, so you can plan your fall camping during the times when color is at its peak. Several places in the country are already starting to see substantial color such as Michigan's upper peninsula, northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and certain pockets of Idaho, Colorado, and other high altitude locations out west. Click the link in the headline above. MIKE Check out this list of "can't miss" hikes at each of the 61 U.S. national parks For those of you who love to hike in the national parks, an article out last week highlighted one author's "can't miss" hikes in all 61 of the U.S. national parks. Some of the hikes are a simple 1.5 mile loop, like the one suggested for Badlands National Park, or two miles recommended at Canyonlands, but others are much more intense. For example, the article recommends a 23-mile one way hike at Bryce Canyon in Utah, or a 11.5 mile loop at Yosemite. Jennifer and I have favorite hikes at some of national parks that did not make this list. Here is our favorite hike at Yellowstone. JENNIFER South Dakota considering raising its state campground costs to bring in new revenue to repair state parks damaged by flooding South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission is considering raising the fees it charges for camping and entering its parks as it faces $8 million in flood damage costs. Floods have ravaged the state this year, and its parks system has needed to down trees, fix shorted electrical pedestals and washed out roads and campsites. Under the proposed changes, the daily park entrance fee would rise from $6 to $8, and camping fees would increase to $20 per night for modern campgrounds, $15 for tent only sites. The fees are among several increased costs under consideration that state officials estimate would bring in about $3 million in additional revenue annually. A decision on the proposal is expected by early October. MKE Visit a national park for free this Saturday, and maybe join a volunteer project  If you find yourself near a national park this Saturday, Sept. 28, be sure to drop in because the price of admission is free. Every fourth Saturday in September the national parks waive admission in honor of National Public Lands Day. Many of the national parks will also have volunteer projects going on that day, though the price of admission is waived whether you are entering to volunteer or just enjoy the land. JENNIFER Tour bus filled with Chinese tourists crashes outside Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park, causing 4 fatalities A bus full of tourists from China crashed outside Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah last weekend, killing four and critically injuring five others. The bus crash happened about 3.5 miles outside the park, and apparently the bus driver may have over corrected, after drifting a bit, causing the bus to roll. Early reports told of other drivers stopping, offering help, as first responders and volunteers arrived from all over the 4,500 resident community. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK I was curious if you had CB radio installed it and what kind you got the location that it was mounted and also the antenna mounts if you could cover some of that. Yes Mike, this is Jack Condrey. I live in Charleston, South Carolina. I'm answering your question about what you like about your RV. I have a 2018 team Pleasure-Way Lexor. It's about 21 feet long. I think it's 20 ft 11 inches. I like the size of the RV. It's very Park Abuja. I like the gas generator. It's not propane. So I never have to worry about refilling the propane to run the generator. I like the solar panels at 5 p.m. Batteries. I've never had trouble with running out of battery. I like the comfortable couch. It makes a very comfortable bed. I'm six foot to the couch is six foot three inches long so I can fit in it without having to bend my legs. It has a large refrigerator fiv- foot cubic inches are 5 whatever i v e Or not five feet five cubic feet I believe is the size and then the pleasure right quality is is very good. The thing I don't like about it is the driver's seat, I'm not able to scoot it back far enough for my comfort and the it's to erect it's to the the back part of the seat on the driver's seat doesn't allow me to recline and that's because the cabinets are pushed forward. They fix that now in the 2019 version where they've scooted all the the bathroom and wash everything back but mine is not that way so it's not comfortable in the driver's seat. But I do also frustrated with the refrigerator. It's a three-way. It doesn't always keep it as cool as I like. We're in a very hot climate, but the overall I'm very satisfied with the pleasure way Lex or basically because it's driveable I use it as a second vehicle wage. To work. I take a nap in it at lunch. So anyway, hope this helps you and thank you for your podcast and your I love watching you on YouTube. So I hope this helps. Thank you, bye-bye. 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 we learn all about RV Renting School, which is a way to earn money with your RV… so much money, in fact that your RV can actually pay for itself. We’ll talk about the ins and outs of renting your RV, choosing insurance, wear and tear and why this option is a great choice for many, Our guest is Josh Whitford, part of our RV Lifestyle marketing team, and he has a lot to say, including a case study on what happened this summer when he and his wife bought a brand new Winnebago Travato RV and started renting it out. We welcome Josh to the program as he shares his experience and the exciting way RV Renting School can help others to earn some extra money and help pay for the RV lifestyle they want to enjoy Mike Wendland: So, let's learn all about RV Renting School. Joining us now from our RV Lifestyle Community is Josh Whitford, and Josh, this is a pretty exciting thing to talk about for people who are in the RV Lifestyle Community. Josh Whitford: Yeah. Excited to be here, excited to talk about renting RVs. Mike Wendland: Now, there's lots of places where people can rent them and rent through them, but this is the first, as I can find out anywhere, the first renting school aimed solely at RVers who have an RV or maybe they're going to buy one RV and they want to have some help. Who is this for? Let's talk about that. I identified a couple of audiences there, but who is this a renting school, RV Renting School, for? Josh Whitford: I think there's really two types of people that could benefit from the RV Renting School. One is people who already have an RV and maybe they're not full-timers or they don't get to travel as much as they would like or get to use their unit, and it kind of sits there idly for a few weeks or few months out of the year. This is a great way for people in that scenario to earn some additional revenue and cover some payments, if not a lot of the payments that they might have on the unit if they do have payments, and if they don't, maybe just generate a little extra revenue in general. Josh Whitford: Then I would say where this could be of great value is somebody who's looking to get into an RV. Maybe the timing isn't right because they haven't retired yet and they're planning on picking one up closer to retirement, or maybe finances are little bit more of a concern than they would like or feel comfortable with. In that scenario, this is really helpful and opening up some additional options or people looking to get into an RV and go, "How could I cover some of the payments so I'm not completely eating the full cost of this, or how could I get into a unit that's maybe a little bit better than I want to stretch for at this moment?" Josh and Lindsay in front of their rental Travato Josh Whitford: Through renting in general, you'd be able to pick up some additional revenue, and the course is really designed to help you optimize that.

One of the first accessories many RVers consider is a cellular booster, to help pull in cell phone signals for Internet connectivity when visiting remote places. That's what we talk about in the RV Podcast Interview of the Week. You'll meet Brett Beatty, the product manager for weboost, probably the leading company out there making cellular booster kits for RVers. Brett will tell us what a booster can and cannot do for you and he’ll share details on the company’s latest system aimed at the RV market. Plus, lots of your questions and comments, RV News, RV tips and a great of the neaten path report from the Burketts. But first my lifelong traveling companion and my bride, Jennifer. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE The fall RV Show season is officially underway. At the end of this podcast, tell you about all the RV shows around the country. It will be like this for a couple months ago and I hope you can attend one near you. JENNIFER This week Hershey, PA hosts the annual event they call "America's Largest RV Show." While it may or may not be the largest (a couple of other big shows claim to be larger), there is no doubt Hershey is HUGE. Mike and I will be there for several days. You might see us in different parts of the show Thursday and Friday as we work on various videos. If so, come say hello. We'll be posting lots of updates on and Facebook. And from 1-3PM Saturday, we'll be doing an official meet and greet at the Leisure Travel Vans display. So please come by and say hi. MIKE With so many people shopping for an RV and visiting shows this time of year, I want to suggest you check out our 70-plus page RV Buying Secrets ebook. It offers a step-by-step guide to buying what for many is the second most expensive purchase they will ever make after buying a house. For more information on our instantly available RV Buying Secrets ebook, click here - https://rvlifestyle.com/buy In the book, we share our experience in how to negotiate the best price, what salesperson "upsells" you should say no to, how to get the best insurance price and coverage, the hidden costs of buying an RV and lots of additional tips and tools to save you time and money and get the right RV for you at the right price. We know it will really help you buy wisely, whether you're purchasing a new unit off the lot or at an RV show, ordering one direct from the manufacturer or buying a used RV from a dealer or private seller. JENNIFER Before we turn to the news of the week, I have a great tip I want to pass along that came from one of our subscribers on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel.  A subscriber named Lucille saw on one of our videos the paper towel starting to unwind on the roll behind is. A good way to prevent that from happening, Lucille says, is to use a push pin in the paper towels. What a great tip Lucille! Thanks for sending that in! It was so simple yet practical that I in turn had to share it with our podcast audience. We’re Fellow Travelers in this RV Lifestyle and I love getting your tips! Keep them coming. A good way to do that is to phone them in on our Voicemail number… just call 586-372-6990. Again, that’s 586-372-6990. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Olympic National Park conducting more search and rescues this year, triggering reminder for visitors to be prepared Park rangers in Washington's Olympic National Park are trying to get a message out to visitors - if you come to visit, be sure you're prepared! Why the seemingly obvious message? This year there is a rise in search and rescues - 71 as of Labor Day, while typically there are 50 to 60 the entire year. The weather on the mountains often changes, so even if you are camping or just planning a short hike, be sure to bring navigational tools, sunscreen, warm clothes, food, water and first aid supplies. The story made me think of an interview we did some time back on hiking safety with a hiker from the West Coast. (To listen click here.) No matter how short your hike, the tips are a good reminder to be prepared. MIKE Burt's Bees founder renovating ocean campground so it keeps wilderness feel  I am always interested hearing the thought process that goes into the development of new campgrounds. So that is why a story out of Maine caught my eye and I had to share. The founder of Burt's Bees purchased an abandoned campground on the ocean in Maine several years ago that she is slowly renovating. The campground sounds like one Jen and I would like to visit when it is is finished. Each spot is being designed to give the illusion you are the only one there, with careful attention to keeping the woods and ocean views and overall wilderness experience. A top architect is designing the whole thing, so hopefully it will be affordable when it eventually opens, but we love Maine, and this piece of land sounds beautiful. JENNIFER Hiker falls to death at Yosemite National Park A 29-year-old woman died last week after falling 500 feet to her death while climbing the Half Dome at Yosemite National Park. The hike requires a permit, and applicants enter a lottery to be one of 300 chosen to do the dangerous hike each day. The hike is a 14 to 16 mile round trip and it requires a cable climb at one point. The Arizona woman fell on the cable part of the hike, and was pronounced dead by park rangers who found her. The incident is under investigation. MIKE Camper van concept vehicle unveiled in Dusseldorf amazing in its modern look, features A story out last week on a concept van showcased at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon made by the Erwin Hymer Group was so cool, we had to to share it with you. This van called the Vision Venture is built on a Mercedes chassis and has stairs to an upstairs level where the bed is kept. The lower level boasts a modern, modular look, with a mixture of grey felt, leather, and a variety of textures and colors. It reminded me of a small apartment with sofas, a table, a work station, a bathroom and shower, and much more. While many of the vans showed in Europe are not available in North America, the concepts found there often make their way to this side to the Atlantic,  and in any case, or anyone who appreciates a Class B or Class B-plus, it is worth checking out. JENNIFER Canada's Whistlers Campground at Jasper National Park to remain closed for 2020 season  Canada's Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park will be closed all of the 2020 season because of renovations, Parks Canada announced last week. The popular campground was closed all of this season, too, and was expected to open next near but the work is taking longer than anticipated so it will be closed all of the 2020 season. Park officials are installing 17 combined new showers and bathrooms to the 800 site campground among other things. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping .Mention RVLifestyle at checkout for an additional $75 off. Plus free shipping on all their bike models  Use the coupon code rvlifestyle for an additional $75 off at Visit RadPowerBikes.com LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK QUESTION: Hey Mike, Jen and Bo. Just calling to say you guys doing a great job with your podcast and everything else that you guys do quick question for you. And it's pertaining to all RVs, but especially pop-ups seeing we're coming to the shoulder season of fall and then into winter time. What would be the best route to winterize the pop-up not in a garage. So if I was storing it outside, you know, I hear things about condensation if you're completely tarped up and then they of course sell all these different rving pop-up covers a car covers and so on and so forth. If you can just give me some information on an experience that you have and that would be great once again doing a great job. ANSWER: Never use a tarp! You should cover your RV but not with the type of tarp you're thinking of. The traditional blue tarp may do more harm than good when used to cover your vehicle and here’s why. Traditional blue tarps are not breathable and can hold onto or trap moisture while your vehicle is stored. This moisture can leak into the RV or freeze and expand and can cause damage to your vehicle. Most people will also need to use bungees or ropes to secure the tarp to the vehicle. These ropes may shift and flap in the wind or rub against the RV body causing damage. The tarp itself may fray, shred, blow off, or shift, which can cause issues. Instead invest in an RV cover that protects your investment and help keep it from aging from the sun’s rays. The sun’s UV radiation can harm your RV by fading color, peeling paint, cracking components and more. Make sure your covering of choice will block out UV radiation, just because something blocks light does not mean that it blocks ultraviolet radiation. RV-specific covers are waterproof but still breathable. Millions of tiny pores are big enough to allow water vapor and moisture to evaporate off the RV body but too small for water droplets to penetrate. This means you don’t have to worry about condensation collecting below the covering and causing damage. QUESTION: Okay, Mike and Jennifer. I have I'm kind of a weird question. It kind of occurred to me. Do you ever run your generator while your RV is on the road to keep the top the top Air Conditioner going or the electricity going in the rig while you're on the road? Have you ever done that? If people do that is that something is supposed to happen? Thanks. ANSWER: Many RVers do and it is perfectly safe to run the RV generator while driving your RV. However, there are a couple of things you should know to make sure you don’t have any problems. If the generator is propane fueled then you will need to be aware of state or local laws which may prohibit the use of propane while driving.

One of the biggest frustrations we hear from RVers is how difficult and expensive it is to find an RV camping spot, particularly without advance reservations. People are always surprised to learn that, very rarely do Jennifer and I make advance reservations. Yet we almost always find a great spot, whether boondocking or in a commercial or government run campground. Our guest in the interview of the week segment for this episode is Mark Koep, a fulltime RVer who travels with his family in a 44-foot RV. Mark seldom makes reservations either, even though finding spots for his big rig are more challenging than Jennifer and I experience. Mark runs an awesome and totally free website called Campgroundviews.com that makes it easy to find that perfect campsite… without advance reservations. I asked Mark to break it down for us, step-by-step, to show us just how it works. AZLso this week... lots of RV News… RV Lifestyle tips, Q&A and a great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #258 September 4, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We’re coming to you this week from the beautiful Emerald Coast in the Northwest Florida panhandle. We had a great meet and greet gathering Sunday in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The weather has been very hot and humid but very beautiful. We’re getting ready for the fall RV show season. It starts next week in Hershey, PA, where we’ll be attending what is billed as America’s Largest RV Show. We’ll be looking at all the new RVs and doing meet and greets. If you’re attending Hershey we’ll be hanging out with our friends at the Leisure Travel Vans display there so come by and say hello. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Electric bikes now permitted on national park trails under new presidential order  Did you hear that electric bikes will soon be permitted on trails in the U.S. National Parks? Last week President Donald Trump signed an order permitting e-bikes to be classified the same as bicycles so they can go on every federal trail regular bikes use. E-bikes are bicycles that are powered by petals and a battery to assist people who are older, have a disability, or maybe would just like a little assistance with pedaling. The move was opposed by many hiking, horse-riding and other outdoor groups who are concerned the electric powered bikes would cause people to go too fast and fundamentally change the experience on the trails. Personally Jennifer and I have had Rad Power Bikes for some time and we really enjoy them. We use them as regular bicycles, and only use the assistance when we need a little help. Here is a video we did some time back explaining how the bikes work. JENNIFER Don't get caught speeding in Yosemite National Park's new wildlife protection zones If you're heading to Yosemite National Park this fall be on the lookout for signs marking wildlife protection zones. So far this year 11 bears have been hit by vehicles in the park. The zones were established to reduce collisions with wildlife, be it bears, butterflies, foxes, deer or other creatures. The wildlife protection zones will have a slower speed limit and officials will be strictly enforcing it in the hopes of preventing more loss of life. MIKE Article shows how the early days of RV camping began   A fun article looking at camping 100 years ago captured my attention last week. The article, complete with pictures, talked about "Tin Can Tourists" and the early days of RV traveling. It showed how when cars were new, the national parks didn't have official campgrounds. People could just drive in and set up camp wherever - even on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was a fun read and got me thinking back to the amazing display of early campers at the RV Hall of Fame and Museum. We did an article on it here, and highly recommend a visit. JENNIFER Water pipe break at Grand Canyon National Park places entire park, including campgrounds, on water conservation mode A pipeline break in Grand Canyon National Park caused the park to EDIT EDIT EDIT mandate strict water conservation measures in both the north and south rims that include eliminating water services at some of the campgrounds. The break happened last Thursday and until it is fixed, the entire park will be on conservation mode. The pipeline provides water to both the park's 6 million annual visitors and some 2,500 park residents. EDIT EDIT EDIT If you're heading that way this week, be sure to check in with the park for the latest on the water situation. MIKE RV News Shorts, Tips, and Reviews Zion National Park closes popular trail indefinitely following a rock slide that injured three visitors Yellowstone National Park's Mammoth Hotel reopens after 4 year, $30 million renovation Rocky Mountain National Park officials propose several price changes including raising camping fees to $30 a night (from $26 per night) during summer season This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Question: Hello, my question regards RV names …class ABC. Why is it class B smaller than a Class A and Class C …like A should be the biggest and C should be the smallest. Love to hear from you. Love your show. Thank you. Bye.  Answer: Here’s a link to a playlist on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel showing all the dufferent classes of RVs - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLomKLKY-E0ScoGYTVWDsXgfnejcFAEdK1 Here’s a video we did on What is a Class A Motorhome? – https://youtu.be/Uuzd38tSWLQ Here’s a video we did on What is a Class B Motorhome? – https://youtu.be/kHnlxv7Gjyo Here’s a video we did on What is a Class B+ Motorhome – https://youtu.be/aa8LeQwJqU4 Here’s a video we did on What is a Class C Motorhome? https://youtu.be/aa8LeQwJqU4 Question: Yes, Mike. Thank you for the information about Channel 13 on the CB being used for RVs. I was wondering if it's possible to also use the new family channels or the GMRS channels …possibly figure out which one might work for RV travels. Also the VHF ham Channel Simplex. A lot of people don't know about it. Just another possibility for traveling across the nation. Thank you. Answer:  Here’s a link discussing about the Family Radio Service and the General radio Service - https://midlandusa.com/gmrs-or-frs-radio-how-to-choose/ Here’s a link to more info on the General Mobile Radio Service - https://midlandusa.com/why-do-i-need-a-gmrs-license-how-do-i-get-it/ Question: Mike and Jennifer, this is Doug. That's not too far away down in Hartville, Ohio, and I just wanted to drop a note to you. Just got done listening recently to your most recent podcast about with a question from a listener about firearms in the motorhome and carrying those and the legality of it and just wanted to make a couple of comments One mic. I thought you did an absolutely superb job of handling a potentially controversial Topic in just an excellent manner. No pros and cons here is here the facts and it made me think of a resource that that I was made aware of. I have no connection with this particular guide. I just I just found it to be extremely helpful in and looking at all of these issues associated with firearms in a motorhome. And I thought I would pass it on so you might be able to pass it on to your readers for those that are interested in this particular topic. You can find this particular book on Amazon. It's called the 2019 Traveler's Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States. It is produced annually an updated annually by the author J. Scott. Kappas as in attorney here in the United States and specializes in partner arm and it is a very, very thorough guide covering all 50 states and covers everything from carrying transporting weapons ownership of firearms, the permit reciprocity, loaded versus unloaded traffic stops, motor home and RV issues, just a whole plethora of really valuable information to keep anybody who's interested in this topic on the right side of the law, which we all know is extremely important. And again, just wanted to say thank you for all you guys do for your podcast. I enjoy listening to it every week and look forward to the new episodes coming out and just thought I would pass on a little tip that some of your listeners might be interested in and find useful and from there. It will say. Thank you and have a great day. Answer: Here’s a link to the book the caller referenced - 2019 Traveler's Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States 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 Mark Koep and family have been fulltiming for 10 years One of the biggest frustrations we hear from RVers is how difficult and expensive it is to find an RV camping spot, particularly without advance reservations. People are always surprised to learn that, very rarely do Jennifer and I make advance reservations. Yet we almost always find a great spot, whether boondocking or in a commercial or government run campground. Our guest in the interview of the week segment for this episode is Mark Koep,

It’s time for some straight talk: The RV Lifestyle is not as idyllic as you may dream it is. At times it can be quite frustrating. We surveyed our RV Podcast Community and in this episode, we’re going to tell you what bugs RVers the most and what can be done about it! Plus, we’ll talk about carrying a gun in an RV and whether it’s time to bring back CB Radio! Show Notes for Episode #257 Aug. 28, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Mike and Jennifer at the beach MIKE We’re coming to you this week from Okaloosa Island, on the beautiful Emerald Coast of Northwest Florida. This is our base for some wide-ranging travel across the Gulf States and into Southwest Georgia, where we will be catching several high school football games to watch our grandson, Matthew, Play. JENNIFER Yes, it is beautiful down here on the Emerald Coast. But it is also very hot and humid this time of year. The temperatures are in the 90’s and the humidity percentage pretty much matches it. The only place where you can get some relief is if you are on the beach. MIKE And that is exactly where we plan to be this Sunday, Sept. 1 for a meet and greet for our Fellow Travelers who are able to join us on the Gulf Islands National Seashore. We’ll meetup in the first parking lot of the National Seashore, heading west from the Navarre Beach bridge. Show up at 3PM and bring your beach chairs and whatever refreshments you want. We’ll hang out till 6PM when we do our weekly Ask Us Anything live stream on the YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel. Once that’s over, for those who want, we’ll head to a nearby restaurant for dinner. We love doing these meet and greets as we travel and we’ll have some RV Lifestyle stickers to give away and we’ll do tours of our RV. And you can meet Bo, too! JENNIFER Speaking of meet and greets, we’re a little over a month away from America’s largest RV Show in Hershey, PA, and once again, Mike and I will be there. The show runs Sept. 11-15 and we will be doing a meet and greet from noon on Saturday Sept. 14. We’ll be hanging out in the Leisure Travel Vans Display area and we’ll do a special live YouTube broadcast from there about 3PM. So if you’re coming to Hershey, please come and say hello! MIKE For those of you on the west coast who can’t come east to Hershey, look for us at the California RV Show in Fontana, California October 4-13. We’ll be doing meet and greets there throughout the day on Saturday October 5, opening weekend of this big two week show. JENNIFER And while we’re talking about get togethers, maybe we should talk about one more: Our annual Winter Campout in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula at the beautiful Tahquamenon Falls State Park. We just booked the dates -January 9-12, 2020. This will be the sixth year we have gathered up there to play in the snow and hang together in the beautiful UP. MIKE This is an informal gathering, which means you have to make your own reservations with the Michigan DNR. Go to their website at https://midnrreservations.com/. Book the dates you want (some of us are coming Thursday, some are even staying over to Monday). After you make your reservation, be sure to join our special winter campout Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1697339513886451/ and introduce yourself and tell us what site you booked. All communication, announcements, etc as we get close to the date will be done through that group. JENNIFER Those are just some of the events and things we have planned over the next several months. There’s also the Elkhart Open House, in Elkhart, Indiana in late September. That’s a closed event for industry members but since so many new RVs are being shown, we always try and get down there to do a couple of reports for you. Elkhart, of course, is the RV Capital of the World, where the vast majority of RVs are built and where many of the major suppliers and parts companies are located. MIKE Then there is Matthew’s football movie, we’ll be driving the RV back and forth to Georgia as much as we can to attend and video as many of those games as possible, all the while still finding new RV stories and videos for you and meeting many of you on the road. Yeah… we’re busy! But we love every minute of it! RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Herd of bison run by family in car, smashing into side of vehicle at Yellowstone National Park  Yellowstone's bison sure have been in the news this summer. This week a video went viral showing a vacationing family sitting in the car when out of nowhere a herd of bison appear, running straight at them. The family, and several other motorists, did everything right. They did not keep driving. They did not get out of the cars as they waited for the animals to pass. And pass they did: Running right in between the cars, with the horn of one of the giant animals damaging a section of the family's car - all caught on video. No one was hurt - neither man nor beast. The worse part of the encounter? The car was a rental and the family did not pay extra for added insurance. JENNIFER Alaska's governor issues disaster declaration because of destructive wildfires  Wildfires burning in Alaska's Kenai Peninsula led the governor there to issue a disaster declaration last weekend. More than 50 homes, plus numerous businesses - including campgrounds - and other buildings have been destroyed. The fires are burning later in season than normal and are particularly severe because of the drought conditions there. MIKE Canada announces new national park in Northwest Territories   Canada has a new national park called Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories. The park is 14,000 square kilometers - that is roughly 5,400 square miles - and by the looks of pictures in news reports out last week, it's stunningly beautiful. The park is Canada's 47th national park, and it falls within the territory of the Kaitcho Dene First Nations, and the Northwest Territory Métis Nation. Parks Canada will co-manage the national park with first nations. The Canadian government pledged to invest $40 million over the first 12 years in infrastructure including roads and campgrounds, and then $3.4 million per year thereafter. JENNIFER A woman visiting Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park was watching a video on how to find diamonds, then looked down and found 3.72 carat yellow one Finally, here’s my favorite story of the week: Miranda Hollingshead was hot and tired during an extended family outing last week to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, a couple of hours away from her Bogata, Tex., home. There was dirt everywhere, but no gemstones in sight. So as others in her group continued the dusty hunt on Aug. 16, she found shade and did what comes naturally to 20-somethings who need guidance: turned to YouTube.“I searched ‘Crater of Diamonds how to find a diamond,’” Hollingshead. “That’s all I wanted to know — how do I find diamonds here?” The park in Murfreesboro, Ark., is known for the 40 kinds of rocks and minerals visitors can hunt for and take home. As Hollingshead watched the video about dry-sifting techniques, she ran her hands through the rocks on the ground. She felt something pop over her finger and looked down to see what it was. It was a 3.72-carat yellow diamond. She hasn’t had the stone appraised, and she hasn’t decided what to do with it yet. But she’s leaning toward taking her mom’s advice and getting it cut into two separate diamonds to pass on to her daughter and son, who are now 3 and 4. “I mean, anyone can use the money,” said Miranda. “but not everyone can tell their kids, ‘Hey, that ring you’re about to give to whoever you’re going to get engaged to, or the ring you got engaged with, your mom found that,’” she says. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Sharon asks about the indoor/outdoor wireless thermometer we use in our RV    ANSWER: It’s the La Crosse Technology C85845 Color Wireless Forecast Station… $39.95 on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2ZoIAE4 Chris and his wife in Pennsylvania asks about carrying a firearm in their RV ANSWER: This is a very controversial topic and there are very strong feelings on both sides of this issue. But Chris’ question is one I get very often and while I always try t avoid getting into political or emotional discussions here, it is a legitimate topic so let me try to answer it as objectively as possible without advocating either side. I’ve seen one source that claims 40% of RVers in the US carry firearms in their RV. Federal Law says that you don’t need a permit to to move a firearm across state lines in a vehicle. Now these federal rules are just for crossing state lines.  Within the state, you have to follow the state’s laws for gun storage in a vehicle. And there’s a huge amount of variance in gun laws between states. In addition to state and federal laws, some counties and municipalities have laws governing firearms.  This is more common for urban centers than rural areas, but you should still always check local laws to ensure that you can comply with them. It’s also important to remember that state and federal parks, forests, etc. generally have additional laws on top of the regular state and federal laws.  And yes, they are laws.  Unlike private campgrounds, the rules on government land are legally enforceable and can lead to fines or even jail time. Now, these rules are mostly applying to RVers who do not have a concealed carry license. If you are licensed to carry a concealed weapon, then you may carry your firearm within reach of you in the state where you are licensed or another state that may reciprocally honor your permit. If you are planning to carry a concealed weapon across state lines, it is advisable to check what the law says for each individual state.