RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

This week we talk about RV Clubs and why you may want to consider joining one. We talk about their many benefits, including their efforts to help us find and preserve free overnight places to camp by promoting a Good Neighbor policy. Our guests are the people who run one of the most popular and active such organizations, Travis and Melanie Carr of the Escapees and Xcapers RV Clubs. 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.  I think you’ll enjoy meeting the Carrs in the interview of the week segment, coming up in just a few minutes. But also this week, we’ll update you on our activities, share the RV News if the weeks, answer some of your questions and get another great off the beaten oath report from our friends the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride… Jennifer. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Jennifer overlooking the Ausable River in the Adirondacks JENNIFER -We are in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of New York, where we plan to spend a couple weeks taking photos and video and researching things to do and places to stay for another of our Seven Day Adventure Guides. MIKE - Look for it later this summer. We arrived here Sunday after spending the past several days near Montreal, Quebec, attending a rally put on by the French-speaking Leisure Travel Vans club of Quebec. Although neither of us speak French, club members made us feel very welcome and we had a wonderful time meeting folks and touring their RVs.  Jennifer and Mike peaking at the Quebec rally JENNIFER -Many of those attending spoke English as well and when Jen and I gave a little talk to the group they provided a translator. We've attended many rallies and gatherings over the years but this was one of the best organized such events e have ever seen. We had a ball! RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Grand Canyon National Park set to receive designation for promoting dark sky  Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park has been working for years to reduce its light pollution and apparently it has paid off, as it is about to become an official International Dark Sky Park. The International Dark Sky Association promotes reducing light pollution so people can see the stars in all their glory, and recognizes certain spots throughout the country and even world  that do this. I highly recommend finding a Dark Sky spot near you. Jen and I had members of this organization on our podcast a while back. To learn more and hear that podcast, click here. JENNIFER Campers urged to stay below 4,000 feet in New York's Adirondacks to protect alpine zone If you are heading to the Adirondacks, where Mike and I are this week, be sure to keep all your boondocking below 4,000 feet elevation. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is advising people against camping above 4,000 feet in the High Peaks and is ticketing those who do not follow these guidelines. The agency is trying to keep campers out so plants in the fragile Alpine zone won't be trampled,. contributing to soil erosion. MIKE Writer describes his love affair with state parks, offering beautiful places to camp often inexpensively  When Jen and I are somewhere new to an area and hear there is a state or provincial (if we are in Canada) campground nearby, we often check it out. State campgrounds are usually in beautiful locations and are relatively inexpensive. So when I read an article recently in the New York Times by a writer who tells of traveling the country and searching out previously unknown gems in each state, we had to share. JENNIFER Stopping to view bears along a stretch of highway near Canada's Jasper National Park not allowed If you're heading to Canada's Jasper National Park anytime soon, there is now a no stopping rule along highway 16. The reason is so many bears feed along the highway this time of year, it is not safe for tourists to stop. The closure is temporary and will be lifted when more food is found at higher elevations.  MIKE RV Industry contributes $32.4 billion to Indiana's economy, study says  We all know the RV industry is a big - with a large chunk of the industry headquartered in Indiana. A study from the industry written about in several Indiana publications last week says it contributes  $32.4 billion to Indiana's economy annually, supporting 126,000 jobs and 650 businesses there. Nationally the study says the RV industry contributes  $114 billion to the U.S. economy.  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 Chris is looking for a manual for his Roadtrek RV             We send him to: https://www.roadtrek.com/owners/#section-manuals    A listener named Melanie heard our podcast last week about traveling alone and what can go wrong and called us to share a harrowing tale about something that happened to her that had a happy ending, thanks to help she received from fellow campers. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK We’re big believers in RV Clubs. As we shared at the top of the podcast, we just returned from attending a rally by a big club in Quebec and we had a ball. So this week we talk about RV Clubs and why you may want to consider joining one. There are quite a few that you can choose from, some quite large, others small. Some are organized around special interests or shared activities; others are geared towards owners if certain RV brands. It’s safe to say there is an RV club out there for everyone! Our guests are the people who run one of the most popular and active such organizations, Travis and Melanie Carr of the Escapees and Xcapers RV Clubs. 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.  I think you’ll enjoy meeting the Carrs Here's a transcript of the interview: Mike:                Well, joining us right now, Melanie and Travis Carr. You guys, welcome again to the program. I think we had you on about a year ago, year and a half ago. Travis:              I would say so. Melanie:           Yeah. Travis:              It's been a bit. Melanie:           I can't even remember when. It seems like it's been forever. Mike:                I know it was there, but I'd have to go back and check. But so much has changed and is changing in the RV world. And I think a huge draw of it is what you guys are all about, and that is community and networking and a tribe, if I could use that word. Tell everybody about the Xscapers, and just how that is just phenomenally growing across North America. Travis:              Yeah. Do you want me to kick it off? Or do you want to start? Melanie:           Yeah. Go ahead. Travis:              Yeah, we founded Xscapers almost five years ago. Melanie:           Yeah. It's been about four and a half years now. Travis:              Yeah, about four and a half years now, on March 8th, 2015. And the reason we founded it is we're involved with Escapees RV Club. I'm the president of Escapees. Melanie is the vice president, so we've been involved with the club my entire life. Joe and Kay Peterson were the founders of Escapees RV Club, and they're my grandparents, so the club has been in my bloodline for a long time, and RVing is nothing new to me. And what happened was when we came back and started working for Escapees directly in our own travels, in our own experiences and stuff, we started realizing that there was this big void within the club. We would travel around to the parks and talk to people, and meet others who were working from the road, or who had kids, or were in the younger audience. Travis:              And we would kind of ask them, "Hey. Have you heard of Escapees? What's your thoughts? What's your feelings?" And too often, we got the same story, and that story was, "Well, Escapees is really for retired full-timers." And we're like, "Wait a second. We're not though. we're a club for everyone." But we realized we were not meeting the needs of a segment of those RVers that were really important to the club, and actually the founding roots of the organization. So Xscapers was created as way to come back to those roots and bring the younger generation, those working on the road, into the fold and feel welcome and have a place to call their own and have a community that they connected with. And that's really what it was all about, and kind of where the concept came from. Melanie:           It's still a part of the Escapees membership, so everybody that joins, even if they're just joining to be a part of the Xscapers community are an Escapees member first, so it's kind of folded into the membership. You pay the $39.95 a year for the Escapees membership, and then you basically flag your account to become an Xscaper, and that will get you access to the community, the specific information that goes out to that group, so it's all one membership. Mike:                It's kind of,

If you are a regular listener, you know Jennifer and I love to boondock. We love to get away from the crowds and enjoy the peace and quiet. So do many RVers, of course, but this week we want to talk to the substantial segment of the boondocking community who are solo travelers. Being alone in the middle of nowhere is equally enjoyable as it is for couples or those who travel with a friend. But what happens if you are alone and an accident or emergency happens? If you’re traveling solo, you need to take some extra precautions. We’ll talk about that and get some advice in this week’s RV Lifestyle interview segment. Our friends at the Camp Addict website, Marshall Wendler and Kelly Beasley, will share their expertise and a harrowing story that illustrates just how bad things can go and how much worse they could be…if you are all alone. Plus, RV news, tips, your questions and an off the beaten path report from the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer. Show Notes for Episode #245 June 5, 2019 of The RV Podcast:  WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE Can you believe it's June? Camping season is in full swing, The roads are filled with RVs crisscrossing the country and summer fun is on everyone's schedule. JENNIFER We are heading north into Canada, camping our way through parts of Ontario, and then on to Montreal, Quebec, where we'll spend the weekend before turning south and visiting parts of New England and then New York for some exploration of the  Adirondacks.  MIKE We usually start the summer by heading to the Rockies and the west. This year, its the east and the Adirondacks for a few weeks. Then we'll see. We're trying to pick regions of the country that we haven't extensively toured yet JENNIFER We plan to resume our "Ask Us Anything" live stream on the RV Lifestyle Channel next Sunday at 7PM eastern time, from wherever we happen to be. MIKE We've taken the past couple of weeks off to catch up on some projects but we've missed our weekly visits and the excitement of a live audience so we're planning to be back this coming Sunday night.  RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER New York State Health Department warns all heading outside to protect themselves from ticks  The New York State Department of Health warned residents and visitors to protect themselves and their pets from ticks and the diseases they carry as the number of tick caused illnesses has been steadily rising. New York is averaging about 5,500 new cases of Lyme Disease each year. Mike and I are noticing more and more ticks as we travel the country making it more important than ever to wear protection and educate yourself on safety tips. To see a report we did on this subject not too long ago click here. MIKE Four-year-old boy attacked by mountain lion expected to recover   A mountain lion that attacked a 4-year-old boy walking with his family in California's Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve was shot and killed. DNA samples confirmed that last weekend. The boy was with about a dozen people in the area called Carson's Crossing on Memorial Day when the mountain lion attacked him. His father kicked and threw rocks at the animal to free his son who was flown to a nearby hospital for treatment and is expected to recover. Mountain lion attacks are rare, but it is important to watch young children when walking trails in mountain lion country. JENNIFER Millennial writer urges manufacturers to make smaller, more interesting RVs  A writer published an interesting read last week urging RV manufacturers to listen to what millennials want in an RV, as that age demographic becomes a bigger and bigger share of the RV market. Many of her suggestions Mike and I agree with, even though we are not in the millennial generation. Making smaller RVs, focus on quality and technology and improving designs are things we have been talking about for a long time. MIKE Woman injured by female elk protecting her baby at Yellowstone National Park  Remember the warning we shared with you recently about the need to stay away from mother elk at Yellowstone National Park (or anywhere for that matter)? Well, last week a concessions worker at Yellowstone apparently got too close a baby and the mother elk attacked. The woman was taken to an area hospital and no further information was available about her injuries. The woman was in the Mammoth Hot Springs area of the park, and officials are again warning all visitors to be alert and stay at least 25 feet away from the elk and their babies. JENNIFER Dog walking on Arizona trail bit by rattlesnake after sniffing bush  A sad story out of Arizona last week is a good reminder for all of us who walk trails with dogs in rattlesnake country. A dog walking on a trail with its owner at in the Superstition Mountains sniffed a bush and was bit in the eye by a rattlesnake. The woman and her friend were able to rush the dog to the vet in time for life-saving anti-venom medication, but the dog will lose its eye. MIKE Here are some short RV News headlines we found interesting this week: Many campsites in Colorado normally open by now remain closed because of snow Have you heard about camping in see-through tents? Apparently it is a trend in the UK  American Fastbacks, a company once owned by Erwin Hymer Group North America (previous owners of Roadtrek), recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Most Nebraska state parks now open though high water levels still issue at few 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 e-mail questions we answer this week: Call 1-586-2990 and leave your question of comment on our special Voicemail number: Hello, we do long trips, this past trip we were running an electric space heater in our camper and for some reason the cord & The plug got really hot and we lost the electricity in the back half of the camper and it did not trip the power switch so I was just wanting if you have any suggestions- Karen  Hi!  Is there any chance you will be having a meet-up while in New York?   I follow your channel and watch your videos and would love the opportunity to meet you and Jennifer in person, Safe travels! Nita (from Upstate NY) Got a question or comment? Call our special Voicemail number at 1-586-2990  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 INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Marshall and Kelly of CampAddict.com What happens if you are RVing alone in the middle of nowehere and an accident or emergency happens? If you’re traveling solo, you need to take some extra precautions. We’ll talk about that and get some advice in this week’s RV Lifestyle interview segment. Our friends at the Camp Addict website, Marshall Wendler and Kelly Beasley, share their expertise and a harrowing story that illustrates just how bad things can go and how much worse they could be…if you are all alone. Here's the transcript: Mike:                Well, Kelly and Marshall join us right now. Where are you guys, by the way, as we talk? Marshall:          We are moochdocking just north of Taos, New Mexico. Mike:                Something happened to you guys that illustrates, I think, a really important part of the RV lifestyle, and that is using your head and not being all alone in a place where if you need help you can't get it. Why don't you set this up by explaining what happened to you guys just a few weeks ago. Kelly:                Okay, well we were boondocking out in the Valley of the Gods, Utah. We were with a big group of friends and little by little people had taken off. It was down to one of the last days and it was myself, Marshall, and three other friends of ours. Well, Marshall and I were leaving that day so we went through our usual routine of hooking up our trucks and trailers. I was inside this rig and I heard him call me, and I heard him call me pretty urgent sounding but you know, you don't want to freak out right away. I started walking out of my rig and as I probably stepped out, I heard him call it again and this time it was serious. At that point, I knew something was wrong. So, I ran over to his rig and he's squatting down next to his tires. I'm like what's the matter? What's going on? I don't remember exactly what he said, because you got adrenaline going and you're kind of freaking out, but in essence, his fingers had gotten stuck in between the levelers he was trying to pull out from under his tires. I think it was just the one finger got stuck. Marshall:          Yeah, my pointy finger on my right hand. Kelly:                He could not get it out. So, he's freaking out. He's like get in the truck and pull it forward. Pull it forward. But, he was hitched up already too. I'm just reactive and I'm thinking how much? How much do I pull forward? Just a little. So, I go and I jump in the truck, and this is a new truck to him so I haven't even used it much, so now I'm like freaking out. Am I putting it in drive? Is that really drive? Okay, is that good? Okay, now ... I probably tried to go forward like an inch and I immediately hear back up, back up. I mean, this was like horrifying. So, I back it up. I put it in park and I get back out, then I go and I look, try to assess. This happened three times. I ran back and jumped in that truck again and went forward again. I hear back up, back up. It wasn't freeing him. In fact, it might have been doing him more harm than good. I didn't know what was going on under there, I couldn't see. Second time I jumped out, I think,

Our guests this week are Chris Dunphy and Cherie ve Ard from the Mobile Internet Resource Center, which is the best source I know of  unbiased mobile internet information for US based RVers and digital nomads who must have reliable Internet connections while on the road, whether for business, to keep in touch with friends and family or to stream they favorite movies. Chris and Cherie will join us in our interview of the week segment coming up in just a few minutes. Show Notes for Episode #244 May 29.1019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE We hope you all have recovered from Memorial Day, which always marks the unofficial start of summer. The reports we have seen indicated lots of people were out there in their RVs. Most of the popular camping locations, state parks and commercial campgrounds were filled. I know the weather was iffy across much of North America during the weekend but, hey even a bad day camping is better than most good days anywhere else. JENNIFER At least that’s what we tell ourselves. We’ve spent the past week working feverishly on a bunch of videos, the first of which will be coming out tomorrow, Thursday May 30, on our RV Lifestyle Channel on You Tube. It’s about the redundant Internet systems we have installed in our RV.  You’ll get a bit of an idea what we have when you listen to our experts on the interview of the week coming up but Mike will be detailing the installation and configuration of the systems we will be using in our RV this summer as well as before and after tests on how they improve connectivity. MIKE We set off on the first leg of our extended travel for the season next week that will have us traveling through Ontario, Quebec and down into New York State and the Adirondack Mountains for the next several weeks and I’m excited to see how our upgraded electrical system modifications will perform as we do a lot of boondocking. We replaced the lead acid batteries on our RV with two Battleborn lithium batteries, an upgraded 2,000 watt inverter, a new solar controller and a bluetooth system that gives me total control over everything from a tablet or my smartphone. I know many of you have been asking about that and we should have a video ready to go on that next week so stay tuned. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Social media making some secret spots major tourist sites, providing new challenges for the parks service  Boise State Public Radio had an interesting piece last week on the "Instagram Effect" on national and public owned land. As certain spots, such as Utah's Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park or Arizona's Horseshoe Bend have gone viral on social media, suddenly places just a few locals knew about are transformed into places where literally thousands arrive each day. These throngs are completely changing the feel of a location, and the article was an interesting look at how the parks service is trying to respond. MIKE Report shows national parks visitors contributed $40.1 billion to economy  Speaking of national parks, the 2018 National Park Visitor Spending Effects study was recently released, showing the national sparks contributed $40.1 billion to the economy last year, supporting 329,000 jobs. The report analyzes spending on such things as lodging, restaurants, grocery store sales in towns near the national parks. It looks to me like a good report to use to get Congress to continue to invest in maintaining the country's national treasures. JENNIFER Many Oklahoma campgrounds closed because of flooding  If you're planning to head to Oklahoma any time soon to camp, be sure to check whether your campground is open. Heavy rains in the area and bad storms has caused several popular stops to close. This is a trend we've seen in other states, ranging from Kansas to Minnesota this spring. Bottom line: Besure to check ahead. MIKE Heading to an Arizona state park? Pick up a free can of water  Those deciding to visit one of the 32 Arizona state parks this year may be handed a can of .... (no not beer) ... but water! The Arizona State Parks & Trails has teamed up with Four Peaks Brewing to give out cans of water to those visiting to help raise awareness and prevent heat injuries or even deaths which often happen when outdoor enthusiasts don't bring enough water. The free water is in cans because aluminum is much more recyclable then plastic bottles. JENNIFER Police are searching for owner of dogs who jumped out of stolen RV, and followed thief after she crashed it  Did you hear about the crazy police chase last week in LA involving a stolen RV and apparently stolen dogs? A 52-year-old woman apparently stole an RV, police chased her, and inside were two terrified dogs, one of which jumped out the window during the chase - all on live TV- and the other which apparently obediently followed the woman who got out of the RV and ran before police caught her. The whole incident was horrible, with at least one person seriously injured, but what really got people talking was the terrified dogs, both of which were apparently were stolen, too.  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 “Avid Reader”: Do you know of a service that carries RVs on a barge down the Mississippi River?  Or any other way to do this inexpensively. We would enjoy a riverboat cruise, but the cost is prohibitive.         - There were two companies that did this 15 years ago , even with full hooks for the RV, but best as we can tell, they have discontinued service and gone out of business. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Our guests this week on the podcast are Chris Dunphy and Cherie ve Ard. Together they are the brains behind the Mobile Internet Resource Center, which is the best source I know of  unbiased mobile internet information for US based RVers and digital nomads who must have reliable Internet connections while on the road, whether for business, to keep in touch with friends and family or to stream they favorite movies. Together they have been on the road and on the water for more than a decade, running their businesses from RVs and boats on the Internet and in the process becoming experts on mobile internet and connectivity. We’ll have a link to all their resources in the shownotes, as well as a full transcript and a video of the interview. But they have a lot to teach us about staying connected online, whether for convenience or necessity and in this interview, I think you’ll find some new ideas and learn a lot. Here's a video version of the interview: Here’s a transcript of the interview with Chris and Cherie: Mike:               Well, joining us now from their boat just off Brunswick, Georgia is Chris and Cherie. You guys, thank you so much for being with us and it's good to have you back. Chris:               Yeah, it's been a while. It's always a pleasure. Mike:               So, let's start with some of the changes that have probably happened in the connectivity world that effect RV'ers and I guess boaters too. But particularly RV'ers, that's majorly our audience. They all want to know, what's the best solution for them and of course, we all know that it depends on what your circumstances are. But walk us through what RV'ers need to consider as they look at maybe upgrading the way they stay connected to the internet while they are on the road. Cherie:            Well, the first thing you have to do and absolutely understand is that what works best is what works best at your current location. That's a variable for us RV'ers. We're always moving our locations. Our houses have wheels. So, what works today while you're in one location, may not be the best choice when you get to your next location. So, if mobile internet is important to you, we think it's very important to have multiple options on board. Cherie:            So, a lot of us are relying on cellular these days. So having data plans on AT&T and Verizon tend to be the top two carriers that give us the most nationwide coverage. Chris:               And sometimes wifi has got a bad rap, and sometimes it really is well earned, but other times wifi is worthwhile and it might be useful to have here to take advantage of a wifi network you come across. If you are going out into really extreme locations, there's also a place for satellite. So those are kind of the three major avenues to go down and pursue depending on what your exact needs are. Mike:               Well, let's take all three of those and start off with talking about cellular. And, everybody's got a cell phone. Do you recommend that they, that people carry more than 2 phones or from different networks? Cherie:            Well, the first thing they have to consider is a smartphone the right choice for a mobile internet connection. If your needs are very simple, maybe you're traveling solo, or you're just needing to check email and do some surfing, then a smartphone is great. But if you're working remotely, you're doing a lot of things that require a dedicated data connection, then you probably want to be looking at a dedicated data solution. So, either a jet pack or mifi with is a term for a local hotspot. Having a dedicated hotspot device or a cellular embedded router is going to serve you better, so that you can focus on the cellular data. Chris:               And then when you talk about the alternatives of whether you should carry more than one carrier, the way we look at it is, if you're jumping out of an airplane, do you want to have a reserve parachute, and if you're working online, if you're really dependent on being connected, having that second carrier, even if it's just a backup plan, can make all the difference in the world. For some people it makes the difference between potentially not being able to work,

With the upcoming long Memorial Day weekend kicking off the 2019 camping season, a lot of RVers are going to be frustrated to discover no vacancy signs and if they do get a spot, overcrowded and expensive campgrounds that offer far from the idyllic getaway they hoped for. We can help. In this episode, you’ll hear how Jennifer and I prefer to camp as we present to you our complete guide of free or almost free camping, from overnight stays to full two-week vacations. And along the way you’ll hear from a variety of experts. We’ll have complete links to the places and services we describe in the shownotes on the rvlifestyle.com travel blog as well, so stay tuned… you’re going to get some great suggestions. Also this week, lots of RV News, your RV Lifestyle questions and a great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride… Jennifer. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER These are sure busy times for RVers, with the Memorial Day weekend now upon us and the summer camping season well underway. We’ve been traveling somewhere every week since we returned to Michigan a month or so ago. We had a wonderful time last week in northern Indiana in Amish country. MIKE We were down there for meetings with some potential new sponsors and we took the time to explore a little. There are lots of fun shopping opportunities, one of the biggest flea markets you’ll find anywhere in the town of Shipshewana and down-home delicious food. I confess, my healthy eating plan went out the window when I found the bakery at the Essen Haus in Middlebury and, in particular, a raspberry cream pie. JENNIFER But you are back eating healthy again and I’m proud of you. Little break and occasional indulgences are okay. But the key word is occasional. And you’ve been working out every day.  Which makes it not quite as bad when you give in to that raspberry cream pie which, I agree, was worth it. MIKE Speaking of working out, we want to give a shout out to our new partner, Anytime Fitness. We’ve just become sort of traveling ambassadors for this chain of health clubs, which as regular listeners know we have been using for years. There are more than 4,000 Anytime Fitness locations around the globe and besides group exercise classes, well maintained equipment and a friendly welcoming atmosphere for visiting RVers, they all have clean, individual bathrooms with showers and privacy, which is great when you’re boondocking. Your membership gets you in any of their clubs and we always can find one as we travel across North America. JENNIFER We’re working on a video that shows you how we use Anytime Fitness when we’re on the road. We stopped by the Portage, MI club last week. I did one a group class as Mike ran the camera. Hey, come to think of it, I didn’t see you working out that day! MIKE Somebody had to run the camera! And I did. I got on a spinning bike. JENNIFER That’s right. You did. Anyway, we’re glad to be partnered with Anytime Fitness. Exercise is vitally important to good health, especially as we age and especially when sitting behind the wheel of the RV for a long time as a lot of us will be doing now with the summer camping season in full swing Our 330 Rule T-Shirt, available at https://rvlifestyle.com/rule330 MIKE For the summer of 2019, we have a fun promotion we want all us us to participate in: Telling the world about the 330 Rule! Here’s how: By wearing our very cool new 330 Rule T-shirts. They are now printed and available. They are very comfy T-shirts with Rule 330 printed across the back, celebrating our favorite way of RV travel, which is driving no more than 330 miles in a single day and/or stopping by 3:30 pm local time. We want to see a picture of as many of you as possible wearing those shirts taken in your summer adventures. Take the photo and then post it on Instagram, using the hashtag #rvlifestylemike . It will be fun to see where everyone goes and to evangelize the RV Lifestyle of not rushing, enjoying the journey and connecting with others. We have these shirts in all sorts of colors, in mens and womens sizes. And we also have stickers, coffee mugs and other merch with the same theme. Rule 330 is the motto Jen and I have for this summer and we’re enjoying wearing ours and explaining it to anyone who asks. You can find the 330 shirts and merch at rvlifestyle.com/rule330. Again, be sure and take photos of you wearing them and post to Instagram with the hashtag #rvlifestylemike. JENNIFER Before we check the RV News of the week, two housekeeping notes: One, in this podcast we will mention a bunch of different resources, news stories and web links that will give you more information about the things we’re talking about. Whenever possible, we build in direct links to those topics on the shownotes page for this episode. You can find that at rvlifestyle.com/243 MIKE Also, you may have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Record number of motorists expected to travel this weekend for the unofficial start of summer  This Memorial Day weekend unofficially kicks off the summer travel season, and AAA predicts nearly 43 million Americans will be traveling, the second highest on record. Despite gas prices around $3 per gallon for regular, most will drive to their destination, according to AAA, with Thursday and Friday being the most heavily congested. MIKE Check out these campgrounds for beautiful but less crowded spots to camp in Utah this Memorial Day weekend Speaking of Memorial Day weekend, a story about breathtaking campgrounds in Utah caught my eye last week. The story by a Utah television station featured 10 camping spots that are breathtakingly gorgeous, but typically not crowded. At least one of the spots is also in our Southern Utah 7 Day Adventure Guide (for more info click here) that we issued last month.  JENNIFER Rangers reminding visitors to stay away from mother elk and their young  If you're heading to Yellowstone National Park anytime soon rangers are warning visitors to stay away from mother elks and their calves. Mother elk can become aggressive to anyone who gets too close. Last year two women were attacked by elk, and rangers this year are seeking to get the word out to stay far away - a good warning for anyone in wilderness areas near elk, or even moose, as we see reports of attacks each year when visitors get too close to moms and their young. MIKE Michigan representative introduces bill to give state residents first bids on state campground reservations which are increasingly hard to get We all know how hard it can be to get a camping reservation at a state park. A bill recently introduced in the Michigan state house would give Michigan residents a two week head start in making camping reservations, if it becomes law. The state representative who introduced the bill said he had heard from constituents who can't get a summer camping spot because reservations fill up six months ahead of time within minutes of becoming available. The interesting bill proposes giving state residents first dibs since state dollars help fund the campgrounds.JENNIFER Zip-line opens at West Virginia state park and thrills riders  A West Virginia state park recently opened nine zip lines for guests, continuing a trend we're seeing of state parks and campgrounds adding activities normally found in resorts. The Pipestem Resort State Park has 81 campsites and is located on  Bluestone River Gorge. In a story published in a local paper, a park worker talked about the importance of adding features to state parks to address requests of a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts.   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 Questions that came in this week… Hey Mike, been following for years. One question I have is did you and Jennifer have someone that made you want to start the rv lifestyle? Keep up the good work,safe travels.  R.P. We answer Several months ago you showed us the “ roll up” bed you use in your Roadtrek, What is the name of it? It’s called the RV Super Bag. Here's a video on the Super Bag. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK MIKE This week we want to talk in our interview section about free or almost free camping. It’s no secret that many RV campgrounds now charge almost as much as some motels do. $50 a night is common. Some are even more. JENNIFER And it’s also no secret that RV campgrounds are very crowded. Many of the most popular, in state and national parks, require reservations six months to a year out. Across North America, full campgrounds, or very crowded campgrounds are pretty much the norm. MIKE First, we want to stay that we are not anti-campground. There are many we really like. It’s just that we prefer a little more elbow room when we camp than is offered by many campgrounds. And because we spend so much time on the road, saving money is important. JENNIFER So let’s start with our absolute favorite kind of camping – boondocking in state or national forests, BLM land and the like.  Some are in campgrounds, though they are typically small and most do not have hookups or anything but a picnic table and firepit. They may cost a few dollars. So you need to have enough battery and solar power and holding tanks to make you self-contained. But man, are these spots beautiful. MIKE For some expert advice on finding the perfect such boondocking spot,

Join Jeff and Deb Spencer, full-time RVers and endurance athletes from Dometic Corporation, as they share their thrilling journey of living on the road while pursuing their passion for endurance running. They discuss their bucket list adventures, inspiring listeners to turn dreams into reality regardless of their interests. The couple also offers practical tips on managing work while traveling and the importance of being responsible RV neighbors. Prepare to be motivated to embark on your own road adventures!

For most, an RV is the second biggest purchase they will ever make, next to their sticks and bricks house. So having a warranty to cover major repairs is an important consideration when purchasing an RV. But what happens when the manufacturer’s warranty runs out, or, worse yet, as happened to one major RV manufacturer this year, the company suddenly goes bankrupt and shuts down. What then? In this week’s podcast, we’ll talk about purchasing an extended warranty for your RV to provide peace of mind and Independent coverage regardless of when the manufacturer’s warranty or the warranties on major appliances expires. We’ll talk about how much an extended warranty costs, what it covers, what it doesn’t and whether it makes sense for you. That’s coming up in our interview of the week. But also this week, RV news of the week, lots of listener questions and a fascinating off the beaten path report from the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride… Jennifer. Show Notes for Episode #241 May 8,2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE We are very excited to announce the release of the latest in our Seven Day Adventure Guides for RVers... this one for Colorado. We know many of you are planning your summer travels and we wanted to get this one out to provide a handy resource for RVing across one of the most spectacular places on earth. You can learn more about this special ebook and be among the first to get it at https://rvlfestyle.com/colorado   Here's a link to a promotional video we did about it - https://youtu.be/N3dZT3KtyLo  JENNIFER We’re getting ready to hit the road, heading this week to Holland, Michigan, where the community holds a huge festival every spring celebrating Tulip Time. There are parades, concerts, wooden shoe dancing demonstrations and lots of cultural activities by the descendants of the Dutch immigrants who settled this Western Michigan town on the shores of Lake Michigan. But the main focus of the festival are the flowers. Holland boasts over 5 million tulips, all bursting forth in a dazzling display of color, pretty much peaking right now.  Tulips are located in City parks, at public attractions, and along City streets. It’s quite the sight and we’ll be camping there Thursday through Sunday and, naturally, we’ll have a video. We can’t wait to head out.  RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Canada says you can smoke pot at campsites, while Florida sells booze in some state parks Things change and may never be quite the same in some campgrounds. Let’s start Up North: With recreational marijuana use now legal throughout Canada, Parks Canada is working to get the word out this camping season that smoking marijuana is now perfectly fine at campsites. But smoking at beaches, trails and other common areas it is not. We have no comment. Now let’s go down south, to Florida. There, the state is now selling beer and wine in 32 of its 175 state parks in an attempt to raise more money to pay for the parks. “I think it’s a sign of the times,” said Don Philpott, secretary of the Wekiva Wilderness Trust and former executive director of the Florida State Parks Foundation. “We are not unique in Florida. I visit parks all over the country, and increasingly alcohol is being permitted.”  Florida officials say rangers have recently been trained to spot tipsy visitors. Anyone caught drunk will be asked to leave the park. Again, we have no comment. We’re just reporting the news here. JENNIFER Authorities are searching for the owner of an off leash dog which killed endangered seal in a California national seashore  People sometimes complain about strict laws that require dogs to always be on a leash in national and state parks and often limit the areas they can visit. Most pet owners are responsible. But there are those who are not and a case in point happened in California last week that demonstrated just why those restrictions are needed.  Authorities say an off leash dog in California's Point Reyes National Seashore killed a Guadalupe fur seal and now authorities are searching for the dog's owner. The seal pup had come to shore when it was attacked and killed by the dog which illegally was running off leash. MIKE Popular Alaska campground closed until mid-June to fix damage caused by last November's earthquake If you're heading to Alaska this summer, the popular Eagle River Campground near Anchorage is closed after the thaw revealed serious road damage from last fall’s 7.1 earthquake. At the time, the road was snow covered. But as they were getting it ready for the spring camping season and the snow melted, they spotted major cracks in a road caused safety concerns and the campground is now expected to open by mid-June.  It’s one of Alaska’s most popular campgrounds and lots of folks are having to find other places to go, especially as the Memorial Day long weekend approaches. JENNIFER Bears in the hot tub at Great Smoky Mountains NP You have to love this story. A Tennessee couple vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains last week was shocked to find a bear relaxing in their hot tub. It was a bear cub and he was visiting the deck of their cabin with his Mom and a brother cub. The three were sniffing around the deck, came upon the hot tub and one of the cubs hopped into the bubbling hot tub and even closed its eyes in relaxation. After a minute or two, he climbed out and the three bears went on their merry way. The photos the couple took went viral. Click the headline above to see them.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK  My wife and I are in the process of looking at Class B and C Motor homes. We had considered Class A but it's not in the budget! Kinda hard finding something that offers enough room for the 3 of us. Happy Trails ? John and Rita Lacher, and our 4-year-old German Shepherd Dog, Duke, from Chico CA I am sure my wife and I are a pretty common situation... our child is close to graduating college,... we are starting to think about retirement...We have been dreaming a long time, researching a long time... and thought we had settled on buying an Airstream and Tow Vehicle...But, then my wife found your review of the Leisure Van product... now you have us all messed up! ? Thinking maybe the B+ would be enough...I like not having to buy a truck to tow the trailer.... but, I love the look and feel of the Airstream Classic! Do you have any experience with people towing a "get around" vehicle with the Class B+...Is that even possible? With the travel trailer option... I like the idea of setting up ... and then being able to use the truck to get around. Can the B+ tow a small trailer... maybe something with some scooters... or a small vehicle... like one of those 3 wheeled things. Drew, Williamsport, PA We have heard you talk about using Rover.com and Wag.com and services like that to find pet sitters for Bo when you travel. We were planning to do the same thing on our RV travels this summer but then we heard about the story from CBS News that reported on how there have been dogs dying and bad treatment by some of the pet sitters. Has this caused you to think again about using he service? -Melanie, Smyrna, TN 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. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Recreational vehicles are complex machines with many parts, and high repair costs can be an unfortunate twist in your RV journey. An RV Extended Warranty can help to erase those undesirable, and unexpected costs. The truth is, RV’s have a very high chance of breakdown, as you’ll learn in this interview, and there’s no more stressful situation than having your vacation or road trip interrupted by mechanical repairs. Staci Ritchie-Roman of Wholesale Warranties Our guest this week is Staci Ritchie-Roman of Wholesale Warranties, a San Diego based company that works as a broker to find the right extended warranty coverage for your RV, from the right company… for the right length of time. There’s no one size for all when it comes to selecting an extended warranty and Staci joins us now to help us learn more about just what’s involved with an extended warranty. To get a special quote on what an extended warranty would cost you and what it would cover and for how long, go to https://rvlifestyle.com/warranty Here’s a transcript of our interview with Staci: Mike:                Well to find out just what is involved in getting an extended warranty and who it's for, we're joined now by Staci Ritchie Roman. She's with Wholesale Warranties and Staci, thank you for making some time for us on the podcast this week. Staci:                Absolutely. We're super excited to be here and I appreciate you having me on. Mike:                As I mentioned in the intro, there's a lot of people now wondering about warranty and coverage and let's start broad here. Different manufacturers have different warranties on their products. Different years, some for just a year or two, some for longer periods of time. Where do you guys with an extended warranty, where do you fit in in terms of the RV consumer? When should they be considering an extended warranty? Staci:                There's a lot of different ways to look at it. Our products are available to motor homes that are 20 model years old and newer or towable RVs that 15 model years old and newer.

It’s estimated that there are a million plus fulltime RVers out there, traveling North America and living pretty much fulltime in their RVs. And those ranks are growing more and more every day. Jennifer and I have noticed this in our travels. We are meeting more fulltimers on seemingly every trip and many of them are families. Mom and Dad work from the road, the kids are educated on the road and the families are thriving, seeing all the wonders of North America, together. Does this idea intrigue you? Then stick around. We talk to an expert who has helped hundreds of families discover the joy of fulltime RVing. She’ll tell you who this is for, who it is not for and how to test if out for you and your family. Also this week, your RV Lifestyle questions, RV news of the week and a great off-the-beaten-path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #240 May 1, 2019 of The RV Podcast WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER April showers bring May flowers. Well, now that it is May we're sure hoping the steady dose of cold, wet, soggy weather we've had in the Upper Midwest lately will indeed give way to May flowers soon. MIKE Especially Tulips as Holland, Michigan and its famed Tulip Time Festival is where we're headed next week.  JENNIFER This week, we're still outfitting and organizing our RV for the summer travel season. People can check out our Thursday video on the RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube for an update on just what we've been doing. MIKE What are we doing here? Catching up, mostly. I’m editing, writing and organizing all the video photos and stories we’ve collected in the road over the past four months. We have family to visit and some yard work to do to get our home up here ready for the warm weather. JENNIFER I’ve been trimming rose bushes. Mike’s been trimming trees… largely so they don’t scrape up against our new RV, which we just purchased a few weeks ago. We’re also hard at work in our next Seven Day Adventure Guide eBook, to join the ones we’ve already done on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the southern part of Utah. MIKE The next guide should be ready in the next two weeks. It’s about one of favorite places to explore by RV… Colorado. Like the others in the series, it will suggest seven must see attractions, tell you routes to follow to get there, where to stay and what to do in the area. We price these guides very low, at just $7 each and being eBooks, they not only give you a curated guide for the trip, but they link to all sorts if other resources that will help you in your RV journeys as you visit the area. Colorado will be the next one. And we have a whole bunch mire planned. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK  JENNIFER A woman at Grand Canyon National Park last week falls to death - fourth such death in a month Another visitor fell to death last week at the Grand Canyon National Park, bringing to four the number of deaths there since late March. Officials are warning visitors to stay on clearly marked trails and not get too close to the edge. MIKE Baby birds discovered living in a nest in the front of a Winnebago  RV after family stopped just 3 weeks to camp  A family making their way north from southern Florida had quite the surprise last week when they made a pit stop in Naples, heard sounds from the front of their RV and discovered three baby birds in a nest in their grill. The family spent three weeks camping around Homestead, which apparently was enough time for the parents to build a nest in there, lay eggs and the eggs to hatch. JENNIFER Man spends $10,000 on RV but never given title, says he was duped A man in Arizona says he paid $10,000 to an RV dealer and drove off the lot with his purchase, but never given the title. Now five months later, he still has no proof the RV is his. The dealership went out of business and without the title he can’t get the RV permanently registered. He’s hired an attorney but the owners of the now closed Scottsdale RV dealership in Phoenix are nowhere to be found. MIKE What you need to know before visiting popular Zion National Park this spring If you are heading to Zion National Park soon, be sure to check to see what parts of the park are open. An unprecedented number of trail and canyon closures mainly due to weather related issues is squeezing the park's numerous visitors into an increasingly smaller space, rangers say, causing new challenges. If you are planning to head to Utah this summer, be sure to get a copy of our Seven Day Adventure Guide to Utah…. It’s an ebook you can instantly download. It only costs $7 and gives you great tips in seven awesome places to visit in Utah, including Zion. Go to https://rvlifestyle.com/utah for more info.  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 Hi Mike and Jennifer, My wife and I are heading to do the UP tour (we bought your guide) around May 16. (just happens to be my birthday)  We are from Wisconsin.  How do we find places where we can dump the black tanks? What is your advice for finding dump sites when your traveling?  Tom and Barb We suggest the AllStays Camp and RV App, which lists Campgrounds, Truck Stops, Rest Areas,  RV Dealers and service Wastewater Treatment Plants where RVers can dump. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Time now to talk about fulltiming in an RV as a family. No longer is the fulltime life something just for retired RVers. More and more people in their 30,s, 40s and 50s are doing so, many with young children. It’s a dream that a lot of people have. So much so that our guest this week is not only a fulltime RVer with her family but she and her husband, Nathan, both work from the road, all the while educating their young kids as they travel across the country, hiking, sightseeing and exploring everything from big cities to remote wilderness areas. She is Ashley Logsdon, a blogger, podcaster and  family coach devoted to helping families live out their dreams, by coming up with a real plan that will allow them to live fulltime in their RV. Ashley Logsdon If that description sounds somewhat familiar…how to live the life of your dreams … it may be because some of that is what we talked about last week in episode 239 with Dan Miller, the self-help business entrepreneur and New Your Times best-selling author.  If you missed that I urge you to go back and listen to it. Well, this week, our guest, Ashley Logsdon,  just happens to be Dan’s daughter and she also works for him…from the road…in an RV. Ashley joins us now to help us understand just what fulltime family RVing is all about. Here’s the full transcript of the interview with lots of links and resources listed at the end: Mike Wendland:         Tell us about your life right now. A husband, kids and RV; you're a full-time RVer. What's your RV in? And walk us through that, and then, how the kids are educated? How old are the kids? Introduce everybody to your family. Ashley Logsdon:          Wonderful. Okay. Well, we are originally from Nashville, Tennessee. And in October of 2016, we decided to hit the road full-time. My husband and I have been married for 15 years this June and we have three girls. They are 12 just turned 12 last weekend, 12, 9, and 6. They have been homeschooled since the beginning; and when we hit the road, we really moved into that unschooling model. And unschooling is one of the many different variations of homeschooling that's out there, but essentially means, that when you ask our children, "Where do you go to school?" They say, "Everywhere." And we say, "Who is your teacher?" They say, "Everyone." And we believe in a lifelong learning approach for the whole family. So, we are learning right alongside them. Ashley Logsdon:          And in the two and a half years we have been on the road, we have hit all 48 states. We still have Alaska and Hawaii, and we are making plans, at least for Hawaii, next. We're holding off on Alaska. We're ready for a lot of warmth, and we're a little bit more limited with the Alaska travels. But yeah. We hit all 48 states before our two year nomadaversary on the road. Mike Wendland:         The nomadaversary. I like that. Ashley Logsdon:          The nomadaversary, yes. And we've had a blast and we have met so many families, full-time families, just like us along the way, which has been really great, too, because this is something that RVing is not just one demographic; and at one point, it was kind of that understanding that it was more the retirees. And with my generation, you have a lot of people that are saying, "I don't want to wait for one day to do these things because I know that one day doesn't always come." There are those relationships that are severed, or the health that's declined, or you just forget how to have fun. And we want to incorporate that. Mike Wendland:         Tell us what kind of an RV you're in. I would suspect you're in a towable. Are you in a towable? The family's travel trailer RV is in the background. To Ashley's left is the truck camper that goes on their tow vehicle that she uses as her "office" when working and that the family uses as a boondocking, tailgating base when exploring Ashley Logsdon:          Yes, we are in a 29 foot travel trailer, and we were in a Jayco White Hawk. 2012 Jayco White Hawk, and it's a bunkhouse. So, we've got the four bunks in the back of it, and then we actually also added, ours is a little bit of a unique setup here because we have a travel trailer, but then we also have a pop-up camper on our truck. And so, that's what I'm in right now. This is my little mini office so that I actually do have a place that's separate from the family for doing things like this, and also something that we can rent out, and do some quick boondocking, and more off-roading things that we can't take our travel trailer on.

Coming up in the interview of the week is Dan Miller, a New York Times best-selling author whose amazingly successful books and podcast about setting priorities and achieving your dreams has greatly influenced Jennifer and me and helped us find the way to make the RV Lifestyle a reality. For all those of you out there dreaming about doing the same thing…. “someday”… Dan Miller is going to inspire you and motivate you to also make that “someday”…today. You are going to love Dan Miller. Also this week, RV News, an update on what Jennifer and I are up to these days, an off the beaten path report from the Burketts and listener questions in which we tell you the three most important things to do before you take possession of a new RV. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer. Show Notes for Episode #239 April 24, 2019 of The RV Podcast WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER We’re back home in Michigan after being on the road for most of the past four months. In all we have covered more than 8,000 miles since the first of the year in 16 states. Catching up with work around our sticks and bricks house up here for the next week or so and then we’re off again. MIKE It was quite a trip back… with non-stop rain for the better part of 36 hours as we traveled north from Florida. Our route coincided with the track of a storm front. There’s a post on our RV Lifestyle blog about that you can read. We just took our time and stuck to our 330 Rule of traveling no more than 330 Miles or stopping b 3:30 PM. JENNIFER By the way, while we say “our” rule we mean it in the sense of it’s a rule we follow as best we can, not something we claim to have originated. It’s been around in various forms… a 2/2 Rule…  3/3 rule… that sort of stuff…for years. So we have no idea who first came up with it but we gladly embrace it as a rule we follow. Our 330 Rule sticker pack MIKE And that resonates with a lot of you. So much so that we printed up a variety of fun Rule 330 stickers that we’re selling on our online shop. We have a four pack of the 330 Rule stickers that a lot of folks have been getting, as well as coffee mugs and T-shirts. Just fun stuff that reminds us all to slow down, that it’s all about the journey, not the destination. JENNIFER Meanwhile, we’re looking forward to our next RV … to take in the fun of the Tulip Time festival in Holland, MI in early May. It runs from May 4-12. It’s a big annual event, with more than 5 million tulips of every possible color and shade in bloom throughout the city, along with parades, Dutch wooden shoe dancers and lots of local entertainment. We’ll be hanging out May 9-12 with a group of Leisure Travel Van Owners there for a rally sponsored by the local dealer, Holland Motor Homes, and we’re looking forward to meeting other LTV owners and getting ideas from them on how we can personalize or new 2019 Unity FX. Holland, MI's Tulip Time MIKE We haven’t had much of a chance to add a lot of extras or install things like a cell phone booster yet. We’re looking at new cell boosters soon to come of the market that is engineered specifically for Class B and Class C RVs. We’re thinking we want to try this when it becomes available in a couple of weeks. And we’re also considering replacing our coach batteries with lithium batteries and an upgraded inverter. But we’re in no rush and as we have bought this new RV ourselves, we want to do things right and only install extras. To be frank, right now, it’s performed so well that I’m not sure what, if anything, we need to improve. JENNIFER I’m still finding a place for everything and putting everything in its place. There’s always an adjustment and discovery period with a new RV in which we figure out where things should go and how things should be organized. As we start our second month of ownership of our coach, I’m adding little things like a silverware holder, a wastebasket, putting shelf paper down, figuring out blankets and linen for the Murphy Bed… those sorts of things. It’s really a lot of fun and I’m looking to get as many suggestions from other Unity owners as I can. MIKE All right, that’s the latest on what we’ve been up to. Now to the RV News you need to know about. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK  MIKE Roadtrek brand gets new owner after French company signs deal to buy it out of receivership  We shared this last week, but in case you missed it, last week a French company named Rapido SAS, that makes the Westfalia brand of RVs, signed a deal to buy the Roadtrek brand out of receivership. Since then, Rapido has said that warranties on previously purchased models will be honored, according to a news article out of Canada, and that manufacturing new Roadtreks will begin again once the final details are settled. Up to 100 employees will be hired initially with a projected workforce by years end of around 200. No word yet on when production is expected to resume. JENNIFER Wolf numbers at Yellowstone National Park decline   Yellowstone National Park's wolf population is now down to just 80, which is less than half the numbers reported a few years ago. The dramatic drop is blamed on a combination of disease, wolves wandering outside the park and wolf on wolf attacks. MIKE Looters dig up archeological site at Lewis and Clark National Historic Park Officials are asking for the public's help in tracking down looters who dug up an archeological site at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park recently. The thieves used a metal detector and dug up a large area, ruining the archeological dig and taking items. JENNIFER Herd of goats brought in to eat invasive species at Minnesota state park If you camp in or visit Minnesota's Flandrau State Park this spring or summer, you may see a heard of goats hard at work, protected by a guard donkey or Ilama. The goats are in to eat invasive species, providing a chemical-free alternative to removing several invasive plants.  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 Hello Mike and Jennifer! We have been FB, YouTube and Podcast followers for a loooong time!  Have been studying up on buying an RV and because we learned of the LaMesa Super B show last year, just after it happened ?, we studied all year and decided not to purchase a B+ until we could see them all at that show!  Steve and I met you at the show a few weeks ago!  We flew out from Columbus, Ohio. Well, we bought the LTV Unity TB and will return to La Mesa RV in Phoenix on May 13 for Orientation and Delivery!    ?   Well studied...but newbies!   Our first drive will be from Phoenix back to Columbus....so in preparation for that, we are revisiting your website, re-listening, and downloading resources. THANKS for all you do! We sat behind you in the stadium last week during your first youtube recording...I didn't get a chance to ask my question, so here it is!! What are the three (3) most important things or tips you would give us knowing we are picking up a new RV on May 13 and driving across the country to home??? Thanks and look forward to continuing as a member of your community. All best wishes- Laura and Steve Columbus, Ohio Our three tips: JENNIFER 1) Video the entire walkthrough. One of you should video, the other should take notes. Don’t let the person giving you the walkthrough rush. Make sure you understand everything they show you. MIKE 2) If it’s something mechanical…like putting out a slide, setting auto levelers, even simple thinks like turning the propane on or controlling the refrigerator, have them demonstrate and then both of you do it. Make sure you can reach the walkthrough person on the phone the next day. JENNIFER 3) When you get to your first overnight stop, do as many things that you were shown in the walkthrough as you set up camp for the first time. Consult the notes and the video. As soon as possible, make checklists for setting up camp, turning on things, getting ready to leave camp. Make a page of questions and then call that walkthrough person the next day to go over them. MIKE Also, we want to invite people to be a part of our RV Lifestyle Group on Facebook. There are over 20,000 RVers there and they love to help, no matter what kind of RV you have. INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Dan Miller MIKE So many people dream of “someday.” Someday when they retire and buy that RV, someday when they have enough money to hit the road, someday when the kids are grown and they can start traveling. Someday. But there is no guarantee that “someday” will ever come and the hopes and dreams of that “someday” may never be achieved. What if you could make that “someday” today? JENNIFER Our guest today is a man whose teachings and principles contributed a great deal to Mike and I being able to make the RV Lifestyle a reality. His name is Dan Miller. He is a New York Times best selling author whose books have impacted millions. His first one was  48 Days To the Work You Love, followed by No More Dreaded Mondays and Wisdom Meets Passion.  Dan is also the host of aweekly podcast, which consistently ranks in the top three under careers on iTunes.  MIKE Jennifer and I are huge Dan Miller fans and we asked him on the podcast because we think Dan’s mission of helping people find their calling and true path, and to then translate that into a meaningful, purposeful and profitable lifestyle will resonate with all those people dreaming about and looking forward to the RV Lifestyle…. Someday. JENNIFER What’s your favorite Dan Miller quote? MIKE Mine is: "The best way to predict your future is to create it." What’s yours? JENNIFER Mine is: “If your ship hasn’t come in, swim out to meet it.” MIKE So, with great pleasure, let’s bring Dan Miller in for our interview of the week. Here’s a transcript of the interview:

In this episode, we talk about a couple of the challenges we face in living and camping in an RV - from using a CPAP machine to getting instant hot water. We’ll answer a listener question about the first and with the second, have an interview with an official from Truma Corp., who will explain to us how their popular lineup of RV water heaters work and why they have become the de facto standard for new RVs. Plus we have RV News if the week and anther great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #237 April 10, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER Mike and Jennifer As we always do, lets share some housekeeping notes. One, in this podcast we will mention a bunch of different resources, news stories and web links that will give you more information about the things we’re talking about. Whenever possible, we build in direct links to those topics on the shownotes page for this episode. You can find that at rvlifestyle.com/237 MIKE Also, you may have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. JENNIFER We're traveling again this week, headed to Phoenix, AZ and the annual Super B RV Show that specializes in just small motorhomes - Class Bs and Cs. It will be in the State Farm stadium in suburban Glendale. MIKE The show runs Thursday through Sunday, but Jen and I will be there Friday and Saturday, meeting and greeting and doing live reports from the show for our RV Lifestyle Facebook followers Friday at 3PM Eastern time and for our YouTube RV Lifestyle followers Saturday at 4:30 PM Eastern. JENNIFER Also this week... look for a special announcement about our latest 7 Stop Adventure Guides, this one on Utah. It will be released this week! MIKE We're very excited about this new ebook as Utah is a simply awesome state and this practical travel guide will help you streamline your plans and find the perfect places to stay as you see the amazing geography of Utah. Meantime, here's the RV News of the week. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park urged to keep a safe distance from edge  Officials at the Grand Canyon National Park issued a warning to visitors last week, urging them to stay a safe distance from the edge of cliffs after a 67-year-old visitor fell 400 feet to his death. This marked the third person to die in the park in eight days. MIKE Save the date: Lottery to see synchronous fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park to open April 26 If you're interesting in viewing the synchronous fireflies at the Great Smoky Mountains, be sure to enter their lottery between April 26-29. The synchronous fireflies flash their lights in unison every night, attracting so much interest, you have to win a lottery to see them. Our friends Tom and Patti Burkett did find a few other places to go (click here) that do not require a lottery but you need to plan ahead. JENNIFER Who will buy what’s left of Roadtrek? What’s left of Roadtrek Motorhomes will soon be decided in a receivership courtroom in Canada. The deadline for bids by interested parties to purchase the assets of the Erwin Hymer Group of North America, the maker of Roadtrek, was yesterday. At last report, nearly two dozen parties signed confidentiality statements needed to officially do so. No word yet on when the court and the company will review bids and select a buyer. But bad news keeps coming out about the company. There was a story out last week that Hymer of North America apparently sold tow behind trailers without conducting required safety tests. MIKE Do-it-yourself camper van sales aren't officially tracked by industry but are growing rapidly  We have reported extensively this year on the growing rise of the build-it-yourself camper van movement (click here or here) but wanted to share a story another publication released. The story examined the rise in build-it-yourself camper van enthusiasts who are not in the official Class B shipments the industry publishes monthly, but represent a hugely growing segment of the market.  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   We received some great feedback from a listener who took Jennifer’s advice to try before they buy, to rent an RV and take a trip to see how it fit. Another listener asked us about the Murphy Bed in our new RV and also about battery drain by CPAP machines. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Our guest is Billy Didonato from Truma Corp., whose line of instant on hot water heaters are rapidly becoming the standard in the RV world. MIKE WENDLAND:        How's this work? How much propane does it use? And why are so many RV-ers moving to Truma? BILLY DIDONATO:          Very good questions. So, first of all we'll talk about how it works. The way that the Truma AquaGo works is by on demand technology. Whenever we introduce flow by turning on a fixture, a shower, a faucet, something like that, the flow sensor within itself is measuring not just the flow rate, but also the ... MIKE WENDLAND:        And this is the sensor. BILLY DIDONATO:          Yes sir. Also the temperature of the water that you want to heat. It's then determining how many BTUs it has to put out to heat that water to about 120 degree output temperature. Okay? So, this burner is actually modulating. It's not a one stage, it's not a two stage, it's not a one size fits all burner BTU output. It's actually modulating. It's the first time this burner set up has been in the RV industry. So, that's why we're getting not just a never ending supply of consistently tempered water, so we get that stabilization, but we're also using very little propane to do it.                         We found that you could take a 20 pound propane cylinder, like on your barbecue at home, you could take a 20 minute shower every day for just shy of a month before you'd have to refill that 20 pound propane cylinder. So, it's very efficient because it's only heating that water, only using up propane when you need to heat that water. MIKE WENDLAND:        And in terms of any electrical consumption, is there any battery drain? BILLY DIDONATO:          The AquaGo Comfort and Comfort Plus models, that's going to be using two and half or less amps. We have another amp that does not offer freeze protection, the ability to clean the system yourself, that's going to be pulling one and half or less amps, because it doesn't have the recirculation pump. MIKE WENDLAND:        And walk me through here where the water goes, and where these pipes and [crosstalk 00:01:40]. BILLY DIDONATO:          Okay. Yeah, absolutely. So this is the AquaGo control panel. This is what you're going to use to operate the different modes that are available with the AquaGo Comfort and Comfort Plus models. In eco mode, if I turn on a faucet, or shower, or fixture, or anything like that, I'm still going to get 120 degrees out of it. Okay? But, if this sensor sees temperature below 41 degrees Fahrenheit, it's going to kick on for a couple seconds to make sure that we heat that water back up, so we don't run the risk of freezing our AquaGo.                         In comfort mode, it's going to do that same output temperature, I turn on a shower head, I'm going to get that 120 degrees out of it. However, instead of a 41 degree set point that this sensor is looking for, it's 102 degrees Fahrenheit. So, that allows us to keep a continuous temperature of over 102 degrees within the AquaGo. AquaGo Comfort Plus, we actually have recirculation line, or a hot water line going to our fixtures, and back to the AquaGo. So, if we have the system in comfort mode, we have approximately 102 degrees within our entire hot water line at all times. So, the instant you open up your fixture, you truly do have hot water, instant hot water. MIKE WENDLAND:        So, tell me how popular these are and how many manufacturers you're with now. BILLY DIDONATO:          So, the AquaGo is an extremely popular water heater. It has become the standard in a lot of manufacturers, if not standard a lot of them are using as options. Manufacturers like Winnebago are using this, Leisure Travel Vans, Pleasure Way, Forest River, , you can see our Taxa units, they're using the AquaGo on the model currently. A whole bunch of different manufacturers are currently using it. But what's also nice about the AquaGo is that it's not just available to manufacturers. We can also use this as an after market replacement for existing boiler tanks between six and 16 gallons, and tank-less units as well. So, it's become increasingly popular on the after market.                         Remember when we talked about how efficient this thing was and how little propane it uses? It's very popular to fifth wheel owners and toy haul owners who have a 10 gallon or 12 gallon who want to save propane but still have that endless supply of hot water. The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new or used motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    Patti Burkett By Patti Burkett Hot Springs, Anthony Chapel, Garvan Woodland Garden I recently took a trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas to see Hot Springs National Park.  For those who usually go to National Parks to immerse themselves in nature, this National Park may, itself, seem like an off the beaten path destination.

In this episode, we talk to a leading expert on lithium batteries – Sean Nichols of Battle Born Batteries, one of the best known companies making lithium batteries for RVs. Sean tells us that lead is dead, that the old lead acid batteries found in most RVs are rapidly being eclipsed by more powerful and efficient lithium technology. He explains just what lithium will – and will not – do for the RVer and how they can be made to reliably work even in very cold weather. Sean Nichols will be coming up soon in our interview of the week. Also in this episode, your questions, RV news if the week and an off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #236 April 3, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER Before we get started, two housekeeping notes. One, in this podcast we will mention a bunch of different resources, news stories and web links that will give you more information about the things we’re talking about. Whenever possible, we build in direct links to those topics on the shownotes page for this episode. You can find that at rvlifestyle.com/236 MIKE Also, you may have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. Mike and Jennifer at the beach We share our whereabouts and plans We’re down in Florida on the Emerald Coast enjoying a spring break vacation with family The next big trip will be to Phoenix Arizona and the huge Super B Small Motorhome RV Show. Once again, Jennifer and I will be attending the Super B RV Shownear Phoenix. The dates this year for the show are April 11-14 and it will be held at what is now known as State Farm Stadium (formerly University of Phoenix Stadium) in Glendale, AZ,  Jen and I will be doing meet and greets Friday and Saturday, as well as video live streams direct from the show. Over 100 Class B and short Class C RVs will be on display.  There will be some new products being shown at the show for the first time, as well as new floor plans being introduced. Manufacturers represented include Winnebago, Leisure Travel Vans, Pleasure Way, Midwest Automotive Designs, Fleetwood, Tiffin, Entegra, Roadtrek, Hymer and Thor Motor Coach. Sponsored by LaMesa RV (which has RV dealerships in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Florida), this is the largest RV show in North America that features only small RVs. Attendees can see in one place all of the latest floor plans and the and most popular motorhomes from the top manufacturers. People coming to the show will be able to talk with factory reps,  RV manufacturing company owners and RV experts and celebrities. Dean Corrigal from Leisure Travel Vans will be there, our own RV Lifestyle Personal Chef MJ Curry will be talking about cooking in an RV kitchen, and there will be a seminar on solar power presented on Saturday, April 13 at 11:00 am by David Copeland from Van Dyke Enterprises. We’re in our second week of ownership of our new Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX. We have it being detailed tomorrow. Look for a video on the YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel thus week in the 2019 Mercedes Sprinter chassis and the big improvements it offers compared to previous Sprinter chassis used on RVs. Jennifer has sheets and bedding coming for the Murphy Bed. I need to order a cellular booster. Probably won’t install it until we get back to Michigan in late April. Considering lithium… as you’ll hear in the interview Next 7 Stop Adventure Guide is coming out. Probably next week. It will be on Utah and joins the one we did on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Judge rejects request to form a creditor committee to slow the sale of Erwin Hymer Group, maker of Roadtrek  A judge has rejected the request of several creditors of the bankrupt Erwin Hymer Group North America, makers of Roadtrek, to form a creditor committee, according to a report in the RV Daily Report. The creditors wanted the committee to slow down the sales process. JENNIFER Heading to Alaska's Denali this summer? Plan on carrying out EVERYTHING  If you're planning to hike Denali, North America's tallest mountain, any time soon you'll be asked to carry out your own human waste. Why? The Alaska glacier with approximate 66 tons of human waste from previous hikers is starting to melt and, well, authorities don't want to add any more you-know-what to the problem. MIKE Does RV Industry trends point to coming recession? An Indiana newspaper produced an interesting read over the weekend, analyzing RV industry trends to determine if a recession is on its way. Overall RV sales were up in 2018, but the industry is reporting seven months of overall declining RV shipments, reduced work weeks at some RV factories and even some unpaid furloughs. JENNIFER Man falls to death at Grand Canyon National Park while taking selfie  A man from Hong Kong who was taking a selfie at the Grand Canyon National Park fell and dropped 1,000 feet to his death last week. He was the second death in the park last week leading officials to warn against putting personal safety at risk while seeking the perfect selfie. 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 Hi ..have been listening to your pod cast very informative.  I wanted to ask what kind of gas mileage do you get with your new leisure RV. How does it do in the mountains, did you get the Mercedes diesel? and if you tow a car ? I have been looking at them and just on the edge if their is enough room? It is just me and my small dog and in the near future I want to sell everything and full time. Looking for your input. Thank you,..Russ Imagine if you can, a problem arises with your new MH. Would you let us know about it, and because of your blogging, would the service you personally get be different than the general public? I don’t mean to throw you under the bus, but I believe it’s a fair question. They know you will inform your subscribers so they will want to make sure you are 100% satisfied. We on the other hand don’t have your influence so they would not necessarily treat us the same way they would treat you... Or would they? Dave RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Sean Nichols of Battle Born Batteries Our guest this week is Sean Nichols of Battle Born Batteries, one of the best known companies making lithium batteries for RVs. Sean tells us that lead is dead, that the old lead acid batteries found in most RVs are rapidly being eclipsed by more powerful and efficient lithium technology. He explains just what lithium will – and will not – do for the RVer and how they can be made to reliably work even in very cold weather. Here's a transcript of the interview: Speaker 1:        Tell me about Battle Born Batteries. Speaker 2:        Battle Born Batteries are the best lithium batteries on the market. They're drop-in replacements for lead acid. We have a few different models. We make them in Reno, Nevada. They're designed and assembled here in the States. We do import parts from around the world. Each one of our batteries are built with lithium iron phosphate, which is the safest kind of lithium that you can use. It's the most thermally stable, so you're not going to run into a lot of issues that you'd run into with more of an automotive type battery. The batteries come on the Battle Born side with a consumer warrant of 10 years. It's an eight year full replacement, and a two year repair fee or prorated warranty, so it's the best warranty in the industry. Speaker 2:        We really stand behind the product, and the reason we're able to do that is we know every step of the manufacturing of the battery. We take quality very seriously. We're able to back our product with a 10 year warranty. I don't think there should be a company out there selling that doesn't have the ability to offer a 10 year warranty. Because if you cycle the batteries every single day, it'll only be 3,650 cycles. And we say right up front, everyone says the last 3,000-5,000. Stand behind your product and people stand behind you. Speaker 1:        There is so much confusion. Lithium batteries in RVs in particular, how reliable is lithium now for the RV? Speaker 2:        It's pretty good. We've got a pretty simple system. We work with all the suppliers that are already in your RV, so we don't ask you to use anything weird. If you take it somewhere to get serviced, there's not going to be anything weird in there. Even our battery, it looks like a regular battery, but it's clear labeled lithium. Speaker 2:        I think that cold temperature charging is what people get worried about. There are times, if you don't have the right protection of the batter you can actually ruin the battery by charging it when the temperature's too cold. That is something that a lot of manufacturers miss. We were the first people to come out with cold temperature charging protection. If our battery is below 25 degrees it will not take a charge. Our battery management system will not allow you to destroy the battery. We have it so ... it behaves almost exactly like a lead acid battery, basically. You're not going to be able to destroy it. You just use it. Speaker 2:        It won't take a charge below 25 degrees until it warms up above 32. Guy in Michigan, we sell a heat solution that wraps around the battery. That heat solution basically is made by Ultraheat in Elkhart, so an American made product also, like our battery. It's designed for the battery. Some people do that.