RV Lifestyle RV Podcast

This is a jam packed episode where we talk about: TPMS – Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems for RVers. Do you need one? Stay tuned and we’ll explain why you may. How to Shop an RV Show – We’re in the heart of the RV Show season right now. Before you attend a show, though, you need to make a plan. In this episode we talk to the marketing director for what many think is the biggest RV show in the country: The Florida RV Supershow, which opens next week. Dave Kelly will join us with some great tips appropriate for whatever show you attend anywhere in the country. And we’ve all heard of the Bourbon Trail, right. Well there’s another trail in Ohio that is equally rewarding. We’ll have an awesome Off the Beaten Path Report about the Great Donut Trail of Butler County, OH. All that, plus your RV questions, RV News, Traveling Tech Tips and much more. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #174 Jan. 10, 2018 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:31"] We’re back home from Rochester, MN and a visit to the Mayo Clinic for an annual physical. We share our very positive experience with the place voted the Best Hospital in America. The bitter cold has finally broken but for more than 10 days, nighttime temperatures were well below zero F in many parts of North America. Even parts of Florida saw snow! We talk about problems that can arise if you leave your sticks and bricks house unattended while on an RV trip and the temperatures drop so low. This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing  JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="14:16"] Here’s a question for you: How do you place your hands on the steering wheel when you drive?  For decades, driver's ed teachers recommended that students place their hands at the ten o'clock and two o'clock positions, which were assumed to be the gold standard for leverage, comfort and control. But as a listener named Tom pointed out in an email he sent to us recently, that's not true anymore, due to new research in ergonomics, and new technology in steering wheels. The correct way to place your hands on the steering wheel Placing the hands at nine and three—"parallel position," it's called—is now recommended by AAA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other authorities. This is especially important for unsure drivers, who often get into accidents by oversteering. Parallel position lowers the body's center of gravity, and tends to allow smaller and more accurate steering corrections. But airbags are an even bigger issue. Many of us learned how to handle a steering wheel in an age when there wasn't a super-heated gas ready to explode right into our head and hands in case of impact. The old ten-and-two position puts the hands closer together, and has led to many cases of fractures and serious injuries when airbags deploy. Parallel position keeps your hands farther from the point of airbag impact. Also, to better protect your thumbs in case of a collision, rest them on the wheel itself rather than hooking them around its interior edge. And more driving myth buster: Thanks to airbags, that crossover "hand-over-hand" way that old-timers were taught to make sharp turns is now out of date as well, say many insurers and driving instructors. Crossing your arms can knock your other hand off the wheel, or seriously injure you when airbags pop. Here’s a link to a detailed article in this - https://www.woot.com/blog/post/the-debunker-should-your-hands-be-at-ten-and-two-on-the-steering-wheel Meanwhile… be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle.

What happens if you get sick while out on the road in your RV? What happens if you need a doctor and you are far from home in another state? In this episode, we will tell you about a terrific plan that I think every RVer should consider. There's a new organization that provides on-call doctors for RVers in every state, doctors who can talk to you on the phone or via video, prescribe most drugs you’ll need for any sudden illness, even help you find a local specialist. Plus… this episode is chock full of RV tips, questioned and answers about the RV lifestyle, RV news, the full RV show schedule for the coming weekend and some wonderful off the beaten path advice. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the shownote details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:14"] We’re coming to you this week from the Wisconsin Dells… We outline our travel plans for the next few weeks, share yet another reason why we believe RVing is a better way to travel than flying and we update listeners about what's been happening with our RV Lifestyle as we get excited by all that lies ahead in 2018. We also shares something that really stinks about our sticks and bricks home back in Michigan. This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing  JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="12:20"] Our dog Bo loves the winter. And he really loves snow. But sometimes, the snow and ice can build up on his paws and cause him some pain. So we use a product called Musher’s Secret. We learned about this product while covering dog sled races for the blog and it goes on his paws whenever we take him out for extended play in the snow. Musher's Secret is a dense, barrier wax that forms a breathable bond with your dog's paws. Developed in Canada for use with sledding dogs, it provides tenacious protection even in the most extreme conditions. Just spread a light coating of Musher's Secret on the pads and rub in. It protects the paws and still allows perspiration to escape through the toes. The neat thing about this product is that it is not just for ice and snow and salt protection in the wintertime. It also protects your dog in sand and from hot pavement during those summertime hikes. It can be used weekly or as needed to prevent abrasions, burning, drying and cracking. Think of it as an invisible boot. It’s $19 on Amazon and at pet stores everywhere. And be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox. I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week 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 [spp-timestamp time="16:02"] Stephanie saw our report on the need for RV service technicians and wonders where to find help. We referred her to the educational programs offered by the RecreatIon Vehicle Industry Association - http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=educational and its many in person and eleaning programs. Also the RV Maintenance Tech Course offered online and through hands on programs at https://rvtechcourse.com/ Listener Pat asks about a recent development that makes the very po;ular and helpful AllStays app now unavailable for Android users. We explain and tell her those Android users who have the app will find it still works, there just wot be updates.

On this abbreviated last episode of 2017, we asked out audience to call in and share their RV bucket list plans for 2018. Listen up! Maybe you'll get some ideas! [spp-player] Here's the 2018 Calendar for our Roadtreking gathering - https://rvlifestyle.com/2018-calendar/ And here are the 2018 apps mentioned by Steve VanDinter in his Traveling Technology segment: As we get ready for the calendar to flip to 2018, it’s a great time for all of us to reflect on the things that went well this year, and opportunities for improvement in the coming year. Many will set goals to work out more, get plenty of rest or eat better. And to make these goals stick, experts say you need to start small. First up...we’ll need some motivation. And that’s where the Fitbit Ionic can help. Fitbit’s newest wearable will automatically track your activities (even swimming), along with your heart rate so you know how hard you worked out. It’ll also make sure you’re getting enough good quality rest. Lastly, it can act as your personal coach motivating you to move even when the weather outside is cold and dreary. If you’re going to the gym, consider protecting your phone and lightening your load at the same time with the Under Armour Stash Case.  Not only will your phone be spared from drops of up to 10 feet, but the secret compartment in the back allows you to store your credit cards, ID, or some cash so you can leave your wallet at home. And if you’d like to make sure your form is solid, the Under Armour Magnetic Mount is a great companion to your Stash Case. With this mount you can stick your phone to any metal object and record your form, watch videos or just keep your phone off the sweaty floor. Since there’s an app for pretty much everything today, I wanted to provide a couple for your listeners to check out. First, an app called Mindfulness Daily. Just carve out a few minutes a day to walk through some mindfulness lessons and you’ll be on your way to feeling more centered throughout your life. And last but not least...the Fabulous: Motivate Me! app.  Built in Duke University’s Behavioral Economics Lab, this app is designed to help rewire your brain with good habits. Here’s to a happy and healthy new year!

It’s the week before Christmas, a time when most RVers are staying put, hunkered down to be with family and friends for the holiday. We thought this would be the perfect week to settle some nagging RV questions that have been surfacing all year around. Chief among them has to do with biodiesel fuel, and in particular, the Sprinter RV. What happens when an RVer is in a state that only sells high percentage bio diesel fuel, like B20 or more? Is it OK to use occasionally? Or are you putting your Sprinter engine in jeopardy by using high percentage biodiesel fuel? We’ll try to sort that out in this week’s podcast and answer your questions. Plus we have lots of RV news and tips and a great off the beaten path report. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the shownote details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #171 Dec. 20, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:58"] Christmas Week… we’re at our Michigan home, celebrating with family We just released a really fun video on dog parks, offering tips and lots of photos from our dog park visits around the country. Our dog Bo travels with us in our RV and dog parks give him and us the exercise we so badly need after a long day’s drive. You can see it on our RV Lifestyle Channel on You Tube at http://rvlifestylechannel.com Just a warning. Out in Oregon, an RV caught fire after the family dog oknocked over a portable propane-fueled heater that was being used inside the RV. No one was hurt and the local fire department kept it from spreading to nearly vehicles. Fire experts say you should only use electric heaters inside confined spaces.. This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="13:38"] We get lots of ideas and tips sent in by our audience. Some are too short for a full-length report, but still useful. We’ve saved all the tips you have sent us this year and by combining a bunch of them together, we’ve got a great report. So listen up… here are 8 RV tips that will make your life on the road and at camp a little easier. 1) Wrap a wet paper towel around a bottle and out it into the freezer. In 15 minutes, it will be almost completely ice cold. 2) Use Doritos as a fire starter. Really. They burn better than crumbled up newspaper. 3) Freeze green grapes to chill a class of white wine down without watering it down. 4) Put a small glass of water in the microwave when you warm up pizza to keep it from getting chewy 5) Save your empty Chapstick containers for an emergency cash stash.  Take our the little plunger push up thing and you can store some rolled up bills in it for an emergency  stash you leave in the RV. 6) If your RV has a slide out, use cut a length-long slice of a swimming pool noodle and put that over the sharp edges so you won’t hurt yourself if you accidentally bump into it at camp. 7) Get a small dry erase board and use it to write down the name of the campground, the phone number of the campground, the address and your campsite spot number. In case you need t call emergency help, this will save you lots of time in talking with police of emergency dispatchers. 8) Rub an onion on your barbeque grill to keep things from sticking on it. So there you go. Hope those tips come in handy! Meanwhile, be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile device to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox.

In this episode, we talk about Walmart parking lots, one of the favorite overnight camping spots used by RVers when they need a quick place to spend the night.  Over the past couple of years, Walmart parking lots have been linked to story after story about crimes committed there. Many RVers, in fact, now are worried, or simlpy stay away from them as overnight spots. Is the anxiety justified? We’ll answer a call from a worried listener and do our best to clarify the concerns and let you know our thoughts abut this. Plus more of your questions, a great off the beaten path report, tips on saving money this shopping season and an interview with Mary Jane Curry on the top gadgets you need in your RV kitchen. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #170 December 13, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:22"] Mike and Jennifer are both recovering from severe head colds. But the show must go on… We discuss a major change in direction for the Family Motorcoach Association - FMCA votes to allow owners of all self-contained RVs in  This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing  JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="9:20"] RVers love their pets!  In fact, surveys show that one of the main reasons people buy an RV is so they can travel with their pets. At a recent RV show in Louisville, we ran into our friends Mark and Dawn Polk, of RV Education 101. They travel with not one, not two but three dogs. How do they do it? We whipped out the recorder and asked Dawn for some tips… Good advice from the Polks! And be sure to send me your tips and suggestions about any aspect of the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox. I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week 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 [spp-timestamp time="14:17"] Hal is a new Pleasureway owner. He shares his travel plans. He likes the blog post we had some time back from Campskunk on staying in 70 degree weather and moving with the season all year. Peggy has a 2004 Chevy 190 from Roadtrek and needs to replace some of her old plumbing. She also asks for input on a composting toilet. And despite some distortion on the call, Teri has a problem with swaying with her Serenity RV from Leisure Travel Vans. She’s looking for advice. And a caller questioned a recent guest’s worry about crime in Walmart parking lots. Walmart has traditionally been very welcoming to RVers and, in municipalities that allow it, generally allow RVs to park there overnight. Our caller is looking for advice on straying there when needed. [spp-timestamp time="27:36"] Here are some recent headlines a quick Google search returns from over the last year or so: From Bloomberg - Walmart's Out-of-Control Crime Problem Is Driving Police Crazy From NPR - Wal-Mart's Crime Problem Overwhelms Police Across  From JR Security - Wal-Mart Parking Lots Are Virtual Magnet For Crime  From the publication This Week - Why criminals flock to Walmart From the NY Daily News - Violent crimes at Walmart top 200 this year as cops slam retailer  Let me read this from a 2016 story in Time Magazine: “Across the U.S., Walmarts have become a regular stop for law enforcement res...

This week, we meet the Russos, Joe and Kait, a California couple in heir early thirties who quit their corporate jobs for a life of fulltime travel in an RV. We’ll hear their story, how it applies to you and the pros and cons of living in a van. Plus, lots of questions this week. Tech tips and a must-visit National Park that needs to be on your bucket list. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #169 Dec. 6, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK  [spp-timestamp time="1:43"] Mike and Jennifer We’re back home from Louisville and the big National RV Trade Show. We still have a couple of videos to do of interesting things we came across at the show. They’ll be up on our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube soon. We discussed two items in the news this week of strong interest to RVers: Canada will make admission for kids at National Parks free in 2018 Trump shrinks two National Monuments in Utah, drawing praise and criticism   This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK Janine Pettit and Jennifer Wendland We met lots of interesting people at the RV Industry Trade Show last week in Louisville. One of our new friends is Janine Pettit, who has become an ambassador for what is called the Girl Camping Movement. Janine was a recent guest on Episode 165 and talked with Mike at length about solo women campers. But in Louisville, Janine and I got to talk about something that affects all of us. Unloading and cleaning our RVs after a trip. We recorded the conversation and you get to listen in at [spp-timestamp time="13:00 "] And be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox. I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week 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 [spp-timestamp time="18:18"] A listener named Darrell heard our podcast last week from Louisville where we talked about the lack of campground spaces caused by the booming RV sales. He raises a related and equally serious issue: The shameful state of disrepair that characterizes some campground. Listener Cheryl gave us some kind feedback about our recent video on our RV Lifestyle Channel on You Tube about our Top Ten Holiday Gift Suggestions for RVers. Carl from Pennsylvania is worried about fire safety and RV refrigerators David has a question about RVs and who does the repair on the various components of an RV Jean is a new RVer who want to know about using an RV bathroom in the winter after the RV has been winterized with antifreeze Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV  Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’ RVs with locations St. Louis, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada; Kalispell, Montana and now… Colorado Springs, Colorado.. INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="36:05"] The Russos Joe and Kait Russo are travel writers and videographers who live, along with their dog Leo, full-time in a Class B RV - but it didn't used to be that way. For years the Russos, originally from California, worked in demanding jobs with a desire for adventure and travel but little vacation time to do it. In 2015 all that changed, when Joe and Kait dramatically downsized,

This episode of the podcast is coming to you direct from the 2017 RV Industry Trade Show in Louisville, KY. Taking questions and comments received over the past week from our Roadtreking.com blog readers, out Roadtreking Facebook Group and Roadtreking Facebook Page and our RV lifestyle Channel on YouTube, we’ve interviewed top leaders in the RV industry and identified the three biggest issues this booming industry needs to address as 2018 approaches. You’ll hear their responses in this podcast, plus much more. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #168 Nov. 29, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:07"] Mike and Jenifer podcasting live from the floor at the 2017 National RV Trade Show in Louisville, KY Jennifer and I have been in Louisville all week and we are actually doing this episode right from the show floor. This show is not open to the public, just RV manufacturers, RV dealers, service techs and parts suppliers. Plus the RV media, of course 2 million square feet of exhibitor space Hundreds of new RVs for 2018 Seminars, accessory dealers, parts dealers and the elite of the industry. We are moving from our standard podcast format to instead identify the three major issues and bring on industry experts to help shed their insights on what it means. The three issues are: With a million new RVers this year, and another million expected in 2018, where will they take their RVs? Campground development is not keeping space with RV sales. What can RVers do? We’ll try to put it into perspective Our audience identifies RV service as another channeling issue. RV repairs are often hard to get done. Sometime, it takes weeks to get an appointment and when you’re out of town and need help, what can an RV owner do? What’s the industry’s effort to add more service personnel. RV quality is the third issue our audience raised. With manufacturers rolling our new RVs as fast as they can, many of our readers and viewers think quality has taken a backseat. What is the industry doing to insure the quality of the new RVs they are building in record numbers? We’ll talk about these, in depth. This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing ISSUE #1 – With so many RVers on the road, where will they stay? [spp-timestamp time="12:30"] We discuss this with industry leaders Bill Sheffer, executive director . [spp-timestamp time="14:30"], Michigan Association Recreational Vehicles and Campgrounds Kevin Broom,  [spp-timestamp time="20:46"] Recreation Vehicle Industry Association 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 Issue #2 – The need for more service techs to repair and maintain RVs [spp-timestamp time="27:32"] We discuss this with industry leaders: Marl Polk runs rveducation101.com , a website devoted to teaching RVers how to do it themselves. He shares his thoughts. [spp-timestamp time="28:07"] Bob Zagami is executive director of the New England RV Dealers Association. He says the problem is a serious problem and has helped pioneer some innovate ways for the industry to solve it. [spp-timestamp time="34:56"] Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV  Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’ RVs with locations St. Louis, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada; Kalispell, Montana and now… Colorado Springs, Colorado.. Issue #3: RV quality [spp-timestamp time="43:38"] Talking about this issue is: Walter Cannon is a well-respected leader in the RV industry,

Before you start making your RV travel plans for the next camping season, you’ll want to listen to this week’s interview about a great resource for finding the perfect spot in public campgrounds. From state parks and out of the way municipal spots to outstanding boondocking campsites in state and national forests or other wilderness areas, our guest Ted Houghton of ultimatecampgrounds.com  has a resource that will truly help you find the ultimate camping spot in 2018. That’s coming up in our interview of the week in this episode. Also this week, great RV tips, travel ideas, news affecting RVs and, of course, your comments and questions. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #167 Nov. 22, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:10"] Mike and Jennifer Wendland We share our Thanksgiving plans and talk about what parts of the RV Lifestyle we live that we are most thankful for over the past year. There are free entry days on Black Friday in state parks in several states.  Indiana, Minnesota, Oregon, New York, Arizona, Washington, California, Missouri, Michigan… here’s a link to the ones we’ve heard about https://gearjunkie.com/get-outside-black-friday-freebies-state-parks We update Bo’s progress after six weeks of obedience training. So far…so good! We talk about the big Recreation Vehicle Industry Association Trade Show coming up next week in Louisville and our plans to ask the questions and find the info our readers, listeners and YouTube viewers want us to dig out for them from the show. This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing  JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="13:22"] We received a great tip from a listener named Anne who emailed us two tips this week. The tension rod The first tip has to do with wet towels and where to hang them. What Anne did was to purchase one of those tension bars that people use for closet organizers or even sometimes bathroom shower curtains. Ann set hers up across the back of the bathroom in the RV. She says she set it about an inch from the wall and that it is perfect for hanging those wet towels. They dry perfectly, she says…and out of the way. A second tip involves something available in various places like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Walmart and even some of those dollar stores. What she did was buy sock dividers. They’re normally used to keep socks neat in a drawer. But Ann uses them in her RV kitchen cabinet to keep drinking and wine glasses from falling over. Now, she says, everything arrives intact. Thanks Anne for sharing those great tips Sock organizers hold glasses And be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox. I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week 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 [spp-timestamp time="17:33"] Sue has a comment on how hard to is to find a service tech for an RV and wants to know what can be done about it. We comment. Sandra wants to know about where to find resources about boondocking in Canada. We refer her to boondockerswelcome.com, which has nearly 300 spots listed on their handy membership site. Also ultimatecampgrounds.com. We interview the man behind that site in a few minutes but he lists more than 4,000 great spots to camp in Canada, many of them perfect for boondockers. He even has an app devoted just to Canadian public camp...

We have a jam-packed show for you this week. First off, we’ll tackle the dirty little secret of the RV industry. Yes, they are indeed selling lots and lots of new RVs. Setting sales records seemingly every month. But what they don’t tell you is that you’re going to have a very difficult time finding a place to camp in that RV because we’re not building campgrounds fast enough to keep up with all those new RVers. We’ll tackle this issue in our question of the week segment coming up in a couple of minutes. Also… We RVers love our dogs. Many in fact, cite traveling with a dog as one of the chief reasons they even have an RV! But here’s the deal: Dogs are….well, dogs. Not people. And too many of us do a disservice to our pets by treating them as if they were human.  In this week’s podcast, we get some great advice from a professional dog trainer about traveling with our dogs and making the experience enjoyable for our pets as well as ourselves. Plus lots of audience comments, questions, tips and more all coming up in this episode of The RV Podcast. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #166 Nov. 15, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:15"] Mike and Jennifer Bo is back – You can see the reunion at https://youtu.be/mCEuuy71E28  We share how his training went and what it’s like having a Smart Dog. We are at our sticks and bricks home in Michigan for the next couple weeks. We’ll spend Thanksgiving here and then hit the road again, traveling to Louisville for the annual Recreation Vehicle Industry Association annual Trade Show. Our 2018 Travel Schedule is slowly coming together. Many of or destinations will be anchored around one of the many Roadtreking gatherings we will be attending across the country. You can see a full list of those gatherings at https://rvlifestyle.com/2018-calendar/ This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 19 locations and growing  JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK - Stopping those weird noises from your RV heater [spp-timestamp time="21:28"] There are a lot of moving parts in our RVs. And we’re not talking just about the engine We’re talking about the appliances and the RV accessories that we use on every trip…. Things like the heater. Sure, there’s usually a manual that comes with the gadget. But owner’s manuals don’t necessarily cover everything. We got a great tip this week from a listener named Bob whose,  Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL uses the Alde heating system. Bob’s heater made some weird noises and he shares with us how he fixed it in this week’s Tip of the Week. The video Bob saw that explained where to change the setting on his Alde heater was at https://youtu.be/f5btXOrw1p4 And be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox. I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week 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 [spp-timestamp time="21:28"] Listener John noticed the big boom in RV sales but is worried that with all those new campers out there, where will they go? Finding an open campsite without making a reservation long in advance grows more difficult each day. He asks for Mike and Jennifer’s thoughts on the issue.

We have lots to talk about this week. We’re going to start off with a discussion about a very controversial topic: The proliferation of what is being called fake service dogs. It’s becoming a national scandal and I’m sorry to say, a lot of RVers are involved, registering their dogs as service animals when, in fact, they have had no real service dog training and the registration is just a sham so they can take their pets with them wherever they want. We’ll also talk about a big RV trend… renting out your RV. There are now dozens of companies that are serving those who want to rent an RV for a vacation – just like out rent a vacation home. And the fleet of rental RVs come from RV owners who want to make some cash for their RVs when it would otherwise be just sitting in storage or their driveway. Plus your questions, comments and RV news, tips and suggested trips….all coming up in this week’s episode. Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #164 November 1, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time="2:30"] It’s November. Snow is flying around the upper Midwest but we’re still in sunny and warm Florida. We'll start back to our home in Michigan, where we'll send the holidays, towards the weekend. This week, we want to talk about a growing national scandal involving service dogs. Today, any pet owner can go online and buy a vest for a dog to pass it off as a service animal to gain access to restaurants, hotels, parks, beaches and places of business. Across the country, at least 19 states are considering legislation that would crack down on pet owners who claim their animals are service animals. Still more states are considering implementing them, Most of the laws hit anyone misrepresenting their animal as a service animal with fines up to $500. There are an estimated 20,000 real, service dogs in the US; they are specifically trained to do tasks for a person with a disability and can help with disabilities ranging from vision impairments to seizures to autism and more. However, there are tens of thousands of other animals that have various pieces of service dog ID cards or vests that are available online by simply paying a fee. Just Google service dogs and you’ll see the ads. Passing off your dog as a service dog, when in fact it is not, is causing an uproar in the community for those who actually need one. An organization, Glad Wags Service Dogs, is making it known that "fake service" dogs are causing a huge problem, and it needs to stop, citing incidents in which non-service-animals have misbehaved in places they shouldn't have been allowed, casting real service animals in a bad light—or, in some cases, even injuring an actual service animal. Case in point: An incident in Sacramento just over a week ago, when a blind man’s working service dog was attacked by a pit bull whose owner falsely claimed the pet was a therapy dog. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is illegal to ask about a person’s disability, require medical documentation, require special identification for a service animal or ask for the service animal to demonstrate the tasks it’s trained to do. And while the ADA was created to protect people with special needs from discrimination, sadly it does not thwart those who are able-bodied and seeking to take advantage of the service animal privilege. This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 16 locations and growing  JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="17:50"]  This week’s tip comes from a dental hygienist we met on a recent roadtrip. We were visiting around the campsite and she shared how important it is to keep our te...