RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

With the recent purchase of Europe’s Erwin Hymer Group, US-based Thor Industries has become the largest RV manufacturer in the world, with dozens of brands and billions in assets. CEO Bob Martin is an avid RVer himself, now owning his sixth RV. We got a chance to sit him down for a one-on-one interview at the recent RVX industry show in Salt Lake City and talked about Thor’s vision for the RV future, which Martin says will be dominated by Class B and smaller RVs. We asked him to talk about rumors that Thor may still eventually buy Roadtrek Motorhomes, and while he conceded the brand had lots of value, he was careful not to imply anything. But he did note that Thor plans to soon introduce an entire new line of Class B motorhomes. The photo above is of a Thor concept Class B shown at the RVX show called the Sequence. Listen up for Bob Martin from Thor industries in our interview of the week, coming up shortly. But also this week, lots of RV news,your questions about the RV lifestyle, an off the beaten path report and much more. Show Notes for Episode #235 March 27, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Our mobile podcast studio in the front lounge area of our new Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX We update our travels to date, including our recent stay in New Orleans. We’re still getting used to our new 2019 Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX, which we purchased last week.  We're excited about a fun video we will be releasing this Thursday. It's all about Harvest Hosts, and how we used this awesome service to find three phenomenal spots to overnight on our recent trip west. Make sure you subscribe to the RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube and check out the video, which should post about noon Thursday. We'll have a special coupon code that will save you 15% of the cost of a Harvest Hosts membership, which lets you stay overnight for free at over 700 awesome attractions, farms, wineries, and orchards all across North America. Use the code RVLS at checkout on the Harvest Hosts website to save!  We invite listener calls on our special Podcast Voicemail at 586-372-6990. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK  Jennifer Record floods leave Nebraska officials closing many parks, campgrounds, as damage is accessed  Extreme flooding in the Midwest has been in the news this past week as homes, farms and large areas of many communities are underwater after melting snow and record rains fell on frozen land, particularly in Nebraska. Among the damage are state campgrounds, with many state parks closed until further notice as Nebraska officials evaluate damage. seek help. MIKE The sale of Erwin Hymer Group could be completed next month  An Ontario newspaper is reporting the Erwin Hymer Group North America, the makers of Roadtrek, could have a new owner as soon as next month. The company went bankrupt earlier this year, closing the doors and laying off 850 employees, after financial irregularities were discovered. Some $273 million is owed to more than 900 creditors. JENNIFER Grizzly bears are starting to wake so be prepared when traveling outdoors  Grizzly bears are starting to wake out west from their winter hibernation and officials are urging outdoor enthusiasts to travel in groups, be alert and bring bear spray. For tips on bear spray safety from an expert we interviewed a while back, click here. MIKE Five state parks one newspaper says are among the most stunning in the U.S.  Earlier this month we visited a breathtakingly beautiful state park in Utah that many consider one of the best in the U.S. (see story here). So it was with interest that I saw this article in the Chicago Tribune last week, that highlighted five other state parks in five different states all breathtakingly beautiful. More wolves headed for Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park At least four wolves captured on a seculuded Canadian island in Lake Superior were headed to Isle Royale National Park in Michugan.The four were caught Friday, where they were thought to face starvation as their main prey, caribou, no longer existed there.  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 got a great question from Dan, who drives a 20 foot long Class B. He’d love having the extra room in a B-Plus van but has serious concerns about navigating narrow streets, finding parking spots or even stopping at fast food restaurants. We do our best to answer based in our experience over the past couple of months driving B+ vans. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Here’s our interview with Bob Martin, the CEO of Thor Industries, which is now the largest RV manufacturer in the world. Mike Wendland:           Bob Martin, Thor Industries, thanks for making some time. First question though, how does it feel to be the CEO of the world's largest RV manufacturer? Bob Martin:                  I try not to think about it. It is a very large company. For me, it's a big challenge. We have a lot of companies that have some great brands, great managers. Really, the way that we run the company is very decentralized. Even though we're the largest in the world now, there's still less than 60 people at our corporate office, out of 20 thousand, so we're highly decentralized. Really, we let our companies, with their management team, run their brand and their companies, so behind us, we have Airstream, one of the strongest brands in the industry, and they just have a phenomenal team, that I get updates, I know what they're doing, but for product and dealer relationship, they do everything that they need to do. For us, it's been fun. It's a challenge. It's a different thing for me every day, but I enjoy it because I love the industry. Mike Wendland:           Well, you guys are working so actively, now, for the future. Tell us a little bit about the initiatives that you have started, and where that will be in the RV industry over the next couple of years. Bob Martin:                  For us, I mean, even at this show, we rebranded Thor Industries, so Thor Industries has a new website, a new logo, a new tagline, and it's really to reach out to a very much more diverse demographic. Our industry is really targeted on the baby boomers for many years, and now we have Gen X, Gen Y, Millennials starting to come in, and they communicate in a different way, and a lot of it's social media. Here, at the show, you've seen us really increase our exposure in a lot of interviews and a lot of Instagram posts, things that we've never done in the past, but that's the future, and I think, for us to reach those new buyers, we're trying everything that we can, just to expose people to the RV industry and the lifestyle. Mike Wendland:           Now, the designs that they have for RVs, the new ones, the young demographic that seems to be buying, the designs that they're asking for, how is that changing the way all RVs are going to be over the next few years? Bob Martin:                  It seems a lot of them are looking at ... They're smaller, not quite utilitarian. Some are, but they still want their technology. People still want Wifi. They wanna be able to get their emails, so we're looking at that in all products, connected vehicles. Behind us, we've got Airstream. They won the award for the connected vehicle. It's just making camping easier for people that don't know what it is. You take down those barriers, and that's how you attract more people to the industry. Mike Wendland:           Now, it looks like a new Class B, out there, in your display.[inaudible 00:02:59] Mike Snell, who is doing some work with that. Tell us about that. That's- Bob Martin:                  Well, that's a product that we've had in design for quite some time. For us, Airstream was our only entrant into the B van segment. Mike Wendland:           With the Interstate and the Atlas? Bob Martin:                  With the Interstate and the Atlas, but Thor Motor Coach wanted to get into the B van business, so we started, many months ago, designing their new product, and this is the prototype. We brought it here to get feedback. Dealers have been happy. It's obviously a growing part of the segment. For us, we had great response, and when it goes into production, all that, we'll figure out over the next couple months here, but hopefully, by this fall, at open house, we'll have a nice lineup of B vans through Thor Motor Coach. Mike Wendland:           The brand names that they're going to be sold under, have you figured that out yet? Bob Martin:                  They've got a brand name on here, but they're not even saying that that's definitely what it is. At Thor, we have a book of names that we can use, throughout the years. Mike Wendland:           Come on, a book of names? Bob Martin:                  Well, we have names that ... We trademark names when we come up with them, and it's valuable, because there are names that come and go, and as the companies have come and gone throughout the years, we've been able to get some of their names. Under ThorTech, we have quite a few brand names that people can look at, or many times, they find a new one, they- Mike Wendland:           Let's call it this. Bob Martin:                  Yeah, and then it resonates, but then we trademark it, and so, with that, it has a name on it today, but right now it's the Thor B. We'll see what it is in the future. Mike Wendland:           Tell us the future of the Hymer brand, now that you own that brand, and Hymer vans. The Loft was doing quite well, and a lot of buzz about that. Bob Martin:                  Yeah, I mean, for us, Hymer, the purchase was Europe. There was Hymer North America. That was carved out of the deal at the very end, so our focus has been Europe. I was just there last week, and their variety of B vans are incredible,

This week we interview the newly named CEO of Kampgrounds of America about the changing demographics of camping in America. Toby O’Rourke shares with us highlights of the company’s latest study and reveals that millennials now make up 35% of all the active campers in the U.S. She also talks about how her company is continuing to grow and thrive in an increasingly digital world. Plus an update from Mike and Jen on their new RV, their travel schedule for the next month and an off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #234 March 20, 2019 of The RV Podcast: Mike and Jennifer talk about their recent activities and whereabouts This is a photo of us taken Monday, after signing on the dotted line and buying a 2019 Leisure Travel Vans Unity FX. We're giving it a shakedown trip now. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Two Canadian national parks install country's first electric vehicle charging stations Two Canadian national parks in British Columbia are the first in the country to install electric vehicle charging stations. Glacier National Park and Yoho National Park are both along the Trans-Canada Highway and are part of a national goal of improving electric travel.  Improvements to cell coverage debated at Grand Teton National Park: Would it take away from wilderness experience? The debate about whether to improve cell service at Grand Teton National Park was in the news last week. Proponents argue it would help retain workers and assist in emergencies, while those against say excellent cell service takes something away from the wilderness experience. Great whale watching opportunities along Oregon coast in upcoming week If you're planning to be anywhere near the Oregon coast between March 23-31, you might want to check out some of the many whale watching sites. The gray whales are making their way from Mexico to Alaska, and will be swimming by, and many special view sites are set up to see the giant mammals that week. Fire at Forest River factory in Elkhart, Indiana, leaves production of some towables in question A fire last week completely destroyed the factory in Elkhart, IN, where the Forest River Vibe and Vibe Extreme are built. Officials were still trying to determine what caused the blaze as of this writing, along with what will become of the towable trailers and jobs of those who built them.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping  RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK  This week we interview with Tony O’Rourke, the new CEO of Kampgrounds of America: Mike Wendland:           Well first of all, congratulations. Toby O'Rourke:             Thank you. Mike Wendland:           I think we first started interviewing you when you were doing marketing, digital marketing, and then of course President and now CEO President and the Chief everything of Kampgrounds of America. So congratulations Toby. Toby O'Rourke:             Thank you, I appreciate that. Mike Wendland:           You know one of the things that you do [inaudible 00:00:20] is you do the annual camping report every year. Toby O'Rourke:             We do. Mike Wendland:           And I know it's a little early, it hasn't been completed yet, but can you give us any sneak peaks of what the data is showing for 2019 compared to previous years? Toby O'Rourke:             Yeah, so now we've been doing the North American Camping Report for five years, which is great to look at it as a body of work that shows the trends over the past five years. And there's several key trends, things we've talked about before, but we definitely are seeing a lot of people camp, and people are camping more frequently. That's my favorite part of the data, is we're seeing 72% increase over these past five years in the amount of people that are camping at least 3 times a year, which is exciting. The data's also pointing, similar to past years, increases in millennials camping and also increases in diversity. Mike Wendland:           Now when we talk about millennial camping, they camp a little different than the traditional demographic, don't they? They get more of them on a site. How- Toby O'Rourke:             Well, several things. I think there's a lot of misperceptions. People think that millennials are all tenters, which actually is not true, in fact 35% of RVers are millennials, according to our research. But yes, millennials do tend to like to camp in groups. We see the average group size of a millennial camping trip being 8-10 people. We keep that in mind as we think about how we design campgrounds. It's good to have sites located near each other or multiple different site types located near each other because we know people are coming and then they want to spend time together. Mike Wendland:           It's funny, we just have stayed at two of your facilities on our way out here. We love it because of the consistency of the amenities. They're always clean, they're neat. You follow up with us, ask us, give us an opportunity to give feedback, which I think is ... We know that is shared with the franchise. Toby O'Rourke:             It does. Mike Wendland:           Tell us how all these things have come together in the KOA marketing strategy. Toby O'Rourke:             Yeah, our marketing strategy is largely digital. We are very focused on being a digital marketing department. So everything is online intending to drive people to KOA.com, and the results of that have been great. We've seen an 11 point increase in online reservations over the past few years, and 48% of all of our advanced reservations are made online. And to your point, we integrate the reviews right back onto our website that we're gathering from campers. Everything's integrated into mobile. We have a strong social media angle as well as blog content. Mike Wendland:           Now the reviews, how important is that? And tell me why campers should look at those reviews. You don't filter those, by the way, do you? Toby O'Rourke:             We don't, unless there's profanity or a personal attack on somebody and that person's named, we'll take those out, but other than that, we don't ever filter those out. We get over 200,000 reviews back from campers every year. We publish those on our website. It's extremely important to us to do that. One, reviews are important because they give the campground owner feedback, and they know how to make their park better. And a lot of our campground owners, most of them, actively manage those reviews so they can make the experience better for the camper. And secondly, it's really important for the guest. We know that reviews are very instrumental in people making camping decisions. People don't just book anymore or buy anything without looking at reviews, so we want to make sure that those are available for campers. Something fun. Mike Wendland:           How fast are you guys growing? It seems like I keep looking at new KOA campgrounds everywhere we travel. Toby O'Rourke:             Last year we added 16 new campgrounds to the system. Those were conversion parks. We currently have 13 campgrounds being built, franchise locations that are being built right now. And that's the most we've had in a number of years, so really, really strong growth. We're seeing a lot of investment by owners in our current parks, inside improvements. And then also our best owners adding campgrounds to their portfolios, so there's an increase in multi-ownership as well. Mike Wendland:           A couple years ago you introduced the Journey sites and I think the Resort sites. How has that played? Are people ... Is that registering with them? Do they understand the differences? Toby O'Rourke:             Yeah, I think it's starting to. So, we're a year out from our requirement of having every KOA in one of those three brand positions. KOA Journeys, which are overnight parks, primarily. But the majority of our system is what we call a KOA Holiday, which has some recreation, has cabins, has certain patio sites for RVs. And then the KOA Resorts, which we have about 20 of those. Those are all-in destinations. Shouldn't have to leave the campground if you don't want to.                                     Now yes, I do think that consumers are starting understand the differences. We do research on that every year. The awareness has been increasing across the brands, and the understanding and the feedback we get from our research is that people think it's very helpful for their travel planning. And to know what the experience to expect, which was our goal all along. Mike Wendland:           Talking about that experience to expect, what should campground users be sure that they're going to experience when they visit a KOA, no matter which category it happens to be in? Toby O'Rourke:             Well, the things we pride ourself on is guest service. It means something to put on the KOA yellow shirt. That represents a certain level of service commitment that we make to our campers and I think that's a big differentiator for us, is in our service. But we also feel very strongly about quality. We have quality inspection teams are constantly canvasing the country making sure campgrounds are measuring up to the standards we have in place for quality. So, if I could sell anybody on KOA's, it's they're going to have a very clean campground, consistent experience and you're going to have a great service. Mike Wendland:           And we love the laundry facilities. Toby O'Rourke:             Yeah, you're going to have laundry, you're going to find swimming pools. We'll always have a- Mike Wendland:           And the dog runs. Toby O'Rourke:             Dog parks. Kamp K9 is very important to us. We know that most people are camping with some pet. I say some because sometimes we get parakeets or cats, the majority are dogs.

This special episode of the RV Podcast comes to you direct from Salt Lake City, Utah, where we are attending the RV Industry Association’s glitzy new RVX show, which has brought nearly 5,000 RV manufacturers, dealers, suppliers and media to this cold, wintry city to kick off the 2019 camping season with the introduction of new RVs, RV-related technology and new products aimed at the camping public. We’ll have interviews, inside information and more direct from the show floor. Show Notes for Episode #233 March 13, 2019 of The RV Podcast WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Part of the Reveal awards to the best in category RVs at the RVX show. This one is for the Unity 2020 Rear Lounge model from Leisure Travel Vans which won the best in the City Escape Category JENNIFER This is a busy week out here in Salt Lake City, where the area is under a winter weather advisory with lots of snow and high winds predicted during the show dates out here. We’re going to devote the whole podcast to this event out here, which is really a big deal as it’s done by the RVIA – the RV Industry Association, which is the influential trade group whose polices and promotions set much of the industry agenda. MIKE There was a lot of skepticism about this show this year. It replaces the traditional November show the RVIA did every year right after Thanksgiving in Louisville. That show suffered with dwindling attendance over its past several years because the Industry Open House in Elkhart, Indiana – the RV capital of the world -  drew away most of the dealers who felt they couldn’t afford two industry shows a month apart. So Louisville ended in 2017 and the RVIA promises to reboot the show with RVX, which will go to different cities each year. And this one is the first, but there’s a lot riding on it. I’m hearing from a lot of manufacturer reps we’ve talked to that many dealers are not here. March is a busy time for them as they prepare for the new season and, let’s face it, Salt Lake City in March is not exactly a garden spot this time of year. JENNIFER There may be snow and wind outside, but inside the Salt Palace Convention Center, it does look a lot like spring. The displays are big and glitzy and we do want to compliment the RVIA for adding a lot of excitement to every aspect of this, including big reveals of new RVs, even RV concept vehicles. It reminds me of the big Detroit auto shows we have attended, with a touch of the Consumer Electronic Shows in Las Vegas. MIKE We were brought out here by Leisure Travel Vans, and we’re doing some meet and grets with those attending RVX at their booth. Plus we will be doing a live YouTube broadcast on our RV Lifestyle Channel Thursday March 14 at 3PM right from the show floor. And we’ll be learniung as much as we can about what’s coming in 2019 for the industry, which we promise to share with you. JENNIFER Now we should point out that this show is not open to the public. It’s just for the industry. But we’ll do the best we can to be your eye and ears and let you know the big news from here. Speaking of RV news, let’s do a quick check on the RV News of the Week. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER The 2018 list of the 10 most visited U.S. national parks released last week More than 318 million people visited America's national parks last year, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remaining America's most visited park in 2018, with 11.42 million visitors. Next up was the Grand Canyon National Park, with 6.38 million visitors, followed by the Rocky Mountain National Park with 4.59 million. All the parks are gearing up for another big tourism year in 2019. We visited Arches National Park in Utah this past weekend and learned that there is quite a controversy brewing about a proposal by the National Park System to limit visitors to the park during the peak spring and summer season to only those who make reservations. You’d have to reserve a time slot to enter the park, say 8AM…or 10 AM…or 2PM. The park wants to control the crowds which sometimes overwhelm it. Local residents in the gateway city of Moab are fighting this, saying it would reduce park visitors and therefore reduce local spending and hurt the town, which depends on tourism dollars. It’s not yet clear whether this plan will go into effect but its being considered for Arches… therefore, you can assume other parts with similar crowd problems may also propose such a system in the future. Stay tuned… MIKE Roadtrek creditors hiring a litigator and private investigator to hold Erwin Hymer Group accountable for possible criminal activity  A growing group of 20 suppliers have banned together to hire a litigator and private investigator to look into the financial irregularities at Erwin Hymer Group, a story in the RV Daily Report announced last week. This would be the first step to open doors to potential criminal activity among Hymer executives which could make it possible for creditors to go after the personal assets of executives for reimbursement JENNIFER Rain and warm weather causing for super bloom among desert wildflowers in California  Recently we told you about spectacular wild flower blooms expected in Texas this month. Well, it turns out the warm temperatures and rain in much of the west are also causing breathtaking super blooms in the dry spots of California and Arizona, too. We’ll link to a story and photograph showing the dazzling display in the shownotes for this episode at rvlifestyle-dot-com-slash-233. MIKE Virginia's new state park will be near where Pocahontas once lived If you love American history, you might want to plan on a trip to Virginia's newest state park once it is completed. The park, which will offer camping, is built close to where Pocahontas once lived, and will tell the story of Virginia's native Americans. Its 644 acres in size near the town of Glocester on the York River. It’s under construction right now but once complete, it will include a campground, a nonmotorized boat launch, an open-air interpretive center and a picnic area. The first phase should be open by the fall.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping  RV INTERVIEWS OF THE WEEK This week, from the RVX Show, we talk to the following guests:  Kevin Broom, RV Industry Association Mike Elias, Leisure Travel Vans Roger Allman, Mercedes-Benz Jason Kimbrell, LaMesa RV Dawn Polk, RV Education 101 Joe and Kait Russo, We’re the Russos Deb Spencer, Dometic Corp.  Listen for our special live stream Video Report from the show floor this Thursday March 14 on our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube at 3PM Eastern Time The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new or used Roadtrek motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country Please Subscribe and Give Us a Rating and Review! Many listeners are asking how they can subscribe, review and rate the Roadtreking Podcast on iTunes. With a new podcast like this, those reviews and ratings are really important to be able to show well in the iTunes listings. So if you can, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave me your review. Here’s how: First, open up the iTunes app on your computer or mobile device. Click on Podcasts up on the top > From the iTunes Podcasts page, use the “Search Store” field up at the top right corner of the page. Type in Mike Wendland or Roadtreking RV Podcast. > Click on the logo image of the Roadtreking RV Podcast on the search return page > From there (see photo above), you can… 1) Subscribe 2) Choose and Click on a star (1-5) that reflects your rating. Five stars means you really like it, one star not so much. 3) Leave a written review. Thanks to all for the kind reviews we’ve received so far. That got us noticed by Apple/iTunes as “New and Noteworthy.” I appreciate every review! And remember, you can appear in future episodes. Ask a question or voice your comments about RV topics by clicking the Leave Voicemail tab on the right side of this page here at Roadtreking.com. You can then use the microphone on your computer to record your words. DISCLAIMER Presently, we are serving as brand ambassadors for Leisure Travel Vans and driving a coach provided free for our use. All opinions expressed about that coach honestly reflects our own personal appraisal, good and bad, and Leisure Travel Vans does not control our content, writing, videos, podcasts or newsletter reports in any way. In addition to the coach, Leisure assists us in some expenses related to our travel

Across the country, there’s a growing movement for something known as R2R, or Right to Repair. It’s being fought by the RV industry, which often limits just who can repair their products, usually through a tightly controlled dealership network. For RV owners, this often means that necessary repairs can take days, even weeks because many of those dealership service shops are booked solid. But what if those repairs could be done by other repair facilities, not financially tied at the hip to the manufacturer? When manufacturers own the only repair shop around, prices go up and quality goes down. Competition is better for customers, but mom and pop repair shops are struggling with unfair practices by multinational corporations. Consumers and repair pros are starting to fight back. Today, in our interview of the week segment, we’re going to talk about the R2R movement, why the industry is so against it and what this means to you, the RV owner. Plus, your comments, questions and tips, plus the RV news of the week and a great off the beaten path report.   Show Notes for Episode #232 March 6, 2018 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER This week finds us on the road again. We’re on a week-long roadtrip that will eventually take us to Salt Lake City Utah for a big trade show next week. But we’re taking our time getting there, trying to keep to our “330 Rule” of not traveling more than 330 miles in a single day or stopping by 3:30PM so we can enjoy the area. MIKE We can’t gIve you an itinerary because, well, we seldom have one, other than a direction. We’ll be staying at Harvest Host wineries, farms and attractions as well as any interesting state or local campgrounds or boondocking spots that catch our eye. And yes, Bo is with us on this trip, though we will be using Rover.com to find a local family that he can stay with in Salt Lake City since we’ll be working during the RV show hours. JENNIFER We can’t say enough good things about Rover. It is a free app that connects you to a nationwide network of dog sitters, doggie day care centers and boarding facilities. We often use it when we travel to different areas. The sitters are well screened and Bo seems to really enjoy his visits. MIKE Many of you have been following our travels over the past month in a 2019 Leisure Travel Van Wonder, RTB, for Rear Twin Bed. We have been interested in test driving it for two purposes: One, to see what it’s like driving an RV on the Ford Transit chassis. We just posted a video on that experience on our RV Lifestyle Channel. Overall, we have been very pleased with it, except for a few things. But we think the Transit is going to give the Mercedes Benz Sprinter a real run for the money as the most popular chassis these days for small motorhomes. JENNIFER The second part of the Wonder we wanted to experience was our comfort level with a slightly larger van than we’re used to. Leisure Travel Vans are what is known as B+ vans, a sort of cross between a Class B campervan and a larger Class C Van. Technically, a B+ is listed for insurance purposes as a Class C motorhome but they call it a B+ because it does not have the typical cab overhang you see on most Class Cs and it’s a little less boxy looking. We will have a full video review of the Wonder and our experience with it coming it this Thursday. You can see all our videos at YouTube-dot-com-slash-rvlifestyle. MIKE The show we are attending next week is called RVx and is organized by RV Industry Association and will be attended by TV dealers, RV manufacturers, industry leaders, suppliers and the media. Jennifer and I will be hanging out at the show doing meet and greets for the attendees all three days. Tuesday from 3-5PM, Wednesday from 4-5 PM and Thursday from 11AM-1PM. If you are one of those who, will be at the show, look for us at the Leisure Travel Vans Display. We’d love to say hi. And for those who are not attending, we’re planning a live stream Tuesday afternoon. JENNIFER The weather has continued to be crazy across most of the country. Our hearts go out to the people of Alabama who suffered such terrible loss of life and property from the Sunday tornadoes. There has also been lots of snow, sub zero weather and even down where we have been along the Florid panhandle in the gulf shore, unseasonable cold and rainy weather. So we’re hoping for a nice change of pace as we make our way west. After the RV show next week, we’d like to visit a couple of Utah’s National Parks and while we don’t mind cool temps we don’t want there to be snow. MIKE Now is a good time for us to reveal that we are a little over a week away from making a final decision on our next RV. We’ll be buying this one and although we have all the financing arranged with a bank and a dealer, we’re holding off in saying for sure what it will be until we physically check it out and have a chance to thoroughly check it out. But we’ve done the research and nailed down what we want and we should be able to share all the details and maybe a photo or two next week. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Wholesale shipments of camper vans and truck campers only categories to see growth  Class Bs (camper vans) and truck campers continued to be the only category of RVs to show growth, according to the latest RV Industry Association's survey of manufacturers. The survey compared January 2018 to January 2019 wholesale shipments and showed an over all industry decrease of 39.8 percent. JENNIFER What you need to know about camping at Indiana Dunes National Park   If you're interested in camping at Indiana Dunes National Park (America's newest national park) this summer, there are several helpful things to know. The campground opens April 1, advance reservations are not possible, and the sites have no water or electric hook ups. MIKE Former owner of Roadtrek talks to newspaper about what happened to the company his father founded  The former owner of Roadtrek was interviewed by a Canadian newspaper last week, sharing his thoughts on what happened to the company his father founded. He says he will not buy the company, which closed its doors, laid off all employees and owes creditors some $300 million, but believes someone will. JENNIFER Train derailment near Canada's Banff National Park tragically killed three crew, and has officials concerned about wildlife  A 112-car train derailment about 80 kilometers (roughly 50 miles) outside Banff National Park last week killed three crew members on board. As officials worked to determine the cause of the crash, others are feverishly working to clean spilled grain, concerned it will attract hungry bears waking from hibernation.  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 hear from three listeners this week:  We get a tip about mouseproofing an RV; Two listeners talk about what they are doing when they listen to this podcast; and Tom from Ottawa talks about not getting ripped off by credit card scammers through an Android app called Skimmer Scanner  Here’s the question of the week which we answer in depth: Hi Mike and Jennifer, Thanks for the opportunity to ask you a question personally. I’ve been lurking on youtube for awhile now, enjoying your videos, along with several other vloggers who are living the RV lifestyle. Love Bo!! He’s a real trooper. At this point, I’m a wannabe RV’r trying to decide what rig would best suit me. I’ve found a 2012 Born Free 24’ rear bath unit with 43K miles on it that’s located near me.  I’ve viewed it and I can tell the owner is particular about the RV and has cared for it.  He and his wife are the second owners and purchased it 2 years ago, but unfortunately, health issues necessitate them selling. I’ve read the Born Free has a great reputation. However, I’m no mechanic... Thus my question(s): 1) is it smart to buy an RV manufactured by a company that’s no longer in business? 2) should I hire someone to check out the mechanics? Everything seems to be in working order… 3) what is a fair offer to make? He is asking $63K.  I checked NADA and they list average retail at $54,332 and low retail at 43,800.I was thinking of starting with $50k, hoping to settle on $52K…  4) Last question I promise - they have a loan on the RV so can you inform me as to how a purchase would work in this case? Kind regards, Sue RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK The topic we want to look at this week has to do with a movement called R2R, or the Right to Repair. The Repair Association, previously the Digital Right to Repair Coalition, was formed in 2013. The Association represents everyone involved in repair and reuse of technology—from DIY hobbyists and independent repair technicians, to environmental organizations and the aftermarket.  They’re concerned about a lot of things that need repairs, from computrers and cell phones to automobiles and, what we want to talk about in our interview of the week…recreational vehicles. Our guest is Willie Cade, from the Repair Organization, who joins us on the other end of the line. Here's a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Willie Cade from repair.org joins us on the phone right now. Willie, thank you first of all for being our guest and helping us understand about the right to repair. Willie Cade:                  My pleasure Mike. Thanks for having me. Mike Wendland:           Well let's start with this whole issue about what is also called fair repair legislation. Why is this needed? Maybe you can walk us through that process. Why do we need this kind of legislation, and particular for my audience, which are owners of recreational vehicles? Willie Cade:                  Well it's actually broad and I'm very excited that you have found us.

This episode of the podcast looks at solar power and asks the question, has the RV industry over sold solar power? Just how effective is it? We’ll hear from an industry insider who says while solar power is certainly beneficial for RVers, it just may not deliver all that some RV manufacturers and sales people have claimed. The truth about solar will be the topic of our interview of the week, coming up in just a few minutes. Show Notes for Episode #231 Feb 27, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Our Meet and Greet at the Beach JENNIFER Once again, we come to you this week from the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida, where we are hanging out for another week or so before beginning a big trip west. MIKE Speaking of hanging out, we want to give a big shout out to all those who came to our Meet and Greet on the Beach this past Sunday at the Gulf Island National Seashore near Navarre Beach, Florida. We had a great turn out of more than 30 RVers who showed up, a great mix of locals as well as snowbirds down here in the Sunshine State escaping that brutal winter up north. JENNIFER Also this week, we are very excited to announce the publication of our latest project: Mike & Jennifer's 7 Day RV Adventure Guide to the Michigan UP.This is the first of what will soon be a growing series of special 7-day adventure guides around various regions of North America. We have a whole list of them that will be coming,  but this first guide is of one of our absolute favorite destinations - Michigan's wild and beautiful Upper Peninsula. MIKE This ebook is a seven day guided exploration of the Michigan UP. We provide a suggested route and itinerary, links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking spots, and the best spots to see along the way. Don’t plan your trip to the Upper Peninsula without it!  You can hit everything in seven days, do a whirlwind weekend tour, or you can take your time and explore the area over a 2+ week period. Cost is just $7, you can get more info and download instantly at https://rvlifestyle.com/UP RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Forest River safety record skewered in local TV investigation A local TV station serving Elkhart, Indiana has released results of a year-long investigation into RV manufacturer Forrest River, documenting a fast-paced work culture filled with alleged drug use and lax safety practices. The records show the company has been hit with $250,000 in fines by the government for safety violations, way more than other RV makers or suppliers in the area. There was no comment from the company. JENNIFER Texas may see biggest wildflower display in a decade this spring  If you are anywhere near Texas, officials are predicting the biggest wildflower bloom in a decade this spring thanks to above average rainfall. We thought the Texas bluebonnets were gorgeous last year (see our report here) and are looking forward to heading back to the state in the next few weeks. MIKE After wolves from Banff National Park legally killed outside park's boundaries, some urge passing of buffer zones  At least two radio-collared wolves were legally hunted on federally owned land just outside Banff National Park recently, triggering concern among some in Canada about the need to have a buffer zone surrounding national parks. The story reminded me of a similar one we shared a few weeks back about a beloved wolf legally killed just outside Yellowstone National Park recently. JENNIFER Reservations to camp at bucket list Alaska's Katmai National Park to open March 2 Reservations to camp at Brooks Falls Camp in Alaska's Katmai National Park will open March 2 at 12 pm eastern and spots at the bucket list site where giant brown bears feast on salmon are expected to be booked within hours. The reservation dates are delayed this year because of the federal government shut down. To see a report we did on the famous Katmai bears and their webcams, click here. MIKE North Carolina developer wants to open retro-style drive in movie theater with up to 75 camping spots   Increasingly we are hearing about campground owners centering their RV parks on unique experiences, like a story we saw out of North Carolina last week. Near Graham a developer plans to open a retro 1950s style drive-in movie theater with up to 75 camp spots as soon as this summer. 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 had a listener share yet another RFV factory tour we should take this one at Tiffin Motorhomes in Alabama. And a listener asked us about heating for the Leisure Travel Vans Wonder RTB we are currently testing out. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Frank Kolasinski from Advanced RV Time now for our interview of the week segment and this one is going to bring a lot of controversy. So please listen carefully: I do believe in solar panels for an RV. I do believe they help, especially with boondocking. They especially help in offsetting parasitic drain. From your house batteries from things like the inverter and sometimes even the fridge.  But as we attend RV shows around the country, we sometimes hear over-eager salespeople oversell solar. And to be sure, some pretty outrageous claims are being made to get people to sign on the dotted line. So again… I like solar. I will always want it on whatever RV we have. But solar is not nearly as efficient as many people think… at least the amount of solar that can be mounted atop most RVs. To help us clear the air and get a realistic idea of what solar will do – and what it won’t -  my guest this week is Frank Kolasinski, the Customer Liaison tech for Advanced RV near Cleveland, Ohio, one of the most respected builders of custom made Sprinter RVs in all of North America. On a recent visit to the ARV factory, Frank and I had a – excuse the pun – frank discussion about the benefits of putting solar panels on your RV. Here’s a full transcript: Mike Wendland:           Frank, tell me the truth about solar. That's what we're going to call this interview. Frank K:                        Okay. Mike Wendland:           Because there has been so much claimed by many different RV manufacturers and many other proponents of it, that 600 watts of solar, I am off the grid forever. What's the sad truth about solar and the RV world? Frank K:                        There's a few things. In our case, we have limited real estate on the top of the coach because we're building on a sprinter platform. So, there's limited spots to put solar especially once you put air conditioning on and max fans and all those kinds of things. Solar in general though, their capacity ratings that they give you when you purchase a panel can be a misnomer. Reasoning for that is, solar panels, each individual wafer cell puts out a very little power.                                     So, what they have to do is they have to connect them in series. And what happens is, if any of those solar panels, those little wafers have the sun interrupted, they not only don't produce energy, but they'll actually mitigate energy passing through them. So, solar panels, it's shading is really a problem for solar. So typically in your RV world, what you want to do is you generally want to park under a tree and not be in the direct sunlight. So that in general really causes some complications with the solar. Mike Wendland:           Now, I have been told by some that even like a jet contract in front of the sun can limit that capacity and enough to have a significant drop. Frank K:                        It can, it can. And again, and when you go back to the limited amount of solar we can put on the top of the coach, that is a big deal. And if you limit by half because of clouds, con trails, branches, you're going to lose a lot of your solar. Mike Wendland:           Now, then there's the factor of the angle of the sun. Really, am I correct that the only time you get full capacity is with a cloudless sky, and the sun directly overhead? Frank K:                        That is correct. Mike Wendland:           And that lasts for about a minute? Frank K:                        Well yeah, at high noon in Arizona is your best bet to get solar. But yeah, so many of the other factors make it very difficult, and off an access from the sun, you lose a lot of the energy transfer to the solar. We don't have the ability to have solar trackers, like [crosstalk 00:03:05]- Mike Wendland:           Which would automatically keep the panel in the right angle towards the sun. Like you see sometimes on these ground stations, you [crosstalk 00:03:12]- Frank K:                        Correct. Mike Wendland:           These solar farms, yeah. Frank K:                        Exactly. Mike Wendland:           So, at the most I've seen on like a class B is 650, 700 and that's using everything with an air conditioning mounted underneath. So typically it's 400, maybe 200 watts of solar. Does that accomplish much at all? Frank K:                        It doesn't. Especially since we talked about the off access. The other things that come into play is that air conditioner we were talking about, if the sun's off access and the air conditioner is causing shading on a solar panel, that's another problem. So, being that tight and having that little real estate up there makes it very difficult. Mike Wendland:           And when you say the sun off access, what that means is the sun's not directly overhead [crosstalk 00:04:05]- Frank K:                        Right, right. Mike Wendland:           It's off to a slight angle and there's a shadow cast. So, solar does help that little, right? I mean there's some trickle charge, or is it so negligible that we can better use that space for other things like more fans?

What do Roadtrek owners do for warranty work and parts now that the company has shut down? The biggest scandal to envelop the RV Industry continues to dominate the RV news this week, namely the sudden shut down if the Roadtrek and Hymer factories in Ontario and the immediate termination of more than 850 workers. Nobody saw that coming, especially the revelation that the company is insolvent, $300 million hopelessly in debt because of years of management exaggerating or intentionally overstating profitability. The news has left tens of thousands of Roadtrek owners wondering what will happen to their warranties, what do they do about parts and repairs? We will offer some expert advice from our friend Nick Schmidt of Sunshine State RVs, who is stepping up to help with those issues. Plus, news, tips and another fun off the beaten path report from the Burketts. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE This episode of the podcast finds Jennifer and me in Florida for a couple of weeks before making our way west along the Gulf states. JENNIFER If you happen to be anywhere near the Florida panhandle this coming weekend, Mike and I (and Bo) will be having a Meet and Greet Sunday, Feb. 24, from 2-5 PM on the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the second parking area west of the Navarre Beach bridge. That is inside the National Seashore boundary and is known as Beach Access #2 MIKE Bring some beach chairs and we can all hang out for the afternoon, tour each other’s' rigs and maybe find a local restaurant to eat dinner. We'd love to see you and show you the Leisure Travel Vans Wonder RTB we are test driving for the next few weeks. We’ll try and do more if these in our travels as we visit other parts of North America. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK Mike Roadtrek's parent company terminates 900 employees, shuts doors Erwin Hymer North America, the maker of Roadtrek, terminated 900 employees, closed its doors, and filed for receivership Friday. The devastating move came after financial irregularities were discovered in January.  JENNIFER America now has 61 National Parks  The spending bill that President Donald Trump signed last Friday included a provision to change the name of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park immediately. That brings the number of national parks from 60 to 61. The area is comprised of about 15,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, savannas, bogs, wetlands and the sand dunes. Its beaches run along about 15 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. MIKE Oregon state parks break camping records in 2018; higher fees coming  Oregon state parks set a new record in the number of campers using its state parks in 2018. As a result, the state is piloting a program in 2019 that will raise camping fees at its most popular parks, lowering them at the less popular ones. JENNIFER Joshua Tree National Park particularly hard it after tallying damage, lost revenue from federal shutdown   It may be several weeks since the federal government opened after the longest shut down in its history, yet the damage to its national parks is still being felt. California's Joshua Tree National Park was particularly hard hit, with a report out showing $1 million lost in visitor fees, some 120 illegal campsites, and 24 miles of vehicle tracks left where driving is prohibited, among other things.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping  LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK We hear more about why owners love their particular RV… another listener shares a newbe mistake… Mike is asked about ham radio in an RV…and a listener suggests a story from the point of view of someone who delivers RVs to dealerships for the manufacturers. Do you have a comment or question? Just call 1-586-372-6990 and leave us a voice message. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK In the wake of the devastating news about the Roadtrek closure, we interview Nick Schmidt of Sunshine State RVs in Florida about where this leaves owners of the Roadtrek brand, where they can get parts and warranty service and whether he thinks the company will ever reopen. Here’s a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland And Nick Schmidt joins us right now on the phone from Gainesville Florida. Hey Nick, how you doing? Nick Schmidt:    Great, Mike. How are you man? Mike Wendland I am great. Well, this Roadtrek closure certainly has stunned the RV industry. I know, at least in the seven years now we've been doing this, I have seen no story rock the industry like this one. Completely shut down, 300 million dollars insolvent, and the reason we're talking to you, many thousands of Roadtrek customers now wondering what do they do? What do they do about warranties? What do they do about service? And wanted to check in with you to first get some advice for everybody, and then tell us a little bit about what Sunshine State RVs is doing. Nick Schmidt:    Yeah, Mike. It's really sad what's going on or what has happened up there in Canada in Kitchener, and you know, first off for the employees of the company, I mean I've made long relationship with dozens and dozens of them, and it's really sad for them. They really work hard and they put their heart and soul in what they do. And then the reps that travel to all the shows and get to know everybody, I mean they're on the ground working with us, helping us through our issues, helping every customer that listens to your podcast. I'm sure you've made friends with a lot of them as well. It is really sad for them what's going on. But, then you take it past that, the thousands of Roadtreks that are on the road right now with all these warranties. I mean, you know that was a lot of reason why people bought Roadtreks was because of the six-year warranty because of the technology, and they felt safe with it.                         So it is tough, and I've heard a lot of the frustration from our customers. You know, we're one of the top 10 Roadtrek dealers in the country. And, think of all the people that bought from us and now looking to me for advice or looking to us say, "Hey. What do we do now? Where are we at?" So, you know, the short and long answer of it is, yes, there is no Roadtrek warranty. But, we have really gone to some crazy lengths to find every part that we possibly can to try to support every current Roadtrek that is on the road right now, with the lithium batteries, with the underpin generators, with the solar panels, with the volt start components, the inverters, all OEM parts we found. So that way we can really help and support the Roadtrek community through this. Because it's tough, you know, you have a six-month-old, 150 thousand dollar RV that you can't use. And now what do you do? Mike Wendland And that's a great question. You bring up some of the newer technology that Roadtrek brought on, all that solar, all that electronic stuff. But there are other parts as well, you know, from hinges for the cabinets, for other people who have the older versions on the market. I've received tons of emails saying, "Where do we get parts?" How are people set for those? Those relatively easy to find? They contact you or other dealers? Let's talk about the older ones for just a second, then we'll get to the new ones. Nick Schmidt:    Yeah, of course. So I had somebody ask yesterday, "I have a 2014 190 and I need a fiberglass step." And only Roadtrek would have that, you know? So, what we have done for those hinges, for those latches, for those doors, we have found companies that make the closest thing to it. So, boating companies are big, you know doing Google searches for that, so we have found them. I know there's other RV dealerships that have sourced out a lot of that stuff. But you know, yeah, that is something that we're happy to help with, just shipping a part or two here to customers. But also we can send links to where they are. But a lot of it is, if you look for boating hinges and boating latches, that's how you can find a lot of those older, smaller parts for Roadtreks. Mike Wendland And I think the lesson here is that there are parts available. Don't panic. You can find alternate sources for all of this stuff. It just is ... I think that in the closing ... The sudden unexpected closing last week of Roadtrek, I think that that caused a lot of people just to say, "Oh, my gosh, what do we do?" But when you stop and think back, there are sources.                         Now talk about some of the newer things that the company had been known for, which was that underhood generator, all of that solar, the lithium batteries. Those are the things that I think that six-year warranty gave so many people peace of mind in buying, and as you point out, with no company now left, there is no warranty. So, what is their solution? I guess you mentioned you were able to get a hold of some of those batteries? What can you share of that there? Nick Schmidt:    Yes. Yeah. So being a dealer, they have agreed to sell us batteries, so we have two pallets of them coming in this week, and I'm sure we're gonna need far more than that, just because we've been getting calls all over the country of, "Hey, my RV's been in the shop for a month, waiting on parts from Roadtrek and now there's no parts coming, so I gotta pick my RV up and figure out what to do with it." So, we're anticipating there being a big need for these, so we're really gearing up to make sure that we're ready for people all over the country bringing their Roadtreks to us, so that way we can get them back on the road, get them back enjoying camping and all that.                         So, the volt start components, there's quite a few components for that. The underhood generators, the lithium, and the solar. Those are the main, and the inverters. Those are the main pieces, and we have every single one here in stock,

We’ve been traveling North America for the past month. Checking out small motorhomes and visiting various RV manufacturing facilities and this week, we want to share the visit we just made to Manitoba, Canada and the factory where Leisure Travel Vans makes its excellent line of Class B-Plus motorhomes. In our interview of the week, you’ll meet the two brothers who run the operation,Ryan and Mike Elias, and they’ll tell you about their quest to make beautiful, reliable and functional motorhomes that are also foolproof. Plus, we’ll discuss our just-announced partnership with Leisure Travel Vans, offer up the RV News of the week, share some tips and suggestions and hear a great off the beaten path Valentine’s Day report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #229 Feb. 13, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE Hello my dear and Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine’s Day. JENNIFER Thank you. This episode is being recorded Feb. 12, my birthday, for release in Feb. 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day. And it looks like we’ll be spending this Valentine’s Day on the road… headed off to Florida in a brand-new Leisure Travel Vans Wonder RTB…. RTB standing for Rear Bed Model. And I suppose now is a great time for us to officially announce that we have become the brand ambassadors for Leisure Travel Van and as part of that sponsorship, they provide us the use of one of their beautiful motorhomes. MIKE Yup. And we’re excited. The unit we drove home from the factory up there in Winkler, Manitoba last week is on the Ford Transit Chassis and that is the chassis more and more RV manufacturers are adding to their model lineup. It’s the HD 350 Transit, a diesel unit, and driving it about 1,200 miles to our Michigan home – in subzero temperatures and a blizzard no less – I find it to be very stable and very easy to drive. After we finish recording this podcast we will finish packing it up and skedaddle down south in search of Spring…to Florida and eventually to Salt Lake City, Utah in mid-March, where we will attend a big RV industry trade show and swap out the Wonder for a new Unity model, built on the 2019 Sprinter chassis. So, we’ll be using the Wonder for about a month or so and will be doing a full review of how it works with a motorhome. JENNIFER Not only are we testing out the Ford Transit as a motorhome chassis, we are also trying out a B+ van, something we have been curious about for years. Mike and I have been big fans of Leisure Travel Vans for years now and as we started looking around for our next RV and the model that would best fit our needs, we found their coaches checked every box. We had some very specific things we were looking for – more storage room, for our photo and video gear and our camping accessories; comfortable, permanent beds with a mattress so we didn’t have to sleep on a pads atop a bunch of sofa cushions; a designated work space for Mike to edit videos and work on the blog and our ebooks; and we also wanted a stand up dry shower, a bigger bathroom and , as we were looking for a new sponsor, a certain type of company we could confidently attach ourselves to. MIKE And that was a big item on our list: We wanted a family owned company with a solid reputation for quality, integrity and customer care. And Leisure Travel Vans is all that and more. You’ll be able to understand why we are so delighted to be their ambassadors and drive their products in a few minutes, when you meet Ryan and Mike Elias. And Tomorrow, Thursday February 14 at 7PM Eastern, we will have a premiere showing of our visit to the Leisure Travel Vans factory on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel. Those of you listening to the podcast after Feb. 14 can find it available to watch on demand on our RV Lifestyle Channel at youtube.com/rvlifestyle. But a You Tube Premiere is a big deal. We’ll all be able to watch it for the first time together as it rolls at 7PM, interacting in a chat room as the video plays. We may even do a quick live stream right afterwards, though as Jen said, we will be on the road, somewhere between Michigan and Florida, and there’s no guarantee we will have strong enough Internet to do a live stream afterwards. We’ll try. But for sure the video Premiere will work and that is scheduled for 7PM. JENNIFER JENNIFER It sure has been a busy month for us. We’re anxious to hit the road and start doing more RV Lifestyle stories as we tour Florida and the Gulf States and make our way west to Utah. For me, the real RV Travel season starts when we can de-winterize the RV and we’re hoping to do that someplace in Alabama and northern Florida. I love wintertime and snow, but I also like sunshine and warm weather and its now time for us to go get warm! RV News of the Week MIKE Congress moves closer to restore funding to America's National Scenic Byways The National Scenic Byways program, which began in 1991 under the Department of Transportation, could receive new life under a bill passed last week in the U.S. House of Representatives. There are 150 roads designated National Scenic Byways (such as Route 66), because of their unique qualities. The roads are often popular with RVers, but the National Scenic Byways program has been without funding since 2012. The bill now sent to the Senate could change that. (click here for more information.)  Reading the story got me thinking to Jennifer and my trip along historic Route 66 - a National Scenic Byway. We shared out adventure on one of our earliest podcasts! To listen to our report, click here. JENNIFER Yellowstone records third highest visitors; see buffalo charging by winter tourists  Yellowstone National Park announced last week that it recorded its third highest number of visitors, with more than 4 million visiting the iconic park in 2018. But what really caught my attention in Yellowstone news last week was an incredible video taken by a winter tourist. The tourists were in the park with a guide when out of nowhere a buffalo appeared, running full speed, passing within a foot of their vehicle. Click here to see the video. MIKE Wolf placed by National Park officials on Isle Royale uses an ice bridge to return to mainland Many of you may remember last year when we reported a program to capture wolves and release them at Isle Royale, a National Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Researchers wanted to relocate wolves to the remote national park to keep the ever-growing moose population in check. The wolf relocation program got off to a rocky start when one of the wolves died in captivity before she could be released, and another wolf died shortly after he was released. Well, last week a story was out showing that yet another wolf brought over to the island was gone - this one took advantage of the polar vortex that hit much of the country, crossed an ice bridge off the island, and was back in Minnesota. To read more, click here. JENNIFER Dog saves man from rabid racoon    One story I saw out of Pennsylvania’s Poconos Mountains last week really highlighted the old saying that a dog is man's best friend. Apparently a 60-year-old man was walking with his dog in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area when a rabid raccoon came out of nowhere and started attacking him. The startled man slipped in some mud, the rabid animal biting and attacking, when his dog came to his rescue, grabbed the raccoon and likely broke its neck. The man was taken to a hospital for rabies treatment, and the dog was seen by a veterinarian and was OK. A park ranger killed the racoon. To read more, click here. 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 A caller asks about supplemental Medicare insurance and traveling, and also about joining a fitness club And we had two calls from listeners responding to something we asked them to do last week… call our special Voice Message line at 586-372-6990 and tell us about the favorite things they most like about their RVs. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Ryan and Mike Elias of Leisure Travel Vans MIKE Time now for our RV Interview of the week and this week, we introduce you to Ryan and Mike Elias, who lead Leisure Travel Vans in Winkler, Manitoba. Ryan, who is the general manager, and Mike, the marketing director, are great-grandsons of one of the company’s founders. JENNIFER Leisure Travel Vans have long had a reputation for unparalleled quality and they build what are known as Class B-Plus RVs. That’s really a made-up term. Technically, they are Class Cs. But instead of the traditional overhanging cab seen on a Class C, B-Plus vans are more streamlined and don’t look nearly as boxy. MIKE They are roomy on the inside, about 10 inches wider than a Class B, but about the same length – 24 feet nine inches – and height – about 10 feet tall -as a Class B Sprinter XL Class B model. JENNIFER Listen in now as we talk with Ryan and Mike about their company and their quest to build the foolproof van. Here’s a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Well, first, Ryan and Mike, thank you guys for inviting us here. We really enjoyed the tour of Leisure Travel Vans. The weather could have been a little cooler- Mike Elias:                    Well, we warmed it up from last week for you a little bit. Mike Wendland:           Really? When I said it could have been cooler, I meant that facetiously, but I guess it was cooler. Mike Elias:                    Oh, no last week, I think she dropped down to about minus 45 Celsius. Ryan Elias:                    Yeah. Mike Elias:                    She was cold. Mike Wendland:           It's 45 Celsius. That's about the same as it is in Fahrenheit. Mike Elias:                    I don't think it matters, right? Mike Wendland:           No. [crosstalk 00:00:32]

We’ve been asking you guys to share with us your most embarrassing RV mistakes, the things you wish you hadn’t done, those “learning opportunities” about problems and setbacks we have no one else to blame but ourselves. And, wow, have you guys come through for us, baring all, telling all and thereby offering great advice that can help someone else from “learning the hard way.” We’ll feature a whole bunch of audience stories…coming up. Also this week, lots of RV news, comments, questions, tips and another fascinating off the beaten path report…. But first, I’m joined by my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer, so we can bring you up to speed on what we’ve been doing this past week. Show Notes for Episode #228 Feb 6, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER It has been another busy week with lots of traveling as we continued our series of visits to RV manufacturing facilities around North America, learning about the build processes and technology going in to today’s RVs. We’re concentrating pretty much exclusively on small RVs, Class B, B+, maybe even Class C motorhomes and vans, as that’s the size that best fits us personally. MIKE And while our factory videos are helpful for us as we look for our next RV, they are something we hope to do all year around, visiting as many as we can as we travel through North America over the next year. We want to tour not just RV makers, but also places where RV parts and accessories are made. You guys have been giving us great feedback so far and are telling us that you really like seeing how they are built and learning a little about the different companies. JENNIFER As to our choice, we haven’t made a final choice yet. We have a checklist of the things we want in our next RV. We’ve easily looked at more than 20 different models so far and we’re winnowing our list down. I think we’re getting close. We have learned so much. MIKE And we are still deciding how we’ll get one. Whether we purchase one outright or rent one for a while or become brand ambassadors for another company, or some combination of all of those options. We also like changing models frequently so we have experience with the different innovations and trends shaping the industry today. This all started out for us as a hobby back in 2012, then a blog, then a podcast, then a YouTube Channel and then a weekly newsletter and lately a regular series of guides and eBooks as well. It’s become a business. We have four other people now working for us. We need that help so we can spend as much time as possible traveling and producing RV Lifestyle related content. To pay for all that requires sponsors. So choosing the next RV we will be traveling in and developing sponsors and partners we are important decisions not to be hastily made. JENNIFER We’ll have another factory tour coming this Thursday. And as this podcast is released, we’ll be visiting yet another RV maker learning about another brand. It is really enlightening seeing all these places and we want to invite you guys to recommend other factories or RV parts makers we should visit. Like we said, no matter what RV we end up choosing for our personal travel, we want to continue visiting those factories and RV shows. MIKE But I can’t wait to hit the road for ourselves. When always do a “Search for Spring” trip that has us driving south from Michigan to the first place we find flowers or shrubs in bloom. That’s where we officially designate spring. It’s also where we dewinterize! Then we continue south till Florida. JENNIFER We’ve got a fun report planned around Florida involving baseball and spring training, another RV factory tour we want to do, a meet and greet along the Gulf Islands National Seashore for a Sunday afternoon in late February or early March and then a trip west with stops in New Orleans, Texas, New Mexico and Utah. I can almost smell the spring flowers! RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE National Parks staff busy cleaning waste, hiring for spring, assessing damage after shutdown  National Parks officials spent the week trying to access damage and catch up on things like spring hiring after reopening from the federal government shutdown, which lasted a record 35 days. Damage in each location varied, but common issues were wildlife becoming accustomed to eating human trash, damage from people driving and camping in illegal spots, and human waste left everywhere. Officials at Death Valley National Park estimated half a ton of human waste, including 1,665 clumps of toilet paper and 429 piles of human feces needed to be cleaned. And a coyote there had to be put down after the animal became adapted to begging for human food. To read more, click here.  JENNIFER Elephant seals take over popular California beach during federal government shutdown  Speaking of national parks and the effect of the federal closure, one story I saw last week made me smile. Drakes Beach, part of the Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California, was apparently taken over by elephant seals during the federal shutdown. When people weren't around to keep them away, a band of elephant seals decided lay claim to a stretch of beach after their usual home was hard hit during a storm. Now that the shutdown is over and the oark open, the popular beach is filled with pregnant female seals and nursing babies. Park officials are keeping human visitors away. Click here for more information. MIKE Thor Industries finalizes purchase of Erwin Hymer Group - without North American division  Thor Industries, Inc. announced last Friday that it had completed its purchase of the Erwin Hymer Group, making it the world's largest RV manufacturer. Thor Industries, which makes Airstream, Jayco and Dutchman brands among others, stated in a press release that it wanted to purchase Erwin Hymer to give it a large presence in the European market. (see release here.) The sale was originally supposed to include Erwin Hymer's North American businesses, which includes the Roadtrek brand, but that plan changed after financial irregularities were discovered. A report out of Ontario last week noted that Erwin Hymer employees are taking inventory of existing stock and not currently building new vehicles. (Click here for more info.)  JENNIFER Manatee invasion reported at Florida's Blue Springs State Park Okay, a minute ago it was elephant seals in California. Here’s a report about Manatees in Florida. If you're anywhere new Florida's Blue Springs State Park this week, this would be a great time stop by. The park reported more than 500 manatees crowded into natural hot springs last week when Florida git hit with a cold spell. Manatees are kind of lazy so if you get there this week, even though the weather is warming agan, chances are there will still be a lot of them around. To see some video from a Florida news station, click here. To see a report Mike and I did from our visit there a few years back, click here.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping  RV QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS OF THE WEEK Caller Dan offers some suggestions about visit we are planning to visit Big Bend National Park Caller Bill says we should look at the Winnebago Travato Caller Daryl and Chris give a recommendation for us to check out the Phoenix Cruiser And Sandy and Mike encourage us over our new RV Lifestyle branding moves RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK  JENNIFER This week, we’re combining our regular audience questions and comments with our interview if the week segment to feature a whole bunch if different voices from you, the audience. MIKE We asked our listeners to share the newbie mistakes they have made, the embarrassing things we’ve all done, those things that taught us a lesson the hard way. JENNIFER So, unedited and raw, here are the things you DON’T want to do with your RV!   Tom:                Hey, Mike and Jennifer, it's Tom and Kathy McAllister from North Carolina. You were requesting information about newbie things that happen. I don't have to tell you a story about our first adventure with our 2006 CS Adventurous. We were at a campground in Boone, excuse me, Blowing Rock, North Carolina. And left the awning out and this nice little rain shower came through, sounded really nice util it started pouring down the rain and all of a sudden, we hear this "Pow!" thinking that a branch broke off a tree and fell onto the motor home. That was not it. We left the awning out and one of the aluminum billet knuckles on the awning fixture broke due to the heavy weight of the rain on the awning. The awning had not been titled correctly. Well the next day we discovered that and were able to get it back up and were able to drive home. Fortunately we were able to contact Fiomi in Florida and they were able to send us the replacement part. We got it all back together and continued on from there.                         The lesson learned was don't leave your awning out at night, no matter what you think the weather is going to be. Just don't do it. It's not worth the trouble. Angelique:        Hi Mike and Jennifer, this is Angelique with a newbie mistake. Fifteen years ago I was pulling a well loved, 24 foot mobile scout travel trailer from Austin, Texas to Miami, Florida. As I was making the turn on I-75, just past Tallahassee, cars kept honking at me and waving and I kept honking and waving back. Finally someone pulled up besides me and pointed and pointed until I finally looked in the rear view mirror and my side mirror and I saw that on the travel trailer, my awning had unfurled about halfway. And I was going down the road and as I looked to the left, my car veered to the right and I side swiped a sign on the side of the highway. So now I had a mangled unrolled awning on my 24 foot mobile scout.

Lots of interesting RV information is in this episode of the RV Podcast, including a fun – but instructional – account of a newbie RVer. And in our interview of the week, we’ll meet a man who is following his life’s passion of engineering and building luxury Class B motorhomes, gorgeous custom-made campervans that start in price at a quarter million dollars a year!. Plus the RV news of the week, your questions, comments and a great off the beaten path RV report. Show Notes for Episode #227 Jan 30, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE What a week this has been! JENNIFER It sure has. We talk about change the RV Lifestyle blog  and our decision to end our role as brand ambassadors for Roadtrek and to return the RV the company provided as we rebrand ourselves under the RV Lifestyle banner (see https://rvlifestyle.com/announcement-why-we-have-changed-from-roadtreking-to-rv-lifestyle/ ) JENNIFER So we have ended one chapter that we have enjoyed very much as we are looking forward to this new chapter that will expand our horizons. Bottom line, though, is nothing in our reporting will change except maybe that we will reaching a lot more people who previously thought we were only about one brand of RV… Really, we’re not about any brand at all…we’re about the lifestyle. In fact, I call an RV an “Adventuremobile.” That’s what they all do… take us to great adventures. MIKE Thanks to the many who sent us encouragement and well wishes and support as we continue what we have been doing in reporting the RV Lifestyle and traveling North America. In fact, we’ve been doing that. We’re in the midst of visiting various RF manufacturers around North America, learning about new technologies and RV features and seeing their different build processes. It’s been really fascinating. There is so much innovation out there. JENNIFER We’ll have a video released tomorrow on our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube about one such company Advanced RV near Cleveland. We spent some time at their factory last week and I think you’ll enjoy seeing the beautiful custom Class B coaches they make. The CEO of ARV, Mike Neundorfer, will be our special guest in this podcast episode’s interview of the week, coming up in just a few minutes. MIKE And tomorrow, we’re off to Elkhart, Indiana for another factory tour of another manufacturer, Elkhart of course being the RV Capital of the world where so many great RV manufacturers and accessory companies are headquartered. JENNIFER As we explained on the RV Lifestyle blog in announcing our rebranding here under the RV Lifestyle label, we are shopping for our next RV and taking our time. Maybe we’ll buy a used one. Or a new one. Or get one from a rental fleet. Or maybe we’ll become brand ambassadors for another company. We really don’t know yet. It’s pretty exciting, really. There are so many wonderful machines out there. MIKE But we will have to do something soon because a lot of RV events and stories are on our schedule over the next few months and we are going to need an RV to do them. But we doi want to get away, preferably to a warmer climate. Right now, our home state of Michigan is gripped by the arctic vortex. Today’s high… the high… is supposed to be no more than minus 4 degrees F. That’s the air temperature…four below. With the stiff winds blowing out there, the wind chill is supposed to be 50 below. JENNIFER Hmmm. Florida does seem to be beckoning quite assertively doesn’t it? RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Couple and two dogs rescued by helicopter after becoming stranded by a snowstorm that hit when winter camping A couple and their two dogs were airlifted out of a remote, snow-covered road north of Los Angles last week some two weeks after they became stranded. The man and woman were pick-up truck camping on a mountain when a severe snowstorm hit. They stayed warm by turning the truck on occasionally but after running out of food and fuel they knew they needed to find help. The couple hiked several miles for cell service, called 911, then hiked back to the truck to get their dogs. MIKE RV shipments slip for 2018 for first time since recession, but still second highest total on record    RV wholesale shipments slipped by 4.1 percent last monthin 2018, the first slip since the 2008-2009 recession. But the year, which started with strong numbers in the beginning before dropping toward the end, still can boast the second strongest shipment total on record. So that was good news.The news is even better for Class B (campervan) and camper truck shipments. Both continued to increase from 2017 to 2018 with no slowdown in the fall months. Class B shipments for the year were up 12%. Truck Camper shipments were up nearly 21%. JENNIFER North Dakota judge supports decision to allow oil refinery near national park  An oil refinery that will pump 55,000 gallons a day from a location three miles outside the Theodore Roosevelt National Park is closer to opening after a North Dakota judge upheld a state permit for construction. The move deeply upset environmental groups who argue the oil refinery will cause major pollution and is too close to the popular national park. The park is the state's top tourist attraction, drawing 700,000 visitors a year, and is one of Mike and my favorites that we visited just last year (see our report here.) My guess is environmental groups may try another appeal, but right now the oil refinery is looking more and more likely. MIKE Banff visitors and residents urged to travel in groups and carry bear spray after several cougar sightings If you're planning to head to Canada's Banff National Park any time soon, be sure to keep an eye out for hungry cougars. Parks Canada issued a warning last week for the town of Banff, saying cougars in search of food have been spotted more than once around the town. So anyone heading out at dawn or dusk should be especially cautious and travel in groups, carry bear spray, and be on the lookout, the Parks service warned. Bear spray is something anyone heading into true wilderness should have with them at all times. Here is a link to an interview with a bear spray expert that aired on our podcast some time ago. JENNIFER 'Champing' - camping in a former churches - a growing trend in United Kingdom  Lastly for our news of the week segment, I came across a camping story out of Europe last week that I found fascinating.    Apparently a trend is spreading in the United Kingdom called champing - camping overnight in an abandoned church. The trend started as a way to help pay for upkeep of the beautiful, now closed former houses of worship. And the trend has taken off so much, now other churches used only periodically by dwindling congregations are thinking of getting into the camping business, setting up "sleeping pods" with heat, comfortable furniture, etc., for those who like the idea of "camping" in a rarely used gothic church building. To read more, click here.  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 RV QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK  First, we played a nice message of encouragement from one of our readers which was typical of the overwhelming support we have received from so many in this past week. Then, in what we hope will be an ongoing series, we played a voicemail message in response to our appeal to the audience for stories about newbie RV mistakes. We like to think of mistakes as educational and improvement opportunities. Hopefully, after hearing about these as we share them over the next few weeks, you will learn from the mistakes of others. Please share your newbie mistakes by calling our special Google Voicemail number at Great info at 1-586-372-6990. RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK  JENNIFER Advanced RV in Willoughby, Ohio, has a worldwide reputation for making high quality, luxury Class B motorhomes that feature customized interiors, innovative designs and state of the art engineering.  MIKE We’ve known owner Mike Neuendorfer and his wife Marcia since they started the business in 2012 and consider them good friends. Advanced RV is a custom upfitter known for great engineering and expert craftsmanship. No two ARV coaches are exactly alike. They are also expensive, starting at around a quarter of a million dollars. They typically take over a year to build. JENNIFER But until last week, we had yet to visit the 85,000 square foot factory, located on 6 acres of land near Cleveland. You can see a video of that tour tomorrow on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel at https://youtube.com/rvlifestyle But right now, Advanced RV’s Mike Neuendorfer is our interview of the week. We think you’ll find his insights fascinating. Mike and Marcia Neundorfer of Advanced RV  Here’s a full transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Well first Mike, thanks so much for making us feel so welcome at Advanced RV today. We really enjoyed seeing this place. We've heard so much about it and we've met you and Marsha many times on the road, but it's really great to actually see your beautiful vehicles. Mike Neundorfer:         Well thanks Mike. It's a pleasure. Since we first talked and we met on the road a few times I wanted you to visit, so I'm so pleased and honored that you're here today. Mike Wendland:           Well, tell us a little bit. You certainly serve a very special niche in the Class B, these are not for everyone as you have always said. They cost ... While everybody would like one, they certainly cost a lot. Who is the typical customer that spends upwards of 300,000 dollars on a Class B RV? Mike Neundorfer:         It's quite a range, our new RVs that cost a quarter of a million dollars are not all we do. We do have clients that come in and we do a lot of upgrades on their do it yourself ones,

Imagine that you are about to retire. In the driveway, is a brand-new RV. Your dream machine. The Florida sun is shining, and life looks good…until you look out over the Gulf of Mexico to see a hurricane named Michael barreling down towards you. That’s what happened to a couple we met this week, who shared their harrowing story of what happens when a hurricane hits …how you – and your RV - need to be prepared, from having enough RV insurance, food and off-grid battery power in the RV. You will not want to miss the interview of the week, coming up in a bit. We also have lots of RV news this week, answer your RV Lifestyle questions about alternate energy for the RV and four-season RVs ready for cold weather camping and we have a great off-the-beaten path report from our friends the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer. Show Notes for Episode #226 Jan. 23, 2019 of The RV Podcast WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Mike and Jennifer doing a Live stream on YouTube from the Tampa RV Supershow JENNIFER We've been attending the annual Florida RV Supershow for the past four days and it's good to be sitting! We put on a lot of miles shooting video on the new models and RV Lifestyle accessories we've seen down here. MIKE It seems like we walked pretty much every inch of the 26 -acre display area - several times - each day! There was so much to see with more than 1,500 RVs on display and 400 vendors showing off their RV products and services. JENNIFER Look for a full video on all the cool stuff this Thursday on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel at https://youtube.com/rvlifestyle  And please, if you have not done so, subscribe to our channel there so you can be notified of new videos as we publish them. MIKE We also met dozens and dozens of fans and followers. It was truly humbling to shake so many hands and get so many hugs. We leave the show on an emotional high from all the encouragement and kind words. Thank you to all for taking the time to introduce yourself to us! And we’re off traveling again. By popular demand. We asked you on a recent YouTube live stream what kind of stories you’d like us to focus on besides our regular travel and trip reports and there was an overwhelming response to do more RV reviews and factory tours. So that’s what we plan to do over the next few weeks, visit various RV factories and suppliers and do a video report on how they build RVs, what new gadgets and innovations they have, who are the people building today’s RVs and what are the exciting things they are seeing for the future. So we’re off tomorrow to shoot our first one this week. We have another scheduled next week and you’ll be seeing them all soon on our YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel – https://youtbe.com/rvlifestyle We should note there was a definite downer part to this past weekend. Several very disturbing stories broke about a shakeup and serious allegations of financial irregularities surrounding the Erwin Hymer Group of North America, the parent corporation that owns Roadtrek Motorhomes. Many of you know that Jennifer and I have been on-the-road ambassadors for Roadtrek and the company has been one of our sponsors. We know many of the people who work there and our hearts go out to them in this time of uncertainty. Most of the stories we've seen come from unnamed sources and, as we write this newsletter, the company has not issued any comments at all. I’ve written all I know on the RV Lifestyle blog and if you need a background on it… check there. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Several unique Florida state parks still closed five months after Hurricane Michael hit An interesting story ran last week out of Florida, highlighting the lingering damage Hurricane Michael did to Florida's state parks with several remaining closed - some five months after the Category 4 hurricane hit. Some of the damage includes the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park's peninsula turning into an island, with a 20 foot deep ocean separating what was once one long strip of land. Another park greatly damaged was Florida Caverns State Park, which was the only Florida state park to offer cave tours. Jennifer and I visited those caves (see here to read more) and reading this story made me think about how suddenly a unique place can change. To read the full Florida state parks article, click here. And be sure to stay tuned to our interview about what it’s like when a hurricane hits your RV. JENNIFER Experts predict it will take decades for some national parks to recover from damage inflicted during government shutdown  The partial federal government shutdown is continuing to affect our national parks, with reports this week saying some of the parks will need DECADES to recover from the damage done to them by visitors. Most parks are partially opened, with a skeletal staff. While in many places communities are chipping in to pick up trash and care for the parks, in other areas people are taking advantage of the situation to go off road, and do other illegal things. (Click here to read more). To read other stories on this, click here or here. MIKE National Parks employee furloughed by government shut down, producing one video per day showcasing amazing national parks Speaking of national parks, last week I came upon a gem for all who love history and American national parks. During the partial government shutdown, a furloughed National Park Service employee is working to create one video per day featuring a national park. The videos are beautiful with stunning images, history and other information that makes each spot unique. The first one was on Big Bend National Park, a spot Jen and I hope to visit this spring, and fondly remember reading a story for our blog that Jim Phipps wrote about his experience visiting. (click here.). To see a story on the daily videos click here or go straight to the YouTube site here. JENNIFER Winnebago unveils RV options to better accommodate those in wheelchairs  Winnebago introduced RVs that are wheelchair accessible at the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa last weekend. We’ve had lots of questions about such features ver the year and we applaud Winnebago for taking this step! The RVs include several options such as a wheelchair lift into the RV that can handle up to 800 pounds, a roll-in shower with assist bar, wider hallways, a raised toilet with assist bars and more. To learn more click here MIKE Michigan celebrating 100 years of state parks in 2019 Michigan state parks are celebrating their 100 year birthday this year with several special activities, including asking visitors to share a memory. Michigan has 103 state parks visited by about 28 million people in a typical year. Mackinac Island State Park was the nation's second national park, after Yellowstone, before the federal government gave it to the state when it became Michigan's first state park. (see here). To learn more about Michigan's state park centennial celebration, click here. Or head over to the website Trekers.org, run by our friends Ari and Jessi Adler, who plan to visit and report on each one of Michigan’s 103 state parks over the next year.   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 RV QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK A listener asks about RVs advertised as four season and asks what does that mean for winter camping             If you do an online search for the term “Four Season RV”, the result will be a lot of truck campers and motorhomes or trailers that can withstand the cold. Beware! Not all of them are what the manufacturer implies. Sometimes the only difference between a normal RV and a “Four Season RV” is the weight surplus and the high price. You won’t find any industry-wide criteria in regards to materials or design that designate an RV as four season worthy But in general, to be a real four season RV it would need better sidewalls & roofs, ceiling insulation, and enclosed and insulated holding tanks. Lance truck campers are highly rated as four season. Lance features an advanced ducting system for optimal heat distribution. Lance spends a lot of time engineering the most efficient ducting routes so your camper does not have hot or cold spots, resulting in even temperature throughout. The holding tanks are included in this this system, which is unique to Lance products. Heating pads and heated pipes for Coachmen's optional Polar Package Plus on the Galleria Li3 Class B mtorhome Northwood’s Arctic Fox line of travel trailers and fifth wheels are said to be four season friendly. Keystone has a line of four season fifth wheels. To ensure that you stay warm even in the face of a cold winter, they put a test model fifth wheel in an extreme weather chamber, set the thermostat inside the RV to 74 degrees, and then dropped the ambient temperature around the fifth wheel to 0 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time. The idea was to simulate an “extreme cold weather camping trip”. Although the outside temperature dropped below zero, the temperature inside the RV stayed at a comfortable 70+ degrees, and all of the holding tanks, dump valves and water lines remained completely operational. The Four Seasons Living Package includes an insulated and enclosed underbelly, R-21 insulation in the floor, insulated double layer fiberglass sidewalls, 12V electric tank heaters, insulated slide-outs, radiant technology insulated roof, heated pass-through storage and more. In motorhomes, it’s much trickier. Winnebago advertises that its 4 x 4 Revel Class B does not need to be winterized as long as the diesel heater is in use. Coachmen’s new Galleria Li3 Class B has done a lot to improve winter camping with extra insulation and moving the lithium batteries and the 30 gallon fresh water tanks from under chassis location,