RV Lifestyle RV Podcast

Welcome to another edition of the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle Podcast. No matter what type of RV you have – a motorhome – a towable trailer – a tent – even if your are just dreaming about getting an RV someday – this show is for you. Here, we talk about getting out there, enjoying God’s amazing creation, meeting interesting people, boondocking, discovering interesting places and using the right gear and technology to enhance our RVing lifestyle. So welcome, we are honored that you chose to put us in your ear this week! Lots of great info in this week’s podcast, including an off the beaten path report that tells us that everyplace has a story. And sometimes, even a song. Plus we have listener questions about 4 wheel drive motorhomes, solar power, keeping your valuables safe while traveling and much more. We also have an insider’s account of that story from Yellowstone last week that generated so much reaction, the story of the baby bison calf – abandoned by its mother – that was “rescued” by tourists who put it in their car to take it to a ranger. That was a bad decision that eventually led to the bison calf having to be euthanized. There’s much more to this story than meets the eye and we’ll share the account of a top nature photographer who was on the scene. Scroll down for show note details and resources and click the player below to start listening. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #89 May 25, 2016 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast: JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="4:25"] Ever run into your awning support pole? Hurts, doesn’t it! We’ve all done that. So don’t think you’re the only one. Well here’s a tip to help you avoid that…. or at least to make it not hurt so much when you do. Get a pool noodle…. you know, those Styrofoam logs that are pool toys… you can get them for a buck or so at the dollar stores… Slice them lengthwise and then wrap them around those awning poles. They serve as both a warning… and a cushion. They easily store in the basement area of your RV when not in use. And while we’re talking about those pool noodles, here’s another tip. This one comes from Roget, one of the regulars on our Roadtreking Facebook group. Roger’s tip is for those of you who travel with dogs. Seems a lot of dogs get their collars tangled up in the seat recline lever? Roger says those pool noodles can make a “lever guard.” Cut it, fit it around the lever and then duct take it. No more stuck doors on the lever! If you have an RV or camping trip, use the “Leave Voicemail” link to the right and send it in. I love hearing about all the tips you guys have! The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: [spp-timestamp time="9:34"] Wade asks about whether he should get 4 Wheel Drive in his new Class B motorhome. Mike says not unless he will be going off road. Mike boondocks everywhere and has never needed 4 wheel drive, even when driving in heavy snow. Merrill has a question about solar charging his batteries and running his refrigerator. Mike tells him he doesn’t need lithium, that AGM batteries are fine and that he should be able to top the batteries off enough to easily run his refrigerator for several days. Rod wants to know how he can get advance notice of our Facebook Live video feeds. Re only way is by checking our Facebook group throughout the day as we decide to do them rather spontaneously, though we do try to give a few hours notice - www.facebook.com/groups/roadtreking Lisa asks about securely locking up your gear in an RV. Mike found a lot on Amazon but the best price from Lazy Days RV, at $41 for a 12-by-8-by 3 1/2 inch box that can be welded into the chassis under the coach floor. I’d suggest a safe store. Take your RV there and show them.

You’ve no doubt heard of the horrific fires that have devastated the Canadian province of Alberta, forcing 88,000 people in the town of Fort McMurray to evacuate in a mad rush to escape the flames. In this episode of the podcast, we interview a young mom who escaped with her husband, toddler son and dogs in her RV. Their house was completely destroyed by the fires but thanks to their Fifth Wheel RV, the family is safe and has shelter in a lakefront RV park that has become a mobile refugee center for the evacuees. Also in this episode, we have lots of listener questions and tips, including news of a class action settlement over fire problems affecting a popular RV refrigerator. Plus a brand new segment called RV Basic Training , as well as some traveling tech tips and a great Off-The-Beaten-Path Report. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #87 May 11, 2016 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast (click the time hyperlink to go directly to that part of the podcast): JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK – Occupied Campsite signs [spp-timestamp time="6:30"]One of the nice things about having a Class B motorhome is mobility. You don’t have to tow a car behind you when you set out on your RV adventures. And when you’re at a campground and you want to to do some sight-seeing or head into town for some shopping, you just unplug and take off. But what do you do about that campsite you are only temporarily vacating? How do you prevent newly arriving campers from thinking it’s available and taking your spot? What Mike and I do is put up a sign that says “Campsite if occupied.” It’s a bright red sign with white lettering and we push it into the dirt at the campsite. We got it at a campground we visited and we’ve since seen them in Camping World stores and at RV shows around the country. We’ve also seen people string rope across the campsite, or they leave their chairs or water hose and electrical cords behind. We don’t leave anything but the sign when we’re away for any length of time. Water hoses and electrical cords could easily be stolen. So far nobody has stolen our sign or tried to take our campsite. So it works! If you’d like something a little nicer and that is personalized, let me tell you about my friend Rhonda Phipps. Rhonda makes a customized campsite flag that has your names, hometown and even an embroidered drawing of your RV. Because they are personalized just for you, they are less likely to go missing when you’re away from the campsite. They’re made of durable nylon ripstop and measure 11 by 17 inches. Here’s a link to a video showing Rhonda’s work. Or go to www.trekingourway.com for ordering info. The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: Ron checks in with two questions, one about where to install a spare tire on his Sprinter based RV and another about how to install a brush guard on the front… a question brought about by a recent run in with a deer. Mike refers him to SprinterWorld, an aftermarket shop for Sprinters. [spp-timestamp time="11:02"] Listener Tom alerts us to settlement of a class action lawsuit involving Norcold refrigerators, specifically the 1200 Series, N8 Series and N6 Series of gas absorption refrigerators typically installed in RVs, motorhomes, trailers and lots of boats. The issue involves a safety related defect in the cooling unit which, in certain circumstances, causes the boiler tubes to corrode and leak flammable gas, exposing owners and other users of the RVs to the risk of fire.  This was a $36 million settlement. Details are available at norcoldclassaction.com [spp-timestamp time="17:25"] Listener Kevin offers some tips on what to do in Nashville, besides the touristy honky tonk action [spp-timestamp time="20:35"] And listener Janet checks in to say how she appreciates information on traveling with dogs in an RV [spp-timestamp time="24:30"]

This episode of the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle Podcast offers so much information and advice that it’s a virtual RV Travel Magazine for the ear. From National Park guides and news to a discussion on taking a canoe or kayak on an RV trip to some awesome drives that belong on every RVer’s Bucket List, we cover it all. [spp-player]   Complete shownotes for Episode 86 of the Roadtreking RV Lifestytle Podcast: JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK  Where to get a great National Park Guide… http://nationalparkstraveler.com This is a 36-page book that will help you find your place in the National Park System this year. With the Essential Park Guide, you can find that place. The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: Listener Dave asks for recommendations on where to park his Class A RV while visiting America’s Largest RV Show in Hershey, PA Sept. 14-18 Mike suggests a link to area campgrounds in and around Hershey, but recommends the Hersheypark Camping Resort, right near the show grounds, which runs free shuttle service. Listener John asks if there is any news about the lottery we held for the camping spots for the Roadtreking gathering we call the Tobermory Expedition, Sept. 5-9 at Tobermory in northern Ontario, Canada. The event is sold out and the lottery was held. We showed a video of it on our Roadtreking Facebook Group. That group is THE single best place to go when you have RV questions, need help or just want to be kept informed on events, news and items of interest to the Roadtreking RV audience, no matter what kind of RV you have. Tobermory is at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula between Georgian Bay and the main basin of Lake Huron. It is known for its crystal clear waters and spectacular wilderness scenery. You can watch the video for the lottery to award spots on the Facebook Group. Just a note that our other Roadtreking gatherings for this year – to the Smoky Mountains in June and the Fall Foliage one in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in October are also sold out with long waiting lists. All this is to underscore the importance of being a part of our Facebook Group. The next event that is not yet sold out will be January 20-22, 2017 and is our annual winter campout at Tahquamenon Falls. We’ll start taking signups for it on the blog and announce via the Roadtreking Facebook Group sometime in the early fall. Speaking of the Smokies, reader Jane DeWolf sent a nice note: My husband, Dennis, and I are looking forward to the Roadtrek  trip to the Smokies in June.  We actually live near the Smokies and do volunteer work in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This weekend when we were listening to your podcast,  you mentioned that you were going to bring Bo with you on this trip.  Naturally we are very anxious to meet you, your wife, Jennifer, and of course, Bo.  However, we thought we should warn you that there are only 2 trails in the GSMNP which allow dogs on them.  Both are near the park entrances.  The one on the Tennessee  side of the park is the Sugarland's trail near the Sugarland's Visitors Center.  The one near Cherokee in the NC side is the River trail near the Oconuluftee Visitor Center.  Dogs are allowed in the park campgrounds and on the roads. We just thought we would give you a heads up in case you were not aware of the GSMNP regulations. Gary Hennes' system By email, a listener asks: “I am trying to find the best way to carry a canoe on a roadtrek. I have a 2003 Popular 200. Any ideas?” Mike notes that he found a webpage at Trails.com that offered some ideas. Roadtrek RVs have raised roofs that can make carrying a canoe seem difficult. However, the vehicles are compatible with several roof racks and canoes can also be mounted to the rear of the RV. Roof racks are the most stable and the safest carrying option. The canoe you choose should be measured first to ensure it fits your vehicle ...

Our main guest this week is guest is Amy Burkert, of gopetfriendly.com, which is – hands down – the best resource I’ve found for RVers who travel with their pets. And according to our survey – 67% of all RVers do just that. But also this week,  Jennifer also has a special invitation for you to join us May 13-15 for a spontaneous trip to Nashville and the Grand Old Opry! One of the reasons I like GoPetFriendly so much is because Amy and her Husband Rod are fulltime RVers themselves, traveling North America in a Class A with dogs Buster and Ty and documenting thousands of places friendly to pets. Their site is an encyclopedia of travel advice for RVers looking for pet friendly places. Also this week, lots of great questions from our listeners, RV news, traveling tech tips and a great off the beaten path report. Plus Jennifer's special invite, of course! [spp-player] Complete shownotes for Episode 85 of the Roadtreking RV Podcast: JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK – Meet us in Nashville My tip of the week this week is really an invitation…. And a response to readers and listeners who say they want to meet us on the road. Well, here’s your chance… though admittedly this is a bit spontaneous and short notice. Mike and I will be heading down I65 in a couple weeks and we thought, wouldn't it be fun to stop and spend a night at the Grand Old Opry. Then we got to wondering about finding a campground near there and then... would other Roadtrekers care to join us? So… consider this your invitation! We're looking at Saturday May 14 for the Opry. We’ve already reserved our seats for the 7PM show. We’re staying at The Nashville KOA on Music Center Drive, which is near the Opry. Mike and I will come in Friday afternoon, May 13th and leave Sunday the 15th. If you’ll be joining us, there’s a post about this on our Facebook Group… let us know there. You need to make your own reservations for the Opry and for the campground. But we’d love to meet you…. Or should I say “y’all!” We’ll put a link to all this on the shownotes page for this episode at roadtreking-dot-com-forward slash-85. Alas, we won't have our dog, Bo, with us on this trip, It will just be Mike and me. The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: Ed asks the best way to sell his RV, wondering about Craigs List. He also asks about the best way to accept payment for it. I am NOT a fan of CraigsList. There are way too many reports of fraud, robberies, even murders linked to the site. I recommend RV Trader as a great place to buy or sell a used RV. To sell a Roadtrek, I recommend listing it on Roadtrek International, a chapter of Family Motor Coach Association for Roadtrek owners. Roadtrek International lists a lot of Roadtreks for sale at http://www.roadtrekchapter.org/roadtreks-for-sale. I recommend being paid by a cashier's check. A cashier’s check is a draft guaranteed by a bank, drawn from the bank’s own funds and signed by a cashier or teller. It’s used in place of cash, personal checks, credit cards or money orders. Ben asks about finding backgrounds for mountain biking and off grid camping National Geographic rated the 10 best Mountain Bike areas in the country and two were in Southwest Colorado: As to where to stay… Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Mesa Verde National Parks are two places I can suggest. Great campgrounds, can ride right out of the campsite. The two mountain bike areas in SW Colorado, I suggest: Crested Butte and Durango, Colorado And a listener notes how a recent post on the blog about solar panels helped her understand how they work Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Now you can turn your motorhome into a houseboat. I first heard about this very cool (and expensive!) invention at the Perry, GA gathering of the Family Motorcoach Association when I met the man who dreamed up and built something called the RollerBoat, a floating contraption that can certainly take your motorhome places its never been before. Plus this week, we have lots of great questions, comments and tips from readers this week! Also a song you’ll want to hear that captures all the fun of the RV lifestyle sent in by one of our readers [spp-player] First, Jennifer shares listener feedback on last week’s tip about the KAYWOS Cloth… the “Klean Anything Without Leafing a Streak” cloths we featured in Episode 83. Sue, it seems, found yet another interesting use for these cloths. Here’s her message: Hi Mike and Jennifer - Last summer, after hearing your review on Kaywos cloths, I purchased one. These cloths are amazing!! This is the first time I've been able to have streak free windows. But... not only that... we have a Jack Russell Terrier (her name is Lizzy Lizard Licker) who loves to hunt for small rodents. Yesterday, that hunt included a long period of time under the car. When she came out, her normally white coat had a distinct greasy gray smear all along her back. Rather than give her a bath (she'll just go under the car again tomorrow), I thought I would give the Kaywos cloth a go and see what it would do. Amazing!!! It got most of that grime off her coat and saved me from having to bath her. Thanks so much for the great tip about Kaywos Cloth. Best regards and hope to see you on the road somewhere, Susan Garriques JENNIFER’S TIP OF THE WEEK – FOLDING LAUNDRY HAMPER Dirty laundry. Sometimes, it seems like it follows me everywhere. Especially on RV trips. What to do with it? For a couple of years, we stuffed it in plastic bags. And that, we learned the hard way is not such a good idea. The clothes get really stinky in them and even after washing, that smell can be hard to get rid of. The solution for us is a collapsible clothes hamper. Actually, we bought a set of two of them. That’s how they come, a pack of two for $18.99 from Amazon. We got the StorageManiac Foldable Pop-Up Mesh Hamper. Usually, we only need one. But on long trips, the second one comes in handy. They are made from 100 percent polyester mesh and fold down flat for easy storage. They have a sturdy steel frame that pops up to allow for lots of dirty clothes. They have easy carry handles, which makes it convenient when you take your dirty clothes to a laundrymat. Each of these collapsible hampers holds more clothes than you carry. When popped up or open, they measure a bit over 14-inches by 17-inches. And because they are mesh, the dirty clothes don’t have an odor problem. We store the hamper in the bathroom, on a hook mounted o the side wall. Each hamper also has side pockets, which gives ample storage space for laundry accessories, delicates, socks, and so on. The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: JJ, a solo female traveler, wonders how Jennifer and I travel in our Class B motorhome when she barely has enough room in her 30-foot model. We share our experience Harry wonders how our solar panels can possibly work when we’re parked in the shade. They do, but at a less efficient rate will operate down to approximately 20% of a sun which is a gray sky, cloudy day. Below 20%, the voltage drops off significantly and the solar module will not be able to maintain a charge into a battery or device. Keep in mind that at 20% of sunlight the power generated by the solar module will be approximately 20% of the solar modules rating. Jim asks us for the name of the combination cooking appliance we take with us and use for most of our meal prep. We use the Cuisinart Griddler for grilling and most of the cooking we do,

This week, we talk about a topic near and dear to every RVers heart – food. We hear from a woman who has started a company that aims to meet the special needs of campers and RVers who want quick, tasty and nutritious meals – the preparation of which doesn’t take time away from enjoying the outdoors. Plus, we have RV news, some tech tips, a great off the beaten path report and, of course, your comments and questions. [spp-player] JENNIFER’S TIP OF THE WEEK – KAYWOS Cloth This week’s tip is about one of our favorite cleaning products… the KAYWOS cloth. KAYWOS – spelled K-A-Y-O-S stands for Klean (why they spell it with a K is beyond me) Anything Without Leaving a streak. Anyway, weird name and spelling aside, these cloths are nothing short of amazing. They really do clean just about anything. On our RV, we’ve used them to remove bugs, road gunk, bird droppings and dirt and grime from the exterior of our Roadtrek motorhome. Without soap and water. In essence, we cleaned the whole RV with the cloth. You just wet it, wring it dry and start cleaning. The cloths are re-useable. You can run them through the wash. Just let them air dry, never put them in the dryer. On the interior, we use them to clean mirrors and windows– with no streaking. They remove tar, grease, fingerprints and grime. They clean plastic, granite, stainless, chrome, computer screens, glasses and more. The KAYWOS cloth is made of ultra fine micro fibers and they grab and hold dirt like a magnet. The results are clean, streak free surfaces. Using water helps emulsify dirt and oil, making it easier for the micro fiber cloth to pick it up. Its high absorbency will quickly clean up spills. When washing a well used cloth, machine wash with laundry detergent or hand wash with dish soap in hot water. Rinse thoroughly. Using bleach will shorten the life of your cloths. Do not use fabric softener (fabric softener leaves a film on the cloth and decreases its effectiveness). And be careful when machine washing or drying in mixed loads as cloths will pick up lint from other fabrics. Air-dry only. We love the cloths. They cost $6 for one, $10 for two. We’ll put a link to them on the shownotes for this episode at Roadtreking-dot-com-forward slash-83. Here's a video Mike and I did showing how well they work. The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: Norm is getting a new RV and will use a mobile hotspot. He asks how we measure and report back the temperature in our motorhome while their dogs are alone. I share info about the Canary system we use. Tina is off from Southern California to Lake Louise, Calgary and Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. She’s looking for places to stay and see.I refer her to travelalberta.com for a list of attractions, places to camp and so much more Tom suggests a way to protect against pollen for RVers. He recommends a product called PollenTec that is an extra fine screen that can be put over your RV windows. Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK: Free Days and National Parks: Mark your calendar and plan to visit your National Parks on these special days! Entrance fees will be waived to celebrate and honor the following important dates: April 16-24 – National Park Week August 25-28 – National Park Service Birthday Weekend September 24 – National Public Lands Day November 11 – Veterans Day Winnebago Recalls 2-16 Winnie Drop Trailers Winnebago Towable is recalling certain model year 2016 Winnie Drop recreational trailers manufactured Sept. 10 to March 8. The refrigerator compartment may not be completely sealed and thus may allow carbon monoxide to enter the main cabin.

The RV community is on the move. Spring vacations, returning snowbirds and the new travel season is making many think about where to camp, where to overnight and how to get just the right spot. So this week, we talk to the guy who literally wrote the app on all that, Adam Longfellow from AllStays, the Net's most respected RV and camping website and app. AllStays just came on as one of our Roadtreking RV Podcast sponsors. But as I've gotten to know Adam, I realized how much helpful information he personally has to share with us all. So I asked him to come on this week and offer up some tips for finding just the right spot to spend the night in our RV. You'll find his suggestions below in the off The Beaten Path report section. That's just one part of a jam-packed podcast for you this week! [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #82 April 6, 2016 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast: JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK - The portable chairs we take One of the most asked questions we get has to do with the portable chairs we carry around with us in our RV for outside seating. We carry four of them. Two of them are the Pico Telescoping Directors Chair. They were the very first accessories we bought for our Roadtrek when we were just starting out in 2012. Mike selected them because of how small they are. Each chair folds down to size of a laptop. They are made of breathable nylon mesh and polyester fabric and have scratch free nylon-coated feet. And they have a beverage holder and a side pocket. They set up and become regular-sized outdoor arm chairs. They are probably the first thing we bring out when we set up camp. And, yes, they are surprisingly comfortable. We know a lot of fellow Roadterkers have also bought them after seeing ours, so we are obviously not alone in liking these chairs, despite the fact that, at about $100 each, they are certainly on the expensive side. The high cost is no doubt because of the way they telescope down so small. There are two more chairs we also now carry in our RV. They are Zero Gravity Reclining chairs, typically sold for around pools and patios.Mike and I call them out “look at the sky chairs” because they let you recline way back. They take up quite a bit of room. We are able to fit them in the back of our Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL but on our other RVs, they would have been too big. But they fit just fine in our current Roadtrek and we wouldn’t think of heading out anywhere without bringing these chairs as well. You can get two of the models we have from Amazon for $98. But check Walmart as we’ve seen them on sale from time to time for considerably less. The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: We answer listener questions and hear feedback about: Using the Canary wi-fi security camera in an RV with a Jet pack data card A woman’s enthusiasm that she will soon be fulltiming in an RV with her dog A video showing our solar panels atop our Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL Finding a dog friendly beach in Florida Whether it’s necessary to tow a car with a Class B motorhome for mobility Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK: Woman warns of Craig’s List RV scam Yellowstone National Park busy opening roads for new season Oregon Police trying to solve mystery of body found inside a burned RV This portion of the podcast is brought to you by Alde  the only name in heat that you need to know for your RV TRAVELING TECH TIP: How to use your iPad as a second monitor This week’s tip comes from a listener named Andy, from Chattanooga. Andy is a work camper who will be working and living on the road for the next year or so,

This week’s podcast shares the things RVers wish someone told them BEFORE they started RVing. We have interviews from the recent Family Motorcoach Association Family Reunion rally in Perry GA. We talked to a whole bunch of RVers… couples, solos, fulltimers and weekend warriors, asking them to share the most important things they’ve learned from their life on the road. [spp-player] Complete shownotes for Episode 80 of the Rpadtreking RV Podcast: JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK This week, my Tip of the Week comes from a listener who followed one of my tips from a few weeks ago. I ran into her at the just-concluded Family Motorcoach Association rally down in Perry, GA. When she showed me what she had, I just knew you’d want to know all about it too. Nadine Parker who shares a way to easily clean up a slow cooker, or a crock pot, by using slow cooker liners that go inside the crock pot. [spp-timestamp time="8:34"] We found some on Amazon, made by Reynolds, the same people who make aluminum foil. These liners are made of heat resistant nylon and designed to make slow cooker cleanup fast and easy. They are safe and BPA free. You can get four packs of four each or 16 total liners for about $11. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: First up, some info from listener Jim of interest to RVers heading through western Indiana. A new stretch of I-69 is now open between Bloomington through Evansville. Good news for those heading south or for returning snowbirds on the way back home. [spp-timestamp time="12:52"] Listener Tom wants to know about the Quisinart Griddler that Jennifer and I use for cooking in our RV. He is especially interested in using it for baking.  [spp-timestamp time="14:23"] While we love the Griddler, it is not for baking At least if it is, we are not sure how you’d do it. We got ours to replace the George Foreman grill we used to have. It broke when it fell off an uneven surface that Mike was resting it on while cooking a late meal one evening. That’s another story. But we love the Griddler. It works as a contact grill, a panini press, a full grill, a full griddle and half grill/half griddle. You can cook eggs, burgers, all kinds of steak, poultry, fish, pancakes, bacon. It’s very easy to clean and we use ours in our RV and at home. We’ll put a link to the Cuisinart Griddler on the shownotes page for this episode for those interested in checking it out. But again, as far as using it for traditional baking, I’m not sure how that would work. That’s what we use the convection oven/ microwave for. Reed asks about the air conditioner we have on our Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL. [spp-timestamp time="16:38"] Ours in mounted on the back and underneath the vehicle instead of the usual roof mounted AC that most RVs have. He watched the recent video tour of it we put on the Roadtreking.com blog and wanted to know how noisy it is compared to others. We give him a full rundown but, bottom line, it’s still noisy. And a listener called in to ask about installing a burglar alarm on her RV. Someone tried to break into her RV and, although they didn’t get in, she wants a loud alarm to sound if it happens again. [spp-timestamp time="20:25"] We talk about the Canary system we have on our unit. It’s a burglar alarm and it is also a live camera that shows video and plays audio of what’s happening inside the RV, as well as a temperature monitor showing this inside temperature. We like it because is the dog is there, we can see what’s happening and also make sure the AC is working. It also has a loud alarm. Ours works with an app over a Wi-Fi system Here’s a video we did about it. But in her case, I’d recommend the system we have at home – SimpliSafe. It is so easy to install, works really well and has motion detection alarms, glass breaking alarms, window and door sensors. You install it yourself…. It’s very easy… and you can easily transfer it to another RV. It has a very loud 105-decibel alarm siren, too. It costs $259.

In this episode, we come to you from the Emerald Coast of Florida's Panhandle, recording the podcast from a picnic table 25 feet from the Gulf of Mexico at the Navarre Beach Campground, answering listener questions, sharing tips and reporting the RV news of the week. [spp-player] Complete shownotes for The Roadtreking RV Podcast Episode 79: MIKE AND JENNIFER’S WHEREABOUTS We’ll be at the big Family Motorcoach Association 2016 Family Reunion at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, GA March 17-20. Jennifer and I will be there and presenting two seminars: The first is called “Serendipity Travel with the Wendlands” which details the way we travel in our RV with no reservations and stopping and sightseeing at random along the roads we travel. It will be on Friday, March 18, at in Seminar Room 4 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry. The second seminar will be “Living in a Type B Motorhome” and talk about how two people and a dog have happily lived and traveled over 100,000 miles over the past four years in a Class B motorhome. There’s a lot of interest in Class A and Class C owners in downsizing and we’ll talk about what it’s like. That seminar will be held Saturday at in Seminar Room 2. In between times, we’ll be hanging around the FMCA booth The FMCA Membership booth, in the Miller-Murphy-Howard building at the gathering or camped out with a bunch of Roadtrek owners in a special area of the campground. Come look us up and say Hi. JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK – Our Protein Smoothie Maker I’ve shared before how we are trying to eat healthy on the road. Today, I want to tell you about one of the best tools for doing that. A high speed blender/mixer called the NutriBullet, and Mike and I use it to make the most delicious protein smoothies. Today, for example, we mixed up frozen cherries and some whey protein. It was so good it was hard to believe it WAS actually good for us! But it was!  The NutriBullet breaks down and pulverizes the stems, seeds, and skins of fruits and vegetables, which is where most of the essential nutrition lies – unlike what juicers and blenders do. Simply add your favorite foods and special boosts like nuts, seeds, and, along with some water or another liquid, and it extracts the ingredients into smooth, tasty drink. And the best part is it takes only seconds to prepare, seconds to clean and couldn’t be easier to take on-the-go. We have a NutriBullet at home and, for $70, we added another for our RV. It effortlessly pulverizes fruits, vegetables and healthy superfoods with a high torque 600 watt motor. The unit we got on Amazon came with a tall cup which we use when we are both having a protein shake, as well as two short cups that are good for individual servings. It comes with a flat blade and an emulsifying blade, as well as a manual and some recipes So… you want our favorite recipe? Okay, for the two of us, we mix in two cups of frozen fruit, two scoops of protein and some coconut milk. Sometimes, we have it for breakfast, sometimes after a workout or a long hike or some strenuous exercise. The NutriBullet itself fits with all the accessories in a cabinet beneath the sink in our Roadtrek’s galley, cleans up very easy and is probably our favorite appliance. You can find in any of the big box stores like Walmart and Target. We’ll put a direct affiliate link to it on Amazon on the shownotes page for this episode at Roadtreking-dot-com-forward slash-79 LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: A listener asks for an app to make free long distance calls to other countries – Mike suggests the aptly named Roger app, which has walkie talkie-like features. Just a push the big simple button, record your message, and send. One especially cool feature about the Roger app is you can see the location, weather, and time of day of the person who is receiving your message. And all you need to get started is the phone number of the person you want to start communicating with ...

Our special guest in this week's edition of the Roadtreking RV Podcast is none other than Campskunk, our resident fulltimer, who is about to end his winter hiatus in Florida and hit the road for another year of RV travel. But before he does, he shares with us the chores he says every RVer should do before heading out for a new season of RV adventure. Besides Campskunk, we have lots of audience comments and questions, a tip from Jennifer on our most often used RV accessory, some tips on how your smartphone can double as an RV walkie-talking for your RVing pals and a fun off the beaten path report about some little known must-see attractions in Colorado. [spp-player] Complete shownotes for Episode 78 of the Roadtreking RV Podcast, released March 9, 2016. JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK - A clock and indoor/outdoor thermometer for the RV My tip this week is about the one device in our RV we probably use more than any other device or appliance. The clock! [spp-timestamp time="6:19"] Specifically, a very handy wall clock. We use SkyScan Atomic Digital Clock with Indoor and Outdoor Temperature. We got it on Amazon for $38. There’s an outdoor sensor that Mike mounted on our outside rear door with industrial strength Velcro… On the inside, he mounted the main display on the wall between the rear bed and the galley, also with Velcro. Both the sensor and the display stay firmly in place, even on bumpy roads. The display is very easy to read, especially with those three inch time digits. We get an inside temperature reading and an outside temperature, plus the time, as well as the day and date. We like this clock because it is always accurate. That’s because it is self-setting and uses atomic time. Every day around 2 am, it syncs by radio waves to the official US time standard in Fort Collins CO. All you do is select the time zone you are in and the clock automatically adjusts the time and, like it will do on Sunday March 13, automatically sets itself to Daylight Savings Time. The clock is quite attractive. The one we picked has black frame that matches very nicely with the gray and ebony interior colors of our Roadtrek. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Comments and questions from the audience deal with: How to get a great RV Packing List (hint: email Mike),[spp-timestamp time="8:18"] The Canary streaming cameras as a security device for the RV [spp-timestamp time="11:20"] Photo tips [spp-timestamp time="17:12"] RV comparisons [spp-timestamp time="19:37"] Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations. All three have a great fly and drive program. They'll pick you up from the airport and will reimburse you $500 toward your airfare. Then, your RV will be fully prepared for travel, complete with full tanks of fuel and propane RV NEWS OF THE WEEK: Trial to begin for man accuse of killing a couple who banished on an RV trip [spp-timestamp time="28:38"] California RV Park invests $1.1 million in solar [spp-timestamp time="28:36"] This portion of the podcast is brought to you by Alde… the only name in heat that you need to know for your RV The Alde hydronic system brings many features and benefits not found with any other product. Silent Radiant Heat - providing a warm even natural heated interior. Great for pets. (And Humans) Increased Interior Space by combining two systems in one. Efficiency. The whole system draws less than 1 amp on 12V DC and will extend the life of your propane roughly 40 percent over forced air. Heating on Electric or Gas. Multiple Options and Amenities: Towel Warmers, Floor Heat, Tank Heating, 4 Season Camping, Engine Heat, Driver Comfort, Modern Programable Color Touch Screen Thermostat and Interface Minimal Side-Wall Penetration. Small combined intake and exhaust eliminate big cut outs and sidewall congestion.