This week on the RV Podcast we meet a couple who tell us why every RVer should have a bucket list and how to make it come true. Ari and Jessi Adler, collectively known as the Trekers.org, tell us how, even with 9 to 5 jobs, they are making their amazingly ambitious bucket list come true. I think you’ll find them very inspiring. Also this week, RV news of the week including stories about: a very real murder mystery on the Alaskan Highway, more bad news for Roadtrek and how the tariff war is takin...
Jul 24, 2019•57 min
This week on the RV Podcast we hear from Joe Russo, who with wife Kait creates the popular We’re the Russos YouTube Channel and blog. Joe has just written his second book, Tales from the Open Road, and in this episode of the RV Podcast, he drops by to share some of their adventures and misadventures. Show Notes for Episode #251 July 17, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER - As this episode is released, we are in the Nashville, TN area on a family vacation....
Jul 17, 2019•53 min
This week in Episode 250 of the RV Podcast, you’ll meet our friend Joe Raetano, a computer scientist and a new kind of workcamper, who shares with us how commuting to his high tech North Carolina job in his RV and then staying in it during the week saves him lots of money and yet still provides all the comforts of home. He calls it his "mobile condo" Joe is our featured guest in the interview of the week segment… but we also have lots of RV News, tips, answers to your questions and a great off t...
Jul 10, 2019•51 min
How much time do you spend planning an RV route? Can you trust the campground reviews you find online? Could you use some practical help in not driving too far and coming up with a comprehensive map and route that will take all the hassle out of trip planning? And do you want to save money doing so? If you could use some help in any of those areas, then stay tuned because in our interview of the week, we’ll talk about a tool Jennifer and I just used on a long trip that even allowed us to keep to...
Jun 26, 2019•52 min
Many of us plan and dream about pulilng up roots, selling the sticks and bricks house and going fulltime in an RV. But what’s it like? A little scary, to be sure. But also very rewarding, as our guests this week share in an Episode we call… Livin’ the Dream. We met this couple last week up in the Adirondacks, John and K.C,, who have been fulltiming in a Class B Winnebago Travato for a year and a half now with their dog, Kai. As we heard their story we just knew we had to get them to share it wit...
Jun 19, 2019•59 min
This week we talk about RV Clubs and why you may want to consider joining one. We talk about their many benefits, including their efforts to help us find and preserve free overnight places to camp by promoting a Good Neighbor policy. Our guests are the people who run one of the most popular and active such organizations, Travis and Melanie Carr of the Escapees and Xcapers RV Clubs. RV clubs serve as a network of like-minded folks, offering support, encouragement, adventure and fun, usually with ...
Jun 12, 2019•53 min
If you are a regular listener, you know Jennifer and I love to boondock. We love to get away from the crowds and enjoy the peace and quiet. So do many RVers, of course, but this week we want to talk to the substantial segment of the boondocking community who are solo travelers. Being alone in the middle of nowhere is equally enjoyable as it is for couples or those who travel with a friend. But what happens if you are alone and an accident or emergency happens? If you’re traveling solo, you need ...
Jun 05, 2019•50 min
Our guests this week are Chris Dunphy and Cherie ve Ard from the Mobile Internet Resource Center, which is the best source I know of unbiased mobile internet information for US based RVers and digital nomads who must have reliable Internet connections while on the road, whether for business, to keep in touch with friends and family or to stream they favorite movies. Chris and Cherie will join us in our interview of the week segment coming up in just a few minutes. Show Notes for Episode #244 May...
May 29, 2019•53 min
With the upcoming long Memorial Day weekend kicking off the 2019 camping season, a lot of RVers are going to be frustrated to discover no vacancy signs and if they do get a spot, overcrowded and expensive campgrounds that offer far from the idyllic getaway they hoped for. We can help. In this episode, you’ll hear how Jennifer and I prefer to camp as we present to you our complete guide of free or almost free camping, from overnight stays to full two-week vacations. And along the way you’ll hear ...
May 22, 2019•54 min
In this week’s podcast, we introduce you to two of our RVing friends, Jeff and Deb Spencer, who live and work fulltime in their RV, traveling all across the country checking off their bucket list as they pursue their passion of endurance running and visiting new places. Now your passion may not be running 100 mile races and climbing mountaintops but I think you’ll enjoy our conversation because as Jeff and Deb say, you too live out your dream on the road. They’ll tell you how they did it and you...
May 15, 2019•49 min
For most, an RV is the second biggest purchase they will ever make, next to their sticks and bricks house. So having a warranty to cover major repairs is an important consideration when purchasing an RV. But what happens when the manufacturer’s warranty runs out, or, worse yet, as happened to one major RV manufacturer this year, the company suddenly goes bankrupt and shuts down. What then? In this week’s podcast, we’ll talk about purchasing an extended warranty for your RV to provide peace of mi...
May 08, 2019•47 min
It’s estimated that there are a million plus fulltime RVers out there, traveling North America and living pretty much fulltime in their RVs. And those ranks are growing more and more every day. Jennifer and I have noticed this in our travels. We are meeting more fulltimers on seemingly every trip and many of them are families. Mom and Dad work from the road, the kids are educated on the road and the families are thriving, seeing all the wonders of North America, together. Does this idea intrigue...
May 01, 2019•51 min
Coming up in the interview of the week is Dan Miller, a New York Times best-selling author whose amazingly successful books and podcast about setting priorities and achieving your dreams has greatly influenced Jennifer and me and helped us find the way to make the RV Lifestyle a reality. For all those of you out there dreaming about doing the same thing…. “someday”… Dan Miller is going to inspire you and motivate you to also make that “someday”…today. You are going to love Dan Miller. Also this ...
Apr 24, 2019•52 min
In this episode, we talk about a couple of the challenges we face in living and camping in an RV - from using a CPAP machine to getting instant hot water. We’ll answer a listener question about the first and with the second, have an interview with an official from Truma Corp., who will explain to us how their popular lineup of RV water heaters work and why they have become the de facto standard for new RVs. Plus we have RV News if the week and anther great off the beaten path report from the Bur...
Apr 10, 2019•42 min
In this episode, we talk to a leading expert on lithium batteries – Sean Nichols of Battle Born Batteries, one of the best known companies making lithium batteries for RVs. Sean tells us that lead is dead, that the old lead acid batteries found in most RVs are rapidly being eclipsed by more powerful and efficient lithium technology. He explains just what lithium will – and will not – do for the RVer and how they can be made to reliably work even in very cold weather. Sean Nichols will be coming ...
Apr 03, 2019•55 min
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 rumor...
Mar 27, 2019•53 min
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 r...
Mar 20, 2019•37 min
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 Epis...
Mar 13, 2019•57 min
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 ma...
Mar 06, 2019•54 min
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 AN...
Feb 27, 2019•52 min
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 t...
Feb 13, 2019•53 min
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 an...
Feb 06, 2019•52 min
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 3...
Jan 30, 2019•47 min
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 n...
Jan 23, 2019•53 min
Have you looked at RV prices lately? They are through the roof. Expect to pay well over $100,000 to buy a new Class B campervan. Even $150K is not that unusual and some of the super high-end ones are closer to $200,000. Those high prices are one reason why lots of RVers are making their own vans, buying stripped down cargo vas and turning them into their own customized RV, with exactly the features and accessories they want. This week in our Topic of the Week interview, we’ll talk with a DIY van...
Jan 16, 2019•1 hr 2 min
Most of our National Parks remain open… but the partial governmental shutdown is causing some major problems across the country. In this episode of the podcast, we’ll update you on the latest. Plus, we talk about the controversial practice of wolf hunting near Yellowstone National Park. And, as always, we have your questions, comments and tips. And this week, we also have a huge list of the many RV Shows being held around the country over the next couple of weeks. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP T...
Jan 09, 2019•1 hr 7 min
It’s a New Year filled with opportunities and adventures just waiting around the next bend in the road. This week, we hear from RVers all across North America about their Bucket List Trips planned for 2019. Show Notes for Episode #223 Jan 2, 2019 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We’re back from vacation and looking forward to a 2019 travel season New videos resume Thursday on the RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube with a look at two electronic gadgets I wo...
Jan 02, 2019•58 min
There is no excuse anymore to overnight in your RV in crowded, brightly lit, noisy parking lots. This week, we bring back the CEO of Harvest Hosts who will tell us in the interview of the week about a huge expansion in the number of farms, wineries, fruit orchards, attractions, and now golf courses across North America that welcome members of Harvest Hosts to stay on their scenic, beautiful grounds. We’ll also have him explain how listeners to this podcast can avoid the price hike coming January...
Dec 12, 2018•57 min
One of the topics that we are asked about a lot has to do with insurance. How do you select the right insurance for your RV? If you make a mistake, you can overpay, or be under insured. There are so many variables that when it comes to choosing RV insurance, you need to know as much as possible, to make sure you're getting the best deal and the best coverage. This week in our interview of the week, we're going to dig into just that. Plus, as always, your RV questions, RV News of the week, Jennif...
Nov 21, 2018•1 hr 7 min
This week we update you with some inside information on the 2019 Sprinter van, probably the most popular chassis used by Class B RVs. They’ve been in short supply for almost two years now and we’ll learn this week that a new Sprinter factory in South Carolina is about to change that. Plus, lots of RV news, tips and reports. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Show Notes for Episode #218 Nov. 14, 2018 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast MIKE We’re coming to you this week from Okaloosa Island o...
Nov 14, 2018•1 hr 1 min
