Cell Boosters for RVers

One of the first accessories many RVers consider is a cellular booster, to help pull in cell phone signals for Internet connectivity when visiting remote places. That's what we talk about in the RV Podcast Interview of the Week. You'll meet Brett Beatty, the product manager for weboost, probably the leading company out there making cellular booster kits for RVers. Brett will tell us what a booster can and cannot do for you and he’ll share details on the company’s latest system aimed at the RV market. Plus, lots of your questions and comments, RV News, RV tips and a great of the neaten path report from the Burketts. But first my lifelong traveling companion and my bride, Jennifer. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE The fall RV Show season is officially underway. At the end of this podcast, tell you about all the RV shows around the country. It will be like this for a couple months ago and I hope you can attend one near you. JENNIFER This week Hershey, PA hosts the annual event they call "America's Largest RV Show." While it may or may not be the largest (a couple of other big shows claim to be larger), there is no doubt Hershey is HUGE. Mike and I will be there for several days. You might see us in different parts of the show Thursday and Friday as we work on various videos. If so, come say hello. We'll be posting lots of updates on and Facebook. And from 1-3PM Saturday, we'll be doing an official meet and greet at the Leisure Travel Vans display. So please come by and say hi. MIKE With so many people shopping for an RV and visiting shows this time of year, I want to suggest you check out our 70-plus page RV Buying Secrets ebook. It offers a step-by-step guide to buying what for many is the second most expensive purchase they will ever make after buying a house. For more information on our instantly available RV Buying Secrets ebook, click here - https://rvlifestyle.com/buy In the book, we share our experience in how to negotiate the best price, what salesperson "upsells" you should say no to, how to get the best insurance price and coverage, the hidden costs of buying an RV and lots of additional tips and tools to save you time and money and get the right RV for you at the right price. We know it will really help you buy wisely, whether you're purchasing a new unit off the lot or at an RV show, ordering one direct from the manufacturer or buying a used RV from a dealer or private seller. JENNIFER Before we turn to the news of the week, I have a great tip I want to pass along that came from one of our subscribers on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel. A subscriber named Lucille saw on one of our videos the paper towel starting to unwind on the roll behind is. A good way to prevent that from happening, Lucille says, is to use a push pin in the paper towels. What a great tip Lucille! Thanks for sending that in! It was so simple yet practical that I in turn had to share it with our podcast audience. We’re Fellow Travelers in this RV Lifestyle and I love getting your tips! Keep them coming. A good way to do that is to phone them in on our Voicemail number… just call 586-372-6990. Again, that’s 586-372-6990. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Olympic National Park conducting more search and rescues this year, triggering reminder for visitors to be prepared Park rangers in Washington's Olympic National Park are trying to get a message out to visitors - if you come to visit, be sure you're prepared! Why the seemingly obvious message? This year there is a rise in search and rescues - 71 as of Labor Day, while typically there are 50 to 60 the entire year. The weather on the mountains often changes, so even if you are camping or just planning a short hike, be sure to bring navigational tools, sunscreen, warm clothes, food, water and first aid supplies. The story made me think of an interview we did some time back on hiking safety with a hiker from the West Coast. (To listen click here.) No matter how short your hike, the tips are a good reminder to be prepared. MIKE Burt's Bees founder renovating ocean campground so it keeps wilderness feel I am always interested hearing the thought process that goes into the development of new campgrounds. So that is why a story out of Maine caught my eye and I had to share. The founder of Burt's Bees purchased an abandoned campground on the ocean in Maine several years ago that she is slowly renovating. The campground sounds like one Jen and I would like to visit when it is is finished. Each spot is being designed to give the illusion you are the only one there, with careful attention to keeping the woods and ocean views and overall wilderness experience. A top architect is designing the whole thing, so hopefully it will be affordable when it eventually opens, but we love Maine, and this piece of land sounds beautiful. JENNIFER Hiker falls to death at Yosemite National Park A 29-year-old woman died last week after falling 500 feet to her death while climbing the Half Dome at Yosemite National Park. The hike requires a permit, and applicants enter a lottery to be one of 300 chosen to do the dangerous hike each day. The hike is a 14 to 16 mile round trip and it requires a cable climb at one point. The Arizona woman fell on the cable part of the hike, and was pronounced dead by park rangers who found her. The incident is under investigation. MIKE Camper van concept vehicle unveiled in Dusseldorf amazing in its modern look, features A story out last week on a concept van showcased at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon made by the Erwin Hymer Group was so cool, we had to to share it with you. This van called the Vision Venture is built on a Mercedes chassis and has stairs to an upstairs level where the bed is kept. The lower level boasts a modern, modular look, with a mixture of grey felt, leather, and a variety of textures and colors. It reminded me of a small apartment with sofas, a table, a work station, a bathroom and shower, and much more. While many of the vans showed in Europe are not available in North America, the concepts found there often make their way to this side to the Atlantic, and in any case, or anyone who appreciates a Class B or Class B-plus, it is worth checking out. JENNIFER Canada's Whistlers Campground at Jasper National Park to remain closed for 2020 season Canada's Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park will be closed all of the 2020 season because of renovations, Parks Canada announced last week. The popular campground was closed all of this season, too, and was expected to open next near but the work is taking longer than anticipated so it will be closed all of the 2020 season. Park officials are installing 17 combined new showers and bathrooms to the 800 site campground 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 .Mention RVLifestyle at checkout for an additional $75 off. Plus free shipping on all their bike models Use the coupon code rvlifestyle for an additional $75 off at Visit RadPowerBikes.com LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK QUESTION: Hey Mike, Jen and Bo. Just calling to say you guys doing a great job with your podcast and everything else that you guys do quick question for you. And it's pertaining to all RVs, but especially pop-ups seeing we're coming to the shoulder season of fall and then into winter time. What would be the best route to winterize the pop-up not in a garage. So if I was storing it outside, you know, I hear things about condensation if you're completely tarped up and then they of course sell all these different rving pop-up covers a car covers and so on and so forth. If you can just give me some information on an experience that you have and that would be great once again doing a great job. ANSWER: Never use a tarp! You should cover your RV but not with the type of tarp you're thinking of. The traditional blue tarp may do more harm than good when used to cover your vehicle and here’s why. Traditional blue tarps are not breathable and can hold onto or trap moisture while your vehicle is stored. This moisture can leak into the RV or freeze and expand and can cause damage to your vehicle. Most people will also need to use bungees or ropes to secure the tarp to the vehicle. These ropes may shift and flap in the wind or rub against the RV body causing damage. The tarp itself may fray, shred, blow off, or shift, which can cause issues. Instead invest in an RV cover that protects your investment and help keep it from aging from the sun’s rays. The sun’s UV radiation can harm your RV by fading color, peeling paint, cracking components and more. Make sure your covering of choice will block out UV radiation, just because something blocks light does not mean that it blocks ultraviolet radiation. RV-specific covers are waterproof but still breathable. Millions of tiny pores are big enough to allow water vapor and moisture to evaporate off the RV body but too small for water droplets to penetrate. This means you don’t have to worry about condensation collecting below the covering and causing damage. QUESTION: Okay, Mike and Jennifer. I have I'm kind of a weird question. It kind of occurred to me. Do you ever run your generator while your RV is on the road to keep the top the top Air Conditioner going or the electricity going in the rig while you're on the road? Have you ever done that? If people do that is that something is supposed to happen? Thanks. ANSWER: Many RVers do and it is perfectly safe to run the RV generator while driving your RV. However, there are a couple of things you should know to make sure you don’t have any problems. If the generator is propane fueled then you will need to be aware of state or local laws which may prohibit the use of propane while driving.