Episode 133: Everything You Wanted to Know About How We Sleep in our RV

In this episode of the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle Podcast we answer one of the most asked questions we get – what are our sleeping arrangements in the RV? We talk about how we set up our RV bed, what we use for bedding and comfort and how and where we store it. This is a question we get in several variations a couple of times each week so in this episode, we go into great detail. And we’ll share resources on the gear we use for our RV bed. Also this week, a very interesting interview with Charlie Adcock, the President of the Family Motorcoach Association. Charlie talks candidly about the future of this very influential organization and how to survive, the FMCA needs to reach out to other RVers, specifically those who have towables – travel trailers and fifth wheels. You’ll also want to learn about the FMCA’s Member Assist Program, which offers what I think is the most essential peace of mind an RVer can have if, while traveling, the worst happens – a heart attack, or death or being stranded on the road because of an incapacitating injury or illness. Also in this episode, as always, RV News, traveling, tech and pet tips and a great off-the-beaten-path report. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #133 March 29,2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast: JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK Jennifer When you go on a long trip and leave your sticks and bricks home, one of the worries is that there will be a power outage while you are gone. The nation’s electric grid and infrastructure is in decline and outages happen more and more. [spp-timestamp time="8:30"] So maybe you get home and see the clocks all blinking – a sure sign of an outage. What you don’t know is how long there was no electricity. Maybe it’s been just a few hours, but also there is a possibility it’s been for days. In this case, the food in your refrigerator have been defrosted and spoiled. Now if you see that happened – that the frozen food is all squishy soft, the best thing to do is to throw it out right away. But even if it’s frozen solid when you check, that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. That’s because food freezes again when electricity comes back. So you can’t notice it was thawed. This can be a major threat to your health because the food may spread salmonella and other bacteria. The food can stay safe without power at least 4 hours, only if the fridge is left unopened. The door of the fridge should be closed as much as possible to keep the cold temperature. The food in the freezer can stay safe without power for 48 hours, but only if it is full. The food is safe in the freezer for 24 hours if it is half-full. But if it’s re-frozen, how do you know? Here is a trick you can use to find out how long your freezer was without any power. This way you will discover if your food may be consumed or it spent too much time being warm. Pour some water into a cup and place it in the freezer. When there is only ice in the cup, place the coin on the top of the cup and put it back into the freezer. Next time you come back from a long trip, take a look at the coin. If the coin is still at the top or in the middle of the ice cubes in the cup, there was no electricity, but only for a short period, which is why the water was only partly melted. In addition, if the coin is at the bottom of the cup, it shows that there was no electricity for a long period, which caused the water to dissolve completely and thus the coin sank to the bottom. If this is the case for your freezer, do not consume the food that is in your freezer. That’s this week’s tip. Do you have an RV tip or suggestion for me? You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox. I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week is brought to you by RadPower Bikes (www.RadPowerBikes.com_… an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping! LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: Listener Mary Ellen asks about bedding in the RV and Mike and Jennifer share, in detail, how they have set up their RV and what they use to sleep on. [spp-timestamp time="13:41"] Resources mentioned: We talk about our RVSuperbag - Here’s a video of it in our RV: https://rvlifestyle.com/the-most-important-part-of-an-rv/ 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. PET TIP OF THE WEEK There’s no question about it: having a dog romping around the RV that smells “a bit ripe” is none too pleasant. Keeping your dog clean and well-groomed will pay dividends beyond simple aesthetics. It will also help to keep your dog healthy. Basic grooming involves bathing and brushing. [spp-timestamp time="30:13"] Just like people, dogs need regular bathing. But unlike people, dogs don’t need frequent bathing. Your dog’s breed and the environment in which it lives and plays will largely determine the optimum frequency of bathing. But once a month is a good rule-of-thumb. Vets recommend that you do not bathe your dog more than once a week. And this is important: You can’t use your bath soap on your dog when you give it a bath; use a shampoo that is formulated specifically for dogs. Right along with bathing comes brushing. Most dogs love a good brush. Brushing also helps to prevent skin irritation by removing dead hair from your dog’s coat before it mats. And it gives you control over where hair is shed – in the brush instead of all over your RV! You can brush your dog as frequently as you feel is needed, but the longer your dog’s hair, the more frequently you’ll need to brush. Very longhaired dogs may need it daily, while shorthaired dogs may need it only monthly. Always brush outward from the skin – never toward the skin from the ends of the hair. And misting your dog’s coat with a grooming spray will help the brush glide smoothly through any snags and mats. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dozers Dental Chews, an all natural and healthy treat your dog will love. Available direct through Amazon and sold at Home Goods Stores across their 600 store chain. INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Charlie Adcock The Family Motorcoach Association is America’s premier organization for RV travel by motorhome, well over 50 years old. Their rallies and gatherings and the benefits that come with membership are the best in the industry and there are scores of FMCA chapters that regularly meet and gather together, too. [spp-timestamp time="34:30"] But as other forms of RVs have come into the marketplace, membership has taken a nose dive And now, to save itself, there’s a new proposal that will be up for a vote this summer that, for the first time, would change the membership requirements of the Family Motorcoach Association and open it up to those who own other RV types, like travel trailers and fifth wheels. It’s perhaps the biggest change in the organization’s history and our guest this week is FMCA President Charlie Adcock, who explains the proposal and also shares details about one of the groups top benefits, a program called FMCAssist that provides amazing peace of mind should the worst happen while on an RV trip. Meanwhile, the next major gathering of the FMCA will be its 96th International Convention July 12-15, 2017 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, IN. Mike and Jennifer will be there and conduct a couple of seminars on their style of RV travel. Come meet them! The interview of the week is brought to you by http://sunshinestatervs.com/, where every new or used Roadtrek motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country RV NEWS OF THE WEEK: Two stories this week: [spp-timestamp time="52:55"] Major fight brewing over fate of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument – Read More Killer Bees Attack Residents of Arizona RV Park – Read More 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: By Steve Van Dinter Verizon Wireless Steve Van Dinter Whether it’s spring break or summer vacation, no doubt you and your listeners are thinking about that next road trip. And if you’re gassing up the family truckster, this year I’ve got one new gadget you’re going to want to bring along – HumX by Verizon. [spp-timestamp time="1:01:45"] This is a family road trip game-changer. Why’s that? Well for starters, HumX turns your whole vehicle into a wifi hotspot for up to ten connected devices. Now the whole family can be online at once – from tablets to gaming consoles – you’re covered. In addition, it comes with peace of mind on several fronts. First, should your car break down on the side of the road or you get into an accident, you have free roadside assistance and crash detection. In addition, if you’re like me and sometimes forget exactly where you parked it’s not a big deal. That’s because you pull up the Hum app on your phone and can see the exact parking stall your vehicle is at. If you let your teens drive the vehicle as well, you can use the app to see in real-time where the vehicle is, what speed it’s going and where it’s headed. Not to mention you can set speed limits and geographic boundaries to ensure they only go where they say they’re going…and do so safely. And speaking of safety, each trip you take you are given a safety score…1-100 where one is the least safe and 100 is the safest drive. It’s based on how often you speed, touch your phone, how hard you brake and how fast you corner or accelerate. That magic again is all brought to you by HumX. You can learn more at www.hum.com.