Episodes

It's been said by many that every place has a story to tell. And in this episode of Roadtreking the RV Podcast we learn that many of the most interesting places also have a festival or special event to celebrate their stories. Just about every weekend, somewhere in North America, there's a small town festival celebrating something. And finding those festivals - be they music, food or event-centered - is just one of several topics we tackle this week in Episode 59. We interview the author of a gr...

When it comes to RVing, it's thinking about the things you never thought of before that make the biggest difference. For example, you probably don't want to be halfway across the country on a coast-to-coast trip and realize you didn't make any arrangements for how your mail will be handled. Nor do you want to set out for your first big trip of the season next spring only to realize mice have spent the winter destroying your RV's insides. But don't worry because - as you will hear in this episode...

We're all constantly seeing it - some really bad RV drivers are out there with us on the road. But as our guest on this week's Roadtreking podcast tells us, we needn't be among the offenders. In fact, Mark Polk, publisher of RVEducation101.com - which also just launched an RV education app for iOS and Android - has all kinds of great tips to help drive an RV like a pro. Among other things, Mark helps us understand: Where most RV dangers come from How to turn properly How to maneuver around gas p...

Wait until you hear how you'll be soon using the Internet in your RV! After lots of interesting reader questions, comments, tips and RV news, we do some visioneering about what's just over the horizon in terms of the Internet and RVing. Our special guest of Paul Ulreich, the "Uber User" from Verizon Wireless. Paul has been involved in the Internet and cellular technology for two decades and in a wide-ranging conversation, he talks with Mike about RVing and its role in the iOT - the Internet of T...

It doesn't matter where you go, what you do, or how you enjoy your RV - just as long as you're out there making memories and living the RVing dream. And that's what this episode of the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle podcast is all about - from Jennifer's Tip of the Week about finding fun festivals around North America and equipping your RV with the right gear to a great group of friends we met RVing in Florida (that's them in the above photo), including someone who comes to the U.S. from England every...

The RVing experience is like snowflakes - no two are the same for any of us because the freedom of the RV lifestyle affords us more than enough opportunities to make it our own. Sure, there a similarities, which is why the tips, tricks, and gadgets we talk about often are so popular among Roadtreking fans. But at America's Largest RV Show in Hershey, Pennsylvania last week, we wanted to really connect with everyone who took a minute to spend some time with us - really get at where people go, wha...

With the peak summer travel season behind us, thoughts for many begin to turn toward snowbird season. But RVing for an extended period so far from home during the long winter months isn't all sun and sand, especially if you don't prepare properly. Take it from Tim and Carol Mallon, the couple from Canada behind the Snowbird Tails from the Trail blog at http://snowbirdtailsfromthetrails.blogspot.com/ Tim and Carol Mallon The duo knows how to snowbird right and join Roadtreking's Mike Wendland for...

In business, having more demand than supply is usually a good thing - and that just happens to be the current state of the super hot RV rental market. So says Joel Clark, co-founder, RVshare.com. Clark says the RV rental market is so hot, in fact, that owners who want to rent out their RVs could make as much as $40,000 annually from doing so (depending on numerous factors, of course). That also opens the door for those who want to be renters, allowing for more opportunity to enjoy the RVing life...

This week on the podcast we meet an RVing couple that travels from Paradise to Paradise. And in this week's episode, they share how they maximize their RV travels and fight back against the aging process. We offer lessons learned from Carl and Bobbi Braun, who wanted to do more in retirement than just grow old, plus we have a full plate of RV News, cool RV destination information, hot traveling tech and what RV events should be on your calendar. Besides the interview with the Brauns, we have so ...

Big changes are sweeping the campground industry. From fiber optic cable for more streaming video and high speed Internet to themed parks that cater to your own favorite camping activities, the parks and campground industry is making lots of changes. Our guest today is Paul Bambei, of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds , who shares with Mike how a busy camping industry is meeting consumer demand and expectations. But we have lots of other RV news, audience questions, a tip abou...

Next to our homes, an RV is probably the most expensive purchase we will ever make. Even used RVs come with a steep pricetag. This week, we offer some very practical advice about shopping for a used RV. Our guest is Terry Cooper, President of the National RV Inspectors Association. Just as we hire a home inspector before purchasing a house, we can hire RV inspectors to make sure we don't get ripped off or stuck with a used unit with major problems. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #49 Aug. 19...

Everyone knows that researching and buying an RV is a big job - that's why when events come along like next month's America's Largest RV Show, you have to be prepared. After all, the 47th annual RV show - set for Sept. 16-20 in Hershey, Pennsylvania - will feature 47 different manufacturers showcasing more than 1,300 RVs. That's a lot of RVs. Thirty-three football fields worth of RVs, as a matter of fact. For this episode of the Roadtreking podcast, we talk to Heather Leach, marketing and educat...

We've all heard the term "workamping" during our RV travels and - if you're anything like us - probably wondered what it really is like to be a workamper. Sure, we could refer you to some general description from the Internet, but why do that when we can bring you someone who actually has worked as part of the so-called Amazon Camperforce? And that's why for this episode of the Roadtreking podcast, we talk to Will Triplet, a seasoned workamper who fills us in on what it's like to earn your keep ...

The great thing about living the RV lifestyle is the freedom it affords - and that includes the freedom to hit the open road alone. It's a trend that is growing. Take Sherry Targum, president, Roadtrek International chapter of the Family Motorcoach Association. She decided long ago to hit the road alone (well, she had some cats, too) and hasn't looked back. She joins Mike Wendland for episode 46 of the Roadtreking podcast to share what she has learned about successfully solo RVing. Among other t...

Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in making sure our RVs are in tip-top shape before hitting the road that thinking about our own health care once we're actually on the road falls by the wayside. That is, until it's too late. That's why for this episode of the Roadtreking podcast, we talk with expert Margo Armstrong, blogger at MovingOnWithMargo.com and author of "Healthcare and the RV Lifestyle." Margo and Mike talk tips for on-the-road health care in a discussion that aims to at the very leas...

For many, RVing, camping, and campfires go together like graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate, but there is growing concern that the fires may be getting out of control - even when safely confined to a fire pit. Most recently, for example, Chuck Woodbury, founder and publisher, RV Travel, opined that it's time for some campgrounds to establish so-called "No Campfire Zones." He wrote his editorial, of course, after spending a few nights at a packed KOA where his neighbor's fire pit was le...

For many, it's important to stay connected - even when we are in our RV in the middle of nowhere and there is no WiFi or a phone signal to take us online. Enter satellite Internet. It allows you to stay connected from just about anywhere you have access to the sky - with a catch or two that you need to consider. In this episode, Mike Wendland talks about the new satellite Internet system he has with the Zenmaster of full-time RVing - Campskunk. Among other things, Mike and Campskunk talk about: ...

Small house, big yard. It's one of our favorite sayings here at Roadtreking and for good reason: It perfectly sums up what we love most about our RV lifestyle. "Small house," of course, refers to our Type B (small) motorhome and the "big yard" is, well, wherever we want it to be. The whole of North America. That's why we know a Type B is the perfect kind of motorhome for us. In this episode of Roadtreking, however, we go beyond a cool slogan to delve into specifics about what we took into consid...

When people started camping in their vehicles in the early 1900s, they really had one goal: to open up the world. They just wanted to see what they could see and even the most primitive RVing allowed that to happen. At some point, however, things changed. It became as important to take as much of your home with you when trying to, in fact, get away from home. Things like full hookups became a necessity. As such, the number of possible RV destinations seemed limited, the original intent of RVing ...

Empty nesters have two choices once the last kid leaves home for good: sit around pining for the good ol' days or make some great new days. The RV lifestyle offers a way to make some great new days - to get out to see amazing places and meet awesome people and not just exist, but live. David and Veronica James, aka The Gypsy Nesters, are among the best examples of how it can work. In fact, they take it to the extreme because eight years ago they sold their sticks-and-bricks home and hit the road...

In this episode we talk about what you need to know about boondocking in your RV. [spp-player] Live from the "Roadtreking Montana Boondocking in the Beartooth Mountains Photo Safari," we discuss the ins and outs of RV boondocking. We interview RT Campskunk, the Zenmaster of RV boondocking, who tells us the lessons he's learned from six months of fluttering in a small Class B motorhome, most of it off the grid in wilderness areas. Among other things, he talks about: Black and grey water managemen...

Our trip west could have turned out much different were it not for the technology that makes RVs like ours energy self sufficient - the kind of tech that provides a look into the future of Class B RVing. We can boondock pretty much anywhere, anytime. Case in Point: We didn't have a reservation for one of the campgrounds near Grand Canyon and would've been stuck waiting forever to get one instead of enjoying everything this amazing landmark has to offer. But with a Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL from...

If you listen closely to this week's Roadtreking RV Lifestyle podcast, you can hear birds chirping in the background, a light breeze blowing, and our dog Tai playing around camp. It may not seem like a big deal but it is, especially after what happened to us just a week ago. That's when our RV was illegally entered and ransacked by thieves who took a lot of our stuff. Of course, dealing with that was an unexpected speed bump in our journey to get where we are as we recorded this week's podcast -...

Seven minutes is all it took for our RV to be burglarized, to lose $12,000 and counting worth of equipment - just about everything of value inside the motorhome except the dog.