RT51 One Couple’s RV Journey: From Paradise to Paradise

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 much to cover in this episode: - How to take your DirectTV satellite programming on the road in your RV - A simple but very effective high tech way to keep your RV or your home safe when you are not in it - Three cool apps to help plan those RV meals - An off the beaten path report about a fascinating museum in a small Georgia town [spp-player] Here are the complete shownotes from Episode 51, released Sept. 2, 2015 We recorded this episode on the Emerald Coast of Florida, where we are still exploring various beachfront communities and attractions. As we began, we announced a major milestone for the podcast. We just reached the 1 million download mark. That means these podcasts have been downloaded over 1 million times since we began in October 2014. [spp-timestamp time="2:30"] Very few podcasts reach that download number. For those that do, it usually takes years to accomplish. That we did it in a little over 10 months is simply amazing. Than you all so much! JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK - eBags In an RV, space is at a premium. And few things take up more room that suitcases packed with clothes. That's why we use eBags to pack our clothes. [spp-timestamp time="5:30"] Jennifer explains how we heard about them when we were just starting out RVing from a fellow RVers who sang the praises of this very affordable way to pack and carry clothes on an RV trip. Some RVers are so hooked on eBags that they even put them in a suitcase when they do traditional and airplane travel. But in an RV, they’re the hands-down best way we’ve found to pack. A three piece set of the packing cubes costs $23.99 from Amazon. They come in different colors. Jennifer uses raspberry red (the closest they come to pink). Mike uses blue, They have a mesh top panel for easy identification of contents, and ventilation, We store them in the overhead bins above the bed in the Roadtrek. They keep everything wrinkle free and compact. They let you “unpack without unpacking” –that is, you can remove the cubes to get at your stuff, but still keep things neat and tidy. Trust me, in an RV, or on a boat, or if you want to make your suitcase neat, these are what you need. You can watch me pack one by clicking the video below: LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: Question 1: Satellite TV options Listener Frank asks about taking Direct TV on the road in his RV, what’s involved, the cost and where and how he gets it. [spp-timestamp time="7:36"] Since he is already a DirectTV customer, Mike explains he can take his favorite shows with him with the DirectTV Choice Mobile package. He needs a mobile receiver and programming. There are three distributors - King Controls, KVH Industries and Winegard. Many are familiar with Winegard because they specialize in RV over-the-air TV antennas. But Winegard also makes satellite dishes. Frank's first step will be to decide what kind of dish he wants. Then whether he will roof mount it or use a tripod. Dishes start at about $650 or so for Winegatd’s Carryout G2 model that has the ability to be portable or roof mounted. It’s automatic, meaning it automatically acquires all the satellites you will be getting programming from…and it works with not just DirectTV but also other satellite TV providers like DISH and BellTV. This is what Mike recommends. It looks like an upside down bell instead of the traditional dish. More elaborate dishes can cost as much as $1,800. These expensive dishes let you view all satellites at the same time for maximum programming. You can have different TVs in your RV and watch different programming on them at the same time. They are great to use with DVRs, as you watch and record from different satellites simultaneously. You will also need a satellite receiver for your RV. They start at $99. You can get one with a built in DVR for $199. Question 2: Solo traveling when a spouse dies Reader Trudy asks if Jennifer would consider setting out on her own should something happen to Mike [spp-timestamp time="19:08"] Jennifer answers…saying she would. And much more Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, MO. Van City RV [spp-timestamp time="17:38"] Van City RV only sells Class B. RVs. Owner Ray Dwyer has been in the RV business for 44 years and is considered the dean of Class B RVs. Nobody knows more about small motorhomes that Ray and his crew. They have new and used Class B motorhomes in stock from the major manufacturers. When you fly in to buy your RV from Van City, they'll arrange to have you picked 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. After a complete orientation with their staff on your new RV, you can take delivery and set out for home. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK: A campfire caused a serious wildfire in Utah - (Read more) [spp-timestamp time="19:21"] Fire bans in the western U.S. are making headlines nonstop these days, but campers in Minnesota are being asked to use caution, as well. (Read more) [spp-timestamp time="21:21"] Michelin has recalled truck and RV tires that is says are prone to rupturing. (Read more) [spp-timestamp time="22:05"] Water problems in Illinois are causing at least one campground to close for the season early. (Read more) [spp-timestamp time="23:00"] Yellowstone “Tourons” never cease to amaze - (Read more) [spp-timestamp time="23:53"] Mt. McKinley renamed to original name of Denali by Obama, Trump says he will make it McKinley again is elected - (Read more) [spp-timestamp time="25:14"] This portion of the podcast is brought to you by Alde… the only name in heat that you need to know for your RV [spp-timestamp time="26:52"] 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% 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. TRAVELING TECH TIP: Meal planning apps As summer ends and we head into the busiest time of year for many, planning meals ahead of time can help make things less stressful. [spp-timestamp time="28:35"] That’s why this week we are bringing you three great apps to help find, schedule, and prepare for meals easier than ever. Big Oven offers more than 350,000 recipes, featured collections, and menus. It can be customized to lifestyle and diet – even season – and has a feature to schedule meals. Big Oven also helps lets you convert recipes into shopping lists. Better yet, if you have a bunch of ingredients lying around but don’t know what to do with them, just type them into Big Oven and it will give you an idea of what you can make. A basic version is free for iOS, Android, Windows, and Kindle Fire. A paid version expands Big Oven’s capabilities. The makers of the Pepperplate app say it’s the only app for “serious”. The app allows users to collect and store recipes from around the Internet and also input their own. Pepperplate helps schedule meals ahead of time and also helps make an ngredient shopping list When cooking, you can launch multiple cooking timers at the same time to help manage meal prep. It’s free for iOS, Android, Windows, Kindle Fire, and Nook Color. Paprika allows users to snag recipes they find online and put them all in one spot for easy reference with the tap of a button. It, too, makes grocery lists to buy the needed ingredients and helps scale recipes to specific serving sizes. Paprika can schedule meals for a week or month also has timers for when food is being prepared. Paprika is $4.99 for iOS, Android, Windows, Kindle Fire, and Nook Color. THINGAMAJIG OF THE WEEK: Canary Home Security Paul Ulreich, Verizon's "Uber User," tells us about the Canary Home Security System [spp-timestamp time="30:42"] While Paul is using it in his home, it would also work, over wifi, in an RV. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Verizon, the nation's largest and most reliable 4G LTE network [spp-timestamp time="35:31"] There’s been a lot of talk about Verizon’s new simplified data choices and price plans (aka, the Small, Medium, Large, X-Large plan). With all the chatter surrounding these new plans, it can be hard to decipher what’s fact from fiction. Let’s set the facts straight and break down the details of this new plan, shall we? Existing customers will not be able to stay on their current 2-year agreement/plan that allows for discounts on phones. FALSE Existing customers who remain on MoreEverything plans can still purchase devices with a 2-year contract. Existing customers still under contract with two-year device plans cannot take advantage of the My Verizon Plans. FALS Any current customer (no matter if on month-to-month, two-year contract or device payment plan) may choose to move to the new Verizon Data Plan at any time, or stay on their current plan. If a customer wants to add a new line,