RV Podcast #207: Before you buy an RV, have it inspected

Next to our house, buying an RV is probably the most expensive purchase you will make in a lifetime. When buying a house, it’s normal to have it checked out by a home inspector. Do you realize you can do the same thing with an RV? In this week’s RV interview of the week, we’ll introduce you to the National RV Inspectors Association of America and tell you what needs to be checked out by a pro before you sign on the dotted line. Plus this week, some great RV tips, lots of RV news and a wonderful off the beaten path report from the Burketts. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #207 august 29, 2018 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Well here it is…it’s the big Labor Day Weekend. Summer’s last big hurrah and a major travel time for millions. JENNIFER I can’t believe how fast summer has gone by. It seems like we were just talking about Memorial Day and the start of summer and now Summer is coming to a close. I saw on our Roadtreking Facebook Group that our friend Campskunk awoke in the Beartooth Mountains out west to a pretty thick covering if snow the other day! Snow! Can you believe it? We’ve been sweating in the heat and humidity that has gripped most of North America these past couple of weeks but those snow pictures from Campskunk tell us what is coming. MIKE Seeing those snow pictures got me thinking about snow and winter and our annual campout in the snow that we do every January. So, Jennifer and I want you to know that we are once again taking Bo up camping at Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan's Upper Peninsula January 11-13, 2019. If you want to come, you need to make reservations now. JENNIFER This is an informal gathering open to all. We have a tradition of five years of doing this and Bo insists on a snow vacation before we head south. Anyway, we have reserved site 177. If you also want to head up there, you need to reserve your own spot with the Michigan DNR at Tahquamenon Falls State Park, at the Lower Falls Hemlock campground. We’ll put a link to the Michigan DNR booking site in the shownotes for this episode at Roadtreking-dot-com-slash-207 There are electric hookups at each site. MIKE If you do reserve a spot, then join our Facebook group for the winter campout. We’ll also put a link to that closed Facebook Group site in the shownotes for this episode at Roadtreking-dot-com-slash-207 Let us know there that you're coming and what spot you reserve. JENNIFER Depending on how many will also be there that weekend, we will make dinner reservations in Paradise. There will be snow shoeing, hiking and exploring. All kinds of RVs are welcome! Here’s the RV News of the week: Bear attacks boy, 10, hiking with family at Yellowstone A 10-year-old boy was attacked by a bear at Yellowstone National Park last week while hiking with his family up Divide Trail. The bear appeared out of the bush and charged the family, causing the boy to flee. The bear chased the boy, knocking him to the ground, while his parents got out their bear spray, sprayed the bear in the face, enabling them to grab their son and flee. The boy was taken to an area hospital and is expected to be ok. But the report got me thinking back to an interview we did on the podcast two years ago with an expert on Bear Spray. (Click here to listen.) Bear spray is something everyone should have when hiking in bear country. To learn more about the Yellowstone attack, click here. Man caught on video harassing a Yellowstone bison apologizes, sentenced to 130 days behind bars Speaking of Yellowstone, do you remember the report we shared with you recently about the man caught on video taunting a bison at Yellowstone National Park late last month? The man apologized in court last week, and pleaded guilty to four charges tied to drunken misbehavior at both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. His sentence included 130 days behind bars, banned from three national parks for five years, and other things. The man's charges included disorderly conduct, resisting/interfering with a law enforcement officer, storing open alcohol in a vehicle and, of course, disturbing wildlife. To learn more click here or here. Thieves break into 23 RVs stored at California storage and repair business Theft from RV repair and storage facilities is a growing problem we've discussed with you on the Podcast, and once again it made the news last week. This time thieves hurt a small business in California (click here) breaking into 23 RVs stealing televisions, tools, propane tanks, and other miscellaneous items. The problem of RV thefts from storage lots is so bad, in northern Indiana, where RVs and travel trailers are made, police created a special crime investigation unit specializing in RV thefts. (To read more click here). As the summer travel season is winding down, if you store your RV somewhere, be sure to ask what is done to guard against theft. National Parks sound tracks are just a click away One of my favorite things about visiting national parks, and getting away from everything, is the silence. An interesting article out last week pointed out that the national parks aren't really silent, rather they are lacking human noise -but full of animal and nature noise. And hearing those sounds is good for you. The National Park Service has a division that's been recording the sound of the national parks, and this week you can listen for free here. To read more about the story behind it, click here. Oregon offering discount to camp at select state parks in September and October Oregon Parks and Recreation is lowering the price of campsites offering electrical and full hook-ups by $7 per night in a special pilot program this fall. Parks officials want to see if discounted prices will lure more people outdoors, according to an article out last week. So anyone making a new reservation for Sunday-Thursday in September, or any night in October, can use a special code at select state parks and save . To learn more click here. This part of the program is brought to you by AllStays Pro, the best tool for RVers looking for places to camp; Harvest Hosts, a unique membership service that allows members to stay free overnight in wineries, farms and attractions across North America; and Overnight RV Parking, a subscription service that provides details for over 12,000 free or nearly free RV overnight parking locations. All three services offer greatly discounted rates to listeners of this podcast JENNIFER'S RV TIP OF THE WEEK This week's tip comes from a listener named Barbara, who lives in Arizona with her husband Ken. Barbara and Ken were RVers for about 12 years and had two motorhomes: First, a Class C, then a Class A. Barbara writes that she and Ken met Mike back in June 2013 at a seminar he taught for the FMCA Convention. Just six weeks after that convention Ken had a stroke and their RV days came to an end. Ken could no longer drive their RV, and Barbara writes she was a "total chicken" to drive the Class A, so they sold it. But, after several years of staying put, their house is on the market and Barbara and Ken hope to move to North Carolina and get a CS Adventurous XL. Barbara said she has already taken the CS XL for a test drive and was shocked how easy it was for her to drive. Barbara really wants to travel more, but does not like flying, so she says it is time to get back to RVing. Refrigerator tray for liquids Barbara wrote to share two quick tips she hopes will be helpful for others. Let me read Barbara's words to you: "On one of our RV trips, a plastic jug of milk leaked in the Class C refrigerator. The leaked milk puddled in the refrigerator bottom and dripped down onto the cabinet and heater vents below. What a smelly mess!! After that, I set all liquid containers on plastic trays to catch any leaks in the Class C and the Class A refrigerators. The trays I used are the same type one would use in a hotel to hold coffee makers, etc. I actually bought our trays at a hotel “going out of business” sale. But the same type of trays can be purchased at a restaurant supply store. Just make sure the trays have raised sides to hold leaks/spills." Kitty liter for odor control And the second tip? Writes Barbara: " I wanted a space saving way to keep the motorhome refrigerator and freezer odor free, when on the road and in storage. We have a cat, and it occurred to me to try a litter box filter. I used Petmate Zeolite/Charcoal filters, left the filters in the plastic packages and cut off the tops to expose the filters. The packages were thin enough to slip behind items in the refrigerator and freezer doors. Voila!! No more odors. I think it is Petmate’s combination of zeolite and charcoal that prevented odors." Barbara - I love both of these tips and appreciate you taking the time to write and share them. Sometimes it is the little things like this that make a huge difference while we're out there in our RVs! I had no trouble finding trays like you described on restaurant supply webpages. And of course looked at Amazon, and found many different sizes a types there. Amazon had a set of 12 blue plastic trays, 10 by 14, selling for - $22.95 I also found one that was 12 by 16, made of black plastic and described as like a fast food tray, selling for just $2.72. Barbara's other trip, of putting the Petmate Zeolite/charcoal filters in the refrigerator to control odors was something that never occurred to me but it sounds like a space saving way to effectively control freezer odor. The filters can be found at pet stores, and of course Amazon has those too. On Amazon they sold for $4.79 I'll attach the two pictures that Barbara sent us and some links to the products in the show notes. Thank you so much Barbara for writing and sharing your knowledge and I hope we get to meet you and Ken out there on the road someday. And be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle.