RV Podcast 215 Getting your RV ready for winter

RV Podcast 215 Is your Rv ready for winter? It’s that time of year again. Cold weather and temperatures near freezing remind us that winter is fast approaching and those in northern climates soon need to winterize their RVs. So we tell you in this episode everything you need to do to protect your RV’s plumbing. And Jennifer has a great tip about mouse-proofing your RV, too, to keep rodents out while it sits in storage. Plus lots of listener questions, traveling technology tips and an great off the beaten path report. Show Notes for Episode #215 Oct. 24, 2018 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE Here we are just a week before Halloween and if the calendar isn’t enough of a reminder, the cool outdoor temperatures are making it obvious that change is in the air. At the dogpark with Bo every morning, we’re wearing our winter jackets, hats and even gloves. So, as we said in the intro, it’s time to winterize if our RV is exposed to the elements in cold climates. Though I must say the best winterizing tip I have heard was from a snowbird buddy from Minnesota telling me the way he winterizes is he takes his RV to Florida every year about this time and doesn’t return until April! JENNIFER Speaking of snowbirds, this is the time of the first wave in the annual snowbird migration from the north to Florida and the Southwest. I’ve seen figures estimating the number of snowbird RVers as high as three million! Their migration really has two stages. The first always begins around Halloween. The second big one comes right after Christmas, because a lot of RVers like to stay home with family before heading south for warm weather. Snowbirders leaving in the next week or so can probably avoid winterizing. Those waiting until Christmas should not leave their RVs unprotected without antifreeze until then or they risk damaging their plumbing system. That shouldn’t need to be stated but there are always some who like to take than chance. MIKE As we said, we are a week before Halloween. And in the camping world, Halloween is a he event. Most big RV parks and even many state parks are booked solid every weekend all during October. The parks have weekend trick or treat nights and costume parades and RVers are encouraged to decorate their rigs. We always like visiting RV parks this time of the year. We will be doing so this week and we’ll share some photos of what we see this coming Sunday night on the RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube. That will be on our Ask Us Anything live broadcast at 7PM Eastern. We do a live show every week at that time and we thought it would be fun this coming week to share our photos of what we see. And if you are out there at an RV park and have decorated for Halloween. Send us a photo and we’ll include it in our live broadcast. You can reach us at mikeandjen@rvlifestyle.com JENNIFER We really enjoy doing that live show on the RV Lifestyle Channel each week. It’s the next best thing to being around a campground with good friends. I am really amazed at what an online community we have developed around those Ask Us Anything broadcasts. People can make comments and type in questions in real time and we can then display the questions on screen and answer them. It’s a highlight of our week. This part of the program is brought to you by AllStays Pro, the best tool for RVers looking for places to camp. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Marijuana use will be permitted at campsites under Canada's new law Canada became the second country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana use last week and according to a Parks Canada spokesperson, it is ok to use the drug at campsites. (Uruguay is the only other country where it is legal.) Marijuana will be permitted at campsites because the campsites will be considered temporary private homes. Cannabis will not be permitted in public areas, like playgrounds, washrooms, parking lots, historic sites, etc. To learn more click here or here. JENNIFER Hurricane Michael destroyed Florida state parks in its path Hurricane Michael, the strongest storm on record to hit the Florida panhandle, devastated the state parks in the area. Sand dunes are flattened, roads have vanished, beaches moved, trails gone, and more, according to a story out last week. The result is the 14 state parks in the area will be closed for the foreseeable future. To learn more click here. MIKE Photographer captures wedding proposal in breathtaking picture at Yosemite National Park, searches for couple Did you hear about the breathtaking picture of a man proposing to a woman at Taft Point in Yosemite National Park? The picture was taken earlier this month, and the photographer is trying to find the couple, taking his search to Twitter. To see the picture or learn more click here. JENNIFER Montana man survives grizzly bear attack with help of bear spray A Montana man stumbled upon a mad mama grizzly bear who saw him as a threat to her cubs just outside Yellowstone National Park. He told his tale to a Montana newspaper, and it is something to read. The man was an experienced outdoorsman, and to make a long story short, the bear spray likely saved him, though in the heat of the attack, he also sprayed himself with it. We have written about bear spray before, but it is worth mentioning again. Get some if you are anywhere in bear country. Each person in your group should have some. To hear an interview we did for our podcast with a bear spray expert, click here. To read the story, click here. MIKE Off-road Jeep club pulls boondocking full-timer out of mud A story out of Joshua Tree National Park last week was one of those feel-good stories I have share. A man, who is a full-timer who travels the country chasing 75-80 degree weather, was boondocking at Coyote Dry Lake Bed in Joshua Tree, when the rain started falling. According to a story out last night, the man had good weather apps and two weeks worth of food and water, yet still got caught by surprise by some heavy rain that flooded his area. But, luckily for him, an off road Jeep club found him, and when he didn't think he'd need rescue, left him their number. And, a few days later when he did need rescue, came back, hooked up several jeeps to his RV, and pulled his home and him to safety. The club refused payment, just saying pay it forward. To read the encouraging story about people helping each other and asking nothing in return, click here. JENNIFER Man rescued after being trapped under RV One last story for you Do-it-yourselvers out there. A man working on an RV’s tire Thursday jacked up the vehicle and climbed underneath to place to jack stands. The stands fell off and the RV collapsed, trapping the 32-year-old Kingsley man beneath. A person inside heard the man’s calls for help and called 911.Grand Traverse County sheriff’s Lt. Brian Giddis said deputies responded within minutes to the Smith Road location in East Bay Township, at about 10:30 a.m., and quickly dug a hole where they placed a jack to lift the RV and rescue the man.The man did not suffer any broken bones, but as you would expect there was a lot of bruising and soreness. The lesson: Be careful and if you are crawling under a jacked up vehicle, make sure someone else is right by you watching. This part of the podcast is brought to you by OvernightRVParking.com, the only place you can access a searchable database of the most complete, accurate and up-to-date listing of places where RVers are and aren't allowed to park overnight. JENNIFER'S RV TIP OF THE WEEK It’s that time of year again. Many RVers are winterizing their RVs and putting them in storage for the winter. But besides antifreeze - which we will soon be talking about in our interview segment of the podcast - one other step that is very important before placing your vehicle in storage, and that is making sure your RV is mice proof. We have heard so many sad stories of mice getting into an RV and literally destroying it. Between chewing up wires, burrowing inside the walls, and leaving their waste everywhere - mice are incredibly destructive and pose not just a sanitary concern, but a safety issue. One thing you could do is try mice repellant products. A couple years ago we met someone who told us about a product called Fresh Cab Botanical Rodent Repellant. For uninfected areas, the directions say to place one pouch for every 125 sq. feet. So two or three pouches will do it for an RV. The scent lasts 90 days so you may need to replace them come the end of February. For infected areas where mice are active, they suggest one pouch every 8 square feet and to replace the pouches every 30 days. The scent alone is the deterrent, and the product is one we have used successfully. You can find Fresh Cab Botanical Rodent Repellant everywhere from Walmart to camping supply stories. I found it on Amazon with four packets selling for $14.99, eight for $29.88. Here’s a link - https://amzn.to/2D2nSzd Some readers have also suggested spraying the underbelly of the RV with a product called Rodent Defense. It is a spray that goes on the engine, wiring, and anything exposed underneath your vehicle. The product is made of vinegar, water and various essential oils like peppermint and white pepper, that supposedly mice do not like. While I have not tried this, I pass this along in case it is of interest. I also this product on Amazon, selling for about $20 for 32 ounces or $37 for a gallon. Here’s the link for Rodent Defense - https://amzn.to/2R6azk7 Also, some of our readers have suggested putting a box of laundry dryer sheets around your RV. Rodents supposedly don’t like that smell. And if you suspect mice are getting in, be sure to check for open spaces under the chassis. It doesn't take much space for a mouse to squeeze in and do all sorts of harm. Try and plug them up if you can. I hope these suggestions are helpful.