RV Podcast 239: Making your RV dreams come true

Coming up in the interview of the week is Dan Miller, a New York Times best-selling author whose amazingly successful books and podcast about setting priorities and achieving your dreams has greatly influenced Jennifer and me and helped us find the way to make the RV Lifestyle a reality. For all those of you out there dreaming about doing the same thing…. “someday”… Dan Miller is going to inspire you and motivate you to also make that “someday”…today. You are going to love Dan Miller. Also this week, RV News, an update on what Jennifer and I are up to these days, an off the beaten path report from the Burketts and listener questions in which we tell you the three most important things to do before you take possession of a new RV. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer. Show Notes for Episode #239 April 24, 2019 of The RV Podcast WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER We’re back home in Michigan after being on the road for most of the past four months. In all we have covered more than 8,000 miles since the first of the year in 16 states. Catching up with work around our sticks and bricks house up here for the next week or so and then we’re off again. MIKE It was quite a trip back… with non-stop rain for the better part of 36 hours as we traveled north from Florida. Our route coincided with the track of a storm front. There’s a post on our RV Lifestyle blog about that you can read. We just took our time and stuck to our 330 Rule of traveling no more than 330 Miles or stopping b 3:30 PM. JENNIFER By the way, while we say “our” rule we mean it in the sense of it’s a rule we follow as best we can, not something we claim to have originated. It’s been around in various forms… a 2/2 Rule… 3/3 rule… that sort of stuff…for years. So we have no idea who first came up with it but we gladly embrace it as a rule we follow. Our 330 Rule sticker pack MIKE And that resonates with a lot of you. So much so that we printed up a variety of fun Rule 330 stickers that we’re selling on our online shop. We have a four pack of the 330 Rule stickers that a lot of folks have been getting, as well as coffee mugs and T-shirts. Just fun stuff that reminds us all to slow down, that it’s all about the journey, not the destination. JENNIFER Meanwhile, we’re looking forward to our next RV … to take in the fun of the Tulip Time festival in Holland, MI in early May. It runs from May 4-12. It’s a big annual event, with more than 5 million tulips of every possible color and shade in bloom throughout the city, along with parades, Dutch wooden shoe dancers and lots of local entertainment. We’ll be hanging out May 9-12 with a group of Leisure Travel Van Owners there for a rally sponsored by the local dealer, Holland Motor Homes, and we’re looking forward to meeting other LTV owners and getting ideas from them on how we can personalize or new 2019 Unity FX. Holland, MI's Tulip Time MIKE We haven’t had much of a chance to add a lot of extras or install things like a cell phone booster yet. We’re looking at new cell boosters soon to come of the market that is engineered specifically for Class B and Class C RVs. We’re thinking we want to try this when it becomes available in a couple of weeks. And we’re also considering replacing our coach batteries with lithium batteries and an upgraded inverter. But we’re in no rush and as we have bought this new RV ourselves, we want to do things right and only install extras. To be frank, right now, it’s performed so well that I’m not sure what, if anything, we need to improve. JENNIFER I’m still finding a place for everything and putting everything in its place. There’s always an adjustment and discovery period with a new RV in which we figure out where things should go and how things should be organized. As we start our second month of ownership of our coach, I’m adding little things like a silverware holder, a wastebasket, putting shelf paper down, figuring out blankets and linen for the Murphy Bed… those sorts of things. It’s really a lot of fun and I’m looking to get as many suggestions from other Unity owners as I can. MIKE All right, that’s the latest on what we’ve been up to. Now to the RV News you need to know about. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Roadtrek brand gets new owner after French company signs deal to buy it out of receivership We shared this last week, but in case you missed it, last week a French company named Rapido SAS, that makes the Westfalia brand of RVs, signed a deal to buy the Roadtrek brand out of receivership. Since then, Rapido has said that warranties on previously purchased models will be honored, according to a news article out of Canada, and that manufacturing new Roadtreks will begin again once the final details are settled. Up to 100 employees will be hired initially with a projected workforce by years end of around 200. No word yet on when production is expected to resume. JENNIFER Wolf numbers at Yellowstone National Park decline Yellowstone National Park's wolf population is now down to just 80, which is less than half the numbers reported a few years ago. The dramatic drop is blamed on a combination of disease, wolves wandering outside the park and wolf on wolf attacks. MIKE Looters dig up archeological site at Lewis and Clark National Historic Park Officials are asking for the public's help in tracking down looters who dug up an archeological site at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park recently. The thieves used a metal detector and dug up a large area, ruining the archeological dig and taking items. JENNIFER Herd of goats brought in to eat invasive species at Minnesota state park If you camp in or visit Minnesota's Flandrau State Park this spring or summer, you may see a heard of goats hard at work, protected by a guard donkey or Ilama. The goats are in to eat invasive species, providing a chemical-free alternative to removing several invasive plants. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes ,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Hello Mike and Jennifer! We have been FB, YouTube and Podcast followers for a loooong time! Have been studying up on buying an RV and because we learned of the LaMesa Super B show last year, just after it happened ?, we studied all year and decided not to purchase a B+ until we could see them all at that show! Steve and I met you at the show a few weeks ago! We flew out from Columbus, Ohio. Well, we bought the LTV Unity TB and will return to La Mesa RV in Phoenix on May 13 for Orientation and Delivery! ? Well studied...but newbies! Our first drive will be from Phoenix back to Columbus....so in preparation for that, we are revisiting your website, re-listening, and downloading resources. THANKS for all you do! We sat behind you in the stadium last week during your first youtube recording...I didn't get a chance to ask my question, so here it is!! What are the three (3) most important things or tips you would give us knowing we are picking up a new RV on May 13 and driving across the country to home??? Thanks and look forward to continuing as a member of your community. All best wishes- Laura and Steve Columbus, Ohio Our three tips: JENNIFER 1) Video the entire walkthrough. One of you should video, the other should take notes. Don’t let the person giving you the walkthrough rush. Make sure you understand everything they show you. MIKE 2) If it’s something mechanical…like putting out a slide, setting auto levelers, even simple thinks like turning the propane on or controlling the refrigerator, have them demonstrate and then both of you do it. Make sure you can reach the walkthrough person on the phone the next day. JENNIFER 3) When you get to your first overnight stop, do as many things that you were shown in the walkthrough as you set up camp for the first time. Consult the notes and the video. As soon as possible, make checklists for setting up camp, turning on things, getting ready to leave camp. Make a page of questions and then call that walkthrough person the next day to go over them. MIKE Also, we want to invite people to be a part of our RV Lifestyle Group on Facebook. There are over 20,000 RVers there and they love to help, no matter what kind of RV you have. INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Dan Miller MIKE So many people dream of “someday.” Someday when they retire and buy that RV, someday when they have enough money to hit the road, someday when the kids are grown and they can start traveling. Someday. But there is no guarantee that “someday” will ever come and the hopes and dreams of that “someday” may never be achieved. What if you could make that “someday” today? JENNIFER Our guest today is a man whose teachings and principles contributed a great deal to Mike and I being able to make the RV Lifestyle a reality. His name is Dan Miller. He is a New York Times best selling author whose books have impacted millions. His first one was 48 Days To the Work You Love, followed by No More Dreaded Mondays and Wisdom Meets Passion. Dan is also the host of aweekly podcast, which consistently ranks in the top three under careers on iTunes. MIKE Jennifer and I are huge Dan Miller fans and we asked him on the podcast because we think Dan’s mission of helping people find their calling and true path, and to then translate that into a meaningful, purposeful and profitable lifestyle will resonate with all those people dreaming about and looking forward to the RV Lifestyle…. Someday. JENNIFER What’s your favorite Dan Miller quote? MIKE Mine is: "The best way to predict your future is to create it." What’s yours? JENNIFER Mine is: “If your ship hasn’t come in, swim out to meet it.” MIKE So, with great pleasure, let’s bring Dan Miller in for our interview of the week. Here’s a transcript of the interview: