RV Podcast #318: RV Questions and Monster Stories for the campfire!

Questions! We get RV questions! And we have Monster stories to tell around the campfire! This week on the RV Podcast, we answer the most recent RV questions you’ve been asking about the RV Lifestyle as our Interview of the Week. And in honor of Halloween, we have Monster Stories for the campfire from Patti and Tom Burkett Plus, we have lots of RV News, tips, the RV Show Calendar, and much more. You can listen to the podcast in the player below. And scroll down this page for shownotes, photos, videos, links and resources about all the things we talk about. Show Notes for Episode #318 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Mike and Jennifer, hosts of the RV Podcast It’s Halloween week and despite COVID and social distancing which are still very much with us, most campgrounds will be full this weekend for end of season camping and Halloween fun. Many places are urging that trick or treating be foregone this year, but costumes and decorated RVs will keep the spooky good times going. And come Sunday, Nov. 1, don’t forget to fall back… to set your clock back an hour as Daylight Savings Time comes to an end. RV News - The Michigan UP is getting snow! photo by Dan Spase via Upspash The cold is coming. Some parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula have received over 19 inches of snow this month, the most they’ve had in October in many years. Not surprisingly, Gasoline prices - and demand - has dropped significantly since the beginning of October, down from 8.8 million barrels per day to 8.2 million b/d, according to the AAA auto club. This latest demand measurement is the lowest since mid-June. While the drop isn’t out of the ordinary for this time of year, people tend to drive less in the fall, it is a staggering 14% less than last October. Gas prices for a gallon of regular-grade is now averaging $2.16 RV usage though is just the opposite. Informal surveys of state parks and campgrounds show much higher occupancy rates in October, compared to previous years. And RV sales continue to be on fire. The RV Industry released its September 2020 survey of manufacturers showing that total RV shipments ended the month with 41,509 units, an increase of 31.2% from September last year. This is the fourth month in a row that wholesale shipments showed a year-over-year increase. And then there is the matter of RV Rentals. RV rental company Outdoorsy reports it is already on pace to exceed last year’s November bookings. Initially, the company said RV rental demand was because of quarantine fatigue, where travelers were eager to spend more time outdoors, in a safe and socially distant way, after months cooped up inside. Now, the company says the new catalyst for bookings is coming from travelers in search of a safe way to visit family over the holidays. Still, COVID has cast a dark shadow over us again as it appears the nation is experiencing a second wave. Infection rates and hospitalizations are showing dramatic increases as October comes to an end. There is just so much uncertainty. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Camping World – America’s #1 RV Dealer For a 10% discount on purchases over $99, use the discount code RVLIFESTYE10. RV PODCAST NEWS OF THE WEEK Rocky Mountains National Park and nearby towns evacuated because of roaring wildfire and dense smoke Rocky Mountain National Park closed, and the neighboring city of Estes Park, CO was among many evacuated late last week as a huge fire roared across the area. As many as 6,000 acres an hour burned, sending up massive smoke clouds that caused the day sky to turn dark, as was captured in very eerie photographs by many of those escaping. More than 4 million acres have burned in Colorado this year, one of many places in the west affected by massive, out-of-control wildfires this camping season. Colorado to officially open parts of its newest state park this Friday Colorado's newest state park is scheduled to open this Friday. Called Fishers Peak State Park, the park is the state's 42nd. The park was previously a private ranch that was purchased for $25 million. The 19,200 acre park is near the city of Trinidad, and will open in stages. Campgrounds are planned for the site, but not expected to open until 2021 at the earliest. Study examines which national parks report the most deaths Ever wonder which national park is the most deadly? A law firm out west recently examined the 2,727 deaths in national parks between 2007 and 2018 and discovered only four parks had 100 or more deaths during that time period. The parks were Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and Natchez Trace Parkway in order. Also the majority of the deaths - 81 percent - were males. These parks are among the most visited in the U.S. When the data is crunched to examine the most deaths per visit, the number one "most deadly" park becomes North Cascades National Park in Washington state. The most common cause of death was drowning, followed by a vehicle accident. Falls and slips were also among the top causes. Tourists get too close to herd of bison at Yellowstone National Park, causing animals to stampede Tourists getting too close to the bison at Yellowstone National Park last week caused a stampede. About six people - maybe more - walked out toward the wild animals, causing them to grunt, stomp their feet, and clearly show their agitation. Then, when the people kept approaching, the animals went on a stampede, causing the ground to rumble. People fishing near the herd had to grab their stuff and run. The whole thing was captured on video and no one was hurt. But every year we see reports of tourists getting too close to these wild animals, and just this season two people were hurt after doing just that. It is recommended everyone stay at least 25 feet away from bison, and after reading this story we thought it might be a good time to show the Yellowstone Pledge here. Snowbird Canadians may not be able to drive across the U.S. border, but they can still fly We have reported here a bit about the U.S.-Canadian border being closed to non-essential travel because of COVID-19. This closure to RVers who travel from Canada to sunny U.S. states each winter has posed many questions about where to stay when the temperatures drop. Well, a story out last week showed that even though Canadians can not drive across the border, they can fly. Air travel from Canada to the U.S. is permitted, and quarantining may not even be required. In fact, during this entire pandemic, air travel between the two nations has been allowed, perhaps providing another winter option for our Canadian snowbird friends. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping Use the coupon code rvlifestyle for an additional $75 off RV PODCAST RV QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK QUESTION: We are thinking of getting a camper van. I was wondering what your average gas mileage is? We are kinda partial to the Ford brand, so we wondered what is the mileage you’re getting on your Transit? I will be looking into the sprinter as well, but I'm thinking the cost difference may persuade my choice - Donna ANSWER: Our Ford Transit-based Wonder RTB from Leisure Travel Vans has averaged about 12.6 miles per gallon. The Transit uses gasoline This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. RV PODCAST INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK This week, as we like to do from time to time, we catch up on your questions and devote our Interview of the Week segment to cleaning up some of the most-asked questions we get. These questions and answers from our regular “Ask Us Anything” live video show that we do every Sunday night at 7 PM Eastern Time on the YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel. If you have never tuned in and joined us, check us out this Sunday. Meanwhile, here’s a video entire show from which this week’s questions are drawn from:  The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country RV PODCAST OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT - Monster Stories for the Campfire! BY TOM & PATTI BURKETT The RV Podcast off the beaten path reporters Tom & Patti Burkett One of the best things about sitting around a campfire, to our way of thinking, is telling stories. And at this time of year, ghost stories and other scary tales are the best! Most of us can recount the tale of the severed hand, or the Windigo that haunts the North Woods. As we travel around the country, one very enjoyable pastime is finding and collecting lore about local monsters, creatures, and unknown phenomena. In honor of Hallowe’en, here are a few of the best Campfire Stories we’ve encountered. Southwestern Ohio is a lovely area, full of interesting things to see and do. And if you happen to be camping near the Little Miami Scenic River, you’ll want to be careful at night. Several times over the past fifty years local police have reported seeing a strange creature on the surrounding roadways. Like many reptiles, it sits on the tarmac at night soaking up the warmth. The Mothman Museum Said Officer Mark Matthews, “It was about sixty pounds and four feet high. It stood up on its two hind feet, turned and looked at me with a face that looked like a frog or lizard, then hoped down the embankment and into the Little Miami River.” In the ensuing years. there have been several reported sightings of the Loveland Frogman. It’s even spawned a bluegrass musical. An example of the “fiercest, strangest,