RV Podcast Ep 228: The things NOT to do with your RV

We’ve been asking you guys to share with us your most embarrassing RV mistakes, the things you wish you hadn’t done, those “learning opportunities” about problems and setbacks we have no one else to blame but ourselves. And, wow, have you guys come through for us, baring all, telling all and thereby offering great advice that can help someone else from “learning the hard way.” We’ll feature a whole bunch of audience stories…coming up. Also this week, lots of RV news, comments, questions, tips and another fascinating off the beaten path report…. But first, I’m joined by my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer, so we can bring you up to speed on what we’ve been doing this past week. Show Notes for Episode #228 Feb 6, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER It has been another busy week with lots of traveling as we continued our series of visits to RV manufacturing facilities around North America, learning about the build processes and technology going in to today’s RVs. We’re concentrating pretty much exclusively on small RVs, Class B, B+, maybe even Class C motorhomes and vans, as that’s the size that best fits us personally. MIKE And while our factory videos are helpful for us as we look for our next RV, they are something we hope to do all year around, visiting as many as we can as we travel through North America over the next year. We want to tour not just RV makers, but also places where RV parts and accessories are made. You guys have been giving us great feedback so far and are telling us that you really like seeing how they are built and learning a little about the different companies. JENNIFER As to our choice, we haven’t made a final choice yet. We have a checklist of the things we want in our next RV. We’ve easily looked at more than 20 different models so far and we’re winnowing our list down. I think we’re getting close. We have learned so much. MIKE And we are still deciding how we’ll get one. Whether we purchase one outright or rent one for a while or become brand ambassadors for another company, or some combination of all of those options. We also like changing models frequently so we have experience with the different innovations and trends shaping the industry today. This all started out for us as a hobby back in 2012, then a blog, then a podcast, then a YouTube Channel and then a weekly newsletter and lately a regular series of guides and eBooks as well. It’s become a business. We have four other people now working for us. We need that help so we can spend as much time as possible traveling and producing RV Lifestyle related content. To pay for all that requires sponsors. So choosing the next RV we will be traveling in and developing sponsors and partners we are important decisions not to be hastily made. JENNIFER We’ll have another factory tour coming this Thursday. And as this podcast is released, we’ll be visiting yet another RV maker learning about another brand. It is really enlightening seeing all these places and we want to invite you guys to recommend other factories or RV parts makers we should visit. Like we said, no matter what RV we end up choosing for our personal travel, we want to continue visiting those factories and RV shows. MIKE But I can’t wait to hit the road for ourselves. When always do a “Search for Spring” trip that has us driving south from Michigan to the first place we find flowers or shrubs in bloom. That’s where we officially designate spring. It’s also where we dewinterize! Then we continue south till Florida. JENNIFER We’ve got a fun report planned around Florida involving baseball and spring training, another RV factory tour we want to do, a meet and greet along the Gulf Islands National Seashore for a Sunday afternoon in late February or early March and then a trip west with stops in New Orleans, Texas, New Mexico and Utah. I can almost smell the spring flowers! RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE National Parks staff busy cleaning waste, hiring for spring, assessing damage after shutdown National Parks officials spent the week trying to access damage and catch up on things like spring hiring after reopening from the federal government shutdown, which lasted a record 35 days. Damage in each location varied, but common issues were wildlife becoming accustomed to eating human trash, damage from people driving and camping in illegal spots, and human waste left everywhere. Officials at Death Valley National Park estimated half a ton of human waste, including 1,665 clumps of toilet paper and 429 piles of human feces needed to be cleaned. And a coyote there had to be put down after the animal became adapted to begging for human food. To read more, click here. JENNIFER Elephant seals take over popular California beach during federal government shutdown Speaking of national parks and the effect of the federal closure, one story I saw last week made me smile. Drakes Beach, part of the Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California, was apparently taken over by elephant seals during the federal shutdown. When people weren't around to keep them away, a band of elephant seals decided lay claim to a stretch of beach after their usual home was hard hit during a storm. Now that the shutdown is over and the oark open, the popular beach is filled with pregnant female seals and nursing babies. Park officials are keeping human visitors away. Click here for more information. MIKE Thor Industries finalizes purchase of Erwin Hymer Group - without North American division Thor Industries, Inc. announced last Friday that it had completed its purchase of the Erwin Hymer Group, making it the world's largest RV manufacturer. Thor Industries, which makes Airstream, Jayco and Dutchman brands among others, stated in a press release that it wanted to purchase Erwin Hymer to give it a large presence in the European market. (see release here.) The sale was originally supposed to include Erwin Hymer's North American businesses, which includes the Roadtrek brand, but that plan changed after financial irregularities were discovered. A report out of Ontario last week noted that Erwin Hymer employees are taking inventory of existing stock and not currently building new vehicles. (Click here for more info.) JENNIFER Manatee invasion reported at Florida's Blue Springs State Park Okay, a minute ago it was elephant seals in California. Here’s a report about Manatees in Florida. If you're anywhere new Florida's Blue Springs State Park this week, this would be a great time stop by. The park reported more than 500 manatees crowded into natural hot springs last week when Florida git hit with a cold spell. Manatees are kind of lazy so if you get there this week, even though the weather is warming agan, chances are there will still be a lot of them around. To see some video from a Florida news station, click here. To see a report Mike and I did from our visit there a few years back, click here. 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 RV QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS OF THE WEEK Caller Dan offers some suggestions about visit we are planning to visit Big Bend National Park Caller Bill says we should look at the Winnebago Travato Caller Daryl and Chris give a recommendation for us to check out the Phoenix Cruiser And Sandy and Mike encourage us over our new RV Lifestyle branding moves RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK JENNIFER This week, we’re combining our regular audience questions and comments with our interview if the week segment to feature a whole bunch if different voices from you, the audience. MIKE We asked our listeners to share the newbie mistakes they have made, the embarrassing things we’ve all done, those things that taught us a lesson the hard way. JENNIFER So, unedited and raw, here are the things you DON’T want to do with your RV! Tom: Hey, Mike and Jennifer, it's Tom and Kathy McAllister from North Carolina. You were requesting information about newbie things that happen. I don't have to tell you a story about our first adventure with our 2006 CS Adventurous. We were at a campground in Boone, excuse me, Blowing Rock, North Carolina. And left the awning out and this nice little rain shower came through, sounded really nice util it started pouring down the rain and all of a sudden, we hear this "Pow!" thinking that a branch broke off a tree and fell onto the motor home. That was not it. We left the awning out and one of the aluminum billet knuckles on the awning fixture broke due to the heavy weight of the rain on the awning. The awning had not been titled correctly. Well the next day we discovered that and were able to get it back up and were able to drive home. Fortunately we were able to contact Fiomi in Florida and they were able to send us the replacement part. We got it all back together and continued on from there. The lesson learned was don't leave your awning out at night, no matter what you think the weather is going to be. Just don't do it. It's not worth the trouble. Angelique: Hi Mike and Jennifer, this is Angelique with a newbie mistake. Fifteen years ago I was pulling a well loved, 24 foot mobile scout travel trailer from Austin, Texas to Miami, Florida. As I was making the turn on I-75, just past Tallahassee, cars kept honking at me and waving and I kept honking and waving back. Finally someone pulled up besides me and pointed and pointed until I finally looked in the rear view mirror and my side mirror and I saw that on the travel trailer, my awning had unfurled about halfway. And I was going down the road and as I looked to the left, my car veered to the right and I side swiped a sign on the side of the highway. So now I had a mangled unrolled awning on my 24 foot mobile scout.