RV Podcast Episode 218: When will 2019 Sprinters be available?

This week we update you with some inside information on the 2019 Sprinter van, probably the most popular chassis used by Class B RVs. They’ve been in short supply for almost two years now and we’ll learn this week that a new Sprinter factory in South Carolina is about to change that. Plus, lots of RV news, tips and reports. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Show Notes for Episode #218 Nov. 14, 2018 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast MIKE We’re coming to you this week from Okaloosa Island on the Florida Panhandle’s Emerald Coast where we’ve been enjoying some time at our condo. JENNIFER Mike’s been doing a lot of writing, video editing and tinkering with our new 2018 Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL, adding some accessories and personalizing it for his tech gear. I’ve been cleaning our condo down here, doing a little redecorating and visiting friends. MIKE We’re set to travel back to cold and snowy Michigan over the weekend. I’ll have to winterize the RV before we hit the road because the weather forecast says we can expect freezing temperatures from Nashville on. JENNIFER Remember the Wooly Caterpillars and the animals in Kansas? When we were there a month ago for one of our Roadtreking gatherings, the cowboys we met on the cattle ranch we were visiting said the animals were developing much thicker than normal winter coats much earlier than normal and the wooly caterpillars had thick black bands. MIKE Yup. According to folklore, the amount of black on the woolly bear in autumn varies proportionately with the severity of the coming winter in the locality where the caterpillar is found. JENNIFER I read this morning that it was snowing in Amarillo TX and I see posts on our Roadtreking Group on Facebook shows a lot of people have been experiencing very cold weather this past week. There are a lot of snow pictures there. MIKE At the same time, California has been devastated by the deadliest wildfires in history. So many lives have been lost, homes and property destroyed. Our hearts and prayers go out to those affected by those fires. We’ve heard from several of our Roadtreking friends this week that they have their RVs packed and ready to flee in case those fires head their way. JENNIFER Giant plumes of smoke can be seen on satellite images rising from the West Coast and then getting picked up by the Jetstream and carried east. As we record this podcast, some weather experts were predicting that some of that smoke could be detected as far east as New England today. So sad. MIKE As far as our RV Lifestyle goes, this has been a particularly busy week. I haven’t said a lot about this but I’ve been working hard on a new book which deals with a subject that we are asked a lot about: Buying an RV. I’m pretty excited about this book which will be published this week. It is jam packed with practical buying advice that I think can literally save you thousands of dollars and prevent lots of headaches or buyers resource as you shop for an eventually purchase a new or used RV. We will announce this book first to those who have signed up for our RV Lifestyle newsletter. If you are already part of that community, look for an email soon about availability. And if you have not yet subscribed, now’s a chance to do so. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter You can become a part of our community there for free. And when you do, you’ll get lots of perks and special discounts for RV services and products. JENNIFER How big is that Roadtreking community now? MIKE Between all our various platforms and social media, we’re talking well over 550,000 people. It’s pretty amazing how we’ve grown. JENNIFER Who would have thought this would be so big when we started this journey almost seven years ago. Oh… hey… what about that video you promised last week about our visit to Walt Disney World? MIKE It’s coming. Almost done. It will be on the RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel tomorrow…Nov. 15…or Thursday. It was so much fun putting together and it answers the question, are you ever too old for Disney World? JENNIFER Obviously, the answer is no. We had a ball there. It was the first time we visited without kids or grandkids and the first time we stayed at the Fort Wilderness Campground there. I think it’s safe to say… We’ll be back. This part of the program is brought to you by AllStays Pro, the best tool for RVers looking for places to camp. http://rvlifestyle.com/allstays10 RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Couple fleeing California wildfire abandons campsite, uses RV as rescue vehicle helping others escape We talked a minute ago about those horrific California wildfires. I ran across a story that was both terrifying and encouraging about a couple who turned their RV into a rescue vehicle of sorts. The couple started their morning at their campsite in Paradise, California, making their morning eggs when they got the call to evacuate immediately because of an approaching wild fire. The couple quickly packed up and hit the road, and as they headed to safety, they stopped to pick up people stranded or on foot, at one point driving down a road with flames threatening on each side. We’ll put a direct link to the story on the shownotes for this episode at Roadtreking-dot-com-slash-218 JENNIFER Viral video of mother bear and her cub example of stress drones cause wildlife, story says Did you see the video of a mother bear and her baby, with the baby struggling to climb a snowy cliff, all captured on video? The video was shot by a drone in Russia, and was in the news last week as an example of the incredible stress drones can cause wildlife, altering their behavior and putting their very lives in danger. With drones becoming smaller and less expensive, it is important to remember to use them wisely, and even if the drone does not seem close to the wildlife, the animal may still be incredibly stressed. MIKE Renting a camper van becoming increasingly popular story says While this newsletter, and everything Jennifer and I do on the RV lifestyle, is open to all forms of camping, we know some of you are still considering what to buy, which is why I wanted to share a story on the growing popularity of renting your Class B RV. A story out last week highlighted the growing trend, even mentioning how Thor Industries, Inc., the world's largest RV manufacturer, formed a joint venture with a New Zealand-based tourism company earlier this year aimed at increasing its rental business. And if you are interested in renting an RV, we urge you to consider a peer to peer rental company like Outdoorsy, which lets you rent directly from an owner. JENNIFER Missouri state campgrounds with electricity to charge $2 a night more in 2019 Missouri state parks are joining the growing number of state run campgrounds that will be raising the cost of renting a campsite next year. The cost of renting a campsite with electricity will rise by $2 a night beginning in May 2019 in the first rate hike since 2013. To read more click here. MIKE Don't want a full bathroom in your camper van? Try a portable option Remember the story we shared last week by a writer who argues for no full shower or toilet in her camper van? Well, apparently she received a LOT of feedback - both pro and con - and this week provides five partial toilet options, for those so inclined. In case the detailed description of the portable toilet options are of interest, we wanted to share the follow-up story and you can find a link in the shownotes for this episode at Roadtreking-dot-com-slash-218 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 As Mike and I were driving from Disney World's Fort Wilderness campground to the Florida panhandle last week, I saw on the road a camping trailer with a sticker of the United States stuck on its back door, complete with colorful stickers in place of the states these travelers had visited, and blank spots in the locations yet to be explored. Have you ever seen one of these maps on your travels? I love them. Not only is it fun for the RV owners to mark each new state they camp in with a color sticker, it is also fun for the owners to look back and remember all their adventures in states past. And these maps are fun for other travelers to see, too. It can be a great conversation starter in a campground if you see a neighbor has been to a state that is next on your travel plans. I even enjoy just looking at one of these maps, as we're traveling down the road, seeing where someone has been and remembering the trips Mike and I have made. I wrote about those maps on our Roadtreking RV Lifestyle travel blog a few days ago. Here's one for U.S. States https://amzn.to/2qsO1yx Here's one for Canadian Provinces https://amzn.to/2qsBqf1 There is just one drawback to these sticky decals and that is they stick --- on the paint ---sometimes forever. Seeing this map stuck to the paint of what looked like a brand new travel trailer, made me think back to a tip I received some time ago from a listener named Sharon. Sharon was also a fan of these maps and also was concerned about the damage these stickers can bring to the paint on her rig. Her solution? Put it on a magnet. Sharon recommended getting a magnetic sheet and putting that on the body of your RV. Then, stick your decal of the United States and the provinces you've visited on the magnet instead of the back door. The magnetic sheet will protect your paint from the decals. And, should you sell your rig, or for some reason need to take off the stickers, you can do so without worrying about permanent damage. These magnetic sheets can be purchased at craft stores, office supply stores and, of course, Amazon. I found a four pack of 4 by 12 magnetic sheets for $13.