Turning RV Adventures Into Photo Books
In this episode, we speak with an RVer who took more than 5,000 travel photos on her smartphone in just one year. She shares a surprisingly simple and creative way to turn those forgotten images into organized, meaningful memories you will actually enjoy, share, and keep for years to come.
Plus, we will dive into the RV News of the week, including a look at a major and costly change to national park admission fees for visitors from outside the U.S.
And in our Question of the Week, we’ll talk about tow/haul mode and why it's such a great feature for Rvers towing travel trailers and fifth wheels.
This episode is being released on December 31, 2025 and… Happy New Year.
We will be at the Florida RV Supershow in Tampa, and we are holding three Meet and Greet events. On Thursday, Jan. 15, at 1 PM, we’ll be meeting fold at the Brinkley RV display. On Friday, Jan 16, we will be at the Influencer and Content Creator Building on the show grounds for a 2 PM event.
And we’ll be hosting a Thursday night MeetUp for members of our private RVCommunity.com at a special venue about five miles from the showgrounds.
We love meeting folks. If you see Jen or me… and we’ll also be accompanied by Wendy… be sure and say Hi. We’ll be giving away some stickers and magnets for those who like to collect such things. We cant wait for Florida.
We just got hit by another blizzard at ourWest Michigan home. We’ve got a lot of snow to clear out so we can hook up our fifth wheel and head south. We leave next Tuesday and plan to take our time getting to Tampa… provided we can get out of the driveway.
RV CONVERSATION OF THE WEEK
This week’s Conversation of the Week hits home for just about all of us.
Our RV Lifestyle Community member Rita Neumann loves taking photos of her RV travels. And like most of us, she takes a lot of them. Thousands of photos, mostly on her smartphone, capturing campgrounds, sunsets, small town discoveries, and all those moments that make life on the road special.
But here is where Rita does something really smart.
Every year, she and her husband Jeff turn their RV adventures into an annual photo book. Instead of letting those memories get buried in a phone, they end up with a real, hold it in your hands story of their travels for that year.
Rita also has a clever system for organizing another huge category of photos many of us have, grandchildren pictures. She shares how she keeps those photos organized, easy to find, and actually enjoyable instead of overwhelming.
In this conversation, Rita offers practical, real world tips on organizing photos, backing them up, and turning all those digital memories into something you will actually revisit and enjoy.
If your phone is packed with RV photos, family photos, and good intentions, you are going to want to join this one.
The service Rita uses is called Suttefly - https://www.shutterfly.com/
RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK
Foreign Visitors to Pay More as New National Park Fees Roll Out Jan.1
Starting January 1, new national park entrance fees are going into effect that could significantly change how international visitors experience America’s most iconic public lands. Under a new pricing structure announced by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the annual national parks pass will remain $80 for U.S. citizens and residents, but for non-U.S. residents it will jump to $250 — more than three times as much.
On top of that, if a non-U.S. visitor does not buy that annual pass, they will be charged an extra $100 per person to enter eleven of the country’s most visited national parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Glacier, Everglades, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and Acadia — in addition to the regular park entrance fee.
Federal officials describe the changes as part of a broader effort to “modernize” park access and ensure that American taxpayers who already support the park system get the best value, while international visitors contribute more toward maintenance, infrastructure, and services.
But the impact could be significant. Travel industry analysts say these higher fees may influence international tourism plans, especially for families and overseas travelers who were considering multi-park road trips next year. Some conservation groups and lawmakers have argued that charging proof of residency for park access is unprecedented and could deter visitors who boost local economies around gateway communities.
Lawmakers from California and Oregon even called for a pause on implementing the policy last week, saying there hasn’t been adequate notice and it could slow park entry at a time when tourism is rebounding, but as of January 1 the fee changes are still scheduled to take effect as planned.
It’s a major shift in how the U.S. National Park Service manages access and revenue, and one that every traveler with friends or family coming from outside the country should be aware of before planning their next adventure.
Ingram, TX Bans RV Parking in Flood Zones Following Deadly Hill Country Flood
Here is what we are learning out of Texas after those devastating floods that claimed so many lives last summer. And it is an important safety story for RVers.
The city of Ingram, Texas has decided that RVs can no longer be parked in designated flood zones, a move city leaders say is about one thing, saving lives. Officials say the decision comes after research and firsthand experience showed just how quickly floodwaters can rise in the Texas Hill Country, leaving people with little or no time to escape.
RVs are especially vulnerable in flash flooding because they are lightweight, sit high off the ground, and are not anchored in place. It does not take much fast moving water to push, tip, or even float an RV, and once that happens, people inside have very little control or time to react.
Flood zones can also create a false sense of security. On a calm day, a riverside campsite may look peaceful and safe, but flash floods often start miles away with heavy rain you may never see. Water can rise several feet in minutes, turning what looked like a safe overnight stop into a life threatening situation before warnings reach campers.
As a result, two RV parks will be directly affected by the new ban, HTR TX Hill Country Campgrounds and Riverside RV Park. City officials say this is not about punishing RVers or park owners, but about reducing risk in areas known to flood and preventing future tragedies.
It is another reminder for all of us on the road to pay close attention to flood maps, local rules, and weather patterns, especially when camping near rivers or low lying areas.
When Wolves Howl, AI Listens: New Tech Comes to Yellowstone
Researchers at Yellowstone National Park are now using artificial intelligence to help study wolves by analyzing their howls, in what scientists are calling one of the most advanced acoustic wildlife studies ever conducted. Instead of relying solely on traditional methods like GPS collars, helicopters, or on-the-ground tracking, scientists are deploying audio and video recorders across the park to capture thousands of minutes of sound from wolves in the wild. AI technology then processes that data to identify and interpret wolf howls, giving biologists a better look at pack behavior, movement patterns, communication, and social dynamics. This approach could eventually allow researchers to monitor individual wolves, track changes in pack size, even detect pups, all without disturbing the animals in their natural habitat.
The project involves partnerships among Yellowstone Forever, the Yellowstone Wolf Project, the Colossal Foundation, and tech developers who have deployed dozens of autonomous “GrizCam” units across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that record audio and video around the clock. These recordings are fed into machine-learning systems that can sift through massive amounts of sound far faster than humans could, helping scientists make sense of calls, choruses, and patterns that were previously buried in data.
One quirky but real challenge with this kind of technology is that AI doesn’t just pick up wolf sounds — it can also capture human noise nearby, which means researchers need to fine-tune filters to focus on animal vocalizations and not accidental human conversations caught on the recorders. Even so, this mix of conservation and cutting-edge tech represents a fascinating new chapter in how we study and protect wildlife in our national parks.
Motorhome Carrying 15 Crashes in Florida; Child Dies, 12 Critically Hurt
A tragic crash in Florida is once again raising serious questions about safety inside motorhomes.
A five year old boy was killed and twelve other people were critically injured when a motorhome collided with an SUV and flipped over early Saturday morning. The crash happened around 5:45 am in Marion County, Florida. The motorhome was carrying fifteen people from Springfield, Ohio, an extremely high number for any RV.
The driver of the SUV was also critically injured.
According to investigators, none of the passengers inside the motorhome were wearing seatbelts or child restraints at the time of the crash. When the RV rolled over, the occupants were thrown around inside the vehicle, dramatically increasing the severity of their injuries.
Emergency crews described a chaotic scene, with multiple victims needing immediate medical attention. Several were airlifted to trauma centers.
This heartbreaking incident is a sobering reminder that motorhomes are not as safe as many people assume when it comes to passenger protection. Unlike cars, most RV seating positions are not designed for crash protection, and failing to use seatbelts and proper child restraints can turn a survivable accident into a deadly one.
It is a difficult story to hear, but one that underscores the importance of limiting passengers, using seatbelts whenever possible, and understanding the real risks of traveling unrestrained inside an RV.
RV QUESTION OF THE WEEK
QUESTION: This is from Jerome: “My truck has something called Tow Haul Mode that I see when I switch to 4 wheel drive. What is that? Doesn't my F-250 automatically detect that I'm towing when I fook up the 7-way connector to my trailer?”
ANSWER: Great question, and you are not alone, this one trips up a lot of RVers. Most full sized and heavy duty trucks have tow/Haul mode and a lot of driverswho tow RVs are unaware of it’s benefits.
Tow Haul Mode is not four wheel drive, even though the button is often nearby and the dashboard lights can make it feel like the truck is doing something mysterious behind the scenes. What Tow Haul Mode actually does is change how your transmission and engine behave when you are pulling heavy weight.
When you turn it on, your F 350 holds lower gears longer, shifts less often, and downshifts more aggressively when you slow down. That helps in two big ways. First, it gives you better control and smoother acceleration when you are towing. Second, and more important, it uses engine braking to help slow the rig, which takes a lot of strain off your service brakes, especially on hills or in stop and go traffic.
Now, about the seven way connector. Yes, your truck absolutely knows that something is plugged in back there. It will activate things like trailer brake controls and trailer lighting diagnostics. But it does not automatically turn on Tow Haul Mode for you. That is still a driver choice.
Think of it this way. Plugging in the trailer tells the truck, hey, there is something back here. Tow Haul Mode tells the truck, we are working today, adjust everything for heavy towing.
So when should you use it? Anytime you are towing a significant load, especially a travel trailer or fifth wheel, or driving in hilly terrain, city traffic, or windy conditions. I leave Tow Haul Mode on almost all the time when we are hitched up.
Bottom line. The truck is smart, but it still needs you to tell it how you want it to behave. Turn on Tow Haul Mode when you are towing, and your transmission, brakes, and nerves will all thank you.
Got a question or comment: You can record a voicemail or leave a text comment through the links right here at RVPodcast.com
That's it for this week. Happy New Year and Happy Trails!
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