With cooler temperatures and fewer people, a fall camping trip should be at the top of every RVer's bucket list before the camping season comes to an end.
That's what we talk about this week on Episode 463 of the RV Podcast, along with:
- Should you use cruise control when towing an RV?
- A woman in Georgia dropped off her RV for repair. When she picked it up she found it trashed because squatters had been living in it.
- If you are in elk country, give them a wide berth It’s mating season and they can become extremely aggressive.
- All this plus the RV News of the Week and your questions coming up in Episode #463 of the RV Podcast
You can watch the video version from our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel by clicking the player below.
If you prefer an audio file, you can listen on your favorite podcast app or by clicking the player below:
Updates and Feedback
We have some feedback to share:
We had a very nice email from a follower named Gary, who emails us:
Hey there. As children, our family had 3 different RVs touring the Midwest and west coast. I decided to purchase a class C and expose my family to some fun and excitement. Nothing better than jumping in the RV and driving, pulling over whenever it's time for a beer. We don't make reservations, unless it's beach camping in so-cal. Then it's a must. Driving around Nevada, Arizona, California, Utah, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. There are hundreds of Mom and Pop “sleepy hollows” RV parks tucked away along the path. One stands out called “Friendly RV Park” in Weed, California. Which isn't so friendly. Laminated signs everywhere, they hate children and pets. Even asking you to take pics of poop and its owner and submitting them to the office. WOW!!! Anyway that's the worst place we have encountered in 9 years of RVing. In my opinion it's better than traveling by plane, or car. More fun and gives us time to bond with the kids. It's a learning experience plus it's a blast.– Gary
Then… there’s this note from Despina:
In case no one else has recommended the podcast “FieldTrip” to you I thought I would. As you drive from one place to another you will enjoying listening to this fantastic podcast. It’s a journey through the past and the future of Yosemite, Glacier, Everglades, White Sands and Gates of the Arctic National Parks. The Washington Post reporter, Lillian Cunningham’s excellent description of the parks creates a visual picture as you listen. Hopefully you and Jennifer will find it as fascinating as Peter and I. – Despinia
NOTE: This is not an app. If you search for an app called that, you’ll get something about psychedelic drugs and tripping out. Those are not the kind of trips we recommend. There used to be a travel app called Field Trip but it was discontinued a while back. This is a podcast from the Washington Post, so search for it under your favorite podcast app. It is quite good.
SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ – Wendy Bowyer
Wendy Bowyer reports on the hot issues most talked about this past week on our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group:
One post that really got people talking last week was from Marilyn. She asked: “When towing should I use cruise control?”
More than 435 responded and the answers were really all over the place!
Some said yes, they use cruise control all of the time Others said no, they never use it.
And many said it really depends…. Use it on flat highways or areas with little traffic. But in congested areas, or places with lots of hills or mountains, or if you're driving on wet or snowy roads, don't use it.
Marilyn certainly has a lot to consider there, and it was definitely interesting to read.
Frederick shared a post last week of a massive Google Maps fail, as he called it.
He was traveling from Dallas to a location in Oklahoma. He said normally he uses RV Life/Trip Wizard but he thought it would be a simple, straightforward drive so he turned on Google Maps.
Long story short, Google Maps took him down a road that turned to gravel and then dirt, with narrow, overhanging tree limbs scraping his RV that eventually dead-ended at a water crossing! He had to turn his truck and trailer around from this rough spot, then backtrack 12 miles to a paved highway.
His post led to many comments from folks with similar stories. Lots of sympathy, and a good lesson for all of us!
Then finally, the group got a great tip from Angie. Angie said if you get a flat in one of your travel trailer tires – replace them all!
Angie was speaking from experience. She found herself recently standing on the side of the highway so cars would move to the next lane while her husband and friends changed the SECOND flat tire on their trailer. She admitted it wasn't the safest thing to do but figured she could jump out of the way easier than her husband who was changing the tire. She also suggested folks get some orange cones that could be placed in the road should something like that happen to them.
Angie got around 300 responses from her tip.
Misti shared she once had two tire blowouts in the same day.
Susane said they carry reflective vests, safety triangles and flares for such a situation.
And many, like David, thanked Angie for sharing and said the post certainly gave him something to think about.
That's it from me this week. I'm Wendy Bowyer and I'll see you over at the RVLifestyle Facebook group.
Topic of the Week – Why you should take a fall camping trip
More and More people are camping in the fall. Recently the RV Industry Association (RVIA) released a survey saying 78 percent of all RVers are expected to camp this fall.
What we thought was really interesting, is that the report said millennials have the highest intention of participating in a little fall camping, with 40% saying they definitely will take an RV trip this fall.
We think it might be partly because of all the activities campgrounds plan this time of year for families. Halloween trick or treating or fall harvest activities.
One thing we've noticed through the years is the fall tree color is not always the same. Some years the leaves are more brilliant than others. We were curious about this so we did a little digging. Do you know, according to the U.S. Forest Service, the weather has a lot to do with how brilliant the fall colors are?
A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp – but not freezing – nights bring the most spectacular color. Why? Sugars are produced in the leaf during the day, but in the cool evenings the veins of the leaf gradually close which prevents the sugar from moving out. This produces those brilliant pigments.
Also the amount of moisture in the soil affects color. A late spring or severe summer drought can delay the beginning of fall color by a few weeks. A warm fall can also lower the intensity of fall colors. And a warm wet spring, good summer weather, warm sunny fall days with cool nights produce the best display.
7 Reasons Why You Need to Do a Fall Camping Trip
1. The color – this is the highlight – gorgeous color display ….
2. The crowds – Fewer crowds, especially if you go during the week when kids are in school. Means you have less trouble getting a spot, fewer neighbors, more nature.
3. The weather – Warm sunny days, crispy evenings. No humidity. Means good sleeping weather & don't have to worry about the RV being so hot at night.
4. No bugs – Those cooler nights mean fewer bugs. That's fewer black flies, gnats, mosquitoes … need we say more?
5. Easier to see the night sky With the sun setting at an earlier time each evening you don't have to stay up until midnight or 1 or 2 am to see the amazing light display on a dark night. Instead it is dark earlier, so the stars are out earlier, too.
6. Less expensive – often campsites cost less because it is off season. (especially during the week).
7. Special fall activities – Depending upon where you camp, many campgrounds have special activities in the fall that create opportunities that can only make in the fall. Apple picking, apple cider, if with kids/grandkids- Halloween contests, fall harvest.
And if you want to … here is a story on some of the best roads you can take around the country to see spectacular fall color:
RV News of the Week
Most Florida campgrounds back to normal within a week of Hurricane Idalia's landfall
At least 10 Florida campgrounds in the path of Hurricane Idalia had to close temporarily, mostly because of loss of electricity, but all are expected to be open by today (Monday).
The category 3 hurricane made landfall last week near Keaton Beach, about 75 miles southeast of Tallahassee.
Most of the Florida campgrounds in the state did not suffer serious harm, and overall the campground industry was very lucky, according to a report in Woodall's Campground Magazine.
The storm did close 15 Florida state parks. For updates on the closures, click here.
After hitting Florida, Idalia swept across Georgia and South Carolina as a tropical storm, bringing flooding and downed trees.
If you're heading to any of the affected areas to camp, be sure to call first to see if your campground was affected by the storm.
Woman discovers someone lived in her travel trailer, trashed it and stole possessions while it was in for repairs at Georgia Camping World
A Georgia woman said she dropped off her three-year old travel trailer at the Camping World in Woodstock in June for a broken water heater and faucet repair, but when she picked it up two months later, the trailer was trashed.
When she first opened her trailer door she immediately smelled cigarette smoke – and no one in her family smokes.
Then she noticed trash was on the countertops, which she had left clean. And the bed had linens on it, like someone had been sleeping there, even though she left no linens. Upon closer inspection she discovered some of her towels and camping gear were missing.
The woman said it appeared someone had been living in her trailer while it was at the dealer for repairs. Camping World at first offered to pay for the damage, but then eventually ended up buying the trailer from her.
Officials urge campers and visitors to take safety measures in bear country
September is here, and black bears and grizzly bears are busy eating as much as they can before their annual winter hibernation, meaning more and more officials are urging campers to be bear-aware.
The governor of Montana declared September Bear Aware Month, and in the Lake Tahoe area, experts were all over the news urging visitors to practice safe camping practices in bear country.
Some tips include ALWAYS carrying bear spray, making noise when traveling trails to not startle a bear, traveling in groups, and always storing camping food and supplies in bear-safe containers.
If you find yourself camping in an area with bears, we suggest you read our story on ways to stay safe here.
Meadows and fishing spots to partly close at Rocky Mountain National Park for elk rut
Parts of the Rocky Mountain National Park will be closed during certain times of the day from now until Oct. 31 because it is elk mating season – also called the rut.
The park closes meadow areas in Horseshoe Park, Upper Beaver Meadows, Moraine Park, Harbison Meadow and Holzwarth Meadow from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. to keep visitors from disturbing the elk.
Fishing areas in the park are also closed.
To see our 7 Day Adventure Guide for Colorado, which includes suggestions of what to see and where to camp for several places in the state, including the Rocky Mountain National Park, click here.
RV QUESTION OF THE WEEK
QUESTION: Hi there….First off let me say that my wife Pam and I love to watch your videos on Youtube. We are brand new campers in the early stages of retirement and the info you share is so very helpful. We have a 21 ft Coachmen Spirit TT that we tow with our Chevy Colorado. We have only been out a couple times since starting a couple of months back. My question is…
Pam and I want to plan a trip out west from Kentucky where we live in late April or early May next year. We are trying to figure out just how to go from to there and being able to stay in campgrounds along the way. Folks say that you need to reserve your spots ahead of time but if don't know just how long you might stay in a location based on what's there to see, just how do you schedule and reserve ahead or do you just risk finding a place along the route? We are NOT boon dockers by any stretch so just pulling off the road somewhere may not work for us. We would love to hear what you have to say about our trip planning. We are subscribers to RV Life Pro and really like the app. – Keith and Pam
ANSWER: You raise the key point of why we hate getting reservations. We may want to stay over. Or we learn of someplace else that we would like to visit. Reservations lock you into a schedule and one of the reasons we camp is to get a break from our schedules. Be flexible and… learn to boondock. You will be surprised how easy it is to camp without hookups. And for service, always try a Mobile Repair Tech instead of the dealership. Even on warranty issues, many can help.
Where will you go next? Planning for next year?
What About the Florida Keys?
Do you want to hit Key West, the Everglades National Park, and all the other great things the Keys have to offer? Well, we have just the thing for you. Jennifer and I love traveling to the Keys, so we've created a complete 7-Day RV Adventure Guide: Florida Keys. This downloadable guide includes a suggested itinerary and a list of the best RV parks along the way.
We also have a 7-Day RV Adventure Guide to Florida's Atlantic Coast and Florida's Gulf Coast. If you're interested in all three, you should check out our Florida RV Travel Guide Bundle.
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