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Episode 98: How to Budget for Life on the Road in an RV

| Updated Jul 27, 2016

In this week's podcast, we tackle the question of  just what it costs for enjoying the RV lifestyle. What should you budget for fuel? Food? Fun?

Mike and Jennifer, aided by lots of input from the Roadtreking Facebook community, share their experience.

Also this week, lots of reader questions, tech tips, how to earn a living while traveling and an off the beaten path report that will have you longing for the Florida keys.

Click the player to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details and resources and click the player below to start listening. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast.

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Shownotes for Episode 98:

This week we come to you from Memphis, TN. Mike and Jennifer update the audience on  their travels, the hot weather gripping the country and how Bo is doing on his first extended road trip. [spp-timestamp time=”2:45″]

We've been on the road now for six weeks!

This part of the podcast brought to you by RadPower Bikes, an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Mention Roadtreking for $75 off your purchase price.

JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEKFurminator Pet De-Shedding Tool [spp-timestamp time=”9:05″]

Many of you know that we have been traveling this summer with Bo, our new Norwegian Elkhound puppy. Bo is just 8 months old and a bundle of energy.

Mike and I call him “Mr. Enthusiasm.”

He loves the Roadtreking lifestyle and he brings us a lot of joy as we watch him take to life on the road and all the adventures he’s having.

But there is one thing we are not happy with about Bo.

His fur.

In other words, he’s shedding.

He is a big dog with a thick, healthy double coat of long hair and with the heat and humidity we’ve been experiencing lately, Bo is leaving lots of very visible traces of his presence behind.

That’s why we are so glad to have discovered the Furminator Pet De-Shedding Tool.

This is a very special brush. It is expensive. It’s $45 on Amazon. Well over $50 in pet stores. But we think it’s worth every bit of that. The Stainless steel deShedding edge reaches deep beneath his topcoat to gently remove loose hair. One swipe and it makes you a believer. It reduces shedding better than any brush, rake or comb we’ve tried. The manufacturer says it reduces shedding by up to 90% and we believe it.

The tool comes with a great ejector button that cleans and removes loose hair from the tool with ease.

And Bo actually seems to like it. In this heat, getting rid of all that excess fur and hair makes for a very happy puppy.

Mike and I like it because there is much less dog hair in the RV.

The Furminator makes us all happy campers.

The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year.

LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK 

  • Lisa asks if we have any plans for something special for the 100th episode…coming in just two weeks. [spp-timestamp time=”13:38″]
  • Dorinda asks about replacing and installing a new side window for her Roadtrek campervan. [spp-timestamp time=”15:49″]
  • Rebecca is considering a Class B motorhome and wonders about getting a diesel unit and asks Mike and Jennifer to share their experience.[spp-timestamp time=”19:29″]
  • And Barak asks Mike and Jennifer to share a budgeting breakdown for living the Roadtreking lifestyle. We share our experience and also those from our Roadtreking Facebook Group [spp-timestamp time=”23:05″]

Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations.

RV BASIC TRAINING [spp-timestamp time=”37:50″]

Even if your work doesn’t need to be done in an office, it can be very hard to work when you travel. You may be a freelancer, you may own your business, or you may telecommute, but there are ten steps you need to take to prepare yourself to work on the go.

I want to thank the folks at Lifehack for an article I found that helps you get thinking in the right direction. Also the folks at Technomadia have put together a great guide to various things you can do to earn money while traveling.

This part of the podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 15 locations on the East Coast 

RV NEWS OF THE WEEK: [spp-timestamp time=”48:17″]

RV Sales continuing to soar

He tracked down wife’s childhood RV to Deliver Beloved Momories

See the video at: https://youtu.be/OmQfFxiZesU

This portion of the podcast is brought to you by Alde  the only name in heat that you need to know for your RV

TRAVELING TECH TIP: [spp-timestamp time=”56:05″]

Whether at work or on the beach, a good chunk of the country is going to be dealing with dangerous levels of heat this week.

With the right amount of precaution, however, you can avoid any health issues related to sweltering conditions anywhere and at any time of the year.

To avoid dehydration, consider iDrated. The app oversees a users’ water intake by setting a daily target for hydration based on your gender, age, weight, and exercise schedule. It can even tell users their level of hydration at any given moment and send alerts for when another drink is due. The app is free for iOS.

When it comes to working outside, the OSHA Heat Safety Tool app developed by the U.S. Department of Labor allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for specific worksites and displays a risk level, sending reminders about things like drinking enough fluids, scheduling breaks, and adjusting work operations. The app is free for iOS and Android.

To avoid getting too much sun, consider the EPA’s Sunwise UV Index app from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, It provides a daily and hourly forecast of ultraviolet radiation from the sun delivering location-based information. It uses a color-coded system so users know when the UV index is highest, making it easy to plan for the day. Free for iOS and Android. 

This part of the podcast is brought to you by Verizon, which operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with more than 112 million retail connections nationwide

Verizon's Steve Van Dinter reports [spp-timestamp time=”58:55″]

When it comes to new smartphones, I’ll bet most people think there’s not much of a differentiation anymore.

Well that’s changing this week with the introduction of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. What’s cool about these phones isn’t just their sleek looks or amazing battery life, it’s that you can enhance the phones themselves by magnetically attaching super powers to them, with Moto Mods.

Moto Mods instantly transform your phone into an entirely new device, like a portable theater.

Moto Insta-Share Projector — Snap the Insta-Share Projector onto your phone to share vacation photos and even a movie! The projector includes an integrated kickstand, up to 70-inch projection and a built-in battery for up to an extra hour of projection time. $299.99

SoundBoost Speaker — Instantly get powerful stereo sound that’s perfect for a backyard party. The speaker features a kickstand, built-in battery for 10 hours of playtime and speakerphone capabilities. $79.99

TUMI and kate spade new york Power Packs — Add up to 22 hours of battery life to your phone without adding bulk. Simply snap on and you can forget about finding an open wall outlet to charge. Prices range from $59.99 to $89.99.

The Moto Z and Moto Z Force devices will be available in Verizon stores and online Thursday, July 28th.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT –  Marathon, Florida [spp-timestamp time=”1:01:00″]

A listener named Al shares why Marathon, FL needs to be on your must visit off the beaten path bucket list

This part of the podcast is brought to you by AllStays – the Internets #1 RV and camping app since 2010

Please Subscribe and Give Us a Rating and Review!

Many listeners are asking how they can subscribe, review and rate the Roadtreking Podcast on iTunes. With a new podcast like this, those reviews and ratings are really important to be able to show well in the iTunes listings. So if you can, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave me your review.

Here’s how:

How to subscribe, rate and review a podcast

First, open up the iTunes app on your computer or mobile device. Click on Podcasts up on the top
> From the iTunes Podcasts page, use the “Search Store” field up at the top right corner of the page. Type in Mike Wendland or Roadtreking RV Podcast.
> Click on the logo image of the Roadtreking RV Podcast on the search return page
> From there (see photo above), you can…

1) Subscribe

2) Choose and Click on a star (1-5) that reflects your rating. Five stars means you really like it, one star not so much.

3) Leave a written review.

Thanks to all for the kind reviews we’ve received so far. That got us noticed by Apple/iTunes as “New and Noteworthy.” I appreciate every review!

And remember, you can appear in future episodes. Ask a question or voice your comments about RV topics by clicking the Leave Voicemail tab on the right side of this page here at Roadtreking.com. You can then use the microphone on your computer to record your words.

Mike Wendland

Published on 2016-07-27

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

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