Pack Your Camper – The Night Sky Is Calling

This week on the RV Podcast:

• Pack Your Camper: The Night Sky is calling! There's an amazing meteor show going on up there this week that provides a great excuse to go camping.
• Budget cutbacks, staff shortages, and visitor pressure are all combining to seriously stress our National Parks this summer. Protests have started.
• Protecting your property from campground thefts. Real RVers share their solutions.
• In Mike and Jen’s Storytime… when your camping plans don’t go as expected, it’s time to pivot.
• All this plus the RV News of the Week and your questions coming up in Episode 559 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-only podcast, you can hear us through your favorite podcast app or listen now through the player below.

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RV NEWS OF THE WEEK

​Bridge 1, RV 0: Michigan's Langley Covered Bridge Closed Again After Another RV Blunder

The Langley Covered Bridge in Southwest Michigan is closed yet again—thanks to another driver who didn’t believe the “low clearance” signs. Despite multiple warnings that the historic bridge is only 8.5 feet tall, a 10-foot-tall motorhome tried to make it through. It didn’t end well. The RV slammed into the height limiter, ripping off the sleeper section and completely wrecking the vehicle.

Earlier this summer, the road commission added even more warning signs after a string of similar accidents in recent years. Now, the 282-foot bridge will stay closed for up to two weeks while crews rebuild the height limiters. 

The Langley Covered Bridge is in St. Joseph County, near Centreville, Michigan, on the Indiana border.

It spans the St. Joseph River and is the longest remaining covered bridge in Michigan at 282 feet. Built in 1887, it’s a popular historic site—but also a notorious trouble spot for over-height vehicles that ignore the clearance signs.

Low clearance bridges like this are more common than many RVers realize—there are thousands across the U.S., especially in older towns, rural backroads, and historic sites. Accidents happen far too often, and they’re almost always avoidable.

The key is knowing your RV’s exact height (including rooftop accessories like AC units or satellite dishes) and planning your route accordingly. A dedicated RV or truck-specific GPS like the Garmin RV 795 can warn you about upcoming low clearances, and an old-school trucker’s road atlas lists them by location. Combined, they can save you from a very expensive mistake—not to mention keep your rig in one piece.

Canada wildfire smoke blankets the Midwest, triggering public health alerts

Smoke from Canadian wildfires has taken over the skies across a huge swath of the U.S. again, prompting health alerts across Michigan and the wider Midwest and causing lots of people to stay indoors and cancel outdoor plans – like we did with a camping trip last week. Officials warn the fine particulates from smoke are nearly ten times more toxic than regular pollution, potentially impacting everyone’s heart and lung health—even if you’re “healthy.” As an indication of how bad it was last week, Detroit hit an Air Quality Index of 159, making it one of the worst polluted cities in the world that day. 

It looks like this ongoing air pollution from Canadian wildfires – this is the third summer to be impacted – is getting the attention of politicians. A surprising diplomatic move saw U.S. representatives calling on Canada to tighten its wildfire control because of worsening health risks and disruption to daily life in the border states. Canada currently has more than 4,000 active fires, with millions of acres already scorched. It hasn’t officially responded, but the frustration is clearly building on this side of the border.

US national parks in ‘survival mode’ amid deep staffing cuts

Meanwhile, U.S. national Parks are said to be in “survival mode” because of staffing cuts. Since 2017, National Parks have lost about a quarter of their permanent staff. That means fewer ranger programs, delayed trail repairs, and visitor centers struggling to keep up. Rangers are doubling—or tripling—down to cover maintenance, guiding, and emergency duties. Thanks to volunteers and the unwavering spirit of visitors, parks are still open. But the signs of strain are undeniable.

It has prompted someone to sculpt a giant 12-foot tall smirking head of Elon Musk, placed it in a flat-bed trailer, and is towing with a Dodge Ram Truck through the country's national parks as a protest against the staffing cuts put in place when Musk headed DOGE. The giant head has been spotted at Yosemite National Park, Arches National Park, Mount Rainier, and Yellowstone.

In Big Bend National Park, roaming livestock from Mexico are trampling parklands

Meanwhile, there’s a different problem down in Texas at Big Bend National Park. Cows and horses are crossing from Mexico into the Park – and wreaking havoc. With fewer staff to manage the issue, these livestock are trampling vegetation, eroding soils, and disturbing irreplaceable archaeological sites. Exact numbers are hard to come by. But estimates suggest as many as 2,000 animals are wandering around at peak times. Park advocates say the trespassing cows are creating a “crisis” that no one is doing anything about.

Is Buying an RV the New Vacation Home?

Finally, this week, a story we saw in House Beautiful magazine. The article claims RV travel has become a popular alternative to traditional vacation homes, offering flexibility, mobility, and access to off-the-beaten-path destinations. Thus, more affordable and liberating than owning a fixed vacation property. “A vacation home roots you,” said the article. “An RV sets you free.” That’s what Jen and I have been saying for years. That’s why we call our fifth wheel our “condo on wheels.”

RV CONVERSATION OF THE WEEK – Dark Sky Camping

Have you ever found yourself camping in an especially remote area, far from city lights, and just gazed at the night sky in absolute amazement?

It is increasingly difficult to find places today untouched by light pollution, but as RVers, we can seek them out, and our guest today is here to help us understand better why it is so worthwhile to do this!

Ashley Northcotte is from DarkSky Camping, a group focused on inspiring and educating campers and RVers on the importance of protecting our night skies. With the annual Perseid Meteor Shower happening right now, she explains the importance of dark skies, where you can find them, and how this week (August 13, 2025) is a perfect time to see an amazing meteor show almost anywhere in North America.

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most spectacular and reliable annual celestial events, peaking each August when Earth passes through the debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. During its peak, viewers in dark sky areas can witness 50 to 100 meteors per hour streaking across the night sky, creating a breathtaking natural light show.

The Perseids are especially popular among campers and stargazers because they are visible with the naked eye and require no special equipment, making them an ideal opportunity to reconnect with the wonders of the universe, provided you can find a location free from light pollution.

Listen or watch the entire interview in the players above, but here are some of the highlights:

• Due to widespread light pollution, 85% of people in the United States can no longer see the Milky Way from where they live.
• This loss of night sky visibility is a recent phenomenon, growing rapidly as cities expand and artificial lighting increases.
• The rate of light pollution is rising by approximately 4% each year, making it even harder to experience truly dark skies.
• Events like the Perseid meteor shower offer a rare and awe-inspiring opportunity to witness the wonders of the night sky—if you can find a dark enough location.
• Visiting certified dark sky areas or campgrounds during meteor showers allows people to reconnect with nature and experience sights that are disappearing for most Americans.

SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ – Wendy Bowyer

Wendy Bowyer reports on the hot issues most talked about this past week on social media and our RV Lifestyle Community group.

This week in our RVLifestyle Facebook Group, we had a post from Mary Ann that said:

“Has anyone had property stolen from their campsite when you left to sightsee? We did today at a national park. I was so bummed to come back and our rug was gone. … A sad day for me.”

That is sad, Mary Ann! So sorry to hear this happened to you. Mary Ann shared her rug did not blow away – it was not windy and she had staked down the rug. And rugs were definitely allowed at the gravel site. The rug was simply stolen.

Now Campgrounds thefts ARE rare, but sometimes they do happen. Many shared in this post some of the more unusual things they had stolen such as a picnic table cloth -a used one at that. Another person had a sewer hose stolen – yuck! Another child's bike… 

Most who had experienced a theft said it happened when they left their campsite, and what was helpful about this post is that many gave suggestions on how to reduce the likelihood of having this happen to you.

And that is what I'd like to share to share with you today. Here are five tips to help prevent campsite thefts, in no particular order.

1. Put your name on it.

Anything that you leave out – like camping chairs, a rug, or even a cooler, write your name on it prominently because that will make it less attractive to some thieves.

2. Lock it up.

If your item is expensive, lock it up. Some recommend locking everything from a surge protector, hitch lock, e-bikes. The locks will make it that much harder – and some will say not worth it – for a thief to take off with your belongings.

3. Use AirTags

If you do have an expensive item, like an e-bike for instance, hide an AirTag on it so you could more easily find it should someone take it.

4. Use a lockable storage box

The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” is true. If you have a lockable storage box, put your items in it and lock it when you leave your campsite for the day. If someone can't see your item, they are that much less likely to take it

And finally,

5. Make it look like you're home

Thieves are more likely to take something when no one is around, so try to make it look like you're around. Play a radio softly in your RV, for instance, or arrange things in such a way it looks like someone is inside.

Again, remember that thefts are not common, but they can happen. And hopefully these five simple tips will reduce the likelihood of this happening to you.

RV QUESTION OF THE WEEK

QUESTION: Is it necessary to spend almost $300 on a 50-amp surge protector?- Paul

ANSWER: Yes, I think it is. $300 is at the high end of the price range for a surge protector. You can get more limited protection from cheaper off brand companies. But when you are talking about protecting the electrical components in an $85,000 RV, $300 is not an unreasonable cost in our mind.

Campground power pedestals can have notoriously unstable power. I saw literature this week that 18% of 1,200+ campgrounds tested showed 90-135V fluctuations and power spikes, or reverse polarity, or faulty wiring. Sure, you can play Russian Roulette by thinking the pedestal you plug in is just fine. It probably will be. Until it isn’t.

Those kinds of power spikes can fry sensitive electronics like air conditioners, refrigerators, or lithium battery systems, which can cost $800-$4,500 to repair or replace. 

A surge protector mitigates these risks by monitoring voltage and cutting power when abnormalities are detected. A single surge can damage multiple systems, making a $300 investment a small price compared to potential repair costs.

We have them on our RVs. For our Fifth Wheel, I use the Progressive Industries 50 amp model. It costs less than $200 and has saved us twice from bad power.

For our Class C Cape Cod motorhome, it's the 30 amp Power Watchdog. It costs about $275. 

That's what we use on our RVs and having the peace of mind that we’re protected at the pedestal is a no-brainer for us.

MIKE & JEN’S STORYTIME -The Anniversary Pivot

JEN: We just celebrated our wedding anniversary this week – many years and decades have passed since I became his lifelong traveling companion and bride!

MIKE: And boy, do we have a story about how this anniversary celebration didn't go quite as planned, but ended up being absolutely perfect anyway.

JEN: We had some furniture we needed to return up in mid-Michigan, so we thought, “Why not turn this errand into a romantic anniversary camping trip?” We were excited to visit a recently renovated state park on Michigan's Saginaw Bay, not far from our hometown.

MIKE: We dropped off the furniture, feeling pretty proud of ourselves for combining practicality with romance, and headed to the campground with high hopes for a beautiful lakeside celebration.

JEN: And then we stepped out of the RV and… wow. The air quality was absolutely terrible! Thick haze everywhere from those ongoing Canadian wildfires, and you could actually smell the smoke.

MIKE: Smoke that had traveled hundreds of miles to crash our anniversary party! We walked out to the beach, and our eyes immediately started watering. Even Bo started sneezing!

JEN: And if the smoke wasn't bad enough, the water quality was just awful. There was this yucky, mucky barrier of rotting vegetation and algae being washed up onto shore. It looked like something from a horror movie!

MIKE: This was definitely not the romantic lakeside getaway we had envisioned for our anniversary. We looked at each other, and it was a complete no-brainer – we had to abandon our camping plans.

JEN: But here's where the story gets interesting. Instead of just packing up and going home disappointed, we decided to pivot completely.

MIKE: We turned our RV into a time machine and took ourselves on the most wonderful trip down memory lane!

JEN: First, we drove past the house where I grew up. We remembered all those late nights when Mike would drop me off and I’d sneak in hoping not to get caught coming in past my curfew. I got caught every time!

MIKE: Then we visited the place where we first met – this outdoor roller skating rink that used to hold dances every weekend. Now it's just… well, it's just a pile of weeds and memories. I remembered trying to get up the nerve to ask Jenifer to dance, and how nervous I was when she said yes.

JEN: It was actually kind of poetic, seeing how nature had reclaimed that spot where our love story began. We were just a couple of bumbling teenagers who had no idea the wonderful life of adventure that would follow from dancing to that old Righteous Brothers song. I think Mike actually stepped on my foot.

MIKE: Hey, I wasn't that awkward! Okay, maybe a little. Then we drove past the church where we got married, and Jen started crying – happy tears, of course.

JEN: Seeing that little church again just brought back all those feelings from our wedding day. The excitement, the promises we made, the dreams we had for our future together.

MIKE: And then we decided to really complete the nostalgia tour. We went to a little Italian restaurant we used to visit whenever we could scrape together enough money for a night out when we were young and broke.

JEN: Oh my goodness, it was exactly the same! Same booths, same smells, same menu! We felt like we'd stepped back in time.

MIKE: And we did what we always used to do – we splurged on a massive banana split for dessert. Just like the old days, we couldn't finish it, but here's the beautiful part…

JEN: We had the RV! We had a freezer! So we just asked them to pack up the rest of our dessert and took it with us. Try doing that when you're staying in a hotel!

MIKE: We headed back home that evening, and you know what? We weren't disappointed at all. We were actually more refreshed and connected than if we'd had the perfect camping trip we originally planned.

JEN: By pivoting instead of just giving up, we ended up having this incredibly sweet anniversary that we never could have planned or expected.

MIKE: Sometimes life has other plans for us, and when we're flexible enough to roll with those changes, we discover experiences that are even more special than what we originally had in mind.

JEN: The moral of our story? When your original plans fall through – whether it's because of wildfires, weather, or just life throwing you a curveball – don't just pack up and go home disappointed.

MIKE: Look around and ask yourself, “What else could we do with this time and opportunity?” Sometimes the best adventures happen when you're willing to completely change direction.

JEN: Pivoting isn't giving up – it's being smart enough to recognize when life is offering you something different, and brave enough to say yes to the unexpected.

MIKE: And having an RV gives us the ultimate freedom to pivot! We can chase clear skies, follow our curiosity, or just create a completely different kind of adventure on the spot.

JEN: The smoke will eventually clear from that beautiful state park, and we'll go back someday. But we'll never regret the anniversary we actually had – driving down memory lane, celebrating our journey together. Check out our YouTube Channel next weekend. We’ll put together a little video about the experience.

MIKE: But remember, fellow travelers – flexibility and a willingness to pivot can turn any disappointment into an opportunity for something even better.

JEN: And always pack a freezer in your RV – you never know when you'll need to take home the rest of a banana split! Here's to pivoting, to decades of adventures together, and to the beautiful surprises that come when we stay open to life's unexpected gifts!