One thing we all need, no matter what size RV we have, is organization and space saving. In this episode of the podcast, we hear from the lady whose known as the RV Space Saver. Her name is Gail Alexander and she does seminars all across the US on ways to organize, maximize storage and save space.
Gail shares her top five tips that every RVer can incorporate in their traveling lifestye.
But we have so much more in this episode: Some food preparation tips from Jennifer, listener questions, RV News of the Week and three apps you will want to have on your smartphone or tablet s you travel this year.
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Complete shownotes for Episode 73 of the Roadtreking RV Podcast:
JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK – Cooking Tips for RVers
I’ve had several emails from listeners of this podcast who want to know some simple recipes they can make ahead of time and take on their RV trips so when they stop, they can have a nice meal ready fast, without a lot of fuss and muss.
One tip is to find a small crock pot for your RV that fits in the sink. You’ll have to do some measurements but we have found that the 4-quart size works best for us.
The one we got a few years ago cost less than $20 and was made by Rival. But it doesn’t seem to be available anymore so we made an Amazon page that lists a whole bunch of crock pots you can look at.
We found that round ones fit best, not the oval shapes. You’ll need to measure the size of the sink and then find one that fits your RV.
Why the sink? Because you can put the crockpot in the sink and not worry about it falling out as you drive. You’ll need your inverter on of course but you can start your crock pot meal in the morning and leave it cooking as you drive. Then, when you stop in the afternoon, you have a delicious meal just waiting for you.
Something else we like to do is prepare some easy meals ahead of time. Our favorite is salsa chicken.
It’s easy to prepare right in the RV. But as we often do before setting off on a long trip, we like to make several meals ahead of time that we can put in the Roadtrek’s freezer and then bring out when we want.
Salsa chicken consists of chicken breasts and salsa. That’s it.
First, you pound down the chicken, tenderizing it and making it easier to cook. Then I place it in a sauce pan. On top of the chicken, I pour a container of salsa. We use the sugar-free chunky style that you can get at Whole Foods. But you can use any kind you want.
Then, occasionally stirring and turning the chicken, let the salsa come to a boil and then have it simmer as the chicken cooks in the salsa for 20-25 minutes.
We make a double batch – two large chicken breasts and a full container of salsa. That’s enough to serve the two of us, twice.
We like to serve it with long grain brown rice, a side salad and broccoli.
Simple, huh?
We have a blog post and video of this that we will link to in the show notes.
So give it a try… crock pot meals as you drive, make ahead salsa chickedn for your RV’s fridge. I hope you enjoy!
LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK:
Q: We joined the FMCA and they just sent us a humongous lexan placard. Have you found a way to display this thing without defacing your coach? I thought I saw suction cups available as an accessory, but wondered if this is secure for travel. Perhaps it's possible to just put it on the coach at rallies or when you're parked, etc.? Obviously we have more questions than answers. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated 🙂 – Carol
A: To affix the FMCA placard, I use Industrial Strength Hook and Loop tape. it costs about $25 and it has proudly held my FMCA membership plaque to the back of my Roadtrek for years, as well as lots of other things inside and outside the coach..
Q: Please talk about driving in ice and snow. How does the RT handle in those conditions. Do you use snow tires, chains? Our RT (190P2010C) is only 2 wheel, rear wheel drive so we are cautious in any icy road conditions. – Ian
A: I travel all year round and do lots of winter RVing. I have never needed to add chains or snow tires. While chains are required on some roads in mountainous regions, I've never had an issue. Here's a video I did a couple years ago on winter driving with a Roadtrek.
Q: Hi Mike & Jennifer, Love your podcast, listen every week. I am new to the RV life, having just purchased my new 24′ Arctic Fox TT in September. Planning a trip to The Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier in September, and my question is, knowing you have a Verizon Jetpack and a WeBoost. Did you have a useable signal in these three parks to take advantage of the Jetpack and did the WeBoost help -Dan
A: I have Verizon coverage in about 87% of the places we visit this week. That said, some places of Yellowstone and Glacier National Park are so remote or mountainous that you will find spots with no coverage. I have found the weBoost cellular booster does a great job in giving me a connection pretty much everywhere. Not everywhere, because those parks are huge and wild. But most places. Teton, has solid coverage in most areas.
RV NEWS OF THE WEEK
61 Pythons Caught So Far in the Florida Python Roundup
Is Good Sam getting short shrift from the CEO?
Meet Mike and Jennifer at the FMCA Family Reunion in Perry GA
TRAVELING TECH TIP – Fuel saving apps
Fuel prices haven’t been this low un years. That, of course, is spurring lots of RV sales. But there is still a big disparity between pricing at various stations as you travel around the country.
So having a reliable app to check prices as you travel is a big help.
Here are my Top Three Gas Price Apps:
GasBuddy is an old favorite and has been around for years but I still find it and gives you the most up-to-date gas prices wherever you may be in the U.S. or Canada. GasBuddy relies on users to update prices, who in turn have a chance to win $100 every day for adding prices. It also gives you a map so finding the lowest gas prices is easy. The app is free for all platforms.
Gas Guru is another handy app to have. It gives you the lowest and closest gas prices. With Gas Guru, you can even search for the lowest fuel prices based on grades – even diesel. That’s a big help for those of us who dont want to pull off the freeway only to find a gas-only station. Ben there, Done that. With Gas Guru, you can search using a list or you can view the app’s map to see your options. The app is free for Android and iOS and works with Apple Watch.
Using a smartphone’s location, the app called Fuel Finder will show you the closest gas stations and how much you can expect to pay at each. It, too, includes a map to make finding stations a breeze. You can even find stations that have ATMs or car washes. I have tried this app a few times and found that it does a great job, even though this one is not free. The app is $1.99 for Android.
Interview – Gail Alexander of RV Space Savers
Gail runs the RV Space Savers site and she and her husband Mike and toy poodle CoCo travel across the U.S. to RV Rallies and Shows selling space saving products for Rver's. Gail also gives seminars on space saving tips and ideas for small spaces.
In this interview, she shares her five top tips for saving space in an RV.
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