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RT50: What’s Coming to a Campground Near You

| Updated Aug 26, 2015

Big changes are sweeping the campground industry.

From fiber optic cable for more streaming video and high speed Internet to themed parks that cater to your own favorite camping activities, the parks and campground industry is making lots of changes.

Our guest today is Paul Bambei, of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds , who shares with Mike how a busy camping industry is meeting consumer demand and expectations.

But we have lots of other RV news, audience questions, a tip about keeping the sun from heating up your RV, tech tips, news of the week and a great off the beaten path destination that football fans will particularly appreciate.

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Show Notes for Episode #50 Aug. 26, 2015 of Roadtreking – The RV Lifestyle Podcast:

First Things First: Checking in From Florida's Emerald Coast

Mike and Jennifer recording this week;s episode on the beach at Camp Gulf on South Walton Beach in Florida
Mike and Jennifer recording this week's episode on the beach at Camp Gulf on South Walton Beach in Florida

This week's show comes to you from the Emerald Coast of Florida's Panhandle, where Mike and Jennifer Wendland check in to talk about their current RVing adventure. Wait till you hear how much a beachfront spot costs! [spp-timestamp time=”2:18″]

Jennifer's Tip of the Week: Use Sunshades to Keep RV Temps Down

Jennifer's Tip of the Week this week will help listeners beat the heat, especially when sun is a significant factor. Studies show that in minutes a vehicle can heat up to 125 degrees – and that's on a so-called typical summer day. That's where sun shields – for the windshield and side windows – come into play. Jennifer talks about the $35 ones she and Mike use – found here: http://amzn.to/1Eg1s93 – and the benefits. [spp-timestamp time=”6:03″]

Listener Feedback: Any Tips for Dealing with a Sticky Roller Door?

A listener has a question about a sticky roller door for the entertainment center on her older RV. Mike offers up some suggestions. He also mentions a link that may be useful here: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/adjust-rolltop-appliance-garage-20762.html

Mike also suggests calling Maureen at Leisure Time RV in Florida. You can get the number at leisuretimerv.com [spp-timestamp time=”8:56″]

Listener Question: Where Did You Get Your Gravity Chairs and How Do They Fit in Your RV?

Judy, a reader of Roadtreking.com, says she saw a picture of Mike and Jennifer sitting in gravity chairs. She wonders where they were purchased and how they fit in an RV?

Mike talks about how how the chairs fit and how they decided to get the Caravan Sports Zero Gravity Chairs at Walmart. Here's a link, though the Walmart site says its sold out: http://www.walmart.com/ip/19861520?productRedirect=true

He also mentions there is a wide selection available at Camping World and that they can be found on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/1h9Mp5L [spp-timestamp time=”12:41″]

Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, Mo.
Van City RV only sells Class B. RVs. Owner Ray Dwyer has been in the RV business for 44 years and is considered the dean of Class B RVs. Nobody knows more about small motorhomes that Ray and his crew. They have new and used Class B motorhomes in stock from the major manufacturers. When you fly in to buy your RV from Van City, they'll arrange to have you picked up from the airport and will reimburse you $500 toward your airfare. Then, your RV will be fully prepared for travel, complete with full tanks of fuel and propane. After a complete orientation with their staff on your new RV, you can take delivery and set out for home. Dan the Van Man gives the week's specials on the podcast.

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RV News of the Week: New RV Rental Website, Vintage RVs are Hot, Pacific NW is Dry

New RV Rental Site Launches: A new RV rental website called Outdoorsy has launched and been featured in several mainstream media outlets. Here's a link to the story from TechCrunch.  (Read more) [spp-timestamp time=”18:11″]

Vintage RVs are HOT: The Wall Street Journal reports refurbished, vintage RVs are making a comeback. (Read more) [spp-timestamp time=”19:37″]

Another Fire Ban in Pacific Northwest: A fire ban in Washington illustrates just how dry the area is these days. Here's the story from Washington's Clallam County. (Read more) [spp-timestamp time=”21:00″]

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

The Alde hydronic system brings many features and benefits not found with any other product.

  1. Silent Radiant Heat – providing a warm even natural heated interior. Great for pets. (And Humans)
  2. Increased Interior Space by combining two systems in one.
  3. Efficiency. The whole system draws less than 1 amp on 12V DC and will extend the life of your propane roughly 40% over forced air.
  4. Heating on Electric or Gas.
  5. Multiple Options and Amenities: Towel Warmers, Floor Heat, Tank Heating, 4 Season Camping, Engine Heat, Driver Comfort,
  6. Modern Programable Color Touch Screen Thermostat and Interface
  7. Minimal Side-Wall Penetration. Small combined intake and exhaust eliminate big cut outs and sidewall congestion.

Traveling Tech: Apps to Help Manage Smartphone Battery

Loading our smartphones with apps we constantly seem to be using means increased demand on their batteries and, unfortunately, chances of running out of juice. We have some special apps to suggest to us this week that can really help get a handle on battery power management.

Many consider Battery Doctor among the top smartphone battery managers. Battery Doctor shows how much more life you can get out of your smartphone’s battery by closing certain apps and functions like WiFi and GPS. Users also can see how much time is left on a battery’s charge and how long it will take to fully charge a battery. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Android users will want to consider JuiceDefender. The app works by turning on-or-off features that drain battery life, such as screen brightness, WiFI, 4G, and other high data uses. JuiceDefender also offers preset profiles for different levels of battery power management. The basic version is free version.

Battery Saver Pro is an option for Windows Phone users. It tells you whether you have enough battery power to perform certain tasks like play a game or watch a movie. It also will tell you how much battery power you can save by shutting off certain phone features like WiFi or Bluetooth. The app is free.­­ [spp-timestamp time=”24:04″]

Thingamajig of the Week: Battery Packs to Charge on the Go

Paul Ulreich, Verizon's Uber User, joins the show to talk about three portable battery-charging packs for you to consider so your smartphone or tablet doesn't run out of power. [spp-timestamp time=”27:06″]

This part of the podcast is brought to you by Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

Shopping for a data plan shouldn’t be complicated. Thanks to Verizon, choosing a wireless plan is now easier than ever. Simply choose the size that fits your needs—small, medium, large or extra large. It’s just that easy.

That’s right, Verizon’s newest data plan comes in four sizes and was created with customers in mind:

  • The small plan is $30/month for 1GB of shareable data
  • The medium plan is $45/month for 3GB of shareable data
  • The large plan is $60/month for 6GB of shareable data
  • The extra large plan is $80/month for 12GB of shareable data

Each size comes with unlimited talk and text, with extra data for just $15 per GB.

On the new plan, every smartphone line is only $20 per month. Tablet and Jetpack lines are $10 per month, and connected device lines for devices like smart watches are just $5 per month.

Getting a new phone is easy, too. All new and existing customers who want to move to the new plan can use Verizon’s device payment option (formerly known as Verizon Edge), or pay the full retail price to buy or upgrade to a new smartphone.

And, for a limited time, existing Verizon customers can trade up to a new device six months early. Not a Verizon customer? Switch today and get $300 when you activate a new smartphone. Get the latest technology in your hands and now 12GB of data for only $80/month. Some restrictions apply – visit your local Verizon store today for more details.

Visit Roadtreking.com/vzw for stories about how technology can enhance and improve your life.

RV Calendar: 2015 FMCA Eastern Area Rally in Asheville, North Carolina

Mike talks about FMCA's 2015 Eastern Area Rally set for Oct. 14-18, 2015, in Asheville, North Carolina.

All FMCA members are encouraged to attend the 24th annual version of the event called “Twilight in the Blue Ridge Mountains” and being held at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Asheville.

A link to the Eastern Area website that includes info on registering is at: http://www.easternarea.net/ [spp-timestamp time=”31:26″]

This part of the podcast is brought to you by Leisure Time RV, serving central Florida and the Internet from Winter Garden, Fla..

Leisure Time RV, a family-owned dealership in Winter Garden, Florida,  near Orlando has been in business for 45 year and is consistently among the top Roadtrek dealers in North America. They have a full line of the Roadtrek inventory as well as travel trailers and used RVs. Jennifer and I have visited Leisure Time RV and we know the staff and we are very impressed by the honesty, integrity and first rate service we found there. They sell to customers all across the country, wich tells you that they know how to deal. They also offer unparalled RV service and if you are looking for Roadtrek parts, call Leisure Time RV because they also carry a full line of parts which they ship out nationwide.

Off the Beaten Path: Football Factory in Ohio

Joe and Bernie Poltis left us a great off the beaten path report from Northwest Ohio and a place that will be near and dear to football fans – the Wilson Football Factory in Ada, Ohio. Here is the link to their website information:
http://wilson.com/en-us/football/nfl/wilson-and-the-nfl/factory [spp-timestamp time=”33:40″]

Interview: Paul Bambei of the Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds

This week we learn the latest trends affecting the Paul Bambei, from the Association of RV Parks and Campground (http://www.arvc.org/). “Everything is up… double digits… a stellar year,” says Paul, who goes on to tell us how parks are changing to meet the amenities and features demanded by today’s RVers. [spp-timestamp time=”38:54″]

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 2015-08-26

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.

One Response to “RT50: What’s Coming to a Campground Near You”

August 27, 2015at5:44 pm, Bev N said:

Thanks for all your posts on Roadtreking. I’ve learned a lot.
I like the added journalists-Janet Arnold, etc
How many hours does your RV keep the inside temp at 75° at your Camp Gulf site on the Emerald Coast? I think you said 105° on outside temp gauge. Are you on Shore Power to keep it at 75°

Comments are closed.

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