Picking up the Pieces after a major RV Accident

This week on the RV Podcast:

• Picking up the pieces after a major RV accident. Toss in the towel or start all over again? In our RV conversation of the week, you’ll meet a couple who just faced those questions. They have some inspiring advice for us all.
• Do your RV shades annoy you by rattling as you ride down the road? Our RV Lifestyle Community has some great sound-dampening advice.
• Dangerous heat and nasty weather have been sweeping across the country taxing the comfort and safety of lots of RVers this past week.
• All this, plus the RV News of the Week and your questions coming up in Episode # 505 of the RV Podcast

Hello everyone. I’m Mike Wendland and this is my lifelong traveling companion and my bride, Jennifer.

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 listen to us through your favorite podcast app or the player below.

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.

In our RVLifestyle Community‘s General Discussions Space, Lynn recently shared that every time she travels she wants to rip the metal blinds off the window. The wand flops around and hits the blinds, and the blinds knock against the window making all kinds of noise.  

So she asked “Does anyone have any ideas for the short term? And what would be your thoughts on replacement when I return from my travels?”

For the short term, Cary said they wrap velcro on the wand and secure it against one of the slots and it works great to reduce the rattling sound. 

David cautioned if she ends up taking down the blinds and the window is over the stove, make sure not to replace it with curtains for safety reasons.

And Steve, he said he ended up replacing the metal blinds with a roll up shade – no more rattling, no fire hazard, and it works great.

Also in the RVLifestyle Community's General Discussion Space we asked, What is the most unforgettable place you've visited in your RV and why? Too many great suggestions to list all the responses but here are a few.

Frederick said the most unforgettable region was southern Colorado – Great Sand Dunes National Park, Black Canyon, Mesa Verde, Pagosa Springs, and the drive along US-160 to Durango and on was just spectacular.

For Tim, it was Unicoi State Park in the mountains of northern Georgia. The lake is crystal clear and just begging to be paddled, awesome trails are all over and great falls are just a short drive away. Also the state park has some full hookups- not always common at a state park. He shared a picture and it was gorgeous.

Linda's favorites were Dead Horse Point State Park and Moab in Utah. Both were just incredibly beautiful and amazing after dark!

And there were so many other suggestions. If you are looking for ideas of places to add to your bucket list, you need to read this post.

Then over in our RVlifestyle Facebook Group, Lisa said after their cross-country RV adventure, they realized they had unknowingly brought home some unwelcome guests. And these “guests” had made their way into her bedroom, bathroom, and living room – and she even found TWO in her bedding! Then she shared a picture of this creepy, pale-green colored spider that almost looked like a scorpion by the way its legs protruded. Yuck! After finding two in her bedding Lisa said she broke out the vacuum, but her post led to a whole 400-comment discussion.

Pam was one of many who wrote:  Eewwwww!

Others said she should burn her whole rig down – and I presume that is a joke.

Many wondered what kind of spider it is, and many said it is  a green crab spider – so not dangerous to humans.

It was fun to read all the reactions and the suggestions, and it just goes to show that when you are out there in nature, you never know what kind of critter you may unknowingly pick up!

RV CONVERSATION OF THE WEEK

On April 29 Norm and Naida Voss suffered a life-altering event.  While driving their diesel-pusher Class A in Virginia, the front right tire blew, their rig and Jeep tipped and paramedics told them they were lucky to be alive. 

Miraculously the Florida couple were not seriously injured and now, much to their non-RVing friends' dismay, they are back on the road, starting over again in a brand new Class A.

They could have quit. As you’ll hear,  it was a terrible accident.

But they didn't. 

We caught up with Norm and Naida to learn about their accident, how they are moving forward, and get some tips that are not only inspiring, but could help us all.

Listen to their story in the podcast players above.

RV NEWS OF THE WEEK

Shooting at Yellowstone National Park July 4 leaves shooter dead, ranger hospitalized

Did you hear about the July 4th shootout at Yellowstone National Park?

We have been following this story closely over the weekend, and as of this writing, the NPS and FBI are not providing many details. 

What we do know is there was an armed man making threats at Canyon Village. The National Park Service responded. There was a shootout and the shooter died and a ranger was shot and is hospitalized in stable condition.

We found several news articles describing the scary moments of the shootout. Park employees were scrambling, hiding behind barriers and closet doors, making it sound like the shooter was not a tourist, but rather a worker.

Also a Facebook page kept by a former NPS officer says the shooter worked as a concession employee and this matches images of armed officers entering the concession employee housing.

Canyon Village is located in the center of the park and includes a lodge and cabins, campground, ranger center, visitor center, store, and employee housing. 

If you are heading to Yellowstone anytime soon, be sure to check out our Yellowstone Adventure Guide here, complete with suggestions of where to camp, what to see and what to do.

Grandpa, son and grandson preparing for trip out West hospitalized after the RV explodes

A grandfather, son and grandson were preparing their Class A for an epic trip out West when it burst into flames, rocking their neighborhood and sending all to the hospital.

Heat from the fire was so intense, siding on nearby homes melted. The moment the explosion occured was caught on a neighbor's Ring camera.

The family is from Peabody, Massachusetts, and was preparing to leave for the Grand Canyon the next day.

The father and grandfather have third-degree burns and are hospitalized in stable condition in intensive care with a long road before them. The grandson was treated for burns and released but will continue to receive burn treatment as an outpatient.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. I really hope the cause is shared to help us all learn, and our hearts go out to this family.

Dangerous, record-breaking temperatures expected to continue this week affecting one-third of U.S. population – or more

If you are camping right now, how are you keeping your RV cool?

There is a record-breaking heat wave underway that's expected to shatter records from the West to the East Coast, affecting about 130 million people. 

The warning went out over the weekend and is continuing through Wednesday of this week, with the Pacific Northwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast all expecting temperatures over 100 degrees F.

Some cities, like Portland, Oregon, have declared a state of emergency. A couple of fires have broken out in California. And in New Jersey, a wildfire there forced evacuations of the Batona Campground.

Desert spots in the Southwest are bracing for 120-degree F temperatures.

And Death Valley, one of the hottest places on earth, set a record Friday for reaching 127 degrees F. But temperatures are expected to reach 130 degrees F early this week– can you imagine?

Be sure to stay safe, and drink plenty of water. While an A/C is key to keeping temperatures down, here is a story we wrote with some other tips that may help.

Strong winds kill one, injure three, and wreck many RVs by Kansas Lake

Strong winds swept through Kansas' Wilson Lake in a storm that went through last week knocking over RVs and frightening campers gathered to celebrate the July 4th by camping.

Winds reached at least 70 mph, and are blamed for killing one man and injuring three others. 

Many RVers had planned on camping on the lake through the weekend but instead spent it picking up the pieces of their mangled RVs scattered all about.

Pictures from the area show all kinds of RVs knocked over. I can't imagine how terrifying that must have been for those who had gathered.

Be sure to stay on top of weather reports this summer as you are camping. Here is our story with tips on how to prepare for the worst.

RV QUESTION OF THE WEEK

QUESTION: We just bought a fifth wheel and wonder what do you take out after a trip and what do you leave in the fifth wheel between trips? Alexis

ANSWER: We take out anything perishable food-wise, leaving in some staples. We take out dirty laundry and any clothes we will be needing. We leave in unperishable food, jackets, raincoats, sweatshirts, all our utensils, pots and pans, and a vacuum cleaner. 

RV STORYTIME WITH MIKE AND JEN

This week’s story is an oldie but goodie. We first shared these tips in a video 11 years ago. 

Since then, we’ve owned several other RVs but no matter the size of the RV, these rules still hold true. 

So, for our storytime this week, we share 10 tips on how couples can live together peacefully in an RV.