To Catch a Thief: An RV Dealer Fights Back Against RV Thefts
This week on the RV Podcast:
- To Catch a Thief: An RV Dealer Fights Back Against RV Thefts
- Two National Parks have been so devastated by wildfires they have shut down for the rest of the year.
- In Mike and Jen’s Storytime, when the free-spirited serendipity approach to RV travel doesn’t work
- All this plus RV Tips, the News of the Week and your questions coming up in Episode 556 of the RV Podcast
You can watch the video version from our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel by clicking the player below.
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We got the fifth wheel fixed. The skirting that came loose on the dreadful stretch of I-69 in Michigan was replaced and reinstalled.
We’re accessorizing our new Embassy RV Cape Cod Class C motorhome and already planning some upgrades – We want to add solar, seat belts to the lounge chairs and an on/off switch to that pesky always-on 360-degree camera monitor that causes parasitic drain to the batteries.
Meanwhile, we wrote a post on our private RVCommunity.com the other day I thought I’d share on the podcast.
It has to do with the huge Caravan RV show held every September in Dusseldorf, Germany. I think it has arguably become the most influential RV show in the world, eclipsing even Hershey and Tampa.
I've been reading about some of the new models to be introduced, and this one – called “The RV of the Future” caught my eye.
It's from German manufacturer Knaus and it's called the Boxtime, a very compact little van on the Fiat Ducato chassis that comes in under 20 feet. It features what's called a “transformational bathroom” that uses a fake wall that holds the sink and the mirror that switches between shower and bath.
You can use it as a restroom with the wall in position, or it becomes a full shower room by swinging the wall to the side so that it covers the toilet. This way, in the same footprint, you get a full shower and you don't have to worry about splashing water on everything else, because everything else is safely tucked away behind the wall.
Other manufacturers have also tinkered with this design, and I’m sure we'll eventually see more US RV makers using it. But in terms of innovation and design, this unit – and the Italian-made Wingham, which is now being sold in the U.S. – make most American-made RVs look old and outdated. European styling and design are years ahead of what we’re seeing from our North American manufacturers.
RV CONVERSATION OF THE WEEK
When Bretz RV & Marine had a Brinkley trailer stolen from its Billings, Montana, store, the family-owned dealership didn't just file a claim with their insurance and sit back.
No, they decided to fight. Bretz paired up with the truck dealer down the street and issued a $20,000 reward, set up a hotline, named names, showed pictures of the stolen rig, the stolen truck, and the guy accused of taking it and put it all together to the tune “Bad Boys” made popular by the show “Cops” in a 58-second reel. The reel is now making the rounds over the internet.
Today on our show, we're joined by Brandon Bretz, the president of Bretz RV & Marine. The family-owned dealership was started by his grandparents, who created it from the gas station business his great-grandparents founded. The company now has 8 dealerships in Montana, Idaho, and Washington, and the company knows very well how thefts affect the bottom line.
Brandon talks about how his family decided to fight back. Watch or listen to the interview in the players above.
THERE’S AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY:
The stolen truck and Brinkley trailer were both recovered late last week in southern Idaho. Idaho police, acting on a tip received through the video, set up a sting operation and recovered the truck and trailer.
But the suspect- Jonathan Shane Roberts – is in the wind. Why? Because the Montana police and prosecutor have sat on their hands and not finished the paperwork to issue an arrest warrant. Because of that, Idaho police could not hold him and he has vanished. Police in Idaho say Roberts is wanted in several states.
The Bretz family is grateful for Idaho police but furious at the inefficiency of local Montana law enforcement.
They are circulating wanted posters and asking the public’s help in locating this Roberts. We’ll let you know how it works out.
RV NEWS OF THE WEEK
Two Iconic National Parks Cancel Entire 2025 Season as fires rage
If your travel plans for 2025 included a stop at the north rim of the Grand Canyon or a campground at Black Canyon of the Gunnison, time for a change of plans. Fires are continuing to rage across both parks and Grand Canyon's north rim is closed for the remainder of 2025. The fire there is at about 12,000 acres and has already destroyed numerous structures including a beloved historic lodge, and as of this writing, the fire is 0% contained. At Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, all camping reservations for 2025 are canceled as the south rim continues to burn. This fire is at least 4,200 acres, 85% of the rim is burned, but it is starting to be contained.
Multitudes of Yellowstone Animals Fleeing? Viral Videos Fool the Masses
Did you hear the rumors about animals rapidly exiting Yellowstone National Park? Videos circulating on social media appear to show herds of bison, elk, mountain lions, and grizzly bears high-tailing it out. The concern went viral, trending as a top Google search! Yellowstone rangers are now assuring the public that animals are NOT leaving. In fact, some of the videos may even be AI-generated.
Food-Obsessed Bear Meets Deadly Fate After Raiding Yellowstone Campsites
Speaking of Yellowstone, the park had to put down a black bear that developed a taste for human food. It was the first time in five years that rangers put down a bear. The female bear crushed an unoccupied tent at a backcountry campsite and, another time, returned to climb the campground's food storage pole, tear down properly stored food bags, and devour them. Rangers feared it was just a matter of time before the food-conditioned black bear would hurt someone.
WANTED: Shoe Bandit Fox Strikes Again in Grand Teton – 32 Pairs and Counting!
If you're heading to Grand Teton National Park anytime soon, don't leave any shoes outside your RV. A fox is “wanted” for stealing campers' shoes – at least 32 of them and counting. So what does the fox do with the shoes? Who knows! However, it has become so severe that rangers are now warning campers not to leave any shoes lying around their campsite. (Anyone else keep hearing the phrase in their head, “Swiper, no swiping! Ha!)
Higher Michigan campground fees take effect Aug. 1
Starting Aug. 1, the price to camp at a Michigan campground is rising $4-10 a night, depending on location and amenities. Also, 19 out of the 103 state parks in Michigan have complete or partial 2025 season closures as renovations continue.
More Canadian RVers stay home and upstate New York campground owners feel it
Some campground owners in New York near the border with Canada told CBC News that business is way down this summer as many Canadian RVers and tourists opt not to travel to the U.S.A. Border crossings from Canada to New York were down 17% in June from the previous year. A weaker Canadian dollar, politics and what one campground owner described as a “culture of fear” about crossing are blamed.
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 private RVLifestyle Community we are working on the details for our fall rally in Texas! We'll have our usual opening potluck and give away some amazing prizes including a Lectric bike. We'll tour one another's rigs, enjoy some Texas BBQ, and even go to a famous dance hall for some Texas Two-steppin'. We will be staying in Fredericksburg, a German town in the Texas Hill country, with wineries, hiking trails, amazing restaurants, tons of interesting history, and so many things to do.
Registration is now open, but to come you need to be a member of our private Community. You can learn more about our Community at: community.rvlifestyle.com
We'd love to have you join us!
Then in our Facebook Group, Carole wrote: “I am so frustrated with our new 5th wheel I want to light a match to it! What are we doing wrong? We secure everything but something BREAKS every time!”
And when she says something breaks, it sounds like she means something breaks! As they drive down the road things fly everywhere, the refrigerator door regularly pops open spilling items across the floor, the trash can pulls out of its cabinet and falls off the rails and once she even had a chair leg break on their kitchen chair, even though everything was strapped down!
Carole said her husband drives the speed limit, but she still thinks he is going too fast. This is their first Fifth Wheel, but not their first camper, and she needed some tips for securing items.
Many pointed out that driving your Fifth Wheel down the road is like experiencing a minor earthquake. When the roads are in poor shape, the “earthquake” is that much worse. But there are things you can do. There were too many suggestions for me to list them all but some things came up repeatedly.
First, check the suspension. Mark said they added a set of SumoSprings to the leaf springs which really helped the bounce and their Fifth Wheel rides so much better.
Second, secure the cabinet and refrigerator doors. Many use bungee cords, painters tape, tension rods, pool noodles and child locks. Jeff puts baskets in the fridge and fills the baskets with loose items so things can't bang around. And for the outside of the fridge, many installed a suction handle lock to keep it closed. While others installed industrial-grade Velcro to help keep that fridge door shut.
Third, pack wisely. Put the heavy items closest to the floor and center of the rig.
Fourth, check your weight. Tony asked: Are you over the allowable weight for the axles? That will cause the springs to bottom out on bumps and that will jar everything in the trailer.
And then finally, Don't drive too fast. Many agreed you shouldn't go over 60 or at most 65 miles an hour when pulling.
SO many great tips – you really need to check this post out if you also have this issue of items flying about on travel days.
RV QUESTION OF THE WEEK – RVing with Dogs
QUESTION: This question came in via our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel from a viewer who has seen our Norwegian Elkhound, Bo, accompanying us on our RV Trips. They asked:
Can you chat about taking your pet with you and how you manage this ? We have a dog and are wondering how to RV best with her?
ANSWER: We share our experience with traveling with a dog, especially Bo, who has literally grown up in an RV. He’s now almost 10 years old and started traveling as a pup
They need a place of their own. A familiar bed or rug, so they know where to sleep. Get them used to the RV. Make it a pleasant time for them. Maybe with some treats. Have their food and water bowls always accessible to them.
Secure them. Harnesses, doggy seat belts, fabric cages, or dedicated areas where they are safe and secure as they drive. For us, Bo lives in the back seat of our Ford F-350, the tow vehicle for our Montana Fifth Wheel. He does not like our Class C motorhome, which we recently added as a second RV. We are working on acclimating him to that.. We have a GREAT resource for you right here: RVing with Dogs ULTIMATE Resource Guide
MIKE & JEN’S STORYTIME: A Canadian Rockies Reality Check
JEN: We have another travel tale – this one about the time our free-spirited serendipity approach to RV travel met the immovable force of Canadian holiday traffic!
MIKE: Several years ago, during the first week of July, we're driving our trusty little Class C motorhome toward what we thought would be an awesome wilderness adventure in the Canadian Rockies.
JEN: We were so excited! We'd been looking forward to this trip for months. Back then, our travel style was 100% pure serendipity – no reservations, no rigid plans, just roll with whatever came our way.
MIKE: That approach had always worked for us! We'd pull into an area, find a nice campground with an opening, or discover some perfect little boondocking spot. Adventure around every corner, you know?
JEN: After overnighting in Calgary, we headed west with hearts full of anticipation. First stop: the legendary Lake Louise. And let me tell you, it absolutely lived up to the hype!
MIKE: Gorgeous doesn't even begin to describe it! Those towering mountains reflected in that shimmering turquoise lake, the trail that winds around the entire shoreline with breathtaking views at every single turn…
JEN: You could rent canoes and paddle right up to the shoreline, exploring hidden coves. It was like being inside a postcard! We're thinking, “This is it – this is why we came!”
MIKE: And then reality hit. Hard.
JEN: We spent two solid hours – two hours! – going from campground to campground, practically begging and pleading for any spot they might have available.
MIKE: Nothing. Not a single opening anywhere. We tried boondocking spots, overflow areas, even asked if we could park in a corner somewhere. Every answer was the same: “Sorry, we're completely full.”
JEN: So we thought, “Okay, let's head to Banff National Park.” I mean, it was right next door. Surely one of the most beautiful parks in the world would have something for us, right?
MIKE: Wrong! We were absolutely shocked to find every road clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic. Every trailhead looked like a shopping mall parking lot on Black Friday! One stream of parked cars along the road leading to a popular hiking trail was one-half mile long.
JEN: Every campground we called was booked solid. That's when a friendly park ranger delivered the news that changed everything…
MIKE: “You couldn't have picked a worse time to visit,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “Canada Day – that's July 1st, Canada's Independence Day – and everyone in the country goes camping.”
JEN: And then she dropped the other shoe: “Plus, with July 4th being American Independence Day, it seems like half the United States decides to visit the Canadian Rockies that week! It’s like this every year at this time.”
MIKE: We never even considered it. Or checked a calendar. We'd walked straight into the perfect storm of North American outdoor enthusiasm! Two countries celebrating their independence by… well, making our lives incredibly dependent on finding somewhere to sleep!
JEN: By this point, we're exhausted, a little defeated, and facing the very real possibility of spending the night in a highway rest stop. Which, by the way, we did – just east and south of Calgary.
MIKE: Nothing quite humbles your travel confidence like trying to catch a few hours of sleep in a rest area with trucks rumbling by all night!
JEN: But here's where our story takes a turn for the better. We ended up driving almost all the way back to the U.S. border, and finally – finally! – found a vacancy at one of Waterton Lakes National Park's campgrounds.
MIKE: And you know what? It turned out to be absolutely incredible! Waterton butts right up against Glacier National Park in the U.S., so we had the best of both countries at our fingertips.
JEN: The hiking was phenomenal, the scenery was breathtaking, and honestly, it might have been even more beautiful than where we'd originally planned to stay.
MIKE: Sometimes life has a funny way of redirecting us exactly where we need to be, even when we think we know better!
JEN: But we definitely learned our lesson about Banff and Lake Louise. Those places remain on our “definitely going back” list – just with reservations made months in advance!
MIKE: The moral of our story? There's a time and place for serendipitous travel, and there's a time for acknowledging that some destinations require a little more planning.
JEN: Overconfidence in always finding a spot can definitely end with you sleeping to the soundtrack of highway traffic! Sometimes the most popular places are popular for a reason – and that means everyone else wants to be there too.
MIKE: But here's the beautiful part: when your original plans fall through, you might just discover something even more amazing. Waterton Lakes gave us memories we treasure to this day.
JEN: So whether you're a spontaneous traveler or a meticulous planner, remember to stay flexible. The best adventures often happen when we let go of our expectations and embrace what the road actually offers us.
MIKE: And maybe, just maybe, avoid Canada's busiest national parks during the week when two entire countries are celebrating their independence!
JEN: Though if you do find yourself sleeping in a rest stop, just remember – it'll make for a great story later!
MIKE: May your adventures always lead you exactly where you're meant to be!
JEN: Happy Trails!
