Will GM Decide When You Stop Driving?

This week on the RV Podcast:

• General Motors has developed a system that monitors your driving abilities and reaction times, opening the door to when you stop driving because you may be too old.
• If you are camping in bear country this time of year, our conversation of the week is with an expert who reveals just what you should do when you encounter a bear. This is super important info you need to know.
• Thinking about a washer and dryer for your RV? We’ll tell you what to look for and what to watch out for.
• All this plus the RV News of the Week and your questions coming up in Episode #564 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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Greetings from the Great River Road… we’re on the second week of a five-week Fantasy RV Tour of the Mississippi River. We started way up in northern Minnesota, where we could literally walk across the river at its source, and we’re headed down to New Orleans, where it empties into the Gulf.

We come to you in this episode from the Quad Cities area, where Illinois and Iowa meet, with the river – now almost half a mile wide – dividing the states. We’ve driven about 800 miles so far and have  seen and experienced so much, from riverboat cruises to a bald eagle sanctuary.

We’ve been doing almost daily reports on RVCommunity.com, our private and ad-free online community, and weekly videos on our RVLifestyle YouTube channel.

But while we’re talking about it and before we get to the RV News of the Week, we want to share why we think you need to be a part of our RV Community.

You know, Life after 50 should be an adventure. After all, you’re not slowing down—you’re just getting started.
The RV Lifestyle Community is where RVers over 50 come together to share experiences, trade tips, and live life on purpose. It’s a private, totally ad-free online community that also has really fun in-person rallies and meetups, all aimed at helping empty nesters and retirees find new adventures, real friends, and everything you need to make RV life fulfilling.

We have made so many new friends through this community. In fact, we’re camping right now with a bunch of them on this tour of the Mississippi River we’re taking all month. We’re not trying to “sell” you anything. We’re inviting you to become part of something truly amazing.

In the RV Lifestyle Community, you'll find RVers just like you. Yes, it has a paywall. That’s to keep spammers and scammers out. Plans start for less than a cup of coffee a month. Some things—like true connection—are worth paying for. Check it out at least. Go to RVCommunity.com.

RV NEWS OF THE WEEK

​GM Patent Would Score Your Driving—And Tell You When It’s Time to Stop​

Ever wonder if someone is too old to drive? General Motors thinks your car might soon have an answer. The company filed a patent for a system that calculates a “driver retirement score”—a digital nudge that gauges whether you're still sharp behind the wheel. Using sensors already built into modern vehicles, the system would monitor reaction times, eye squinting, horn usage, turn signal habits, and how well drivers follow road signs. The system is designed to monitor performance over time and provide a snapshot of a driver’s capabilities as they age.

Conservation Rule Under Fire: Feds Reconsider Biden-Era BLM Regulation​

The federal government is proposing rescinding a Bureau of Land Management rule enacted a little over a year ago under the Biden administration that made conservation part of its multi-pronged approach to federal land management. The Department of the Interior says the rule was an overreach, limiting logging, mining, grazing, and other such uses on BLM land. Conservationists strongly disagree, saying much BLM land is near national parks and needs protection. The public has 60 days to weigh in. To comment click ​here​.

​Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Lost & Found: Hats, Pizza, and a Stuffed Koala?​

Ever wonder what happens to the hats and trash that regularly blow into the delicate hydrothermal areas of Yellowstone National Park? Chances are someone from the Yellowstone Geology Program recovers it. Using grabber poles, fishing rods and extra-long slotted spoons, the team recently displayed a picture of just some of the hundreds of hats they've recovered so far this year. The items need to be removed to protect damage to the delicate areas. Besides caps they've also removed a Birkenstock sandal, a pizza box with slices still inside, a fake Louis Vuitton bucket hat, a stuffed koala toy, and more.

​This Trailer Starts the Size of a Civic—Then Grows into a Mini Home​

A unique European travel trailer that is the size of a Honda Civic when towing but opens to three-times that size is hitting the American market. The trailer looks sort of like an egg when compacted, but once unhitched it opens up into a much larger cylinder shape. It has a bedroom, toilet and wet shower, kitchen and sitting area. It needs to be purchased from a European dealer and shipped here. 

RV CONVERSATION OF THE WEEK – Stay Safe in Bear Country

There is nothing more exciting than seeing wildlife when RVing. But when it comes to bear, that chance encounter can quickly turn terrifying. Just the other week a woman was attacked by a bear at Glacier National Park when hiking. Fortunately, her partner had bear spray, used it successfully, and the female bear and her cubs fled, and the woman received medical help.

But the whole incident got us thinking. If you were to stumble upon a bear while RVing, would you know what to do?

Our guest is Jason Schwartz, who wrote a pocket survival guide called “Bear Safety in the Outdoors: A folding pocket guide on how to hike, camp, fish and RV safely in bear country.” He is a bushcraft/survival specialist, a US Army veteran and founder of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. His bear guide was recently adopted by Yellowstone National Park and is currently being sold at their visitor centers. Jason is going to help us all become better prepared.

Among the topics covered in this conversation:

• When an RVers is camping in an area known to have bears, what are some basic things to do to stay safe? 
• Is it safe to store food in an RV?
• What’s the difference between black bears and grizzly bears?  
• Is there a difference in what you should do if you stumble upon a black bear versus a grizzly? 
• Is fall a more active time of the year for bears? 
• What precautions should campers take when hiking?
• What about pet dogs – can they attract bears?

Social Media Buzz

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 have several spaces where members talk about different topics. One of our new Spaces is called Mike & Jen Today, and it is becoming one of my favorite spots to read each morning! In this space, Mike and Jen are journaling almost daily about what they are seeing as they travel with other RVers down the Mississippi River and sharing pictures of their adventures. We saw the tiny stream where the mighty river begins, read about sites they saw, be it waterfalls or majestic cathedrals. It is fun to read and follow along this grand adventure, and it is equally fun to see the pictures and descriptions that other community members who are also on this trip share. A daily highlight! 

Then, in our Facebook Group, Mona recently asked, “What does TOAD mean? “

It sounds like Mona knew a TOAD was a vehicle pulled behind the RV, but just wondered how it got that name. She also asked about the meaning of FROG.

This spurred a lot of silliness – and some misinformation. But it got me thinking, RVers certainly have their own language, and when you are new to the RV world,  it can be confusing!

So let's help Mona out! First, a TOAD is actually a homophone RVers came up with to refer to a “towed” vehicle. Get it? Towed … toad. So it can be any vehicle you pull behind your RV and some may remember this being referred to as a dinghy.

As for the term FROG, that usually refers to the Forest River Owners Group.

Other words we hear a lot are diesel pusher – which refers to rear-engine diesel motorhome.

There's the stinky slinky, which is a funny name for a sewer hose. It has spiraled ridges and stretches out like a slinky… and, well, it's stinky.

Another one we see used a lot is Sticks & Bricks, which refers to a house on a foundation, not a “house” on wheels.

RV QUESTION OF THE WEEK

QUESTION: From David: What are the most reliable stackable washers and dryers for RVs out there?

ANSWER: By far and away, the brand that most RVers use in their RV is Splendide. We had their combo washer and dryer in our previous fifth wheel and now in our new Brinkley, we have a stackable system, with the washer on the bottom and the dryer on top.

Splendide is available through many RV dealers and Amazon.

It's important to note that for maximum efficiency and to avoid excessive humidity in the RV, the dryer needs to be vented outside, meaning they have to cut a hole through the sidewall of the RV.

There are ventless brands available, but our recommendation is to avoid them.

Now obviously, these are much smaller than the home system you may be used to, or the commercial washers and dryers in laundromats. You will most likely have to do multiple loads, so it's good to do a little every day. And you want to be in a campground to use them, with on-site sewer and water hookups. Depending on what you set your wash cycle for, they use between 10 and 16 gallons of water… so using them while boondocking will go through your fresh water supply very fast. They need at least 30 amps to run, so, again, you’ll want to be at a full hookup campsite.

Splendide is the best-known brand, but lately, a compact, stackable system by LG also has a lot of fans. You can find them at Lowe's and Costco.

Whirlpool also manufactures a compact, stackable system that is being used in some RVs. Home Depot and RV dealers sell them.

We have not had any experience with those other brands, just Splendide, and we could not be more pleased with their performance. Here’s an Amazon link to the system we had installed in our new fifth wheel – For more info see https://amzn.to/4gmx7dj