Épisodes

  • Starlink Privacy, RV Buying Warnings & 2026 Camping News | RV Podcast 579

    Starlink Privacy, RV Buying Warnings & 2026 Camping News | RV Podcast 579
    Feb 2 2026

    Starlink has quietly changed its privacy policy, and RVers are pushing back. In this RV Podcast News Edition, we break down what the update means, why it matters, and what RVers should know.

    We also cover Yosemite’s Firefall without reservations, flat RV industry sales and what that means for buyers, important RV recalls, shifting RV travel trends, Michigan reopening 10 state campgrounds, Costco’s RV buying confusion, and the rise of dynamic pricing at campgrounds.

    No hype. No influencer drama. Just straight talk for real RVers.
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    22 min
  • At 90, Still Rolling, Anchorman Mort Crim on RV Life, America, and Aging

    At 90, Still Rolling, Anchorman Mort Crim on RV Life, America, and Aging
    Jan 28 2026

    As he approaches his 91st birthday, legendary broadcaster Mort Crim proves that curiosity and adventure do not retire.

    Last summer, while in the middle of a cross-country RV journey, we caught up with Mort as he traveled America in his Class B Winnebago Travato with his cat Groucho. That journey is now complete, and in this follow-up conversation in RV Podcast Episode 578, Mort reflects on what the road revealed about America, aging, grief, and healing.

    Mort shares how seeing the country firsthand, through campgrounds, small towns, and everyday conversations, gave him a very different perspective than the one often portrayed in the media. He also speaks openly about how RVing helped him work through the grieving process after losing his wife, providing space, movement, and purpose during a difficult season of life.

    Now, with that chapter behind him, Mort is already making plans for a busy 2026 RV travel season, proof that living small and moving often can keep life expanding at any age.

    This is a thoughtful, deeply human conversation about resilience, perspective, and why the RV Lifestyle can change far more than your address.

    Also this week, Mike and Jen answer your RV Questions, including how much snow an RV roof can handle.
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    Moins d'une minute
  • RV Podcast News: Winter Storm Fern Impacts RVers, Campground Challenges, Industry Copycats

    RV Podcast News: Winter Storm Fern Impacts RVers, Campground Challenges, Industry Copycats
    Jan 26 2026
    RV PODCAST NEWS EDITIONEpisode 586 - January 26, 2026Hey everybody, welcome to the RV Podcast News Edition. I’m Mike Wendland, and this is where we cut through the press releases, the hype, and the corporate spin to talk about what is really happening in the RV world.Now, quick programming note. If you are listening to this later in the week, we are watching a massive winter snow and ice storm that has affected campgrounds, travel plans, and even caused park closures across large parts of the country. Winter storm Fern has affected a huge swath of the country, 2,300 miles long, from Texas all the way to the East Coast. Ten states have reported more than a foot of snow. Many areas reported in excess of a half inch of ice. In some areas, an inch was reported, bringing down tree limbs across power lines. Well over a million customers have lost electric power and some may be without it for a week or more because of infrastructure damage and terrible road conditions.And as the snow, ice, and sleet slowly move off the eastern coast today, a massive cold front of arctic air is plunging much of the nation to dangerously cold temperatures. In the south, where temps rarely go below freezing, single-digit readings are being reported this morning.Obviously, this has affected many thousands in the RV Community. Fulltimers, even snowbirds who thought they were escaping the worst of winter in the mod south, are struggling to stay warm and keep the water running.The full affect of this storm is still be assessed but from everything we’ve been able to learn, RVers in the affected areas are reporting frozen water pumps at many campgrounds, propane shortages in the most affected areas and in some cases, no power. We’ve had reports from dozens of RVers impacted by the snow and overall, most say they are getting by. Most laid in plenty of bottled water, extra food, and made sure they had full tanks of propane and extra fuel for generators. One RVer - John, who lives in his Alliance fifth wheel in Missouri - said his biggest challenge was all the snow and ice piled on top of his slide out. He says the frigid air behind the snow isnt going to allow much melting and he is planning to get a ladder to clear the snow off.In Arkansas, a full-time couple - Sarah and Jim - said they wish they followed their friend’s advice to haul their Jayco south towards Florida. “We have gone through two tanks of propane so far and the roads are so bad we can’t get out to get them filled.” Her campground still has electricity but she said the lights have flickered and she expects she’ll have to switch to generator power as the ice on the power lines is not melting.Perhaps the best assessment came from Ted, a Tennessee fulltimer, who lives in a fifth wheel on his own property along the Tennessee River.. “Most of us know what to do,” he said. “We can handle a week without power. We have a full fresh water tank and I have a 100 gallon propane tank to supplement the tanks in our rig. So we’re dressed in heavy clothes and have extra blankets on the bed. This too shall pass.”Let’s hope soon.Sop the storm dominates the RV news this week. But coming up, RVers are demanding a real voice with manufacturers, not a hand-picked group of industry insiders, and the response to that idea has been overwhelming.We will look at why campground reservations feel harder than ever to get, even as more parks are built. We will take a closer look at what is really happening in state parks, where long overdue upgrades are coming with some real tradeoffs. We will talk about used RV prices finally settling back toward reality.And we will have a little fun calling out how RV manufacturers keep copying each other’s ideas, sometimes so closely it is honestly laughable.Before we get started…. a quick word about the RV Lifestyle Community at RVCommunity.com.If you are tired of ads, algorithms, and social media drama, this is different. It is a private, ad free community built by RVers, for RVers. Real conversations, real advice, real friendships.It is social media the way it SHOULD be.Learn more at RVCommunity.com.STORY 1 — It’s Time RVers Had a Real VoiceFor years now, RVers have been talking among themselves about what is wrong with today’s RVs.Too many quality issues. Too many poorly designed floorplans. Too many features that look great on a showroom floor but fail miserably in real life.And too often, it feels like no one in the industry is really listening.That thought hit home last week after a listener sent us a message that stopped us cold. He asked a simple but powerful question.Why don’t RVers have a direct voice with manufacturers?With massive consolidation among RV manufacturers and dealers, buyers now have fewer real choices than ever before. You walk onto a mega dealer lot and see hundreds of rigs, but when you look closer, many are variations of the same designs, built by the same corporate parents, with the same ...
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    15 min
  • They planned a short RV adventure: It turned into a life-changing journey

    They planned a short RV adventure: It turned into a life-changing journey
    Jan 21 2026

    They planned a short RV adventure. It turned into a life-changing journey.

    In this episode of The RV Podcast, we sit down with the Shinpaugh family, a family of four who hit the road in 2016 thinking they would travel for a few years. Instead, they quietly built a whole new life on wheels, homeschooling their kids, running their businesses remotely, and making the road their normal.

    They share the real story behind going full-time as a family, including:

    What surprised them most after their “temporary” RV trip never ended

    How they balance work, school, and family life while traveling

    The challenges no one talks about, and how those hard moments made them stronger

    What it really takes to build a sustainable life on the road as a family

    Then we shift gears and break down what just happened at the Florida RV SuperShow, our 14th time attending the biggest RV show in the country.

    We cut through the hype and share our two biggest takeaways from the show, including:

    • Why Brinkley RV had the best display at the entire show, and why their low-pressure, owner-driven approach stood out
    • Why we came away encouraged that real quality still exists in today’s RV market
    • The motorhomes and towables that impressed us most, including Grand Design’s Lineage, lighter-weight Coleman fifth wheels, and the futuristic Lightship and Pebble trailers
    • We also answer your RV lifestyle questions and catch you up on our latest travels on the road.

    This episode is packed with inspiration, industry insight, and real-world RV living, whether you’re dreaming, planning, or already rolling.

    Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our two weekly episodes:

    Mondays, RV Podcast News Edition

    Wednesdays, Stories from the Road and in-depth interviews
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    43 min
  • RV News Podcast: Tampa Debrief and Sale Rumors

    RV News Podcast: Tampa Debrief and Sale Rumors
    Jan 19 2026
    Hey everybody, welcome to the RV Podcast News Edition for Monday, January 19, 2026. I’m Mike Wendland.This is where we cut through the noise and bring you what’s really happening right now in the RV lifestyle and the RV industry. Five stories this week, and taken together they paint a clear picture.The RV world is not just changing. It is restructuring.Let’s get started.STORY 1. TAMPA SUPERSHOW AND THE MEGA-DEALERS GET EVEN BIGGERThe Florida RV SuperShow wrapped up this weekend in Tampa, and once again it was the Super Bowl of RVing. Huge crowds, massive inventory, and a lot of signals about where the industry thinks things are headed.One number really stood out.Lazydays RV, now operating as Lazydays RV powered by Campers Inn, announced it brought more than 450 RVs to the show. Four hundred and fifty units on the grounds. There were over 1,300 new models here. That means Lazydays, if it really bought that many uits - I didnt count them - accounted for a third of the total new units on display.That is more than confidence. That is making a statement and claiming market power.It highlights how the biggest RV chains keep getting bigger. Camping World, General RV, Blue Compass, and Campers Inn have all been aggressively buying up smaller dealerships across the country.In many markets, those big names now sit next to each other, or even across the street from one another.That kind of saturation creates brutal competition and raises a serious question. How many stores can a market really support?What we kept hearing in Tampa is that 2026 may be the year underperforming locations start quietly closing.We already saw a preview late in 2025 when Camping World abruptly shut down its store in Escanaba, Michigan.For shoppers, this environment cuts both ways. There is more inventory and more choice, but dealers are under pressure to move aging stock. That pressure can work in your favor, if you negotiate wisely.STORY 2. INFLUENCER FATIGUE. THE MARKETING MODEL IS BREAKING DOWNAnother major theme at the Tampa show had nothing to do with floorplans.Influencer fatigue.By our count, there are now at least 500 so-called RV influencers. Probably more. Anyone with a cellphone camera can claim the title, and many have.For years, manufacturers poured money, free gear, and perks into this system.But saturation has changed everything.Behind the scenes, RV manufacturers and marketing teams are saying the influencer model no longer delivers like it once did. They report being flooded with demands for free RVs, guaranteed commissions, and paid travel just to show up.There are clear signs of a pullback.Winnebago has ended relationships with some influencers. Keystone RV has done the same.The issue is trust. When every product is “the best ever,” audiences stop believing any of it.I overheard it firsthand in Tampa. Outside the influencer building, one man said, “I’d be an influencer too if they gave me free stuff. But since that hasn’t happened, I don’t trust what any of them say. Free stuff and money can buy anything.”That comment captures the problem perfectly.STORY 3. TARIFFS ARE HAMMERING MANUFACTURERS, AND ROADTREK MAY BE THE HARDEST HITAnother major topic of quiet but intense conversation at the SuperShow was tariffs and the damage they are doing to certain RV manufacturers.Start with Europe.The Italian manufacturer Wingamm has been trying to bring compact Class B style motorhomes into the U.S. market for at least the last four years. At one point, the tariff hit on a Wingamm imported from Italy was estimated at roughly $70,000.That nearly killed the effort.The tariff has since been restructured into a fixed import fee announced in mid-2025, about $9,500 on the Oasi 540.1 and roughly $11,100 on other models. Even so, Wingamm has now turned to crowdfunding to help finance its U.S. market entry.Canada is being hit even harder.Many popular Class B vans sold in the U.S. are built in Canada. Tariffs stack up at every step.A prime example is Leisure Travel Vans.Their Unity models use Mercedes Sprinter chassis and major components built in Germany, shipped to Canada, assembled there, and then exported to the United States. Tariffs apply to the chassis, the imported parts, and the finished vehicle.Industry sources say tariffs alone are adding at least $20,000 to the price of a Leisure Travel Vans motorhome. The new Mercedes Benz model that introduced at the show last week was sticker shock on steroids. It’s show price was $272,000. For a B + van. Over a quarter of a million dollars! Yikes. And then there’s Class B campervan maker Roadtrek, made in Ontario.Roadtrek’s situation may be the most severe.The company has struggled since 2019, following a massive financial scandal involving its previous owners that ended in bankruptcy. Roadtrek is currently owned by a French RV company that took control as part of that restructuring.Since then, Roadtrek has faced repeated Mercedes Sprinter chassis shortages, ...
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    14 min
  • RV Kitchen Mastery: Stop Making These Costly Mistakes

    RV Kitchen Mastery: Stop Making These Costly Mistakes
    Jan 14 2026

    Most RVers are doing it wrong. They're tripping breakers, wasting propane, and turning out mediocre meals because nobody ever taught them how to actually use their RV kitchen.

    In this week's conversation, RV Kitchen Expert Evada Cooper cuts through the confusion and delivers the insider knowledge you need. Discover which appliances are actually worth upgrading (and which ones are just marketing hype), learn the proven techniques for cooking restaurant-quality meals in your rig, and finally understand how to manage your electrical system so you can cook without constantly resetting breakers.

    The game-changer? Evada breaks down exactly why your convection oven is the secret weapon you've been ignoring, and shows you step-by-step how to master it. This isn't theory: it's practical knowledge from someone who's cooked thousands of meals on the road and knows what actually works.

    Whether you're tired of eating out, frustrated with your current setup, or just want to expand your mobile cooking skills, this episode delivers real solutions. Stop settling for campground cuisine and start enjoying the meals you deserve.

    Key Topics:

    • The appliance upgrades that actually matter
    • Electrical management strategies for serious cooking
    • Convection oven mastery: techniques and timing
    • Common RV kitchen mistakes and how to avoid them
    • Gourmet meal planning for limited space

    Perfect for both new RVers setting up their first kitchen and veterans ready to level up their cooking game.
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    43 min
  • Power Plays and Fallout in the RV World | RV Podcast News Edition, Episode 582

    Power Plays and Fallout in the RV World | RV Podcast News Edition, Episode 582
    Jan 12 2026
    The RV world always has back-channel stories and simmering controversies, and in this News Edition of the RV Podcast, we break down a couple of those stories and why they matter to RVers.In Episode 582, we dig into the growing backlash over the Harvest Hosts takeover of Escapees RV Club, where longtime members say a once-beloved community is being hollowed out in the name of profit. We examine what private equity ownership really means for RV clubs and why this story has struck such a nerve across the RV community.We also take a close look at major shake-ups in RV technician training. The sudden and unexplained departure of the president of the RV Technical Institute has raised serious questions at a time when the industry desperately needs qualified RV service techs. On top of that, we report on the reported sale of the National RV Training Academy in Texas and what it could mean for future RV tech education.There is more confusion at America’s national parks as new entrance fees for international visitors are causing delays and long lines at park gates. With staffing shortages already stretching the National Park Service thin, we explain what RV travelers should expect and how to plan ahead.And finally, Marcus Lemonis may be gone from Camping World, but he is still very much in the headlines. An arbitrator has ordered Lemonis to pay more than $14 million in damages tied to his role on the TV show The Profit. We look at what this ruling means and how Camping World may navigate an increasingly competitive RV dealership landscape without him at the helm.This is the RV Podcast News Edition, released every Monday morning with insider news, industry developments, and issues that directly impact RV owners and travelers. Our main podcast, Stories from the Road, drops every Wednesday with interviews, destinations, and listener questions.Now let's dive into this week's news.Harvest Hosts vs. Escapees: A Membership Meltdown StoryIf you want to see what happens when private equity gets its hands on a beloved RV community, look no further than the Harvest Hosts takeover of Escapees RV Club. The internet is on fire with member complaints, and the details are jaw-dropping.Here's what's got everyone fired up: In July 2024, Harvest Hosts acquired the management and operations of Escapees RV Club, including the popular Xscapers subgroup for working-age RVers. What happened next has become a textbook case of how private equity-backed companies can effect beloved community organizations.Full disclosure: we've been an affiliate of Harvest Hosts for many years, and the company used to be, but no longer is, an advertiser on this podcast. We're also an affiliate of RV Overnights, a Harvest Hosts competitor that sponsors our Wednesday podcast.Jen and I really like Harvest Hosts and have used it many times. But this story still needs reporting. Because it illustrates what happens when big money gets involved in startups and independent businesses.First, you need to understand that Harvest Hosts is no longer a small, founder-funded RV startup. It is a private equity-backed platform designed to grow, consolidate, and eventually deliver a strong return to investors. In 2021, it reportedly received about $37 million in growth capital and it has been growing and expanding ever since.One of the most biggest acquisitions wasin 2024, when it bought the Escapees Club, which was a family run club started in 1978 by Joe and Kay Peterson, two full-time RVers who were traveling with their family and wanted a way to stay connected with others living the nomadic lifestyle. It grew and grew, was later turned over to Peterson family relatives who eventually sold Harvest Hosts. There was worry and grumbling from members simmering for a long time but most recently, just before Thanksgiving, it turned in to a dumpster fire. According to reports from members and a detailed timeline compiled by concerned community members, Harvest Hosts terminated the Xscapers convergence director and other Escapees staff just two days before the scheduled Thanksgiving convergence. That’s what they called their gatherings - convergences. They told attendees they'd still have a place to park but the event would no longer have a host or the Xscapers brand attached to it. Imagine planning your entire holiday around an event, traveling to the location, and then being told the people running it were just fired.But it gets worse. Harvest Hosts then cancelled several future Xscapers convergences and meetups, seemingly everything except the one annual Bash event, often with little or no notice, according to Facebook group posts. For context, these convergences and gatherings were the main draw to the club for many members. The community-focused events, where working-age RVers could connect with others living the nomadic lifestyle, were what made Xscapers special. Members had planned their entire travel schedules around these gatherings.The pricing controversy adds ...
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    20 min
  • Why RVing Is Making So Many People Unhealthy

    Why RVing Is Making So Many People Unhealthy
    Jan 7 2026

    In this episode’s conversation, we’ll hear from a fulltime RV couple who happen to also be fitness and healthy living experts. They’ll share some startling information for us… How the RV Lifestyle Can Wreck Your Health. But how a few simple tweaks in your daily habits can do an amazing Before and After transformation for you.

    We had some fun using AI to do a before and after exaggeration image for us. But… what we learn this week is pretty eye-opening.

    We were very interested in what they said about how we can actually do some things that counteract the effects of aging

    And we were struck by what happens after you sit behind the wheel of an RV for a few hours.

    Plus, we’ll share a Destination of the Week suggestion for you - the Kofa Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. And we answer a question about camping availability oin Florida in February.
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    42 min