Episode 107: RV Lifestyle Q&A, Tips, News and More

In this episode, we tackle a whole bunch of audience questions, on everything from camping in cold weather, to showering in an RV to staying connected to the Internet while traveling. Plus we have lots of news, tips and travel suggestions. Click the player to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details and resources and click the player below to start listening. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #107 Sept. 28, 2016 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast: Jennifer and I catch you up on our recent travels and experiences and preview where we’re headed. It’s fall and as it finally cools off down south and in the southwest, the forests of the northwest, mountain states, Midwest, northeast and Canada are starting to change colors. It’s a perfect time to get out there on a fall RV trip. [spp-timestamp time="1:11"] This part of the podcast brought to you by RadPower Bikes (www.RadPowerBikes.com_… an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK Today’s tip has to do with making the front seats into a bed on a Class B motorhome. [spp-timestamp time="6:17"] We just came back from a boondocking getaway in Northern Michigan with our two grandchildren. Now our Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL best sleeps two… so, with me and the two granddaughters, that meant Mike and Bo were outside, in a tent. No problem there, though Mike may have a different opinion after sleeping on the hard ground. But that’s another topic. This tip has to do with sleeping three in the Roadtrek. I made the back up into two twin beds. Thirteen-year-old Hua Hua slept on the passenger side bed. I had the driver’s side twin. So where to put 10 year old Rachel? Up front, of course. Now Roadtrek and its dealers sell a sort of folding bed that works. But we improvised and found a great solution. We brought along a thick, four inch folding pad that we had used back in our tenting days. Rachel's bed across the front seats What we did to make a bed for Rachel was push the driver and passenger seats back, pull out one of the tables and put that across the space between the two seats. Then we put the four-inch pad, about the size of a twin bed, right across the seats. The table gave solid support. Rachel’s sleeping bag went on top of the pad and she was as snug as a bug in a rug. She says she slept great and was very comfy. The configuration is fine for kids. An adult could manage there in a pinch but we wouldn’t recommend it. We’ll put a photo of Rachel and her sleeping arrangements in the shownotes for this episode at roadtreking.com/107 Rachel and Hua Hua are already looking forward to their next boondocking trip with us. Mike says he needs a little more padding for the tent outslde. Do you have a tip you’d like to share? Use the Leave Voicemail link on the Roadtreking.com website. It lets you record a message using the built in microphone in your computer, smartphone or tablet and send it directly to me. I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: Lots of questions this week! [spp-timestamp time="13:23"] Listener John talked about his interest in the new Hymer Activ Class B motorhome and noted that new production models starting in January will have some nice finishing touches. Bruce called in from Western Colorado where the temperature dropped to 28 degrees. He wonders when he has to start worrying about freezing his pipes in cold weather. Joanne, a semiretired teacher from Ontario, is new to RVing and is planning a long trip to Florida and wants to know about finding some great campsites. This rack holds two kayaks and two bicycles and attaches to the bumper hitch A listener is looking for a side rack to carry a surfboard on his Roadtrek. We suggest he look at vertirack.com/ They are side mounted on the driver’s side. For kayaks, the best Mike has seen are from rvkayakracks.com They are vertical racks at the back of the van that connect to the trailer hitch. For Class B RV’s - maximum kayak length recommended: 10' They even have a kayak rack with an attachment that lets you haul two bicycles. The racks cost from $1,200 to about $1,600 for the krack for two kayaks and two bikes. Shipping os about $200. Matt from North Carolina is a popup camper owner. He wants to know costs of the JetPack Wi-Fi data card. He also asks about setting the right expectations for people who come stay with them while camping. For the JetPACK, USERS can either buy the jetpack outright at $199.99 or on two year contract at $49.99. They can then connect up to 15 devices at once. This can be added to any Verizon plan for $10 line access and then it shares the data from your data bucket. Jan asks about showering in a Ro