Episode 118: Get Ready for Self-Driving RVs

An autonomous or self-driving RV may be in your future. And not that far off, either. That’s what we learn this week from Joel Adams, Director of Engineering and Innovation for the Erwin Hymer Group of North America, who talks with us about self-driving RV’s and what that will mean for the typical RVer. Plus we offer up winter tips for clearing off the snow and ice from your windshield, answer your RV questions, gave RV news of the week and Christmas tech gift ideas under $100 Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. 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 #118 December 14, 2016 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast: JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK Well, it is almost officially winter. And for those in all but the warmest southern states, it can be a real chore to get all the ice and frost and snow off your windshield before heading out in the morning. Keeping the snow and ice off your windshield in the first place makes getting on the road that much easier. So I have a bunch of tips, collected from our Roadtreking Facebook Group and gathered from our own experience and that of our friends. [spp-timestamp time="10:14"] Tip #1: Use an old set of car floor mats to cover your car's windshield in the evening and you won't have any ice or snow to scrape in the morning. Carpet remnants also work. Others use clear plastic shower curtains or old table cloths or old bed sheets. You just put it across your windshield, covering wiper blades so they don’t freeze. Open one front door and put it inside the vehicle; and then stretch it and do the same on the other side. In the morning, just slide them off the windshield and have clear vision with no scraping and defrosting. Tip #2: Spray a 3 to 1 solution of water and vinegar on your vehicle's windows the night before. It keeps them ice proof. It is necessary to dilute the vinegar lest it harm your windshield wipers or the rubber around the windows If it is really cold, like in the single digits, vinegar may not be as effective as rubbing alcohol. You need to prepare a solution by mixing two parts rubbing alcohol and one part water. Tip #3: To keep your windshield wipers from freezing to the windshield overnight, pull your wiper blades away from the windshield during winter months to prevent ice build up on the rubber squeegee and to prevent them from sticking to the windshield. Tip #4: If you forgot to do these things the night before and you come out to find a frozen windshield, try this: Fill a small spray bottle with windshield washer solvent. When your windshield is iced over spray beginning at the top of the windshield and work down towards the midway point. This starts a melting process and the top area will loosen up by time you get to the other side of your car. Tip #5 Visibility is fundamental to safe driving. Although drivers depend on their vehicles’ wiper blades to clear away rain, sleet and snow, many wait to replace them until they need them the most. You should change your wiper blades every six months. or as soon as you notice a difference in driving visibility. Edit When wiper blades no longer make proper contact with the windshield surface, they can begin to squeak, skip, smear or streak reducing driving visibility. And the worst thing you can do with your wipers is to use your windshield wipers to de-ice your windshield. Instead, either use an ice scraper or use your defroster to melt snow and ice So there you go, winter tips for your RV or your car. Be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Send Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox. If I use your tip in the podcast, we’ll send you a free Roadtreking hat! I love hearing from you! Jennifer's tip of the week is brought to you by T RadPower Bikes (www.RadPowerBikes.com_… an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: A listener is traveling after Christmas from Denver to Florida is planning to travel from Denver to Florida and asks for winter travel tips and ideas on how to make the trip more comfortable [spp-timestamp time="16:05"] And a listener is interested in after market screens for her RV [spp-timestamp time="21:55"] Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations. INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK – Autonomous RVs Joel Adams, Director of Engineering and Innovation, and Charlie Rossi, I