RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

Have you ever sat around a campfire and said, "I've always wanted to write a book"? Maybe it's a novel, a memoir for your grandchildren, a children's story, or something you learned during a lifetime of work. This week's RV Podcast is about taking that idea seriously, and why your RV might be a wonderful place to begin. Award-winning, bestselling author J. Kevin Tumlinson joins us for a conversation about writing, travel, and finally getting those stories out of your head and onto the page. Kevin has written more than 90 books, many of them while traveling by RV with his wife, Kara. He understands both the inspiration of a changing view and the practical challenges of getting work done on the road. We talk about how travel feeds creativity, why leaving familiar surroundings can help you notice things again, and what it takes to write with limited space, unpredictable internet, and another destination waiting down the highway. Whether your goal is publication or simply leaving your family something meaningful, this conversation offers encouragement to get started. Kevin is known for his Dan Kotler archaeological thrillers and Alex Kayne thrillers. He also hosts the Wordslinger Podcast and brings experience from the independent publishing world, including his work with Draft2Digital. He knows that having an idea is only the beginning. Finding a way to keep showing up for it is where the real work happens. It's also a very personal week for us. Mike's first novel, THE TENTH OF AV, was published November 3, and a lot of it was written in our RV. Jennifer watched the process unfold, campground by campground, through many months of writing, research, and revision. In this episode, we share a little of that story and why this project means so much to me. THE TENTH OF AV introduces investigative reporter Ray Mercer in a thriller involving first-century Jerusalem, time travel, and a dangerous threat in the present. It's the first book in The Last Reporter series, available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. When searching, include my name, Mike Wendland, with the title so you find the right book. You can read the first chapter and learn about the series at LastReporterPress.com. There's also a free Ray Mercer short story, THE SECOND SOURCE, introducing him earlier in his reporting career. If you read the novel, an honest Amazon review would mean a great deal as this new series gets underway. And we haven't forgotten the gear questions! In our RV Question of the Week, we answer a listener who wants to know which cameras we use for our RV Lifestyle videos. So grab a cup of coffee and join us. You don't have to arrive with a publishing plan or a finished outline. Maybe you just have a story you don't want your family to lose. Maybe there's an adventure you've imagined for years. We'd love to hear what you've been thinking about writing, or what you've already started. Tell us in the comments. RESOURCES AND LINKS THE TENTH OF AV, first chapter and series: https://lastreporterpress.com Free Ray Mercer story, THE SECOND SOURCE: https://lastreporterpress.com/free Kevin Tumlinson and his books: https://kevintumlinson.com The Wordslinger Podcast: https://wordslingerpodcast.com Mike's Cameras: Insta360 Luna Ultra - https://link.amazon/B09ojVVOy Canon M50 Mark II - https://link.amazon/B0g3qjZuO GoPro HERO13 - https://link.amazon/B06UMfel0 iPhone 17 Pro Max - https://link.amazon/B0cIVQxt7 These are Amazon affiliate links, meaning if you purchase through them I receive a small commission. EPISODE SPONSORS Wholesale Warranties: https://wholesalewarranties.com/rvlifestyle 800-939-2806 RV Overnights: https://rvlifestyle.com/rvovernights Use promo code RVLDEAL for 40% off.

A surprise cash offer has added another twist to the Lippert-Patrick merger battle. Who ends up controlling some of the biggest names in RV components, and what could it mean for parts, competition and the price of your next rig? In this November 2, 2026 RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland breaks down the week's stories and what they mean for RV owners: Sharks circle the Lippert-Patrick merger as LCI rejects an unsolicited buyout offer. A law firm seeks Harvest Hosts and Good Sam members over automatic renewals. We explain what its "investigation" means, and why it isn't a government investigation or proof of wrongdoing. Snowbird season meets high fuel prices, with practical ways to manage your travel costs. Electrical fire recalls raise questions before winter storage. Here's why checking your VIN matters. Arizona's Chiricahua takes the spotlight, with a look at its remarkable rock formations and the RV size limits to know before visiting. Find the transcript and source links at https://RVPodcast.com . Open this episode's Transcript tab and scroll to the bottom. GET OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER RV news, travel ideas, campground information and practical tips: https://RVLifestyle.com/Newsletter PLAN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE Explore our RV travel guides and planning tools: https://shop.RVLifestyle.com CONNECT WITH OTHER RVERS https://RVCommunity.com A PERSONAL MILESTONE Mike's first novel, The Tenth of Av, arrives November 3 in paperback and on Kindle. Read the first chapter and learn more: https://LastReporterPress.com The RV Podcast News Edition publishes every Monday at 6 a.m. ET. Join Mike and Jennifer on Wednesdays for Stories from the Road, featuring interviews, travel ideas, RV tips and your questions.

What really gets under RVers' skin at a campground? We asked the RV Lifestyle community, and the answers came pouring in: loud music, barking dogs, bright lights, people cutting through campsites, and more. Mike and Jennifer talk about the little things that can turn us into the neighbor everyone is talking about, often without us realizing it. They share practical ways to be a thoughtful campground neighbor, how to handle a noisy campsite nearby, and why a quick look around your own site can make a big difference. Plus, Mike answers a listener's question about a GFCI outlet that trips whenever it rains, and Jennifer offers advice on adding privacy to a seasonal campsite. Have a campground pet peeve of your own? Tell us in the comments. We may share it on a future episode. Join our ad-free RV community: https://rvcommunity.com Find unique RV overnight stays and save 40% with promo code RVLDEAL: https://rvlifestyle.com/rvovernights Sign up for our free RV Lifestyle newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter

The RV industry's latest buzzwords are "resilience," "stabilize" and "rightsize." But what do they mean for those of us who buy, own and travel in RVs? In the October 26, 2026 RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland looks past the corporate language to explain what the latest reports from Winnebago, Dometic and the RV Industry Association mean for your next purchase and the rig you already own. Also this week: CUMMINS RECALL... AGAIN: A new L9 fuel hose recall includes some hoses installed during earlier recall repairs. What diesel pusher owners should check. DEF RELIEF: Updated software could ease frustrating engine slowdowns, but are motorhomes and Ram pickups included? RVS BECOME HOMES: Donated travel trailers give hurricane survivors a place to live while rebuilding. YELLOWSTONE ANIMAL RESCUES: A missing horse, a terrier lost for 34 days, and a mustang living with bison. Plus practical lessons for anyone traveling with pets. We also cover a Grand Design Imagine safety chain recall. RESOURCES Full transcript and story source links: https://RVPodcast.com Select this episode, open the Transcript tab and scroll to the bottom. Check your RV for recalls: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls For the Cummins recall, also contact a Cummins dealer with your engine serial number. Plan your next trip with the RV Trip Dashboard: https://RVLifestyle.com/TripDashboard Get our FREE daily RV Lifestyle newsletter: https://RVLifestyle.com/Newsletter Join our private RV community: https://RVCommunity.com Subscribe for the Monday News Edition and Wednesday's Stories from the Road with Mike and Jennifer. Have a question or a story to share? Use the Contact link at https://RVPodcast.com .

Mice do not wait for winter to move into your RV. As nights turn cold, a parked RV can look like the perfect place to nest. And it takes only a tiny opening for a mouse to get inside. This week, Mike and Jennifer talk about where mice get in, how to find the gaps, and what actually helps keep them out. They also discuss the products and folk remedies that may not be worth your money. Plus, our new guide, The Ultimate Canadian Maritimes RV Road Trip, is now available in print and digital. And we answer your questions about crossing into Canada with dogs and food, and whether to leave your RV plugged in between trips. In this episode Why mice head for RVs in the fall How small an opening a mouse can squeeze through Where to look for entry points Ways to seal gaps and discourage mice What to know about mothballs and cleanup Taking dogs and food across the Canada-U.S. border RV battery care during storage Links and resources The Ultimate Canadian Maritimes RV Road Trip Print and digital editions: https://shop.rvlifestyle.com/products/the-ultimate-canadian-maritimes-rv-road-trip Mechanic's wheeled creepers (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/47wFteE Keeping mice out of your RV Victor: How mice fit through small spaces: https://www.victorpest.com/articles/how-do-mice-fit-in-such-small-spaces Victor: How to keep mice out of your RV: https://www.victorpest.com/articles/how-to-keep-mice-out-of-your-rv University of California IPM: House mouse pest notes: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7483.html Orkin: Steel wool and copper mesh for rodent control: https://www.orkin.com/ask-orkin/steel-wool-rodent-control University of Florida IFAS: The facts about mothballs: https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PI289 CDC: About hantavirus: https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html National Park Service: Hantavirus facts and cleanup guidance: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/upload/Hantavirus-fact-sheet-and-light-infestation-cleaning-guidanceJune2025-508c.pdf Crossing the border with dogs and food Canada: Traveling with pets, food or plants: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/travelling-pets-food-plants Canada: Bringing animals and pets to Canada: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/importing-food-plants-animals/pets Canada: Bringing food into Canada for personal use: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-safety-consumers/bring-food-personal-use CDC: Bringing a dog into the United States: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/index.html CDC: Dogs entering from rabies-free or low-risk countries, including Canada: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/rabies-free-low-risk-countries.html USDA APHIS: Traveling from the United States to Canada with pets: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/us-to-another-country-export/pet-travel-us-canada More from RV Lifestyle RV Podcast show notes: https://RVPodcast.com RVOvernights: https://rvlifestyle.com/rvovernights Use promo code RVLDEAL for 40% off. Wholesale Warranties: https://www.wholesalewarranties.com/rvlifestyle Or call 800-939-2806. RV Lifestyle newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter Rules and recommendations can change. Check current government guidance and your RV and battery manufacturers' instructions before your trip or storage period.

Diesel prices have soared past $6 a gallon, but are RVers canceling their trips and parking their rigs? Not according to our latest RV Lifestyle survey. In this week's RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland reports on what hundreds of real RVers are saying about record-high diesel prices. We received 372 comments, and among roughly 300 people who directly answered our question, an overwhelming majority said they're either continuing to travel as planned or making adjustments to keep their RV adventures alive. But that's just the beginning of this week's RV news. ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: RV Dealer Scandal: A major RV dealership chain disappears, leaving families with more than $2 million in court judgments and serious questions about RV quality, dealer accountability, and consumer protection. We examine the investigation into Lazydays and what every RV buyer should know before signing a purchase agreement. Massive Class B Recall: More than 265,000 Ram ProMaster vans are being recalled because of a potential power steering failure. If you own a camper van built on a ProMaster chassis, including certain Winnebago models, you'll want to hear this warning. Lithium Battery Fire Warning: The National Park Service is warning about lithium-ion battery fires after incidents at national parks. What RVers need to know about safely charging e-bikes, portable power stations, and other battery-powered equipment. Animals Get Their Own Overpass: We finish with some encouraging news from Colorado and California, where massive wildlife crossings are helping elk, deer, mountain lions, and other animals cross busy highways safely. One Colorado project has already been credited with reducing wildlife collisions by more than 90%. IN THIS EPISODE: Why high diesel prices aren't stopping most RV travelers How RVers are adapting to higher fuel costs The ProMaster recall affecting Class B motorhomes The Lazydays investigation and RV consumer protections Lithium battery fire prevention New wildlife overpasses making highways safer HELPFUL LINKS: RV Podcast show notes, transcript, and complete news sources: https://RVPodcast.com Check your RV or camper van for recalls: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls Our newly updated RV Trip Dashboard: https://RVLifestyle.com/TripDashboard Join our RV Lifestyle Community: https://RVCommunity.com Get our FREE daily RV Lifestyle newsletter: https://RVLifestyle.com/Newsletter ABOUT THE RV PODCAST Hosted by veteran journalist Mike Wendland, the RV Podcast brings you two episodes every week. Mondays: The RV Podcast News Edition, the latest news and developments affecting RV owners and the RV lifestyle. Wednesdays: Stories from the Road with Mike and Jennifer Wendland, featuring RV travel adventures, interviews, practical tips, and answers to listener questions. Subscribe and join us as we explore the RV lifestyle, the people who live it, and the stories that matter.

They grew up camping together. Then life took them in different directions. Decades later, two sisters are finding their way back to each other, and back to the campground. In this week's RV Podcast, meet Joyce and Susan. One sister kept camping throughout her life. The other returned after losing her husband. Now she travels with caravans, takes solo trips, and shares camping adventures with her sister. We sat down with them outside their rigs at our RVCommunity Fall Rally in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Their story is about family, friendship, starting over, and finding the confidence to get back on the road. Also in this episode: Jennifer shares her experience with knee replacement recovery and what to consider before recovering in an RV. How late can you camp before winterizing? Mike explains how temperature, time, and your rig's heating affect that decision. Planning a Florida winter getaway with our Florida Adventure Guide Bundle. Have you returned to camping after years away, or started traveling again after losing someone? Share your story in the comments. LINKS Complete show notes: https://RVPodcast.com Join our camping community: https://RVCommunity.com Florida Adventure Guide Bundle: https://RVLifestyle.com/allflorida Our daily newsletter: https://RVLifestyle.com/newsletter RVOvernights: https://RVLifestyle.com/rvovernights Use promo code RVLDEAL for 40% off. Wholesale Warranties: https://WholesaleWarranties.com/RVLifestyle

The Federal Reserve says another interest rate hike is likely this year, and the RV industry is already hurting. Camping World sold 16 percent fewer new RVs and says it is "not satisfied with the result." Here is what higher rates mean if you are thinking about financing an RV. Also this week: Hurricane Isaias and Tropical Storm Rachel close campgrounds on the Gulf Coast and in Southern California Trump's red diesel order: why the White House pitch and the fine print don't match, and the latest diesel prices Thor Industries flags the Patrick-Lippert merger as a business risk Arizona's Chiricahua is about to become America's 64th national park, and what RVers need to know about the 29-foot limit Free daily newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter Show notes and full transcript: https://rvpodcast.com Our community: https://rvcommunity.com RV Trip Budget Buddy: https://rvlifestyle.com/budgetbuddy Mike's free short story, THE SECOND SOURCE: https://lastreporterpress.com/free

Three RVCommunity members wrote a song about life on the road and the feeling of finally pulling into your own driveway. They first played it at a campfire at our Smoky Mountains rally. Hear how it came together, the love story behind it, and the whole song, which you can download free. Also: an End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop reminder, why coming home after a long trip can feel like a letdown, and why your furnace drains your batteries on cold nights. Links: Download the song: https://rvlifestyle.com/song https://RVLifestyle.com/Workshop https://RVCommunity.com https://WholesaleWarranties.com/RVLifestyle https://RVLifestyle.com/rvovernights (code RVLDEAL)

Is Harvest Hosts getting too big? Choice Hotels is buying the RV overnight membership company, and members are asking what comes next for prices, reservations and the small-business experience that made it popular. In the October 5, 2026 RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland examines the deal, the membership growth and the questions RVers should ask before renewing. Also this week: Class B camper van makers are changing hands. We examine the ownership changes at Midwest Automotive Designs and Roadtrek, plus a preliminary report about Outside Van. A quieter Elkhart RV Open House offers clues about the market for 2027 models and your bargaining power. Hungry bears are moving through campgrounds. Mike shares encounters from our Pigeon Forge rally and practical steps to protect your campsite, pets and the bears. Meet Backpack, the winner of Fat Bear Week. JOIN OUR OCTOBER 8 WORKSHOP Our live End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop walks you through preparing your rig for storage, with special attention to protecting the plumbing. Admission is $10, with replay access for several days. RVCommunity members attend free and receive unlimited replay access. https://rvlifestyle.com/workshop Free daily RV Lifestyle newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter Join our private RV community: https://rvcommunity.com

John and Cindy are taking their RV across the country on Route 66, and high fuel prices are not stopping them. In this Stories from the Road edition of the RV Podcast, Mike and Jennifer Wendland talk with the couple about their trip, the cost of fuel, and why they decided to keep going. It is a firsthand look at what a Route 66 adventure means to RVers who are determined to make the miles count. Would today's fuel prices change your travel plans? Tell us in the comments.

More than 80 RVers made it to our Smoky Mountains rally despite diesel prices as high as $7.27 a gallon along the way. Mike reports what they are saying about fuel costs, RV quality, and noticeably quieter campgrounds. In this episode: What rally attendees paid for diesel Hershey attendance and the outlook for Elkhart Forest River's new rules for content creators The legal challenge to the Patrick-Lippert merger Proposed national forest access changes When to see fall color in the Smokies Sources for each story are linked at the end of the episode under the transcript tab above Join our End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop: RVLifestyle.com/Workshop Get the large-type Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement: RVLifestyle.com/Retire Subscribe to our free daily newsletter: RVLifestyle.com/Newsletter

Mark and Barb Douyard, 72 and 77, rented out their Delaware home, packed up their fifth wheel and set off on a two-year RV adventure across North America. We talk with them in the middle of their first year about how they made it happen, what surprised them, what has been hard, and what has been the best part so far. Also this week: Jennifer answers a listener whose husband wants to go winter camping in their Class B van, and Mike explains why October mountain campsites are so hard to find and how to still get one. Plus, we head to Pigeon Forge for our fall RVCommunity.com rally.

Hershey drew its biggest opening-day crowd since 2021 while RV shipments stayed down almost 14 percent for the year. We separate the show buzz from the industry numbers and show you where the leverage is if you are shopping this fall. Also: Alliance RV opens its Elkhart Open House to the public for the first time, the BLM reviews a dozen AI data center proposals on public land, the Lippert and Patrick merger hits an antitrust delay, and Elon Musk moves into an Airstream in Memphis. Full transcript and every source link at RVPodcast.com. One note on the YouTube description. The first two lines are all anyone sees before the "more" cutoff, so I front-loaded the contradiction and left the workshop and newsletter links below it rather than burning that space on housekeeping. Click transcriot tab for source list.

We flew to Atlanta for a family wedding instead of taking the RV, and the two hour flight turned into an eight hour day. In this episode we run the real numbers on driving the rig versus flying and getting a hotel, with diesel now over six dollars a gallon, and we land on the one question that actually decides it. We cover why flying saves you almost nothing on a trip under about 500 miles, what 1,400 miles costs in a 14 mile per gallon diesel Class C now compared to a year ago, what the world's busiest airport looks like from a wheelchair and the free help most travelers never ask for, why the hotel and not the venue is the end of the trip that decides whether you bring the rig, and why you should always take the earliest flight of the day. Then two listener questions. Terry and Beth ask whether living in a park model RV counts as living the RV lifestyle, and Jennifer answers. Steve asks whether to carry a spare tire on his Class C or rely on road service, and Mike explains why that is not really an either-or.

Diesel hit $6.05 a gallon Friday. That has never happened before. Not in 2008. Not in 2022. Never. I paid $6.29 in Michigan the morning I recorded this. California stations are posting $9.99. Then Thor Industries dropped a leadership shakeup Thursday night and never mentioned the man who has run Keystone for a decade. Sources close to the company tell me Jeff Runels is out, effective that day, and that big changes are coming to Keystone. All of it lands the same week America's Largest RV Show opens in Hershey with 1,500 RVs on the lot and dealers who need to move them. Here is what is in this episode: Record diesel, why it is not coming back down with oil prices, and six things that cut what you spend on fuel this fall. America's Largest RV Show opens Wednesday. Dealer lots are not overflowing the way you have been told, and the real reason you have the upper hand this week is something else entirely. Five questions to ask before you sign anything. Thor reorganizes its own reorganization seven months later. What the announcement said, what it did not say, and what centralizing a decentralized company usually means for the rig you own. Jason Lippert ran the biggest parts supplier in the business for 32 years. Leigh Tiffin had his family's name on the coach. Both went to work for dealers this year. I think they are seeing the same thing you and I see from the campsite. And 23 million Americans are going RVing this fall anyway, at $6 diesel, most of them staying within a tank of home.

After years of traveling almost entirely in fifth wheels, Mike and Jennifer added a second rig: a new-to-us 2026 Winnebago View, 25 feet long. They took it to Michigan's Upper Peninsula last week, and it changed how they traveled. The Brinkley isn't going anywhere. But somewhere in those years of towing 35 feet, they quietly stopped wandering, and never noticed they'd stopped. In this conversation they walk through the five things the small motorhome gave back, from pulling over anywhere to nap, to parking at Kitch-iti-kipi on a busy day, to taking the turn when you see a sign and wonder what's down there. Plus two listener questions: needing an hour to yourself when a spouse retires, and how to tell when RV tires are too old even though the tread looks fine. LINKS Michigan Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula guides, both for $29.99: https://rvlifestyle.com/uplp Free daily newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter Show notes and full transcript: https://rvpodcast.com RV Overnights, 40% off with code RVLDEAL: https://rvlifestyle.com/rvovernights The RV Lifestyle Community: https://rvcommunity.com

Judy Feigel was already an RVer before her husband died. Short trips, sometimes with her granddaughter, sometimes with a group of women friends. A small thing that was hers. When her huband died four years ago, the question wasn't what to do about the RV. It was what to do with the rest of her life. Four years and four RVs later, she's in a rig with a music studio and a quilting studio built into it, traveling with a 100-pound Bernese mountain dog named Winston, and surrounded by a community she built one campground at a time. In this conversation she talks about what it meant to already have something of her own, what she wants couples to hear, and how a solo traveler finds people on the road. Plus: Mike and Jennifer are back from their first trip since Jennifer's summer of cataract surgery and knee replacement, and two listener questions, on learning to back a trailer at 68, and on leaving a big dog in the RV safely. Full transcript, chapter markers and every link are at RVPodcast.com

RV parks are quietly turning into industrial worker housing. A $100 billion SpaceX spaceport in Louisiana and a wave of data center construction in Texas and the Midwest are filling campgrounds with long-term crews, and recreational campers are the ones getting squeezed out. In this week's Monday News Edition: RVs as work camps. SpaceX announces a $100 billion spaceport in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, new RV parks are expected to house the construction crews, a Texas park near Abilene advertises 2,300 monthly sites for data center workers, and eastern Iowa campgrounds are already running full year-round. Monsoon season is doing real damage. Eleven hikers are rescued with hypothermia at Bryce Canyon in August, and about 50 people are airlifted out of the Grand Canyon on Saturday after flash flooding tore through Bright Angel Canyon. Phantom Ranch and the North Kaibab Trail are closed until further notice. Why all the rockfalls? A large rockfall closes the Zion Canyon scenic drive, a Glacier National Park visitor is killed by a rock that came through his car roof, and researchers explain the link between heat and falling rock. A Colorado startup wants to cut camper van prices in half. Hunker's removable pod drops into a Ram ProMaster and starts at $55,000, but there is a catch worth knowing about. Twelve years later, a microchip brings Flor home. A chihuahua missing for 12 years is reunited with her Evanston family after a shelter in Indiana scans her chip, plus what every RVer traveling with a pet should check this week. LINKS Free daily RV Lifestyle newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter Show notes and full transcript: https://rvpodcast.com RV Community: https://rvcommunity.com The Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement: https://rvlifestyle.com/retirementguide

Alaska tops the RVer bucket list every year, and most people never go, because the logistics look like too much. Jim and Marcia Badhorn skipped the caravan and planned their own 90 day Alaska trip, and they just got back. They tell us how they planned it, what had to be booked ahead, what they would change, and what it is actually like out there on your own. Also this week: we are camping for the first time all summer after Jennifer's knee replacement, we are heading to an RVCommunity mini meetup in Michigan, and we explain why we are suddenly a two RV household without giving up the Brinkley. In our Questions of the Week, Jennifer answers a listener who is nervous about her first boondocking trip, and Mike answers whether towing a heavy fifth wheel really burns through more DEF. Full show notes and links at RVPodcast.com.