RV Navigator

Latest Episodes:

RV Navigator Episode 57 - Digging the RV Navigators Nov 01, 2010

Show notes

This months RVing adventure was a short 4 days in Parke County Indiana home of 32 covered bridges. Covered bridge may conjure up images of New England but Indiana's Parke County has more in a compact space than anywhere else. They have 5 driving routes of about 35 miles each that take visitors to all of the bridges. Some are still in use while others are just along the road side as tourist stops. Many are from the 1800s with other from the early 1900s and all are in fairly good shape. Visitors can at least walk over them all as well as photograph them in the rural settings. Each fall they have a huge outdoor festival that draws thousands of tourists. Our visit was a week after the festival so things were quite. It is worth a visit if you are in the vicinity with your RV. Turkey Run SP offers great camping for all types of RVs. Other topics this month include numerous topics presented by listeners via email including reports from Australia. This months feature is about the changing landscape of wireless internet. Data access is important to most RVers these days for at least email and usually much more. With the vast increase in the demand for data (anything beside voice communication) by cell phone users (all of those Apps), cell companies are struggling to keep up. How does this effect you, what types of service is and will be available, which carriers are best, and alternative to cell phone are all discussed in this feature. Finally, we would like to invite listeners to follow us on Digg.com. Digg is news source with a difference. I regularly find interesting articles about RVing that I would like to share with listeners. The once per month format is not conducive to sharing breaking news so I have been looking at Digg as our option. I am sure that you don't want to get Tweets or Facebook updates from us, but by using Digg, listeners can get the latest RVing info in a very non-intrusive way. I regularly "Digg" stories that I find interesting. You visit the Digg website and become a "rvnavigator" follower. From then on, the stories that I find interesting will be on your opening screen (along with any others that have been dug by people you follow). This is a very nice way to see what someone else is reading without being obtrusive. No emails or other notifications, just links to interesting web based content that you can choose to read/view/listen. There is no personal information shared. You’ll never have to read that I am at a Starbucks for breakfast or how I dressed for Halloween.

RV Navigator Episode 56 - About RVing at Sea Oct 01, 2010

Show notes

Our cruise continued into September as we enjoyed the Crown Princess for almost a month of cruising on our way to New York City. After some difficulty uploading last months changes, we are back with good internet and easily able to make this months deadline. Sorry to those who were looking for the Rv Navigator on September 1, but although finished, it was just not possible to get it uploaded. This month we are back home ready to focus on the RVing lifesyle that we love so much. As regular listeners know, we purchased an iPad at its introduction on April 3, 2010. At this point, it has been part of our family for a little over 6 months. It has become a useful tool which we use almost daily. It has now traveled the world by RV and ship, so we have some interesting comments to make on its use. We also explore the competition as well as update its use for RVers. Finally, this episode is capped with a interesting interview with RV author, Ron Jones from the AboutRving.com website and several RVing books that he has published. He has presented at many RV rallies and shares his take on full time RVing with us.

RV Navigator Episode 55 On the Road far away Sep 01, 2010

Show notes

We come to your this month from the oceans around the British Isles several thousand miles from home. Once again we are doing "RVing on Steroids" on a cruise ship - no navigating, no cooking, no cleaning. Join us for some RV news at sea.

RV Navigator Episode 54 - Hitting "The Rally" Aug 01, 2010

Show notes

We headed south in July knowing that the temperatures would be on the rise as we hit Louisville, KY. This was the site of the largest RV show in the country this year so we felt compelled to see the show regardless of the summer heat. We did spend a couple of extra days on each end checking out Indiana State parks, but the main event was in Louisville, just across the Ohio River in Kentucky. Almost 2900 RVs parked in the lots of the Kentucky Expo Center made the place seemed jammed. Some paid extra for electric hookup, but this was very expensive due to the portable generators that were used to supply the power. We just fired up the genset and boondocked. It was Louisville's hottest days of the year, in the high 90s, so we had to use the generator all of the time we were in the motorhome including over night. Fortunately, the entire event was held under one air-conditioned roof within a couple of minutes walk of our parking spot. Seminars, vendors, dealers and RVs all housed inside for the show. This made the entire event pleasurable and kept us going for the 4 days. It featured 175 seminars, 300 vendors, and 42 dealers as well as evening entertainment. If you want to know what's going on in the world of RVing, come to "The Rally" some year. The next one will be held in Redmond, WA. Among the trends that we spotted were lots of green products, smaller motorized RVs, more talk of used RVs, and close to home destinations. We also found that the RV industry is on the rebound and coming back strong. We consider RVing to be a very economical means of travel and can be cost effective for both families and full-timers. All of this is fodder for our Rally round-up podcast. As always we appreciate your listening. Send comments, suggestions and ideas to navigator@rvnavigator.com.

RV Navigator Episode 53 - A Spartan Trip Jul 01, 2010

Show notes

RV manufactures generally do not build the entire RV because they buy the chassis with engine from chassis builder. Once the chassis leaves their factory, the RV manufacturer adds the body and interior. Responsibility for warranty and repair of the chassis and engine is Spartans (in our case). At a chassis rally we learned about how to maintain and use our motorhome under pinnings. Obviously it is important to keep all of these systems in good working order and maintained so that you will arrive at your destination. We had the 44 point check-up and most of the fluids and filters replaced. Many had not been touched since the vehicle was new so it was time. The Spartan factory has a complete repair facility near by the Rally headquarters. With over 50 coaches from many brands in attendance, we had lots of company and stories to hear. New in 2010 is the latest round of emission controls for diesel engines in the US. Cummins as well as many engine manufacturers has started using a DEF fluid sprayed into the exhust. This in addition to the earlier exhaust particulate filter add substantially to the cost of new diesel engines regardless of end use - RV, over the road, auto, or truck. This will make new diesel pushers, sprinters, and class C diesels much more expensive for the end user. This is a major focus of this episode, but we do have a review of news and interesting tidbits from the RVing world. We will be attending the "The Rally" on July 22,2010 so if plan to attend let us know. We always hope that you enjoy our musings about the state of RVing and our world. We appreciate your comments and suggestions by email (navigator@rvnavigator.com).

RV Navigator Episode 52 - The Long Way Home Jun 01, 2010

Show notes

After 4+ months of travel on the road, we headed back North to the Chicago area to visit our stick home. Having traveled about 7 months out of the last year, we wonder if having a home is really worth it. It is, however, nice to be "home" again. The Chicago summers are pleasant and the list of activities is extensive. So we'll be on the home front until mid-August when the wanderlust will catch up with us again. After detouring around Nashville and other flooded point of Tennessee, we made our way north in a leisurely fashion arriving early in May. Topic in this months podcast include an interview with friends who spend extended RVing time in Mexico. Mexico camping is of interest to many full timers and part timers alike so this topic is very relevant. They share first hand experience (having just returned from several months in Mexico) about the dos and don'ts of Mexico camping. Their experienced mirrored our experiences (more limited travel in Mexico) - once you get away from the boarder towns it is a rewarding experience and not that different than camping in the US. It does take some preparation and planning so give this interview a listen if Mexico is on your itinerary anytime soon. We discuss some unusual family issues with retiring parents and the always present list of tech topics that face every RVer. Join us for 45 minute tour of the RV landscape for the month of June. We always hope that you enjoy our musings about the state of RVing and our world. We appreciate your comments and suggestions by email (navigator@rvnavigator.com).

RV Navigator Episode 51 - From BBQ to Cajun May 01, 2010

Show notes

We have been on the road most of the month, although for us that means staying for a week or so at a time in each campground. After the Texas coastal experience, we headed in land to check out the Texas Hill country near Austin. Spring in this area brings the Bluebonnets to life creating a blue tapestry on the side of the road. This is all courtsey of Lady Bird Johnson. She was a wild flower lover and had the seeds spread along the highways of the the area. The LBJ ranch is in the region so she spend alot of time in the area. It does give a splash of color to the landscape and give towns the excuse to have a festival. We attended the Burnet Bluebonnet festival and enjoyed its small town atmosphere. Even better for me was the discovery of real Texas BBQ for which this area is famous. It was a whole new experience in dining. From Texas we headed to rural Lousiana, 2 hours outside New Orlaens to sample the Cajun specialtiies. Once again we found much to love about the cuisine of the area, but not the hot sauces. Featured were crawfish in season. Tasty to say the least and a special treat for those brought up on beef and mash potatoes. We ended the month at the Biloxi Crawfish festival on the Mississippi coast. This mont was the month of the iPad introduction and I was at an Apple store on April 3rd to get mine. Check out our impression in the podcast. That is not the only technology improvement in our RVing life as we also purchased the SilverLeaf engine monitor system. They sell a small box which interfaces the computer to the diagnostic port found on most modern engines. Once connect all of the engines operating perameters can be displayed on the computer screen while the engine is operating. Our netbook has been pressed into service as the display for the SilverLeaf and it works well. We also talk about many other topics as we get off topic to discuss things not in notes. We always hope that you enjoy our musings about the state of RVing and our world. We appreciate your comments and suggestions both by email (navigator@rvnavigator.com) and on our listener comment phone line, 815/230-0772. Also send us your rig photos for inclusion on the "rig photos" page. There are many new rigs represented so send yours in now.

RV Navigator Episode 50 - A shady story Apr 01, 2010

Show notes

I toyed with making some lame Aprils fools joke this month, but we did not want to mislead our listeners. We make enough honest mistakes so that intentional ones would not be appreciated. The RVIA reports that February RV shipments to dealers is up 95% over last year, so maybe we can be optimistic about RVing next year. Plus have lots more company in the campgrounds. Our travels have taken us to the Gulf beaches of Texas near Houston. As many of your will remember, just 18 months ago they were hit by a major storm, IKE. We found that the area has recovered remarkably well. Yes, there are signs of storm damage, but most tourist sites are fully operational and welcoming tourists. Aside from the Texas state wide spring break, we found most campgrounds and venues uncrowded. Although we did just see a TV report on South Padre (near our January headquarters in McAllen), which looked like a human zoo during spring break time. It is extended here due to its national popularity. We have been spending a week here, a few days there and generally moseying around the Houston area for most of the month. An interview with MCD products CEO, Dave, gave us a chance to introduce our new cockpit shades. We had a complete set installed at their factory in McKinney TX during the first week of March. Clean water is important to RVers. We are always on the lookout for useful products for clean water. Reverse osmosis is considered to be the best method of purifying water but it is hard to set up in an RV. Not only does it produce lots of waste water, but it needs its own faucet. We found and purchased an interesting product which offer a temporary reverse osmosis system when ever you have campsite water and sewer. Also this month, I polished the headlight lenses on the RV. After years of exposure to the elements, they had become dull. Using my trusty drill and a special kit, I gave them a polish - it was easy. We also talk about many other topics as we get off topic to discuss things not in notes. We always hope that you enjoy our musings about the state of RVing and our world. We appreciate your comments and suggestions both by email (navigator@rvnavigator.com) and on our listener comment phone line, 815/230-0772. Also send us your rig photos for inclusion on the "rig photos" page. There are many new rigs represented so send yours in now.

RV Navigator Episode 49 - Black skies in the night Mar 01, 2010

Show notes

Waiting, waiting, waiting in the RGV for the weather to finally warm enough to hit the road. We have many plans for travel in Texas, but this winter has been cold even here, so we are waiting until El NIno gets through with winter. Mid month we headed off to west Texas and Big Bend National Park. We wanted to give this area enough time - no rushing the itinerary so we scheduled 2 weeks for the NP and associated state parks. In retrospect, this was plenty of time for us. If you were a avid hiker, birder or similar sport enthusiast, then more time might be necessary. Our plans were two camping sites in the park and then on to the Davis mountains to the north. We managed to drive most of the improved roads and some 4 wheelin' roads as well as see all of the major sights in a week. The second week was spent a bit north visiting Marfa, Alpine, McDonald Observatory, and Fort Davis. Our overwhelming feeling was one of isolation and desolation of this area. Small towns (usually less than 1000 population) and scattered ranches make up most of this area. Whole counties with less than 5000 population are the norm in the west Texas region. For us urbanites, this feels like nowhere. Cell phones are useless, stores as we know them are hundreds of miles away, fuel and life's essentials are very expensive. Our satellite internet and TV kept us connected everywhere - no trees on this landscape, so we did feel connected. However, there was no local TV or even radio. We are now back in the Dallas area, restocked and replenished. This episode has many interesting topics - many that our listeners have brought up. We try to discuss some interesting articles that we have found in addition to interviewing one of our listeners in the Chicago area via Skype. We appreciate your comments and suggestions both by email (navigator@rvnavigator.com) and on our listener comment phone line, 815/230-0772. Also send us your rig photos for inclusion on the "rig photos" page. There are many new rigs represented so send yours in now.

RV Navigator episode 48 - Exploring the RGV Feb 01, 2010

Show notes

After arriving in South Texas in late December, we have spent a stationary month in the Rio Grande Valley. This month, we interviewed some long time fulltimers, attended the local RV show, & did some comparisons of the RGV & other warm weather spots.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected