RV Travel Podcast

Preview: Actor, author, RVer Matthew McConaughey talks his new book, Airstreams, destinations, and driving tips

RVTravel.com Podcast - Here's your preview of episode 13: We go Hollywood, and then far away from it. One of Time magazine's “Most Influential People in the World," Emmy, Golden Globe and Academy award winner, actor and author Matthew McConaughey joins host Scott Linden exclusively on the RV Travel podcast. He's in his Airstream as we talk, and now on your phone and computer.  The SAG Award-winning actor gives RVTravel podcast listeners a tour of his Airstream, and oh, we'll also talk about his New York Times best seller Greenlights and how so much of the book is relevant to RV travelers.

Listen to the entire episode here!

Actor, author, RVer Matthew McConaughey talks his new book, Airstreams, destinations, and driving tips

Ep. 13: We go Hollywood, and then far away from it. One of Time magazine's “Most Influential People in the World," Emmy, Golden Globe and Academy award winner, actor and author Matthew McConaughey joins host Scott Linden exclusively on the RV Travel podcast. He's in his Airstream as we talk, and now on your phone and computer.  The SAG Award-winning actor gives RVTravel podcast listeners a tour of his Airstream, and oh, we'll also talk about his New York Times best seller Greenlights and how so much of the book is relevant to RV travelers.

[Want to win a cool RVTravel.com coffee mug? Post a rating of the RVTravel podcast at Apple podcasts and you’re entered to win. Winner drawn at random from all who rated the podcast, on July 30, 2021.]

Matthew talks “livin’ life,” the therapeutic aspects of RV travel and other lessons he’s learned while van lifing, boondocking, and traveling most of America in his Airstream. We talk every aspect of RV’ing … the renovations he’s made to his rigs, why he loves RV travel, and even practical stuff like driving advice, picking the right campsite and some must-see destinations.

The RV Travel podcast is brought to you by SoftStartRV power management, Clear20 water filters, RVTravel’s Who Makes What guide to manufacturers and RV brands.

Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe and rate the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks!

Industry insider spills the beans on dealer tricks and traps, and Geeks show us how to take better cell phone pictures

This week’s RVTravel.com podcast is so incendiary, we’ve actually had to bleep out some parts. On the lighter side, Geeks on Tour help us take better cell-phone photos. Here are the details:

At timecode 3:05 Are you a “spiral notebook commando?” If you want to avoid ripoffs, you should be! Kevin Frazer of Cheyenne Camping Center goes to town on RV dealer’s unscrupulous selling practices, tricks and traps. From his take on the motives of “chain-type” dealership groups, to financing, add-on costs, extended warranties and how customers are just a means to an end. [We’ve bleeped out his most scathing accusations in the interest of fairness. Caveat emptor!] Kevin advocates trusting your own “sixth sense,” digging deep into reviews, and shows you how to be a savvy buyer.

At timecode 29:00, “Geeks on Tour” Chris and Jim Guld show us how to take better cell phone photos … from holding your phone differently, to enhancing your pictures after you take them, and where and how to store them.

The RV Travel podcast is brought to you by SoftStartRV power management, Clear20 water filters, RVTravel’s Who Makes What guide to manufacturers and RV brands.

Please subscribe and rate the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your own podcasts. Thanks!

Find a spot near Yellowstone, buy your own, tour the "Trees of Mystery," and learn how to get RV service when you need it

Ep. 11:  Find more places to park, a mysterious destination, why a service appointment is so hard to get … plus a Yellowstone RV park that has room for you this summer. It’s all part of the RV Travel podcast … radio for the Internet!

At 2:00, host Scott Linden connects you to an RV Park in West Yellowstone that has vacancies, if you act fast.

At 7:20 Ryan Kuchler of landdocker.com explains his new service  matches RV site owners with potential users. He’ll forecast trends and help you find RV spaces for sale or rent, from short-term to full-time. He outlines search tactics and explains some of the land-use hoops you might have to jump through if you want to buy your own land.

At 22:15 Our new partners at HearHere take us on an adventure to the Trees of Mystery, a magical place on the Northern California coast offering natural wonders, and a skyway through some of the largest trees in the world.

At 27:00 Curt Hemmeler of the RV Technical Institute helps us manage maintenance of our rigs and explains why it takes so long to get service at a dealership or repair facility.

He explains what you can do yourself to minimize trips to the repair facility, and tools RVTI will be providing soon that we can use. Plus: why dealer groups buying independent dealers might help us get a service appointment sooner.

The RV Travel podcast is brought to you by SoftStartRV power management, Clear20 water filters, RVTravel’s Who Makes What guide to manufacturers and RV brands.

Please subscribe and rate the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your own podcasts. Thanks!

RVTravel podcast: a campsite for you in Pigeon Forge, safer water, leave a legacy, tour the new Dynamax Europa

Episode 10 of the RV Travel podcast is “on the air” right here. It’s like talk radio on the Internet: one click and you’ll get experts answering host Scott Linden’s questions – and yours, too. You’ll find places to go, learn from your friends in the RV world and have some fun along the way.

Pick and choose when and what you listen to – at home, while reading RVTravel.com, or on the road with Apple Podcasts. Here are the topics and time codes:

2:37 YES Vacancy! Scott shares a carefully-researched destination RV park that actually has room for you – in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Here’s the link.

5:17 Co-founders of the National Parks Bucket Journal explain how “guided journaling” can make your RV travels more fun and more productive. They’ll tell you that a structured “research” effort helps you maximize your time at a national park by encouraging planning, exploration and study, and creating a legacy. Learn more here.

21:10 The president of Clear2O.com scares the bejeesus out of us, then takes us to school on how water filters work, how long they last, RV water supplies, equipment, procedures and best practices, then how to remove those pesky particles and questionable odors before they get to your rig at an RV park. Here’s a link.

42:00 We get an exclusive audio factory tour of the brand-new Dynamax Europa Super C, conducted by the firm’s designer and general manager. We get the backstory, kick the tires, check the powertrain and suspension, jump on the bed, check the tech, slam the doors, and check the size of the shower. Learn more at the website.

The RV Travel podcast is brought to you by SoftStartRV power management, Clear20 water filters, RVTravel’s Who Makes What guide to manufacturers and RV brands.

Please subscribe and rate the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your own podcasts. Thanks!

Big developments at RVTravel.com; how supply & demand affect you; hacking the campsite crunch; save a few bucks

Episode #9: A wide-ranging episode full of useful information, whether you're searching for a campsite, buying or selling an RV, trying to keep your rig functioning well, or want to save a few bucks on everything from campsites to diesel fuel.

At 3:40 on the timeline, RV Advice Facebook group members offer suggestions on ensuring your refrigerator stays cool as summer's scorching temperatures affect its performance. At 8:30, RVTravel.com founder Chuck Woodbury announces his new role and recent developments at the website, and trends in the industry that we should be following. Next, at 23:40, new news editor Mike Gast's take on supply and demand of everything from replacement parts to whole RVs, plus hints on new places to camp and ways to hack the current reservation crunch.

RVTravel.com writer Gail Marsh saves us all some money at 38:10, offering tips on work camping, useful apps, and other penny-pinching strategies for RVers at home and on the road.

The RV Travel podcast is brought to you by SoftStartRV power management, and Clear20 water filters.

Please subscribe and rate the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and anywhere you get your own podcasts. Thanks!

RV Travel podcast, the "odor episode": propane primer, a black tank that doesn't stink, that new-trailer smell

Episode #8: It’s our “odor episode!” Our noses go from propane, to black water, to that new trailer smell! We’re solving your problems, keeping you safe, and getting an in-depth look at a cool little trailer – tour conducted by the company founder!

Starting at 5:10 in the podcast, Brian Cordill of the Propane Education & Research Council takes us to school on the stuff, from safety, do’s and don’ts, and best practices to why it stinks … including do you really need to shut off your fridge when you’re traveling or re-fueling your rig? …

At 25:05 on the time code, YouTuber T.R. Bowlin shares his horror stories, experiments and solutions to rid your black tank of odor and residue. He contends there’s a better way than the one you’re likely using, and it will probably make your tank sensors more accurate. He offers a simple, step-by-step method to eliminate the problems caused by a “poo pyramid.” Hint: it’s all about oxygen and water.

At 44:10, Founder of Little Guy trailers Joe Kicos conducts a personal audio tour of their “MiniMax” unit from tongue to bumper, inside and out. He answers the questions you’d have about this innovative unit, shares their design philosophy … plus a little history of teardrop-style trailers.

The RV Travel podcast is brought to you by SoftStartRV power management, Clear20 water filters, America’s Mailbox, and CarGenerator.

Please subscribe and rate the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and anywhere you get your own podcasts. Thanks!

RV Travel podcast: stuff you won’t get anywhere else ... industry news, must-have accessories, and a VIP tour from the builder

Episode 7: Insider information times three this week on the RV Travel podcast. First, host Scott Linden gathers three of the biggest names in the industry from RVBusiness.com: Sherman Goldenberg, Rick Kessler and Greg Fore offer insights into manufacturers’ thinking and how it affects us. They provide advice for RV travelers from their unique perspective on everything from campsite availability to new models and technology – some still on the drawing board.

Patrick and Patty McCormick of YouTube sensation “Travels with Delaney” give us their top five picks for awesome RV accessories, plus advice on traveling with pets including a narrowly-averted horror story with a 10-week-old puppy.

And you won’t have to wait until June to tour the new and innovative Arcadia trailer from the Keystone family. Not even available yet to consumers, two of the key people involved in design and manufacturing that unit take us on an exclusive audio factory tour – we kick the tires and open the cupboards, go inside (literally) for a sneak preview of the engineering advances and design philosophy. This candid look (listen?) from factory insiders spills the beans on everything important to an RV shopper … most you won’t find in any brochure or web page!

Listen while you read RVTravel.com, download to your phone for that next trip, and please tell your friends about the most lively, entertaining and informative RV podcast you’ll find on the Internet. It’s available on all the podcast platforms from Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio.

Brought to you by SoftStartRV power management, Clear20 water filters, America’s Mailbox, and CarGenerator.

Get your rig ready ... pro's help us organize our heads, the inside and outside of our RV, for summer

Episode 6: Host Scott Linden helps you get that rig road-ready for this season! Experts weigh in on everything from backing and towing to organizing the interior and exterior, and the “righter” way to deploy your power awning and extend the life of your batteries.

RVTravel.com writer Mark Polk of RV Education 101 helps us drive like a pro, and will alert us to some common goofs we make when hooking up and driving, including why your “pivot point” is so critical. Brian of “five2go” video fame will square away cupboards, closets and kids/grandkids, and share with us the one item he simply won’t leave home without. Josh the RV Nerd has learned some lessons the hard way from his Haylett RV service techs, so we don’t have to! The best news: one of them takes just “half a second.” Can’t beat it!

RV Advice Facebook followers debate the proposed Texas law prohibiting RV parking on public streets, and reveal their deepest, darkest secrets about the RV they hope to buy next.

Listen while you read RVTravel.com, download to your phone for that next trip, and please tell your friends about the most lively, entertaining and informative RV podcast you’ll find on the Internet.

Brought to you by SoftStartRV power management, Clear20 water filters, America’s Mailbox, and CarGenerator.

Freedom. Backing. Beauty. Convenience. What else is there to life?

Episode 5: Freedom is the byword here this week, from overnight visits to wineries and ranches, to readers' advice on a most critical issue ... while maintaining a healthy relationship with your spouse afterward!

RVTravel.com readers offer 99 tips on backing your rig into tight spots with humor and aplomb, while staying civil and keeping a smile on everyone's face.

Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts outlines his big expansion plans for the company, which helps you find overnight parking at unique destinations from breweries to museums. It might be your alternative to a WalMart parking lot on your next trip.

RVTravel.com founder Chuck Woodbury shares one of his favorite multi-day excursion to the red rock country of Utah ... land of mystery and stunning scenery. RVTravel.com writer Janet Groene fills us in on practical travel tips for solo female RVers, planning your trips according to Nature's calendar and all those upcoming holidays.

And finally, RVTravel.com readers chime in on the importance of music in their traveling lives ... and why.

The RVTravel podcast is brought to you by America's Mailbox, Cargenerator, SoftstartRV, and RVTravel.com