RV Lifestyle

Posted this on my Substack this morning. It's a pet peeve. But I'm also hearing these words creep into social media more and more. Enough already! lastreporter.substack.com/p/the-f-word-is-not-auth…

6 days ago | [YT] | 9

RV Lifestyle

By now, many of you know I have just finished my first novel, a thriller involving a journalist, history, religion, and a little science fiction. It's an epic-length story, the first of what will be a 5-book series. There are no RVs in this first one. This is no spur of the moment thing... It started with an idea 40 years ago on our first trip to Israel. Here's the backstory.... lastreporter.substack.com/p/the-book-ive-been-tryi…

1 week ago | [YT] | 28

RV Lifestyle

🎙️This Week in RVing: The Montana LLC Crackdown Has Started. Are RVers Next?
That Montana LLC Thing? California Just Charged 14 People.

You've probably seen the pitch. Set up an LLC in Montana, buy your RV under it, skip the sales tax. There are firms working the RV shows right now selling exactly that.

California just filed charges against 14 people over it. The vehicles were Ferraris and Lamborghinis, not travel trailers, but the mechanism is identical to what is being sold to RVers. And that rumor about investigators walking storage lots looking for Montana plates? I checked. It is not a rumor.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

RV Lifestyle

​We bought a second RV!​
No, we are not replacing our Brinkley fifth wheel. We love it, and it will remain our primary RV for longer trips, cross-country adventures, and extended stays. But we have missed the spontaneity of traveling in a smaller motorhome, along with the ability to boondock and explore places where our 35-foot fifth wheel simply cannot go. Meet our new RV!

1 week ago | [YT] | 8

RV Lifestyle

​This week, we go behind the scenes with Jerry Aldridge, founder and former president and CEO of Coach-Net. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyEhc... Jerry explains how an RV roadside-assistance call is handled, how providers find technicians capable of working on your particular rig, and what RV owners should realistically expect when they are stranded far from home.

We also share Jennifer's encouraging six-week knee-replacement update and tease the used small motorhome we just bought without giving up our Brinkley fifth wheel.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1

RV Lifestyle

Most of you know me through RV Lifestyle, but RVing is not the only thing I think about, write about, or care about.

I have started writing on Substack about some of those other interests: journalism, the Internet, artificial intelligence, writing, faith, history, aging, creativity, and the lessons that come from a lifetime of chasing stories. I call my little spot there The Last Reporter.

My latest post is called "Whatever Happened to I Don't Know?" It's how intellectual humility has been replaced by instant opinions, confident guesses, and the pressure to sound certain about everything. It is a reflection on curiosity, credibility, and why admitting what we do not know may be the first step toward finding the truth.

Again, it isn't about the RV Lifestyle, though I do plan to have some words about that, too.

But if you enjoy my reporting and storytelling but would like to see the non-RV side of what interests me, come join me on Substack. You can read the latest post and subscribe through the link below. There's a lot there and lots more to come.

lastreporter.substack.com/p/whatever-happened-to-i…

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 15

RV Lifestyle

🎙️This Week in RVing: Winnebago Shuts Two Plants: The RV Industry Is Deep in the Woods

Winnebago Industries is closing two RV manufacturing plants and moving production into other facilities with unused capacity. The company calls it a "strategic manufacturing alignment." We call it what it is: contraction in an RV industry that is deep in the woods.

Also in this RV Podcast News Edition:

🎙️Used RV values are up 11 percent from a year ago, and we took our own advice. We just bought a used small motorhome as a second RV. We are keeping our Brinkley fifth wheel for longer trips, while the motorhome will be used for quicker travel and more boondocking. We will share more details later this week.

🎙️Even the ultra-rich need a break. A Florida dealer is offering fractional ownership in luxury motorcoaches, including a 25 percent share of a 2027 Millennium for $679,999, plus an estimated $1,500 monthly management fee.

🎙️The FCC says Starlink had more than 7 million U.S. subscribers, but that number does not match other figures supplied by SpaceX. Who is doing the math?

🎙️Acadia National Park stewards are dismantling hundreds of unauthorized rock piles. Mike explains why these piles are not harmless decorations and why visitors should stop building them.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1

RV Lifestyle

We haven't gone anywhere in a month, and somehow it has been one of the busiest months we've had all year.

Jennifer is now a month into recovery from total knee replacement surgery, and in this video we're sharing what that recovery has REALLY been like.

I finished our new book, The Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement (more about that below), worked on the garden, did more dishes than I care to count, and made an important upgrade to our Brinkley fifth wheel.

Best of all, we're finally getting ready to hit the road again.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3

RV Lifestyle

In this Stories from the Road episode, we share the gear that has genuinely made RV life easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable, including:

👉Why a washer and dryer completely changed how we travel
👉The lithium battery and solar system we'd install again in a heartbeat
👉The mattress upgrade that transformed our sleep
👉Three inexpensive accessories we now consider essential
👉Why our air fryer gets used almost every day
👉The camping chairs we're still searching to replace
👉The appliance that we used exactly once... and now lives in the barn
👉Why we stopped buying most RV toilet paper
👉When black tank chemicals really are worth buying... and when plain water works just as well
👉The technology that made us retire our cellular boosters and routers

We also answer two listener questions:

1. How can someone overcome the fear of driving a large RV if their spouse becomes unable to drive?

2. Is it time to downsize from a large Class A motorhome after retirement?

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

RV Lifestyle

NEW NEWS PODCAST EPISODE: Camping World's announcement that it's cutting another $100 million in costs after reporting weaker-than-expected RV sales.

An important tariff exemption on a key building material that could help keep manufacturing costs from climbing even higher.

Practical strategies Jennifer and I use to help keep fuel costs under control without sacrificing the adventure.

RVs are once again becoming temporary homes for families displaced by the devastating Texas floods.

And finally, I explain why more than 200 outdoor recreation businesses, including many of the biggest names in the RV industry, are urging Congress to act before leaving for its August recess.

1 month ago | [YT] | 1