RV Navigator

April 1st we fired up the RV for the trip back to Chicago. This was to be a meandering journey that would up the month. We planned to visit Savannah, Washington DC, Charlotte SC, and the Laurel Highlands of SE PA. All went well on this journey as we explain in this months podcast. We had several new systems to test out on this 1200 mile trip. Although we had not been to these destinations in quite a few years, it was nice to relive earlier experiences. We enjoyed Washington DC because of the welcome it provides to tourists. Many attractions are free and the transportation is easy and inexpensive. Of course we always have to consider weather on our travels. Spring storms can cause major damage, but we were not effect until we arrive home. Then the snow arrived. Up until the trips end, the weather had been good - mostly warm and just a little rain. Then the cold and snow arrived in Chicago. In this episode we share experiences about using a towed, the new engine monitor called Bluefire, as well as new cell data plans as well as our experiences with campground reservations and camping in the nations capital.

this episode we are focused on our recent trip to Antartica. At the end of February, we headed South - way sou In th. In the land of ice, snow and rock that makes up the 7th continent. This land mass has no native animals, insects or plants (aside from a few liken). So why visit such a desolate place? The landscapes are bleak but beautiful with black rocky peaks and crisp white snow. The marine life is abundant with penguins, seals, whales, birds and many smaller lifeforms. Cruising is the only way to visit, as there are no public airstrips or outposts for visitors. Even the cruises only have landings at remote beaches or rock outcrops where the penguins or seals congregate. Cruise ships must bring everything their passengers will need for their stay. So we were provided with jackets and knee length insulated boots to put over our layers of cold weather clothing. Daily we suited up for our zodiac trip to the landing area for the day. Once there we “toured” on foot to see the penguin colony or snowy peak that offered views. We encountered both clear sunny skies and complete overcast with snow (and/or rain) with temps in the lower 30s. Not your usual cruise. This one was like a 3 week focused college course on the land south of South America. To make this a reality, the ships company included 21 scientist/lecturers that were specialists in some aspect of Antartica including marine biology, geology, history and ecology. We learned, saw and experience a different world which is very unique and remote in this modern world.

In this episode we are focused on our recent trip to Antartica. At the end of February, we headed South - way south. In the land of ice, snow and rock that makes up the 7th continent. This land mass has no native animals, insects or plants (aside from a few liken). So why visit such a desolate place? The landscapes are bleak but beautiful with black rocky peaks and crisp white snow. The marine life is abundant with penguins, seals, whales, birds and many smaller lifeforms. Cruising is the only way to visit, as there are no public airstrips or outposts for visitors. Even the cruises only have landings at remote beaches or rock outcrops where the penguins or seals congregate. Cruise ships must bring everything their passengers will need for their stay. So we were provided with jackets and knee length insulated boots to put over our layers of cold weather clothing. Daily we suited up for our zodiac trip to the landing area for the day. Once there we “toured” on foot to see the penguin colony or snowy peak that offered views. We encountered both clear sunny skies and complete overcast with snow (and/or rain) with temps in the lower 30s. Not your usual cruise. This one was like a 3 week focused college course on the land south of South America. To make this a reality, the ships company included 21 scientist/lecturers that were specialists in some aspect of Antartica including marine biology, geology, history and ecology. We learned, saw and experience a different world which is very unique and remote in this modern world.

February is always short, but because we are leaving for Antartica in late February, we are getting ready early. This maybe a time when we’ll be totally out of touch at the beginning of the month and thus not able to do the podcast, so we did it early. Our 17 day sailing will take us further south than we've ever been at the end of their summer. However we are expecting cold - in the 20s. This is a big change from February in FL. This month has been very warm while the rest of the country is mired in cold winter weather. After getting our alternator fixed for the second time, we headed off to do a bit of boondocking. For those who are new to RVing, boondocking is camping without hookups. In this case we were at the mouth of Port Canaveral with a great view of the ships (many cruise ships) sailing in and out of the second busiest port in FL. Our motorhome is nicely set up for boondocking - and we discuss this issue on this episode.

CBS News came a calling to check out our podcast this month. This took the form of a 4 man crew coming to our RV site in FL to set-up and record your RV Navigator being interviewed by CBS Correspondent David Pogue. This took place on January 4th with the final product airing on January 20th CBS Sunday Morning program. Our segment (1 minute & 11 seconds) was part of a longer segment (5 minutes) called “The Golden Age of Podcasting” with more info on podcasting in general. This was all quite exciting for us and totally out of the blue. It was a result of a cold call from the producer to us asking for an interview. We were also pleased that David sat down for a brief interview that will be part of this months RV Navigator episode. He turned out to be congenial interviewer and a good interviewee although he has no RVing experience. Since the Sunday airing, our podcast downloads have gone through the roof (at our expense). A usual months worth of downloads happened on that single Sunday after the broadcast. Consistently, we have about 15,000 download per episode over a few months. This Sunday (1/20/19) we had 16833 download in a single day! Obviously a new record for our podcast. The level of downloads increase for all episodes as new listeners worked their way through some of the most recent editions. This was not the only news this month, as we visited the Tampa RV Super Show in mid month. As usual this huge RV show was displaying all of the new RV hardware. We took the opportunity to replace our Blue Ox tow bar and upgrade our interior LED lights. We also looked at lots of other stuff but didn’t buy anything else. We touch on a few other topics, but this is the main trust of this months edition.

We begin our 13th year of the RV Navigator in the warmth of Florida. This episode is our annual NYE edition which features champaign and fun as the new year begins. Lots of RV tech topics to cover as your hosts share their adventures of the past year.

RV Navigator Episode 164- Back2Back2Back

RV Navigator Episode 163- Small Ship Adventure

Rvers need to be flexible and mobile. We planned to be in SC this month, but the hurricane had other plans so we headed to FL early. After stopping in Gaffney SC for a quick check up of the MH, we were planning to visit relatives near the coast of SC. However, this was just as the hurricane was scheduled to make landfall, so we packed and spent most of the month on our new lot at The Great Outdoors in Titusville. Unfortunately, once again mother nature surprised us. The weather in FL was very hot and humid. September in FL is warm, but this was record breaking heat. Combined with high humidity, it was very uncomfortable. So much for seeking the 70s (our usual mantra). We are here early so that we can leave in October and head to Europe on a 3 cruise package ending back in Miami in November. Topics include fall itineraries, looking beyond the floor plan, basics of E,W, & S, when buying an RV. What’s happening with RV buyers this year. We find that they are younger and buying smaller.

R’n’R - you know rants and raves. This month once again, we have been in Chicagoland area, at home. Quite a wide range of topics in this Episode - from digital cameras to diesel vs gas to credit card use. We have replaced or added to our digital camera collection. We are always looking to improve our photographs via new hardware. We don’t take many photos with our cell phones but we like the current crop of digital cameras. Small, light, and excellent quality. We also upgraded our major credit card this month. After quite alot of comparison shopping, we’ve settled on the Chase Reserve - expensive, yes, but worth the month with our lifestyle. We share our views of the gas vs diesel debate in the form another rant. Sorry. Yes we have some strong views and as always we share. Because we are not encombered with advertisers, we can give you the straight scoop but always from our point of view. Please feel free to share back to us, we want to hear from you via the email or Google plus.

Yes, still at our summer home. Yes, we do listen to podcasts beyond those that are about RVing. What are our favs beyond the RV Navigator? We tell all. We also pick up on several trending topics including hot skin, water heaters, new apps, and long term RVing with an interview with the original RV Navigator groupies, Geof and Ellyn. Their RVing lifestyle has changed since the last report, but they are still on the road much of the year from their home base in Florida. Loads of great news from the world of RVing in Gillette WY for the FMCA Rally. Tune in for a full report. Do you have a Honda 2000i generator - we do and it is quite old (purchased for our 5th Wheel in 2005) so it has starting problems. If you have one of these that is not used regularly (we keep ours for home power outages), you might want to add the “fuel off” accessory so that the gas doesn’t dry up and leave a residue in carb. This and lots more topics from apps to travel plans are covered in this episode of the RV Navigator.

Summer at home or at our Summer home as we have come to call it is enjoying the warm months in Chicago with the RV securely parked until fall. By design, we stay home in summer. Although we did make a short camping outing to the lake shore at the Indiana Dunes SP to keep the RV tuned up and ready to roll, most of the summer will be at home. Are we too long to visit the nations crown jewels, our National Parks? Big RVs can camp in our parks and we can prove it. We read the fears of new RVers that buying a big rig will keep them out of the scenic wonders of our country. We would reply, that it is easier to stay at or near NPs with a big rig. Who wants to drive a 30 class C across the Going to Sun Highway? Instead, we take our toad. One of the many reasons to stick with a big rig for see our great country. We also made a quick car trip to Florida and back to purchase a second RVing lot at TGO (one of our all time favorite long term RV resorts). We do rent this space out year round so let us know if you’ll be in the neighborhood. You can be in a campsite owned by the RV Navigators! This plus many other interesting topics are on our agenda in this months podcast. Join us for the fun.

RV Navigator Episode 158 - Back from the Outback

RV Navigator Episode 157 - Double Day Bonus

RV Navigator Episode 156 - A Day Ahead