Eric Stark

How do you communicate in an emergency or without cell coverage when driving in your RV or camping somewhere? Well, we're going to get into that today. But before we jump into that, we will talk about enjoying the RV life. Today's segment will be about driving safely in an RV that requires lessons. All right.

Eric Stark

Then, after that, we're going to our next stop, Bad Bill, Wisconsin, a paradise for RV enthusiasts. Finally, we're going to talk about forklift camper hideouts. If you have a slide-in camper, this might be important to you or a friend who does. Either way, if you learn a lesson.

Eric Stark

So this is Erik Stark with TheSmartRV Podcast, delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV lifestyle without the fear of breaking down. Let's talk about everything, RV. Today is episode 149, so let's jump right into it. Alexis is back with us for another show.

Alexis Ulrich

Okay, I'm back.

Eric Stark

He's back. All right. Ready to go today?

Alexis Ulrich

Sure.

Eric Stark

It's amazing. One episode was filled with confidence, and the other was not so much.

Alexis Ulrich

Yeah, well, you only let me talk a little in the last one.

Eric Stark

That's what it is. Feeling. Well, feeling. That said, let's get right into enjoying the RV life. I'll skip everything else I had to say, and we’ll just start to show you how to jump right in.

Alexis Ulrich

I feel honored. Okay.

Eric Stark

So tell us, how do we drive safely in an RV? I don't.

Alexis Ulrich

Know. No, I'm just kidding. There are lots of ways. If you're Neil, who, you know, many of us are going into this RV life, we want to be as safe as possible and sound at maneuvering around our RV. So something Eric and I were talking about was just taking some RV driving lessons. A lot of times in your area, wherever you are, or a little bit of a ways away, you can find a place that will offer that.

Alexis Ulrich

So make sure you're familiar with the RV and how it works and turns. It's very different from a car or a truck. You know, we need to know how to do that. So that's the first thing. RV safety dot com can also offer some things that might be helpful when starting so that you can get used to it and be a good driver.

Alexis Ulrich

We don't want to crash into things, so we want to focus on that.

Eric Stark

It's important. So Alexis asked, you know, around here, there's someone that gives driving lessons for Arby's. And I wonder if there is that or isn't. And in many areas, there might not be somebody I should say in some areas. In many places, there are always people that do this. Or there are seasonal areas.

Eric Stark

Like I know in Arizona, plenty of guys give these lessons. You know, you might think, oh, I heck, I don't need to learn how to drive by the RV, but pulling a trailer or motorhome is different than driving your car or your truck.

Alexis Ulrich

Yes, it.

Eric Stark

It is. And it's not a slight. It's just reality. It helps, especially if you have a spouse pulling or driving occasionally, to have them sit in on those lessons. Yeah. Also, as they generally have, you do it in your RV. You're familiar with it; it is your RV, not some general RV that doesn't even look or feel like yours.

Alexis Ulrich

Right.

Eric Stark

That helps as well. They can give you insights into things you probably need to pick up from your buddy telling you or even driving a truck for a living. Driving an RV is similar; if you did that for a living, you might not want the lessons, which might not be worthwhile. A 40-foot motorhome is different than a truck in a trailer.

Eric Stark

Oh, yeah. Mhm. Where are you in? Pull in a travel trailer. What are some of the other benefits that attending or having a lesson might bring Alexis?

Alexis Ulrich

Well, as you said, if you're never the one driving it, you know what, if there's an emergency and you need to know how to do that, if your spouse is usually the one or the person you're with, you need to be ready to be able to do that and have the confidence to. And again, a lot of campsites are tight quarters.

Alexis Ulrich

So, if you're going down this narrow road, you want to know your turning radius and how to get into a spot. You must know how to get back in if it's not a pull-through. And there are some tricks and, you know, things that make it easier for that. And if you're nervous about it, research where you're going. If you've never been there before, you go.

Alexis Ulrich

So you know what to expect. Is it a four-lane highway the whole way or a two-lane road? You know, be ready? It's not a stupid thing to do. Just be prepared to do it. It prevents accidents and stress. You see, we want our viewers to have fun and good experiences.

Alexis Ulrich

When it comes down to it.

Eric Stark

There are even two-lane highways in the United States. You'd have difficulty turning a truck and trailer around on them. See? Yeah. In a motor home, it takes a while. Then you're worried about oncoming traffic. Knowing how to drive in those situations is very important. Yeah, that might be where you couldn't turn around, but knowing that you turn around can save you a lot of headaches and grief.

Alexis Ulrich

Exactly.

Eric Stark

Yeah, there's nothing remarkable about some of these guys who do these lessons. They ensure you understand how to change a spare smart and do basic preflight checks. Yeah, yeah. Out on the road. Absolutely. Some basic things, some tools to carry because they're experienced, so they will look out for your well-being.

Alexis Ulrich

So that's good.

Eric Stark

Another cool thing is that some RV insurance companies even discount you.

Alexis Ulrich

Yeah, absolutely.

Eric Stark

They might say we like that. And so they give you a little discount, and I agree with the insurance rates going up and up. Discount certainly will not hurt.

Alexis Ulrich

Yeah, that's true.

Eric Stark

From experience, I remember one time we bought some ATVs. We went to the shop, bought them, paid for them, and said, okay, now you guys got to take lessons, like, wow, you know, get out of here, man. You see, I thought he was nuts. And Zana, you can only take these once you take a lesson.

Eric Stark

I know. You have to be kidding me. So you get the ATV; they are ours. And we had to go out in this field, each of us, and do this miniature obstacle course they had. It wasn't natural complex. And for me, it was ridiculous because I'm experienced, you know? I didn't learn anything, but my wife and daughter did see that.

Eric Stark

So, for them, it was like, okay. And they felt more confident because it wasn't me. It was somebody who knew what they were talking about, not me. Just go, go, go. It might seem ridiculous, but quite often, they do. They are worthwhile.

Alexis Ulrich

Yes, I agree.

Eric Stark

I can handle that even for your spouse if you feel it's no problem. Well, your spouse would like that. Yeah, that little reassurance there. Yeah. And sometimes people learn better when they hear from someone other than you. Sure, you. Yeah, it's true. You and the person teaching sometimes have a better demeanor about it—calmer, maybe. All right, Alexa.

Eric Stark

So there you are. You got to talk a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. So now let's put that behind us. Okay? And move on to staying on the road. So, how can our viewers communicate in an emergency, in or without cell phone coverage? It's not always tied to an emergency because, you know, in the realm of RV, you travel to places that sometimes you're just out in the middle of nowhere, the remote corners of the earth, a few will you know where cellular service maybe is sketchy or is not available at all, or it comes and goes.

Eric Stark

So you can't count on that. And then there might be times when you're out in your RV doing something—well, you're going to be in your RV, but you're camping someplace—and you just want to be practical and use cell phones to write with someone. Are two of you out doing something, you know, where there's two or more of you? You're out hiking, biking, or something like that.

Eric Stark

And you know, you take your cell phone out and try to call someone you're with because they're a little behind or farther ahead. And you just want to see if they're there and they're okay. You may be on a trail and can't see them, but you drop your phone and ride over it. That's ridiculous, you know?

Eric Stark

So those are only sometimes practical, but sometimes that's all we have, and we use them. Phones are expensive, and even they're still a pain to use for that thing. You see, it's not just a push-to-talk situation. So, depending on your work, contacting someone over the phone can be a chore.

Eric Stark

Sometimes, phones are straightforward, but sometimes, it could be a situation where someone's alone and needs assistance. Maybe they're hiking or riding their bike, taking a spill, needing help, and being alone. Having something to call for help on a cell phone might not work.

Eric Stark

It might still need reception there, so having another way to get help can be very important. And quite often, we don't think about this. And, you know, our readers used walkie-talkie type radios, which is very cool. That works, you know, and that's basically what we're getting to here, which is something like that. But there probably isn't one device made to replace a cell phone other than a satellite phone.

Eric Stark

But all the other alternatives out there are just that—alternatives. They bridge a gap for a recreation situation or an emergency, but they won't replace a phone. So now, to cover some examples, there are family radios, just basic walkie-talkies. They're very small. They're limited in some ways because of range.

Eric Stark

There are also GMR radios, like mobile radar.

Eric Stark

Anywhere else. Then, GPS devices with smaller texting capabilities are built into them. There are Bibi sticks, satellite phones, and even satellite sleeves for cell phones. So these things—one of them is a couple—coupled together could build this robust emergency communication tool kit. Yeah, Yeah. To go along with all the other things you should have in your RV, like a first aid kit, you know?

Eric Stark

Yeah, it's part of that package. So now, this will be something other than a tech-driven conversation. We're not going to get into frequencies or wavelengths set antennas, these antennas that we'll be able to use and blah, blah, blah or anything. Keep it simple. And besides that, I don't know all that stuff; simplicity is king here. So, as I said, these devices do not replace cell phones.

Eric Stark

They're just handy alternatives—that's really what they are. So now, let's go through them individually, and we'll talk about what's available and how easy they are to use. And again, this isn't going to be a tech talk. Hey, I'm just covering the basics of what I think. This is what I think would be helpful in the RV application.

Alexis Ulrich

I'm over here drooling.

Eric Stark

And now, these devices can be used for much more than RVs. You can use them around the house if you're traveling in cars with groups of people. It goes beyond that. But since this is an RV podcast, you will apply it to the RV world, but you can use it anywhere. You know, they will work, you know, if they're away from your RV or can't see an RV present, they'll still work.

Eric Stark

As I said earlier, the family radios and FRC radios are walkie-talkies. They're better than the cheap walkie-talkies that a kid would have, you know, pairs of buy them a little set for 12 bucks or something. Yeah, you know, they're better than that. They're limited because they're in the line of sight.

Alexis Ulrich

Oh, that's right.

Eric Stark

So it's not a 100% line of sight but based on line of sight. So, for example, if you're going down the highway and it's a flat highway and there you'll see you're traveling with another car and they're in front of you and there are three miles ahead, the road's flat, You'll be able to talk to them. But if they suddenly drop down a hill and are out of sight, you'll likely lose that conversation until you can see them again.

Eric Stark

There are a few trees and some curves in the road, which are decent. But as a line-of-sight thing, another way to look at it would be if you're standing on top of a mountain and they're at the base of the hill and no trees or rocks are running in the way; you'd probably be able to talk to them.

Eric Stark

And that could be ten miles.

Alexis Ulrich

Pretty cool.

Eric Stark

But if something's in the way, it ruins out. Remember the curvature of the earth, even on a flat road. Yeah, it can cause a problem. Yep. So they were great, though. And the other downside is when you're talking on, and they have a lot of channels. I need to find out how many others in that channel hear your conversation.

Eric Stark

Yeah. And sometimes you have to go from channel to channel or find one that no one's on. If you're in an area where many people use radios, you might be surprised how many people use them because they're expensive. The battery life is good, and it's easy to use.

Eric Stark

You don't need a license. But what's cool about them is that you set your channel and then push the button on the side to talk. Yeah, you're done talking. Just start pressing the button, and then you listen, and you don't have to say, Hey, Bill, what's going on? Using them is simple. And that's where it makes it easier than a cell phone.

Eric Stark

Sometimes, they're more rugged. You can get waterproof ones and water-resistant ones. If you drop one, it is probably not going to break. There's no lens on to break like a cell phone. They're more straightforward and more minor. You can put them in a pocket. They have belt clips on them, too. If you want a belt clip, whatever your flavor is, you know, they're super readily available.

Eric Stark

They're priced right, and they're great for traveling, too. If you're traveling with someone else and they're in a car in front of you, or if you're out riding bikes, hiking, whatever it is now, remember the distance, though. So if you're, you know, five miles away from your RV and you can't see it, people on the other end won't be able to hear you if you're trying to talk to them.

Eric Stark

They are excellent products, but they have limitations. They are only available in some places. Now, GMR's radios are another option. They're similar to US radios. They're the same size and look the same. They work similarly. They have channels on them. You go select channels; they have repeaters. They're set up around the United States. People put up repeaters, let's say, at their homes.

Eric Stark

That extends the signal, and you can get on a repeater if you know it's there. There's a charge for all that. But, like I said, we won't get into all that. They have channels on them as well. So you'll see Channel 21 or Channel 16, but it's limited. It's different from the free range of channels, but fewer people are on them.

Eric Stark

One of the reasons you need a license to use it when you have a license is that you get it through the FCC, which is not a big deal. It's 30 bucks to do it last year forever. That's where that, like, this is X-Y-Z nine three niner signing off it. What about four? And they say yeah and so, but they have a much better range, and it's a line of sight, but it's a different line of sight. We've tested them here and found that with line of sight without a repeater, you get about seven miles you have yet to have.

Eric Stark

Yeah, that's good. And then it starts to break up. It's not a repeater. You could have a much, much, much greater range. Wow.

Alexis Ulrich

Interesting.

Eric Stark

So they're convenient. Other than that license thing. Now, the license is up to you. Get it? I don't get it. Do what you want to do. But they're inexpensive as well. And like radio makes one type of radio. There are bangs, Baixo fees, and G fees, and you can get them on YouTube. I mean YouTube Amazon.

Alexis Ulrich

But the other one.

Eric Stark

They have websites, too, but the deals are on Amazon, and you can get two back for E quite often. Some of them are 50 bucks, 60 bucks for a two-pack, and that's with an extra battery charger with sat earphones. You know, the whole nine yards are super inexpensive. If you're feeling good about it, go to Alibaba and get a 12-pack for about $12 apiece on the air.

Eric Stark

But they're inexpensive. That's what makes them so cool. It's just that licensing thing, you know? And I can, yeah, you decide what you want to do with that. But now, if you're using walkie-talkies or GMOs, our radios, FRC, you do want to have some protocols in place, like stay on this channel. If I can't get you on this channel, maybe there's a second channel you'd go to.

Eric Stark

But remember, now you have to switch between two channels. So pick a channel and stay there on some of these radios. You can lock it in once it's set. You can't change it, which is good. Yeah, but still, you want everybody to know how to change the radio, the channels, and the frequencies.

Eric Stark

So that they understand that if something happens, they hit a button. Oops. What happened? You Know they can fix that. But they're relatively straightforward. You know, like don't. These things could be more technical. It gets more complex when you get all the frequencies. But day in, day out, using fine, but just have those protocols, check-ins if you're yeah, you're out camping or something in the wilderness, you're away from the other person.

Eric Stark

Yeah. Every 15 minutes or half an hour. Hey, are you there? Can you hear me now? Basic stuff. You know, it's common courtesy. You have them now. You can keep that going. Some people have listened to ham radios, and others with Arby use ham radios. But we're not going to talk about entirely different animals; though more complex to use, you must have a license with much more training.

Eric Stark

If you have a ham radio, you can communicate in many different ways with people around the globe. Also, speaking of ham radio, some radios have a ham flash gross in one, and they work. So, if you find one, that is what you want. The battery life at this price is right. Just get one to use a GMR.

Eric Stark

And now there's also another option, which is a Garmin. They may God say that they have SMS or texting built into them. So you have a GPS, which is fantastic. It's a valuable tool. Then it also has text, so you can and must pay for that. But they have a plan where you don't have to pay.

Eric Stark

You can pay for a month, three months at a time, turn it off for nine months out of the year, or do whatever you want. So you can just use it for texting back and forth. If you're out on the trail somewhere lovely, if there's an emergency, see, you can text somebody, you can get a hold of somebody, which is nice.

Alexis Ulrich

It's cool.

Eric Stark

And if you're in a horrible situation where you've run out of options, there's an S.O.S. button, and you hit that. Then the cavalry comes. Awesome. Remember, when you hit that button, the calories will come with their handout because they're going to want to get paid.

Alexis Ulrich

Oh, I see that.

Eric Stark

So make sure you need to do it. This life and death or your, you know, whatever it might be. But that's a great option. And that's for that texting. You see, you text someone, you know, I'm out here, stuck. I'm in the wrong spot. I need a spare tire. I need this or that. Can you help me?

Eric Stark

Maybe they can, but they can find someone else who can. Yeah. Now, another excellent option is a bevy stick. And these are unique unto themselves, as for sure. So they have a website called Vivi sitcom. I did a little stick, but it allows you to work with your cell phone, so it's not by itself.

Eric Stark

It works in conjunction with your cell phone, allowing you to text and send an S.O.S. So you're not going to be using your cell phone to call somebody, but you're going to be able to text them. And I think email, Oh, that's neat. But texting, in an emergency, is likely quicker. Wharfies should be more.

Eric Stark

People don't have email or check their emails often. No, but it gives an excellent alternative. And the big mistake is that you're turning 50 bucks. Then you have to pay a monthly fee. Again, it's a flexible plan that you can keep on, depending on what you're doing in your activities. If you're out all year round, you just want to get an all-year plan, and everything we discuss has a plan.

Eric Stark

They have multiple variations of the plan. You can choose from 15 bucks a month, 30 bucks a month, whatever, bronze, silver, or gold. So that's another excellent option. It has that S.O.S. function as well. And by the way, you can get insurance for those S.O.S. situations. You know, if you're always out doing stuff where if it goes wrong, you're going to need some serious help.

Eric Stark

Well, serious help costs serious money, so that you can get insurance for that, so you're aware of that.

Alexis Ulrich

Interesting.

Eric Stark

And another thing, and you see that Billy sticks the G.P.S. Those are more emergencies. Yeah. Now, they're not the other ones. We're just keeping in communication like you're out hiking or biking. These are more severe situations but don't have to be life-threatening. Serious. You can have a Garmin GPS case and go into an area without cell service, but if you get a flat, you can get help.

Eric Stark

Yeah, Yeah. You're not standing on the side of the road with your thumb out waiting for, you know, someone to come pick you up. And now another excellent little device is the satellite sleeve. That will give you a satellite phone. Or turn yourself on into a satellite phone.

Alexis Ulrich

That is so interesting. I've never heard of it.

Eric Stark

That connects to your cell phone, and boom, now you're cool.

Alexis Ulrich

That's awesome.

Eric Stark

Now, the only thing that I thought about is iPhones. It would work down the line if you got a new iPhone. The physical size is the same, but many Android phones come and go, so that they might be limited. So you'd want to check on that because you wouldn't want to buy it.

Eric Stark

Then, a year later, you get a new phone in the satellite sleeves. No sound, right? They cost $250 as well. They're a severe piece of equipment. They're not like, you know, this imported garbage that you find on Amazon. Whoops. I said sorry. Oh, oops. But they're a good product. And finally, you get satellite phones. Now, satellite phones are the real deal.

Eric Stark

You can get different plans. You can talk to 90% of the world, 100% of the world, talk, text, or do whatever. But they come with a price tag. Satellite phones start at about 250 bucks and go up. Then you have your monthly plans, and their monthly plans aren't as friendly as some of these other options.

Eric Stark

Gotcha. He got it covered that way—satellite phone. You can talk to anybody wherever which is ideal. But again, it's not the same as a walkie-talkie or an FRC radio out on the trail or something. You know, even backing up an RV, having radios can help. Absolutely. Either allow you to back it up or help you get a divorce.

Eric Stark

But, you know, things like that. My wife and I, Keren, use them around our house while working our irrigation system. Yeah, so we're not having to traipse back and forth, you know, 500 miles to turn something on or off. Yeah, we use those, so they make it really easy. So anyway, those are just some ideas for out in your RV and how to communicate with one another, you know, emergency situation every day, just whatever situation.

Eric Stark

That will help. By the way, the TID radio and Bo Fang were the two I mentioned for the GMRs and the Garmin, I think, is called the NR; each is for the GPS. They're on their website, and you can get them in stores as well. But those are the three FRC radios. They're all over the board, man. I wouldn't even worry about quality.

Eric Stark

I would go for battery life, and they're all in the same range, regardless of what they say. All right. Now, that brings us to the next stop. We're going to Fayetteville, West Virginia, a paradise for RV enthusiasts.

Alexis Ulrich

It is.

Eric Stark

So now Lexus. Yes. If you're an RV enthusiast, you'll be able to run through this and let me know everything is cool here.

Alexis Ulrich

Oh, okay. That sounds good. I love RVs and other things, but this is an excellent place. It's in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. We were just talking about how cool the Appalachians were.

Eric Stark

Yeah.

Alexis Ulrich

It's a hidden gem. It's the perfect blend of outdoor adventure. You've got scenic beauty, and then you've got this small-town charm. So you have it all in one. It's got a rich history and many recreational opportunities. The community is super friendly. It's just a beautiful place to check out.

Alexis Ulrich

There's the New River Gorge National Park. That's right there. It's got world-class whitewater rafting. So, if you're indoors and rafting, this is where you need to go—lots of RV parks, trails, and biking trails. And then you've got the small town, too. So you can do some gift hunting, shopping, or whatever you need.

Alexis Ulrich

It's right there.

Eric Stark

Yeah, that's a mouthful. I was looking at this, reading this over, and thought that Fayetteville, West Virginia, was the package.

Alexis Ulrich

I agree. Yeah.

Eric Stark

Everything is there for an RV here. Yeah, it's. It's like. I got it all it does for real. So, I would look it up on a map and explore it this morning. I didn't have time, but okay, just for myself. And I, you know, I'd like to go there. Yeah, me too. This sounds like the place to look at.

Eric Stark

Or go to Fayetteville, West Virginia. Yeah. It has everything for an RV here—lots to do. Be a great family vacation. Yes, it would bring those phones and take a lot of pictures. Yeah. It has to be the place, and the Appalachians are cool.

Alexis Ulrich

Oh, yeah. Very cool.

Eric Stark

So, yeah, this is the place to go.

Alexis Ulrich

So plan your trip.

Eric Stark

We highly recommend it. Yes. Here at the Smart RV or podcast. All right. So that brings us to the head of the next stop. So, share this with your family and friends. And I forgot where I was going there. I'm looking at my notes, and they are wrong.

Alexis Ulrich

Oh, man, those darn.

Eric Stark

Notes. I me. Just pause a little. Alexis, take her out of the show for a second. I hope it up real quick.

Alexis Ulrich

It was a song and dance. I could do that.

Eric Stark

Yeah, that works for me. One second. Here. I got to find something real quick.

Alexis Ulrich

Yeah, he's. He's seriously more organized than this year, but that's right.

Eric Stark

You know the forklift camper title. Oh, you got it. About my notes, I was the wrong guy. Okay, so anyway, you talk about forklift camper Tybee Islands. Now, many people, especially where we're at, camper siding camper is going to better your truck, which is very popular, and they're great because you can travel with them. You know you can, and they're just easy.

Eric Stark

But what many people do, man is they'll use a bungee cord rather than a tie down. This is made for the camper because they're just cheaper. You know, you get a bungee cord for, what, $0.38 camper tied down system for two grand, you know, and then there are different ones like steak pocket tie downs, which, you know, those go back to the sixties seventies they work not as good, but they will work.

Eric Stark

But looking at it from the perspective that you don't have a brand new camper, but you paid good money for it and have a truck that can haul. It is a nice truck. You might have 20 grand, 60 grand, or 100 grand wrapped up in this package. So, regarding the tie-downs, it's no place to skimp.

Eric Stark

We've seen people in here with trucks, with campers on the back, using straps, you know, like ratchet straps. The car's bed gets all smashed, and the campers get damaged because it just doesn't work. Right. And that's where torque lift comes in. There's also the happy jack system used mostly for older trucks, which is sold by Lipper.

Eric Stark

Eric Stark

All right. Yeah. Brackets that are attached to them that you can remove. So you have brackets on the frame of the truck. These other brackets come out with just a simple pull of a pan and slide. It's out, and you can store them away so they don't get damaged or stolen, but it's always there. But they attached the camper to the truck's frame, not the bad.

Eric Stark

And that makes a huge difference when you're towing. Some are pulling or driving a truck with the camper in the back. Massive difference. So it's worth checking them out. We will only get into some details of everything else about them, but they work. If you have a truck camper, you want to look at these saying, So go to talk Lyft, Dotcom.

Eric Stark

They have them there. You can put in your year to make a model of your truck. It'll give you an idea of pricing and so forth. Excellent, great options. So check that out when you go to their website and talk on Lyft dot com. Again, as a reminder, go to YouTube.com and TheSmartRVer.com and check out our channel to see what we offer. Great videos, all sorts of stuff, and share with your friends, family, and anybody you know with an RV.

Eric Stark

Eric Stark

Yeah, but we'll cut through all the garbage so you know what's happening. All right. This is Eric Stark with TheSmartRVer Podcast. It has been great hanging out with you today—and you too, Alexis. Thanks. It was fun. So, if I don't see you on the road, let's connect at TheSmartRVer.com.