This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: In this podcast episode, Eric and Alexis discuss the tricks and tips for finding free camping spaces or campsites for RVers. They acknowledge that while many RVers are already familiar with these methods, some may be new to the concept or have never needed to find free camping spots before. The hosts share their experiences of needing to find a place to spend the night while on the road and emphasize the importance of feeling safe and secure in these locations. They mention that some options for free camping include Walmart parking lots (although not all Walmarts offer this), restaurant parking lots, hotel parking lots, and truck stops. They highlight the need to ask for permission before staying overnight and to be considerate by keeping the area clean and not causing any disturbances. The hosts also mention Cracker Barrel locations as potential options for RVers, as some are known to be friendly towards allowing overnight parking. They advise finding well-lit areas and taking precautions for security, such as having exterior lights and surveillance cameras. They conclude the episode by encouraging listeners to share their own RV-friendly locations with others through RV clubs and forums, as everyone is constantly looking for safe and convenient places to stay during their travels. Staying On The Road: Eric discusses his dislike for clutter and his habit of throwing things in a disorganized manner when working on projects or cleaning up. He emphasizes the importance of eventually cleaning up and organizing everything to avoid confusion and ensure easy access to tools and supplies. He then shifts the focus to RVs and explains why it's necessary to clean out unnecessary items regularly. Carrying around unused items adds weight to the RV, increases fuel consumption, and causes extra wear and tear. Eric shares examples of frustrating situations when disorganization hampers the process of finding essential items like a jack during a roadside emergency. He then emphasizes the benefits of keeping belongings organized, which makes tasks easier and prevents frustration. He also mentions the importance of maintaining organization when visiting service departments or dealerships to ensure the safekeeping of personal items. Eric concludes by suggesting thoroughly cleaning the RV at the beginning and end of each season to avoid accumulating unnecessary items and clutter. The Next Stop: Glamping, short for glamorous camping, is a popular trend that combines the experience of camping with luxury and comfort. It involves staying in unique and often upscale accommodations in outdoor settings. Glamping sites can be found in various locations, and they offer a range of options such as fancy tents, cabins, Conestoga wagons, and even converted structures like yurts or treehouses. Glamping provides a more comfortable and convenient camping experience compared to traditional camping. Instead of pitching a tent and sleeping on the ground, glamping accommodations often feature amenities like real beds, heating, air conditioning, and sometimes even en-suite bathrooms. This allows people to enjoy the beauty of nature without sacrificing comfort. There are several platforms, such as Glamping Hub, where you can find a wide selection of glamping spots. These websites provide information about different locations, amenities, and availability, making it easier for people to explore and book their glamping experiences. The appeal of glamping lies in the opportunity to have a unique and memorable getaway. It offers a change of pace and a chance to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life while still enjoying the comforts of modern living. Glamping can be a great option for those who want to experience nature without roughing it out completely. The best time to go glamping depends on the location and the type of accommodation you choose. Many glamping sites offer amenities like air conditioning and heating, allowing guests to enjoy the experience year-round. Some people prefer glamping during pleasant weather conditions, such as spring or fall, to fully enjoy outdoor activities and the surrounding scenery. Glamping can also be a more cost-effective option when done with friends or a group, as the larger accommodations can be shared, splitting the cost among the participants. Overall, glamping offers a luxurious and unique way to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether you stumble upon a glamping site in your travels or actively seek one out, it can be an exciting and enjoyable experience for those looking to add a touch of glamour to their camping adventures.RV Envy: Camco is a company that offers a line of products called "Life is Better at the Campsite," which includes various items designed for RV and camping enthusiasts. These products range from plates, cups, towels, shower curtains, bedsheets, and blankets to welcome mats and step mats, all featuring the "Life is Better at the Campsite" theme. The appeal of Camco's products lies in their ability to add a touch of fun and personality to RVs, especially for those who aren't full-time RVers. By incorporating these themed items into their RVs, owners can create a cohesive camping atmosphere and showcase their love for the camping lifestyle. The unique design and camping-themed aesthetics of Camco's products make them eye-catching and conversation starters. While the "Life is Better at the Campsite" line is a prominent product range from Camco, the company offers a wide array of other high-quality RV-related products as well. In fact, the speaker in the transcript mentions that they have decided to exclusively use Camco products in their company trailer because of their overall reliability and compatibility with each other. Camco products are widely available, and many RV stores carry a significant selection of their brand. Some stores even specialize in Camco products. Interested individuals can visit Camco's website or check out their local RV parts store to explore the extensive range of products they offer. Eric encourages listeners to ask for Camco products by name at their local RV parts store and mentions that their recommendation came from Eric, who is associated with the Smart RVer podcast. By spreading the word and generating interest in the podcast and Camco products, Eric hopes to create a buzz and potentially improve the experience of fellow RV enthusiasts by connecting them with knowledgeable RV parts professionals. Sunpromfg.com TheSmartRVer.com HotBoatRopes.com RV Destinations Magazine

INTRO

It is time to do the unthinkable. Clean out the junk from the RV. This is Eric Stark with TheSmartRVerPodcast, delivering the smarts. You need to enjoy the freedom of the RV lifestyle without the fear of breaking down. So, we got an excellent show prepared today, and Alexis is here to help us out with our lifestyle.

RV LIFESTYLE

Next up and wherever else she wants to speak up and throw in her 2 cents. Thanks. So, we're going to get right into it today. We're not going to waste any time. We're going to talk about living the RV life. So many RVers already know the tricks to find free camp spaces or campsites, but some don't. And some maybe have never needed to do that.

Things have always worked out where you have a destination, you get there the same day type of thing, or you have a friend's house, but sometimes you're out on the road and you just must find a place to spend the night. And that can be kind of dicey at times. I know my wife and I have done that, stayed in the back of a building one time and was a little iffy.

You know, you're kind of wondering. How am I going to get out of here if everything really goes wrong? Yeah. So free camping around the US is a doable thing. So, Alexis, what, what can you help us out with here? What can we get from this?

Alexis- Well, for one, as you said, sometimes it's nice to have a free spot to stay instead of the traditional campground.

Um, so one thing you can do, uh, is a lot of Walmart’s around. Like the whole United States, they offer that. You'll probably see it if you go to Walmart in the summertime. There's a lot of, um, RVs in there. Um, you know, honestly just asking if you go into a restaurant that. You know, seems like it has a bigger parking lot.

They might allow that hotel parking lot, sometimes allow that, and even truck stops. So, it's just really a matter of going in and asking, is this, okay? Just for one night, can I do this?

Eric- And if you feel comfortable too, right? Staying there. So, this will be that type of thing where you're traveling, you, it's going to be a two-day trip or a three-day trip and, and you really don't want to pay for a campground.

Yeah. You're going to spend 30, 40, 50, 60 bucks just to stay. Oh, yeah. There. And it's kind of a waste of money. Mm-hmm. And we understand it. And maybe at that point, you're not ready to hook up exactly. Top off water and things like that. Mm-hmm. So, Walmart’s coming in handy. Now, not all Walmarts offer this, from what I understand.

Okay. And then Walmart’s are closing across, across the country in the rougher neighborhood. So, you probably want to scratch those off your list. Yeah, yeah. But I notice it's on your list. You have cracker barrels that sometimes they're friendly to dump.

Alexis- Yep. To that they are. Yeah.

Eric- So asking, as you said is the key, but finding someplace that is well-lit. You don't want to be in the darkness. Exactly. A lot of campers. I mean, truck stops are good for that. Yeah. Um, even stops out on the highway. Although I'd be a little leerier of those because people could do a hit-and-run on you. Yep. You know, kind of scary and, you know, people, things are changing in the world, so you must be more cautious of your security, like having lights on the outside of your camper even though it's yours.

Maybe at a truck stop or something. If you can turn on a light or out on the road at a, you know, a rest stop or wherever. If you have a light on outside if you have a Furrion camera on the side of your RV. If you don't have one, maybe something to consider, because those will tie in with your Furrion system.

Mm-hmm. They work awesomely for that security. So yeah, there are plenty of places to do it. Sometimes it might not be the most obvious place, but you can go in and ask, and yeah, pretty much, you know, just. Clean up when you're done. Don't make a mask. Right. Ask them, well, can I plug into your power too? Can I get water?

Yeah. Make it simple for them. So, they'll allow you to do it Exactly for free. Yeah. And I know Walmart has complained there have been problems at Walmart because of such a mess left. People literally dump their tanks in the parking lot. Oh, throwing their trash in the parking lot. So, Walmart's like, ah, do we really want to do this? Do you know?

Alexis- Yeah. And I can't blame them. Mm-hmm. So, when you leave, leave it nice and clean.

Eric- Yeah. That way there's no complaint. And the next person coming along might be you again. Yes. Come back, you know. And you want to use it one more time. All right. So that's some excellent advice. And you know, it's obvious sometimes, but as I said, there are people new to RV or they've never seen this before.

Yeah. You know, even in a car, if you're traveling across the country or doing something, you don't want to rent a hotel. Mm-hmm. You know, sleeping in your car. It's always nice to have a place where you know you can go and it's relatively safe. Exactly. And do not worry about it. So even a car would be the same thing.

Because, I mean, what's traveling without sleeping in your car occasionally? Got to experience it. I've done it many times. With, remember to share with your friends and fellow RVers, places that you found that are RV friendly. You know, if you belong to an RV club and they have a forum, put it on the forum, you know, but just share that with others because you know everybody's looking for a place to stay like that.

STAYING ON THE ROAD

And it makes absolute sense. All right, so now that's going to take us to the next portion of the show, staying on the road. So, it's time to do the unthinkable, clean out the junk from your RV. Now I personally have a dislike for clutter or disorganization. But I also have a bad habit that really shines through.

Sometimes I get it, what I call a throw-and-go mode, where now that's just what I do when I'm trying to get something done. You know, I, I work on a project. I might have tools and materials all over the shop, let's say, or the car, the RV, or whatever. And when I get done with what I'm working on, Yeah, I just throw them on the workbench, and I go on to the next thing.

You know, when I was doing mobile RV stuff, you know, we'd get done on a job site and we'd just throw everything in the back of the van and head off to the next one. It was thrown and go clean it up later, you know? Sort out the details and worry about it, just getting the project done and getting behind, or getting on the road and leaving it behind, leaving a disaster behind.

Or, you know, sometimes like maybe at home or even at work, I might just throw things in drawers or just get them out of the way, so the clutter is not there. You know, it's just out of view. It doesn't really solve the problem, but it gets the stuff out of that visible mode where I don't have to look at it because I just don't like clutter.

And I'd rather not see it. I'd rather have a messy drawer than a messy desk. A hundred percent. So, that's me. Now, you know, we all do things differently, but no matter what I do, whether I'm throwing it in a drawer or throwing it in a workbench, or throwing it in the van, I always come back and do cleanup.

You know, I always sort it out. I don't just let it go forever because you know, you must put your tools away. You must put things away, so you know where they're at. And then when a new project, you know, starts or you're going to start something new, you can find your tools, you know where they're at.

It's not like they've just disappeared and even supplies, so they're not hard to find, not confusing. You don't have a bunch of empty spray paint cans sitting around and think you have paint when you don't. Things like that. So, I don't like to stay unorganized and scattered for very long. I like to keep it organized and before I start any new project, especially at home, well even at work, everything gets put away.

You know, you just put it all away and start out fresh. It's much easier. You know what you got; you know where everything's at. You're not looking for something midway through. You know, typically I keep our shop clean, I keep my office clean, everything's organized in this place, much easier. Mm-hmm. So now let's turn the tables to the RV.

Over the years, or possibly months, you might have acquired a few spare parts, maybe a few hundred spare parts. Who knows? You know, so a few tools, you know, you have. You start out with X amount of tools, and you keep adding to it over as time goes on, then you probably have some knickknacks, some little things that you think you might be, that you might need.

One day they're going to be useful. Oh, I better save this. I mean, everybody does that. Oh, I could use this for something someday. I know I can. So, you save it. You know, some things you might save for your home, some things you might go, I better put this in the, in the RV. I know I'll need this one day. So, we do that.

That's what humans do. And there are so many reasons to get rid of the stuff you no longer need or haven't used in months or years. And you know, there's always that moment where you say, oh man, I just threw that away. I sure could use that now, but how many years did you cart it around for? Yeah. How many years did you cart other things around for?

Or they sit in your garage just collecting dust or like, hey, I got the space for it. Who cares? Well, maybe so, but. Clutters clutter, you know? Yeah. Mm-hmm. That's just my opinion. It's like having five acres and just collecting cars. Cuz you can, yeah. Oh, there's an old rusted-out car. I'm going to get that and put it on my property because I have got the space, you know, why bother, you know?

Mm-hmm. But that's, like I said, that's just me. So, when an RV and we've talked about this in previous episodes, about carrying stuff around, you don't need, so there's no reason to have. Tools, spare parts, things in your RV that you're never going to use or that you haven't used, why drag them around? You know, all it does is add excess weight to the RV.

You know, it's going to use more fuel, it's going to wear out the compartments, the RV more. You know, RVs aren't made to cart around everything you own. They're not a U-Haul, they're a house on wheels. And so, that extra weight in the compartments can destroy them. Pulling things in and out can destroy the doors, the frames, and so forth.

So just ex it, it exposes the RV to extra wear and tear. That's not necessary. Mm-hmm. So that's one reason why you don't want to carry this stuff around. And the second reason would be, let's just say you're on the road and you get a blowout. You know, you're out in the middle of nowhere, and a tire blows out, so you must.

Fix it right where you're at. You can't pull off the road. You're stuck there on the road. So now you must find the jack because the one for your tow, your truck, the towing, your trailer won't work. And so, you must find the jack for the trailer and hopefully, you have a jack for your trailer. Hopefully, you've thought ahead and made sure you have one.

Mm-hmm. So now the question is, where is it? So, keep in mind, you're on the side of the road with a blowout. Your stress levels are raising your families with you. It's not the safest place to be. Semis are going by; cars are going by. Every time they go by. It rocks the trailer. It's not the coolest place to be.

It's one of those places that you want to just get in and get out as quickly as you can, but now you start looking for the jack and it's not where you thought it was, and so you start pulling everything out. And you keep pulling and pulling more stuff. Where is this, Jack? You know, I know it's somewhere.

It must be here. Keep in mind, this blowout wasn't on the passenger side of the trailer, it was on the driver's side. So that's the street side. Mm-hmm. So now you're stacking all this junk up out on the road. It's in the way. It's more stuff. It's just taking longer to do it. It's frustrating. You know, you were taking it out kind of neat.

Now you're just throwing it on the ground because you want to find it. You know, no, you’re just stressed out. You know, you want to get this taken care of. So, you're emptying out the compartment to find this jack to change the tire. You know, you've, you've had to get out of there.

So, it sounds scary, right? There's junk everywhere, cars flying by. It's totally unsafe, but also, it's a little embarrassing too. Got this junk on the road trying to find your jack, and it also slows down the entire process. Now I've seen this. I've driven by people out on the road and all their belongings are out on the highway.

It's like, what are they doing? Do you know? Mm-hmm. Things like this happen, but it can be avoided. Now, here's another scenario. So now that everything is out of the compartment and on the side of the road, mm, you realize that Jack isn't even in the compartment that you thought it was in. Oh boy. Like, oh, man.

So now you go to the next compartment. And you started emptying in out to find the jack. You know you must find the jack. So now you have all your belongings out on the side of the road. And believe me, when someone else sees it, it's junk to you as belongings, but to them it's junk. And that's what it looks like.

Have you ever seen a trailer going down the road being pulled by a truck, like a utility trailer or a pickup truck? And it has like their furniture in it. Yeah. It doesn't matter how nice the furniture it is; it just looks like junk in the back of itself, lick, or a trailer. It doesn't matter how good the quality is, it just looks like junk.

It does. And so that's what happens when all your stuff is on the side of the road. It just looks like junk. So, you have everything out now. So now this has just become more frustrating. It's more difficult, you know, your compartments are emptied out and the jack isn't even in the trailer. Oh no. You know, you are just.

You, you must stop. Now you're thinking, where is that Jack? So, you cool down for a moment and remember you just said it in the bed of the truck. As you were leaving, you completely forgot about it because it was just one of those mundane things. Oh, here's the jack. Let me just put it in the truck. I don't want to put it in the compartment.

That could have been avoided first if you were to remember, but two. If things were more organized. Yeah, like Jack always goes in this compartment, in this spot. You know, there's maybe in a box or something, you know where it's at. And I could go on forever about this kind of stuff because when there's little or no organization, everything becomes harder to do.

It's just like looking in a drawer. One of those knickknack drawers at home. Everybody's got one. Like in the kitchen, everything just gets thrown into one drawer. Batteries, you know, extension cords, adapters, right Hands, pencils, everything. And then it's like, I know what’s in there. Maybe it's a night light.

You're looking for a nightlight. I know it's in here and you're looking, and soon you're dumping it out on the counter and then on, you know what? Nothing's in here. And you throw it all the way out. Just frustration, you know? Mm-hmm. That's what can happen. So, when there's no organization, things just become a problem.

Mm-hmm. But if you keep your items, the things you're storing, um, belongings, if you keep them thinned out and organized, it makes things a lot easier. You know, it's just like that Jack, you know, if everything was a little more organized, it probably would've been easier to see that it wasn't there. Yeah, exactly.

Do you know? Or you would've remembered, oh yeah, you know, I never touched any of this stuff. Right. Could I open the door? We're moving this. Where's that Jack now? Oh yes. It's in the back of the truck, you know? Yeah. You know another thing too, when, when we bought our company trailer, we bought it from Bishop's RV.

That’ll be another story for another day. But one thing I noticed in their service department is like, there are motor homes there and they were working in the compartments and everything in the compartments was just thrown out on the ground. Oh boy. I'm thinking, wow, man, that really sucks. If that was your motor home and you walked in there and saw all your stuff on the ground like that, and it's just spread out.

And anybody there could walk by and take it. No kidding. You know, or just use it, throw it back in the pile, look at it, drop it, and break it. Yeah. It was horrible. And I'm thinking, oh, if I was a technician there, I'd have big bins. I'd put everything in there. Yeah. Keep it, you know, put a piece of tape on it, Mr.

Smith's, uh, you know, bin or whatever. Exactly. So, when you take it to the dealership, they don't care either. No. They're just going to throw it on the ground and then when we're all done, they just throw it all back in the compartment, and maybe, yeah, what's left? And you know, and, and I get that to a degree.

They don't want to have to empty it all out, but they don't even try to be decent with it then. They don't try to be decent putting it back in. We see it here at our shop. But we go about it a little bit differently. You know, we try to be more controlled about it and get it back in the same spot. It's not going to be exact every time, but we don't treat it like it's just junk.

No. And that's what people do. You know if I take my vehicle to a shop, I empty everything out. Yes. They're not going to have anything to worry about. Mm-hmm. If I take my trailer in, or if I were to, that would never happen. But it, it'd get emptied out. Exactly. So, there's nothing they must go through, and you don't have to worry about a thing.

Don't tempt them. That's kind of the problem. It's, you know, it's just natural to be messy. And we always tell ourselves, well, I'll clean that up later. Does later ever come? Quite often it doesn't. So that is why I'm bringing this up. It's just a natural thing and it can pose problems. So, I think it's good to do a thorough cleaning of the RV at the beginning of each season and even at the end.

Because during the season, you're in throne-go mode. You're just throwing back in, let's go, let's get out here. You know, maybe if you stayed a little longer at the campground, just pack it all in, Chuck it, wherever it'll fit, and you get out OF there. You know, so you, you know, it helps to do that cleanout, you know, at, at the beginning of the season, the end of the season, or at least once a year.

So that way you just have a better idea of what's in your RV. Cuz if you don't ever touch it or you're always just throwing it and not taking everything out. And some things stay in, some things never get touched and they kind of get shoved to the back of the compartment or wherever it's at, that maybe those things don't even need to be in there.

Right, right. So, the more you're organized, it's easier to see what you have. And then if you do those cleanouts, it's just kind of a refresher of the whole system. You know, what you have, what's on the RV, you know, it's just like my shop at home. Sometimes I forget things I have. So once a year I kind of go through and I clean off all my shelves and kind of look at stuff.

Oh man, I could have used this, you know, three weeks ago, right? Forgot I had it uh huh then I'm thinking maybe I had too much stuff and I don't, right now I'm thin on things because when we moved to Montana, a lot of stuff got thrown away. Nice things I knew I would need one day, but I'm not moving it.

There's a way, you know, not going on a moving truck, you know? I already bought it once. Not paying to move it. So, it's important to know what you have in your RV. It's going to save you a lot of frustration, frustration, and time. So that is refreshing. Now also, you might have loaned out a tool or something to one of your buddies, right?

So, he says, hey, I'm going on a trip, and I don't have time to go get a jack. Can I use your bottle jack? And I'll bring it back, you know, over to you as soon as I get back, and oh, sure, you know? No problem. You know, and. Probably won't need it and so he never brings it back. You forget about it because everything's just so messy.

Mm-hmm. There's not something missing that you notice. Like, you know what goes here, I don't remember, but I know there's something that goes here. Mm-hmm. Then eventually you'll think about it, and it'll come back to you. Then you go, oh, that's right. Right. So-and-so borrowed my bottle Jack, and he hasn't returned in.

It's been three months. Yeah. And we're getting ready to go on a trip and I need to have that jack in case I get a flat. So that's the time to catch it. Before you go on the trip, you know, not a, not later. Mm-hmm. Then you're going, oh boy, I really need this. And now, oh man, that dirty rotten scumbag neighbor of mine or whatever.

So borrowed my jack. Oh man, when I get home, he's going to get a piece of my mind uh huh. You know, that won't do any good. You need to have it now. Mm-hmm. So that's where that organization comes in. Don't start packing, repacking everything right now. You know, you want to. Do not add new tools to the system all the time, but wait until you mentally and visually examine your entire RV.

You want to go through it, see what you have, what you really need, and what you don't need, and then if you can visualize your RV or compartmentalize it, we did an episode on that, compartmentalize the RV. So, take your plumbing system, you know, divide it up into freshwater and sanitation. And visualize. Okay. From the toilet.

If something were to break here outside of the toilet, what would I need? I could use a fitting, maybe some waterline, and this tool. Okay. The tools I have, I've got pretty much all the tools, but then just drill it down into two or more compartments. Okay? Now let's look at the faucets. What would I need?

I'm not going to bring a faucet, but I'm going to bring these fittings. Mm-hmm. So go through the whole RV like that. You know, look at your converter. Do you have spare fuses? You don't need a bunch of them, but you should have some. Yeah, you know, most fuses are 15 amps, seven and a half amps, something like that.

So, you don't have to have gobs of them, but make sure you have some 30 and 40-amp fuses because your converter probably has 30 or 40-amp fuses in them. Have those spare parts and the tools to put them in an RV. You really don't need a lot of specialty tools. In fact, you really need very few tools. I mean, I know what we use around here is not a lot.

You don't have to have an elaborate tool set up, you know, but basic tools, wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, you know, some pliers. That's really all you need. Mm-hmm. You know, maybe a specialty thing here and there. Having a bit, a square tip, bit, some things like that. A cordless drill and bits for it because everything comes and goes apart with a cordless drill in an RV for the most part.

So, they're basic things, but being organized, knowing what you have and keeping it in a place, and I know in an RV, you know you're going to be stacking stuff up on top of each other because you don't have tons of space. But try to keep it spread out in a compartment, depending on your compartments, where you can just reach in and grab it if possible.

You know, maybe find some bins, go to. You know, a dollar store, get some plastic bins where you can stack them and mark them. You know, if they get ruined, it's not a big deal. But those things are going to help you. And I'm sharing this with you because I know what a hassle can be to have to do a repair on the road or on vacation.

It can really suck at times. It can be lame. Mm-hmm. Depending on what it is. Especially if you're out there all by yourself, you don't have anybody helping you. It can become more difficult. Knowing what you have and don't have can really reduce that stress level. So now how you organize your RV is entirely up to you, but it's essential to know what you have and where to find it.

If you change tires on the road and that is the time to throw and go, to get off the highway, go ahead and do it. But when you get to your next destination, Stop, and put everything away. Look at it that way. If you're out on the road, it's time to throw and go and put everything away at the next stop. Good reminders, stay organized.

I mean, that's part of my lifestyle is being organized and pushing that on you right now. But hopefully, you'll see the benefit of it. All right, so that's going to bring us to the end of staying on the Road. Now, as a reminder, I want to remind everybody to check out TheSmartRVer on, let me rephrase that. Check out the Smart RV or Task Fast Tip Fridays on YouTube.

So, if you go to YouTube and you go to the Smart RVer podcast or the Smart RVer, we have our channel there and we have the Fast Tip Friday videos. They come out every other Friday. And there are great videos to help you make good buying decisions or to inform you about products. Everything's product related for the most part.

NEXT STOP

Great information there, so check that out. Now that brings us to the next stop, and today we're going to be talking about glamping. All right? Not camping, but glamping. I'm sure everybody knows what glamping is. Well, maybe not. So, Alexis picked this subject, so if it's really lame, let her know. I'm just kidding.

Alexis- Yeah, please do.

Eric- All right. So, Alexis, what is glamping?

Alexis- Well, um, in simple terms, it's glamorous camping and they put it together and it's glamping. There are a lot of places popping up. I've noticed just putting in a search, like either on Airbnb or just searching Google. For glamping spots, people are really into this.

Um, and a lot of times on their property or as part of, a nice campground, they'll have options where you can stay in these little glamping spots. Either they're fancy tents, like thick tents with actual beds in there, or you know, they could be camps, they could be little cabins. Um, it just kind of depends on what you're looking for.

But if it can be kind of fun, there's a website called Glamping Hub. And that's where you can find a lot of these places. If you're in the area and you want to know, okay, I don't have an RV, I don't really want to sleep in a tent, let's see what they've got.

Eric- Okay. So, it sounds interesting. I know there's a camp or uh, yeah, campground here that has some Conestoga wagons in them.

And they're on the glamping level. They look just like a Conestoga wagon. They're big. Pretty cool. And they have air conditioning in them, heat, you know, so it's winter, summer, comfortable. Much better than a tent. And there's a. A resort north of us, east of Missoula, north of us, east of Missoula.

I forgot the name of it. They have glamping there as well. Oh, I'm sure. Yeah. It's interesting. It's like taking camping to a whole new level. But you know, if you have an RV, you're pretty much glamping anyways. Yeah. You know, you got, you've got it made. Yeah. It's all your stuff. It's your bed, your belongings, which is nice.

Alexis- You know, this might be interesting in certain places for a change of pace. Yeah. Be a little bit different. Exactly. Um, you know, the right area. I mean, I wouldn't go out of my way to do it. Mm-hmm. But if I saw it someplace, it was cool. And glamping was kind of like the only place to stay. Right.

Eric- Something like that. It'd be all right. Yeah. Because they are cool. And they're not cheesy. No, no, no. I mean, all of us have probably stayed in cheesier places in Oh yeah. Really nice tent with, you know, full-size pets. Right, exactly. Yeah. I can think of a place I stayed in Tahiti with, you know, lizards crawling on the walls and everything else.

Oh. You know, so, yeah. That certainly wasn't glamping. Um, oh, man. So, when's the best time of year to go glamping? I mean really, like you said, with heat or air conditioning, in some of them you can really go anytime you want. And another good tip is if you do this with friends, it makes it a little more cost-effective.

Alexis- So split the cost, invite your friends, and have a good time. Yeah, that's a good way to go because they're kind of large. Yeah, it's bigger than normal. Oh yeah, sometimes they're massive, you know? Mm-hmm. Massive in these tents. They build and turn them into homes. Oh yeah, exactly.

Eric- Yes, or they, uh, yeah. Or a guest house type of thing. Mother-in-law orders. Yeah. So, it's cool. Mm-hmm. So, check it out. You know, maybe it's not your flavor today, but you know, you might pass someplace and that's all they have is glamping there, and hey, that might be all right. Yeah. It'll be fun, you know, a little more informed about it, you know?

Yeah. It's a different way to go. Check it out as a reminder. We get a lot or not a lot. We got some of our information from a magazine called RV Destinations, and I've talked about it before. It's a great magazine, with excellent stories in it. Articles about camping, different places to take your RV with a lot of pictures in it, and the pictures are just awesome.

It really sets the magazine apart from so many other RV magazines and it's not chocked full of advertising. You know, you go to some of the mainstream magazines and there's 70% ads. Yep. There's like so little content. It's unbelievable that this magazine's the opposite. It's almost all content with very few ads.

Super nice. So, check out the magazine. It's rv destinations magazine.com. Go to their website. It's a subscription-based magazine. It's not a freebie. But it's well worth the price of the subscription. Oh yeah, definitely. Check it out. It's one of our favorites. Mm-hmm. Now that the next stop is behind us, let's go to RV Envy.

RV ENVY

So, RV Envy's, where we talk about cool products for RVs, um, things to make it nicer, more comfortable, kind of like glamping, having that nice tint with the full-size bed in it. Well, we're not going to go that crazy today. So, Camco products are, uh, on the chopping block today. Although we're not going to chop it up, we're just going to talk about it.

So, Camco makes a line of products called Life is Better at the Campsite. I've talked about this stuff too, them and another brand, but you, you really must check it out. This stuff is just cool. The more and more I look at it and we have filled our RV up with this stuff. Plates, cups, towels, shower curtains, bed sheets, blankets.

Welcome mats. Anything that has life is better at the campsite on it. We have got it. And the stuff is just cool. It just adds that flavor to RV, especially if you're not out full-time. It where, you know, maybe if you're a full-time RV or you want to have a specific kind of bedsheet or something, you know, um, this stuff is just, is more fun.

It's just something to talk about. You know, everybody's going to love it. They see it on your RV. Everything you bring out has this camping theme in it. It's so cool, you know, and it just kind of has a look to it that makes it fun. But that's one of their product lines. Camco does a lot of other great things.

In fact, we have decided on our, on our company trailer, which we bought for marketing basically, and using it to take it out to campgrounds because it's going to be decked out with logos and stuff. Everything's in the works, but we've decided that Camco products, anything we can get, Camco is going to go in that RV because they, their stuff just all work together.

Why not just go with one company? They make good products and they're like anybody else. They have a lot of products, but sometimes there are ones that aren't as good as other brands, so not everything is a hundred percent, but they have a good product line. So, anything that has Camco's name on it is going on our RV before any other brand unless we just can't get it in time or if we're doing something, you know, whatever it might be.

But Camco's brand, so you can go to their website and check out what they have. They've got a huge selection of products. Almost every RV store in the world carries a lot of Camco brand products. There are some stores that are called Camco stores where they have, you know, much more Camco products than anybody else.

But they have a lot of great things, so check it out. It just makes RV that much more fun. So, check out your local RV parts store, and when you walk in there, you tell them you want some Camco, life is better at the campsite stuff, and you tell them Eric sent you. Mm-hmm. And they're going to look at you and say, who?

What? Who's Eric? And you say, Eric from TheSmartRVer Podcast. And they're probably still going to say, who, what? Who's that? Eric? Just tell them Anyway, let's start a buzz. All right. Who's this Eric Guy tell them they need to check out the podcast and they might become a better RV parts guy to help you down the road.

OUTRO

That's right. All right, well that's bringing us to the end of the show today. Nice fun. Show good information. Always more information that helps us have a much better time RV. It makes that RV trip a memory maker each time because that's what it's all about, is making those memories. This is Eric Stark with TheSmartRVerPodcast.

It's been great hanging out with you today. If I don't see you on the road, let's connect at TheSmartRVer.com.