INTRO

These things are so cool. This is Eric Stark with TheSmartRVer Podcast, delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV lifestyle without the fear of breaking down. Now let's talk about everything RV. We're doing episode #157 today, so let's dig into this. Welcome to the show, Alexis.

Alexis- Thanks, Eric. I'm happy to be here.

Eric- You've come back one more time. Alexis is turning in a resignation. I'm just kidding. Alexis isn't going anywhere. We got a ball and chain on her. She's shackled to the table.

Alexis- Wow, Eric.

Eric- So, we'll be talking all our stuff today. And, you know, so much stuff is happening in the RV world. Otherwise, we're going to focus on the good today. Yeah. So, none of my rants about dealerships, how bad they are, or will focus on the good.

That sounds good. So, let's start with conserving water while dry camping and enjoying RV life. Many of our viewers are very familiar with how to conserve water, but sometimes there's something they need to think about or someone new to RV life. Like, you know, we have, you know, 10,000 people listening to this episode. Someone's got to be new out there.

RV LIFESTYLE

All right. We all seasoned the experts. Exactly. So, Alexis, we have nine tips here. Do you want to run through these?

Alexis—Sure. Conserving water is a huge deal, especially when you're dry camping. One way to do this is to understand your water usage. Another is to check for leaks. That's a huge one.

Eric- We have water-saving fixtures here, but most come with that anyway.

Alexis- Taking Navy showers was good because I've done this; I didn't know it was at first. And it's a way to save but still be clean, which is nice.

Eric- you can use disposable wipes, but please do not flush them down your toilet.

Your RV toilet cannot take that. The tank can not handle that. So don't do that if you're going to use them; throw them in the garbage.

Alexis- Optimize dishwashing.

Eric- We discussed a bacterial enzyme that's probably in your holding tank. So, using certain soaps can kill what you do, and because of that, you know it won't work.

It'll stink. You can cook efficiently. You prepare meals and cleanup, know what you'll use, and plan for that. You monitor usage. We've talked about making a hand-washing station outside of your RV, so if you have kids or just know yourself, you can wash your hands outside and conserve more water that way.

Alexis- The last one is to carry extra water. That's just an intelligent tip, no matter what. Just have extra water on hand. You can use it instead of using the sink or the shower all the time. Emergencies come up, so having additional water with you is brilliant. I went through that efficiently. Plus nine points. So, this is available on TheSmartRVer.com. I am enjoying the RV life.

Eric- These points are fascinating. And like I said, some people are used to it. They already do this; others are new to it. So there might be some new things you still need to do here, like the disposable. It makes sense to clean things up, wipe down the kitchen table, or do whatever.

Alexis- Yeah. When you're dry camping, you don't want to run out.

Eric- Even if you're conservative and think you have much more water than you will use. What you think you must go home with extra water is good as emergencies arise.

Alexis- Exactly.

Eric—Yeah. If you're down to the last gallon, when you pack up your RV and go home, you need water for an emergency in your car, heating, or whatever.

You don't have it now, so being extra conservative is always better. Then, you can take that extended shower on the last night if you want to. But the water from your freshwater tank—if you're using it—also goes into your gray water tank, right? That'll fill up, too.

Alexis- Mhmm.

Eric—So, all these things have a purpose. It's good to think about that when you're out dry camping, especially with family and kids. Kids tend to waste water.

Alexis- They do.

Eric- Yep. Hopefully, they're mad because there won't be any more water. Well, why not care? Yeah, exactly. Water smarter. Who needs that now, man? There we go. Yeah. Alexis is running for the door. All right, I said go to our website. So, it's just a friendly reminder. I want to throw this one plug in here today for us.

Today, over a million people listen to this podcast. So, I'd love to see 10,000 new views on our YouTube channel. Yeah, go to our YouTube channel and watch at least one video. Do it! Like it. Subscribe. Let's make this happen. Let's turn this channel into something unique.

We're getting some traction, but we have great videos there. You know, we want everybody to look at them and watch them. And sometimes, while we do parts of this show, the same goes down the road: videos. We have a new video. This could be coming out, which we'll talk about in the next episode, and you guys will love this one.

It will save you tons of money if you have a dramatic toilet. But go to our YouTube channel. All 10,000 of you don't do it all today, or you get an hour, a few days. Well, I'll show you what we got. Okay. What we're made of, how we stick together. That's right—next step. So we'll talk about community, you know, show it. It will display that before, and when you get to that next episode, there we go.

STAYING ON THE ROAD

But what have I walked away with? You know, one thing that Alexis and I were talking about yesterday was then numbers versus model numbers. Yeah. Yeah. And what I mean by that is one of the one. Well, it starts as a question, and sometimes it's a statement into a question. I have the VIN of my RV.

What awnings, what furnace is in it, or whatever's on it, Rig? Rigellre is not a dealership, so we don't sell different RVs. So, VINs are meaningless to us. They don't help us. No, there are some apps out there that we know about, but at this point, they're meaningless. That VIN could have some value to a dealer selling your RV brand.

The day you have to use the VIN is more in the You do, yeah, but not with you,r RVs, but our RVs is the appliance's model number or the part you're looking at. And so you know, we get asked the question, trying to find out what furnace they have. Hey, can you tell me what my furnace has? How come my furnace isn't working?

And so, we ask which model furnace it is. Then it goes back. Well, I got the VIN. Okay, we need the model number, the stove, that is. Well, I don't have that. I have the VIN, and we explain that it doesn't help us. And then is the model numbThenhis. This is why I preach about the model numbers, writing them down.

You need to write buy out the time one day, go through your RV, write all your model numbers down in a book, and just keep that book handy. Be smart. Then, if it changes your opening water pump, write down the new number, a new furnace, which I don't know often, but air conditioner refrigeration. It makes life so much easier.

You know, he is talking to a guy about his refrigerator. You know there's a thousand questions right there—this refrigerator thing. The model number is thThegerator here is on the back side of it. He took the refrigerator out to get the model. He says I've already done this a couple of times. And I suggested writing them down.

He thought it was a novel approach, you know. So, while, yeah, let's not do this. How many times have you looked at the model number? Just write it down or, you know, keep it online or, you know, on your phone or book a physical book. Just keep it someplace. All right. So that got sidetracked there.

But that's part of the learning process. Our customers need to realize that VINs only work in some applications. And now, another exciting thing is that our customer base, fan base, and audience range from persons with minimal skills to the do-it-yourself or those on steroids.

There's a big difference between those two groups. Yeah, and then you have all sorts of varying skill sets. But we find the ones with no skills, sometimes teams or very little; they want to avoid developing a skill set. They don't want to be able to check that fuze ourselves.

They want to be themselves, take it to a dealership or RV repair center, and have them do it. It costs so much more, though it costs more the time involved. You must take the RV, and maybe you must leave it all day or all week. Pick. Yeah, all week anymore. Pick it up. Then you find out just a fuze.

Yeah. Add some. You could have done it. Maybe you canceled your RV trip and the fuze. Exactly. So, if you're in that category, develop some skill sets. It will not kill you, man. I promise. And then, by the same token, you have to do it yourself or on steroids. Who knows? His RV is inside and out. Yeah. And you know, we're all guilty of this.

I know. I do it when talking to customers, whether in person or on the phone. Sometimes, I'm already jumping ahead to what they think they will say, and I'm not listening anymore. And so that's bad on my part. But by the same token, it can happen the other way where someone's not listening to me. Yeah, and I'm asking questions and trying to get down a path here, but the questions don't get answered, as sometimes it's okay.

All right. Okay. Let's go back to the question. You know, whatever it is, and we waste a lot of time. And so it's like I do the same thing. I mean, I'm guilty of it. So, I correct myself to make sure I'm listening. And I'm not jumping ahead to question because sometimes, when I just sit and listen, it finally gets to the point even though it's taken a long time to get there.

It's like, okay, I wasn't expecting that. This is what I was expecting. Now, that changes this direction, but it makes more sense. Yeah, because of how the conversation started and where that path took us. So the point is we need to listen, and we all need to add. You know, sometimes the questions I ask seem ridiculous, like, holy smokes, man, what is this guy thinking?

But they're all building up to the point that there's a reason, you know, something. There's building up to somebody on the phone, and he kept saying there, Kovacs Cable runs from the circuit breakers to the outlets, like, Are you sure? And I described Kovacs Cable. Yep, Yep, yep. And by the end of the day, no, that wasn't it.

It's just regular all-roll max cabling, yeah. And what he described needed to be clarified and sidetracked the entire diagnosing process. It was like, Wow, this is just bizarre. You know, they use this. This is weird. Yeah. Yeah. Now, and I'm not saying that's every conversation, but things like that, we have to be sure what we're talking about, and the patient has to be patient.

So I've learned a lot. Yes. These phone calls, you know, they always have to be patient with me. I've got to be patient with you. Exactly. That's the way it works. Yes. And then the other thing that is so handy—and I love it when some customers are really on the ball with this—is that they not only text those pictures but also draw on them and point out an arrow pointing to what they're talking about.

But that's all nice, and that's great. That's a competent person. They like computers. They're like technology. They're very comfortable with their phones. But batteries that way, yeah, I can do all that stuff, but I'm not going to do it unless you push me and, you know. Yeah, you know. So I'll text you a picture.

You figure it out. But texting pictures helps out so much because there are so many things that we think we know exactly what you're talking about. And maybe it's this better example, something in the store. Someone will describe something. Oh, yeah, I need a new cover for my propane tanks. Okay. So you got two seven, two £30 tanks.

Yeah, that's easy. I could never need the cover that goes on them. And so if we don't have the cover, let's say we have to order it because we're out of stock. We get a man and call the guy. We got your covers near your cover, and he comes down, so I don't need that.

I need the little lid that goes on top. Yeah. Where you flip it up, and you can turn the valves on and off. Yep. And you're like, Oh, so pitchers want to do that, right? Communication, with you, know, that clear understanding of things. And so it goes back to that listening or explaining, explaining. Right. You know, and just thinking about the number of questions I get asked, I learned that sometimes, I'm tired of questions by the end of the day.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ask Alexis and Karen. Eric for you, Grouchy. Are they human questions? But, you know, the questions are what everybody has. I go to the stores, and I ask questions about things. It could be a car. I know everything, so it doesn't matter now. Oh, wow. But, you know, I ask questions, and sometimes the guy needs help understanding what I'm asking.

His skill set may be lower than I thought, so I had to lower the dumbed-down quality. The question is more straightforward because it is easier for the person to understand or draw. In the Dummy's Guide, Harper is the guy to Eric.

There we go. Yeah. And you know you can get mad. I'm not doing any good now. You know, it just makes the conversation more intense. Yeah. And you know, listening to people, all the questions are almost all the same. It's always the same thing about furnaces, refrigerators, air conditioners, cars. It's. Why doesn't it work?

All right. That's the, you know, why doesn't it work? That is the biggest question we have, regardless of what it is. Second are our Sun Pro products, including slide-out fabric windshield covers. How do you measure things like that? Oh, yes. Soto says that I've learned so much about these questions, and they have changed my life.

I can't say that. Yeah. But I've learned that people have many problems with RVs and want to fix them, whether it's themselves or having a company do it. But it's that desire to get it fixed and fixed, right? So that's important. That's one of the reasons why we do this podcast: to help people learn how to take care of their RV or to learn new aspects of taking care of their RV.

Some people are very good at this. They could host this podcast, but the goal is to help people. YouTube videos are the same thing, too, so weed out the garbage you find on YouTube and the Internet, which, you know, is misleading you into buying stuff. We don't do any paid commercials, either.

We're not doing a YouTube commercial or a YouTube video promoting something we don't believe in. That will never happen, right? We get emails asking us to make YouTube videos for companies and promote things. Yeah, portable air conditioners and this and that. And it's just all of this garbage.

We will only do it if we believe in the product, you know? Yeah, some sunglasses or eyeglass companies offer deals. We have to look out more and see the quality. And Yeah, everybody wears sunglasses or eyeglasses. Still, it's that quality stuff, and you know, that's what we're trying to teach everybody, which are YouTube videos, the podcast, and even these places where we suggest going. We've researched them.

We're not going to send you into an alligator pit. Exactly. Yeah, not intentionally, no. But, you know, the questions are always good. And so there's no negative to all these questions that we get. The questions are: What makes the We'll go round or make our business work? Yeah. Every question turns into an answer. Every answer for us turns into a customer, so we like it.

The answer to this question has yet to be discovered. Can you help? We help them because that's what we do, and we understand it. And sometimes, things just can't be done. Parts aren't there; some have been discontinued, and we have yet to find a replacement, but someone else has.

But we don't know about it. Right. You know we work on that stuff, but by asking the questions, you'll find out. So it's not a negative thing. The questions are good. So keep the questions coming. The more questions you have, the more you're learning, the more you care about your RV, and the more you care about your family.

Your RV is running well, and everything's working. Then you're taking care of your family because they want to go in that RV, use it, and go on trips, making them happy. And there you go. It's like my RV. Everything is in tip-top shape. Yes. Alexis, how's your RV?

Alexis- It's good. It's good. And it is in top shape.

Almost always, there's something, right? Yes, There's always going to be things. Always. That's why we learned that we can take care of our RVs. The questions are significant. Keep them coming, and you can contact us by phone. We talk to people who listen to the podcast all the time. Yes, we text each other and send emails.

NEXT STOP

Eric- You know, we love it. All right. Now, that's going to take us to the next stop. Today, we are traveling from Montana to the East Coast. It's all humid and nasty right now. Yeah, let's not go back right now. We're going to Boston, Massachusetts.

Alexis- Yes, we are.

Eric- Smell the cobblestone roads.

Alexis- There we go. Well, it's one of America's oldest cities, and that is evident everywhere. So there, we can stroll along the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile path that winds through historic neighborhoods and iconic landmarks like the Old North Church. That's where Paul Revere's famous ride took place. He went by that with the gleaming golden dome.

So that's cool. Then, for a deeper dive, you can visit the Boston Tea Party ships in the harbor or the museum. It's a neat walk through history. There are cultural delights, which means they have an art scene. There are a lot of museums, a lot to see in that type of thing.

Local flavor and street performers have everything there, even natural places. You can hop on the ferry and go to the Boston Harbor Islands. That's cool. As for our beer, we like to go outdoors, so that might be something fun. And, of course, there are RV parks all around, but you just have to do a little research.

And if you want to see Boston, do it. It's pretty cool, especially in the fall.

Eric- I'm on my way. There we go. All right. So there you have it. So, speaking of questions, you have questions about early American history. Yeah. You go there. You can go there and start asking questions. There's a lot of history there in Boston, I'm sure.

I mean, where it all began.

Alexis- Yes, sir.

Eric- Where all the anarchy came, so this is, you know, well, that's where the United States got its history from. So very neat. That was the starting point of that. So there's a lot there. And, you know, it's fantastic. It is still intact. It is. Yeah. It hasn't been bulldozed or something new put up, or it offends this person.

That is burning out; tearing down these red bricks is offensive. Right. So it's fantastic. So check that out if you still need to go. If you're in, it's where you live or a long track, but there are other things to set here. Yeah, it's worth it. Yeah.

Make a big giant loop. Go ahead. Take six months off work. I throw right now. Why not? What the heck? Even that way, you can check it out. Have a good time. We've gone through the next stop and are approaching RV envy. This will be the most exciting part of the show you have ever experienced, and talk about experienced actors.

RV ENVY

Eric- Not just wire connectors but wire nuts. You can drill down more lever wire nuts.

Alexis- That makes sense. So I don't, you, if I had one in my hand, you see it. But the wire connectors, you know. Yeah, we're traditional wire connectors. We use a crimp tool. You crimp them, and they work.

You slice into the wire, but lever wire connectors have a little lever on them, which is pretty sweet because you can reuse them. They're easy to use sometimes. Get in a tight spot. You got one arm, and there's no way you'll be able to crimp something. But with these lever knots, you can get one arm in somewhere, get the wires in, and flip the little lever.

And these little connectors there, you know, are clear plastic, usually orange or blue or whatever lever is on it. You get in just about any hardware store or big box store online. Be careful about the quality of your online purchases. Yeahabout, no kidding. Yeah, I don't. Yeah, just shop local people. Yeah. There you go. Put them in your hand. Touch them. In the film, you start that way.

So you push the wire in. Yeah, it's a strip at first, but you put the wire into the connector, flip the lever down, and now the wires are in there to stay. Then you put the other wire in right next to it and flip that lever down, and the wires are in there to stay so you can use them as a permanent situation.

They were great on our TVs. If you're just testing and want to save wire connectors, or if the wires are getting short and you want to keep cutting and stripping them, you can use them just for testing things. They're super easy to test because you can put them on there. If it works, leave the connector on there.

If it doesn't, you can take it off and plan B, whatever that might be. They're pretty handy. And, you know, a lot of you probably already seen them, know about them, and they're not new by any stretch of the imagination, but they're still relatively new. You know, many people haven't seen them, or you see them.

You don't understand what they are or how handy they can be, so you don't need to run out by a kid of a million of them. You need a small starter set, some, a few of each. See how you like them. Try them out, and you might use them sparingly, depending on your actions.

But when you do need one, they are certainly handy. That's why you don't need a big old kit filled with them; you just have someone on hand. So that's money for the day. The big thing that will make all your neighbors jealous, you know? He got these connectors, and it shows them in the image.

I got my wire connectors. Oh, wow. Yeah.

Alexis- Who does that?

Eric- they are peculiar people, not intelligent RVers. Do they follow the guy doing that and then take their connectors? Who knows. This will conclude our show today.

We are a couple of minutes early. So that's good. We shared the shoot for 30 minutes, but we haven't made that mark in a live episode for a while. But, you know, we shoot for that. All right, everybody. So next week, or excuse me, the next episode will be 158. And we will talk about the problems we see and hear most often.

OUTRO

We will talk about the problems we get asked about on the phone, which I mentioned a little bit today, and then the things we see that come through our store. You might be surprised at what they are. So it's been a great show. It's been great hanging out with everybody today. And if I don't see you on the road, let’s connect at TheSmartRVer Podcast.