Join Eric Stark and Alexis as they reflect on the highlights of 2024 in the RV lifestyle, sharing memorable moments from their favorite episodes and essential tips for enjoying life on the road. This episode dives into the joys of RVing, including the importance of being prepared with dog-friendly parks, managing towing anxiety, and essential buying tips for your first RV. The hosts also discuss unique destinations such as Colonial Williamsburg, Rio Grande, and the stunning landscapes of Wyoming, emphasizing the diverse experiences available to RVers. With a blend of humor and practical advice, they address the significance of community in the RV world, encouraging listeners to embrace their adventures without guilt. As they wrap up the year, Eric and Alexis hint at exciting changes for 2025, promising even more engaging content for their audience.
Enjoying the RV Life: Eric and Alexis covered the past year's highlights, which included their favorites, such as RVing with dogs and RVing without guilt. They talked at length about what the Podcast does for The Smart RVer and how much we have enjoyed interacting with our followers and helping them improve their RV lives.
Dog-Friendly RV Parks #155 - 10 Dog Friendly RV ParksOvercoming Towing Anxiety #147 - Navigating the Road to Overcoming Towing Anxiety Jase Case #154 - Jase CasePurchase a Jase Case. Use Coupon Code "SmartFirstAid" to Save 10 Bucks.Tips for Purchasing your 1st RV #141 - Tips for Purchasing your 1st RVExtended RV Warranties by Wholesale WarrantiesRV Party Planning- It's Possible! #143 - Hosting Exciting RV PartiesRVing without Guilt #159 - RVing Without GuiltStaying On The Road: Eric shares a list of his favorite episode segments from 2024 and discusses why RVers should know certain things about their RV. He strives to make all his followers better and Smarter RVers. Eric is willing to give one-on-one time with anyone who calls and needs more advice than what's offered on the show. The Smart RVer Podcast is becoming a staple for any RVer, and we want to thank our followers for being loyal and supporting the show!
The Next Stop: Alexis and Eric talk about their favorite RV places and the restaurants they love the most. One of the places they highlight is Mr. Korny, a place that became TikTok famous for its colorful storefront and really colorful food! It could be a healthier place to eat, but it is fun to see all the junk food combinations they create and sell. There are a lot of Takis inspired dishes, making this place a unique and popular joint!
Colonial Williamsburg, VA #128 - Colonial WilliamsburgRio Grande, TX #91 - Rio Grande TexasWhite Sands, NM #119 - White Sands New MexicoRVing in Cody, WY #145 - Cody WyomingDiscovering the Heartland: All About Kansas! #155 - KansasExploring the Most Famous RV Parks in the US #141 - Most Famous RV Parks in the USBreads Bakery, New York, New York #162 - Breads Bakery, New York, New YorkFarm & Fire, Banff Canada #117 - Farm & Fire, Banff CanadaMr. Korny, Rio Grande Texas #91 - Rio Grande, TexasEl Guero Canelo Tucson The Lost Episode El Guero CaneloSheridan, TX BBQ, Brisket #152 - Sheridan, TexasArco Idaho Pickles Place # 153 Craters of the Moon - Craters of the Moon, IdahoRV Envy: Eric summarizes our year of RV Envy and how much RVers can benefit from hearing about potential products that can make their lives better and easier. This year has been full of exciting things to discover, and the following year has much more to offer. We are so excited to see what this year has to come!
RV Defender Trailer Tire Blow Out SystemFlow Max Toilet Water Valve for Dometic 300 Series ToiletsSmart View 30 & 50 Amp Power InletsOther Online Resources:The Smart Rver YouTube Channel - Check Out Our No-Nonsense YouTube VideosSunpro Mfg - RV Sunshade, Windshield Covers & Slide Out Awning FabricsHot Boat Ropes - Marine Cordage- Anchor Lines, Dock Lines, Tow Lines, etc.Top Rated Podcast -The Smart RVer Podcast Website
Transcripts
Eric Stark
d this is our last episode of:
will review the highlights of:
The next stop is the same: staying on the road. I will cover several things we discussed that stood out to me. I just couldn't make my mind up.
Yeah, I'm running the show. I picked a bunch of stuff, including RV Envy. I have three products that we'll discuss quickly.
They're great products and things we need to be reminded about.
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. In today's episode 166, we'll discuss everything RV in the studio. Alexis is ready to go and wearing her California Joshua Tree shirt.
Alexis
Yes, I wrote about that.
Eric Stark
Fun fact: Joshua Tree used to be the murder capital of the world. Oh, that may not be the murder capital, but a lot of people got killed there. Yeah, by the heck, you know, don't worry about that.
Alexis
We won't think about that.
Eric Stark
Just bring a big stick when you go there.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
All right. So rather than. We don't have anything. These are not my everyday rants; we will get right into this because we have a little.
Shows me a little longer than usual. We will clock in a little over an hour, which takes us past our expected time. But anyway, let's get to enjoying the RV life.
So, we will start with Alexis and her first pick, dog-friendly RV parks, taken from episode 155.
Alexis
Yes, this one was fun to write about because I love dogs. You know, we see many RVers come through here with their pets, whether cats or, I think, somebody had a rabbit, but usually, it's dogs.
We want to discuss how to accommodate our dogs in our RV life. This is an excellent topic. We originally covered ten, and that's still up on our page, but we're only going to highlight three today.
The first one is in Utah, at the Zion River Resort. It is nice because it has a spot for dogs to run off-leash.
You don't have to keep them on their leashes. It's super convenient to let them run and exercise.
Get all that energy burnt off that they, you know, have when they're stuck in the RV. And so that's really. That was the other thing. They have dog walking services there.
So, if you're older and cannot move around, hire somebody to walk your dog. It's convenient. Or if you're just morbidly obese, the other one I wanted to cover was in California. It's Pismo Coast Village RV Resort.
That is a mouthful.
This place is super beautiful because it's right on the oceanfront. It has a quartered-off piece of beachfront where you can let your dogs run off-leash again, which is super friendly. They can also play in the ocean. You'll want to watch them, but that's anywhere you go.
The place is also very dog-friendly. The last place I wanted to talk about was Sail Hill Preserve State Park, which is in Florida for our Florida friends.
And again, right on the beach, they have designated areas for dogs to run around. And they have it all set up. So it's super convenient for the owners to pick up their poo in case they do that because they do.
We just want you to be able to enjoy your RV life with your dog.
So, my takeaway is to call before you make a reservation at one of these resorts and ensure that if you bring your dog, staying there will be okay. That's my call to action.
Eric Stark
Wow. So here's what I was thinking. Here's what I got from that: You know, most places have an in-and-out burger, and they have a secret menu.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
So if you go to these parks and say, "Hey, on the flip side, can I put my kids in there?" You know, let them run wild, no leashes.
Alexis
I would do that.
Eric Stark
All right, man, we can't do that. But, like in California, I don't know, I'd better shut up.
See, on a Sunday, we're not on a typical day here, so that we can get pretty stupid, you know, wild and let our hair down, as you can see. Anyway, so now we're going to host an exciting RV party. Parties are just part of the RV lifestyle, right?
Everybody wants to have a good party. Hosting a party, though, requires some responsibility and planning.
And you know, you can't just do it anywhere, especially in an RV, you know, you don't want to, I don't know, pick a lousy place to go and just not be able to do it, or choose a great place, but then the park ranger says, no, not here. It isn't happening. So you want to pick the perfect spot. Someplace where, you know, you can do this and get away with it. Get away with it.
Or you can do it and have a nice time, not get away with it. And, sometimes, there's a park that seems pretty loosey-goosey, or you're up in the mountains or out in the desert.
You want to ensure no regulations or anything will ruin it. You'd hate to be at your party for an hour or two or three, and suddenly, you must pack it up and stop.
That's basic stuff most everybody knows, but it's something to add a little spice to. It might be picking a theme. Now, it doesn't have to be a crazy theme. You know, you could all dress up as rivers and go that way.
That'd be the simplest thing. Or just a beach theme or something like that. Something simple.
Something where everybody's not going to have to spend a lot of money to do it and bring us, you know, a lot of extra clothes because that takes up space. There's enough stuff you're already trying to put in your RVs. When you do this, think about the meals.
I mean, everybody loves to eat, especially at rving. That's the thing, having all that fun, comfort food, as they call it. So think about that.
Or 1, 2, 3, or all of you gonna bring stuff. Everybody brings a dish. Or is one person gonna do it? Or are you gonna just buy a bunch of things and get it, like catering or 50 pizzas?
But think about that. Make sure there's a lot of fun food there—chips, dip, salsa. And you know, Uncle Leo goes over, and this is a chip to double dip. Now you boot him out.
There can be no double dip here. Let's keep the dip clean and have a good party.
Depending on how out of hand it will be, you want to invite your neighbors or warn them. But inviting them always brings them in. You know, it's guilt. By being there, they're guilty. They can't complain at that point.
You've invited your neighbors and friends, and you're having a great time. That's what RV life is all about: community and getting together with other RVers and friends.
You won't be able to do this quickly; you'll have to plan it.
My takeaway is that having a party is a great way to get together, let your hair down, eat great food, and have a good time with your friends, family, and fellow RVers. That leads us to our next choice: enjoying RV life. I can't discuss this here, so this is Alexis' second choice.
And by the way, these aren't in any order. We just picked them. So, overcoming towing anxiety. And this came from episode 147.
Alexis
Yes, it did. Did.
This one speaks to me because we got a camper this year, and my husband is learning to tow it. I have also learned to pull it, but I haven't, so it would be a good idea to consider. So that's what I wanted to talk about: Learn it beforehand, not when you're going to the campground.
You know, you don't want to get there; it is full of people. You're stressed already and trying to tow this thing or back it up. That would be, you know, for your first time. That's just not kosher. So learn beforehand. And there are ways you can do that.
You can practice with somebody who's had a trailer for a long time, who knows what they're doing, who can give you tips, or you can take a course online. You can take a course at the college. They offer things, especially locally, if there's much camping around.
There are things you can do to make your life less stressful and more fun in your RV or trailer. And then practice. Practice with easy places. It could be a big parking lot, your home, your driveway, or somewhere else private.
You're not going to be stressed out. You're not going to be watched by a bunch of people or kids screaming, you know, as you're running over them because it happens.
But, you know, we're just going to crunch them and move on. It's fine. Well, if they're in the way, that's their Fault. So this is.
I think about this a lot because I could work on it. My husband is very good at it, and he's learned it, but I need to learn it in an emergency.
If you're an avid camper and go places with low or no signal, you must learn how to tow and back up. That's important. My takeaway from that is to be ready before you go out there. Get out of your comfort zone and be brave enough to do it.
Eric Stark
All right? So there you go. Anxiety while towing. Now, just another piece of advice Alexis missed. This should be the most obvious.
If you have your spouse train you to drive and back up and do all that, get an attorney beforehand. So you can just make this a package deal. Okay. And make sure the hospital is nearby, because there's fights and all sorts of stuff, you know? All right.
No, so that's pretty cool. Towing anxiety is a real thing.
There are a lot of courses, and I would pay someone to do it myself if, like, if my wife wanted to do that, which probably should, I'd pay so much. I know she can go forward, but I'm backing up. It could be an issue.
Alexis
Another story.
Eric Stark
Yeah, yeah. We're on to the next tip, essential for buying your first RV. This is taken from episode 141.
I'm pretty pessimistic about buying an RV from a dealership, but not your first RV. That's cool. You have to buy your first RV, but you have to be smart about it. And that's where everything falls apart. Everybody just.
They get all taken up. The emotions start going, oh, look at this one. It's so lovely. It's so cool. Look at all these great things.
And behind the makeup, if you will, it's just a pile of junk. So you have to be careful about that. And, you know, it doesn't matter where you're buying it. Quite often, it does matter.
But you'll be sold a bill of goods if you're not careful. So first, look at some RVs and define your needs based on what you see. What do you need in an RV?
Do you need to have a satellite dish on the roof? Well, not anymore. That's old stuff. But think about that. If there's a satellite dish on the roof, that's not cool anymore.
That's a waste because we no longer use satellite dishes in RVs. Everything's Internet. But think about your needs. What do you need? You need a furnace, a microwave, and a TV.
How many bedrooms or how many beds? Bathrooms? Sometimes, you get two bathrooms. But think about the bigger picture and then set a budget.
You know, don't get taken in by, wow, that motorhome is so lovely. And it's just $10,000 more, only a hundred bucks a month. Don't do that. Yeah, just set yourself a budget and stick to that budget.
And here's one of the most essential things: inspect that RV thoroughly. You want to get on the roof and see every appliance work. You want to make sure there are no water leaks. Inspect the ceiling and inside cabinets.
Make sure there are no signs of leaks. If there's any sign of a water leak, just run. Even if they say, oh, no, we fixed all the leaks.
I wouldn't risk it because you will hate yourself when you buy it and the first winter or rainstorm leaks. If there were a leak, you wouldn't know how long it had been leaking or how much damage there was. There could be soft spots in the ceiling and the walls.
So, make sure you thoroughly inspect the RV from top to bottom. If it's a motorhome, also take it for a test drive. Make sure the brakes, turn signals, and everything else work.
The fuel gauge, the speedometer. A motorhome sitting for a long time will cause problems. So think about that. You know, it's. Things go bad just from sitting.
Also, analyze the amenities and features it offers. Is that what you need? If it's a little more than what you need. But does it fit your budget? It's not ridiculous.
Okay, if you do that, will you buy an extended warranty? If so, consider wholesale warranties. They have a transparent process, and you can't go wrong with them.
Those extended warranties are from wholesale warranties, which are good. Other places are not so good. And they'll have a private party. If you're buying a used RV, they'll have it inspected.
You pay for that inspection now, but when it's done, you'll know exactly where you stand with the RV, its quality, and the warranty company. You'll also see whether they covered it.
And then think too about, you know, if you were to sell it in a year, if it's not your cup of tea, would you be able to get your money back or would you be taking a big bath on it? Or in 10 years, is it still in good enough condition to get some cash back on it?
Those are things to consider. It might not be that important to you because we'll never get rid of it once we buy it.
But sometimes RVs go up for sale after a year because they weren't your cup of tea. Another factor is checking the cost of insurance. Sometimes, it is not considered.
This might make the price too expensive for your budget, and you might have to lower your budget to afford the insurance. These are just some of the things.
My takeaway is to be cautious when buying an RV from a private party or a dealership, whether new or old. An extra caution from a dealership and make sure everything works. All right, so Alexis grieves with that.
She always hears me ranting about buying RVs and how cautious we have to be because there are just some duds out there. We get customers in here. I got the best deal. And every time they come in dropping 500 here or 100, I forget the deal.
Alexis
They're just defeated, looking after a while.
Eric Stark
You look like one of them gonna go there.
Alexis
Oh, no.
Eric Stark
All right, so now we'll enjoy the RV life for Alexis. And this is her third choice. And this is about Jase's case. And this is taken from episode 154.
Alexis
This one always struck me because it's an excellent idea. I want one. And there's something you can invest in, which is fantastic.
So what Covid showed us was that the medical system is very fragile. It can run out of things very quickly. So this is nice because it's customizable.
You can get your Jase case online. You can add whatever features you want to it, including medicines. They have a whole list.
I looked it up again the other day to see if they have a laundry list of medications you can use. Yeah, it's pretty awesome. And they're nice things that donate and expire right away.
But you do have to watch that because, eventually, they won't be as potent. So you'll have to re-up your case, which is fine. That's normal, but they're just lovely. They're. They're high-quality, top-of-the-line stuff.
You can even get a package that includes a consultation with a doctor about what you might need. You can tell them about your health issues, and then they can help you choose the proper treatment.
Again, it comforts you to know you're prepared when you're RVing, whether in the woods or on the road. You know you have the medications you need. And it's something we don't think about all the time.
But it's super important, not just to older people but also to younger RVers. So, we need to have it. This company is easy to work with and trustworthy, so I like them. I also like Jase's case.
So please take your time and look online for them. They are a fantastic company, and we back them. We should buy one.
My takeaway is to be prepared, especially with medications. With this company, you can customize what you need.
Eric Stark
Excellent. Yeah, being prepared is essential.
One thing I saw on their website, too, is that Alexis mentioned this: sometimes, they're not as important after some time. As potent as they could be, but they're all. Drugs are that way.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
Even the United States government, when they buy drugs, they know that there's an expiration date, but they also know that it might be good for another year, two, three, or four years. That's how they stockpile all this stuff. Otherwise, they'd be throwing it out very quickly.
For example, there would have been trash and tons of vaccines during the pandemic. Therefore, they tell you the expiration dates and how long a product can be used before it becomes unsuitable.
.
Alexis
Right.
Eric Stark
So that helps because you're not just throwing money away at that point. And there's safety conscious, so you don't have to worry about it getting poisoned or anything like that either.
You know, Jay's case, go to our website. There's a link there. Just click on that bad boy. It'll also be in the description of this video or this podcast. I mean, and video. It'll be everywhere.
You can use that link to go there. You'll also get a discount when you use our link.
Alexis
Yeah, be great.
Eric Stark
Then we'll make a million dollars per purchase. That's awesome, you know? Or is it three cents? I forget. But somewhere in there, the difference is all Right. So now we're going.
The last portion of enjoying the RV life is RVing without guilt. So just do it. Who cares about everybody else? That's what I say. You know, sometimes when you get an RV and you start using it, you're traveling.
Conversations with friends and family might revolve around you and your RV, everywhere you go, everything you do, and all your pictures. Now, look at my pictures. You pull out your phone, and you know it has 10,000 pictures.
What do you think is cool? They think they're a waste of time, which is typical because what we see differs from what everybody else sees.
Your husband is a photographer. His pictures are much better, but they'll still be boring for someone afterward. Come on, let's look at these pictures.
You don't want to wear them down that way, but you also want to communicate with people. If you travel a lot, just let them know where you are.
Sometimes, we might take off on an extended trip for three weeks or a month. I did not tell anybody, or we mentioned it several times beforehand.
They process that as something they need to know or should know, but it's always good to communicate. Let them know what's happening.
That way, you're not thinking about it. Oh, we should have said so, and so, you know, when you're doing this when you're RVing, think about its quality. Don't worry about everybody else if they can't RV. Because sometimes just. It's just funny how humans work.
The mind thinks we just need to worry about this. Do we have too much? Are we enjoying too much life? If you have an RV, just use it and enjoy it.
But don't worry about traveling the whole US. Just rapidly pick a couple of states and enjoy it. Get the quality out of it rather than the quantity. Know if someone's helping you. Maybe they're watching your house while you're gone, or you.
You call them up. Hey, can you drive by? I heard there was a big rainstorm or a windstorm. Be appreciative of that.
You could show them you appreciate their gratitude by buying them a gift while on the road.
Alexis
That's nice.
Eric Stark
Buy a little gift for everybody, even us, at TheSmartRVer Podcast. Magnet gift cards work well. Nigerians are asking for Best Buy gift cards.
So we'll get our plug in there for them. Well, I meant Nigerian scammers. Okay, if any Nigerian scammers are listening, sorry, but you brought this upon yourself.
The takeaway is don't worry about it. If you have an RV, use it.
You know, your family and friends, sometimes there's going to be some jealousy, or maybe they feel like you're leaving them out, which, you know, now I think about that, you might want to invite them to come along with you so they can experience it. But just enjoy that lifestyle. That's why you bought it. Not for everybody else; you bought it for you. So enjoy it that way. Think about it. Just.
It's about you, man. No, just enjoy it. Now, I noticed that Alexis's picks are entirely different from mine. Hers are more.
How would you say this? Alexis, yours is more practical. She wants to worry about dogs, towing, anxiety, and medical emergencies.
You know, where I'm just about buying the RV, having a party, and getting on the road, and don't worry about it.
Alexis
Don't worry about it. About it.
Eric Stark
Wow. Big difference there, huh? Go to our website, TheSmartRVer.com, if you'd like. And you can read all this stuff. It's all there. Well, these articles are there.
We'll just have a list of the articles so you can read them all. You won't have to go through the entire episode; you can just read the article from which we pulled this.
All right, so now we're staying on the road. Today will be different because we don't have one topic.
So in the Last year, in:
Alexis
Right.
Eric Stark
Going wild with it, you know, because that's what they want us to do. We're fighting back against the man, and no, just kidding. And then communication. Communications. If there's no cell phone service.
In one episode, we talked about all that I've learned from the—I forgot 10,000 phone calls or something like that. Yeah, there's so much.
In the "Staying on the Road" section, all these episodes have some value, so it was hard to choose one I liked.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
One thing that stood out to me is there's so much in them. The plumbing and 110-volt systems in your RV are the two most important.
I would say Google and YouTube searched for things or aspects of an RV that need repair and maintenance that people are most interested in. So, you can listen to those episodes specifically, which we'll have in the podcast description.
We have also done videos on that a
Alexis
We have.
Eric Stark
We'll include video links because those are the two most important things. For example, if you go to an RV park, you know power is essential, and you want to have water.
Especially if you're traveling without a freshwater tank filled with water, which you know, I would say not to do maybe a little bit for on the road, you know, if you have a breakdown or something comes up an emergency, but you don't want to travel with 100 gallons of water. That's just extra weight or 50 gallons extra weight, extra fuel, wear and tear on the tank, and everything else; those two things are essential.
When you hook up, see power, you plug in, you want to make sure that your adapters aren't going to burn up, your plugs aren't going to burn up, which you've checked all those before you left, I hope. And then you have power, and you're good to go. You want that air conditioner to kick on and lights to work, everything to be there.
The microwave gotta have that popcorn. Popcorn or whatever else you like that comfort food.
Alexis
Yeah, gotta have that party. Yeah.
Eric Stark
So you get there, and they're having a party. You don't have power. Come on, man.
Alexis
Yeah, you'll have a riot.
Eric Stark
Exactly. And who needs a riot? Then you need that Jase case.
Alexis
Yeah, you will.
Eric Stark
For water systems, once you hook up your water hose, you want everything to work. You don't want to have to stop what you're doing to fix a water leak.
You know, run into the nearest town or the nearest place that has a part that might work if you haven't already bought the extra parts, which we've talked about having those spare water parts, which you can find several kits on sunpromfg.com, our website. And even if you don't buy one of those kits, you can look at it gives you an idea of what you should be carrying. And those parts are essential.
I carry quite a few of them just to make sure because things happen. Mine's probably a little more dialed into my RV because I do this for a living—I think I do, right?
Alexis
Yeah. Okay.
Eric Stark
It's profitable. We're not a dot org; we're dot com. So there's money to be made. All right.
Anyway, I'll go on about a whole different topic there. Those are the two main things, but there are many other things. And that's just some of what we covered in the year. We do 26 episodes a year, so there are 26 episodes.
I recommend going back and listening to them all, sharing with your friends, family, and everybody else, but that might not be your cup of tea. Instead, think about your RV and what aspects of it you are not familiar with. What things do you want to learn more about?
We can help you at TheSmartRVer. As I said, we have YouTube videos and a website with all our episodes, which go into detail. I mean, we don't.
You can't repair a furnace in a podcast where you can see it.
Alexis
Right.
Eric Stark
But we can walk you through the steps or show you how to do it correctly. You know, there's a lot to that. So we covered some ground last year.
And if you're keeping up with the episodes, you've covered some ground, too, which is very important. So you're becoming a Smart RVer.Suppose you're not already a Smart RVer. We should open up a genius bar. No, that's taken, isn't it?
Alexis
Oh, yeah, so. Apple people, you know.
Eric Stark
Yeah.
Alexis
Oops.
Eric Stark
Oh, well, we just gave them a plug. We take that back. We are continuing that learning process. Even RV technicians continue to learn. If you keep your same RV for many years, that's great.
You know, hopefully, you know it inside and out. And when you sell it, you know, it's. Man, I knew everything about that RV then. If you buy a new RV, you'll start all over again.
The systems are similar, but they're not identical. Every RV is built differently. A motorhome has many more electronics than a travel trailer or a fifth wheel.
When it comes to electronics, high-end fifth wheels are closer to motorhomes than they are to fifth wheels, but they are not as close. So, there are some differences. You can upgrade from a straightforward trailer to a complex motorhome.
You'll have to start the learning process again, but we can help.
And being aware of that is half the battle sometimes, you know, Understanding it and just taking off one little bit of it at a time so you can understand it. And that's basically what we do throughout the year. Our episodes are, you know, just little chunks here, little chunks there.
It's like eating an elephant: You take one bite at a time, not the whole thing. So we developed it that way.
And that's what we're going to continue to do now next year, which I forgot to mention in our introduction, we're going to have some changes.
Alexis
Yes.
Eric Stark
One of them is. Which. I'd like to cover it now. Yeah, we'll get it at the end. Don't let me forget.
Alexis
Okay, I won't.
Eric Stark
All right, so there we go. She won't forget, huh? I didn't see you write it down.
Alexis
I did not.
Eric Stark
Yeah, so I'm on my own on that one. So, I don't want to go on forever about the different aspects of the RV.
But look at your RV and see where we've come into help and where you might need more help. You know, you can send us a—an email. You can contact us through the Contact Us page on our website, TheSmartRVer.com, and we all.
We're now including the phone number and contact link in the description, making it as easy as possible. However, we don't like putting the phone number out there like that because of spam bots. Please pick it up.
But we're gonna do it anyway. We're gonna run the risk of more junk phone calls.
You can contact us with your questions; we always have the answers. We don't give out incorrect answers, which we don't do. Our information is always good. It's researched, and it's thorough. Yeah, we just make sure it's right because we don't wanna make you the dumb RVer.
Alexis
That's right.
Eric Stark
Yeah, there's. There's no. Not gonna say that either.
Alexis
Okay, That's.
Eric Stark
Bite my tongue. All right, so I think that's gonna bring us to the end of staying on the road now. We're gonna go into. Well, before we go on, go to YouTube.
Spread the word on YouTube. We want those subscribers. We've reached over 2,000 now, so we're getting closer to the 10,000 mark, but don't have much time left.
Alexis
Yeah, come on, guys.
Eric Stark
It's December, so we need 8,000 more clicks. Come on. Between everybody out there, you have to have 8,000 friends. Remember, I gave you some simple suggestions before.
Please sign up for your dogs and cats, even though Alexis hates cats. I like cats, so please sign up for your children, grandchildren, neighbors, and their kids.
Alexis
Make-up emails. Come on.
Eric Stark
There you go. Make it up. Yeah. Go to Gmail and just start 900 Gmail accounts.
Alexis
If everybody did that, you got another 1,000 followers.
Eric Stark
Password once, just one time. That's it. All right, now we got carried away there. But yeah, we are looking for likes and subscribers to the channel.
It helps the channel be found easily, pop up in more algorithms, and helps people search for problems. It's helpful. The same goes for the podcast. Share it with everybody, you know. It's an invaluable podcast.
All right, so now we'll move on to the Next Stop. We're going to start with Alexis and her top choice. Well, I shouldn't say top choice—one of her three top places.
The first one is Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, taken from episode 128.
Alexis
Yes. I'm super excited. So, folks, we're gonna head eastward. Okay. We're gonna go to the east coast. We're going to Virginia.
Colonial Williamsburg is super special. I want to go there with my husband. It would be excellent whether you're an RVer or not.
It's a neat place because people dress up in period clothing, act like they would have, and even have accents like they would have back then.
They don't shower like before, so you should keep your distance. But it's super neat because they come out in these fantastic colonial clothing, and, you know, they tour you around the town.
You can see buildings that were there when the pioneers first came, and it's just a fun place to be. They have fudge and all kinds of things. The history is all over the place, so it's.
It's very different from the usual place you would visit. It's more theatrical. And if you're interested in that type of history, you gotta go there.
It's gotta be on your list because it's just incredible. And there are a ton of RV parks, by the way, around there. So you're gonna get lovely scenic RV parks in the area. So, do your research.
Pick where you want to be. And the town will just. It's amazing. I mean, you just have to see it. You have to buy, you know, whatever colonial stuff you want.
Just have fun with it. It could be a bonnet—perhaps you want one. Or do you remember those uncomfortable boots that they wore? I don't know, but I want to go there.
My takeaway is that it's a significant center of history, and everybody should visit it.
Eric Stark
There you go. Colonial Williamsburg. Yeah, that's interesting. Reminds me of an episode of The Office, Leslie. Nope. And that goofball stayed in the cabin or whatever.
Alexis
Parks and Rec. Yeah.
Eric Stark
There's a big difference here because my choice would be to RV in Coyote, Wyoming, or Cody, Wyoming. Excuse me. Coyote, Wyoming. Cody, Wyoming. So there, they just shoot the bonnet right off your head.
Alexis
They will, yeah.
Eric Stark
You know, a bonnet. How'd you pick a bonnet? That's an interesting choice. Wear a bonnet.
Alexis
It might come in handy.
Eric Stark
Oh, no. Get one for your dog. Yeah, there you go. You gotta shoot your dog going to Wyoming. Cody, Wyoming, specifically. These next stops.
Each has so many details that it can sometimes be challenging to describe. That's why we have them all on TheSmartRVer.com: so you can absorb more of them there.
But even then, it's probably not enough because it goes beyond that. So it's doing that research. But the whole point is to whet your appetite for these places. Wyoming, in itself, is a great state.
It's just that classic old west-type Americana-type state where there's just. It's changed, but not like the rest of the country, which is good. Yeah, it still has a lot of.
Oh, just old towns, many things going on that are very cool. And, of course, it's the gateway to Yellowstone. So it's. Yellowstone's right there.
If you want to visit Yellowstone, you can spend some time in Wyoming and then drive there. But you know, there's. Wyoming is just one of those states where you can drive almost anywhere, and it will be very scenic.
And some are more scenic drives than others, of course. But it is the Grand Tetons, and that's something to see.
But besides the scenery, Wyoming has a cowboy culture, especially in Coyote or Cody. I don't know why I keep calling it Coyote.
Alexis
And Cody.
Eric Stark
Right? And Cody, they have. They have a rodeo every night in the summer, which is pretty cool.
If you haven't been to a rodeo, that's just an easy way to go to a rodeo.
Alexis
Oh yeah.
Eric Stark
And because it's cowboy culture. You don't have to wear cowboy boots and a hat. You can wear just shoes and whatever shorts.
You can dress up like a tourist or whatever you want, but you don't have to look like a cowboy. You don't have to dress up like Buffalo Bill. Now, Buffalo Bill, there's a center there for him, too, because that was one of his stomping grounds.
That's interesting. There are many different things to do in Wyoming, specifically Coyote or Cody Coyote. Let's just rename it.
When we're done here, I'll call the governor. Rename the state or the city. No, it's the state. Oh, boy. Wyoming is a broad, spacious state that's still wide open.
There is a lot of private land, and many dirt roads have gates, which make them an obstacle.
If you're considering exploring that way, that could become more challenging. But that in itself is a good thing. It's a lot of private land, ranches, etc. Go there or look at it on the map.
Do your research and see if you'd like to visit. It's family-friendly, RV-friendly, and has many places to eat and RV. The whole package is there.
It could also be a great base camp for other activities, a stopping point on your way to Yellowstone, or a destination in Montana, Idaho, or elsewhere. So, it's a great place to go.
Now we're gonna go back to Alexis, and now she's getting a little more on track here because she's gonna take us to Rio Grande, Texas.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
This is episode 91, this little more Western. I like that.
Alexis
We're going down south, folks.
Eric Stark
No, I don't ruin it. Everything's on you now. Yeah.
Alexis
Okay. Eric told me not to call it Rio Grande or Ariana Grande. Isn't that what it is?
Eric Stark
Rio Grande.
Alexis
It's Rio Grande, so that I will call it by its proper name. But yes, this is also a fantastic place, full of history.
There are many things to see and buy, so you can go if you want to. They also have a big flea market, which is cool. It's open during the summer.
I was checking this out. Many local artists will bring their beadwork and pottery to the market, where you can buy them. There's also a flea market, which sells older stuff.
You can look through and buy many antiques and gently used items. But it's a beautiful place with many historical sites.
There are some graveyards where famous cowboys died or gallows that have a lot of stories, too. So if you want to tour them, that's the perfect place.
You can self-tour, research what happened there, hit the spots you want to see, or hire someone. Many guided tours are available in places like this, so finding someone to take you there and show you around is easy.
And it's an incredible place to go. Texas in itself is amazing. It's a unique place, a spotless place. So that's neat.
But there's just so much history, there's so much to see. It's just an exciting place. So that is one that you should hit for sure as an RVer.
My takeaway is to enjoy the culture while you're there. It's unique and very different from other parts of the US. Take advantage of it and go there.
Eric Stark
I agree with that. Texas is pretty cool. There is a lot of stuff there, and all these places are pretty cool.
So now we're gonna hit or go to the heartland of the United States. Heartland of America. We're gonna go to Kansas. This is taken from episode 155, Kansas.
Typically, people think Kansas is just a dull, flat chunk of land where they grow corn. But that's not the case. Kansas is an enjoyable state in the Midwest.
It has an old-fashioned Americana feel. Countless movies, videos, and other media show cars going down the road.
There are the corn stalks or the fields in the background, a sunset, and a rolling hill. Well, that's parts of Kansas. That's not all of Kansas, but that's part of it. There's much to do there. It's a very unique state.
Every state in the United States is unique. No two states are alike, and Kansas is one of them. It has many old towns and a lot of history.
It has a different history than Texas. No wars were fought there, but the Civil War probably spilled into Kansas.
It's not like Texas, where there were many battles. It was an interesting place with a lot of history, and many people passed through there on their way west.
Some of those trails are still there and preserved where you can see them. And then there are the small towns, which I like. You know, forget all the big cities. Forget that. Go to the small towns.
Sometimes, they seem the least exciting place, but they have all the history.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
And like I've been talking about lately, if you can speak to people in those towns who know the history, it'll bring that town to life. It'll change your perspective on it. It'll change it in the small towns in general. And so that in itself can make a trip to Kansas worthwhile.
And, of course, there's a lot of scenery there to see, and that's great. In the small towns, there are big towns.
As I said, history exists, such as the Oregon Trail and the Pony Express. I spent a lot of time traveling there.
So there's a lot of things that you can not only see present in current time, you know, you can also go back in time and not to mention, you think about all the farmers out there growing all that food, their lives, what they go through. You look at these farms, which are just vast amounts of whatever they're growing, corn, wheat, whatever it might be.
That's a life there, an exciting life.
And if you can talk to some of those people, that will give you a different perspective on what they have to do to make their living the next time you eat an ear of corn or a piece of bread. And it's back-breaking work. And it goes from family to family. Although that's changing anymore, these farms are getting gobbled up by big companies.
You want to see why they're still small and friendly. It's another slice of Americana that brings you back to a time when things were better.
And that's what he's looking for today.
Alexis
It is.
Eric Stark
Not to mention, it's great for children because they can learn something different, set their phones down, and pay attention to stuff. They might complain a little bit, but man, it's something they won't see every day. You won't see it in most states or cities where most people live. Check out Kansas.
It takes a little longer than usual, even if you're going someplace and driving through Kansas. Don't rush from one side of the state to the next. You know, stop and enjoy it: the warm hospitality, the small towns.
What a wonderful place to visit! That's my take on Kansas. I recommend spending a month there and seeing the entire state.
Like, you know, there's so many states like that.
Alexis
Yeah, definitely.
Eric Stark
s off to go somewhere. In the:
We can't do that as quickly today, but we can do it over time. All right, now that will take us to this final portion. Our next stop is White Sans New Mexico with Alexis, taken from episode 119.
Alexis
Yes. We're returning to the South, heading into the warmer climate again.
This one interests me because of how unique the area is and how much you can do, and you might even learn a new sport. So this is super fun. It's just covered in white sand. So there's. The dunes are impressive, though. There's miles and miles and miles of it.
There's a trail that you can take either on four-wheelers or in your car. You can just drive them. And it's just like another planet. It is like nowhere else.
And you're used to seeing desert, but, you know, if you're used to seeing desert, you're probably used to seeing brown sand, but this is white. It looks like salt, you know, everywhere. I'm sure I haven't been there. I will.
Eric Stark
It does.
Alexis
Okay. See, he knows he's been there. This place is incredible. And they sled on it, but it's nothing like snow if you're from the colder side of the U.S. It's not slippery like there's learning to do it. But it sounds fun, and I've seen people do it.
The fail videos when they fall are pretty fun.
Eric Stark
So, do they go to the top of a dune and just sled down?
Alexis
Yes.
Eric Stark
Okay.
Alexis
Yeah, that's Pretty awesome. And it's a very well-known thing that they do out there. It's gotta be something you do. You gotta pick up a sled and do it.
It's just so much fun. Even if you don't want to do that, you should try it once if you're there.
But there's a lot of hiking out there, and most of that land is just you can go basically wherever your heart takes you. There are no designated trails here, even though it's a national park. It's just how the place works that you can hike around there.
So my takeaway is to be sure you buy a sled before you go there because you have to do it. It's incredible. And just enjoy the—weird, unearthly place.
Eric Stark
It is different, that's for sure. It is very different. I said the last one, but that was Alexis's previous pick.
Alexis
My last.
Eric Stark
I have mine yet to go here—the last one—and that's exploring the most famous RV parks in the US. Wow. So, Colonial Williamsburg is still at the bottom of the list. Sorry.
The RV parks are spread throughout the US, so I have a list here. I'm just going to go through it. We'll start with Arizona. There's a trailer village RV park at the Grand Canyon.
Being at the Grand Canyon is the thing. The V park is incredible, but the Grand Canyon makes it much better. It is quite the place, and you can spend much time there.
There is the north side and the south side, which are entirely different. You can go on donkey rides, hike, or just explore. Everything around there is interesting, too.
So, even if you spend time exploring beyond the Grand Canyon, you'll find all sorts of interesting things.
And then Yellowstone, actually West Yellowstone in Montana, there's the Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park, which serves up grizzly bears every night. No, I'm just kidding. They serve up humans every night. The grizzly bears serve up humans every night.
Alexis
That's true, they do.
Eric Stark
So it's another RV park in West Yellowstone. West Yellowstone's this cool little town. You got to go there. It's right next to Yellowstone. And that in itself makes it worth going there.
These places are just in strategic spots where you can visit nearby attractions or do other things. You're not obligated to do one thing. Myrtle Beach, Florida, is another one on the list. Now, I've never been to Myrtle Beach.
I've been to Florida, so I can't speak about this. Florida is a calm, interesting state. You have to see it to understand it, and it's hard to explain.
It has a beachy feel, but it doesn't. I don't know how to explain that other than that. So that's my explanation. I guess so. I would go to the RV park in Myrtle Beach, Florida.
But we also discussed that. As I recall, dining in that area is expensive. Sorry.
So other places are less expensive.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
One of Florida's attractions is its mix of high-end and affordable areas. If I were to visit, I'd go there.
I'd want to go to Myrtle Beach just because of its reputation. You know, everybody goes to Myrtle Beach. It's one of those places. It's one of those hot spots.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
Of course, there's the Zion River Resort in Utah. Zion is a cool area, with Zion Park and Zion itself.
Utah has all sorts of these little gyms, and Zion is one of them. I've been through the park, but I've never really explored it. Went from one side to the other. We were going somewhere and went through.
That's all I can say about actually being there now. My wife and I went camping nearby once but never went into ZioWe. We hit all these parks around, which was very cool. Like Kodachrome Basin.
I can't think of all the others, but it's worth the trip. And again, it's one of these places where you can do all these other exploratory trips around the main attraction. Now San Francisco's on my list.
I'm not even going to talk about it. It's in California. I'm done with San Francisco, California, the whole thing.
Alexis
Sorry, California.
Eric Stark
Yeah. Alexis knows how I feel. I'll tell you how I feel. But. So now we'll go back to Utah. We'll go to Moab this time. Now Moab is.
Everybody knows about Moab, bicycling, off-roading, rock crawling, jeeps, etc. It's one of those very scenic moon landing-looking places. You know, the Orange Rock and Yellow Rock and all that and rounded and everything.
So, Moab, even if you're not really into outdoor activities, spending a day there to see it would be worth the trip. Say you've been there; buy a little sticker, a magnet, or something.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
And you never know; you might be surprised. There might be some things around there that you would like. But there's an RV resort there.
Sometimes, you talk to other people in the RV resort and might find a different world of things to do there. And you might discover a new hobby. You might go home and spend a hundred thousand dollars on a Jeep to crawl their rocks.
It's an expensive hobby, but you can do it. So Moab is one of those places as well, as is the RV resort. Then there's Borrego Springs in California.
This is lower in the desert, so I'm okay with it. Brago Springs is... I don't know. Most people think It's a ghetto-type area, but it's not. It's pretty cool.
It's not too far from Palm Springs and Indio, and golf courses and RV resorts are there. So, if you're in the area, it'd be worth checking out.
I wouldn't go there just to see it. I lived in California and never did, only because of everything I heard about it, but it's not that way.
And I will skip the next one because I can't pronounce it.
Alexis
That works.
Eric Stark
Ashwagandhi—I don't know what it is. Then there's the Garden of the Gods in Colorado. That's in Colorado Springs, another RV resort. Colorado is changing rapidly.
Get in there while you still can. See it while it's good. There are a lot of things to do in Colorado.
Again, you go to the RV resort, which can be your base camp for great exploring in Colorado. And you know that Colorado Springs is pretty cool. Been there, done that. That whole area in there is nice.
I would spend some time there and enjoy it. That brings us to the end of the next stop regarding the places we've gone.
Now, we will discuss some places to eat because we always talk about eating at every show and being hungry afterward. So, we will start with Alexis's first pick: Brad's Bakery in New York.
Alexis
I'm super excited about this one. As I was brushing up on it, I realized there are many more locations than I thought.
So it's not just Manhattan where the original one is; if you're a New Yorker and I'm wrong, please let me know. This is a fantastic place. It's family-owned. There are just incredible pastries.
So the patisserie, or they call it, you know, the Brits. So it looks beautiful out on the shelf.
You just go in, and it's warm there. They have all your favorites, stuff you probably shouldn't eat. But that's the best part about traveling anywhere: eating what you shouldn't eat, being a part of the culture, and enjoying yourself.
This is a bakery where you can do that. As I said, there are many locations around New York, so you're not tied down to one.
If you're staying in a specific part of the city, it's enormous. Just look it up. I'm sure you'll find one that's more, you know, centrally located to you. That is high on the list.
That's from episode 162. Be sure to check out the entire episode.
Eric Stark
Segment.
Alexis
Segment. But go back there. Yeah. Bread. Bread's Bakery. Man, that is one to see. So that's my takeaway. I went there and ate a croissant.
Eric Stark
Here you go. Each episode includes all these places to eat. For example, Episode 162 on the website consists of these places.
Alexis
Right.
Eric Stark
All right. Now, Alexis mentioned places you shouldn't eat while traveling. All that bad food. Wait until she gets to her third check. Man, you're going to get sick just thinking about it. Oh, man.
All right, so my first pick is in Tucson, Arizona. We developed this episode, but for some reason, we never completed it. We call it the lost episode.
So, for those mystery hunters out there, we have a lost episode somewhere.
Alexis
Find it.
Eric Stark
My place to eat was El Guero Canelo. I'm probably wrong, but it means the blonde guy. The place's owner is a Mexican man with blonde hair, so it fits.
Now, forget about him. The food is unbelievable. It's that real authentic from Mexico, Mexican food. It's not like one of those chains; I can't even think of any names.
Right now, I can. California or a state where they got the chain restaurant, like the Red Onion or something, where it's just that Americanized stuff.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
I remember a Mexican person eating at one of those places, like El Paso Cantina, I think, or one of those places, and she's like, what kind of food is this? She's like, this is horrible. Hilarious. So this is the real deal.
TI liked the Mexican hot dogs on their menu the most. They take a roll, carve it out, and put the dog in it. Then, they pack it full of everything.
You can get it with some stuff already on it. Then, you can add all the fixings—the sliced jalapeno, carrots, cabbage, and all that good stuff.
The spicy food is very filling and unbelievably good. So, if you're in Tucson, go to El Gueto Canelo. That's the place to go if you want authentic Mexican food.
All right, now I'm getting hungry, so we'll have to speed this up. Alexis, the next one is that she will take us to Farm and Fire in Banff, Canada.
Alexis
Ah, this is a cool one. We're going all the way up into Canada to our Canadian brethren.
Farm and Fire is exciting because it's farm-to-table. They take great pride in doing things locally, including meat, grain, fruits, and veggies. It's all local, and they just make amazing dishes. If you check out their menu, it sounds incredible. I wouldn't mind having a meal from them.
So if you're listening, anybody from Canada, let them know that's the place they kill.
Eric Stark
The cow right there. Right?
Alexis
It is. You can hear a mooing in the back.
Eric Stark
You'll pick your cow and.
Alexis
Yeah, exactly.
Eric Stark
Right on.
Alexis
Like Red Lobster, but for cows, no, it's great. And people, you know, it's concerning what we put in our body. So this is a place where you don't have to worry about that.
It's perfect. And. And the ambiance, too, is elegant here. Banff is, you know, that ski town a little fancier, and this is fitting in that.
But it's also. It's also a place where you can, you know, spend time with your friends and family. It's a very warm environment. There's a.
A fireplace right in the middle of the restaurant. So, a very inviting campus usually colds a lot for a long time in the year. I don't know what I'm saying. Long winners, long winter.
But it's a place where you can catch up, have a nice meal, and enjoy the environment around you. So, if you're in Canada or Banff, that is the place to look. That's my takeaway.
Eric Stark
Right. That could be your one, like a superhigh-ended meal if you wanted to. Yeah.
I'm sure it's not cheap, but it won't be like your last one here. But I decided to share it in Texas because of the barbecue and the brisket.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
Well, these things tell so much about us—so many things.
Alexis
It's true.
Eric Stark
Barbecue is just fantastic when it's good.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
When you get a terrible barbecue, man, it's just horrible. You don't even want to finish it. It's like, what's the point? You know, and they give you some sloth.
Is it from KFC or something? You know, and. But you know, Texas or Sheridan, Texas, is known for their barbecue. And those are the places to go that are known for barbecue.
You know, there are a lot of places that have barbecues. As I said, it's just not the same though. But when they're known for it, man, everybody's competing.
All the restaurants and shops compete, making their barbecue unique. They vary the sauces they use and the way they cook the meat. We cook ours this way.
And you know, all of a sudden, you're just, how do you know what to choose? You're going from one to the next. But the hunger you get, the more desperate you get.
But, you know, that kind of food can be so good,d and it's that bad food, but generally, it's fresher terrible food.
Alexis
That's true.
Eric Stark
It's the better quality terrible food.
And the pork and all that probably isn't that bad in itself, but it's everything else that goes with it, you know, especially when you got that delicious slaw and when these guys are bragging about it, and they're proud about what they're making, those are the good restaurants. You know it, they're into it. Then you get brisket there if you like brisket.
So, it's one of those towns that encompasses that type of food. And that's not the only one in the United States. Different areas also have other kinds of barbecues.
You have to consider that Texas might not be your flavor for barbecue, but it certainly would be for me. I've been to Texas, and I've been to some places there, but I don't recall ever having bara because.
Alexis
Oh, man.
Eric Stark
I've never been to Sheridan, either. So I have to put that on my list and get there so that all that information is in episode 152.
Again, these things will be listed on our websites, and you can check them out. This is really what I've been waiting for. Alexis is incredibly excited about all this good food, which is good for you and everything.
This one just blows it right out of the water. So, Alexis, she's gonna take us to Texas. Now, what's interesting is Rio Grande, Texas. And there's probably not.
Not a shred of barbecuing is the place she's talking about. There's probably not even a vitamin in this place she's talking about. So, Alexis. What? Tell us about Mr. Corny.
Alexis
Okay. And the name even. Come on. So Mr. Corny. Oh, how do you describe this place? It became Tick Tock Famous because it is.
Eric Stark
So that right there says it all.
Alexis
Yeah. It is just where you would go to find the grit of the grit of junk food. So one thing they do.
Eric Stark
Mexican junk.
Alexis
Yes, Mexican junk food. So it is just covered in, you know, cheese.
Eric Stark
Get your bag of Takis here.
Alexis
This is one of their dishes. Okay. They take these.
Eric Stark
Okay. You can't see this if you're listening. She's holding up a bag of Takis. They're, like, equivalent to Fritos. I. Or.
Alexis
No, you're all crunchy.
Eric Stark
Flaming hot. Cheetos.
Alexis
Yeah, okay. So Fuego. That means hot, I'm sure. Right. Anyway, I think. Okay, look at the color scheme. If you look it up online, this is what Mr.
Corny looks like this: It's purple and yellow. Okay. You can't miss this place, by the way. It is so. It's just wild—their sign.
And then their whole building is this bright, electric purple. You go in and get your sugar, carbohydrates, and saturated fats. Anything they do there is just extra.
So they've got the Takis and the Cheetos, and they dump cheese on it and more cheese on top of that. It is just wild.
Eric Stark
And the hot sauce.
Alexis
Yeah, the hot sauce. Okay. You've got that—the ice cream with the sugar-coated on top of it, the blue dye that you're gonna. Your mouth is gonna turn blue do.
It's just junk food capital.
Eric Stark
All right. So if you're an RVer, though.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
If you go there, you'll probably not eat anything, but if you have kids, they will love it.
Alexis
I want to suggest something and this.
Eric Stark
Is that a bad thing? You'll let your kids just go wild. Here, get yourself some of these, some white.
Alexis
You're gonna need these if you eat anything. They're butt wipes for those who are just listening. Okay. Very vital. Gonna be coming out of you. That's my takeaway.
Eric Stark
It's an interesting choice. So along border towns. Which Rio Grande is a border town. It's catering to the Mexican kids.
Alexis
Okay.
Eric Stark
And not in a negative way. It's just they're selling all the junk. And this kind of stuff in Mexicis is just popular.
The place looks like it came out of Tijuana or something—it's Mexico. So I would go there. If not anything else, how much can you see of it and this in real life?
Oh, man, your fingers are just covered with everything. You just wipe it wherever. It doesn't even matter. You can get Takis in the States. You can just try them out. You don't have to put anything on them.
They are smoking hot, man. Yeah. Yeah. They're hotter than those Flamin Hot Cheetos.
Alexis
I think so.
Eric Stark
And these things are bad for you.
Alexis
Real bad.
Eric Stark
They must be good, right? Now we're going somewhere different: a little farther from the border to Arco, Idaho. I picked this place.
We did an episode about the Craters of the Moon. And that was the. The thing is, because of that. That's a place by itself. So you can go to Twin Falls. You can go to Arco.
It's out there, but in Arco, Idaho. Arco is a cool little town. It's one of the older towns, and it's been there a long time. But there's a place called Pickles Place.
There's nothing spectacular about it besides the cool little stickers they sell. One has a pickle with hands, arms, feet, etc., so that's some fun. But they also sell their little spices, little jars of them. And that's cool.
But the place is just unique-looking. There's a guy out front —a pickle guy.
It's green, and you know, it's just got that total feel to it, as if you're in a jar of pickles. For better or worse. That's better than being in a jar of beets, right? Like a blood vessel.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
But the food there is good. They have hamburgers, hot dogs, and all the usual fare. It's not like you're dying for food; it's just good food.
You know what you're going to get. The prices are fair. So it's just one of those good places to eat that is not the attraction there.
It's just one thing that makes Arco, Idaho, a cool place. If you go to Arco, you must visit Pickles Place. If you're passing through, you can also visit Craters of the Moon or Twin Falls, Idaho.
Is it Twin Falls? It's inland.
Alexis
I think so.
Eric Stark
I would buy myself a sticker. Get a couple—two or three. You'll want more than one.
Buy some of their spices. They're good for many different things. You know, try them out. Try them on Tater tots. They're delicious on those. Oh, man.
Alexis
Yum.
Eric Stark
That's some ketchup.
Alexis
Oh, boy, I'm so hungry.
Eric Stark
I know. It's like we just go to Mexico all the time. Just get near the border, and you will start smelling all the food.
That's the end of our next stop, the place to go and the places to eat.
Go to our website. As I said in the description of this podcast, we'll list all these episodes and what we talked about. It's not the details, just the heading. So, Mr. Corny, you have to look that up.
We'll put a picture in there just for the fun of it. You'll get a kick out of it. All right, so now we're coming up to RV Envy.
So, three areas we discussed throughout the year were exciting: RV Defender being one, and the FloMax toilet valve. Toilets. Big deal, right? This thing saves you money, headaches, and hassles, as well as the safe view of 30 and 50amp power inlets.
Let's return to the RV Defender. This tire blowout system is for travel trailers and fifth wheels. It will not work on every trailer, but it must.
You know, you have to take a lot of measurements. It sounds daunting, but it's not too hard to do. It's just when you install it.
This is not one of those things you want to install only to find out you can't because I did that, and it was a hassle. You got your axles out, everything out. And I was swapping axles, so it was already all apart. My problem was that my axles were an inch too wide.
Then this could accommodate. So, it posed an issue. Other than that, though, this thing is lovely.
And I almost want to get the right axles to make it work, but I won't do that.
It's like a fender that wraps around your tire, the upper half of the tire, so if you get a blowout, it doesn't destroy the underneath of your trailer because, you know, the blowout in itself. A tire blowing out, what, 200 bucks, 300 bucks. Not the end of the world.
You must throw on your spare and find another tire; we can handle that.
But when it tears out your holding tank, your fender skirts on the side, does some damage to the body, and rips up through the floor, it destroys your refrigerator, furnace, or something else. That's where the problem is. A $200 tire can cause two or three or $4,000 damage pretreatment. So, these things eliminate that.
It's worth investigating. It may not be your cup of tea, or you don't want to spend the money on it. You won't have to worry about it.
But it's one of these items you have to check out. So there's gonna be a link to that in our description of this podcast. And I'm a fan of that product.
I wish I could have them on my trailer, man. I do, but I can't. That's life. Next is the Flomax toilet valve. Now, the Flomax toilet valve is for the Lippert Flowmax toilet.
This is so cool because it replaces the water valve on the Dometic 310 toilet. The toilets are identical and look almost similar. There has been a slight variation in the past, though; Lippert has had Dometic make awnings for them.
They may have made this toilet form, but I don't know. This part costs $25, versus $80 or more from Dometic for their 3 10. By buying the Flow Max valve, you're saving at least $75.
So if you have a domestic 310 toilet, your water goes. The water valve fails on you. Which it will. They do.H how many of those do we sell a year? I'll access a few tons of them at 80 bucks are whack.
And most stores are like a hundred. Yeah, you know, we're under 80, you know, like 75.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
This will save you some money. It's the same valve. If I were using a Dometic 3, I should have said 310. However, no 300 series toilet from Dometic uses the same water valve.
If you go to an RV store and see the Flomax water valve for a Lippert toilet, buy that. If you have a 300 series domestic toilet and need to replace the water valve, save some money. And that came from our episode 158.
Next are the Safe View 30—and 50-amp power inlets for RVs. This is where you plug in the. The power cord is on the side of the RV. It has a twist, so you twist and lock it in there.
What I like about them is they tell you if you have a bad ground or no ground, if you have a bad neutral or no neutral, and if there's no power whatsoever by plugging in your cord. If those leads in the cord are not working in the RV park, your cord won't be the issue.
It's the park where you plug into, and it tells you so. It has a G for ground, an L for load, and an N for neutral. So if one of those is red, you have a problem. If they're all green, you're good to go.
That's cool. It also has a white LED light around the sides. It's just there at night so you can find your cord; it doesn't light up.
It's unlike a porch light where all your neighbors are wound up. What is this guy's problem, man? It's not that kind of light.
But the red light, if it's flashing at you, it's gonna drive you crazy because you're gonna want to fix that problem. In fact, on my trailer, I plugged it in yesterday, and the cord I had didn't have the neutral on it. Someone pulled it off. Someone.
Someone, probably me. And that the light was flashing. I didn't care because before I put this on, I didn't. There was no light.
But now I saw the light and can't walk away from it. So I got another power cord and had to go to another outlet because one of my outlets had a little problem, too.
My shop is unique, but I had to have all the green lights.
And so if you're at a park and you have a red light, you want to look into it because generally, LED the red lights, and you'll be able to use your RV, but it's a safety issue. You might lose your neutral. You might not have the proper ground so that you could get electrocuted.
Things can happen, and you don't want to think that they won't happen to you because they can. Odd things happen with power. Even the park where you plug in or the box you plug into has issues. You touch it, and you get zapped.
You don't want to think it can't happen. I remember something a little bit different.
But I was in an RV or mobile home park in Arizona, installing sunshades or window covers on this house. I was shocked when I leaned against this patio cover from the neighbor's house. That's the weirdest thing. I touched it, and I finally put a volt meter on it. It had 120 volts going through it. So odd things happen to you.
So you want to make sure your RV is wiford right or the park you're plugged safe views in, and those are made by Hughes AutI can't. I couldn't think of the name there.
They make great products and are a power-driven company, so they understand the ins and outs of electrical engineering. This brings us to the end of the show today.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
So, one last reminder about what hat we talked about will be in the description. Check us out on YouTube, like, and subscribe. Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe. Share our podcast with everybody you know; it has excellent information.
We want everybody to know about it and learn more about what we're doing here and how we're helping RVers become savvy RVers.
oing to come on next year, in:
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
We'll explore the regular next-stop towns, but they'll be neighbors to a tiny village—a shadow of the past. The city may be alive today, but it's not a throbbing or Thriving metropolis—it's just a tiny town.
We've been working on that, and it's very cool because it brings back a slice of life that people miss now—everybody craves these places.
They're becoming more popular. There are small towns now where a house, you know, before the pandemic, was $20,000. Now they're 250, 300,000.
So it's incredible how people flock to these places, and it's not wild. Go on the Internet and look, man. You'll see it.
Alexis
Yeah, you will.
Eric Stark
But we're going to these places, and we'll start sharing them and doing a lot more research on them.
The show's not going to be as in-depth as our website will.
Alexis
Sure.
Eric Stark
So we're going to do some coverage on these. So we're going to hit two places. The routine next stop and then. Which will be a neighboring town to a shadow of the past, the city that once was.
Alexis
Yes.
Eric Stark
Then, there will be some other subtle changes that we'll just have to work through, but that's one of the significant changes. So you're aware of that. You have a little more to look forward to. That brings us to the end of the show today.
And I want to thank everybody for listening, everybody for watching Alexis, for bringing her butt wipes, as she said.
Alexis
You're welcome.
Eric Stark
And a bag of talkies, man, we should have, like a giveaway.
Alexis
Yeah.
Eric Stark
We could put them in the archive for some time. There you go. Yeah, I got a signed package of butt wipes from TheSmartRVer. Well, that sums up the quality of the show.
Anyway, I want to thank Alexis for her effort today and for bringing in her gifts, which we'll put in the archives for a while. Then, one day, we'll sell them at auction for millions. And I want to thank everybody else for watching and listening.
This is Eric Stark with TheSmartRVer Podcast. It's been great hanging out with everybody today. I won't see you on the road, so let's connect at TheSmartRVer.com.
