This is Eric Stark with The Smart RVer Podcast, Delivering the Smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down!

Episode Summary: Are electric waste valves for RVs worth the investment? Eric Stark dives deep into this topic, exploring the pros and cons of these systems that aim to make waste disposal simpler and more efficient. He discusses various brands, including Drain Master, Valterra, and Barker, highlighting their features, ease of installation, and overall reliability. Alongside co-host Alexis, they also touch on the importance of enjoying the RV lifestyle, including tips for calming passenger nerves during travel and finding free activities to enhance your adventures. With insights into the exciting state of Pennsylvania and a look at the growing trend of mini-split air conditioning systems in RVs, this episode is packed with valuable information for RV enthusiasts looking to make informed decisions.

Enjoying the RV Life: Tips for Passengers to Calm Their Nerves: Alexis and Eric talk about staying calm while being a passenger in an RV. It can be hard to remain calm when you’re not in control, but it's important for the overall enjoyment of the trip, the peace of the parties involved, and, most importantly, the sanity of the driver. Eric also shares a Money-Saving Tip to save some cash while RVing.

Check out the full article on TheSmartRVer.com. Wholesale RV Extended Warranties for LessStaying On The Road: Eric and Alexis discuss electric waste valves and how they are so much better than manual contraptions! They discuss the ins and outs of how the valves work and how they can make RV life better and easier.

Check out the money-saving tip about wholesale warranties!How to Repair a Problem Valterra RV Waste ValveThe Next Stop: Exploring Pennsylvania: A Traveler's Guide to History and Nature: Alexis and Eric travel to Pennsylvania to discuss what you can do in the great state. The history itself can keep a history buff busy for a long time! There are also many places to hike, bike, and do other outdoor activities. There's an endless amount of activities to keep anyone, young or old, entertained.

RV Envy:The Rise of Mini Split Air Conditioning Systems: Eric talks a little about mini split A/C’s for your RV. It’s an option to keep your RV cool and livable, especially when you can’t get access to or work your main AC unit, if you even have one. Be sure to send Eric information about mini splits if you have further helpful information, and he’ll feature your information on the Podcast! Contact Eric

Electric waste valves for RVs take center stage, as Eric Stark and Alexis explore their functionality and significance in enhancing the RV experience. Stark articulates the advantages of switching from manual to electric valves, particularly for those who may struggle with the physical demands of traditional systems. He discusses the ease of operation, safety considerations, and the long-term benefits of investing in a reliable electric waste valve. The episode features a detailed comparison of brands such as Drain Master, Valterra, and Barker, with insights into their installation processes and customer support. Stark’s candid assessment of each brand's strengths and weaknesses provides listeners with valuable information for making informed decisions about their RV maintenance.

Beyond the technicalities of waste management, the conversation seamlessly transitions into the broader context of enjoying the RV lifestyle. The hosts share personal stories and relatable experiences that highlight the importance of communication between drivers and passengers, especially during stressful travel situations. Stark and Alexis emphasize strategies for calming nerves and fostering a positive atmosphere in the RV, transforming potentially fraught moments into opportunities for connection and enjoyment. Their engaging dialogue balances humor with wisdom, making the episode both entertaining and informative.

The episode also serves as a travel guide, spotlighting Pennsylvania as an ideal RV destination. Alexis takes the lead, discussing the state's rich historical landmarks, natural beauty, and culinary delights. From the Liberty Bell to the picturesque Pocono Mountains, the hosts inspire listeners to explore the diverse attractions Pennsylvania has to offer. They encourage RV travelers to seek out free activities, reinforcing the idea that unforgettable experiences don’t always have to come with a hefty price tag. Overall, this episode encapsulates the essence of the RV lifestyle, blending practical advice with storytelling and travel inspiration that resonates with both seasoned RVers and newcomers alike.

Takeaways:

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• Electric waste valves can simplify the RV experience, making waste management easier and more efficient.
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• When selecting a waste valve, consider the compatibility with existing plumbing and installation space.
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• Drain Master valves are recommended for their reliability and longevity, with a five-year warranty.
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• Investing in electric waste valves may prevent future problems and save time in maintenance.
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• Exploring free attractions during RV travels can significantly reduce overall trip expenses.
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• Having clear communication between the driver and passenger enhances safety and comfort on the road.
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Our 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

Companies mentioned in this episode

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• Wholesale Warranties
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• Bristol
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• LaSalle Bristol
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• Valterra
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• Barker
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• Dometic
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• Drain Master
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• Go Power
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12 volt electric waste valves and are they worth the money?

And how do you choose which one to buy?

That's going to be our discussion today.

And staying on the road.

But before we get into that, we're going to talk about enjoying the RV life.

And a much better way to enjoy it is calming your nerves while riding as a passenger.

And then in the next stop, we're going to talk about the great state of Pennsylvania or the exciting state.

Everybody want to look at that?

Then RV envy is going to be about many split air conditioning systems.

Actually, it's going to be more like questions for you because I need some answers.

This is Eric Stark with the Smart RVer podcast, delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV lifestyle without the fear of breaking down.

Let's talk everything RV.

This is episode 164, so let's dig right into it.

And Alexis is here in our reconfigured studio for the afternoon.

Hello.

And how's Alexis today?

I'm doing very well today.

Very well.

That's good.

Had my coffee.

Had her coffee.

Got a bottle of vodka on the side there.

You know it or whatever.

Jungle juice, something.

All right, well, maybe not.

No, Alexis isn't that way.

Not today anyway.

She keeps her bottle under the table.

That's right.

Yep.

All right, so let's see.

You know, one thing I want to talk about and it ties in with our money saving tips is the wholesale warranties.

Oh, yeah.

Now I've brought those up once or twice in our episode.

So we're doing an affiliate marketing thing with them.

So we get paid when you use our link to check out their website.

Yes.

And when you sign up, not to go to their website, but sign up.

So what's cool about them, though?

So this one was a hard one for me to do because it's a warranty.

Right.

I hate warranties, especially add on warranties or extended warranties when you're at the dealership and they want to sell you this warranty for, you know, X amount of thousands of dollars.

And you know, they tell you it covers everything under the sun.

Anything breaks in your rv, they're going to fix it.

No matter when and where, it doesn't matter.

You're covered.

It's peace of mind.

They talk right to your wife and don't you want peace of mind when you leave with your RV today and she's really.

What can go wrong?

Oh, everything can go wrong.

You know this RV is going to break the moment you pull it out of here.

And you really need that warranty.

Oh, my word.

We better get it right.

It's exactly what happens.

Well, not in my house.

We both tell them to shove it at the same time.

That's true, but wholesale warranties is a different gig.

These guys are honest, they're transparent.

You can buy a warranty from anybody.

It doesn't have to be from the dealership.

So don't let them fool you with that.

Yeah, and one thing that I remember is that the dealership, let's say your payment is X amount of dollars and the warranty is X amount you're going to be paying on that warranty for the entire length of the loan.

That's a lot of extra payments, a lot of extra interest.

Now, the dollar amount might add up to what they quoted you, $5,000 or whatever for the warranty, but you're paying a lot of extra interest, and you're paying on after the loan or after the warranty is over.

Why would you do that?

Yeah.

Now, wholesale warranties, they get that people want to throw it in with the financing, so they'll finance it for you.

They offer financing.

So if you want to make payments, no problem.

But you make it for the life of the warranty, not the life of the loan.

But anyways, kind of go along on this.

I just wanted to mention them.

And, you know, use the link.

If you go to the description in this podcast, there's a link there.

Take that to their website, fill out the form, Someone will contact you.

And these guys tell you everything that'll be covered on your new RV or your used RV.

Yes.

And they do cover used RVs.

They go back to so many years.

I don't know the exact years, but they will cover it and they'll have the RV inspected.

Now, you pay for that, but it's well worth the money because you know where you stand before you ever get into it.

That's great.

And they inspect it for everything that they're going to cover.

So you might be buying a dead horse as far as an extended warranty goes.

So they let you know that up front.

So check that out.

Go to our description of this podcast.

It's also on the Smart rver website as well.

Link there.

Use that.

It's an affiliate, like I said.

That way we get our $0.03 if you do sign up.

All right, let's move on to enjoying the RV life.

That's an interesting subject.

Calm your nerves.

Is riding as a passenger.

Yeah, that's a.

That's a good one.

You know, my Wife and I were going where somewhere the other day, and yeah, the weather is kind of inclement and, you know, animals and stuff.

I know she's using that emerge or that imaginary brake pedal quite a bit.

Oh, no.

Yep.

I think that's pretty funny.

So she hadn't heard this podcast yet, so maybe she needs to hear this for you, Karen.

So, Alexis, What?

As probably a passenger quite often.

Probably, yes.

What points in this article stood out to you?

Well, one that really made me laugh was the second one.

Communicate effectively with the driver.

I just like how proper that said it.

You know, instead of screaming at them, what are you doing?

You know, clear communication is the key here.

Especially here with animals crossing the road all the time.

It's not like.

Or look out.

Look out for what?

Yes, exactly.

All right, that makes sense.

I like that.

Discuss your preferences and concerns before the journey hole gets an earful every time.

So he knows how I am?

No, I thought that was fun.

And then number four, practice relaxation techniques.

So maybe the passenger needs to just calm down a little bit because the driver usually is pretty good.

We just get, you know, scared.

Another good thing was number one.

I know I'm going back now, but familiarize yourself with the rv, so know it before you go because then you'll feel more comfortable.

Probably sorry I made you turn it over.

That's all right.

But yeah, and know what it does, how it works, how it kind of.

You could even drive it.

So, you know, kind of.

Okay.

It breaks differently than a car.

It does this differently.

We have to turn like this.

So when you're actually in the passenger seat, you don't freak out.

Right.

What do you think is a good one?

Well, I was thinking, you know, like pull or driving a motorhomes, different because they're bigger.

And sometimes you, you, you swerve a little bit.

Maybe you're dodging something, maybe you're falling asleep, whatever.

Yeah, whatever.

You swerve a little bit.

It kind of moves the motorhome a lot more than, let's say, a pickup truck.

Yeah.

So getting used to that every time the motorhome moves is not the end of the world.

Exactly.

But by the same took.

Whether it's a motorhome, maybe going down a steep grade, or someone's pulling a trailer and going down a steep grade or up a great or unique situation, when there's beads of sweat across the driver's forehead, it's probably not the time to say, hey, what do you think about going to.

And, you know, talking about something, probably think of my new purse.

Probably not the best time because you're going to get a.

An answer like, shut up.

I'm trying to pay attention here.

You know, and that would be fair, right?

So anyways, yeah.

So you know sometimes that it's a long drive having some of the stuff out on the table.

And I know, like people have been married for a long time, they kind of get it.

They understand each other's little things and they work around that, you know, which is good.

But you know, sometimes kids have their little fears and they don't know how to express it.

So you got to kind of work that into it.

Think about it.

That's.

Yeah, it makes it for a more pleasant drive period.

You know, really have someone either harping at you or the entire time or they're just over there, coward in their seat, miserable, you know, so that makes a lot of sense to me.

Calm your nerves when you're riding as a passenger.

So go to the website, the smart rver.com and join the RV lifestyle.

Look for the article calm your nerves riding as a passenger.

So you can read this while you're riding each time.

That'll distract you.

Although you might get sick from reading it and then throw up.

Then we got a whole other situation we'll talk about.

That's all right.

Yeah, that's another one.

How to clean up.

Throw up while you're driving.

Oh, no.

All right, so now that takes us to money saving tip number four.

We can actually call it number five because we talked about wholesale warranties.

They're just a big giant money saving tip.

But number four, enjoying free activities.

So, you know, to save some of that cash that you work so hard to get.

You know, traveling in RVs can be fun.

It is an added expense.

No matter how you slice it.

It costs you something to go on a trip.

You're buying food, which, yeah, you eat at home, but you probably buy more.

Different types maybe.

Don't worry about the cost of it so much.

It's not so much a price point for you.

I just want this.

We're going on a trip, you know.

Right.

And you know, fuel other things.

You can get a flat along the way.

So there's expenses involved.

So it's like, what can we do to, you know, save a few bucks while we're traveling?

So, you know, it's looking for things that are free, attractions that are free, activities that can be free.

You know, sometimes we go to the same place because we really like it there and there's all these activities.

But all these activities can cost a lot of money.

Yeah, exactly.

You know, like if you go to Anaheim, go to Disneyland all the time, you're talking a million dollars a day.

But are there other things you can do that would save you some money?

It's those free activities.

You know, you can camp.

Camp at the beach.

Yeah.

You know, you can camp up in the mountains.

Dry camping with, you know, the forest.

Right.

You know, you can watch the animals shoot.

Squirrel.

No, you can watch the animals do different things.

You know, you can just hike, whatever.

You can bring bicycles.

A lot of other things we've talked about you can do there.

Yeah.

So it's.

It's looking for the things that are free.

You know, a lot of cities have tours that are free.

There's museums that are free, or maybe they cost a buck to go in or two bucks.

You know, they're not real expensive.

And some of these small museums are actually pretty cool, you know, public beaches, libraries.

Libraries?

What on earth would you go to a library for, Alexis?

I have no idea.

You got the Internet, man.

They should just close down all libraries.

Oh, wow.

Parks.

Quite the opinion.

Shut them down, then parks now shut down half of those.

The other half probably are okay, so parks you can go to, they're free.

Just be cautious.

You know, art exhibits, if you like.

Art or exhibits.

Art exhibits, splash parks.

Some of those are free.

So there's a lot of things.

So you can look for free activities in an area.

Search the Internet, you know, search in free activities in such and such city.

Wherever you're going, there's things will come up and it'll save you a few bucks.

And, you know, sometimes we spend a lot of money.

We just, well, we're on a trip, it's okay.

Then we get home, we're like, man, this trip was a fortune.

I didn't realize how much money we spent.

You know, especially if you're traveling a lot and you're not don't have just this open budget, you know, which is most people.

Everybody's on a budget.

So you can do these things to help save that budget and maybe travel a little bit more, because you're saving some money on these trips.

Because we want everybody to travel more.

Enjoy that rv.

Yeah.

All right, so a key takeaway from this is using free public whatevers.

Anything that's free, take advantage of it, and you'll make your money stretch a little bit further.

Now that brings us to staying on the road.

And so today we're going to talk about electric waste valves for RVs.

And are they worth the money in?

And how do you choose the right one?

Now, this is a interesting topic if you're into waste.

So why would you need a waste valve?

Or, you know, we know waste valves, what their purpose is, to hold the waste in the tank.

Then you put your sewer hose on there and it's time to drain it.

Yep.

Pull that handle and you know, all that beautiful stuff goes into the septic system somewhere, hopefully, and not on the ground.

And, you know, hopefully the handle doesn't pull out when you pull on it.

Hopefully the handle moves.

There's all these hopefuls here that it's working properly.

If, you know, the handle pulls out the valve.

Stuck.

Now you got a stuck valve with a full waste tank.

Not good.

So that could become really ugly.

And we actually have a YouTube video, and we've talked about how to work around that.

We'll have to put the link to that video in this description as well.

So there's workarounds, but, you know, it's nice not to find yourself in that position in some valves.

Well, I can't say an electric waste valve is going to always stop that from happening, but it can certainly slow it down or change the course of it happening.

But also, some valves are hard to get to.

They're way underneath the motorhome, or they got those cheesy aluminum extension handles that Volterra makes.

These things are horrible.

They, you know, they're.

They strip out just by looking at it.

They're.

They're horrible.

They're bad.

They're always loosening up.

Yeah, I have a solution for that.

I got to work on that one of these days.

But anyway, back to reality here.

Then you have the cable valves which Bristol and Volterra make.

And they work good until they don't work good or until the factory doesn't install it correctly because they just want to slap it in and say it has these valves and make it work.

Because they can get really hard to push and pull over time or even just a bad installation.

They're really hard to use.

And let's face it, some of our fellow RVers have arthritic hands.

It's hard to do these things.

Bending over while you're pulling on something that's really hard to pull can be difficult.

So that's where electric waste valves come in.

And so these things, if you buy the right one, install it correctly, can be a lifesaver for time.

They make life so much easier.

They can actually help you avoid problems for many years to come if you Buy the right one.

And it's interesting.

The right one.

And so we're going to kind of go through this here.

We're not going to get into all the technical nuts and bolts of these things because my mind's already made up which one's the best.

Okay.

It's the most expensive one and it's the one that's not readily available.

How do you like them apples, huh?

That's kind of a downer.

It is.

I know.

You know, sometimes we just have to face reality.

You're right.

And in the world of electric drain valves or waste valves.

Yes.

It gets ugly sometimes, especially when there's a lot of splashing.

So the first one on my list, and this list is not in the order you think.

The first one is Moto Drain.

And it's not the one that I would go with.

It's an okay looking valve.

It's made by Bristol LaSalle Bristol.

And I'm sure it works well.

It will accommodate a 3 inch valve, an inch and a half valve.

No, it won't work with an inch and a half, three inch valve.

And that's okay.

Let me get that out of the way first.

You know, having three inch drain valves on both sides rather than three inch an inch and a half or three inch and a two inch.

Having two three inch valves.

Especially if you can get three inch plumbing all the way to the gray water tank.

When the tank drains, it actually creates a vortex and just sucks everything out.

And Drain Master has pushed that.

They're kind of the creator of that, the brains behind it.

So if you have to, if you can't do that, that's fine, then you're.

Then you can use an inch and a half valve with two brands, but not all three.

But I would, no matter what, just go with two 3 inch valves.

Just make it simple.

And you can get adapters to do that.

You can go from inch and a half to three inch, that's not a problem.

But having three inch plumbing out of that gray water tank will make all the difference in the world.

And I don't even know why they go with inch and a half.

One of those things that probably happened somewhere and that's just what they always do now.

That's what we always do.

And to work with it, you know.

You can tell it, you know, the plumbing, sometimes they run inch and a half all the way out.

Sometimes they go inch and a half to three, you know, So I guess that's a visual.

It's inch and a half.

It must be Gray water or it's 2 inch, it must be gray water.

But that's it.

It's just a visual black eye candy, I guess.

Yeah.

That doesn't sound very good.

Did it?

We better retract that backwards there.

Good job.

All right, so Moto Drains might made by La Salle Bristol.

It's kind of a, I don't know, kind of a rough looking thing.

It's not, I don't know, it's not pretty, I guess is really it.

And so that's kind of a turnoff in itself.

I'm sure it's a decent valve or a motor because Moto Drain, Valterra and Barker are all add ons.

Well, Volterra, they sell theirs complete.

But you Barker, you use whatever valve you had and add the motor to it.

So you're still stuck with the.

An inferior valve, if you will.

I mean, Valterra makes a good valve, so does Bristol.

But they do have their problems, you know, which everybody who's had an RV for any length of time knows.

The handle breaks, it gets stuck, something goes wrong, they leak, you got to replace seals, the list goes on.

It's something that you see and use and you go, I know I'm gonna have to deal with this one day.

Then that day comes and it's usually when you're not ready to deal with it.

So that's motodrain's deal.

And then Volterra, they have their three inch, an inch and a half complete valve.

And it's basically an add on to their valve, though it's not a ground up rebuild.

So it's put onto their valve.

And Valterra is like the brand that's out there.

Bristol's the second.

I mean there's two basically Camco has one, but Volterra is number one.

They've been doing this forever.

Yeah, you go back in time, they're called Ananda.

You know, they're on carpet cleaning machines, other stuff.

So that's way back, but they've been out there.

So the manufacturer been using them.

Just like Los Al Bristol, but not to the same degree.

So their valves, the electronic portion of is probably okay.

We have to think about this though.

Valterra has hundreds of items and now they're owned by Dometic, who already had hundreds of items.

Actually we're talking thousands of items between those two brands.

And they own Go Power.

And Volterra has a habit of, well, making things not so good sometimes.

And now if they changed any of this, if they took Volterra's Formula and put Dometic's formula there.

It's not going to be a good valve, but if it stays Volterra, it will be as good as Volterra makes.

Volterra is.

They make good products and they make lame products.

They're kind of like some of the other brands out there.

They make good products, they make lame products.

But this valve is an okay valve.

It's just, you know, there's going to be a problem with it because it's that typical Volterra valve.

But if you want to go simple, they're less expensive than drainmaster.

They're similar to Barker.

So it's entirely what your budget is, what you want to do, maybe how you feel about it, maybe you think, Eric, you're full of it.

And we're just going to go with that anyways, it might be Moto Drain is going to be your flavor.

Moto Drain was actually kind of hard for me to find too.

That's not all over the Internet.

That's.

Yeah, that was a little tough.

But Barker is the next Den now.

Barker Manufacturing, they make great products.

They make jacks and metal stuff and things, and everything they make is good.

I like Barker.

Well, I like Valterra, too.

I like lasalle Bristol, but I like everybody today.

But Barker, theirs is definitely an add on.

You just put it onto a Volterra or Bristol valve.

So you still got the same valve.

It's just electric now.

Okay.

So you still have that future problem of the valve failing.

And the Barker motor will probably last for a long time to come.

So it's kind of you sitting here.

Look at this.

How do we choose, you know, exactly?

It might be what will fit in the space, because that's a consideration too, you know, Barker adds quite a bit to the valve.

The Volterra valve becomes bigger.

The Moto drain makes it wider.

Now, here's the best valve.

And like I said, this might be a tough decision for some, especially if money's the issue.

But if money's the issue, just go with what you think is going to be best for you and what will fit.

And to even make sure it's going to fit.

If you have like an underbelly, you're going to have to drop it.

Don't assume, because these valves do need to be mounted certain ways.

You got some adjustment, but maybe not as much as you think.

But now Drain Master, these guys got it figured out.

Drain Master's been around for I don't know how long now, how many years.

I remember meeting the owner At a trade show in California.

I think it was an FMCA rally.

Wow.

@ the time, you know, we're talking, I'm listening to his story about how he came about with this valve because he was an RVer, got tired of all the problems with valves and he said, I'm going to make a solution to this.

Now he is an inventor type of guy, very smart engineering mindset.

You know, everything gets thought through, through and through and through.

No stone is left unturned.

With Doug.

Now he's not doing so good today, but he's still involved in the company.

But they haven't changed.

His daughter's running the company now.

It hasn't changed.

The quality is still there.

And their website displays that.

Just the way their documents are put on a website is like no other website.

Everything's named, numbered, organized, you know, you don't need to know the name of it.

It's what you need.

Other websites, well, you know, it's the third one down and I think it says this, maybe it says that.

And there's five of them that all have the very similar names.

So now you're not sure.

You know, everything about this company is thorough.

So their valve, you know, they have reports of them lasting 25 years and that's unheard of.

The only valves that last 25 years are the ones that no one touches for 25 years and then you go to use it and it breaks.

Yeah.

So they have a great track record.

Their valves, their electric valve systems have a five year warranty on.

They have stainless steel parts inside of them.

They have special seals that are made, they're made to work, you know, in place of Volterra or bricks, crystal, it doesn't matter.

They, they push the 3 inch because they only make a 3 inch valve.

And what they say about that is absolutely true.

That vortex, when you drain it with a 3 inch pipe, it creates that suction, helps clean out the tank even better rather than just kind of dribbling out.

And drain master valves are very small.

When you put it next to a Volterra Bristol valve, it's the same footprint, it's like a half an inch taller.

So it's going to fit in Almost anywhere your 3 inch valve is with the drain master because it's not a big old clunky thing added on.

Now they are more money, you know, to do two valves on an RV, you could be looking at 700 bucks or more.

Wow.

With the other valves you might be at 500 bucks or more, you know, maybe 400.

I didn't really price them out because prices are all over the board on these things.

But drainmaster, they're the guys, you go to them, they're the only ones that sell their product and they have the warranty, they have customer service, they're easy to install.

In fact, you can take it to their factory and they'll install in there for you.

But just be aware, they're going to put a 3 inch system in for your inch and a half.

They replace all that.

They're not going to.

Unless they can't for some reason, then they won't.

These guys are it.

If you had to buy a valve in five years or ten, well, they have a five year warranty, so you're covered there.

But let's say you're out of their warranty, period.

You have by a valve.

It's going to be a fluke.

It's not going to be one of those things like, gosh, I better just get two since I'm doing this.

You could certainly do that, but it's not going to be needed.

And to be honest with you, you know, if you had to replace a valve yourself, if you're doing this yourself and you had to replace it in seven years and it cost you, say, I'm just going to pick this number.

300 bucks for a valve.

They're not that much, but if there's that much, then 300 bucks.

Doing it yourself, you save at least $300 in labor, what people charge for these types of things.

So you're still money ahead, if you will.

And their valves open and close really quick.

They're designed with a magnet that tells you when the valves open, when it's closed, if there's a problem.

So you're not left in the dark.

And their valves come in kits.

You buy a valve, you buy a switch kit for it with different length cables.

So it's plug and play.

And so you just have to decide where you want the switches.

And they have a variety of switches too.

They got ones that are waterproof, not waterproof, some that are on a panel that come together.

So there's, you have options there.

And so the extra things kind of drive up the price.

But you're getting quality all the way.

I mean, these guys don't just stop at the valve.

Everything else they sell and add on to make that valve works is high quality.

So go to their website, drainmaster.com.

check it out.

At least look at it.

You know, put everything in the cart.

See what it costs you to do your RV so you have a clear picture of it.

And no, we're not being paid by Drain Master.

They just make a great product.

We do.

Sometimes I have to say that because some people, you know, now accuse me of being sold out to the man.

Please.

Anyway, you know, all.

So, I mean, the takeaway from here is all the valves are good, but the best ones, Drain Master.

But if you're on a budget, I would say Volterra or Barker are going to be the two that you would have to choose between.

Moto Drainage.

I think I would just leave it out there, not even consider it, unless there's something about that Moto Drain that just really works for you.

But other than that, Volterra or Barker would be the ones I would go with.

And Drain Mauer.

Drain Master is definitely the one.

As a reminder, you can go to our website and find out.

Find most of the information we talk about on the podcast, and this podcast will also be on YouTube.

So we're available everywhere and keep telling people about us spreading the word more likes, more subscribes, more everything.

Now, that's going to bring us to the next section.

Next section of the can't even talk today.

The next section of the show, the next stop.

That's the problem is two sentences start out very similar.

Right?

So whoever wrote this thing for me is retarded.

Well, boy, Eric, we can't take you anywhere.

All right, so sorry about that, people.

All right, so now we're gonna have Alexis talk about the exciting state of Pennsylvania.

Here we come.

Pennsylvania.

Well, other than it being very historically full, I guess.

Full.

Yeah.

Of history.

There we go.

It also has really pretty landscapes.

So you got your, you know, in the city, you've got your history and all that you can.

Is it the Liberty Bell?

Stuff like that?

The.

Where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated.

There's the Independence Hall.

That's pretty cool.

Yeah.

And then let's see the National Constitution center and the Benjamin Franklin Museum.

That's really neat.

So just a ton of history there.

And then it's got a lot of natural beauty, too.

So if you're into that, you can do both, really, as an RVer.

So that's kind of cool.

That's kind of a cool experience when you can go to Gettysburg, where, you know, you can journey through the Civil War.

The Pocano Mountains is more on the.

On the outdoorsy side.

So you can do hiking, fishing, boating, and obviously stay in your RV there.

So it's a lot of beauty in Pennsylvania.

Actually.

Look up some pictures on Google.

It's.

It's beautiful.

Or if you've ever been there, you know, send us in some pictures.

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

And we always have to talk about food, so.

That's right.

Get a taste of the Amish country.

This is kind of cool.

Lancaster county is home to the largest Amish community in the United States.

So there's a lot of culture there.

They make a lot of beautiful things.

Fresh markets, homemade bread, traditional Amish foods.

So if you want to try that, that'd be the place to do it.

Forget that.

What about the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory?

Oh, my goodness.

Yeah, The Hershey Factory.

That's the sweetest place on earth.

So they.

Right.

Yes.

Wow.

You gotta hit that up.

The Hershey Factory.

If you're a chocolate lover, you just.

You have to go.

There's just no point not going.

Yeah.

You know, it's one of those things.

Maybe don't eat any sweets for a couple days and scourge on it or whatever.

Throw your blood sugar out the window and.

Yeah, go for it.

But that's.

That'd be worth going to just to see it for a zillion years.

I know.

It's.

All those factory else came about whenever all these companies were being created.

Hershey.

Exactly.

I mean, so many companies go way back when, like Frito lay all them.

The candy.

So that was during the candy rush, when everybody's trying to come with candy.

Yeah.

That you could travel and.

Oops.

Make it someplace.

You know, you could dip the Fritos in the chocolate.

That'd be good.

There you go.

I like that idea.

Dipping the Fritos in the chocolate.

Everything's better with chocolate.

Yeah.

Chocolate covers Fritos.

Yeah, that probably would be good.

The sweet and salty.

You know, Fritos and bean dip is better, but, you know, I could see it.

Yeah.

Anything's possible today, Right?

Heck.

All right.

We leave that one alone.

We're not going to go any further with that one.

So check out Pennsylvania and go to the smart rv.com under next.

And there's Pennsylvanian.

Oh, I forgot to mention this.

Our episode 166, which will come out December 20th, that's going to be over an hour long.

We've got quite the thing planned for it.

We're going to do a recap of the year, and it's going to be recorded on video, which is going to be the hopefully the big thing that actually makes it good either be really good or really bad.

We're not sure yet, but we're working on that.

Oh, you know what, I thought we were almost done here, but we still got RV envy jumping ahead.

Oh, well, anyways, episode 166, December 20th.

Remember that you got to watch, mark your calendars.

You know, It'll be on YouTube, so you can go there and watch it.

That's probably going to be better than listening to it.

Yes.

The next thing.

RV envy.

Recently, many splits have come up in conversation around here, and it's become kind of this trend with RVers doing mini split air conditioning systems on their RVs.

Now, mini splits are pretty cool if you're not familiar with them.

It's kind of a miniature air conditioning system where you have a condenser outside which is compact.

Then you have your air handler inside which is compact.

It only mounts on a wall.

Some of them you can mount in the ceiling now, and they're easy to install, easy to plumb, do everything you need to do it.

Now, some RVers have now been doing these in RVs.

And so we've done some research and I'm looking for somebody who's done one and knows about these that actually has found one designed for rv.

It seems like I came across one company that said theirs is RV friendly, but the company itself just didn't do it for me.

They didn't seem like a quality company.

It seemed like they're just churning out some junk to maybe possibly fit a market or say they're fitting that market.

But an rv, you know, bounces down the road.

These air handlers have to be mounted right on the walls.

You know, they have to be mounted to studs.

They got a little bit of weight to them.

That condenser, you know, they're putting them in compartments, generator compartments, strapping them onto the backs of bumpers, the front of tongues, you know, the in.

You know, they come out wherever to put these things.

And that's kind of a an issue in itself depending on your rv, whether you have space for one or not, and how well they work in a compartment.

What can you do with that?

Does the door have to stay open?

Do you have to have air going into it?

Right, because it's got to have air.

They get hot, you know, it's pulling the heat out of the air, so to make that cold air.

So it's pushing that out.

So there's things to consider there.

And I'm sure most of these guys that have done these installs, have looked at all that, because most of them look pretty decent for what, what it is.

But what I'm looking for is someone who actually knows about these things.

And if you go to the smartrver.com go to the contact us page or about us and get in touch with me.

Our phone number is there.

You can call us or you can email, you can do whatever you want to do.

And I'd like to hear about this.

I'd like to get more information so I can talk more intelligently about it, see if it's an avenue that really is worth exploring or if this is a fringe type thing that creates more problems than it solves.

And one thing I have noticed is that these things generally are put in the living room.

And as far as I know, it's one air handler per condenser.

So it's going to cool down, let's say the living area of the rv, but not necessarily a bedroom or anything else, bathroom and such.

But maybe I'm missing something on that.

Maybe you get it cold enough, it pushes that air everywhere or you have fans to circulate it.

So that's what I want to know about.

So someone please reach out to me and let me know, enlighten me, make me an expert on mini split systems for RVs.

I would truly appreciate that.

All right, so now that brings us to the end of the show, right, Alexis, I'm not missing anything else here.

You did good.

All right, so remember, go to the description of this podcast.

Check it out for the links to wholesale warranties and our website and everything else.

Everything else I mentioned I already forgot.

We'll go back to it and fix that up though.

All right, so next, next episode is going to be 165, so that'll be in two weeks.

And after that we got 166, the last episode of the year, highlighting the entire year.

So that'll be a pretty cool episode.

So we had a great show today.

I want to thank everybody for listening and sharing the show with your friends and family and so forth.

Fellow RVers, we truly appreciate the support we get.

So this is Eric Stark with the Smart Smart RVer podcast.

It's been great hanging out with you.

If I don't see on the road, let's connect@thesmartrver.com.