Wandering Gypsy RV Life

Three RV rallies, a pantry makeover, some mighty good salsa, and plenty of people worth remembering. As Bertie Bea, Rosie, and I head out of Goshen, Indiana, toward Dayton, Ohio, come along for a windshield conversation to close out the trip. I’m looking back at the Forest River Owners Group, Grand Design, and Montana Owners Group rallies at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds—and the RV community...

Nine years of full-time RV living—and an estimated 200,000 miles on his current rig—have taught Jeret Burnett that experience comes from using your RV, learning how it handles, and asking for help when you need it. Stan sits down with Jeret of Cool RV Everything for a candid conversation about life as a traveling RV vendor, 500-to-700-mile driving days, Stan’s 300-mile rule, campground entertainme...

What makes the RV community special—and how can better education help travelers make safer decisions? In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, I sit down with Michael Kilbourne, owner of TechnoRV, during the Grand Design RV Rally in Goshen, Indiana. Michael and I talk about: • Why RVers continue pursuing meaningful trips despite rising travel costs • The importance of businesses rem...

A safe entrance means very little if your RV cannot safely get back out. After an Airstream trailer was destroyed in a collision with a train in Minot, North Dakota—while its occupants thankfully escaped safely—Stan reflects on the importance of situational awareness before committing an RV to a railroad crossing, fuel lane, narrow road, crowded parking lot, or difficult campground entrance. Trave...

How did RV travel evolve from covered wagons and early roadside campers into the modern motorhomes we know today? In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, I’m joined by my friend Jennifer Schillaci of Learn to RV for a conversation recorded at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana. Jennifer and I talk about the history preserved inside the museum, the surprising connections tha...

Episode summary One broken anti-billow mechanism changed Stan’s travel plans—and created a genuine GO/NO-GO decision. After arriving in Milton, West Virginia, Stan discovered that the vanity-slide topper on Bertie Bea had lost its only positive anti-billow restraint. Rather than normalize the risk or let the itinerary dictate the answer, he stopped for the night, consulted Precision RV Repair, and...

When I visited Huckleberry Hideaway Cabins and RV Resort in Minden, Louisiana, Lundy McKittrick and I talked for nearly an hour. The first half of that conversation became an earlier podcast episode, but as I looked back through the footage, I realized there was another story hidden in the second half that deserved to stand on its own. This isn’t really about campsites. It’s about vision. Lundy sh...

Last week, we talked about building margin. This week, I had the opportunity to live it. After several unusual symptoms began showing up in Bertie Bea, I decided to arrive in Red Bay early instead of rushing from one appointment to the next. What followed wasn’t a week of throwing parts at problems. It became a lesson in slowing down, asking better questions, trusting the right experts, and discov...

Have you ever had one of those weeks where it feels like someone walked over to the chessboard of your life and moved six pieces all at once? This week was one of those weeks. Maintenance schedules changed. Travel plans shifted. New work opportunities appeared. Decisions had to be made before circumstances made them for me. At first, it felt like I hadn’t accomplished much. Then I realized somethi...

This week, I’m coming to you from the 30th Annual Chas. B. Davis Memorial PRCA Rodeo in Ringgold, Georgia. What started out as a scheduled interview with PRCA Music Director Kye Todd turned into something completely different after a sound system issue forced us to postpone our conversation. Instead, I share a lesson that has become a cornerstone of the Rolling Smooth Mindset. Over the past few da...

In this episode of The Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, we visit Huckleberry Hideaway Cabins & RV Resort in Minden, Louisiana, and take a golf cart tour with owner Lundy McKittrick. Lundy shares the vision behind the park, what it has taken to build Phase One, and how they are learning and improving as they go. We talk about wide RV sites, preserving the property’s beautiful trees, primitive c...

The Newmar Rally has come to an end. The booth has been packed up, the banners have been rolled away, and Bertie Bea and Rosie are getting ready to point east toward the next stop. After a busy week of seminars, conversations, and helping fellow RVers, I found myself reflecting on a few lessons that were reinforced once again. In this episode, I share why: ✅ Education still matters more than sell...

In this episode, Stan Cromlish steps back from the usual RV systems, safety products, trip planning, and campground lessons to talk about the real reason Wandering Gypsy RV Life exists. After hearing his own words from past conversations, including a February interview with Doug Simcox of Beyond the Chutes, Stan is reminded of the mission behind the books, videos, seminars, and podcast: “I just wa...

Blue sky, sunshine, and a beautiful-looking travel day can be deceiving when you’re driving a 24,000-pound Class A motorhome across open Wyoming prairie. In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, Stan shares the real story behind a travel decision that cost $308 but may have saved Bertie Bea, Rosie, and everyone around them from a much bigger problem. Parked at the Sweetwater Events...

This week on the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, Stan records hands-free while rolling down the road toward North Sterling State Park in Colorado, with a little Garmin GPS commentary along for the ride. In this episode, Stan talks about the difference between being a new RVer and becoming a more seasoned RVer. From learning the difference between 50-amp and 30-amp power to understanding inverters...

Six years ago, I pointed a little 25-foot Class C motorhome named Bessie west and headed out with more enthusiasm than experience. I had no idea how much that decision would change my life. As I drive Bertie Bea from Douglas to Cheyenne, Wyoming, I reflect on the lessons learned from six years on the road. Some came from friendships, some came from failures, and some came from the miles between de...

In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast , Stan sits down with Pete and Tyson D’Acosta of Capri Campers for a conversation about one of the most recognizable truck camper brands in the rodeo world. The episode opens with Tilden Hooper sharing what Capri Campers meant to him growing up around rodeo, and why getting his own Capri felt like a sign that he had made it. Pete and Tyson sha...

In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, Stan visits with Meagan Butler, Marketing Manager for Family RV Association, for a real-world conversation about solo RV travel, safety, confidence, long travel days, campground instincts, and the RV community. Meagan shares stories from her own RV journey, including solo travel with teardrop campers, an Airstream Basecamp, and a Winnebago So...

10-time NFR qualifier and 2-time The American champion Tilden Hooper joins me for a conversation straight from the rodeo road. We talk Capri Campers, Cowboy Christmas routing, family travel, campgrounds, tire blowouts, bent axles, TPMS systems, tools, faith, and the mindset it takes to stay steady when life and the road throw you sideways. Tilden shares stories from years of traveling rodeo countr...

This episode is a continuation of last week’s conversation with Doug Simcox of Beyond the Chutes. We had so much great behind-the-scenes content from that recording that it deserved its own episode. So this week, we’re pulling back the curtain on podcasting, storytelling, AI tools, editing, audio quality, and the work that goes into preserving real voices. Stan and Doug talk about where AI helps,...

This episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to produce a podcast while living life on the road. Recorded at Kick Back Ranch & Event Center in Ramer, Alabama, Stan Cromlish sits down with Doug Simcox of Beyond the Chutes for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the work most people never see. From recording setups and audio challenges to editing workflows and the realities o...

After covering miles from the FRVA International Convention in Perry, Georgia, to the American East Regionals Rodeo in Lexington, Kentucky, one thing kept showing up over and over again… The Rolling Smooth Mindset works. In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, I’m talking about what that really means when things don’t go according to plan. Not the polished version… the real one. Fr...

In this episode of Wandering Gypsy RV Life, I’m sharing a live seminar recorded at the FRVA Rally in Perry, Georgia, on how to stay connected on the road. Internet on the road isn’t just about entertainment. It’s how many of us work, stay in touch with family, and handle day-to-day life while traveling. In this session, I walk through what actually works based on real-world experience, including:...

There’s something about sitting under the awning at the end of a long rally week… watching folks roll out, swapping stories, and realizing just how much you’ve picked up along the way. In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, I sit down with Bob Weithofer, National Vice President of the Family RV Association (FRVA), on the final day of the 112th International Convention in Perry, Ge...

What does a better RV electrical system really look like? In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast , Stan sits down with Avanti Lalwani , President of Briter Batteries , for a practical conversation about RV electricity and what RVers really need to understand before upgrading their power systems. They cover: The difference between adding more battery and building a better system Lea...