Beyond the Wheel

About Cortes Campers Cortes Campers is a new and exciting RV manufacturer building campers with zero wood. This fiberglass-constructed RV is strong while staying very lightweight, so mid-size trucks or even some SUVs will be able to tow them. The CEO of Cortes Campers, Anthony Corpora, joins us to chat about the construction and innovation going into each of their RVs. He also gives us a sneak pee...

RV Travel Study The RVIA recently reported on a study conducted by GoRVing, the RVIA, and CBRE Hotels Advisory Group, which found considerable savings for those traveling by RV compared to other types of travel. The article is on the RVIA website . As a researcher, I would like to read the study, but it is only available to RVIA members. Nonetheless, there were interesting findings reported in the...

About the Show Today, we are doing something a little different and chatting about our experience at the Hershey PA RV Show. The Hershey RV Show is a five-day event where RV dealers, manufacturers, and aftermarket suppliers meet up to sell you an RV, a service for RVing, or an aftermarket part for RVing. There are also seminars to help you learn about RVing, such as plumbing systems, electrical sy...

Long Weekend working the Overland Expo I just returned from the Overland Expo MTN West. Belle and I dry camped for five days and thought now would be the perfect time for an update on our RV power system expansion that we did six months ago. I just used these batteries exactly how I envisioned over this long weekend, and that is to protect Belle from the heat when I am away from the RV. I worked t...

Are you looking to get more power back into your house batteries fast? Are you wondering if there is a way to harness your engine’s power to do so? Well, good news. There is! The Wakespeed Advanced Alternator Regulator is a device that regulates the power that comes out of an alternator and delivers it safely to your house batteries. Dragonfly Energy recently acquired Wakespeed, and today, w...

In this minipod, Sean reviews the Cape Charles/Chesapeake Bay KOA Resort located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This is one of 16 KOA resorts in the U.S. and one of 17 in North America. KOA resorts are the creme de la creme of KOAs and offer a lot of amenities to their guests. Cape Charles/Chesapeake Bay KOA Resort Location The resort is located on the southern end of Virginia’s Eastern S...

About AdventureGenie We hear the word AI used often. Some of us understand it, some don’t, and some fear it. On today’s show, we talk to the founder of AdventureGenie , Scott Lengel. AdventureGenie is the first RV trip planner powered by AI, and Scott shares how it all works. Scott also talks about the fear of AI and how people can be put at ease by using it, as well as how AI can make...

I was recently invited to Winnebago to test their new Driver Confidence Package. This collection of features will soon be available on all Class A gas motorhomes from Winnebago. This package includes intelligent adaptive cruise, pre-collision with active braking support, lane-keeping assist, electronic stability control, traction control, hill start assist, auto high beams, and manual shift with r...

Van Life On today’s Driver’s Edition, Kenny’s wife, Sabrina, joins us to chat about their experience with van life. Kenny & Sabrina took a Winnebago Travato 59KL to product test it on a three-week trip. They covered about 3800 miles. They share the ups and downs of going small compared to their Class A RV and what it was like to use a wet bath for the first time. We also cove...

You have probably heard people talk about RV & campground etiquette before. In today’s minipod, I would also like to add some tips for good behavior while on the road. RV Road Etiquette I begin the discussion with etiquette when at a gas station. When you finish fueling up, move into a parking space so the next RVer can pull into the fuel lane. This is not always possible at a local gas...

About Greenfin Outdoors For most RVers, space is precious. We usually only bring what we need, leaving little room for what we want, like outdoor grills, bikes, or boats. Greenfin Outdoors is doing its part to make boating available to RVers with its inflatable Greenfin F-8R. This is an all-in-one fishing boat, white water raft, and kayak. We were surprised to hear that even though it is inflatabl...

Today I am talking about the reasoning Sabrina and I used to purchase a used RV instead of a new one. When Sabrina and I first started shopping for our RV, we only looked at new ones. We said we would never buy used because, as part of our shopping experience, we rented a Class A motorhome to see if we liked it. We liked it, except it was pretty gross and had a handful of issues that made camping...

National Indoor RV Centers has six locations across the country, but this one-stop shop for RVers was not always this big. Today, Brett Davis, CEO & President of National Indoor RV Centers, tells us about the company’s history. You will enjoy how transparent Brett is when speaking about the business and financial side of the company and the RV industry. Brett had this to say about expand...

Sabrina and I are often asked why we chose a Class A RV over other RVs. In this Minipod, I will share our thoughts on why Class A was the right choice for us. How Will We Use It When we were shopping, we looked at everything from pop-up campers to diesel pushers and everything in between. It gets a bit crazy when shopping for an RV because there are so many choices, not just brands but types of RV...

Figuring out how to receive your mail while traveling can be a major pain point for RVers, especially for full-timers who don’t have a permanent address. Today we introduce you to Bill Linsenmeyer to discuss his company, Your Best Address. Bill has worked in the mail forwarding business for fourteen years and has owned Your Best Address for six years. Bill started as a customer of mail forwa...

The Dangers of Leaving a Pet Alone in an RV Today I am sharing some tips that we use to help protect our dog from overheating in our RV. Just like any other vehicle, an RV can heat up quickly in warmer climates. Dogs can suffer from heat stroke in temperatures as low as the 80s when humidity reaches 90%. An RV can quickly get up to eighty degrees inside when temperatures outside are in the high 60...

Question For Our Listeners Passengers in a Towed Vehicle We have a packed show for you today, and we start with a question. Would you allow passengers to ride in your towed vehicle, such as a bumper pull or 5th wheel? Would you believe it is legal in twenty-two states? Sean and I discuss our feelings and open the discussion up to you, the listener. Would You Pay $700K for an RV Lot Often when I he...

Recently my wife Sabrina and I took an RV trip to the Grand Canyon, and of course, we had our dog Belle with us. Today I want to share some tips about traveling to the Grand Canyon with your dog. Which side of the Grand Canyon? We recommend visiting the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is already known to be the more dog-friendly side of the Grand Canyon because this is where Yavapai Lodge is....

FMCA Roadside Rescue Who do you call to get you back on the road if you have a tire blowout or engine failure? What is the fastest way to put a fire out in your RV? We answer these questions in today’s episode as FMCA Roadside Rescue and Proteng join us. FMCA Roadside Rescue specializes in RV roadside assistance, and as you will hear in this episode, you don’t necessarily need to be on...

Staying fit while traveling can be a challenge. There are too many good restaurants, cafes, and bakeries to try while driving across the country. This mini pod will share some of the things we do to stay fit while trying all this good cooking. Exercise Equipment I will start with Sabrina because she is excellent about staying fit and keeping to a routine even while traveling. It shows when people...

FMCA RV Insurance & Custom Glass Solutions Do you have questions about RV Insurance or what happens when you need your RV windshield repaired? Today we are joined by FMCA RV Insurance and Custom Glass Solutions. These two companies are here to help you when things go wrong. FMCA Insurance First up is Jake with FMCA RV Insurance. Jake explains the benefits of being an independent insurance comp...

I have been a member of Passport America for over a year, and I thought it would be an excellent time to review the program. So let’s start with what Passport America is and is not. First, Passport America does not own any campgrounds, but several campgrounds partner with them to offer 50% off a campsite stay. In fact, there are now over one thousand participating campgrounds in the Passport...

Today’s show is all about power as we continue to share our live podcast interviews while attending the 106th FMCA Convention in Perry, Georgia. First up is Battle Born Batteries, followed by Cummins. Dragonfly Energy First is Eric Carter, Technical Sales Support for Dragonfly Energy/Battle Born Batteries. Eric explains the difference between Battle Born Batteries and its parent company Drag...

On today’s Mini Pod, I am discussing why I chose a Jeep Wrangler as my next vehicle to tow behind our RV. Of course, a big part of my decision-making was mainly because I have always wanted to own a Wrangler, but there are many advantages to having a Wrangler or other four-wheel drive vehicles as your toad. Toad is a term used to describe pulling a vehicle behind your motorhome. Pros of havi...

Day 1 of the FMCA 106th International Convention & RV Expo Welcome to day one of the 106th FMCA Convention in Perry, Georgia. On today’s episode, we are joined by Stacy Rabung, the Operations Director for Fantasy RV Tours. During this episode, we find out what makes their tours so special, how they choose a new location, what role their ambassadors play during and before a trip, and what...