RV Out West

When the United States unlocked consumer access to the satellites for GPS, a new outdoor recreational activity sprung up — Geocaching. Members of this community place caches at locations marked by GPS coordinates all over the world for other Geocachers to locate. In this episode, we interview Chris Ronan, Senior Public Relations Manager of the Seattle based company. Our family loves to Geocache an...

If you are an experienced hiker, new to hiking, or just planning a visit to Washington State and are in search of great hikes, THE reference to use is WTA.org. Joining us in this episode is Anna Roth, a hiking content manager for the WTA. Now, she researches hikes and works with a team of correspondents who help her improve Washington Trails Association's online hiking guide. If you are an av...

A. J. Forget is a chef, writer, photographer, traveler, and dilettante. He left a career as a wildland firefighter to pursue his lifelong passion of writing and his outlandish goal of a modern nomadic life. Currently, he is a carney and follows a circus around the United States. He lives in a converted school bus with his partner, a silversmith and dreamworker, and their eternally-sleepy dog, trav...

To the part timers, the some timers, the weekend warriors getting outdoors and maximizing your RV usage is paramount to happiness. Isn’t that why we all bought them? In this episode, I share successful tips on how we are able to spend 50+ nights in our travel trailer — most of them as weekend getaways. In the Pit stop I tackle the exciting topic of recreational vehicle tires and how to avoid rolli...

Cape Disappointment State Park is nestled between the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean in the southwest corner of Washington State. The name of this park is very deceiving, but I promise it does not disappoint. In this episode, I discuss the campground, the different sites, where I think some of the best sites are, and share about all the fun activities there are to do both in the...

Seattle is the crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest and there is something for everyone to do in the city. Rich with history, art & music events, museums to outdoor activities our family still enjoys heading into the City to play. In this episode, I share some of our favorite activities, places to eat and where we like to explore. If you are planning a trip to Seattle, be sure to give this epi...

Planning a Cross Country road trip can be maddening or can it be fun and exciting? Dreaming about all the wonderful sites and experiences I find thrilling. In this episode we discuss the details with route planning, campground reservations, ways to make travel days enjoyable, how to manage laundry & food along the way. Plus, it’s important to prepare your RV and tow vehicle to make the journey...

It takes about 27 seconds for a thief to steal your batteries. Our first tent trailer didn’t come with a battery when we bought it as it had been stolen and the previous owner’s sold the trailer before replacing the battery. Surprisingly battery theft is pretty common. In this episode, I chat with Jason Tracy, owner of RV Lock Box based out of Spokane, Wash. RV Lock Box are manufacturers, in Washi...

Camping in the Pacific Northwest provides many different outlets for many different types of campers. For RVers looking for a destination that provides family friendly amenities, great sites and full hookups, with a lot to explore in the surrounding area, then these two KOAs should not be missed. In this episode I chat with the general managers of both the Astoria Warrenton Seaside (OR) and the Le...

Tara of Tara’s Tiny Trailer is a born and raised Washingtonian who straddles the line between a life in sticks & bricks and wandering around the state as a nomad as many weekends as possible. Her bohemian spirit is strong and in this episode she shares with us what makes her tiny trailer work for her, and we dive into some of her favorite spots to camp in the Pacific Northwest. In the Pitstop,...

We continue our conversation with The Meyer’s family as they share in their cross country adventure. In this episode as we pick up where we left off as they were entering the American Southwest in Utah. From wheeling in a Hummer near Moab, spray painting on Cadillacs, bearing witness to where Dr King was assassinated and traveling the Trail of Tears this family created an American experience for t...

Driving across the United States pulling a travel trailer can be an adventure in and of itself, but towing along a family of four and a dog will make it exciting. Join us as we interview The Meyer family (Tracker & Jiggles) as they share their tips for planning such a huge cross country road trip, from Seattle to Florida, as well as they share stories of the sites they saw and how they built s...

YouTuber Josh the RV Nerd joins the show as he shares advice for newcomers to RVing, the state of the RV industry, and what has him surprised & inspired for 2022. His YouTube channel has over 144k subscribers and he produces great videos from walk-throughs to industry updates. With well over a decade of experience Josh knows towable trailers and motorhomes. In our Pitstop,  I discuss mountain...

Camping in the Pacific Northwest is pretty amazing. I’m excited to share with you my Top three favorite campgrounds in the Pacific Northwest. The criteria for these campgrounds is that they are in great locations that highlight what makes the northwest so wonderful. If you are considering RV trips in and around Washington State or Oregon this is a great episode. In the Pitstop, I share the story o...

From the extravagant, to the practical, to the ridiculous, our holiday gift guide episode has something for everyone. I count down my Top 10 most used items that would make for a great holiday gift for that special RV’er in your life. This gift guide covers the gamut on price from the inexpensive to things that are not necessary but add a little luxury to your camp life. During the Pitstop segment...

We’ve moochdocked, but we’ve never boondocked before. Free camping? Yes, please, but just how to find a place has always been elusive for us. In this episode, I chat with Jason & Abby Epperson of the RV Miles podcast and we dig into the nitty-gritty of how they choose their boondocking spots. They share a lot of info with us, especially because we’ve got so much open public lands here in the A...

Sometimes being spontaneous is the key to a great adventure. This past summer we made a last minute call and with a little bit of lady luck we found ourselves in Yellowstone National Park. In this episode, we share our story of how we ended up in Yellowstone, what we saw, where we ate and where we stayed. If you’re thinking about a Yellowstone National Park trip, this is an episode for you. In the...

We spent a month on the road traveling the American West with Glacier National Park as one of our iconic stops on this trip. I share our experience navigating the new ticketed entry system in the park as well as I highlight things to see, to play, to eat and drink and where to stay. Plus, in the Pitstop I share my three phase approach to the planning and logistics for a trip of this length.  Send...

Meet the S.M.A.R.T. Bus , a skoolie conversion completed by the Vickers. Hailing from Indiana Jon and Jennifer had built their professional lives and raised their family, but something had been always calling them to the road. From family road trips to now, as they just completed their build out they took their bus on its maiden voyage this summer. I sat down with them at a picnic table in Montana...

After owning our Jayco for six months, sleeping 49 nights in our trailer, and traveling over 3,300 miles it’s time for a full unbiased review. My wife, Susy, joins in this episode as we discuss our likes, our dislikes, trailer issues we’ve experienced, and lessons learned. Plus, Susy shares great tips on how to maximize the interior space of an RV. During the Pitstop, I discuss the idea of locatin...

RV maintenance we all know is something that needs to be done to protect our trailers and motorhomes, but at times it can also feel a bit overwhelming. In this episode we discuss RV maintenance tips and techniques with Joe Testa a certified RV Inspector with the National RV Inspector Association. During the pitstop, I geek out on tools and share what are the essential tools that I keep in my RV to...

We discuss the refreshing summertime spirit of Gin, with Uncle Mark. Uncle Mark, is a world traveller, a Class-A motorhome hopeful, and a self-proclaimed food & booze geek. He shares with us a brief history of Gin, we cover the standard classical gin drinks (martini, gin and tonics),  but he also gives us a wonderfully delicious recipe that is light, refreshing, and easily sipped on during a h...

We are going to be talking about Wilderness First Aid. This is an important and often overlooked topic as I think people think of Wilderness First Aid as something necessary for those who are deep into the backcountry or high up on a mountain and far away from medical care. That is just not the reality. In this episode we talk with Shaun Quinn, a former certified Wilderness EMT, he breaks down wha...

Lake Chelan is a four season playground for everyone. For those who live on the ‘Wet’ side of the Cascade Mountains this is where they go to play. Lake Chelan is a beautiful four hour drive from Seattle and in this episode we cover recreational activities, where to find wine, Stehekin, and the best places to RV camp. In the Pitstop, I interview my daughter as we discuss what just makes the perfect...

Imagine drinking great tasting water directly from the tap. Whether you’re a full-time or novice RVer, you know the value of fresh, clean water in your rig. In this episode, I chat with Keith Bernard, CEO of CLEAR2o, one of the leading manufacturers of water filtration systems for RV’s since 2008. We talk about different options and filtration solutions to cover the full spectrum of needs from wee...