Eric Stark

The Smart RVer: DIY RV Maintenance and Repair

Education EN ↓ 210 episodes

Welcome to The Smart RVer Podcast: DIY RV Maintenance and Repair—your practical, no-fluff guide to keeping your RV reliable, safe, and road-ready. I’m Eric Stark, and each episode focuses on RV maintenance and repairs in a clear, down-to-earth way that makes sense—whether you’re a seasoned DIYer or you just want to understand your rig before you head to the shop. You’ll learn what’s happening, what to check, what to fix, and when it’s smarter to bring in a pro—so you can stay confident and in control. From tires and brakes to roof seals, electrical, plumbing, appliances, propane, slide-outs, a...

Author

Eric Stark

Episodes

↓ Episode 131 – Propane: How to Keep Your RV Safe when Using LP Adapters for BBQ’s, Grills and other LP Appliances! 18.08.2023 26:48

Welcome to the Smart RVer Podcast! Propane: Staying Safe and Sound in your RV while using adapters for BBQ Grills and other LP appliances. That will be today's topic for Staying on the Road. We are also going to be talking about “RV Friendly Recipes” in Living the RV Life, And then we are going to visit “Enchanted Circle New Mexico” in The Next Stop, and we will then wrap the show up with “RV Env...

↓ Episode 130 – The Good, Bad and the Ugly of Rubber Roof Maintenance 06.08.2023 34:10

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Eric and Alexis talk about how to live the RV life and how you can take advantage of Cruise America. The best part of this is that while you may already be an avid RVer with your own RV and setup if you are thinking of making...

Episode 129 – Why You Should Keep Track of RV Maintenance and How to Do It. 21.07.2023 31:35

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: RV Checklist- What to bring vs. What to leave behind Anyone who has ever been on an RV trip knows that there is a certain amount of preparation involved. In addition to packing your clothes and personal items, you also need t...

↓ Episode 126 – How does the Battery in your RV stay charged when you are not plugged into shore power? Is that a ridiculous question? 07.07.2023 22:13

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Alexis and Eric discuss how to find a dump station. Most of the time RV parks have dump stations attached or even close by but it's good to be prepared and know where you can dump because it may change the way you travel and...

↓ Episode 128 – It’s time to hammer out the RV To Do List – Fix Everything that is not working or broken 23.06.2023 25:57

RV Rallies: Enhancing your RV Life! Clubs and Organizations you can get involved with today ! Escapees: escapees.com Xscapers: xscapers.com FMCA: fmca.com RVillage: rvillage.com TOGO RV: thorindustries.com/thor-companies/togo Tiffin Allegro Club: tiffinmotorhomes.com/allegro-club WIT Club: winnebago.com/owners/wit-club The following website can help you schedule trips revolving around various ral...

↓Episode 127 – It’s Time to do the Unthinkable, Clean Out The RV 09.06.2023 32:07

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: In this podcast episode, Eric and Alexis discuss the tricks and tips for finding free camping spaces or campsites for RVers. They acknowledge that while many RVers are already familiar with these methods, some may be new to t...

↓ Episode 125 – Is it Standard? Does Every RV Really Have One? Probably Not, RVs are not part of the Automotive Industry. 26.05.2023 30:29

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Eric and Alexis talk about how to travel safely as a solo traveler, whether you are a male or a female. They share tips on how to stay connected with family and friends along the way and what to look for when you get to a new...

↓ Episode 124 How Dangerous is Propane in an RV – It can be deadly if you’re not careful! 12.05.2023 37:21

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Alexis and Eric discuss how to rent your RV! It can be new and scary to start renting your precious RV out to perfect strangers, so they discuss a few ways in which to make things go a little more smoothly. They talk about th...

↓ Episode 123- If You Ever Though About Full Time RVing, This is For You 28.04.2023 43:53

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Eric and Alexis talk about the ways you can take your pets on the road with you. They discuss how you can make your pets comfortable while they ride in the RV. They also discuss the kinds of things you should be bringing alon...

↓ Episode 122 – Does Customer Service Suck? 14.04.2023 37:14

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Eric and Alexis discuss how the RV lifestyle can be improved when you lighten your RV's weight in various ways. This can be helpful for gas mileage, ease on tires and springs, and just less clutter so you can enjoy the RV lif...

↓ Episode 121 – How Safe do You Feel Camping In Your RV? Totally Secure, Somewhat Secure, Not at All! 31.03.2023 37:29

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Eric talks about how RVing is a great way to see the country and enjoy some time away from home. However, one of the challenges of RVing is staying connected to the outside world. With Anytime Mail-Box, there is no need to wo...

↓ Episode 120 – Does Your Travel Trailer Suspension Suck? 16.03.2023 32:36

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Eric and Alexis talk about the FMCA Rally. From its beginning, FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) has been centered on bringing people together. To make friends. Learn about their RVs. Travel to parts unknown. Have fun. Wh...

↓ Episode 119 – How to Test and Diagnose an RV Wall Thermostat 03.03.2023 29:24

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! Living the RV Life: For many people, the appeal of full-time RVing is the freedom to travel wherever they want, whenever they want. However, that doesn't mean that living on the open road is free. In fact, one of the most important keys to succes...

↓ Episode 118 – What You Should Know About Buying or Converting to LED Lighting 17.02.2023 31:50

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: What is an RV Show? At an RV show, you'll get a first-hand look at tons of different makes, models, and styles of motorhomes and travel trailers . Whether you’re a newbie looking to buy your first travel trailer or a seasoned...

↓ Episode 117 – Lets Talk Trailer Security Locks – Keep The Thieves Away! 03.02.2023 32:22

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Eric and Alexis talk about staying fit on the road or actually being active on the road. It is important to get some exercise and move around to really enjoy an RV vacation. Without moving around you could easily go into lazy...

↓ Episode 116- Everything You Want to Know About RV Batteries 19.01.2023 36:59

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life - Star Gazing; In the RV Life segment of episode 116, Eric and Alexis talk about star gazing, not Hollywood stars but the bright shiny lights in the nighttime sky . They discuss some great places to see to take advantage of S...

↓ Episode 115 – RV 110 Volt Circuit and 12 Volt Fuses, Exactly What You Need To Know. 06.01.2023 36:53

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Bullet Journaling; Eric and Alexis discuss the pros of keeping a Bullet Journal (Short and Quick Entries) and helpful it can be in the tracking of the things that can pop up daily. They also share the value of keeping a runni...

↓ Episode 114 – Inverter, Convertor, Which Do I have or Do I Have Both? 16.12.2022 41:00

This is Eric Stark with The Smart RV’er Podcast Delivering the smarts you need to enjoy the freedom of the RV Lifestyle without the fear of breaking down! Living the RV Life: Eric talks about how to plan a friends and family trip. You can get the whole family involved by asking where everyone wants to go and what they want to do! With a bit of planning, an RV trip can be the perfect way to create...

↓ Episode 113 – Let the Rubber Blow Where it May- Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems! 09.12.2022 35:32

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! Living the RV Life: How about a non-RV-related trip? Eric talks about how sometimes leaving the RV behind, especially if you have kids and taking a trip somewhere, can be a nice change of pace! He also discusses how you can get the kids more invo...

↓FTF – Fast Tip Friday 02: Learn More about Heated RV Water Hoses 01.12.2022 7:06

In this Fast Tip Friday episode, Eric quickly gives some helpful information about heated RV water hoses. Eric uses Pirit and Camco as his examples. See the Full Video

↓ Episode 112- What Can an RVer Do in the down Months of Winter? Plan your next improvement and your itinerary for Spring and Summer Travels. 25.11.2022 29:53

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! Living the RV Life: Eric discusses how to research and find tools for your RV. He talks about how it's important to utilize the winter months to get as much done on your RV so it's summer ready! Staying On The Road: In this section, Eric discuss...

↓ Episode 111- Why Do You Maintain Your RV? Because it is a Huge Investment! 11.11.2022 27:56

In Episode 111 Eric Stark dives into the pros and cons of glass entry doors. He also visits 10 beautiful lakes in the great state of Montana. And of course, he reminds everyone how to keep their RVs on the road. Living the RV Life: Need something to look forward to during the cold winter months? Plan a trip and get your kiddos involved! Summer is the perfect time for a family vacation however plan...

↑ FTF 01 – Fast Tip Friday : RV Entry Door Thin Shades By Lippert and AP Products 04.11.2022 9:30

Fast Tip Friday - This is a brief 8-minute audio clip comparing Lippert Components and AP Products versions of the Thin Shades for RV Trailer Entrance Doors. Watch the entire comparison on Youtube View Thin Shades for Purchase

Episode 110 – How Many Tires Does It Take To get to Your Next Destination? 28.10.2022 33:07

In Episode 110 of The Smart RVer Podcast Eric Stark digs into RV Storage/Organization and then delves into Trailer Tires and maintaining them and why that is important now. Living the RV Life: Title- Keeping Your RV Organized Here are some tips on how to organize your RV: – Create a storage plan. Decide what you need to store, and where you will store it. – Get rid of clutter. Donate or sell item...

↓ Episode 109 – Winterizing Your RV, Why You Need to Do It! 14.10.2022 33:46

In Episode 109 Eric Stark highlights some of the great places to travel to in an RV. Such as Bristol, TN, or checking out the changing color of the leaves that happens in many parts of the country. It can be a great way for a family to spend some time together. Eric also talks about getting your RV winterized and the various ways to do it. There are also links to winterizing tips and products belo...