RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

Mike Wendland
  • 4.5 (722)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Weekly

RV Lifestyle's RV Podcast – Learn. Travel. Connect. Grow.

  1. 21h ago

    Another Rate Hike Is Coming. The RV Business Can't Afford It.

    The Federal Reserve says another interest rate hike is likely this year, and the RV industry is already hurting. Camping World sold 16 percent fewer new RVs and says it is "not satisfied with the result." Here is what higher rates mean if you are thinking about financing an RV. Also this week: Hurricane Isaias and Tropical Storm Rachel close campgrounds on the Gulf Coast and in Southern California Trump's red diesel order: why the White House pitch and the fine print don't match, and the latest diesel prices Thor Industries flags the Patrick-Lippert merger as a business risk Arizona's Chiricahua is about to become America's 64th national park, and what RVers need to know about the 29-foot limit Free daily newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter Show notes and full transcript: https://rvpodcast.com Our community: https://rvcommunity.com RV Trip Budget Buddy: https://rvlifestyle.com/budgetbuddy Mike's free short story, THE SECOND SOURCE: https://lastreporterpress.com/free

  2. 5d ago

    Home Sweet Home: The Song Every RVer Will Understand

    Three RVCommunity members wrote a song about life on the road and the feeling of finally pulling into your own driveway. They first played it at a campfire at our Smoky Mountains rally. Hear how it came together, the love story behind it, and the whole song, which you can download free. Also: an End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop reminder, why coming home after a long trip can feel like a letdown, and why your furnace drains your batteries on cold nights. Links: Download the song: https://rvlifestyle.com/song https://RVLifestyle.com/Workshop https://RVCommunity.com https://WholesaleWarranties.com/RVLifestyle https://RVLifestyle.com/rvovernights (code RVLDEAL)

  3. Oct 5

    Harvest Hosts Sold: What Does It Mean for RVers?

    Is Harvest Hosts getting too big? Choice Hotels is buying the RV overnight membership company, and members are asking what comes next for prices, reservations and the small-business experience that made it popular. In the October 5, 2026 RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland examines the deal, the membership growth and the questions RVers should ask before renewing. Also this week: Class B camper van makers are changing hands. We examine the ownership changes at Midwest Automotive Designs and Roadtrek, plus a preliminary report about Outside Van.A quieter Elkhart RV Open House offers clues about the market for 2027 models and your bargaining power.Hungry bears are moving through campgrounds. Mike shares encounters from our Pigeon Forge rally and practical steps to protect your campsite, pets and the bears.Meet Backpack, the winner of Fat Bear Week.JOIN OUR OCTOBER 8 WORKSHOP Our live End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop walks you through preparing your rig for storage, with special attention to protecting the plumbing. Admission is $10, with replay access for several days. RVCommunity members attend free and receive unlimited replay access. https://rvlifestyle.com/workshop Free daily RV Lifestyle newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter Join our private RV community: https://rvcommunity.com

  4. Sep 30

    Fuel Prices Won't Stop Their Route 66 RV Trip

    John and Cindy are taking their RV across the country on Route 66, and high fuel prices are not stopping them. In this Stories from the Road edition of the RV Podcast, Mike and Jennifer Wendland talk with the couple about their trip, the cost of fuel, and why they decided to keep going. It is a firsthand look at what a Route 66 adventure means to RVers who are determined to make the miles count. Would today's fuel prices change your travel plans? Tell us in the comments.

  5. Sep 28

    $7.27 Diesel, Forest River Shuts Out RV Influencers | RV News

    More than 80 RVers made it to our Smoky Mountains rally despite diesel prices as high as $7.27 a gallon along the way. Mike reports what they are saying about fuel costs, RV quality, and noticeably quieter campgrounds. In this episode: What rally attendees paid for dieselHershey attendance and the outlook for ElkhartForest River's new rules for content creatorsThe legal challenge to the Patrick-Lippert mergerProposed national forest access changesWhen to see fall color in the SmokiesSources for each story are linked at the end of the episode under the transcript tab above Join our End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop: RVLifestyle.com/Workshop Get the large-type Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement: RVLifestyle.com/Retire Subscribe to our free daily newsletter: RVLifestyle.com/Newsletter

  6. Sep 23

    Why Now Beats Someday: Full-Timing After Retirement

    Mark and Barb Douyard, 72 and 77, rented out their Delaware home, packed up their fifth wheel and set off on a two-year RV adventure across North America. We talk with them in the middle of their first year about how they made it happen, what surprised them, what has been hard, and what has been the best part so far. Also this week: Jennifer answers a listener whose husband wants to go winter camping in their Class B van, and Mike explains why October mountain campsites are so hard to find and how to still get one. Plus, we head to Pigeon Forge for our fall RVCommunity.com rally.

  7. Sep 21

    The Hershey Crowds Were Real. So Is the RV Slump.

    Hershey drew its biggest opening-day crowd since 2021 while RV shipments stayed down almost 14 percent for the year. We separate the show buzz from the industry numbers and show you where the leverage is if you are shopping this fall. Also: Alliance RV opens its Elkhart Open House to the public for the first time, the BLM reviews a dozen AI data center proposals on public land, the Lippert and Patrick merger hits an antitrust delay, and Elon Musk moves into an Airstream in Memphis. Full transcript and every source link at RVPodcast.com. One note on the YouTube description. The first two lines are all anyone sees before the "more" cutoff, so I front-loaded the contradiction and left the workshop and newsletter links below it rather than burning that space on housekeeping. Click transcriot tab for source list.

  8. Sep 16

    Should You Take the RV or Fly?

    We flew to Atlanta for a family wedding instead of taking the RV, and the two hour flight turned into an eight hour day. In this episode we run the real numbers on driving the rig versus flying and getting a hotel, with diesel now over six dollars a gallon, and we land on the one question that actually decides it. We cover why flying saves you almost nothing on a trip under about 500 miles, what 1,400 miles costs in a 14 mile per gallon diesel Class C now compared to a year ago, what the world's busiest airport looks like from a wheelchair and the free help most travelers never ask for, why the hotel and not the venue is the end of the trip that decides whether you bring the rig, and why you should always take the earliest flight of the day. Then two listener questions. Terry and Beth ask whether living in a park model RV counts as living the RV lifestyle, and Jennifer answers. Steve asks whether to carry a spare tire on his Class C or rely on road service, and Mike explains why that is not really an either-or.

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About

RV Lifestyle's RV Podcast – Learn. Travel. Connect. Grow.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Wendland
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 RV Podcast - Stories From The Road
  • Show Website
    RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

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