Uncovering The Power of Community: Heartwarming Stories from the RV Lifestyle

Ever wondered about the importance of community when living life on the road in your RV? We're sharing some truly heartwarming stories of camaraderie and support from the RV community, that will make you feel like part of a big, generous family.  Hear the story when the ice maker line blew,  just when Dan was in the hospital, but found help from their RV community.  The story of a family that was hard on their luck and a motorcycle club delivered presents on Christmas.  We'll also share insights on how you can find your own tribe on the open road.

Talk about community stepping up,  few weeks ago at Circle M Campground there was  a fundraiser for for a 5 year old boy who has cancer. Details on his Go Fund Me page.  https://www.gofundme.com/f/jackson-clair-sensenig

In the midst of events, you can discover a community who shares your passion, your curiosity, and your love for the open road. Imagine connecting with people like Robin and Larry from Escapees RV Club, a dynamic duo who go out of their way to lend a helping hand to fellow RVers. Want to meet them? They'll be there at the Hershey RV Show along with us.

Community is there to help you navigate the trials and tribulation sometimes associated with RV life. BG Barnstormer has https://bgbarnstormer.com/ has been a great support to people looking to downsize and organize for RV Life. 
RV Mama of 4, yes a solo mom traveling with her 4 kids and no real experience with RVing. She has learned along the way and created a community to help others. 

We're not only about sharing past experiences, but also about creating future ones! Listen in to get a sneak peek into the exciting events we're planning for you in the coming months, including America's Largest RV Show and the RV Life "Live" event. You could be part of the 200-strong chorus singing the RV Life anthem, composed by the talented Border Hookups musical duo.  We're giving away an electric bike, $500 gas card, and a lot more . It's going to be a blast, and we can't wait to meet you there! 

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Do you have an RV community around you? This is the RV Live Podcast. I'm Dan Hunt with my incredible wife, patty Hunt, and we bring you this show every single Wednesday as we are on the road full time. Now today, patty and I are going to talk about the importance of community and how to be a part of one, how important it is, and, if you hang around, we'll talk about where you can find a community that's right for you.

Speaker 2: 0:42

And full time. We have been for over two and a half years and we could not live this lifestyle without our communities.

Speaker 1: 0:51

Now, right now we are in a community, at Circle M Campground. We are in Pennsylvania, just outside of Lancaster, and I gotta tell you it is beautiful here.

Speaker 2: 1:04

Well, it's beautiful because we are actually sitting right next to the Conestoga River. I'm looking out the window as we're recording this podcast and it is just beautiful.

Speaker 1: 1:19

It really, really is beautiful. We've been watching people float by all day and some friends of ours from all over the place just stopped by and hung out for a while. It's just really nice to live in a community like we are living in right now. Gonna hit the hot tub later tonight, so, yes, that sound means it's time for today's Fun Fact. Our Fun Fact is brought to you by Open Road Resorts with four great locations in Montana, Utah and Texas.

Speaker 2: 1:52

And as we speak tonight, dan and I have our trip planning session and that's time we take to make a plan for where we're going. After Hershey and we are headed to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, but then we're going to Texas, so we are gonna visit one of the Open Road Resorts which is called Dallas NE it's just northeast of Dallas and that campground looks amazing as well as our other three locations in Montana and Utah. We didn't get to go there this summer, but we do have plans for next summer.

Speaker 1: 2:33

A current thought is that we're gonna go there next summer.

Speaker 2: 2:36

Right A current thought, plans are made in Jell-O, as I heard somebody say.

Speaker 1: 2:41

That is absolutely right.

Speaker 2: 2:42

So the Fun Fact.

Speaker 1: 2:44

Yes.

Speaker 2: 2:44

The number of solo women traveling in RVs jumped from 11% in 2021 to 24% in 2023, according to USA Today. They're a good number of those people traveling with kids and are happy that they have a community.

Speaker 1: 3:08

Now, about two months ago, we interviewed somebody named RV Mama, and she travels with four kids and has relied on community. Now she relied on it so much that she knew she had to do something about it, so she created her own community, teaching other RVers how to succeed.

Speaker 2: 3:29

Yes, so she's solo, as Dan said, with four kids. I will put the show number in the show notes so you can get to that and see what she's doing to help other people succeed. Now, today's Fun Fact was brought to you by Open Road Resorts and, as we said, they have four amazing locations in Montana, utah and Texas, and our current thought is to visit all of them within the next year. This dropping your motor coach off at the truck stop full of semi-trailers for new tires give you nightmares. Eliminate the unknown and get your new motor home tires mounted while you watch at your campsite or wherever you are parked. Mount them, add balance speeds and we even dispose of your old tires. With MotorHomeTirescom, you'll also enjoy great prices and new tires with guaranteed fresh date codes, and enjoy sweet dreams instead of truck stop nightmares, with your friends at MotorHomeTirescom.

Speaker 3: 4:49

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Speaker 1: 5:27

This is the RV Life Podcast. I'm Dan Hunt, with my incredible wife, Patty Hunt, and I'm here to tell you a story today. We have lived on the road for the last two and a half years, finding and creating community wherever we go. We are members of the Escapes RV Club, the AIM RV Club and Thousand Trails, where we are today at Circle M, Our mail. Well, it catches up with us on the road. We get it eventually. A few years ago, I was hospitalized for over 15 days and during this time, the RV community stepped us and really helped us out. When, of course, I'm on my way in an ambulance to the hospital and the ice maker decides to blow a line and leak all over the place, Well, Patty had somebody there that just came and offered to help and took care of the whole situation for us. How nice, how great a community is this?

Speaker 2: 6:33

Well, so obviously today Dan's talking about us and this is a solo show and we just wanted to talk about how great the RV community is and creating community, how important. And we speak to a lot of RVers and they agree without the great people around them they wouldn't be able to be on the road, whether it was full time, part time. Some time it really does take a community.

Speaker 1: 7:04

Now two and a half years on the road. We have heard a lot of stories, because we make it a point to talk to anybody and everybody that we see. Now. The stories that I'm going to talk about today is how this community is going above and beyond helping others. Like standing in Las Vegas and talking to this older woman grandmother age to me, and her husband had had a stroke or a heart issue and her RV club friends actually drove her fifth wheel from Texas all the way to Las Vegas, which was her hometown.

Speaker 1: 7:50

And then, you know, there was a day that just was so overwhelming I was just out of the hospital and sitting in the front of our RV. You know you can sit in the front and look out the big front window and watch all the people go by. Well, all of a sudden, not one or two or three or four, but more like 10 or 15 motorcycles, harley-type motorcycles came in and these guys and gals that were driving these motorcycles were all dressed like Santa Claus or one of Santa's elves and they pulled up to a trailer that was just about five down from us and there were four or five kids there. The four or five kids came out and these guys proceeded to give them more presents than I've ever seen on Christmas. It was just an incredible sight to see all of these people and the outpouring of kindness to these kids on Christmas.

Speaker 2: 8:47

And that's what we're talking about today, right, community. This was a family that was down on their luck, this motorcycle group we did do a video on our YouTube channel exploring through our lens I forgot the name of the club, but it is on there and they pick a family each year and they go out and they raise money and donate presents. So these children, these five children, actually had a Christmas and it was so touching and everybody in the campground came together. It was just an incredible, you know, just an incredible moment. It's really what community is about this week. Now I've got to tell this story because this week there was another outpouring of kindness and that was at here at Circle M.

Speaker 2: 9:42

They do this every year. They have what they call a duck race. Let me give the background. So they have a duck race. You buy a plastic duck and it has a number on it, and then they put these ducks in a pool, in this swimming pool, and they have a duck race and there were three prizes for a second and third prize and Circle M donates the prizes, which was $20, $10 and $10, $15, $20 to use at the store here.

Speaker 2: 10:13

But all the money went to, this year, a young man his name is Jackson who has an illness and he's five years old. He's an amazing little boy and the parents have to go back and forth to Children's Hospital, which is in Philadelphia, from Lancaster, so that's an hour and a half. He sometimes has to stay there for long periods of time. Again, the bottom line here is, you could imagine it puts a financial strain on the family and for a community, for Circle M and all the people here at the campground to come together to raise money to help this family. That's amazing. This is something that you know. It's what life should be about, right.

Speaker 1: 11:05

It really is and you know we hear about these kind of stories all the time but we never really get to see these stories. And right now we are here at Circle M campground in Lancaster, pennsylvania. We are broadcasting from our Class A RV. You can probably hear the air conditioner in the background.

Speaker 2: 11:28

This is real life, so your truck's pulling it out.

Speaker 1: 11:32

And, believe it or not, there are real life trees all around us. That's blocking my starlink signal, so it's been very difficult this week to edit, but I will get that piece up very, very shortly, showing you all the fun we had and the hundreds of ducks that were racing through the pool. I was actually the finished judge, so I was in the pool with the ducks, but it was an amazing event and we are truly grateful that we could be a part of that event.

Speaker 2: 12:01

And you're referring, just so people know, to a video we're going to put on our YouTube channel, exploring Through Our Lens, because we did have the cameras out just to show the amazing community that came together for this event and, I'm sure, anybody that can contribute. You know, and go to Jackson's GoFundMe. It will be in the show notes, it's Jackson Clair-Sensing and they have a GoFundMe page. Anything that you could contribute, I'm sure this family would be grateful, greatly appreciative of.

Speaker 1: 12:37

Well, that's right. So Jackson's GoFundMe is out there and you know, exploring Through Our Lens, we have GoFundMe's too. It's not really a GoFundMe, it's called a commercial. So after this break, we're going to talk about why community is so important. We're going to show you how you can find your community and we're going to show you how to connect with other like-minded people. All of that right after this on the RV Life Podcast. It just works. You know, we never move our RV an inch not one inch without first looking at RV trip with it, and we have so grateful that we will be able to teach a class. We're giving a seminar on RV trip planning. How do you decide where you're going to go, what roads you're going to take, what roads you're not going to take?

Speaker 2: 13:46

How you not fight with each other when you're making these plans. We have it all for you. So, yes, we'll be doing a seminar at the Hershey RV Show, which is America's largest RV show Is what it's called.

Speaker 1: 13:59

If you're coming there, our seminar is on the main concourse level at 10 am every day, right? Do you know the name of the room?

Speaker 2: 14:10

So doors open at 9. I think we're in the power play room. Doors open for the Hershey event at 9. Come on in, get a seat at 10. We did fill up last year, so there were people that didn't have a seat had to be turned away. We're talking about the Hershey event. It starts September 13th, exactly two weeks from today, when we have this podcast out, and then I just want to get a plug in. If you're there talking about community, you want to be at the Thursday night RV Life live event. Everybody's welcome. Kids under 12 are free, adults are $15 for a buffet wine, beer, entertainment by the border, hookups and amazing giveaways. We're talking thousands of dollars worth of giveaways.

Speaker 1: 15:05

Now before the break we shared stories of RVers coming together to help others. Those were just some examples of why community is so important, especially in the RV life. I want to tell you a little story of two people that will be at the Hershey RV show. Their names are Robin and Larry. Now, last year at the Tampa RV show, patty and I pulled into the Tampa RV show. We got a phone call that said Patty's mom had been taken to the hospital. So right away we got on the phone, got some tickets and I took Patty over to the airport. Now, understand for somebody like us Patty and I had five seminars that we were scheduled to give. We had five RV life podcasts that we were scheduled to do Um, and and I don't know if you've ever been to the Tampa RV show, but it's big, there's a lot of space to cover. So if it wasn't for community and you know, kurt and and Melanie, that they were just here, they were just at our RV, not five ten minutes ago. There'll be a guest on the RV life podcast pretty soon talking about homeschooling and that kind of stuff but they were just here if it wasn't for those guys and their son and you know People like Robin and Larry.

Speaker 1: 16:36

Robin and Larry saw what was going on. They heard the story that Patty had to go, and so they walked over to my RV, knocked on the door and said, hey, dan, why don't you come over and join us for dinner? And there must have been 10 or 12 people there, all from the escapees club. It it just, you know, filled my heart. And then there's also the other side of you know. Patty got on an airplane and went home to chaos, but there's still the worry of, you know, me being by myself and having this big ol rig by myself. Talk about, talk about how you were feeling about it.

Speaker 2: 17:10

Yes, I mean having. First of all, it is because of the life that we live and because of the community that I was able to get on a plane and leave and, you know, be okay with it and it certainly was wonderful. And I just want to give a shout out to Curtis, melody and their son Marcus. All of them were such a help to you and then Robin and Larry, who you'll be able to meet at the Hershey RV show they are with escapees. They are wonderful people as well as at the RV life live event.

Speaker 1: 17:43

But no, wait a minute, I'm gonna jump in here for a second. He's cutting me up. I've got an Easter egg that I'm gonna put into the RV life podcast for people that are listening to the RV life podcast. We'll be at the Hershey show Robin and Larry, and the escapees Booth is booth number one ten one ten, and it's on the concourse level.

Speaker 2: 18:04

I thought it was down on the floor level. Oh, it might be down on the floor level yes, it is down on the floor level.

Speaker 1: 18:10

Okay, so Robin and Larry will have a booth there. I am gonna take Larry I'm gonna take him a couple of RV life t-shirts Now, these things are great, I wear them all the time, so we have something to give away. I'm gonna take him to Larry and say, if you go up to Larry in that booth and say super Califragilistic Xplodotius, guess what? He will give you an RV life t-shirt. So that's just my little thing to them. Now They'll be over there. Do you have the booth number?

Speaker 2: 18:41

I'd said the booth number is one ten one again. You know, the point of this is is community, but Robin and Larry, you know, took Dan under their wings, so to speak, and just knowing that there were people around him and helping him and taking care of him, how great is that. And you know, I just want to say something else here for those of you know, for those people who are looking to go RV or maybe you've just started, or weekenders or whatever, whatever that looks like. You know you, you sometimes watch YouTube channels, you watch Social media and you see all these wonderful things and people sitting around, and you know all this community and everything looks pretty imperfect and it's not always. I mean, you know Dan, and I know that all too well.

Speaker 2: 19:33

He got carted off, like we said in the beginning, to a hospital for over Over 15 days. There. I wasn't a campground by myself, now that water lake he was talking about. In the very beginning there was somebody in the campground that I Think he worked on RVs. I'm not even sure because I was in a state Dan's off, you know, in an ambulance to the hospital and there's water springing out at the side of the RV. That's a little concerning.

Speaker 2: 20:05

And so I just said to the guy hey, do you know of anybody in the park that can look at this? You know, this is what happened. And he said, oh, let me get my tools, I'll check that out. And he fixed it. I mean, he literally fixed it. He wouldn't take any money, he just Just wanted to help. And a lot of times we do have repair people that come in and we pay them. I'm not saying that everybody should do things for free, but it's because of people like this, because of people like Robin and Larry and our friends, and you know, situations like that is just so much easier when somebody comes along and supports you or helps you, because, guys, behind the scene of it, all stuff happens. I mean, you know stuff just happens and you see people coming together All the time and helping and supporting each other.

Speaker 1: 20:58

Now before the break, I told you we will help you find your community and, believe it or not, you have already started to find your community, because one of the first places you can learn to find a community is right here on the RV Life podcast. You can listen to podcasts. There's tons of really good podcast. We strongly recommend Jason and Abby and their podcast of it's called RV miles.

Speaker 2: 21:24

Rv miles. They have a couple.

Speaker 1: 21:26

They do a podcast in YouTube channels as well, so Jason and Abby. They're just great they have a lot of great information. Whenever I question anything or have a question about something, jason's one of my go-to guys, so he's one of the guys now. Youtube channels to social media YouTube channels. There's a wealth of information out there. Just make sure you're getting the right information right and not only the right information again.

Speaker 2: 21:53

I'm gonna go a little bit of a negative side of things because I think there's a valid point. If you've been listening to Dan and I, you know we don't usually do negative, but when you look at YouTube and social media you know when you want to ask somebody for help or for support there's sometimes those negative people, naysayers, people who just aren't nice. And so when you're looking for your community, find those people who Kind of have that same vibe as you do. You know you you're on social media and people aren't being nice. Go somewhere else. There are plenty of different Social media YouTube podcast channels to listen to. Now. I said at the beginning that this little segment.

Speaker 1: 22:39

Believe it or not, you've already started to build your community. Well, if you have an RV, you have RV insurance and if you have RV insurance, you probably have roadside assistance and that is part of your team, that is part of your community. When you have a problem or an issue, don't do what Dan did. You know, I'm gonna say, last summer, maybe two summers ago now, we were at a friend's house, we were a mooch docking and it rained. It rained for five, six days straight and we basically just shrunk. We were on a farm, we were on a grass field, we sunk and Dan had this great idea I, I can't. I'm a man, I can get us out of this. So what do we do? We dug like little trenches, so we get the tires out and we put stone in there probably a hundred pounds of stone we put in there. I'm laughing. I can't help myself.

Speaker 2: 23:39

Because you're not gonna laugh about it.

Speaker 1: 23:40

Yeah, you gotta be a lot of it later time. But yeah, so we, we finally called roadside assistance, which we had, so it was free to have them come out after two days of Backbreaking, digging underneath an RV. Um, we call roadside assistants, they come out and they send us this little dinky little F 350 tow truck and the guys there, I can do it, I can get you out, no problem at all. So we and we have we have video of this. You can go over there. We'll put a link down in the show notes over to our YouTube channel.

Speaker 2: 24:22

I have to watch it because I'm laughing and at the time I know I wasn't laughing.

Speaker 1: 24:27

Yeah it wasn't.

Speaker 2: 24:28

It's funny now.

Speaker 1: 24:30

So this little dinky tow truck needed a tow truck because he couldn't get us out. He burnt up his clutch trying to get us out and you'll see the white smoke coming out of his truck as he's trying to get us out. Well, we called the insurance company back and said well, you need to send another tow truck for the tow truck, but we still need a tow truck. So the guy said I got you covered and he sent us out this big, big truck tow truck. And that's what we needed was a big, big truck tow truck. And I will tell you, that guy got us out it. It was like butter. He hooked up to us and pulled us right out. It was like butter. It was great. But it is a funny video if you want to laugh at me.

Speaker 2: 25:14

Again, it's funny. Now I'm over here, you're gonna hear noises. We're not gonna edit those noises out because it is me laughing. But here's where community comes in. Yes, we were mooch talking and mooch talking is the greatest thing ever. It means you're staying on somebody's ground, usually for free, on their property. So those of you don't know what mooch talking is, but you know, community is great because this is where you learn from each other. We put that video out to help others, to teach somebody else. You know what they can do or, in this case, what not to do in those kind of situations. So it is all about community, for sure.

Speaker 2: 25:59

Now, a lot of things. So we do. We have our insurance, we have our roadside assistance and our roadside assistance is free to have them come out. If you know, check what you have, because I don't know if we realize that we had that. But we also belong to a number of clubs, and this is another place we find our community.

Speaker 2: 26:22

So we belong to escapees. Escapes helps us with domicile, it helps us with getting our mail and, again, it's so about community because we can go to events that escapees hold all over the country and you could hang out with like-minded people. I like the idea that escapees have different type groups for different type of people. You could be part of any of the groups, but you know you might want to pick and choose. We're part of the AIM group, which is all American Motorhome why do I all? All inclusive Motorhome club and that is a club from NIRVC and that is for people with motorhomes again, a group of people where we could talk about things that you know we have in common. We are also thousand trails members and having a membership of thousand trails, while its goal is not necessarily community, it's really been all about community.

Speaker 1: 27:30

It really has been, and I'm gonna tell you one of the places that I have met more people and had some great conversations is at the hot tubs of thousand trails.

Speaker 1: 27:39

Yes now I'm gonna give you a hint, I'm gonna give you a little pointer or a pro tip. One of the things that I have done for years in my life is I'll write somebody's number down or they'll write my number down, I'll go back to my RV and then I won't have an idea in the world who I talked to, because I just can't remember those names and numbers very well. However, if you have a smartphone in the smartphone revolution dies, which 99.9% of us do snap a picture of that person you're talking to, because then you'll have a picture of them and that will jog your memory as to who they are. I'm gonna point out you know one of my favorite people and I sat with him almost every night while you were away and then when you came back, you know I introduced you to him and and all I call him a sunscreen guy because I don't remember his name, but I sat with him every single night.

Speaker 1: 28:35

Sunscreen guy. He has a company that made sunscreen. That's all natural and you know doesn't do this without everything. Patty loved the idea, but I don't. He gave me his number. I know he did. He gave me his card and it's in the list of the stack with, you know, the 5,000 other cards here. So until we go back to Orlando I will not know his name or how to get a hold of him. But it sure would be nice to be able to get a hold of sunscreen guy sometimes.

Speaker 2: 29:02

Right. So the lesson to learn here is you know, with the idea that we all have smartphones or just about everybody does, even some of these kids do the name and the phone number in there and take a picture, like Dan said, because it'll jog your memory. In the note section I'll usually put something that might be important, like that he's sunscreen guy. That's really important because the thing is thousand trials we've been to 30 some eye campgrounds across the country. We met somebody clear cross on the west coast in Las Vegas and here we were standing at the Hershey RV show and I'm looking at this person saying, wow, I know them and it was the people we had met in Las Vegas. This is what community is about.

Speaker 2: 29:48

We've also met people again on the west coast. We talked to them all the time. And I also have to say my friend, one of the people that we met two over two years ago Robin. She writes a blog under BG barnstormer. We had her on the show. She was the second episode before we even numbered the episodes, right, and just somebody I talked to all the time. I haven't seen her probably in a year and a half. I don't know when we're gonna see each other again. But we talk all the time and that this is this is community. This is what it's about. And you know people who will say well, you're on the road during an RV, you're not going to get to meet people. What about friends? What about people? We meet more people, have more of a community now than we ever did before and that is so true.

Speaker 1: 30:45

The other thing too when you take a picture of somebody, it geotags them so you can look at that picture and you go get info and it'll tell you that you took that picture at thousand trials Orlando. I didn't know that I took a picture of a man of the other day that our guest last week on the podcast and it geotagged her for this campground, circle M campground in Lancaster, pennsylvania, wow.

Speaker 2: 31:07

I didn't know that. But so another way to to build your community events. We already talked about the Hershey show. I will tell you if you are at the Hershey RV show. If you go to the RV Life Live event, come up and say hi to Dan, and I introduce yourself. We've had so many people that say, oh, we saw you on the road. We saw this sign that says exploring through our lens. We didn't want to bother you, we didn't want to come up. If we're outside at a campground, come see us. If we're an event, come up to us say hi. I might not remember everybody's name, I might not put everybody in my my phone, but I will. I'm not. I don't forget faces.

Speaker 1: 31:50

Just the other day we were sitting in the office here at Circle M campground and a woman come in. She said you're Dan and Patty from the RV Life podcast.

Speaker 2: 32:00

It's still, it's still. It's still. Shocking to me, I guess is the word. She came in and she's looking at me and I thought she was, she thought I worked there. It was just, I guess it's kind of humbling, heartwarming I don't know what the word is. I was just like, wow, you know, I'm still amazed by it. But there are so many people that won't come up to us and say, oh, I saw you, I didn't want to bother you and they were here at the campground. Please come say hi, introduce yourself. That is again the way to build community.

Speaker 1: 32:35

It really is and we want your story. So you come up and tell us your story and you will hear it on the RV Life podcast.

Speaker 2: 32:43

Yes, we'd love to hear stories and we're also looking for people and I hesitate to say this because I have a lot of people on my list of people that would give us, give us suggestions of who you'd want to hear on the podcast. You know topics or people. Certainly send it to me. On social media, why we're talking about that. Our social media is RV Life podcast on Instagram and Facebook. If you have a suggestion or you'd like to be a guest on the show, reach out.

Speaker 1: 33:13

Please reach out Now, before the break. I also told you we would tell you how to connect with like-minded people. So I got to tell a story here because I'm the story guy. I recently had a little mini stroke. So sometimes memory and my my hand-eye coordination isn't 100%. So I'm talking to my health coach and we were talking about doing certain things and she said is there a pickleball court there where you're at? I said yes, there is. I saw some people playing pickleball the other day. That is a great way To build your own community of your like-mindedness. If you play tennis, if you play mini golf, if you play basketball, if you play pickleball Almost all thousand trails, almost all campgrounds these days have all of those things. So it's it's a great place and they have pickleball tournaments here. So I'm looking forward to getting out on that pickleball court and Seeing if that hand-to-eye coordination can come together into one thing and hit the little yellow ball across the thing.

Speaker 2: 34:25

Is it actually yellow? I know nothing about it. And here's why Dan needs a community other people that play pickleball pickleball, because that's not my thing. So if you play pickleball and you're at a campground with Dan and you want to, you know, hit some balls I guess that's what you call it Come see him, because I'll be sitting by the pool. But this is, this is the point it's finding your tribe, finding your people.

Speaker 2: 34:54

For Dan and I we live together. We do just about everything together, but sometimes we do our own thing. You know, I like going and sitting with the ladies and talking about whatever we talk about. Dan's gonna go learn how to play pickleball, but definitely, you know, think about what kinds of things you're interested in, buying people that have similar interests to you and, again, just sometimes sitting around the campfire. That's community. That's what it's about. And, and you know, when people say what you're, what's the best part of camping, what's the best part of this RV People it's definitely people we've met and the community that we have created or have seen or been part of.

Speaker 1: 35:40

Absolutely. You're listening to the RV life podcast. I'm Dan Hunt, your host with my Incredible wife, patty Hunt, and we'll be back right after this the most important part of your RV is the roof.

Speaker 3: 35:52

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Speaker 1: 36:20

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Speaker 2: 37:03

I love everything about National indoor right, he's talking about Brett Davis, the owner, and Angie, who's one of I think she's the head of sales. I'm sorry, I don't know the actual title, but again, this is what communities about and people who are our sponsors are people that we've connect with. We know, we like and you know it's it's great to be able to talk about them. We've met, you know, brett, nanji and Chuck and all these people from National indoor. We were part of the aim. They had an event I forget where we were in Florida, the aim club. It's just an amazing group of people.

Speaker 1: 37:44

It really, really is Now. That sound means it's time for today's Pro tip of the week.

Speaker 4: 37:54

RV life trip wizard offers three status levels for your trips active, tentative and archived. Active trips are those you're currently taking or about to take, appear on your mobile device for navigation and allow you to receive handy and informative pre-departure email notifications. Tentative trips are those that you're working on and still planning. They won't appear on your phone or send you email notifications about destinations that might change several times before the trip is finalized. Archive trips are, just as they sound, trips you have completed and don't want to lose the valuable data, insight and memories you might wish to review again someday. For RV life, I'm Pat Buchanan with your RV life pro tip of the week. I.

Speaker 1: 38:38

Will tell you that archive trips are so important. I have a hard time pushing them over to that archive point, but we have gone back to the same place In this two and a half years that we've been out here. There's a couple campgrounds that we've gone back to where we are right now. We were here exactly Now. One of the things that I do want to say to people if you use RV, tripwizard or whatever you use, make some notes About the campground In that so you can go back and look at them later. I Desperately wanted to know what the site was that we were on last time. We were at Circle M because Starlink work perfect, the trees weren't in the way. So here we are. We're five sites up from where we were last year and we have no Starlink and internet is terrible, but but we have beautiful trees all around us.

Speaker 2: 39:31

Yes, and the beautiful Conestoga River. That's great. So, yes, I do love the archive Because you want to remember. You know when we first started out and people would say, oh, we went there two years ago. I don't remember. I couldn't imagine ever thinking that way, like I wasn't gonna remember where we were. But now for you and I, we we move every two weeks, sometimes we stay someplace for three weeks and, yes, sometimes it's hard to remember those places. So this is a great tip. Thank you, patrick, you can.

Speaker 1: 40:04

Now we are on the road, or two and a half years in, we've got a lot of really cool stuff coming up. I mean not a little bit, a little cool stuff, a lot of cool stuff. It starts out at America's largest RV show and that's just in two weeks from now, or a week from when this airs.

Speaker 1: 40:24

Exactly two weeks from when this airs and when that show is over, you can come and get in the back of our RV because we are heading to Albuquerque, new Mexico, where the RV life podcast we're gonna make some history and we're gonna try to record a podcast From inside a hot air balloon while we're taking off and flying over Albuquerque.

Speaker 2: 40:50

Wow, okay. So yes, that is the thought. A lot of exciting things, and I'm still kind of Taken back by that because it sounds like something really cool. And I know when Dan says something like that it almost sounds a little crazy recording a podcast in a hot air balloon, but he'll make it happen. If it isn't all possible for it to happen, so it it'll be super exciting, like Dan said, will be in Hershey in two weeks from today. You know, if you haven't already gotten tickets for the Hershey largest RV show, get them. I don't know the prices. That does start September 13th. A link for the Hershey RV show Will be in the show notes.

Speaker 2: 41:36

And then, of course, I think there's no better way to find community. I'm gonna say it again RV life is putting on this event. It's called RV life live. It is open to everybody. If you don't have RV life the membership it is totally fine. But you know all you could eat, wine and beer. But again, the best part we saw last year, let's talk a little bit about last year. Last year you played a game with people.

Speaker 2: 42:04

I did not gonna spoil it.

Speaker 1: 42:07

I'm doing it again.

Speaker 2: 42:08

People got to know each other, people connected with each other. People have, you know, reached out to me and said I won't be there again this year, but I'm so sorry I'm gonna miss it. You know, people made their, their community at this event, and I'm not just saying that Dan and I will be emceeing the event. It's a fun event. Now I got to talk about how much more special this year's event is going to be more special or more special, or yes, because the border hookups are gonna be there.

Speaker 2: 42:39

This is an amazing duet that sing. He plays guitar. If I'm not missed Right, we've we've interviewed a couple of music groups, but they're amazing. And here's the kicker they created a song for RV life and you could find the words of the song on our social media RV life podcast and we are going to sing it together During this event. What's more fun than 200 people singing the words to a song? I mean, you can't beat that for a fun time. Also, I got it and again, I'm getting really excited because it's just two weeks till this event and the giveaways.

Speaker 2: 43:21

The giveaways this year are worth Thousands and thousands of dollars. Literally, we have a $2,000 electric bike. We've been walking around with it or Driving around with it for a couple of months now. It is a brand new $2,000 electric bike. It's a good one, it's a great one, and we're giving that away as well as a $500 gas card. There's going to be escapees is giving away a year membership plus a free Ticket or free tickets to the escapades event. That is their biggest event. They'll be giving that away. I am missing a lot of the prizes, but if you go on RV life live and the link, of course, will be in the show notes. You can see all of the giveaways are just about all of the giveaways. You got to stop me from talking because I'm just really excited.

Speaker 1: 44:20

One of my favorite things is giving stuff away. Now we also have a gas card. Don't forget the gas card. We got the gas card. Okay, I started this whole bit about the things that the RV life Podcast is going to be doing in the next few months. So we're going to the Hershey RV show, we have the Hershey RV live event. We're going to be doing that and we are also going to be broadcasting the podcast live to tape with it. Live audience from the freight liner tent on Wednesday, thursday and Friday, I believe, with the days that we've got that set up, so from the freight liner tent at Three o'clock three thirty three thirty at three thirty three thirty, well live audience at the freight liner event.

Speaker 1: 45:04

If you're in the area, you want to come over, have a cup of water, sit down, get off your feet for a little while. It's a great thing to do and you may even get on the podcast and ask our question of the week. Now, after we leave Hershey, we're going to Albuquerque where we will be doing the podcast, what they call Main Street. So At the Albuquerque balloon fiesta, I gotta say you're mixing up Main Street.

Speaker 2: 45:28

That's when we go to Disney the Midway the midway.

Speaker 1: 45:33

They call it Main Street there to. I thought it was the midway Okay okay, so we're gonna be broadcasting from the Midway for the RV live podcast at the Albuquerque balloon fiesta.

Speaker 1: 45:43

We will also be crewing on the ship called spirit spirit is I always want to say spirit of America, but it's just called spirit, so will we crewing in. If you see an airship or a Balloon that looks like the American flag pretty much has got stars and stripes all over it, come on out and say hi to us. I'll give you a card for the RV life podcast. I'll give you a card for the YouTube channel and I'll also give you a card for the balloon. So we, we, we really enjoy and have a great time at the Albuquerque balloon fiesta. Now, when we leave there, we're gonna go up to Santa Fe, new Mexico area and see our health coach.

Speaker 2: 46:24

Yes, we're gonna go. She is also a friend and we're gonna go visit people. So after Albuquerque, we're gonna have a couple of three weeks of just family friends fun Not that you know the events aren't fun again. This is community. We get to drive around and visit people that aren't necessarily RVers. It's all about community. In Albuquerque, balloon fiesta is probably the biggest RV Type event. There's more RVers there than any other. I think for this year it's probably sold out, but it's definitely something that should be on your bucket list.

Speaker 1: 47:02

It really was on my bucket list when we were there a couple years ago.

Speaker 2: 47:05

I had the time of my life and we've been so many amazing people, so many amazing people that have become true friends.

Speaker 1: 47:14

But but after Albuquerque we're gonna go over and visit Jen, who lives in the Santa Fe area, and then from there we're gonna go down to Dallas, texas, where we're gonna stop by open road open road resorts. We're gonna go to one of the NIR VC Showrooms and we're gonna go to the RV life offices. Yes, we are all of that all of that down in the Texas area. Yep, so from Texas we're gonna shoot down to.

Speaker 2: 47:41

Louisiana right.

Speaker 1: 47:42

Louisiana, wherever the heck that is it's down low, I know and we have another dear friend down there that we're gonna stop and see her for a couple days and from there it's off to Disney World, yeah, where we're having a mini family reunion. We have, I think, three of our daughters and some of our grandkids are gonna be Converging on Orlando, florida, so we're gonna jump in and hang out with them for a little while and when that's over, it's from Orlando over to Tampa where we will be at the Tampa RV show and we're trying to set our schedule up for that. If you're gonna be at the Tampa RV show and you want to be a guest, to reach out to Patty on any one of our social medias.

Speaker 2: 48:29

Yeah, she's shaking her head. I, yes, we do want you to reach out. Let us know if you want to be a guest, if you again have questions. This is what it's all about right.

Speaker 1: 48:39

You know that this is what community is all about, and we would like to make you become a part of our community Now. That sound means it is time for this week's question of the week. Our Question this week comes from social media. I believe yes, and that's Patty's area Go ahead.

Speaker 2: 48:59

Yes, so, and again I'm on social media, reach out. This was very touching and this goes so well with our topic, the. The person's name is Andrea J and she said she's full-time on the road and what she said was in this question. She said I'm looking for ideas for sport storage space. She said I have two kids and one on the way. She said I am a single mom. She said I took the couch out and there is a ledge that can't be removed. And then in this post she said please don't judge.

Speaker 2: 49:36

Now, the reason I'm reading this particular was posted on social media and the reason I'm reading this particular one is because my heart goes out to her. First of all, because she has to say please don't judge. She had taken the couch out. It was a beat-up couch. She found there's a ledge there because it's in the slide and she just wanted ideas what to do, since she didn't expect there to be a ledge there.

Speaker 2: 50:01

And you know, again, I'm gonna get a little negative. People can be mean and be like oh, you should have known it was gonna be there. Like, what are you thinking? Ripping something out without knowing.

Speaker 2: 50:11

So I saw this post and and in the post. There was a cute little baby sitting in the middle of the floor, which was definitely an attention grabber, and what I said I'm just gonna go by what I said. I said, first of all, what a cutie, because this child was just adorable. And Secondly, way to go, oh, being a mom trying to make things work. And third, don't listen to anything that people say that are negative. We've all heard it, we've all seen it. We need to be able to move past it. And then I offered her a suggestion of a friend of mine that I've already talked about. Bg Barnstormer has a blog and she's an amazing person that does organizing, so she could probably give her some great suggestions. And so, again, this question is great because it is a way to build your community, and there was such an outpouring of people saying the same thing and just encouraging her as a mom. Nobody knows what her story is.

Speaker 1: 51:20

I'll tell you what. I'm the grandpa here, Grandpa Dan, I think. My son is 30 something and my eldest daughter is 30, something 30 something too.

Speaker 1: 51:30

I was a dad a long, long time ago, but I have to tell you that the pack and play when I was doing the dad thing, that had to be the greatest thing in the world. And I'm looking at where we took our couch out and we replaced it with theater seating on that ledge that you're talking about Now. I put an actual platform on over top of that whole ledge. But in your case, creating a pack and play type area in there, I think would be the greatest thing since Apple Pie, cause kids will touch any, every and all things and they will find things that you don't even know you have in your RV. But you know, taking that area, and it's already got three sides, that it's enclosed. So just somehow making an enclosure around the front, I think that would be great for kids. I think it's a great idea and I you know I'm reading the notes here and it says that you have three kids and one on oh, you have two kids and one on the way.

Speaker 1: 52:40

And you're a single mom.

Speaker 2: 52:42

Yes, and so a lot of people gave some great suggestions, like some people suggested cubes, and again, a lot of great suggestion. A lot of people are very creative. This is community and I know we've said that, you know I don't know how many times through this podcast, but this is what it's about. If Robin were in the campground where she was located, robin would do like she did with us and come in the RV, tell us what to do, tell us how to fix a mess.

Speaker 1: 53:12

Take over our lives.

Speaker 2: 53:13

Take over our lives and I just saw the outpouring that this woman got on social media, people just encouraging her and giving her ideas and I didn't see anything negative, luckily, because my mama bear would have come out and I can't say anything. So you know what I mean when somebody's negative or nasty, you can't really say anything because it doesn't help the situation. I choose to look at the positive and the great comments that people did give to this woman and I certainly hope she finds her community. Having three kids, you know this is the place to create a community. You know, because as a single mom, you need community.

Speaker 1: 53:58

You really do. You know it takes a village. We've always talked about that. It takes a village. You can't do anything alone. It's not just about raising a child. It takes a village to get through. I mean, we live in a very complicated world, so I want to take a minute and thank everybody for listening to the RV Life podcast and reminding you that on some of the platforms, you actually can subscribe. I believe that's the right button name, right.

Speaker 2: 54:28

We'll follow.

Speaker 1: 54:29

Follow. You can follow the podcast that way. It'll automatically download to you each and every week, and we truly appreciate all of you making the RV Life podcast in the top 10% of all podcasts in the world Wow, what a great thing to be able to say so. Thank you so much for listening to the RV Life podcast. That'll just about do it for this week. Please stay with us as we take this trip halfway across the country to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and then back to Disney World where we're gonna have some great times. I'm Dan Hunt with my incredible wife, fattie Hunt, saying have a great rest of today.

Speaker 2: 55:17

And an even better day tomorrow.