Let's face it: RVs can be complicated. There are lots of things we need to know and do to not only protect our investment but to operate our RVs safely. In this episode, we give you valuable information you won't find in the manual that came with your RV. So don't set out on another trip without listening to these tips from Mike's special guest Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor. In fact, this podcast is loaded with tips and suggestions, starting out with seven of Jennifer's Favorite RV Hacks, plus the Farmer's Almanac winter predictions, a fun off the beaten path report, some great apps to take on the road with you and, of course, the RV Doctor's very practical advice. [spp-player] Here are the complete shownotes from this episode: First things first, Mike and Jennifer's Whereabouts and Travel Plans Mike and Jennifer talk about the hazards of parking an RV near some kids who are playing football. Although they didn't see the deed, the side window on their Roadtrek was smashed out last week. Mike suspects it shattered when hit by a football. It's just part of the adventure, says Jennifer. The factory is sending glass replacement and they've found an auto glass dealer in Albany, GA who will repair it. Next week, Mike and Jennifer head to Kissimmee, FL to attend the event featured in this week's RV Calendar, a little later in the podcast [spp-timestamp time="2:25"] Jennifer's Tip of the Week - Seven of Jennifer's Life Hacks for RVers This week I have a whole bunch of tips. She calls them Life Hacks for the RVer…. little things that can make a big difference. She has seven of them, life hacks she's’ either learned herself or been taught by others. [spp-timestamp time="4:50"] 1) Want to quickly freshen up the inside of your RV? Maybe theres a stale smell or it’s been sitting idle for a while? Tape a dryer sheet over the AC vents and turn it on for a few minutes. 2) We all have trash cans in our RVs. We also use a plastic bag in those trash receptacles. Put old newspaper at the bottom of your trash can - inside the plastic bag - to absorb food juices that may spill. 3) When you are on the road, where do you keep your dirty laundry? Try keeping a bar of scented soap in the same compartment as your dirty laundry. It will help the clothes smell a lot cleaner than they are. 4) Here’s one we learned from some photo classes. When you are taking a photo of someone - or someone is taking a picture of you - your smile will look a lot more genuine if, instead of just smiling, you also squint your eyes. Try this. It really works! 5) Here’s one Mike learned. If you can’t find any ready kindling wood to start your campfire, use a handful of Doritos. Really. They burn just like kindling and can get a blaze going very fast. 6) Here’s a good tip about rewarming leftover pizza. To keep the crust from getting chewy when you warm it up in the microwave, put a small amount of water in a glass and put it right in there on the carousel with the pizza. 7) When you are on the road and you buy some bananas, you usually need to buy a bunch of for or five of them. Then they all get ripe in a day or so and you end up throwing them away. Next time, wrap the stems where they all connect with plastic wrap. This will keep them fresh for a week or more. Then you just cut the bananas off as needed. [spp-tweet tweet="Seven Life Hacks that make the RV life easier!"] [spp-player] LISTENER QUESTION - Finding Manuals for Roadtrek Motorhomes A listener asks about getting a manual to her late model Roadtrek motorhome. Mike notes that all the manuals fro every Roadtrek model going back to 1987, can be found at https://rvlifestyle.com/manuals  [spp-timestamp time="8:10"] Please tweet this: [spp-tweet tweet="How to find a manual for every Roadtrek since 1987"] Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations. All three have a great fly and drive program. They'll pick you up from the airport and will reimburse you $500 toward your airfare. Then, your RV will be fully prepared for travel, complete with full tanks of fuel and propane. LISTENER FEEDBACK - The Geek Atlas In Episode 59 we talked about a gook that lists small town festivals to visit. A listener named Bob shares a fun book called the Geek Atlas, a book listing 128 destinations of technology and science related exhibits and museums. Check it out at http://amzn.to/1Ppu5mH  [spp-timestamp time="9:55"] RV NEWS OF THE WEEK - Death Valley Floods, and aggresive grizzly bear and the farmer's almanac predictions for the winter Death Valley National Park Faces Months of Recovery from Largest Flood in its History - [spp-timestamp time="14:05"] Grizzly Bear injured while trying to break into camper in Alberta - [spp-timestamp time="17:10"] What’s in store for winter of 2015-2016? - [spp-timestamp time="19:48"] = The Old Farmers Almanac takes a guess. If you want complete info, get the book. Here's the map Mike referred to from the Farmers Almanac [spp-tweet tweet="The Farmer's Almanac Predictions for this winter"] This portion of the podcast is brought to you by Alde… the only name in heat that you need to know for your RV The Alde hydronic system brings many features and benefits not found with any other product. Silent Radiant Heat - providing a warm even natural heated interior. Great for pets. (And Humans) Increased Interior Space by combining two systems in one. Efficiency. The whole system draws less than 1 amp on 12V DC and will extend the life of your propane roughly 40 percent over forced air. Heating on Electric or Gas. Multiple Options and Amenities: Towel Warmers, Floor Heat, Tank Heating, 4 Season Camping, Engine Heat, Driver Comfort, Modern Programable Color Touch Screen Thermostat and Interface Minimal Side-Wall Penetration. Small combined intake and exhaust eliminate big cut outs and sidewall congestion. TRAVELING TECHNOLOGY - Apps to find restaurants and make reservations We have three apps that will let you find nearby restaurants and even make reservations right from your smartphone. [spp-timestamp time="25:46"] OpenTable is connected with more than 32,000 restaurants around the world, making it easy to discover, explore, reserve, and manage restaurant reservations. You can search by location and even type of cuisine. Then, simply pick a date, time, and party size to see available tables and then book with the simple press of the button. The app is free for iOS, Android, and Windows. Zomato helps you find restaurants in more than 10,000 cities globally. Select the region and kind of food you’re in the mood for and Zomato will present you the most up-to-date menus, pictures, and user reviews. If you want to check out a new restaurant, Zomato even gives you a detailed map to help you find it easy. It’s free for iOS, Android, and Windows. Those with more distinguishing tastes may want to consider LocalEats. The app has listings of the best of the best dining options based on ratings from magazines, newspapers, dining sites and other reputable reviewers. It, too, allows users to filter restaurants by location, cuisine, price range, and hours. LocalEats is 99 cents for iOS or Android. [spp-tweet tweet="How to find restaurants and make reservations from your smartphone"] [spp-player] This part of the podcast is brought to you by Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network. Introducing the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 with Moto ShatterShield™ technology — the world’s first smartphone with a shatterproof display, available exclusively from Verizon. Moto ShatterShield’s display technology is an integrated system consisting of five layers designed from materials that absorb shock from impact and are proven not to crack or shatter.The Droid Turbo 2 also provides up to 48 hours of battery life and is the world’s fastest charging smartphone. This year’s Droid line up also includes one more Droid — The Droid Maxx 2. It’s designed with the essentials in mind: 48 hour battery life, a 21-megapixel camera, TurboPower™ charging, which gives you 8 hours of use with a 15 minute charge, and a 5.5-inch full HD display. So you still get those awesome features that Droid has to offer at a great price point. Visit http://verizonwireless.com to learn more and to purchase a new Droid. RV Calendar - Technology and Camping Rally in Kissimmee, FL Nov. 10-13, 2015 Mike and Jennifer will be attending. This is a rally sponsored by the Roadtrek International Chapter of the Family Motorcoach Association and features lots of tech related seminars and learning opportunities. Complete details can be found at http://www.roadtrekchapter.org/news/90/141/Region-5-Technology-and-Camping-Rally  - [spp-timestamp time="32:01"] [spp-tweet tweet="Come to the Technology Roadtrek Rally in Florida and meet the Geeks on Tour"] OFF THE BEATEN PATH - The Star Barn in Arizona This comes from reader Dan Michaud from our Roadtreking Facebook Group: - [spp-timestamp time="36:00"] If you are interested in the night sky or would just like to learn a little more about it while being entertained here is a must see for all those located or travelling within an hour or so of Phoenix, AZ. The Star Barn located in Cave Creek, AZ is the personal love affair of Ron Walker with the night sky and everything astronomical (plus movies & sound). Ron Walker at the Star Barn A couple of years ago he put a bid in on an auction for a 1976 vintage planetarium. He constructed a lightproof 30’ geodesic dome to house it and assemble and restore the planetarium with it’s 106 projectors and myriad control panels and accessories. The result is amazing. At the suggestion of a friend I contacted Ron when my wife and I were in the area a few days ago as we continue on our 105 day See America roadtrip.