This week we update you with some inside information on the 2019 Sprinter van, probably the most popular chassis used by Class B RVs. They’ve been in short supply for almost two years now and we’ll learn this week that a new Sprinter factory in South Carolina is about to change that. Plus, lots of RV news, tips and reports. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Show Notes for Episode #218 Nov. 14, 2018 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast MIKE We’re coming to you this week from Okaloosa Island on the Florida Panhandle’s Emerald Coast where we’ve been enjoying some time at our condo. JENNIFER Mike’s been doing a lot of writing, video editing and tinkering with our new 2018 Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL, adding some accessories and personalizing it for his tech gear. I’ve been cleaning our condo down here, doing a little redecorating and visiting friends. MIKE We’re set to travel back to cold and snowy Michigan over the weekend. I’ll have to winterize the RV before we hit the road because the weather forecast says we can expect freezing temperatures from Nashville on. JENNIFER Remember the Wooly Caterpillars and the animals in Kansas? When we were there a month ago for one of our Roadtreking gatherings, the cowboys we met on the cattle ranch we were visiting said the animals were developing much thicker than normal winter coats much earlier than normal and the wooly caterpillars had thick black bands. MIKE Yup. According to folklore, the amount of black on the woolly bear in autumn varies proportionately with the severity of the coming winter in the locality where the caterpillar is found.  JENNIFER I read this morning that it was snowing in Amarillo TX and I see posts on our Roadtreking Group on Facebook shows a lot of people have been experiencing very cold weather this past week. There are a lot of snow pictures there. MIKE At the same time, California has been devastated by the deadliest wildfires in history. So many lives have been lost, homes and property destroyed. Our hearts and prayers go out to those affected by those fires. We’ve heard from several of our Roadtreking friends this week that they have their RVs packed and ready to flee in case those fires head their way. JENNIFER Giant plumes of smoke can be seen on satellite images rising from the West Coast and then getting picked up by the Jetstream and carried east. As we record this podcast, some weather experts were predicting that some of that smoke could be detected as far east as New England today. So sad. MIKE As far as our RV Lifestyle goes, this has been a particularly busy week. I haven’t said a lot about this but I’ve been working hard on a new book which deals with a subject that we are asked a lot about: Buying an RV. I’m pretty excited about this book which will be published this week. It is jam packed with practical buying advice that I think can literally save you thousands of dollars and prevent lots of headaches or buyers resource as you shop for an eventually purchase a new or used RV. We will announce this book first to those who have signed up for our RV Lifestyle newsletter. If you are already part of that community, look for an email soon about availability. And if you have not yet subscribed, now’s a chance to do so. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter You can become a part of our community there for free. And when you do, you’ll get lots of perks and special discounts for RV services and products. JENNIFER How big is that Roadtreking community now? MIKE Between all our various platforms and social media, we’re talking well over 550,000 people. It’s pretty amazing how we’ve grown. JENNIFER Who would have thought this would be so big when we started this journey almost seven years ago. Oh… hey… what about that video you promised last week about our visit to Walt Disney World? MIKE It’s coming. Almost done. It will be on the RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel tomorrow…Nov. 15…or Thursday.