For most, an RV is the second biggest purchase they will ever make, next to their sticks and bricks house. So having a warranty to cover major repairs is an important consideration when purchasing an RV. But what happens when the manufacturer’s warranty runs out, or, worse yet, as happened to one major RV manufacturer this year, the company suddenly goes bankrupt and shuts down. What then?

In this week’s podcast, we’ll talk about purchasing an extended warranty for your RV to provide peace of mind and Independent coverage regardless of when the manufacturer’s warranty or the warranties on major appliances expires. We’ll talk about how much an extended warranty costs, what it covers, what it doesn’t and whether it makes sense for you. That’s coming up in our interview of the week.

But also this week, RV news of the week, lots of listener questions and a fascinating off the beaten path report from the Burketts.

But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride… Jennifer.

Show Notes for Episode #241 May 8,2019 of The RV Podcast:WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEKMIKEWe are very excited to announce the release of the latest in our Seven Day Adventure Guides for RVers... this one for Colorado. We know many of you are planning your summer travels and we wanted to get this one out to provide a handy resource for RVing across one of the most spectacular places on earth. You can learn more about this special ebook and be among the first to get it at https://rvlfestyle.com/colorado  

Here's a link to a promotional video we did about it - https://youtu.be/N3dZT3KtyLo 

JENNIFERWe’re getting ready to hit the road, heading this week to Holland, Michigan, where the community holds a huge festival every spring celebrating Tulip Time. There are parades, concerts, wooden shoe dancing demonstrations and lots of cultural activities by the descendants of the Dutch immigrants who settled this Western Michigan town on the shores of Lake Michigan. But the main focus of the festival are the flowers. Holland boasts over 5 million tulips, all bursting forth in a dazzling display of color, pretty much peaking right now.  Tulips are located in City parks, at public attractions, and along City streets. It’s quite the sight and we’ll be camping there Thursday through Sunday and, naturally, we’ll have a video. We can’t wait to head out. 

RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEKMIKECanada says you can smoke pot at campsites, while Florida sells booze in some state parks

Things change and may never be quite the same in some campgrounds. Let’s start Up North: With recreational marijuana use now legal throughout Canada, Parks Canada is working to get the word out this camping season that smoking marijuana is now perfectly fine at campsites. But smoking at beaches, trails and other common areas it is not. We have no comment. Now let’s go down south, to Florida. There, the state is now selling beer and wine in 32 of its 175 state parks in an attempt to raise more money to pay for the parks. “I think it’s a sign of the times,” said Don Philpott, secretary of the Wekiva Wilderness Trust and former executive director of the Florida State Parks Foundation. “We are not unique in Florida. I visit parks all over the country, and increasingly alcohol is being permitted.”  Florida officials say rangers have recently been trained to spot tipsy visitors. Anyone caught drunk will be asked to leave the park. Again, we have no comment. We’re just reporting the news here.

JENNIFERAuthorities are searching for the owner of an off leash dog which killed endangered seal in a California national seashore People sometimes complain about strict laws that require dogs to always be on a leash in national and state parks and often limit the areas they can visit. Most pet owners are responsible. But there are those who are not and a case in point happened in California last week that demonstrated just why those restrictions are needed.