Lemon Law Attorney Says You’re Crazy to Buy a New RV
Show Notes for Episode #485 of The RV Podcast
This week on the RV Podcast:
- One of the nation’s top Lemon Law Attorneys says RVers are Crazy to buy a new RV. He says it's because of an insidious legal provision many dealers make you sign.
- There’s a lot of disappointment by RVers as the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta has decided to reduce the number of RV camping spots this year to make way for more car parking.
- We have the dates for our spring/summer RV Lifestyle Meetup – June 11-14 – and will announce the details and ticket sales Thursday evening in a special livestream on our new RV Lifestyle Community
- All this plus the RV News of the Week, the Social Media Buzz, and your questions coming up in Episode #485 of the RV Podcast
You can watch the video version from our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel by clicking the player below.
If you prefer an audio-only podcast, you can hear us through your favorite podcast app or listen now through the player below.
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Heads up! This is the week we open ticket sales for our Spring/Summer RV Lifestyle Gathering.
The dates are June 11-14, and complete details will be announced in a special Livestream on our RV Lifestyle Community at 7 PM EST Thursday, Feb. 22. If you are already a member of the community, you will see it in the main feed and under the Events tab. If you are not yet a member, now's the time to join! Just go to https://community.rvlifestyle.com
We are really excited about this and think it will be one of our most fun-filled meetups yet! Without giving away the details, I will share the theme: It's a “Groove and Gather!”)
Tune in to the Livestream Thursday to learn why we are calling it that. It's going to be great!
We’ve been back in Michigan for the past 10 days and you know what that means… it’s time to hit the road again. We’re off this week… Headed to Florida and the Gulf Coast, among other places. We’ll be doing lots of livestream videos and on-location reports.
SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ – Wendy Bowyer
Wendy Bowyer reports on the hot issues most talked about this past week on social media and our RV Lifestyle Community group.
In our RV Lifestyle Community, we've added several new Spaces for people with common interests to connect. Topics include digital nomads, RVs for sale, Crafters Corner, and the RV Cooking Exchange.
In this last category, the RV Cooking Exchange, one conversation that caught my eye started with the question, “What are your must-have RV kitchen gadgets or appliances?”
Lisa wrote that she was not sure how she ever lived without her Ninja Air Fryer! She has the version with the grill setting and said she can cook a perfect chicken breast or filet mignon and it is super easy to clean. Despina is a woman after my own heart because she said she can't live without her French Press to make her morning coffee. Ann mentioned her cocktail glass is her RV must-have, along with aluminum foil, because they like to do a lot of cooking on an outside grill over the campfire. Jean said her must-have is a griddle for pancakes.
Also in the RVLifestyle Community, under the Electrical space, we had a great tip from John.
John wrote that one way he found to reduce the load on his batteries when without shore power and not in the mood to run a generator was to use a small, inexpensive 12VT inverter for just his TV and DVD player. He went into some detail about how this works, and the tip was really appreciated by many who want to do some dry camping.
Meanwhile, over in our RVLifestyle Facebook Group, Shana wrote a post where she asked the group if anyone had ever been terrified of driving their Class A. So far, her husband had done all the driving, but they had a 6-month trip coming up, and he wanted her to drive, too. Shana is a firefighter and has driven a fire truck, but there was something about driving the RV. She and her husband have a Jayco Precept 36 C, which is almost 39 feet long, and they tow a Jeep. But every time she gets behind the wheel, she panics.
Many encouraged her that she could do it and had helpful tips about finding an RV driving school, going places to practice, and changing her thinking because, after all, she could drive the fire truck.
Then, a few days later, Shana posted in the group a second time, and this post had two pictures of her driving! She wrote: “I forced myself to do it today, THANKS for all the encouragement!”
The comments were full of people congratulating her, and it was just super nice to see. Way to go, Shana!
RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK
Lemon Law Attorney Says You're Crazy to Buy a New RV
Steve Lehto is a Michigan attorney who has practiced in the fields of Lemon Law and Consumer Protection for 32 years. Steve is also a YouTuber, whose channel is called Lehto's Law, and recently was making the rounds with RVers for a very interesting segment he did called “Here is Why You Must Be INSANE to Buy an RV These Days”.
The segment is about a federal court case out of Virginia involving a man who bought an RV – that turned out to be a lemon. In it Steve breaks down the potentially dire consequences of signing several papers many RV dealers slip into the stack of paperwork when buying an RV.
Steve joins in this week’s episode of the week and explains that the reason he has made such a statement has to do with a very overt but little-understood provision in the sales contracts many RV dealers have buyers sign that, in effect, makes it impossible for them to sue if they get a lemon.
Steve joins us as our special guest in this week’s RV Podcast Interview of the Week. Click any of the players above to watch/listen now.
RV NEWS OF THE WEEK
Gas prices see double digit hike
It's not your imagination – gas prices are climbing nationally, and they are climbing faster than normal.
AAA reports the average gas price surged ahead 12 cents per gallon last week, the steepest climb in months.
One reason is the P-Whiting refinery in Indiana has been down for more than two weeks, impacting supplies, especially in the Midwest.
Also, there is usually an increase in prices as winter ends and refineries switch to summer fuel, which costs a little more.
But whatever the cause, this is the highest gas price at the pump in months, and this is not good news for RVers. Over the weekend, the average price per gallon in the U.S. was $3.28, while the average price for a gallon of diesel was $4.11.
For 13 tips on how to get better gas mileage in your RV, click here.
New Amache National Historic Site in Colorado receives national park recognition
The Amache National Historic Site is now officially designated a national historic site, a national park classification in the National Park Service.
Located in southeastern Colorado, Amache was one of 10 spots where thousands of Japanese Americans were interned during WWII.
At its peak, more than 10,000 Americans of Japanese descent were detained at Amache. The grounds contain a historic cemetery, a monument, barracks, a recreation hall, a guard tower, and a water tank, some of which were restored, others reconstructed.
By being in the National Park System, the history and buildings there will be preserved and remembered.
To learn more click here.
National Parks Service taking public comments about proposed 50 percent increase in camping fees for Blue Ridge Parkway
The price of camping at several campgrounds in the Blue Ridge Parkway is likely to go up this year. The National Parks Service is taking comments on a proposed increase, which would take effect in May.
The price increases are for front and back camping along with non-camper fees charged for showers and dumping.
If it goes into effect, the nightly camping fee for eight front country campgrounds would rise from $20 a night to $30 a night, and the cost for a non-camper to shower or use the dump station would go from $3 to $6.
The NPS hasn't raised camping fees since 2016.
Popular Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta cutting RV camping spots this fall
It is about to get even harder to attend the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta this fall in your RV because the city is eliminating 340 RV spots in the north parking area.
The Fiesta organizers said they are doing this because there were not enough parking spaces for cars last October. By eliminating the 340 RV spots, the fiesta can add more than 2,000 new spots for automobiles.
The Fiesta will still have 1,504 total RV spaces spread throughout three parking areas. But with more than 1,000 RVers on the waiting list for this bucket-list event, the news is bound to bring much disappointment to the community.
To see our story on epic events to add to your RV travels click here.
RV QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK
QUESTION: Have you ever had a pet boarding place that requires proof that your pet was vaccinated against the flu? Just happened to us. — Betsy
ANSWER: Many Doggie Day Care Centers and Boarding Kennels across the country DO require this. We got one for BO and carry proof of it in his papers when we travel. Although, of late, it seems there may be a shortage of the canine flu vaccine. One of our RV Lifestyle Community members, Patricia, said her vet said the vaccine is in short supply, so our dog has not been boosted. She said she has found that most kennels know and are making allowances if your dog was previously fully vaccinated.
QUESTION: We have a small Arcadia 5th wheel. If we stop for the night and stay hooked up, can we put out the slides if we are a touch nose high on the RV and not totally level? When driving multiple days to reach a destination, it’s a bit crazy having to unhook every night, level then undo it all in the morning. — Mark
ANSWER: Yes… that should be fine. Many people – us included – do the same thing.
QUESTION: We’ve been followers for several years and have listened to you as you’ve shared all your travels. Have you ever had a Class A? If not, why not? That’s what we want to get next. We’re currently in a Class C. — Grant
ANSWER: No. Over the years, we have camped in tents, had a pop-up camper, a trailer camper, several Class B campervans, some B+ and Class C RVs, and Fifth Wheels. But we’ve never had a Class A. It’s on our bucket list to try out a few. I suppose we have not tried one before because we thought they were too big. But as we’ve gotten used to towing our fifth wheels, size doesn't intimidate us like it did before. We think we should review a couple of Class As so we can understand them better. We have also never had a truck camper. So we suppose that should go on our list, too.
Looks like we can stay busy for a long time to come!
Explore Florida's Gulf Coast with our RV Adventure Guide
We RVers may wander far and wide, but it’s true for most of us that we end up with some favorite “Go-To” places – places that draw us back again and again.
Stretching from the Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola to the west and going all the way up along to Clearwater, Naples, and beyond – this is an area of contrasts.
There are more upscale shopping centers, fine restaurants, and busy little chic boutiques along the Gulf Coast than you will find just about anywhere else.
But just off those main drags and highways are quiet, tranquil places and the most glorious sugar-sand beaches we’ve found anywhere in America.
And, of course, the ocean water. Crystal-clear, turquoise, and emerald-colored. In some places, it looks like you are in the Caribbean.
We’re confident you’ll find a little slice of paradise here to call your own.
This guide is a seven-day guided exploration of Florida’s Gulf Coast!
