Episodes

Have you been wondering how an outdoor enthusiast with a top rated TV show became the host of the number one RV Show in the country? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own a campground? On this week's podcast, I turn the tables and interview my friend Alan Warren from the RV Show USA. Alan began his career in broadcasting by creating a TV show specializing in hunting and fishing. Three reincarnations later the respected expert was ready for a new challenge. He sold the ranch he live...

If you are one of those who dream the full time RVing dream, – in technicolor, black and white, on the job and off, you will enjoy meeting Sandy Ellingson, Executive Director of RVWA, the Recreation Vehicle Women’s Alliance. After achieving empty nest status, Sandy, still working full time, and her retired husband, began researching […] The post Episode 212: Taking the Full Time Leap appeared first on Girl Camper.

Mary Kirlin, Girl Camper Contributing Editor has posted her new spring Gear Guide with her favorite hiking essentials! Mary lives in Northern California and frequently travels the Pacific Northwest where she hikes and captures beautiful photos. I invited Mary to contribute gear guides to Girl Camper because she is a dedicated researcher, loves finding companies […] The post Episode 211: Hiking Gear Guide with Mary Kirlin appeared first on Girl Camper.

If you want to travel with all the comforts of home but not need a big tow vehicle to do it, this is the podcast for you. In Episode 190 I shared five RV's under 3K pounds that you can stand in. I had to leave quite a few off the list though and this week I am filling in that list with the box trailers that fit that bill. My criteria was that it had to be under 3 K pounds, have a bathroom and be tall enough to stand up in. I decided to concentrate on the box style trailers with a length of 19" t...

My guest today is Michelle Graña Almodóvar‎ our DelMarVar Girl Camper Guide. Michelle and I came to know each other through social media when each of us owned a Little Guy Max trailer. It wasn’t long before we were regular camping buddies! Michelle with her husband Luis & their Little Guy Max I immediately realized Michelle had a spark that drew people to her and a big desire to help others achieve their goals. She was then – and is now – so generous with her time and knowledge, that I asked her...

Have you wanted to have a truck but not something quite as big as a half ton? Are you wondering what light duty trucks out there will deliver on tow capacity, mileage and comfort? Mike Caudill is an auto expert, owner of Driven360, experienced RVer and my guest today as we go over the top four light duty trucks. You can check out Mike's product reviews at Our Auto Expert! We have already covered the Ford Ranger in its own segment so, today we will be focusing on the Nissan Frontier, Chevy Colora...

Have you harbored a dream of buying an RV and taking off for parts unknown? Do you dream of a life where you can make money on the road and live your best life but don’t know how to get started? My guest today is Jody Duquette, Executive Director of Workamper News. She’s sharing their newest program for those wanting to learn about the RV lifestyle. Jody Duquette The Dreamers Journey is a new program offered on line for a monthly fee by Workamper News. It is a way to look realistically at the pr...

We all have concerns when we head out and the best way to deal with fear is to acknowledge the possibilities and have a plan for if and when they happen. That is what we do here at Girl Camper, we educate new RVers and help them understand the principles of what may be happening […] The post Episode 206: My Worst Camping Trips Ever appeared first on Girl Camper.

I am wrapping up the coverage on my big trip to the Arizona desert to camp in January. It was on my “to do” list for so long and I enjoyed every minute of it. Unlike some bucket list items, this dispersed camping is not a “one and done” thing. I know I will make it part of my winter for a long time to come. Craggy Wash BLM spot near Lake Havasu, Arizona I had the opportunity while I was there to meet Frank and Sandy Schrader who were all set up for a winter of free camping in exchange for about ...

I can honestly say that I like every kind of camping. Resort RV Parks, State and National Parks, backyard camping and now I can add, dispersed camping to that list. On today’s show I am sharing my first experience camping on BLM land with no amenities at all, including roads! Last January I headed to […] The post Episode 204: Girl Camper Boondocks! appeared first on Girl Camper.

It was my pleasure to head out into the Arizona desert in January to road test the Lance 650 truck camper. I have been fascinated with the idea of truck camping since I was a kid and my grandfather put a cap on his truck, two cots with a cooler between them in the bed and took off for Colorado. The whole idea of traveling around with your home on your back really appeals to a nester like me. A little known secret about me is that I hate being uncomfortable in any way. It seems like a contradicto...

I have just returned from a visit with the good folks at Lance Manufacturing Company in Lancaster, California. I went out there to road test the Lance 650 truck camper. More on that in the coming weeks but, hint, hint… great way to enjoy road life and not tow. My full review of the 650 is coming out in the next two weeks. Lance started in California in 1965. They began as a manufacturer of truck campers producing the number one selling truck camper in the industry. For sixteen years running they...

We’re on sabbatical this week and highlighting some of the top rated podcast episodes with a quick review. You can check out the full episode from this highly rated show right here!! This weeks show is a quick refresher on reducing the possibility of RV theft. While I am on sabbatical from the podcast I will be out in the Southwest checking out the happenings at Quartzsite while road testing the Lance 650 truck camper. Our friends at Lance are known for their high quality truck trailers and I ha...

Today we are celebrating our 200th podcast episode and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate that than to welcome Girl Boss, Joyce Shulman to the show. Joyce is an attorney, the founder of multiple businesses including Macaroni Kid and 99 Walks, a recent Ted Talk alumna and a constant advocate for women. I came to know Joyce through our mutual friends at Go RVing. Joyce gave RVing a try and wrote about it on her Macaroni Kid site. She discovered what so many of us already know, that RVing i...

Each year I get lots of products sent to me to test and I also buy lots of things that I see and want to test out. This is a list of some of my favorite products from last year. First let’s start with a few simple things from Camco that make great stocking stuffers. A great stocking stuffer! Camco’s hitch ball cover will keep your hitch from rusting and maybe, just maybe, mitigate the pain just a bit if you walk into it!! Camco makes the cutest night lights and this little vintage style camper o...

The whole RV world (okay, not everyone!) heads to Arizona each winter and it always looks like so much fun. I have always wanted to go and this year I am making that happen. I couldn’t go it alone though. I needed my friend Kelly Beasley from Camp Addict to help me. Kelly and her business partner, Marshall Wendler, co-founded Camp Addict, which is a great resource for gear reviews, RV use tips and travel know how. Kelly is on today’s show to talk about where to camp, what BLM land is and how to ...

I had so much fun preparing our R Pod 196 Charity Raffle trailer for touring. We took it from factory to fabulous in just one short week. I felt a little like the Shoe makers kid passing the finished trailer to Ginny McKinney for road tripping. It was beautiful while my Max trailer sat in the driveway with all kinds of unfinished projects. The whole summer went by and I never did get around to doing much more than covering the cornices and finally installing a few kitchen items that I had purcha...

Each year I dread the task of closing up the RV. I never want the season to end and I hate that I can’t driveway camp in it when it’s all closed up. All my comfort items are removed and I have to just live without it all until spring. Because we have so many followers who are brand new to RVing and own their very first RV’s I thought I would walk you through my process of tucking in my RV for a long winters nap. Listen to this week’s podcast! Winterize it – When I say this I am referring to remo...

I am thrilled to share that Girl Camper has just launched a bucket load of exciting new features to our site! We have just released a special edition podcast episode with all the details. Every new feature is thrilling to us and a dream come true but, our most exciting news is the creation of our Girl Camper Chapters. We love that so many of our Girl Camper enthusiasts are willing to create their own pages within the Girl Camper website and bring us stories from the road. They will also be shari...

Have you thought about what you would do if the life you planned with your spouse didn’t materialize? Lorri Weisen, our Girl Camper Health and Wellness Expert, is my guest today. Lorri lost her husband of 23 years and with him all the plans they had made for their future. RVing was not something that was on the table for her and her beloved husband, affectionally known as Klink. When Lorri got a taste of it though a dream took root and was nurtured by the many similar women she found on line. Sh...

When I hit the road, whether I am towing my trailer or road tripping in my truck and staying in hotels, there are certain things that I must take with me. Some are for safety purposes, some in the event of an emergency and some for comfort. Here’s my “Must Have Road Trip Essentials” list. Safety * Tire pressure tester and tire inflator. Always check tires when they are cold. * Car Emergency Kit * Car Tool Kit When buying a tire pressure tester and inflator, make sure that you buy one that runs o...

The Girl Campers are taking to the water! We have booked the Arizona Rafting Adventures company to host the Girl Campers for a bucket list Grand Canyon river rafting trip that will take us the full length of the canyon. Out trip will take place the week of July 30-August 6, 2021. That is over 18 months away but Arizona Rafting Adventures books out that far in advance. We applied for a spot in their private group tours over 6 months ago and just received our dates. We made the decision to go with...

Have you ever been told not to park your RV on the grass when storing it for winter? Have you wondered what calamity would befall it if you disregarded this advice? Have you wondered if that advice was the Gospel truth or an old wives tale? Well, on today’s podcast I am answering Frequently Asked Questions sent in by the Girl Campers. Which comes first, choosing your camper or tow vehicle? Sent in by Vicki Tripplet. This is such a great question. You will need to ask yourself a few questions to ...

I am just back from the big Open House in Elkhart, Indiana where the RV manufacturers were displaying their new products and updated older ones. There are some new RV’s out there for the lightweight set and some older ones that deserve a second look. My criteria for this list was that they unit weigh less than 3K pounds and that the user be able to stand up in it. I am often asked, “What can I tow with my (insert midsize SUV or Crossover with a tow package around 5K pounds here)? The Chevy Trave...