Table of contents for 009 Feb/Mar 2023 in RV TODAY

Greetings from Tampa, as I attempt to navigate the wild scene here at the Florida RV SuperShow. In 2022, we were here in our RV, which makes the experience of trying to see everything a lot easier. There’s so much to see here that you could spend a few days just in the aftermarket vendors area, looking through all the additions and improvements you could buy for your rig. This show has something for everyone, no matter what type of RV you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a rig and don’t know where to start, I’d recommend spending a few days walking from RV to RV and checking them out. Stop asking, “What type of RV should I get?” in Facebook groups, and find a local RV show near…

Matt Bray and Sydney Bibby were looking for a pandemic project when they found their 1977 Glendale Glendette, known affectionately as Ivy Rose. “We had our minds set on a vintage camper from the start,” they said. “We immediately fell in love with the charm, decor, and uniqueness that comes with owning a vintage camper compared to a newer rig.” Since they purchased Ivy Rose in 2020, they’ve overhauled it from the inside out, choosing to restyle their trailer with a ’50s retro theme instead of sticking with the ’70s vibe. The family has been diligent about upkeep due to the trailer’s age, and one of their biggest restoration challenges was finding and repairing water leaks. The work was worth it—Glendale camping trailers are not only vintage, but also rare.…

When people think about full-time RVing, they envision sightseeing and adventures by day, campfires by night, and the freedom to travel wherever and whenever you like. That is exactly what we envisioned when we were considering this lifestyle! After seven years on the road, there are things we wish we’d known when we were getting started. Before we started RVing, our family had never been camping, or even been in an RV, but we had a deep desire to travel more and spend quality time together while our daughter was young. We had no idea what we were doing, but we sold everything and dove into this exciting lifestyle. Some days match what we thought full-time RVing would look like, but many don’t, and here are a few reasons why.…

The #vanlife movement is sometimes frowned upon, often misunderstood, and frequently romanticized on social media. What is #vanlife? Honestly, it means different things to different people. It can be a way to travel, sometimes while working remotely, or a way to save money on rent to afford a house down the road. It can be a temporary solution to a housing challenge, or the ability to not be tied to one location. For many, it’s a lifestyle. When you ask vanlifers what it means to them, the word that comes up most often is freedom. For me, it’s flexibility. It’s my home during the work week, my vehicle to get me from here to there, and my escape machine. It can take me to a beach after work to cook…

Kevin Skelton @_neverstopadventuring How to Choose a Generator Kevin and Christine have been traveling with their three children in a fifth wheel for over four years while working remotely, homeschooling, and exploring the country. They share budgeting tips, the best places to travel and RV projects on their Never Stop Adventuring YouTube channel and website at neverstopadventuring.com. Anne Klumpp @ontheroadofadventure Digging into Detroit Anne has been traveling full-time in a Class A motorhome since April 2019 with her husband, Brian, and their dog, Skipper. They share their adventures, including their experiences of local culture through food and beverage, home cooking, and RV life on Instagram and their blog ontheroadofadventure.com Celeste Orr @celeste_redefined EVs for RVs Celeste is the author of Togetherness Redefined: Finding a Different Kind of Family Togetherness. She lives near Acadia…

Better Than Buffalo Chicken Wings Serves: 4 to 6 | Prep Time: 24 hours | Cook Time: 90 minutes This is no dig on the actual wings from Buffalo (which are just called wings there). We’re talking about the wings at thousands of sports bars around the country. They’re soggy, sad, and fried in the same oil as the fish and chips—gross. We dry brine these wings, smoke them to render out excess fat and provide some smoke flavor, grill them for an epic char, then pan fry them for skin so crispy it breaks like glass. And the sauce? The perfect combo of sweet and heat. For the wings 3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken wings, split into flats and drumettesKosher salt, for seasoningBlack pepper, for seasoning1 tablespoon (8 g)…

One of the most interesting national parks in the United States is located deep in the southern tip of Florida. Everglades National Park is incredible, but it’s sometimes overlooked in favor of the more well-known parks. We’re here to tell you that it should be at the top of your to-do list, and we actually recommend taking a few days to fully immerse yourself in the incredibly diverse ecosystem. With a campground, houseboats, glamping tents, and the construction of a brand new hotel, there are plenty of comfortable ways to stay inside the park, and you’ll have activities like wildlife viewing, hiking, kayaking, and boating to keep you busy during your visit. WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT Everglades National Park was established in 1947 and boasts more than 2,300 square miles…

CONEY DOGS While it’s not that uncommon to find chili dogs on menus, it’s rare to find coney dogs—and especially a Detroit coney dog. While all coney dogs are chili dogs, not all chili dogs are coneys. Served in a basic steamed white bun, the best Detroit coney dogs are made using hot dogs with a natural casing. When you bite into a natural-casing hot dog, a distinctive snap releases the hot dog’s juicy, garlicky, meaty flavors. Coney sauce is made with ground beef, beef heart, and beef suet, but it usually comes in a paste or puree form, and is seasoned with chili powder, tomatoes, mustard, and other seasonings. Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island in downtown Detroit are the neighboring institutions widely renowned for Detroit-style coney dogs,…

We are the Thompsons, a traveling family of four who sold it all in 2020 and hit the road full time in 2021. We started our journey in a 2021 Keystone Outback that we fully renovated and transformed from a trailer to a tiny home in about six weeks. Before we even purchased it, we knew we would renovate it to suit our needs and personal tastes, so we wasted no time tearing into that project. After traveling and living in that 40-foot space, we started to notice we lacked flexibility. We began exploring options to downsize, and an opportunity to purchase an Airstream fell into our laps. We sold the Outback and began completely re-imagining the Airstream, which was a perfect blank slate. We wanted a bold color scheme…

For many RV lovers, it was the Rivian R1T Camp Mode ad that first made us start dreaming about ditching our gas guzzlers, buying electric trucks, and taking them on the road. Then Ford announced the Lightning, and we watched the dramatic reveal via a 60-minute YouTube livestream. It was more than just Tesla now—the electric vehicle market was getting serious, and it got my attention. My family and I were interested in owning an EV, and the timing felt right, but the waiting lists were too long, the prices were too high, we had too many questions, and the risk felt unreasonable. We knew our 2013 F-150 EcoBoost wasn’t going to last much longer. We’d put 200,000 miles on it while driving all over the United States, and it…