StressLess Camping RV podcast

Tony Barthel, Peggy Barthel

Details

Get the most out of your RV while saving money and enjoying StressLess Camping with our weekly RV and travel podcast. You'll get tips, tricks and fun and unusual destinations plus information from RV industry insiders Peggy and Tony Barthel. We've also got our weekly RV review and more.

Recent Episodes

OCT 22, 2026
Missouri and Kansas on Route 66 - Episode 382
This week we share our adventures through Missouri and Kansas, visiting large furniture, movie inspirations, and great food stops along the Mother Road. We start this episode crossing the Mississippi River into St Louis Missouri, and making our way south and west through Kansas. We hope you enjoy while we share the places, people, and — food - on this leg of the trip, while we celebrate 100 years of Americans getting their kicks on Route 66. And of course, we are doing all this while towing our Mini Lites behind us so that every night we can enjoy — StressLess Camping! We have this week's podcast along with the notes and all the stories that go with this episode along with discounts, deals, helpful tips and more at our home on the web at https://www.stresslesscamping.com/podcast/0382. We really appreciate your likes and shares - thank you for joining us for podcast episode 382. The StressLess Camping podcast is a weekly RV podcast with information, tips and tricks to help every RVer and camper enjoy some StressLess Camping. Chapters: 00:00 - Missouri and Kansas on Route 66 - Episode 382 01:33 - The Arch in St. Louis 02:25 - Anheuser-Busch brewery tour 02:50 - Ted Drewes frozen custard 03:09 - The "Bill Would" roads 03:36 - Route 66 State Park in Missouri - bridge is still out 04:38 - Meramec State Park campground in Sullivan Missouri 05:23 - Meramec Caverns tour 06:42 - Cuba, Missouri 07:18 - Wagon Wheel Motel 07:42 - Missouri Hick's BBQ 08:36 - Second-Largest Rocking Chair 09:03 - Sponsor Break 09:14 - Neon Park - St. Robert Missouri 12:24 - Uranus Fudge Factory - Uranus MO 15:21 - Route 66 Car Museum 20:10 - Being boondock-ready however you want to be with ABC Upfitters 22:46 - Springfield - The Birthplace of Route 66 23:50 - Musical Road in Springfield 24:34 - Lambert's - Not Quite on Route 66 25:51 - Exploring the Bill Would way 26:19 - Gay Parita service station turned to tourist attraction 26:43 - In the cab with Kate 27:24 - Carthage Missouri 28:50 - Joplin Missouri 30:04 - Route 66 meets Yellow Brick Road 30:24 - Luigi's Pit Stop 31:18 - Birthplace of Tow Mater, Galena Kansas 31:43 - Gearhead Curios in Baxter Springs Kansas 32:05 - Rainbow Arch Bridge, Baxter Springs Kansas 32:38 - camping at Baxter Springs City Park 32:59 - Sponsor Break 33:10 - Thank you for getting your kicks with us
34 MIN
OCT 15, 2026
Greetings from Route 66 - Chicago to Missouri - RV podcast 381
This week we share details of our first week touring Route 66 starting in Chicago and working our way toward Missouri. From drive ins to diners to dives to service stations and plenty of neon we recommend you join us here virtually so you can plan your own Route 66 adventure. We have this week's podcast along with the notes and all the stories that go with this episode along with discounts, deals, helpful tips and more at our home on the web at https://www.stresslesscamping.com/podcast/0381. We really appreciate your likes and shares - thank you for joining us for podcast episode 381. The StressLess Camping podcast is a weekly RV podcast with information, tips and tricks to help every RVer and camper enjoy some StressLess Camping. Chapters: 00:00 - Getting our Kicks in Illinois on Route 66 - Episode 381 02:32 - Joliet 02:44 - Joliet Prison 04:34 - Castle Car Wash - Al Capone 05:08 - Old Filling Stations 05:59 - Henry's Hot Dogs 07:19 - Home Cut Donuts 08:49 - Sponsor Break 08:59 - The Gemini Giant 10:29 - Polk-A-Dot Drive-In 11:58 - Gardner Illinois Goofy Zoo 12:33 - Tiny diner and jail in Gardner 13:47 - An original section of Route 66 19:04 - Normal Illinois 19:20 - Sprague's Super Service 20:16 - American Giants Museum 22:32 - Sky View drive-in 23:17 - ABC Upfitters help us camp the way we want to camp 25:06 - A day in Springfield, Illinois 25:39 - Big Boy Bob with tattoos in Springfield Illinois 25:53 - Route 66 Experience at Illinois State Fairgrounds 27:44 - Vintage service stations on Route 66 28:16 - Train stations - no matter where they are 29:16 - Lincoln Home National Historic Site 30:37 - Cozy Dog - the invention of the corn dog 31:13 - Big Ron at Route 66 Motorheads Bar & Grill 31:52 - Whirl-a-Whip in Girard Illinois 32:36 - Driving on original brick Route 66 surface 33:16 - Turkey tracks on Route 66 33:49 - Sponsor Break 34:02 - The last day of driving in Illinois on Route 66 34:20 - Soulsby's Shell Station in Mount Olive Illinois 34:52 - Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston Illinois 37:05 - St Louis-style pizza at IMO's 37:36 - Granite City Muffler Men 38:42 - Old Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River
40 MIN
SEP 24, 2026
Fall into RV Maintenance - Episode 378
This week on the StressLess Camping RV Podcast, we talk about Fall maintenance and shaking off a summer of fun. Whether you're going to winterize and store your rig or just plan to keep on camping on, these easy tips are a great stop on your road to StressLess Camping. You can find this week's podcast at our home on the web or wherever you enjoy getting podcasts: https://www.stresslesscamping.com/podcast/0378 The StressLess Camping podcast is a weekly RV podcast with information, tips and tricks to help every RVer and camper enjoy some StressLess Camping Chapters: 00:00 - Fall into RV Maintenance - Episode 378 01:56 - ABC Upfitters - good friends, good work 03:39 - Preparing for fall camping, or winter storage 04:09 - Give the outside a good cleaning 04:54 - Remove everything and deep clean 06:02 - Clean slide seals with a mild detergent 06:56 - Check roof and wall seals 08:39 - Vacuum air conditioner vents 09:35 - Cleaning the dirtiest places in your RV 10:19 - clean and maintain the water heater 11:38 - Sanitize the fresh water tank 12:23 - Repack wheel bearings and check brakes 14:11 - Check or charge the RVs battery for winter storage 16:13 - Winterizing tips in our Episode 16:29 - Prime RV - Liquified, Liquishine, and Gravity 18:02 - Our tips for exploring Elkhart, Indiana 18:42 - RV of the Week: Forest River LaCrosse 39FK destination trailer 20:54 - Question of the Week: industry improvements 22:42 - Question of the Week: your off-season tips 22:56 - We get messages 23:10 - Do you like our new website look? 23:49 - Thank you for joining us for Episode 378
25 MIN