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

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
SEP 17, 2026
What's new at Rockwood-Flagstaff for 2027 - RV podcast 377
This week we get to speak with Duane Yoder, the Operations Manager for Rockwood and Flagstaff. Duane tells us about some improvements in the RV industry that Rockwood and Flagstaff have implemented. Some are visible, some are more "behind the scenes," and they all help new owners of these travel trailers and fifth wheels become StressLess Campers. You can find this week's podcast at our home on the web or wherever you enjoy getting podcasts: https://www.stresslesscamping.com/podcast/0377 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 - Inside Rockwood - Flagstaff with Duane Yoder 00:59 - Welcome to Episode 377 with Duane Yoder 01:11 - New product from Prime RV - the makers of Liquified and Liquishine 02:32 - We welcome Rockwood/Flagstaff Operations Manager Duane Yoder 03:42 - Rockwood and Flagstaff are divisions of Forest River 04:35 - Shop your dealer first 05:03 - Brand autonomy within Forest River 07:04 - How Rock/Staff handles the wiring of their products 09:19 - Prioritizing Plumbing 11:22 - Same improvements are more visible than others 14:06 - A rare breed - RV manufacturer who RVs! 14:31 - Rock/Staff lights up your life, or at least your backside 16:29 - Whole-house water filtration 19:02 - The service and parts departments at Rockwood and Flagstaff 20:52 - Pre-delivery inspection 22:42 - Turn up the tunes 26:28 - Tire Pressure Monitoring, the next generation 27:37 - Auto-level is an new option 29:58 - Keeping us in Suspension 31:40 - Hey, Power Pro 36:00 - Lifting the skirt - molding 36:35 - It just keeps getting better and better 37:19 - ABC can install LED rail lights in your travel trailer 41:00 - RV of the Week: Forest River Puma 220FK 44:21 - Question of the Week: Be realistic, or be ridiculous
47 MIN
SEP 10, 2026
A smarter way to find RV service - Episode 376
833-FIXED-RV is a new automated telephone number to help you find qualified RV repair professionals wherever you are. This free system puts you in touch with techs easily by reaching out with your questions on your behalf. You can find this week's podcast at our home on the web or wherever you enjoy getting podcasts: https://www.stresslesscamping.com/podcast/0376 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 - Welcome to StressLess Camping episode 376 03:52 - Keeping our waste tanks from becoming overwhelming with Liquified 07:56 - Justin Boggs with 833-FixedRV 08:43 - Company history 09:44 - RV Technician availability and wait times 11:23 - Tony: if you can turn a screw, you should be a tech 12:47 - new RV sales are down, used RVs need more help 14:28 - where to turn when you are far from home 15:40 - How 833FixedRV works for the RVer 18:18 - The service relies on conversational AI 22:31 - The AI controversy 23:59 - The future of troubleshooting 27:21 - No cost to the RVer - the tech pays a referral fee 29:46 - They do the research for you - in a fraction of the time 30:40 - How techs get involved 32:17 - Growing pains happen in any new business 35:14 - Tech-vetting guide 36:26 - Justin shares the most common types of calls 39:00 - What to do in the first hour of a break or breakdown 41:30 - The decision to use AI 43:38 - You have nothing to lose by making a free phone call 44:24 - Who's Sarah? 45:53 - We are happy to learn about 833-FixedRV 47:11 - Weigh Safe hitch makes safe, simple 49:00 - RV of the Week: Flagstaff ePro E191RLS 51:07 - Gadget of the Week: No Pane propane tank handle 53:29 - Question: Do you follow the campground rules? 53:56 - Question of the Week: Is this the end? 55:02 - We appreciate all our supporters
56 MIN
SEP 3, 2026
When is a campground rule more of a suggestion? - Episode 375
When is a rule not a rule? When is vital camping gear not vital? This week we are pleased to be joined by Tony and Tina from TNT RVing to talk a little bit more about campground rules, and opine about gear and gadgets that some people think are vital and other people think are a waste of precious storage space. You can find this week's podcast at our home on the web or wherever you enjoy getting podcasts: https://www.stresslesscamping.com/podcast/0375 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 - Welcome to podcast episode 375 with special guests! 02:09 - You can advertise on the StressLess Camping website and podcast 03:21 - Is there a grey area in campground rules? 03:51 - Do you follow campground rules? Do you even read them? 04:31 - Rule: RV washing. Is there a grey area? 09:33 - Rule: Campfires 12:59 - Rule: Speed Limits 14:54 - Rule: Rugs 16:49 - What's essential in an RV - from the manufacturer? 18:12 - Essential: Toilets 18:35 - Essential: Ovens? 22:46 - Essential appliances - something for everyone 25:12 - Dinettes versus theater seats 29:12 - Amenities versus size 29:47 - Surprise! We have shopping tips! 34:04 - Let's slide into this topic 38:02 - What small appliances are essential to you? 42:01 - TNT is upgrading their upfit at ABC Upfitters 44:58 - Recipe of the Week: Beef and Broccoli 45:29 - Questions of the Week
47 MIN