RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

The RV industry's latest buzzwords are "resilience," "stabilize" and "rightsize." But what do they mean for those of us who buy, own and travel in RVs?

In the October 26, 2026 RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland looks past the corporate language to explain what the latest reports from Winnebago, Dometic and the RV Industry Association mean for your next purchase and the rig you already own.

Also this week:

• CUMMINS RECALL... AGAIN: A new L9 fuel hose recall includes some hoses installed during earlier recall repairs. What diesel pusher owners should check.
• DEF RELIEF: Updated software could ease frustrating engine slowdowns, but are motorhomes and Ram pickups included?
• RVS BECOME HOMES: Donated travel trailers give hurricane survivors a place to live while rebuilding.
• YELLOWSTONE ANIMAL RESCUES: A missing horse, a terrier lost for 34 days, and a mustang living with bison. Plus practical lessons for anyone traveling with pets.

We also cover a Grand Design Imagine safety chain recall.

RESOURCES

Full transcript and story source links:

https://RVPodcast.com

Select this episode, open the Transcript tab and scroll to the bottom.

Check your RV for recalls:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

For the Cummins recall, also contact a Cummins dealer with your engine serial number.

Plan your next trip with the RV Trip Dashboard:

https://RVLifestyle.com/TripDashboard

Get our FREE daily RV Lifestyle newsletter:

https://RVLifestyle.com/Newsletter

Join our private RV community:

https://RVCommunity.com

Subscribe for the Monday News Edition and Wednesday's Stories from the Road with Mike and Jennifer.

Have a question or a story to share? Use the Contact link at https://RVPodcast.com.

Mice do not wait for winter to move into your RV. As nights turn cold, a parked RV can look like the perfect place to nest. And it takes only a tiny opening for a mouse to get inside.

This week, Mike and Jennifer talk about where mice get in, how to find the gaps, and what actually helps keep them out. They also discuss the products and folk remedies that may not be worth your money.

Plus, our new guide, The Ultimate Canadian Maritimes RV Road Trip, is now available in print and digital. And we answer your questions about crossing into Canada with dogs and food, and whether to leave your RV plugged in between trips.

• Why mice head for RVs in the fall
• How small an opening a mouse can squeeze through
• Where to look for entry points
• Ways to seal gaps and discourage mice
• What to know about mothballs and cleanup
• Taking dogs and food across the Canada-U.S. border
• RV battery care during storage

The Ultimate Canadian Maritimes RV Road Trip

Print and digital editions:

https://shop.rvlifestyle.com/products/the-ultimate-canadian-maritimes-rv-road-trip

Mechanic's wheeled creepers (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/47wFteE

Keeping mice out of your RV

• Victor: How mice fit through small spaces: https://www.victorpest.com/articles/how-do-mice-fit-in-such-small-spaces
• Victor: How to keep mice out of your RV: https://www.victorpest.com/articles/how-to-keep-mice-out-of-your-rv
• University of California IPM: House mouse pest notes: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7483.html
• Orkin: Steel wool and copper mesh for rodent control: https://www.orkin.com/ask-orkin/steel-wool-rodent-control
• University of Florida IFAS: The facts about mothballs: https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PI289
• CDC: About hantavirus: https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html
• National Park Service: Hantavirus facts and cleanup guidance: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/upload/Hantavirus-fact-sheet-and-light-infestation-cleaning-guidanceJune2025-508c.pdf

Crossing the border with dogs and food

• Canada: Traveling with pets, food or plants: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/travelling-pets-food-plants
• Canada: Bringing animals and pets to Canada: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/importing-food-plants-animals/pets
• Canada: Bringing food into Canada for personal use: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-safety-consumers/bring-food-personal-use
• CDC: Bringing a dog into the United States: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/index.html
• CDC: Dogs entering from rabies-free or low-risk countries, including Canada: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/rabies-free-low-risk-countries.html
• USDA APHIS: Traveling from the United States to Canada with pets: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/us-to-another-country-export/pet-travel-us-canada

More from RV Lifestyle

• RV Podcast show notes: https://RVPodcast.com
• RVOvernights: https://rvlifestyle.com/rvovernights
• Use promo code RVLDEAL for 40% off.
• Wholesale Warranties: https://www.wholesalewarranties.com/rvlifestyle
• Or call 800-939-2806.
• RV Lifestyle newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter

Rules and recommendations can change. Check current government guidance and your RV and battery manufacturers' instructions before your trip or storage period.

Diesel prices have soared past $6 a gallon, but are RVers canceling their trips and parking their rigs? Not according to our latest RV Lifestyle survey.

In this week's RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland reports on what hundreds of real RVers are saying about record-high diesel prices. We received 372 comments, and among roughly 300 people who directly answered our question, an overwhelming majority said they're either continuing to travel as planned or making adjustments to keep their RV adventures alive.

But that's just the beginning of this week's RV news.

ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:

RV Dealer Scandal: A major RV dealership chain disappears, leaving families with more than $2 million in court judgments and serious questions about RV quality, dealer accountability, and consumer protection. We examine the investigation into Lazydays and what every RV buyer should know before signing a purchase agreement.

Massive Class B Recall: More than 265,000 Ram ProMaster vans are being recalled because of a potential power steering failure. If you own a camper van built on a ProMaster chassis, including certain Winnebago models, you'll want to hear this warning.

Lithium Battery Fire Warning: The National Park Service is warning about lithium-ion battery fires after incidents at national parks. What RVers need to know about safely charging e-bikes, portable power stations, and other battery-powered equipment.

Animals Get Their Own Overpass: We finish with some encouraging news from Colorado and California, where massive wildlife crossings are helping elk, deer, mountain lions, and other animals cross busy highways safely. One Colorado project has already been credited with reducing wildlife collisions by more than 90%.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why high diesel prices aren't stopping most RV travelers
• How RVers are adapting to higher fuel costs
• The ProMaster recall affecting Class B motorhomes
• The Lazydays investigation and RV consumer protections
• Lithium battery fire prevention
• New wildlife overpasses making highways safer

HELPFUL LINKS:

RV Podcast show notes, transcript, and complete news sources:

https://RVPodcast.com

Check your RV or camper van for recalls:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

Our newly updated RV Trip Dashboard:

https://RVLifestyle.com/TripDashboard

Join our RV Lifestyle Community:

https://RVCommunity.com

Get our FREE daily RV Lifestyle newsletter:

https://RVLifestyle.com/Newsletter

ABOUT THE RV PODCAST

Hosted by veteran journalist Mike Wendland, the RV Podcast brings you two episodes every week.

Mondays: The RV Podcast News Edition, the latest news and developments affecting RV owners and the RV lifestyle.

Wednesdays: Stories from the Road with Mike and Jennifer Wendland, featuring RV travel adventures, interviews, practical tips, and answers to listener questions.

Subscribe and join us as we explore the RV lifestyle, the people who live it, and the stories that matter.

They grew up camping together. Then life took them in different directions. Decades later, two sisters are finding their way back to each other, and back to the campground.

In this week's RV Podcast, meet Joyce and Susan. One sister kept camping throughout her life. The other returned after losing her husband. Now she travels with caravans, takes solo trips, and shares camping adventures with her sister.

We sat down with them outside their rigs at our RVCommunity Fall Rally in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Their story is about family, friendship, starting over, and finding the confidence to get back on the road.

Also in this episode:

• Jennifer shares her experience with knee replacement recovery and what to consider before recovering in an RV.
• How late can you camp before winterizing? Mike explains how temperature, time, and your rig's heating affect that decision.
• Planning a Florida winter getaway with our Florida Adventure Guide Bundle.

Have you returned to camping after years away, or started traveling again after losing someone? Share your story in the comments.

LINKS

Complete show notes: https://RVPodcast.com

Join our camping community: https://RVCommunity.com

Florida Adventure Guide Bundle: https://RVLifestyle.com/allflorida

Our daily newsletter: https://RVLifestyle.com/newsletter

RVOvernights: https://RVLifestyle.com/rvovernights

Use promo code RVLDEAL for 40% off.

Wholesale Warranties: https://WholesaleWarranties.com/RVLifestyle

The Federal Reserve says another interest rate hike is likely this year, and the RV industry is already hurting. Camping World sold 16 percent fewer new RVs and says it is "not satisfied with the result." Here is what higher rates mean if you are thinking about financing an RV.

Also this week:

Hurricane Isaias and Tropical Storm Rachel close campgrounds on the Gulf Coast and in Southern California

Trump's red diesel order: why the White House pitch and the fine print don't match, and the latest diesel prices

Thor Industries flags the Patrick-Lippert merger as a business risk

Arizona's Chiricahua is about to become America's 64th national park, and what RVers need to know about the 29-foot limit

Free daily newsletter: https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter

Show notes and full transcript: https://rvpodcast.com

Our community: https://rvcommunity.com

RV Trip Budget Buddy: https://rvlifestyle.com/budgetbuddy

Mike's free short story, THE SECOND SOURCE: https://lastreporterpress.com/free

Three RVCommunity members wrote a song about life on the road and the feeling of finally pulling into your own driveway. They first played it at a campfire at our Smoky Mountains rally. Hear how it came together, the love story behind it, and the whole song, which you can download free.

Also: an End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop reminder, why coming home after a long trip can feel like a letdown, and why your furnace drains your batteries on cold nights.

Links:

Download the song: https://rvlifestyle.com/song

https://RVLifestyle.com/Workshop

https://RVCommunity.com

https://WholesaleWarranties.com/RVLifestyle

https://RVLifestyle.com/rvovernights (code RVLDEAL)

Is Harvest Hosts getting too big? Choice Hotels is buying the RV overnight membership company, and members are asking what comes next for prices, reservations and the small-business experience that made it popular.

In the October 5, 2026 RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland examines the deal, the membership growth and the questions RVers should ask before renewing.

Also this week:

• Class B camper van makers are changing hands. We examine the ownership changes at Midwest Automotive Designs and Roadtrek, plus a preliminary report about Outside Van.
• A quieter Elkhart RV Open House offers clues about the market for 2027 models and your bargaining power.
• Hungry bears are moving through campgrounds. Mike shares encounters from our Pigeon Forge rally and practical steps to protect your campsite, pets and the bears.
• Meet Backpack, the winner of Fat Bear Week.

JOIN OUR OCTOBER 8 WORKSHOP

Our live End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop walks you through preparing your rig for storage, with special attention to protecting the plumbing. Admission is $10, with replay access for several days. RVCommunity members attend free and receive unlimited replay access.

https://rvlifestyle.com/workshop

Free daily RV Lifestyle newsletter:

https://rvlifestyle.com/newsletter

Join our private RV community:

https://rvcommunity.com

John and Cindy are taking their RV across the country on Route 66, and high fuel prices are not stopping them.

In this Stories from the Road edition of the RV Podcast, Mike and Jennifer Wendland talk with the couple about their trip, the cost of fuel, and why they decided to keep going. It is a firsthand look at what a Route 66 adventure means to RVers who are determined to make the miles count.

Would today's fuel prices change your travel plans? Tell us in the comments.

More than 80 RVers made it to our Smoky Mountains rally despite diesel prices as high as $7.27 a gallon along the way. Mike reports what they are saying about fuel costs, RV quality, and noticeably quieter campgrounds.

In this episode:

• What rally attendees paid for diesel
• Hershey attendance and the outlook for Elkhart
• Forest River's new rules for content creators
• The legal challenge to the Patrick-Lippert merger
• Proposed national forest access changes
• When to see fall color in the Smokies

Sources for each story are linked at the end of the episode under the transcript tab above

Join our End-of-Season RV Shutdown Workshop: RVLifestyle.com/Workshop

Get the large-type Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement: RVLifestyle.com/Retire

Subscribe to our free daily newsletter: RVLifestyle.com/Newsletter

Mark and Barb Douyard, 72 and 77, rented out their Delaware home, packed up their fifth wheel and set off on a two-year RV adventure across North America. We talk with them in the middle of their first year about how they made it happen, what surprised them, what has been hard, and what has been the best part so far. Also this week: Jennifer answers a listener whose husband wants to go winter camping in their Class B van, and Mike explains why October mountain campsites are so hard to find and how to still get one. Plus, we head to Pigeon Forge for our fall RVCommunity.com rally.