In this episode, Sam interviews Ian and Jordan Knoll, Real Estate Investors from Grand Rapids, Michigan who have been married for five years. They are hitting the road in their 1989 Toyota Itasca Spirit with their Chihuahua, Bella, and heading for Mexico! Ian and Jordan have a love for travel and adventure and are excited to embrace full-time RV life. Check them out on Instagram @jordanandiantravel.
Tune in to hear Ian and Jordan share what it’s been like to prepare for this lifestyle, how they’ve built a real estate portfolio to fund their travels, and what they hope to see and experience on the road!
What we talk about in this episode:
1:00 – Preparing to hit the road and building real estate portfolio
8:30 – Choosing a rig and planning travel
17:00 – Advice for RV life
23:00 – Stories about preparing to hit the road
26:30 – Last minute preparations
Advice from Jordan and Ian
There are so many great resources on the internet for full-time RVing! Look for these types of resources:
When it comes to maintaining a motorhome’s engine, most people focus on oil changes—making sure they’re done on schedule.
Changing your engine air filter on a regular basis is just as important. Here’s why.
The Engine Air Filter Is the Number One Defense Against Dust & Dirt
Image from Camping World
Modern motorhome engines, just like automobile engines, are built with very specific tolerances. Any dirt or dust introduced into the system, no matter how minimal, is going to lower the performance of your engine.
Dirt in an engine is extremely abrasive. The tolerances referenced above mean each component of an engine is engineered and manufactured with precision accuracy, so each piece fits and moves perfectly within the system.
Engine air filters have a limit to how much dirt and dust they can filter. As they get older and more clogged, more dirt is going to get through to sensitive engine parts.
When dirt is introduced, the seal and fit of engine components degrade more and more, decreasing the power and efficiency of your engine.
Engines on Less Developed Roads Need More Filtration
It’s one thing for an engine to be running down the interstate for hundreds of miles at a time. It’s a different situation in the places some people try to get with their motorhomes.
You may be looking for open land and fresh air at your destination, but the journey can be harmful to your engine.
Whether it’s a local campground with unpaved sites, boondocking on public lands, or trekking deep into state parks, kicking up the dirt around you will introduce more contaminants close to your engine air intake.
Without a clean engine air filter, that dirt and dust won’t just end up on your hiking boots. It’ll make its way into sensitive engine compartments.
A Clogged Engine Air Filter = Reduced Performance in Every Way
Image by Sean Pierce from Camping World
So what do we mean by “reduced performance?” This can manifest itself in several ways.
Lower Fuel Efficiency
Fuel is one of the top expenses when it comes to RVing, and in the most basic sense, fuel + air is what moves your motorhome down the road.
When airflow to the engine is reduced by a clogged air filter, there’s simply no way it’s running as efficiently as possible. When it needs to work harder, you’re just burning more fuel.
Slower Acceleration
While we’re not expecting to go 0-60 like a sports car, slower acceleration can be not only frustrating but dangerous.
A clogged air filter can cause an engine and motorhome to feel sluggish—slow to respond to the gas pedal.
Anyone who’s driven an RV knows how much extra time and space you need to pull into traffic. The worst-case scenario here is that you start pulling out of a parking lot and the motorhome just doesn’t respond as quickly as you expect, disrupting cars on the main road and putting you in danger of a collision.
Less Towing Power
Many motorhome owners tow another vehicle, or “toad,” so they can leave their RV at the campground and easily get around. Some tow boats, 4x4s, or equipment for other outdoor activities.
As we know by this point, a clogged air filter means a less efficient engine—something you’ll definitely feel when you need more torque to pull that second vehicle along.
This is only made worse if you’re traveling in the mountains with lots of uphill pulls to get to your eventual destination.
Your motorhome’s engine air filter is an often-overlooked component that needs to be replaced on a regular schedule. Keep it clean and you’ll have no problem getting your RV anywhere you want to go.
People in all stages of life are jumping into the RV lifestyle. Still, one of the most common times people get into RVing is after retirement.
RVing is the perfect way to see the country, visit family, and relax through your retirement years.
Retirees often choose a Class A motorhome to be their home base on these adventures. Here are a few reasons why.
Class A Motorhomes Offer Spacious Layouts
Image by Camping World
After decades in a traditional home, it can be difficult to adjust to the size of a smaller travel trailer or Class B motorhome.
Class As are the largest motorhome class, with large living spaces and loads of storage in the “basement” areas.
This also means there’s a lot of room for friends or grandchildren to come along. Even in floor plans that are geared toward couples, there’s plenty of room to find some sleeping space for others.
What grandchild wouldn’t want to sleep on the “magic” bed that drops down over the cab?
It’s Easier to Maneuver a Motorhome Than to Tow
While they may seem intimidating, learning to drive a motorhome, even a Class A, is easier than learning to handle a large travel trailer or fifth wheel.
There’s no dealing with pivot points or turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction that you would expect. Driving a motorhome comes much more naturally than towing.
Even when you’re bringing along a toad, you’re typically only moving forward while the toad is attached. Once you get to your destination and need to finesse the motorhome into your campsite or driveway, you’ll unhitch the toad before backing up.
Large Tanks for More Camping Versatility
Class A motorhomes have the largest tanks of any motorhome. This means you can spend more time away from freshwater or sewer service.
One of the perks of RVing during retirement is the ability to travel slowly. The large tanks will let you take a couple extra days to get to your destination and explore along the way.
It’s also helpful when you’re “mooch docking” in a friend or child’s driveway.
While they can run electrical and maybe a freshwater line out to your motorhome, very few will have a sewer port for you to empty your black and gray water tanks. Spend more time with the grandchildren instead of driving over to a dump station.
Other Benefits of Class A Motorhomes
Image by Camping World
Panoramic Sightlines
The massive windshield lets you take in everything you want to see while traveling the country. There’s nothing quite like traveling in the front seats of a Class A with an unobstructed view of the landscape around you.
Luxurious Finishes and Tech
Class As are going to have the high-end finishes you’d expect in a motorhome at this price point. You’ll often get residential-grade furniture, plumbing fixtures, and cabinetry.
As far as tech, you’ll often get smartphone control of all your systems, automatic leveling jacks, and other features to make your RV experience as easy and stress-free as possible.
Solid Build Quality
The all-in-one nature of Class A motorhomes results in a solid build quality that you’ll feel as you drive down the road.
You’ll notice a lot less road noise and less chassis shake with a Class A as compared to a Class C, which is built on a van chassis.
Class A motorhomes make a fantastic and popular choice for retired couples looking to hit the road and travel the country.
The holidays are fast approcahing and that means a number of things. Chief among them for many people is that you’ll be doing some gift giving to your friends, family, and significant others. Another important part of this season is football games. And where there is football there are tailgaters.
Chances are, someone in your friend or family group is a tailgater, and why not get that person something that they will truly use? With that in mind, here are some of the best gift options out there for the tailgater in your life.
Weber Q 1200 Portable Gas Grill
Get one of the best names in the grilling industry for your tailgater! this Weber Q 1200 Portable Gas Grill has everything you could need for a fun day spent outdoors with friends and family tailgating it up. The grill features 189-square-inch cast iron grate and it has a built-in thermometer so you can make sure you’re cooking at precisely the right temperature. Making great food at the game has never been easier.
If the Weber grill shown above just isn’t quite what you’re looking for, turn to this Coleman RoadTrip Classic Grill. It’s a camping favorite that also happens to work wonderfully for tailgating. The grill features a large 285-square-inch cooking area and 20,000 BTUs of cooking power. It also comes with a five-year limited warranty.
You have to have a way to store your food and beverages at the game, and the Perma Chill 50 Quart Cooler is the perfect way to do just that. With 12.5 gallons of space, you should have all the room you need and this cooler will keep ice frozen for up to seven days, which is way more than anyone ever will need tailgating.
Looking for a good basic chair for tailgating purposes? The Adventurer Director’s Chair is one of the best. It’s built strong and offers a comfortable design. it also has a small side table and cup holder. This makes it perfect for enjoying some hamburgers and a cold beverage while you’re hanging out at the game.
Some folks who tailgate like to move around a lot and others like to lounge. Honestly, I fit in the latter category. I’m all for having fun, but I’ll be more comfortable in a recliner than a typical chair. That’s why the XL Deluxe Ze3ro Gravity Recliner would be my go-to pick for tailgating.
A doublewide sofa is perfect for tailgating. Few tailgate alone and that means you either have to buy a couple of chairs or you should get one of these sofas. It will comfortably seat two people and on either side is a cup holder. It also folds up and can be put away easily when the day is done.
No day spent tailgating would be complete without a bean bag toss set or a cornhole set, as I like to call it. This football Bean Bag Toss Set in particular is perfect for tailgating because of its design that looks like a football field. The bean bags, too, keep with the football theme, looking like actual footballs.
While stepping out of your RV or vehicle onto the grass is fine most of the time, having a mat or rug outside can help keep you from getting your RV or vehicle dirty. That’s where an outdoor mat like this American Football Field one will come in handy. The design is simple and it’ll get the job done.
You need to have at least one table while tailgating. This Portable Picnic Table with Benches is a super smart choice. It gives you seating and a table to work with. The benches fold up and under the table when not in use so everything is extremely compact.
Is the picnic table shown above a little too big for you? If so, the Original Quick-Fold Table is a good alternative. It can be used as an end table, a table for eating at, or a good little table next to the grill. It’s the table’s versatility that makes it so special and worthy of the tailgater in your life.
The best way to avoid cabin fever? Avoid the cabin altogether. So grab the keys to one of our favorite campervans and hit the road to warmer climates. Here are a few of our favorite warm-winter destinations:
In this episode, Sam interviews Kory and Denise from the Youtube Channel Does Size Matter. Korey and Denise are RV Sometimers traveling all over North America, finding adventures and beautiful views. Along the way, they share with others how the RV Sometimer Lifestyle works for them and might for you. As well, they also share all of their research and reviews on the many different RV choices out there to help you make up your own RV Sometimer Lifestyle Recipe.
In this interview, Korey and Denise share what it means to be an RV Sometimer and how to get started!
10:00 – Switching from a travel trailer to a motorhome
18:00 – Starting a YouTube channel
21:00 – Working with Boondocker’s Welcome (As hosts and guests!)
26:00 – Tips for Sometiming
Kory and Denise’s tips for RVing and becoming an RV Sometimer
You don’t have to always drive the RV back to your home base. You can store it somewhere and fly back and forth. Whatever works for you!
Being an RV Sometimer can keep things interesting. You don’t always do the same thing. You can go out on the road when you want to and then come home when you want to settle down in your local community.
Find a way to make your income source flexible, so you can pick whatever kind of schedule that you want.
You don’t have to have a tight schedule and rush back and forth between home and travel. Find the balance that works for you.
Keep these questions in mind:
How long do you want to be gone?
What’s your budget?
What’s your travel style? (This might change over time!)
Join Boondocker’s Welcome to save money on camping and meet new people! Korey and Denise use it as guests and also as hosts when they are at home.
