There’s a moment when the forecast changes.

Not the casual “might dip below freezing” kind of cold, but the kind where weather apps start using words like teens, hard freeze, and winter storm. That’s when RV life gets very honest.

In this episode of Wandering Gypsy RV Life, I walk through how I think about cold-weather RV planning when temperatures drop into the teens and twenties. This isn’t about panic or worst-case scenarios. It’s about staying ahead of the weather instead of chasing it.

We talk through:

• Why do different RV types handle cold very differently
• How water systems become the first point of failure in freezing weather
• Why living off your fresh tank can be a sign of preparedness, not inconvenience
• How to layer heat safely without overloading electrical systems
• The importance of planning for nighttime before temperatures bottom out
• Why calm, comfort, and safety are built long before 3 a.m.

Cold weather RVing is as much mental as it is mechanical. When you wake up warm, stocked, and calm while the temperature outside is in the teens, that isn’t luck. It’s preparation doing exactly what it was meant to do.

🔗 Full cold weather planning write-up: https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com/2026/01/23/cold-weather-rv-planning/

🔗 Helpful Links

• 🌐 Wandering Gypsy RV Life: https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com
• 📘 Rolling Smooth Series: https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com/rollingsmooth
• 🛠️ RV Gear & Support (affiliate): https://technorv.com?Click=12127
• 🎙️ Beyond the Chutes Podcast: https://beyondthechutes.show
• ❤️ Support the journey on Patreon: https://patreon.com/wanderinggypsyrvlife

Stay warm. Stay curious. And keep rolling smooth.

Two kinds of people truly understand the road: RVers and cowboys.

Both live by weather windows, fuel stops, and a deep respect for momentum and margin. And both know that when things go wrong out there, they don’t do it politely or on schedule.

In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, I sit down with Chick Wilfong for a grounded, experience-driven conversation at the crossroads of RV life and cowboy culture.

Chick has spent decades hauling horses and living out of everything from campers and living-quarters trailers to buses, semis, and toterhomes. This isn’t a gear or brand conversation. It’s about what actually keeps people and animals safe when you’re moving heavy rigs down imperfect roads.

We talk about why “have enough truck” is rule number one, why maintenance is the difference between a story and a disaster, and how tire blowouts can get Western in a hurry when you’re hauling serious weight. We dig into TPMS and monitoring systems, air and hub temperature warnings, weighing your rig, and why hope is not a tactic when your family or horses are onboard.

We also cover defensive driving, stopping distances, speed discipline, always knowing your out, and why slowing down is often the smartest move you can make. Along the way, we compare how RVers and cowboys approach the same challenges from different angles and what each group can learn from the other.

If you tow, haul, full-time, part-time, or just want to do this lifestyle safer and smarter, this episode delivers hard-earned wisdom from miles, mistakes, and maintenance.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Cold open: momentum & margin

01:18 Show welcome + Chick intro

04:03 Life on the road (every kind of rig)

05:30 Blowouts, tire realities, and the true cost

07:06 “Have enough truck” + why it matters

08:11 Maintenance, leaks, and rolling earthquakes

14:15 Protecting the rig: TPMS, air, temp warnings

21:53 Weight, scales, and staying legal

34:08 Defensive driving, speed, and stopping distance

39:13 Checklists, slowing down, and staying safe

45:26 Where to find Chick + devotionals

49:20 Wrap-up + shout-outs

Find Chick Wilfong

• Facebook: Chick Wilfong / Wild West with Chick Wilfong
• YouTube, Instagram, TikTok: Chick Wilfong

More from Wandering Gypsy RV Life

• Website: https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com
• Rolling Smooth: Real Lessons from the Road Book Series: https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com/rollingsmooth
• TechnoRV (affiliate): https://technorv.com?Click=12127
• Beyond the Chutes Podcast: https://beyondthechutes.show
• Patreon: Join the Campfire Circle for bonus content and behind-the-scenes episodes

Outro music: Brother Highway by Ned LeDoux (used with permission)

Until next time, keep your rig Rolling Smooth, keep your coffee hot, and remember: not all who wander are lost.

There’s a sound that signals the start of RV show season. Not engines. Not generators. It’s the low hum of wanderers comparing notes, pointing at rigs, and quietly rethinking their setups. Every January, that sound gets loud in Tampa.

In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, Stan previews the Tampa RV Super Show, running January 14–18, 2026, at the Florida State Fairgrounds, and explains why this rally is about far more than shiny rigs and new gadgets.

Stan shares why education sits at the core of the Rolling Smooth mindset and how seminars on water systems, tanks, propane, inverters, converters, and power management can be the difference between confident travel and campground stress. He also talks about being on-site representing TechnoRV, answering real-world questions about power, connectivity, and RV systems, plus bringing copies of the Rolling Smooth: Real Lessons from the Road book series for face-to-face conversations.

You’ll hear why clean, protected power matters, including a look at the Hughes Autoformers 50-Amp Power Center installed on Bertie Bea, and why preventative upgrades align with a systems-first RV philosophy. Stan also dives into one of the most overlooked benefits of rallies: direct access to manufacturers, engineers, and technicians from companies like Micro-Air and Shade Pro, often with on-site installation available.

From solving lingering RV issues while you’re already surrounded by experts to using the Florida RV Trade Association mobile app to plan your days, this episode is your grounded, experience-driven guide to getting real value out of the Tampa RV Super Show.

If you’re heading to Tampa, make education the priority, stop by the TechnoRV booth, ask questions, attend seminars, and leave with more than brochures. Leave with confidence.

👉 Learn more at wanderinggypsyrvlife.com.

Until next time, keep it rolling smooth, and maybe I’ll see you down the road… or in Tampa. 📍

The Miles That Changed Me isn’t a highlight reel, a travel recap, or a victory lap.

In this Season 2 opener of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, I sit with the year that was — a year of momentum, massive change, and lessons that only show up after you’ve been carrying more than you realized.

2025 gave me a lot. It also took more than I expected.

In this episode, I reflect on:

• What went right when comfort and maintenance became tools instead of luxuries
• How momentum quietly turned into weight after the guardrails disappeared
• What grief, fatigue, and staying in motion taught me about limits
• Why RV systems don’t care about schedules or deadlines
• And what I’m doing differently as I roll into 2026 with more intention

This episode isn’t about where I went.

It’s about how the miles changed how I want to travel next.

🌐 Learn more about Wandering Gypsy RV Life:

https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com

📚 Rolling Smooth: Real Lessons from the Road:

https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com/rollingsmooth/

🛠️ Trusted RV gear & education (affiliate):

https://technorv.com?Click=12127

🎙️ Beyond the Chutes Podcast:

https://beyondthechutes.show

⏱️ Episode Chapters

00:00 – Cold Open: When You Finally Stop Moving

00:40 – Brother Highway (Intro)

01:13 – Welcome to the Campfire

02:06 – What This Episode Is (Not a Highlight Reel)

02:24 – What Went Right in 2025

03:08 – Comfort and Maintenance as Tools

03:45 – Community, Rallies, and RV Education

04:28 – Laughing Through the Mishaps

05:00 – When the Guardrails Disappeared

05:28 – Momentum, Travel, and Taking on Too Much

05:57 – Loss, Grief, and Staying in Motion

06:49 – When the Calendar Doesn’t Care

07:01 – The Education Gap in the Equine RV World

07:44 – What I’m Doing Differently in 2026

08:23 – Choosing Deliberate Travel

08:56 – Bridging the RV and Equine Education Gap

09:17 – Campfire Closing & Gratitude

11:09 – Brother Highway (Outro)

Christmas in the RV life looks a little different.

In this episode of Wandering Gypsy RV Life, Stan shares what it’s like to leave your rolling home behind for the holidays — parking Bertie Bea at Kick Back Ranch & Event Center and heading home in Rosie to see Management and Assistant Management.

From the romantic idea of an RV Christmas to the real-world questions about power, weather, and systems, this episode walks through the decisions that matter when you’re miles away from your rig — and why peace of mind sometimes comes in the form of a handwritten note from Santa instead of a box under the tree.

You’ll hear about:

• Leaving your RV unattended during the holidays
• Why power protection matters more than decorations
• Switching from RV brain to family holiday brain
• What makes RV shows like Tampa valuable beyond the shiny gear
• And why the road always leads back to the people who matter most

Pull up a chair, pour something warm, and ride along.

⏱️ Episode Chapters

00:00 – Cold Open

When your RV feels like home… until Christmas calls you back

01:05 – Welcome to Wandering Gypsy RV Life

Freedom, problem-solving, and yelling “WHY” with a flashlight

02:05 – The RV Christmas Reality Check

Romantic RV Christmas ideas vs. real-world concerns

03:35 – Leaving Bertie Bea Behind

Why leaving your rig feels like leaving a dog with a friend

04:55 – The “Did I Forget Anything?” Moment

Locks, water, propane, and avoiding that phone call

06:10 – Power, Protection, and a Note from Santa

Why peace of mind didn’t arrive in a box this year

07:35 – The Drive Home in Rosie

Switching from RV brain to family holiday brain

08:50 – Christmas at Headquarters

Management, Assistant Management, and RV maintenance explanations

09:50 – Why the Road Still Matters

Freedom, family, and missing home

10:40 – Final Thoughts & Sign-Off

Rolling smooth, hot coffee, and wandering with purpose

🔗 Links & Resources

🌐 Wandering Gypsy RV Life

👉 https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com

🛠️ RV Gear & Safety Tools I Trust

👉 TechnoRV (affiliate): https://technorv.com?Click=12127

🔥 Join the Campfire Circle on Patreon

Bonus content, video episodes, and behind-the-scenes stories

👉 https://www.patreon.com/wanderinggypsyrvlife

🎙️ Beyond the Chutes Podcast

Rodeo history and cowboy storytelling with Doug Simcox

👉 https://beyondthechutes.show

🎶 Outro Music

“Brother Highway” by Ned LeDoux

Used under license for Wandering Gypsy RV Life

Headed for the Pacific Northwest with your rig? In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, I sit down with Brooks Smothers, host of the RV Out West Podcast, to talk about what makes Washington, Oregon, and the greater PNW such a legendary place to explore on wheels.

We roll through Brooks’ origin story—from tent camping and a borrowed tent trailer that instantly converted his “city girl” wife, to their current Jayco bunkhouse that’s hauled the family more than 10,000 miles. We dig into how the pandemic sparked his podcast (now closing in on episode 200… and yes, he’s planning a tattoo), and how podcasting changes the way you notice campgrounds, meals, and little details you wish you’d filmed.

You’ll also get practical road wisdom: favorite PNW spots like Cape Disappointment, a hidden gem near Lake Curlew, must-have apps and alerts for snagging campsites, and real-world “learn it before you need it” lessons like finding your manual slide override before your slide goes crooked on departure day. We wrap with Brooks’ best advice on timing a PNW trip, plus where to find his show—and what he’s teaching at the Kansas City RV Show (January 2026).

More from me at wanderinggypsyrvlife.com. Bonus content and behind-the-scenes over on Patreon. If you’re upgrading your rig for safety and peace of mind, check out TechnoRV via my affiliate link: https://technorv.com?Click=12127. Also, give my buddy Doug Simcox a listen on Beyond the Chutes.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Welcome + Show Intro

01:31 Meet Brooks Smothers (RV Out West)

02:50 From Tents to Trailers (How It Started)

07:21 Upgrading the Rig + Big Miles

08:14 Why RV Out West Podcast Exists

11:54 Content vs Living the Moment

14:01 Campground Fun & Family Traditions

16:30 Apps, Planning & Travel Tech

19:37 Safety Gear + Must-Have Tools

23:29 Favorite PNW Spots (Cape Disappointment)

28:52 Winterizing + Cold-Weather Lessons

33:32 Best Time to Visit the PNW

35:16 Where to Find Brooks + KC RV Show

41:34 Outro + Sponsors

43:50 “Brother Highway” Outro

RVers and cowboys may look like they’re living in completely different worlds—but spend enough time around both, and the similarities start to stand out.

In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Podcast, host Stan Cromlish reflects on time spent around RVers and the rodeo community and discovers that, despite different traditions and mindsets, both groups are solving the same challenges on the road.

From living quarters, horse trailers, to motorhomes, the fundamentals don’t change: tires, weight, clearance, power, water, weather, and the responsibility that comes with hauling what matters most. RVers often learn through hard-earned trial and error, while cowboys grow up trusting experience and tradition—but both approaches aim for the same goal: getting there safely and coming home with good stories.

This episode is about shared roads, shared risks, and the respect that grows when different traveling cultures start learning from one another instead of staying in their own lanes.

No matter what you’re hauling—horses, memories, or your entire life—the road treats us all the same.

🔗 Find more stories, photos, and videos at:

👉 https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com

🔥 Join the Wandering Gypsy RV Life Campfire Circle on Patreon for behind-the-scenes content, bonus stories, and exclusive videos—including the episode with Ned LeDoux.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/cw/WanderingGypsyRVLife

🛠 A quick thank-you to TechnoRV, my longtime go-to for RV gear that helps travelers prepare for the road ahead. If you’re looking to adventure more and worry less, you can find their products here:

👉 https://technorv.com?Click=12127

🎙 Also check out Beyond the Chutes with Doug Simcox for rodeo history, cowboy storytelling, and the legends behind the arena.

👉 https://beyondthechutes.show

Until next time—keep your rig rolling smooth, keep your coffee hot, and remember: sometimes the best lessons on the road come from listening to travelers who look nothing like you.

Not all who wander are lost.

In this episode of the Wandering Gypsy RV Life, Stan reflects on the two essential members of his traveling family: Bertie Bea, his 36-foot Tiffin Allegro Open Road 34PA, and Rosie, his dependable Chevrolet Equinox. A recent repair story brought attention to one rig — and made him realize how much the other deserved recognition, too.

Stan shares how each vehicle shapes his life on the road, from long-haul comfort to small-town maneuvering, from mountain passes to grocery runs. Along the way, he talks about the deeper truth of RV life: the rigs and gear we depend on become part of our story — trusted companions who carry us through every mile, memory, and mishap.

Join him for a heartfelt look at life behind the wheel, what these two rigs mean to the Wandering Gypsy RV Life, and a quick preview of his upcoming trip to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

🔗Links Mentioned in This Episode

🌐 Wandering Gypsy RV Life Website:

https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com

🛠️ TechnoRV — RV Gear I Trust:

Use my affiliate link here: https://technorv.com?Click=12127

📚 Rolling Smooth (Books & RV Guides):

Available through the Wandering Gypsy RV Life website

🔥 Patreon – Join the Campfire Circle:

Get behind-the-scenes videos, bonus episodes, and extras

https://www.patreon.com/wanderinggypsyrvlife

🎙️ Beyond the Chutes Podcast (Doug Simcox):

https://beyondthechutes.show