Remote monitoring for your RV - plus a roadside dragon
A new tool to remotely monitor your RV
In this conversation, Keith Larson from Winegard discusses the company's evolution from traditional TV antennas to modern connectivity solutions for RVs. He introduces the RV Halo, a smart monitoring system designed for RVs, which offers features like GPS tracking, temperature monitoring, and customizable security alerts. The discussion highlights the importance of connectivity in the RV lifestyle and how Winegard's products enhance safety and convenience for RV owners.
We relay the history of travel trailers, and have an RV review of a tiny toy hauler.
Grab your chain mail! We are visiting a fire-breathing dragon - that’s Goofy USA!
Other places to hear the podcast
Mentioned on this episode
Our guest, Keith Larson comes from Winegard
Keith mentioned Winegard’s product - RV Halo
The Kaskasia Dragon RV park - definitely Goofy USA
Tony’s RV review this week was the Forest River Cherokee Gray Wolf 18RR
If you’re confused about solar, battery power or just want to upgrade your RV we have found the solutions from ABC Upfitters are both reliable and exceptional.
We have a podcast episode and video where you can learn more here.
Automated transcript of StressLess Camping RV podcast episode 321
Peggy
On this week's episode of the Stressless Camping RV Podcast, Tony talks to Keith Larson from Winegard about connectivity, monitoring, and tracking systems for enhancing safety on your road trips.
Tony
And we relay the history of travel trailers. Plus, a review of a smaller toy hauler.
Peggy
Smaller toy hauler? That rhymes.
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
Hey, grab your chain mail. We are gonna go visit a fire-breathing dragon.
Tony
Ooh, that's Goofy USA.
Tony
We have this week's podcast, along with the notes and stories that go with it, at our home on the web at stresslesscamping.com.
Peggy
Thank you for joining us for Episode 321. Stressless Camping.
Tony
Stressless Camping. I'm Tony.
Peggy
I'm Peggy.
Tony
And we're two RV industry veterans who travel part-time-
Peggy
Usually with a mini light.
Tony
Wait, what in the wide, wide world of sports? Why are we in a hotel room?
Peggy
Shh, don't tell anybody, but we're staying in a hotel while we get a little bit of work done on the mini light.
Tony
Does this hat have anything to do with that?
Peggy
Maybe.
Tony
Whoa.
Peggy
We're not gonna tell you this week.
Tony
No, but it's a pretty cool thing.
Peggy
We're gonna tell you next week. It's a very cool thing.
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
And we'll talk all about it probably next week.
Tony
Yes, we will. Anyway, my hat's off to you.
Peggy
Yeah.
Tony
This week, we come to you with a story, again, still from Reserve America,(upbeat music plays) with the history of travel trailers.
Peggy
Yeah, this is like, uh, near and dear to our heart, right?
Tony
Yes, it is.
Peggy
"Modern-day travel trailers," it says, "trace their origins to Gypsy travel wagons and Conestoga wagons that were built to carry settlers across the United States."
Tony
Ooh, Studebakers? Maybe not.
Peggy
Maybe.
Tony
"In 1910, the first non-tent travel trailers were built at the Los Angeles Trailer Works and Auto Camp Trailers."
Peggy
That's a long name.
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
Probably bigger than the trailer itself-
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
... in 1910. I imagine they were all pretty small.
Tony
Yeah, the t- the name was probably longer then.
Tony
"We have to make the trailer longer. We can't put a badge on it."
Peggy
It was 1916 when the first tent trailer arrove, arove, arrived, built by(laughs) the Campbell Folding Camper Trailer Company. They really liked long names back then.
Tony
Yeah. In 1920, and no, the Airstream site says 1929, Airstream trailers kinda first hit the road, founded by Wally Byam, who built a trailer that his wife would enjoy camping in. The name Airstream wasn't used until 1936, though.
Peggy
So in 1936, Airstream luxury trailer was introduced. It was called the Clipper, and it featured dry ice air conditioning-
Tony
Ooh.
Peggy
... water tanks, electric lighting, and a kitchenette.
Tony
Whoa, bougie.
Peggy
Makes you wonder what was in the ones before.(laughs)
Tony
Right. If you go to the RV, uh, Hall of Fame, you might be able to see, 'cause they have those old trailers.
Peggy
They have the old-
Tony
But anyway.
Peggy
Yeah, lots of old trailers.
Tony
In 19-...(gibbers) In the 1960s, the first fifth-wheel trailers appeared on the roads, offering greater towing stability. Due to the unique hitching method, the overall length of the tow vehicle and trailer was shortened without giving up interior space.
Peggy
Have you ever seen, I know you've seen, have you all ever seen the video of the-
Tony
Oh.
Peggy
... slug bug, the s- the, the-
Tony
The VW.
Peggy
... Volkswagen Beetle that has a fifth-wheel on its roof? And the Beetle can actually, like, turn 360, so it can be facing the trailer or towing the trailer. It's really fun to watch the video. It kinda just spins around in circles.
Tony
Yeah, it's, it's pretty gr- and-
Peggy
'Cause it fits right underneath it.
Tony
Apparently, it was actually a thing.
Peggy
I think so, yeah.
Tony
Well, no, it wasn't a thing. It was a bug, but yeah.
Peggy
It wasn't a thing.(laughs)
Tony
Okay.
Peggy
Things are too square to do that.
Tony
And no roof, so... Anyway, in 1964, a really good year-
Tony
... the first pop-up trailers made their debut.
Peggy
So, that is what they offered. They didn't offer anything past 1964, but I guess we've talked about travel trailers, pop-up trailers, and Airstreams, so...
Tony
And fifth-wheels.
Peggy
K- and fifth-wheels, so we know the history of all those things now.
Tony
Yeah, pretty darn cool. Well, this coming week, in fact, when you get this podcast-
Peggy
Yeah.
Tony
... we will actually be camping off-the-grid with our friends at ABC Upfitters here in Elkhart, Indiana.
Peggy
We will not only camp- not only be camping with them, we'll be camping in their yard.
Tony
Yes.
Peggy
So we are going to spend a few days at ABC Upfitters, not for more upgrades-
Tony
No.
Peggy
... 'cause we've done all that. But we are going to partici- participate in their open house, and we are just going to camp out in their parking lot while we do it.
Tony
Yeah, so off-the-grid, and it's, it's gonna be great. We, last week, camped next to the Hoppies-
Peggy
Mm-hmm.
Tony
... uh, who do so much off-grid camping, and they have a complete system from ABC Upfitters similar to ours, but with twice as much battery.
Peggy
Well, but they do have a fifth-wheel, so they need twice as much battery.(laughs)
Tony
That's true. And, um, there's a little rumor that other friends of ours are heading to ABC Upfitters, uh, in a couple of weeks to get their system, uh, in their new trailer. We don't wanna-
Peggy
A little rumor.
Tony
Yeah, we don't wanna-
Peggy
All right.
Tony
... let on who they are, but-
Peggy
We'll let them break that news.
Tony
Yeah, we'll let them. But anyway, if they, all that these trailers have in common is they're reliable, functional off-grid solar and lithium systems that just work well together, and if you are looking for a good, reliable, solid solar and lithium package, whether that's just for some weekending, or crazy off-grid camping, or whatever your preference is, call our friends at ABC Upfitters and-How would I do that?
Peggy
Hey, it would be a local call for us right now.
Peggy
574-333-3225. For those of you under 50, a local call.(laughs)
Tony
Right?
Peggy
I'm kidding.(laughs)
Tony
I know. That's so funny.
Peggy
But you remember, you know, there were days when you didn't have to dial 10 numbers, you only had to dial seven.
Tony
Right.
Peggy
It's not... In fact, I only had to dial four.(laughs)
Tony
Her dino phone.
Peggy
In my dino phone, yeah.
Tony
But anyway-
Peggy
Okay, so-
Tony
... uh, 333... uh, 574-333-3225, or we have links in our show notes at stresslesscamping.com, as well... along with some interviews and other information that you'll find useful. So, if you're thinking, "Hmm, should I kinda upgrade my off-grid situation?" Yes.
Peggy
The answer's yes.
Tony
And, uh, no matter from simple to spectacular, ABC Outfitters will hook you up.
Peggy
So, we are in the hotel room, and you're gonna continue to see ths- this scene, I guess. Because of technical difficulties, I didn't get involved in this one.
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
And also because of technical difficulties, for some reason, Riverside, which is how we record these interviews, doesn't like to hear Tony say numbers. So, when he says 4G and 5G, you're just gonna have to guess which number he said.(laughs) Just watch his mouth, and you'll... you can tell the difference between four and five. But for some reason, it- it, like, silenced out every time Tony says four or five.
Tony
That's so weird.
Peggy
Not our guest, just Tony.
Tony
That's- that's good.
Tony
So anyway, if you're looking for a great way to monitor your RV, we have the privilege of having Keith Larson from Winegard with us, who has a new product that I think so many of us have been looking for, and found. We found out at the Frog Rally. But first of all, Keith, welcome.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Well, thank you. Thank you for having me. Appreciate it very much.
Tony
Absolutely. First of all, let's, if you don't know, let's explain who is Winegard?
Keith Larson - Winegard
Sure. Well, uh, Winegard Company has been around for a long time. We started in 1854, owner started making TV antennas, the conventional TV antennas for your houses. So he's been a... we've been in business for a good long time. Uh, started with TV antennas, and then that... We built a TV antenna that didn't work in the home telemark- market so well, but then it worked in the RV market perfectly. Somebody said, "You should put this on an RV." And all of a sudden, we were in the RV business. The Bat Wing antenna, many people have seen that, a crank-up antenna.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Uh, that was really what got us in the RV market. So, uh, we're a connectivity company, we've done anything from, you know, T- TV antennas, satellite dishes for DirecTV and Dish for the RV market and the home market. Um, and then we're getting into connectivity more with the internet, wifi, 4G, 5G, and uh, um, now into the smart RV stuff that we'll talk about. But yeah, so we're d- definitely been a connecti-... We were a TV company and kind of morphed into a connectivity company.
Tony
And, and something that I believe I understand, you make most of your products here in the US?
Keith Larson - Winegard
Oh, yes, yeah. We're a complete vertical integrated manufacturer. Uh, we even build our own electronics boards. You know, um, we have people come to our factory. They're, they're really impressed that we have two SMT electronic l-lines that we actually build our own boards too. We don't even bring our own b- you know, we actually don't bring in boards from, you know, other places. We actually build internally. We build, uh, we have, uh, probably seven mold machines. Uh, so we build all our plastic m- parts as well. We have stamping materials. We stamp out the reflectors for Dish Network, for example, at our factory.
Keith Larson - Winegard
So yeah, fully integrated. We build everything from raw materials in our hou- our factory. That is definitely U- US made.
Tony
That's fantastic. And you may, if you have a newer RV, have seen what looks like a round, it's not a dome, I don't... It's like a upside down bowl on the roof of your RV, probably black, and it says Winegard on it. So you folks are making a lot of the TV antennas, but much more for new RVs. In fact, our Rockwood has a 5G model on the roof.
Keith Larson - Winegard
There you go, yeah.(laughs) Very nice. Yes, uh, those are... There's different, uh, different ones out there. There are some that are TV antennas only. So, uh, they look kinda similar. There's an Air360, which this is an omni TV antenna. Um, and then you have the Air360+ versions that you probably have, which has the 5G, which are pretty much a prep that the OEMs use for upgrading your RV to get 5G or 4G connectivity. Uh, you just add a router inside. So it's pre- pre-wired, basically, for wifi and 4G connectivity, 5G connectivity.
Tony
That's cool. Yeah, I know our trailer has... There's a little puck in the ceiling.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Mm-hmm.
Tony
And we can upgrade to a 5G router, and, and, and it's been, it's been on my thinker-abouter list.(laughs)
Keith Larson - Winegard
Well, hopefully you got to see at the Frog Rally, maybe learn a little bit about the, the gateway product and the 5G in there. Um, we also have a new T-Mobile plan that's only $99 unlimited a month for 5G speeds. So-
Tony
Hmm.
Keith Larson - Winegard
... you know, we've got a good program that we're just launching right now with T-Mobile as well, that really gives you unlimited, you know, no throttle, uh, no limits. You can use it all you want for $99 a month for 5G.
Tony
You know, it's funny, we have a T-Mobile plan right now that, through the FRVA or FMCA, and I am really impressed with how well it works. My expectations were much lower than the actual performance of this plan. So, T-Mobile is, is a lot better than I thought.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yeah, T-Mob- T-Mobile, for 5G service, is one of the better ones for an RVer. There was di- there's different 5G-... frequencies. Some of the 5G stuff, like AT&T and Verizon went after the big city markets, so they use a different frequency, a higher frequency to use, uh, in, like, you know, the big cities; Dallas, you know, Houston, Miami. And it takes... You know, you don't have as much distance over it. T-Mobile went for rural America. That was just their strategy, went for more rural America, so their coverage in areas where not populated is gonna be really good.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Uh, T- AT&T and Verizon are moving in that direction, so they're- they're get- they'll expand their 5G network. But really, T-Mobile went after that rural America, so they have a- they're using a different frequency which carry, carries, you know, 25, 30, 30 plus miles of 5G, of 5G service from a tower, where 4G was only 10 miles. So, get good coverage in 5G, you really do. T-Mobile has a, a really good coverage map.
Tony
Uh, believe it or not, that's not what we came to talk about-
Keith Larson - Winegard
I know, I know.
Tony
... but this is fascinating to me and I, I-
Keith Larson - Winegard
We can go all kinds of different directions here.
Tony
Right. Well, you guys really do some interesting stuff with your T-Mobile plan, since you brought it up. Can you pause it?
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yup.
Tony
So it's at-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yup.
Tony
... 99 bucks a-
Keith Larson - Winegard
No commitment, no contract, uh, use it as you want. Turn it on and off, uh, 30-day, 30-day events.
Tony
And that works with your 4G and 5G routers that you can opt into your RV?
Keith Larson - Winegard
The T-Mobile is a 5G plan only.
Tony
Okay.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Our best one for 4G is Verizon and that's $109 for unlimited 4G. You can use it with a-
Tony
Oh.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yeah, you- but you- the, the T-Mobile is a 5G plan for 5G routers.
Tony
Okay. But what we came to talk about-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yes.
Tony
... was something that I saw at the F.R.O.G. rally and it was one of those, "Oh my gosh, this is gonna be so popular." It is a new remote sensor monitoring system, for lack of a better description, from Winegard. So if you would, fill us in on what, what you've done here.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Sure. I mean, everybody's probably understands what a smart home is or smart- or a security system for your home, uh, but what we- Winegard has done is brought that to the RV market, a security monitoring system. Uh, it's called RV Halo, uh, is the, the family name. Um, so, uh, really it's a security monitoring system. Uh, there's a hub. Like every smart home has, like, a hub that communicates to the cr- to the cloud. Uh, so we've created a hu- smart hub that basically communicates to the cloud, but has some features built in it that has, like, GPS.
Keith Larson - Winegard
So the hub comes with, like, a GPS system. Uh, it's got GPS in it, it's got a M1 cellular antenna to connect to that cloud service, but then it's got some GPS features like geofencing. You can put a fence around your RV, so if it gets taken or moved outside of a certain area that you- that you create your custom geofence, it'll alert you remotely, wherever you're at, on your phone. It's got find my RV, share it with your family or friends for security reasons. It's also got a battery backup. I think this is big. You could pick a smart home thing and put it into your RV and hook it to an internet product.
Keith Larson - Winegard
But if power goes out, you're not gonna know. You're never gonna get any alerts. The big- I think the coolest thing that we have that made- really made this an RV product is the battery backup in there. So if you lose power, it's gonna tell you you lost power and you know you got a problem at your RV. But then outside of that, there's all these different sensors we've come up with as well, so temp humidity. We've got a water sensor, contact closures and, uh, uh, motion sensors. So you can start building your security and- your security monitoring system.
Keith Larson - Winegard
You can build on top of just the smart hub itself on the GPS feature. So yeah, it's basically a smart home system that can alert you remotely and I think that's the biggest thing is that, you know, there's things in your RV that are Bluetooth, but getting connected to the cloud and to you anywhere you're at in the country, now that your RV, that is what makes this a beautiful product.
Tony
The four sensors that I saw that the starter pack comes with, one of those is a water sensor and we have water sensors in our RV in places where plumbing leaks are likely.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Mm-hmm.
Tony
And they notify us if we're in the RV by-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Right.
Tony
... basically sounding a sound that would wake the dead.(laughs)
Keith Larson - Winegard
We do have an audio alarm in ours as well, which can be, uh, off or on, but sometimes that is good to have an audio alarm for, like, a water leak if you're in your RV. If somebody doesn't have the app or something, they would still be alerted to a motion sensor or water sensor. But yeah, uh, they got an audio alarm as well on all those sensors. But yeah, yeah, but the nice thing is, I think it is that- it's that remote access that- to get that anywhere you're at is really what sets apart.
Tony
You have a temperature sensor too. So if there was somebody who, maybe they're at a national park and they have a pet and they have to go away for the day, that way you can monitor the temp inside the RV remotely. The way you guys do it is with an app on the phone, if I'm not mistaken.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yup. Yup. Everything is done through an app in the cloud, so it'll sit by- on, on alert, so a temp sensor's perfect for that. Yeah, for pets or just to make sure. And you can set that limit. You don't have to check and monitor it, just to check on it. You can say, "If it gets above 80 degrees in my RV, or in this sensor," and you can name it, uh, my RV sensor. You can actually name each sensor. You can have multiple sensors in there. You could say, "If my RV sensor in my living room gets above 80 or 82 degrees, send me an alert." So you can actually have thresholds set there instead of just monitoring.
Keith Larson - Winegard
You can go, oh, it'll tell you, like, a high level, a high level temperature has been hit. Also, you could set that temperature sensors for multiple things. Like I have one set on my refrigerator and you could put one in your freezer. You can say, so let's say you have- you're gonna be gone for a couple of days from your RV but it's plugged in and you got meat in there, or milk, or whatever, and eggs. And if your temperature in your refrigerator gets above, say, 45 degrees, it can alert you that your fridge temp sensor just went off. So it's even more than just in your living room. You can put it in your refrigerator, your freezer.
Keith Larson - Winegard
You can have multiple temp sensors set up throughout your RV that are monitoring different things and you can name them. Refrigerator, I could name the one freezer, I could name the one living room. So it's even outside of pets. Pets are, they're a huge one for sure, but it's also about protecting your, your goods inside your refrigerator that you don't know are maybe are spoiling and you have a problem and you don't know it's happening.
Tony
I hadn't thought of that. And then I could even put one in our-... battery compartment can-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yup.
Tony
... get hot as all get out.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Correct.
Tony
Under certain conditions, I could put one in there as well.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yeah. They're rated to, uh, I think 140 degrees, 140 degrees for t- top and minus 10 or s- 10 or 15 or something for low. So it's got a pretty good range that the sensor operates in as well-
Tony
Interesting.
Keith Larson - Winegard
... uh, to protect those things. But yeah, y- if you think about anything that you wanna just know if something hits a certain temperature, you wanna know about it, yeah, I mean, it's not just for your living room that's a big one, or just for your main area, living area, but refrigerator, freezers are a big deal, or other compartments like that you wanna know. Yeah.
Tony
Another sensor I saw was it... I guess they're called reed sensors where it's a magnetic... There's a box and a little magnet. So if-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yup.
Tony
... somebody opens a door or opens a compartment door or anything like that, it sends an alert.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yup, that's correct. Those are the contacts called our contact closures. This is what we call it. So yeah, it's for doors and windows. Um, and again, you can put as many as you want and you can label each one so you're not confused of which one. You can say this is the front door, this is the back door, this is the bedroom window, um,(clears throat) you know, there's no limit to really w- how many sensors you can put in your RV. If you wanted to put one on every single window and every door to make sure that if you're not there, somebody's not opening the door, you can do that. So it's a very customizable system that you can set up. But yeah, it's just a magnetic...
Keith Larson - Winegard
And they're easy to install. They're all, uh, you can just use like we have 3M piece, 3M tape. It just comes with it to simply do it or you can screw them in too. So to set up that contact and that magnet on your door is very simple, or on your window it's very easy to do to install those, install those sensors.
Tony
Something not everyone knows, the place where RVs are most likely to get broken into is at a storage lot. And so, if you have those re- the door sensors and you have your remote monitoring system, you could also tell if a door is opened or a compartment door is opened.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yup. And we also have the motion sensors too, that you can even put motion sensors that detect motion at your RV. So there is a motion sensor as well that you can put outside to detect that there's motion there. And you can do sensitivity and change the angle and how wide you want it, so you can narrow down where you want the motion sensor to detect as well.
Tony
Man, I mean, I think you've come up with something a lot of RVers really, really will want.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yeah, I... It's, it's pretty exciting. I mean, I'm definitely excited about the product. Uh, you know, just in talking to some dealers and some of our customers are very excited about the product when we talked about launching this, which should be soon. So yes, it's a very exciting product. Yeah, it's just unlimited what you can set up. The other, the other part we're doing too besides, you know, we talked about the different sensors. I think we went through the temp humidity, uh, the water, the contact one, and then the motion a little bit. Um, the other thing we've done is also partner with some other products in the market.
Keith Larson - Winegard
So we have some products that work with RV Halo. Uh, for example, we have a GoPower solar panel controller that has Bluetooth built on it. So on that, if you have that controller, you can pair it with the RV Halo app and be able to get warnings or alerts from your solar panel off the GoPower controller. We've also worked with Bauer and both CPG Bluetooth door locks. You could actually add the tile. You know, you could say I wanna add my CPG door lock to it and you can check the status if my door is locked or unlocked, and eventually be able to lock and unlock it.
Keith Larson - Winegard
And that's just the tipped iceberg. That's just where it's starting from and they... There's gonna be... So we're... We have those partners right now, which are GoPower, CPG, and Bauer Locks that you can actually check your door locks. But we'll be expanding that to some other products, you know, that makes sense that, hey, if you wanna be able to check or get a warning on something. So it's even more than just what we've come up with. We have partners that you can also get remote status on, and so you can actually lock and unlock Bluetooth doors remotely to let somebody in, or you forgot to lock it and you could lock it, so, uh, pretty... That's pretty neat stuff too.
Tony
That is cool. Boy, y- uh, like I said, I think you've hit a home run with this. So there are the sensors individually, and you can buy the sensors one by one or there's a starter kit. What about the monitor? How does it work remotely? You have a remote, I guess, transmitter.
Keith Larson - Winegard
So the Smart Hub is the communication. So that is the, the main piece is called the Smart Hub. That's what sends up to the cloud. Uh, so you do have to buy a RV Halo Pro membership. So RV Halo is our app, and there's a Pro membership to get the remote monitoring to the cloud, which is 9.99 a month, so, so this, this service is, it's $9.99 a month. To get all that remote monitoring to your app, you'll get notifications and when... Let's say when a temp sensor goes off or an alarm system goes off, you can, you can set it to do a notification. So like on my phone, on my unit here, if I go past my motion sensor, I'll get a notification on my cell phone wherever I'm at.
Keith Larson - Winegard
I will also get alerts if the contact is opened or shut, and it will give you a reading of which one it is, if it got opened or it got shut. And you can set all those, set up what you want notified, what kind of notifications. I also get an email, I can set up email notifications. So I can set up- So I'll get through the cloud notifications to my cell phone. And you can customize which sensors you want set up to get notifications, which ones you want audible, so very flexible. But it is... Uh, it's 9.99 a month or you can do a yearly plan for $99. And that's with the Pro membership. That gives you that remote access.
Keith Larson - Winegard
You can still put the sensors in and have Bluetooth access inside your RV like you do on your water sensors today. You know, it could alert you on your phone when you're in the area, but to do remotely is getting that Pro membership.
Tony
What all do I have to buy? Obviously the sensors.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Well, the Smart Hub is the main thing, so you buy the Smart Hub is the start, your key in- key piece. This, that Smart Hub right off the bat, you can get RV Halo Pro membership, get the Smart Hub, that gets you access to the cloud. And you can do all your GPS security features, my geofencing, you could do your find my RV, share my location with friends.Um, it's got your temperature at your R- at your RV, just what the outdoor temperature is. So, you would get those features right away by just the Smart Hub and the Pro membership. And then you can build out those sensors to add other features in.
Keith Larson - Winegard
It doesn't change the price or what you pay monthly, it's just the service. So, just a one-time service to get access to the cloud for the r- diagnostics. So, then you can start building out your network of sensors. So, it starts with the Smart Hub as the main piece, which retails, if you wanna talk about retails, that retails for $249 is the Smart Hub.
Tony
Okay.
Keith Larson - Winegard
So, that is the main device that's gonna connect to the cloud, and then your sensors, you can add your network of sensors that you wanna add to your system as you, as you cu-customize your security system in your RV.
Tony
But if you're, if you're monitoring pets or theft, it's just such a great investment. I mean-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yes.
Tony
... it seems like-
Keith Larson - Winegard
And that's the nice thing about this security and monitor system. It is just an access to the cloud service. Instead of, let's say, you bought a 5G T-Mobile plan for $99 to get your access to the cloud, to get your internet connected and then bought a hub or something, or some different security device, you're paying that whole access fee. Where this is just $9 in a month to get your cloud service, to get remote diagnostics through your phone. It's very economical way rather than having a full-blown internet system to be able to do that for you.
Tony
Wow.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Like, if you did a home system, you could do 5G or Starlink or something, then put a home system in there. But you don't have that battery backup either and you're paying that, sh- uh, that big fee to get connected to your internet source of the cloud. But basically, you know, through our Smart Hub and now our Halo app, it's a very economical system to have that peace of mind for that security monitoring system. Like, is my RV protected? Is there anything weird happening to my RV to, to save me any issues?
Tony
Another thing that I think we, we don't wanna overlook is, if you have a remote, a second home, or even your primary home, or whatever, you could use these in that-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Absolutely, yes, you could.
Tony
... space too. So, if you're on the road, you could monitor your home and, you know, look for leaks or, or temps or, or as you said, the fridge and freezer.
Keith Larson - Winegard
I have mine going right now exactly. So, if something happens(laughs) and I, and I will say, I did have humidity go off during a hurricane here and I was getting water-
Keith Larson - Winegard
... in my house when I wasn't home. I swear it ha- I mean, it did. It saved me. I was at a friend's house during a hurricane, the humidity sensor went off, the level went off and I'm like, "That's not good. I better go check on my house." And sure enough, there was water just blowing through the sills on my windows and I was getting water in my house. And it alerted me to that humid- that humidity part of it trip- triggered me to go check out my house and it worked in my house, yes.
Tony
Man, that's again, it, it's a pro- it's one of the unusual products that will work great in an RV, but also at your home.
Keith Larson - Winegard
That is true. Yes, it will.
Tony
Now, if you had the $9.95, $9.99 a month plan, could it cover both home and RV or would that be separate?
Keith Larson - Winegard
It could c- it just covers one hub. You just have-
Tony
Okay.
Keith Larson - Winegard
... one Smart Hub on a plan. So basically, when you have an RV Halo app, you set up an account with that app and you assign something to be your hub. Your, your, your, your network, your system to the... So, you, you assign a hub to be, uh, a Smart Hub, you buy it and said, "This is my hub to connect all my devices," and you can take that anywhere you want. You're just paying that one fee.
Tony
Okay.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yeah. You could take it out of your RV and plug it into your house, like I take it to my truck and I take it into my house and use it wherever you want, yes.
Tony
I didn't even think of, like, if you have... Like, if, let's say, you're an RV r- repair tech, and you've got $20,000 worth of tools in your truck, you could use it to also monitor your vehicle.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Absolutely. Yeah, it's, it's, yeah, it can be a little bit broader than just basic RV stuff, yes, I agree. Yeah, it's, it's base, uh, mobile security system, I mean, really when you think about it.
Tony
Yeah, I, I keep thinking of ways you could implement this. So, again, just when I saw this at Frog, I'm like, "This is more than a home run." And it's from a company... I think another bonus is you make this in the US?
Keith Larson - Winegard
Yep. It is, it is engineered, designed, built, tested, everything is built in, in Burlington, Iowa, that's where our company's at, Burlington, Iowa. So, that's where it's all built at. So, it's, uh, it is definitely a made-in-USA product.
Tony
Man, I, I think you've got a total home run here. I'm really glad that I attended Frog and found you. Well, I knew about Wine Guard, but...
Keith Larson - Winegard
Well, we're excited too. I'm glad you did too 'cause that's really good to get the word out to the customers on this system 'cause I do think it is a home run and we're excited about bringing this to the RV market and to the consumers, to, to be able to protect their investment. And I'm excited about what things keep coming in the future. You know, we just, we just hit on a couple partners that we have and what other sensors are we gonna build in the future that, you know, tanks and battery monitors. I mean, you start thinking what things you can monitor in a RV and where's this gonna go?
Tony
Interesting. That'd be interesting to see a partnership with someone like Sea Level, for example.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Mm-hmm.
Tony
Or, you know, whatever. Uh, yeah, you could remotely monitor your tanks or-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Anything that, anything's got Bluetooth we can connect to. An- and we do have this... I can't remember the, the technology. I mean, there are other things that you can put on our system, um, and I'm drawing a blank of what that is right now. But yeah, you can actually, there's other generic devices out there that you can actually add to our Smart Hub as well that are for home and add it to our system. So, it's, uh, it's an open technology kind of thing too.
Tony
What, uh... Where would somebody go to find out more about this?
Keith Larson - Winegard
Uh, just go to wineguard.com and there's a Smart... So, there's a Smart RV tab, and that'll take you to the Smart Hub and the sensors and all our, all, uh, research about... You'll be able to see everything about what our Smart Hub and sensors are about on that page.
Tony
Sounds good.
Keith Larson - Winegard
And it'll be coming soon to the dealerships. We haven't shipped quite yet. We should be shipping by the end of this week. Our plan is to start shipping to, to the distributors and dealers here at the end of the month.
Tony
One of my friends, Tony, from TNT RV won one of your systems at the Frog Rally-
Keith Larson - Winegard
Oh, did he?
Tony
... and I, I was jealous then. I'm, yeah, I'm more jealous now.
Keith Larson - Winegard
I saw the list come through, uh, that you had the winners there. I didn't know that was one of your friends.(laughs)
Tony
Yeah. Yeah, we were like, "Oh, look, you won something here." And, and it's for Tony.
Keith Larson - Winegard
We'll see what we can do for you too.
Tony
That's good. Keith, thank you so much for your time, and for such a great solution that so many of us, I think, are gonna take advantage of.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Well, thanks for your time too, as well. I appreciate the opportunity to speak, uh, to your-
Tony
All right. Well, I will let you go, and, uh, thank you again.
Keith Larson - Winegard
Uh, thanks a lot, Tony. Appreciate it.
Tony
You bet. Welcome back. So I, I thought that system that they're coming out with was just, it was fantastic.
Peggy
Very exciting. Yeah.
Tony
Another thing that's fantastic is, on our website are all kinds of discounts and deals and references to products and services that we really like and feel comfortable with, mostly ones that we use ourselves. So if you're looking for a great deal on RV products, or you just wanna take us shopping on Amazon with you, we really appreciate your checking our favorite products and services at stresslesscamping.com. That's what helps pay the bills for all of this, and lets us continue to come to you for free, even when we're in Indiana-
Tony
... spending our hardly-earned money.
Peggy
Okay, so last week, Bill told me that some people told him that-
Tony
Oh, right.
Peggy
... they were having trouble finding the Goofy USA segment on YouTube. Now, not being a person who watches a lot of YouTube, I didn't, I, I actually had the same struggle. I went to find out to s- to, so I could, you know, know, and realize that I have a little bit of a struggle too. So can you please explain to the folks out in Watching Land how they(laughs) , how they can find the Goofy USA segments? Because in audio, it just keeps going down.
Tony
Yeah, it's part of the same-
Peggy
But in video, we do it as a separate video, and I always encourage audio listeners to go l- to go watch the video, because we put a lot of pictures of these goofy things that we're talking about.
Tony
Yeah. So on YouTube, if you go to our channel, which is @StressLessCamping, um, or you just look at the, you know, the, you tap on our name or, or click on our name, um, there will be playlists. And in those playlists are our weekly podcast, RV reviews, and Goofy USA. So Goofy USA has its own playlist, and if you choose to watch all of those, well, more power to you.
Tony
And thank you. And so that's the easy way to find it, is our, our-
Peggy
Okay.
Tony
Just go to our channel @StressLessCamping.com on YouTube, and look for playlists and Goofy USA is one of them.
Peggy
Okay.
Tony
So that's, that's the way to find it.
Peggy
Thank you.
Tony
You know what you're gonna find this week?
Peggy
Well, this week on Goofy USA, we're gonna kinda cruise in to our actual story.
Tony
Yeah, we actually mentioned this on podcast episode 215, which you can find at our home on the web at StressLessCamping.com. Go to podcasts and look for episode 215.
Peggy
We are gonna go to a town called Vandalia, I think(laughs) -
Peggy
... Vandalia, Illinois, and it, that town actually served as the state capital of Illinois from 1819 to 1839. And it houses the Vandalia State House, which is the oldest surviving capitol building in Illinois.
Tony
We were rolling through there on our trip across Route 66-
Peggy
That's right.
Tony
... when we came upon the Kaskaskia Dragon RV Park.
Peggy
So the park itself is pretty simple. It, you just back into some sites right off the road.(laughs)
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
You go across the street to the hardware store and check in. And then there is also, across the street, a liquor store and a car wash and a laundromat and a pet wash. Uh, but when you check in at the hardware store, they give you the gold coins for the dragon.
Tony
And you're like, "Huh? Gold coins for the dragon?" What dragon would this be?
Peggy
There is actually a 35-foot-
Peggy
... fire-breathing dragon on the lawn right adjacent to the RV park.
Tony
Yeah, so the RV park isn't really what's goofy about this.
Peggy
Right.
Tony
It's the big 35-foot metal dragon adjacent to the park, and that's the real attraction here.
Peggy
Yeah. So it was about 1995, and the owner and an employee of the hardware store, I don't know, it was wintertime, they weren't busy enough or something, and so the employee decided, as a welder, that he wanted to make a dragon. And the owner said, "Okay, why not?"(laughs) Now, what they actually wanted was just a toy they could play with, and they wanted to have a float in the Halloween parade.
Peggy
And so they did use the dragon for that a few times, or however many times. And because it was so tall, they had to hinge and put a hydraulic lift in the neck of the dragon so that it could bend down to get under the power lines and the underpasses and things like that.
Tony
They s- sort of decided, "Well, this is so cool, we're gonna keep it here on our property."
Peggy
Right, so they kind of permanently set it down, and then a guy came along, and I think that he, uh, you know, made those, like, things that keep crop areas warm, those heater things. And he said, "You know, this isn't a dinosaur, it's a dragon. And dragons breathe fire, and I could help you make this dragon breathe fire."
Tony
And thus it does.
Peggy
And thus it does.
Tony
So those gold coins that we mentioned a few moments ago, you actually feed them to the dragon.
Peggy
Yep.
Tony
And when you do, th-(laughs)
Peggy
I mean...
Tony
He breathes f- he or she, I don't know.
Peggy
I don't know, the dragon.(laughs)
Tony
The dragon breathes fire.
Peggy
Yeah. So the owner, I read some stuff, and he said that the, he, they use a pro- a 20-gallon propane tank, which seems like they should be able to use something bigger, but that's what they use, and they go through about a tank a week.
Tony
Oh.
Peggy
So when, when someone comes across to the hardware store or the liquor store and says, "The fire-breathing drag isn't, dragon isn't breathing fire," then they know they have to run and-
Peggy
... change out that propane tank.
Tony
And you can buy more gold coins, because being the typical 12-year-old that I am, I did.
Peggy
Right. And so that, that propane lasts about a week in 10-second increments, right? So the dragon shoots fire out of his mouth for about 10 seconds per coin.
Tony
And there is a knight there-
Peggy
Yes.
Tony
... who's being shot at-
Peggy
Right.
Tony
... who's defending the honor of-
Tony
... of the town, so it, it's, it's just, I mean, where else can you go where there's an RV park, and it's just a simple park with, you know, a few sites along the highway, and a fire-breathing dragon?
Peggy
Right. So in case you're wondering about the name, like I was, Kaskaskia, which there's also another town in Illinois south, farther south of here, of this location, but Kaskaskia actually were a historical indigenous people, and that is where the name came from.
Tony
The Kaskaskia Dragon is, is just, it's entertaining, it's fun. It is a fantastic roadside attraction, but you know what it really is? It's goofy USA.
Peggy
It's goofy USA. All right, so we talked about all the, the old vintage and the history of travel trailers. You have a unique travel trailer you wanna...
Tony
I do. Uh, this week it's the Cherokee Grey Wolf 18RR.(growls)
Peggy
RR? Are you a pirate?(laughs)
Tony
Yeah, it's a pirate, but it's a, it's a small toy hauler, and it's kinda neat that this is a, a relatively small, inexpensive toy hauler, but they still... Cherokee is a, is a value-focused brand of Forest River. So for the money, you still get the drop-down ramp in the back, so you could load toys in, but that ramp also includes the mechanism where it'll stay horizontal and form a, like, a patio deck.
Peggy
Okay.
Tony
Uh, there is a curtain that they draw down. Um, this, this model is not a very elaborate trailer, but it's also not a very expensive trailer-
Tony
... as far as trailers go. Uh, interestingly, Cherokee lets you buy either a traditional stick and tin, which is wood-framed, aluminum corrugated skin, or they have their black label, which is a fiberglass skin, but it's still a wood-frame trailer. If you're gonna do this, I would just stick with the aluminum skin, just 'cause it's cheaper and lighter, and that makes more, uh, uh, capability for your cargo, and that's kinda what this trailer's all about.
Tony
It's a little toy hauler with a, with a deck and all of that, and it, it's, uh, it's a neat little offering. Uh, you can read the full story and see photos at our home on the web at stresslesscamping.com under the Honest RV Reviews.
Peggy
Last week's question of the week, because we were talking a lot about how much people are paying(laughs) for RV parks sometimes, was how much or what's the most that you've paid for a campsite, and was it worth it? And thank you to those of you who responded. I may or may not have found some new places to go. Probably not.(laughs)
Tony
We tend to be... I mean, we have this fabulous system from ABC Upfitters, so we really do favor Harvest Hosts and-
Peggy
Right. Harvest Host.
Tony
Harvest Host.
Tony
And things like that. That, that's our preference.
Peggy
And then based on today's history lesson, I would got to wondering, have you ever owned a vintage travel trailer or vintage RV? We, well, together, we have.
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
We, I mean, I guess kind of our first travel trailer, pop-up trailer by Jayco was m- maybe back in those days we didn't think of it as vintage, but it was from the '70s, so-
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
... it really was a vintage trailer.
Tony
Yeah, and we had a 1970 Aristocrat, and we had a 1964 Corvair camper.
Peggy
That's right. We really enjoyed having those, and, uh, I also... Well, again, they weren't, they weren't vintage when I was camping in them, but our 1967(laughs) Winnebago in the 1980s, uh, technically I guess it was vintage to us. It was just awesome.
Tony
Yeah.(laughs)
Peggy
Classic.(laughs)
Tony
So anyway, you can answer that question at our fun and friendly Stressless Campers Facebook group. Uh, and again, it's a great place to ask your questions or, or just spend time with really cool, well-behaved people.
Peggy
Yes.
Tony
So it's not like normal Facebook.
Tony
It's Stressless Campers.
Peggy
Thanks to all of you who signed up for last week's, uh, or signed up for the weekly newsletter last week. You didn't just sign up for last week's newsletter.
Peggy
I don't know if that's gonna come as a surprise to you.
Peggy
You're gonna keep getting it. It is free. It is fun. It is full of stories and links and, and things that we find all over the world to tell you about in the RV world.
Tony
Yeah, and one of the neat things about that, we make it if you no longer see value in that newsletter, it's really easy to unsubscribe. We don't put you through hoops and all that stupid-
Peggy
Right.
Tony
... stuff. Uh, it's just, it's easy to get off the list, and know that your info is never shared with anybody.
Peggy
Never.
Tony
We just use it, you know, it's sort of like our way of-... keeping in touch with you, because we really appreciate you.
Peggy
We a- The show notes for episode 321 and all episodes are on the podcast page at stresslesscamping.com.
Tony
Three, two, one.
Peggy
Three, two, one is this week's episode.
Tony
Three, two, one, blast off.
Tony
Yep. Uh, you'll also find, again, our favorite RV products and services at Our Home On The Web, and those are things that we either use ourselves or really believe in, and oftentimes, you get a discount too.
Peggy
That's right.
Tony
And that... I believe in discounts.
Peggy
I believe in discounts. When you've read and seen all the stories that you want to see on our f- on our website, then hop over to all the social places. I think of Facebook first, but we're in all of them-
Peggy
... and there are links from our website.
Tony
Audio listeners, if you don't want to miss a future episode, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast. Uh, and we are in all the places pretty much where you can find podcasts, so-
Peggy
That's right.
Tony
... wherever you prefer, we try to be there for you.
Peggy
Subscribing helps you. Subscribing helps us.
Tony
Yeah, you don't miss out.
Peggy
And the same on YouTube. Subscribing helps you. Subscribing helps us. Liking, commenting, sharing, all those things are so, so very helpful to us. We really appreciate when you do all those things.
Tony
Yep, and of course, if you saw something on our website that you actually didn't laugh at, might have actually been valuable.(laughs)
Peggy
Well, wait, some things I want them to laugh at.(laughs)
Tony
That's for sure. Anyway, we appreciate your sharing that with your friends, and especially, there's a lot of things where we have answers from things that have been vetted from manufacturers, that sort of stuff. So if you're looking for a reliable answer to a lot of RV questions, uh, you can find them on our website, and share them, and make yourself look super-duper brilliant.
Peggy
Yeah. Well, that is our episode for this week, from a hotel. Very rarely happens,(laughs) but it has this week. We look forward to seeing you again next week, f- back in our mini light, and until then... Stressless camping.
Tony
Stressless camping.
Mark Ferrell
We hope you learned a lot and had some fun and got some tips for your next stress less camping adventure. We're honored by your reviews on Apple Podcasts, which helps others find us too. Don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss out on the adventure, and we look forward to your joining us next week. Until then, happy camping.
