Desert round up - Quartzsite + a new power idea - podcast 342
How did Quartzsite happen? Plus a new way to back-up your home and power your RV.
How did the Quartzsite RV show come about and what’s really under this enormous tent? We speak with Kimmy King to learn how her dad started this and how she and her husband are keeping the legacy alive.
Then we talk to Rich from Airgear who has a new idea for powering your RV off the grid.
Other places to hear the podcast
Mentioned on this episode
The Quartzsite Sports, Vacation and RV Show
The Sorein Power System mentioned by Rich Luhr.
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 342
Peggy
How did the Quartzsite Sports Vacation and RV Show come about?
Tony
And what's really under this giant tent here in the middle of the desert?
Peggy
We get to speak with Kimmy King, the queen bee of the Sports-
Peggy
... of the Quartzsite Sports Vacation and RV Show. She's gonna tell us a little bit about how her dad started this show, and how she and her husband keep it going.
Tony
Yeah. And then we're talking with our buddy, Rich, about a new way that he is powering his RV. Kinda interesting, so-
Peggy
Yeah.
Tony
... stay tuned for that.
Peggy
We have this week's podcast and the notes that go with it, along with deals, discounts, tips and tricks all on our home on the web at stresslesscamping.com.
Tony
This is podcast episode 342.
Peggy
Woo-hoo!
Tony
Oh my gosh! Stressless Camping.
Peggy
Stressless Camping.
Tony
I'm Tony.
Peggy
I'm Peggy.
Tony
We're two RV industry veterans who travel part time-
Peggy
In that Rockwood Mini Lite.
Tony
... looking to share our big adventures and help you with great tips-
Peggy
Tricks-
Tony
... and discounts.
Peggy
We are super excited to be at the Quartzsite Sports Vacation and RV Show behind the scenes.
Tony
Once again. Yeah, absolutely.
Peggy
We are here bef- the vendors are lined up. We can see-
Peggy
... them lined up right there waiting for the gate to open.
Tony
Yeah, as you can see, if you're watching this on video, there's- there's nobody here yet.
Peggy
No one's in here yet, but the tent has all been up for about a week. The booths are in, the lights are on, and everything is ready for those vendors to move in so that the show can start on Saturday. Today is Thursday as you're, as you're hearing this. Saturday, January 17th is the beginning of the show. It's also the day that we do, at 4:30, our meet and greet with content creators. So if you are in the area, even if you don't wanna shop, which come on,(laughs) you might wanna meet some of your favorite content creators.
Peggy
So come on by at 4:30 over by the seminar tent and hang out with us for a while.
Tony
Yeah. That'd be fantastic. Well, you know, one of the things that we've noticed here is there are a lot of companies doing solar and lithium and upgrades. And how do you know who's gonna do a good job for you and do proper wiring and proper infrastructure? It's, it's not just putting solar panels and batteries on an RV.
Peggy
Right.
Tony
It's, it's actually a big deal 'cause you're playing with a lot of power. Well, that's one of the reasons we have been so happy with our friends at AVA Upfitters. They use all Master Vault components, including connectors, wires, all of it. It's all thoroughly designed from top to bottom and customized to the way you camp. So if it's just, "Hey, I'm taking my RV from campground to campground," that's one solution.
Peggy
Yeah, maybe you just need a little battery to keep your refrigerator running while you drive. That's fine. Maybe you wanna boondock for weeks at a time, like-
Tony
Like we do.(laughs)
Peggy
Like we do. I was gonna mention other people, but my name, my brain just went dead. Anyway, it depends on what you want and what you want, they will work with you and make it happen.
Tony
And you know how you find out? You just give them a ring at 574-333-3225.
Peggy
That's 574-333-3225.
Tony
Or-
Peggy
Or I'll find room here somewhere for a QR code.
Tony
Yeah, and they're in the show notes at stresslesscamping.com.
Peggy
AVA Upfitters.
Tony
It just works.
Peggy
Well, we're really happy this week to be able to talk to Kimmy King. She is the owner and producer and director and a- all the things. She's-
Peggy
... chief, what do you call it? Chief bottle washer-
Tony
Ch- uh, yeah, chief cook and bottle washer.
Peggy
...(laughs) cook and bottle washer of the Quartzsite Sports Vacation and RV Show. And we get to talk to her. Unfortunately, it got a little windy where we were.
Tony
We are in the desert.
Peggy
So, we are in the desert, so at the end, bear with her, uh, there are some dates, but there are notes, so if you can't understand what she's saying, just look at the notes. She gives the dates for the next couple of, this year and next year. Uh, but let's hear from Kimmy. We're here! We're back!
Tony
Yes, we are at the Quartzsite Sports Vacation and RV Show with the queen bee of the Quartzsite Sports Vacation-
Tony
... and RV Show-
Kimmy King
Oh.(laughs)
Tony
... Kimmy King.
Kimmy King
Hi, I'm Kimmy. I am the, uh, owner and show promoter for the Quartzsite RV Show, along with a great staff. So, um, yeah, we're here in Quartzsite, Arizona, ready to talk 2026. Right?
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
Yeah. So-
Tony
Yeah, I've noticed some of the same, a lot of the same team members-
Peggy
Yeah.
Tony
... rolling around. I mean, it's, it's incredible.
Peggy
Yeah.
Kimmy King
Yeah, we really try and keep our crew the same as much as we can. You know, a lot of them are snowbirds themselves, so they're traveling all over the, the United States, and, and they find their escape here in Quartzsite, and it's nice to kinda have a job here too. And so, we try and keep those same individuals with us. And then we also hire new people that are new to Quartzsite or are traveling through Quartzsite. So, um, it's been a, it's been a nice ride, and we have a very good crew this year.
Peggy
How many years old is this show?
Kimmy King
43.
Peggy
Okay.
Kimmy King
So yes, 43 years old. My dad started it in 1983.
Peggy
Oh, wow.
Kimmy King
He had no idea. You know, he had no idea-
Kimmy King
... that it was gonna, it was gonna come to, to this, you know. Like, he started over in Tyson Wells. He was selling RV awnings for any awning system, and him and my mom were like, "Let's try something different. Let's bring, let's bring the RVers and the snowbirds directly to Quartzsite for an RV show." And you know, he threw up a tent and called it the Quartzsite RV Show, so that's how the name started. And then since then, it's just sort of branched out. Now it's the Quartzsite Sports Vacation and RV Show, so we encompass a little bit of everything. We're not your typical RV show like you'll see at other places.
Peggy
Right.
Tony
Yeah, you're, you're not necessarily coming here to shop for new RVs, although that's a possibility.
Peggy
Yeah, possibility.
Tony
But truly, if you are inside an RV or even inside a home, there is probably something here that you will walk away with.
Peggy
Walk away with.
Kimmy King
Absolutely.
Peggy
Yeah, and that's what I say is if you are a full-time RVer, everything you buy is a home item, right?
Kimmy King
It absolutely is.
Peggy
So for people who say, "This isn't an RV show, it's a home show,"-... yeah. Well, that's part of-
Kimmy King
Well, isn't your RV your home?
Peggy
That's part of what it is.
Kimmy King
You know?
Peggy
And, and I have told people, "If you, if you want to buy an RV and you need to look at hundreds of RVs, this isn't it." You know, there's a couple hundred RVs here, yes. There's one dealer. But this is not the place to necessarily buy an RV. This is the place to buy all the things to go in and on and around your RV.
Kimmy King
Yeah.
Kimmy King
Absolutely.
Tony
I mean, we look inside our own trailer at all the stuff we've bought here, like the RV SuperBag and pots and pans and collapsible bowls and cleaning products and-
Kimmy King
Yeah.
Tony
... Matt from Liquefied is... Well, Matt's team is here.
Kimmy King
Mm-hmm.
Peggy
Yeah.
Tony
Um, so stuff... Everything from the black tank to the outside of the RV and the kitchen and, and just all of that. But also, if I have a problem, besides the ones that I normally have-
Kimmy King
Which is a lot.
Tony
Yeah. Oh, Kimie knows me so well.
Tony
I'm gonna, like, detour my own self, which is no surprise also. But one of the neat things about Quartzsite is you just see people and just become these great friends.
Kimmy King
Yep.
Peggy
Yeah.
Tony
And we count Kimie as a friend of ours. It's a great place to come meet people.
Kimmy King
Absolutely.
Peggy
Yes.
Tony
But I was talking about if you have a problem, you can also have that resolved here 'cause there's a lot of service and-
Kimmy King
Yep.
Tony
... repair.
Kimmy King
Yes. So, that was something my dad wanted to differentiate himself with, with most RV shows. You know, we have service bays. We have 13 active service bays where you can come and get work done on your rig while you shop. So, you can either make an appointment ahead of time or you can make an appointment when you arrive. We have, uh, Redlands RV, we have Roadmaster, Blue Ox, and Battle Born who take up our service bay spots, and they are just all day pumping out rigs, you know. So it's really neat that you can get so many different things done, tire installed, solar put on, batteries put on, tow bar fixed.
Kimmy King
Um, all kinds of stuff.
Tony
Yeah, we have a friend who is gonna join us who lives in New Mexico, um, and he was talking about battery issues and I'm like, "Dude, don't solve it at home. Come here."
Peggy
Yeah, wait till you're here(laughs) .
Tony
Because there, there are great deals and very knowledgeable people here.
Kimmy King
And then even... I mean, I love Quartzsite, so it's not even specifically at my show. There's lots of installers in the Quartzsite area.
Peggy
Yeah.
Kimmy King
So it's not necessarily just here. Yes, we have, um, Sin City Overland who is a Battle Born distributor who does do installs, but there's so many different places within Quartzsite that you can get work done on your rigs.
Peggy
Right. Right.
Kimmy King
So, it's just a nice perk to have, 'cause Quartzsite, they thrive off of this. This is what they look forward to every year, not just my show, but all the other shows that are actually happening concurrently before or after my event.
Peggy
So you've got the bays with those particular vendors or providers. You also have a whole bunch of vendors inside that tent right there.
Kimmy King
Yes. So, our tent is huge. Um, a lot of people do know this, don't know this, but our tent kind of grows in size every year-
Kimmy King
... depending on what the world looks like. So, um, this year, I believe we have 324 individual 10 by 10 booths, which, uh, take up I think it's 212 companies. So, you know, do the math. People have multiple booths. Um, and then we have the outside of our tent, uh, the midway, which is where you'll find people that are using their RV to display their product. We have all that going on. Um, some of our major sponsors this year, it's Progressive. So, Progressive is our naming sponsor. You'll see their name all over our show.
Kimmy King
They have a booth outside the tent on our outdoor midway area. And then Battle Born Batteries is gonna be our platinum sponsor. And then our gold sponsors are Big Beard Battery, who is sponsoring all of our seminars-
Tony
Yeah.
Kimmy King
... along with these beautiful folks right here.
Tony
Yeah, I'm so excited to see Todd again.
Kimmy King
Yeah.
Tony
He stepped up to sponsor the seminar tent, and they're just... Uh, if you haven't watched his weekly videos, do 'cause he does a super job.
Kimmy King
They're great.
Tony
He's very knowledgeable.
Kimmy King
We're very excited about the seminars this year. It's just every year... I mean, I couldn't do it without these two 'cause I can't, I can't be everywhere at once as much as-
Kimmy King
... I want to be. So it's really neat that we get to kind of see it grow, and then the content creator meet and greet, which is happening opening weekend or opening day at night, and, you know, it's just fun to see all those things. So, Big Beard is doing, uh, our gold sponsorship and they're doing our seminar tent. Um, we have, uh, Open Roads, Masa Global, and Lectric Bikes, and then we have a handful of silver sponsors who, um, are, uh, around. We have, um, Love's RV Stop, which are brand new to the show. We're very excited about them. We have Ramblin' Man Suspension, they are new to the show as well.
Kimmy King
Rich Solar and then obviously Progressive. So we're, um... Oh, and CAM Command, they're another one here.
Kimmy King
They're new. They're a new sponsor. They're in the show. So we're really excited for everyone to be a part of it. So our show dates this year are, uh, January 17th to the 25th. We open at 9:00 AM. We close at 5:00 PM. We close, uh, closing day at 3:00 PM. Um, we have so many cool vendors at our show. Um, our show dates for 2027, January 16th to the 24th. So we run still early. We still open over, uh, the holiday weekend. We'll have our seminars. We'll have it all.
Tony
And there's no cost to park.
Kimmy King
Nope.
Peggy
Nope.(laughs)
Tony
No cost to get in.
Kimmy King
We are free.
Peggy
That's right.
Tony
You don't hear that word very often.
Peggy
Yeah.
Kimmy King
So-
Peggy
That's right(laughs) .
Kimmy King
... free entry, free parking, free exhibitor seminars, so you don't have to register. You don't have to, uh, contact these two to say, "Hey, can I get in?" You just show up.
Peggy
Show up.
Kimmy King
Yeah. All you have to do is show up. So we're really excited to see you guys 2025.
Peggy
And if you show up kind of late, you might have to stand at the back-
Kimmy King
Yeah.
Peggy
... 'cause those seminar tents fill up.
Tony
Yeah, those seminars do. But there's so much to see and do here, but it's a great place to come and make old friends, even if you just met them.
Kimmy King
All right. See you guys soon.
Tony
Yep. Thank you, Kimie. Always a pleasure.
Kimmy King
Of course. Of course. I love it.
Tony
Well, what'd you think? Kind of, kind of cool to keep the family legacy going.
Peggy
Right.
Tony
It's intense.
Peggy
Intense. So, despite the wind, the weather here is supposed to be-... phenomenal this whole entire week.
Tony
Yeah, it's over here.
Peggy
Like, in the 70s during the day. There's really not... I mean, that was a breeze that was annoying for recording, but it wasn't a wind that would have been chasing us back into our trailer or anything. So, please don't let the weather scare you. Just come on out and enjoy the show.
Tony
<< The weather is here >>
Tony
That's not so nice. Hey, speaking of good weather, we talked to our friend Rich Luehr. No, that's not a good-
Tony
... but whatever.
Peggy
That doesn't work at all.
Tony
He was also out here in the Quartzsite desert.
Peggy
He was. We missed Rich and his friends-
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
... 'cause they were here earlier in the month.
Tony
Yeah, and he's testing out a new way that he's powering his RV. Different idea, but hey, let's give Rich a listen. We are very pleased to have Rich Luehr back from AirGear. And Rich, I think, is kind of a fellow nerd, and, uh-
Rich Luhr
Indeed.
Tony
... he and I like to try out different things and have some ideas of little bit pushing the limits. You're coming to us from the middle of the desert. Welcome, Rich.
Rich Luhr
Yeah, thanks. Yeah, we're, uh... I'm out here with a couple of buddies. We're, we're camping in Quartzsite, which you know well. Um, and just kind of out in the middle of the BLM land, enjoying life, and just taking it easy. We got the smoker going, we're making up some ribs, and, uh, having a good time.
Tony
Oh, well, shoot, I should've been out there instead of here.
Rich Luhr
Yeah, we got ribs.
Tony
So, Rich has a good idea, and as you know, we are big fans of solar and lithium systems. We talk about them all the time. But Rich has an alternative idea that I'm kind of really curious to learn more about. So, let me, let us know what, what you got there?
Rich Luhr
Well, sitting next to me here is a portable power station. This one's made by a company called Sorin, and, um, it's kind of the beginning of a really big change in, uh, I think, RV power. Um, and, and let me explain. I think this is gonna change things in a, in a big way. Portable power stations have been around for a little while, but what we're seeing now is, uh, they're getting better, they're getting cheaper, and they're, uh... better offerings are coming out that are good for people who are mobile, which is the key for being an RVer, of course.
Rich Luhr
The beauty of a portable power station is that in one fell swoop, with one purchase, it eliminates the whole fancy custom battery installation, the big inverter installation, the heavy cables, all the labor involved in that. Uh, you can buy one of these units, which is essentially a giant lithium battery pack, a really capable, full, uh, pure sine wave inverter, and a bunch of other features that I can talk about, that, um, does all of that for you without any modifications to your RV at all.
Rich Luhr
You literally just plug your RV into this and everything is powered, all the AC outlets, you can run your microwave, you can even run your air conditioner. And it's a fraction-
Tony
Hmm.
Rich Luhr
... of the cost of a custom installation. So, it suddenly makes... it makes it possible for everybody to have all the benefits of really big lithium batteries.
Tony
And being a portable power station, you can use it in more than just your RV.
Rich Luhr
Of course. Uh, when... in between your trips you can put it in your garage and use it to back up your second refrigerator or your freezer or your h- you know, any, any appliance in your house. It, it acts like an uninterruptible, uh, power system, so you can plug an appliance into it, plug this into the wall, and the power will flow through it as long as there is power. And if the power goes off, this automatically takes over and will power that appliance while you're home. So, you get something for home, and then you could just take it apart. It's broken sp- breaks down into modules, easy to lift. Take those modules, put them in your truck, take it on your RV trip, reassemble it when you get there.
Rich Luhr
It only takes a few seconds, and now you've got all the benefits of that for your RV. So, take it with you when you need it, don't take it with you when you don't.
Tony
Yeah, because a lot of RVers are, I'd say, very part-time, right? I mean, there may be two or three weekends a year the RV sees use, and this can make a lot of sense for that. So, you had said a lot less expensive than a traditional pathway to solar and lithium. What roughly are we looking at numbers-wise? 'Cause I know people are gonna ask.
Rich Luhr
Of course. Well, you have to look at this on an apples to apples basis, you know? If you're gonna put in a, say a three kilowatt-hour system, and I recognize a lot of people are not real comfortable with terms like kilowatt-hour, but 3,000-watt-hour system. That's probably, oh, I don't know, four, four or five lithium batteries of the typical size that would fit into your battery box. Um, and then you're gonna put in a th- two or 3,000-watt inverter, and you're gonna put in all the heavy cables and the miscellaneous items, and have the furniture taken out and put back in. That's a big custom installation.
Rich Luhr
That installation, uh, you'd have to ask an installer, but it's certainly, you know, $10,000 is not out of the ballpark for what people will spend for a system like that. You can buy the exact same functionality in a portable system for about $2,000.
Peggy
Hmm.
Rich Luhr
So, you're talking about an enormous savings. If you don't need it built in, the question becomes, why would you pay to have a custom installation when you can buy a product off the shelf that does the exact same thing? So, for those-
Tony
True.
Rich Luhr
... people we're talking about, those part-time RVers, this is where it really starts to make a lot of sense.
Tony
Well, and I keep going back to you can also... I, I think more and more people are coming to the realization that things happen to the power grid, right? That there's either a blackout, or someone hits a pole, or some goofy thing like that, and this also can... you could run a lot of stuff in your house off a portable power station. In fact, that's one of the reasons we have a garage full of them, is-
Tony
... when the power goes out, we don't have to barbecue all the meat that's in the freezer.
Rich Luhr
No, exactly. I've been there. I- I used to live in Vermont and got caught in a pretty good ice storm for a- a week, and, uh, we had to eat all the ice cream. Um, and we-
Tony
Oh, darn.
Rich Luhr
... we had- we had 10 pints of Ben & Jerry's and we ate them all in two days. It was awesome.(laughs)
Tony
Then like a month later, you go to the dentist and the dentist is like, "Eeh?"(laughs)
Rich Luhr
Yeah. It was great in the moment. One of those things you do in your 20s but don't do later in life. But anyway-
Tony
Yeah.
Rich Luhr
Uh, but I mean, yeah, that's exactly it. The thing is, the power stations that they've been selling, you know, and you see the major companies like EcoFlow, um, they make big solid units for household use. They weigh 100 pounds or more. And that 100-pound thing is not something you're gonna lift and put into your truck. It's just not. It's too much. It's designed to wheel around your garage. Whereas a modular station, you literally lift the top unit off, lift the next unit off, and each unit weighs between 37 and 48 pounds, so they're all kind of luggable. And that's-
Tony
Yeah.
Rich Luhr
... that's really what, for an RVer, that's what you've gotta look for. You want a modular system that you can break down into pieces.
Tony
Yeah, it's- I've seen your system in person at Balloon Fiesta.
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
And that's where we kind of started talking about all this. So if you're watching this on video, you see kind of a big unit sitting next to Rich, but we'll put photos in the show notes or on video here that actually breaks down into smaller, very easily transportable pieces that are all just designed to work together. Another thing, your unit has a 30-amp outlet.
Rich Luhr
Yes.
Tony
So-
Rich Luhr
There's- you're- you're standard TT-30, the same 30-amp outlet you find in every campground. It's- it's right there.
Tony
So what you would do as an RVer is you take your 30-amp power cord and just plug it right into that. Um, you could-
Rich Luhr
Yep.
Tony
... do more fiddly-ness by putting it in a compartment or if you have a toy hauler or something like that. But right out of the box, you plug your 30-amp cord in and you're- you're golden.
Rich Luhr
And that's the real beauty. One of the great things about portable power stations, they're- they're literally plug-and-play. I mean, there's no cables or anything on this. To- to assemble the modules, you literally just drop one module on top of the other one. They interface automatically. It's good to go. There's no programming, there's no firmware, or fiddling. You just push the power button and plug in. That's it. I mean, it couldn't be more plug-and-play than that. And the neat thing about it is if you decide to expand, you go, "Hey, I need more battery power," you can buy an extra modular battery pack, and then stack it underneath the existing stack and now your system is more capable.
Rich Luhr
So it grows with you. So y- you can start with a small unit and gradually increase your capability without having to replace the main thing.
Tony
What we always recommend is with any power system, you go to a full-service RV park where you have shore power, but don't use the shore power and just see how far you can push it.
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
And then from there, uh, adapt and adjust.
Rich Luhr
I tell same- people the same thing. If you- if you're afraid of boondocking, just go to a full-hook campground and don't hook up. See what happens.
Tony
Yeah. And how do you charge this system?
Rich Luhr
You plug it into the wall or, um, we're- we're using solar. We've got, um, a few solar panels stuck out there in the sunshine, and they're plugged into the back of this unit right now. So at this moment, it's a little cloudy, it's getting 190 watts of solar input right now. We're currently not using it, so there's no solar- there's no power output. So right now we're just charging the unit. We'll plug back in, turn on the inverter later, and power- power our microwaves when we need them, that kind of thing. Uh, but yeah, so you can charge by solar up to 1,000 watts with this particular unit.
Rich Luhr
It'll vary. And you can just plug it into the wall and it'll charge at 1,800 watts. So yep, up to you.
Tony
Or you could charge with your tow vehicle, too, correct?
Rich Luhr
You can. And it- that's a really good use case for a DC-to-DC charger. Um, those things have become really popular lately. And for a long time I kind of scratched my head because I'm- I'm thinking, "What do you really need the DC-to-DC for?" And I've realized this is the perfect application, because those things can put out a tremendous amount of DC power. You plug it right into the back, into the same plug that the solar panels would go into, and you're charging at 1,000 watts while you're driving your truck. So that's- that's brilliant.
Rich Luhr
I mean, charge as you go, show up at the campsite, you're ready to go. And if you move, you can, you know, charge it again. You can charge it with your truck idling if you really have to, or solar. So there's a lot of flexibility there. So DC-to-DC, wall outlet, solar panels.
Tony
So what a DC-to-DC charger is, for people who don't know, it basically takes the power that your alternator is generating and takes full advantage of that. So the seven-pin that's on the back of your tow vehicle, it's a- it's, I think, seven amps is the max. It's- it's tiny how much power.
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
But a DC-to-DC is a different kind of, better connector, and it's specifically to take advantage of your vehicle's charging system.
Rich Luhr
Yep.
Tony
And so it- a lot of, especially, uh, pickups have really substantial alternators and can put out a lot of DC power, which is ideal for charging up these systems.
Rich Luhr
It really is. It's a perfect use case for the- for if you're a hardcore boondocker and you're going from one boondocking spot to another and you got a couple hours driving the car, perfect opportunity to charge up your power station and you're good to go. Having said that, Tony, I have to say, for most people, they won't need to do that, and the reason is if you've just got 200 to 400 watts of- of solar panels, portable panels that you can plug into this thing, y- you'll keep it fully charged most of the time anyway. The DC-to-DC would be more of a backup situation for a lot of people.
Rich Luhr
Solar- solar does it for me every time. I've never needed anything else.
Tony
Right. But I mean, as there's- options are always good, and- and I know a lot of the people who follow us are...They're pushing stuff to the limit. Some of these systems that I've seen installed have been, like, 2,000 watts of solar and monster batteries. And, you know, they're- they're... I think our followers are pretty into these off-grid systems.
Rich Luhr
You know, the portable power station, whether it fits into your mode of camping is, you know, it's obviously a personal decision. For most people, I think, given that you're not a full-time or you're not a super push-the-envelope kind of boondocker, but you go out there once in a while, you do enjoy boondocking and you don't want to be limited by batteries, this is really the- the cost-effective way to get into more power and a bigger inverter at the same time. Don't do any upgrades to your trailer. Just leave it as is, and then just plug into this and you have all the benefits. So there's a sweet spot for people.
Rich Luhr
But I can even see somebody who's pretty hardcore. I mean, look at you, Tony. You've got quite a substantial system in your- in your rig. You've got a lot of solar, you've got big batteries. I mean, it's an awesome system that you've got. If you ever felt like you needed more, which I can't imagine you ever doing-
Rich Luhr
...(laughs) this would be the cheap way to go to- to boost your... And this is why you can add this when you need it and then leave it at home when you don't. So, that's- that's nice.
Tony
Yeah. I mean, that's the- that's the thing, is multiple use cases. Now, how would you handle if it's, like, rainy weather or something like that? What do you... How do you handle that?
Rich Luhr
Well, you definitely don't want to leave the unit out in the rain. They're not totally weatherproof. Um, you could. if it's a light rain, you can just have it under your awning. Last month, I was camping in Big Bend National Park, and I was only using the top unit. I only needed, uh, uh, a- a small piece of it. Actually, I was using this whole stack, is what I was using, but I found it fit right underneath my rear bumper. Uh, so that-
Tony
Huh.
Rich Luhr
... protected it from any potential weather. You can also just put an umbrella over it. I mean, just- just to keep the rain off is all you need to do. The thing is, there's cooling fans in the sides, so you don't want to block the cooling fans. But other than that, just anything to keep the rain off is gonna do the job. Put it in your pickup bed if that's... if you've got a cargo cover. Um, or just turn it off and throw a- a shower curtain over it until the rain stops, you know?
Tony
Barbecue cover.
Rich Luhr
Barbecue cover would work fine. Um-
Tony
That's what-
Rich Luhr
Again, the thing is, you don't want to restrict the flow of the- the cooling fans too much, but a barbecue cover that's loose and sort of blousy probably would work just fine.
Tony
I have become the man of barbecue cover, uh, misuse.
Rich Luhr
Okay.
Tony
I use it obviously for barbecue, but we use barbecue covers for our e-bikes when they're on our bike rack, and that would be a perfect thing to cover with a barbecue cover, 'cause they're big and they're relatively inexpensive.
Rich Luhr
That's actually-
Tony
So, all these specialized covers are one thing, but a barbecue cover and you can cover your barbecue.
Rich Luhr
Well, it's funny you mention that, because we were just talking about that this morning, about making a custom rain cover. And we probably will eventually make one for the Sorin system that, you know, allows the ventilation and allows you to use the front panel while keeping it out of the rain. Uh, maybe later in 2026 we'll have that out on the market. But in the meantime, you're right. I mean, you could just go ghetto. Just throw something over it, you know? You're fine.
Tony
That makes sense. So, right now, the only place to get this is through AirGear.
Rich Luhr
Well, we're the only ones currently dealing in the Sorin brand. We, we discovered them in 2025 and have been testing the product, uh, for most of the year. This is our sample unit, and we've been using it. We used it at Balloon Fiesta with you. We used it in Big Bend last month. We've used it on a number of other trips, and now we're in Quartzsite. Just trying to work out all the use cases so we can educate people on it. But we are selling these now, and we love 'em. I mean, they're great, they've been trouble-free. They've got a nice app, so you can control it remotely. It can hook to your wifi and you can access it from anywhere. It's a nice, well-built, reliable system, um, that we've been testing, like I said, for the better part of 10 months, I would say.
Rich Luhr
So we're really pleased to be the first North American retailer to be actually selling these. Um, and we think it's gonna be pretty big.
Tony
Well, something I like about the things on the AirGear store is you test everything. It's not just a collection of stuff. It's a collection of stuff that you actually use. And you're, as you can, you know, if you're watching this on video, as you can see, there you are out camping in the desert testing it out.
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
So...
Rich Luhr
Yeah, that's been kind of the thing. I mean, ever since we started the store, our- one of our promises has always been that we won't sell anything we haven't used, that we don't... You know. And most of the things that we sell, I use every camping trip. Everything, you know? Because I don't want to sell junk. We don't do good, better, best in AirGear. We just find the best and we sell that. So we only sell one brand of power station, one brand of EMS, one brand of tire pressure monitor, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And if we can't find the product, we make it ourselves, because sometimes there's just nothing good on the market so we have to design our own version of it.
Rich Luhr
Uh, like our sun shade, we- we made our own of that. And I really am proud of that, because I feel like if you're just selling stuff because you can, it's sort of disingenuous. I mean, uh, how can I recommend things to people, like you, my friend, and say, "Yeah, you should buy this from me 'cause I'll make money off of it," if I don't really believe it, you know? So I don't want to go to Tony and Peggy and say, "Hey, guys, I could make another car payment if you bought this thing from me." I'd rather say-
Rich Luhr
... "Hey, Tony and Peggy, this is a really good thing. I've been using it for six months and I think you guys would benefit from it." That's- that's kind of the, where I'm at. It's just, it's just good ethics, I think. You gotta do that.
Tony
Well, I- I mean, you think of all the stuff I'm thinking of what we have in our trailer from you, the water hose, which is... We've had it now, I think, for three trailers and it's- it's outlasted the trailers. Uh, the tire changing kit and, uh, when I go... Right now, the trailer's winterized, but when I head to Quartzsite, I'm gonna de-winterize it. I use the tire changing kit to also put the anode rod back in the water heater.
Rich Luhr
Oh, that's it.
Tony
And I check the torque on the, uh, tire, uh, on the wheels, of course. Um-
Rich Luhr
Oh, that's a good use. I never thought of that one. Good one.
Tony
Yeah. It's- it's perfect. The- the tire changing kit is great for putting the anode rod in and taking it out.
Rich Luhr
Yeah, yeah.
Tony
So-
Rich Luhr
So, that's perfect.
Tony
Multi- again, multipurpose.
Rich Luhr
This is, this is what I love to hear because I have a lot of friends in the RV community, and most of my friends are in the RV community, and be honest with you. And, you know, I couldn't exist in the world if I was steering everybody to a bunch of crappy junk that broke after one year. That, that would be... So yeah, we really believe in, in Sorin. We've tested it and used it under all kinds of conditions and I'm really, uh... Whether people buy this particular one or another power station, I feel like it's part of our mission to educate people about what you need to look for in a power station, so you don't have buyer's remorse.
Rich Luhr
And like I said, one of the things is, don't buy one that's just one big block, because if it weighs 100 pounds, you're not gonna take it with you on your trip. It's gotta be modular. And look for one of the, you know, an established brand or a well-recommended brand. These- there's a lot of cheap junk on Amazon that has no reputation, and there's a reason for it. They don't have good wiring, they don't have good BMSs for the battery, they don't have good user interfaces, they have bad apps, um, they're just unreliable. Stick with quality, would be my second point.
Rich Luhr
Look for a s- an expandable system I think is really cool. I- I love this little flashlight they put in it, it's like-
Tony
Oh, that's cool.
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
So it, so it pops out.
Rich Luhr
If you have a power outage, you need a flashlight. In this batt- this one's always charged. And it's-
Tony
Huh.
Rich Luhr
... only in there magnetically, so when you grab it, it turns on.
Tony
What kind of batteries are in there?
Rich Luhr
These are, well, of course they're lithium iron phosphate batteries, exactly the same as you use in RVs because those are the safe kind of batteries. I don't know the manufacturer of the actual cells. That's a question I got last week and I've got to go research that, 'cause I haven't dug- I never thought to ask who makes the cells, but I know they're quality cells. They're well-tested. Um, they got a lot of proof. This is part of a system, it's designed to scale. This is actually part of a u- of a commercial grade system. You can scale this system up to 100 kilowatt-hours, which is enough to run a small warehouse.
Rich Luhr
I mean-
Rich Luhr
... an incredible amount of power. Uh, what they do is they stack them up about five units high, and then they cable it to another one, and cable it to another one, and they can just keep doing that. So, it's-
Tony
Huh.
Rich Luhr
... built to- a really robust standard for commercial-grade applications. And when you buy the Sorin system for RVing, you're getting the exact same system. You're getting that industrial-grade manufacturer, but in a smaller, smaller package because you're only buying what you need. But it's the same system. So, there's a lot of reliability in that, and I, I love that part of it. It's not some cheap piece of consumer crap that they're just like, "Hey, you bought it."(laughs) "We got our money. Bye." No, but it's really-
Tony
Well-
Rich Luhr
... it's made to scale up to industrial size applications.
Tony
And, and that's important, even... There's been a lot of talk recently about a battery company that cut corners-
Tony
... has created quite a, a stir in the RV industry, and I want- I don't wanna mention names, but-
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
I think we, we all make mistakes in life, and their response to the- what has come out is really unfortunate, in my opinion.
Rich Luhr
Yeah. I, I think we're all aware of, of that particular controversy right now. I have some sympathy for the company involved because they, they may have been, in some sense, they may have been a victim of, of a mob attack. They haven't, but they really have not defended themselves well. You know, it's unfortunate because the user base, we customers, users, we need to know that what they're selling is as good a product as we thought it was. And if there is a design flaw, they should own up to it and say, "Okay, from this year to this year, this serial number to this serial number, they're not so great.
Rich Luhr
We're gonna do something about that." Um, silence isn't, isn't a good way to deal with a problem like that.
Tony
No, you own these things, and, and I think, you know, it's not... We all have problems, right? It's how you address those problems that-
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
... really, really matters, so...
Rich Luhr
We've had that kind of situation happen too, and it's terrifying because, you know, like, you don't know what you're in for. Are you, are you gonna get sued? Are you gonna have to do a massive recall? You know, what's the solution? It's, it's a very panic-stricken time for somebody who's the, you know, the manufacturer or the vendor of something that goes through this. So I, I, like I said, I have a lot of sympathy for what they're probably experiencing right now. But my advice to them would be, you know, start talking, and-
Tony
Yes.
Rich Luhr
Put, put a, a, a proper answer on this that makes sense and put a scope on it so people under- stand whether or not they need to worry. Um, because, you know, if that happened to us, it would be horrible. My heart would be in my throat. But we would deal with it. Um, and also, you know what's an interesting side effect of this, Tony? Uh, is, as a result of this problem emerging, people are getting a lot more educated about batteries. They're starting to put, uh, point infrared thermal thermometers at their batteries to see if there's a heating problem, which is, is a good idea to understand-
Tony
Yeah.
Rich Luhr
... are the terminals overheating? Do you have loose connections? That's dangerous. And also, um, there's more tear-downs happening on YouTube. People are starting to tear down these batteries and find out what's inside, and I think that's really good, because again, if you go to Amazon, you can buy a lithium battery from the top manufacturer for 700 or 800 bucks. You can buy the same spec battery from another manufacturer that you never heard of for $180. And people come to me all the time, and they say-
Tony
Yeah.
Rich Luhr
... "Why would we buy the cheap one? I can't see the difference. The specs are the same. It does the same thing. Why am I wasting my money on the more expensive product?" And the tear-downs are beginning to educate people on why you spend more money for a good battery.
Tony
Especially with something that can be a fire hazard or explodey, or, you know, stuff done wrong inside these, these cases-
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
... can have quite some consequences.
Rich Luhr
I think, I think the YouTubers who are doing the tear-downs are doing us all a big service, because otherwise, these things are literally black boxes. We don't-
Tony
Yeah.
Rich Luhr
... know.And to, to have somebody open it up and say, "Wow, this BMS is really crap," or, "This connection is too small or badly designed," that's a service to all of us. We really... I mean, I wish Consumer Reports or some other organization, you know, would, would be doing this to help us-
Tony
Yeah.
Rich Luhr
... know, you know, which brands are safe and which ones aren't, 'cause it really is a safety issue. I totally agree with you.
Tony
It, it truly is.
Rich Luhr
Yeah.
Tony
Well, any other tips you have, uh, regarding portable power stations and the Surin system and thing and that?
Rich Luhr
Well, all I'm gonna say is, um, uh, you know, if it's for you, you'll know. And if it is for you, do your research, buy something good, uh, don't shop on price. Please don't shop on price. Price is not an indication of quality. Um, it, it's a general indication, but if you are buying the cheapest possible system, you are probably not getting a good system. So I would just say, you know, be, be intelligent in your choices. Hopefully, you're only gonna buy one of these in your whole RVing career and you wanna make the right choice.
Tony
As I've often said, "Buy the best and cry only once."
Rich Luhr
Exactly. Exactly. I'm a big believer in that one too.
Tony
Yeah.
Rich Luhr
I've had too much junk pass through my life(laughs) .
Tony
Yeah. Well, Rich, it's always good seeing you. I wish I were there with you camping. Um-
Rich Luhr
I wish you were in Kentucky.
Tony
There may be some beers consumed, but...
Rich Luhr
Sure we're gonna miss you guys in Quartzsite, but I, I... Thanks for having me on your program.
Tony
Oh, it's always a pleasure seeing you and look forward to talking to you soon.
Rich Luhr
Talk to you later. Bye.
Tony
All right. Thanks.
Peggy
Well, that is a pretty exciting new idea for power-
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
... uh, uh, RV power or just, you know, power for all the other things that you want when you're out camping(laughs) .
Tony
Power your beer cooler.
Peggy
Yeah. So last week, we asked the question of the week, "Are you going to get to camp more in 2026 than you did in 2025?" We certainly hope so. We appreciate the people who have responded. We, uh... Yay to those of you-
Peggy
... who retired in 2025, so 2026 is an all-travel year. That is very fun. And this week, we would like to know, if you attend an RV show, what's your favorite part of an RV show? Now, we don't really have to shop for an RV. I love looking at the new stuff.
Tony
Yeah, says the people who've bought-
Peggy
Yeah.(laughs)
Tony
... two RVs at RV shows.
Peggy
Um, but I love this part of an RV show. I love walking through vendor booths, seeing what I already have, seeing what's new, seeing what I never knew I needed but I absolutely do. That's the fun for me of an RV show. There's a lot of work camping ideas here. There's a lot of gadgets and supplies. There's campgrounds. Uh, there's all kinds of things here. What is it that you like to do when you attend an RV show?
Tony
Yep. Well, you can answer that at our fun and friendly Stress Less Campers Facebook group, or you can also ask questions or share your tips or whatever it happens to be. Everyone there has been really, really friendly and really great with ideas. So a good place to be.
Peggy
Yeah, so we're gonna get out of those vendors' way so they can open those flood gates.
Tony
Yeah.
Peggy
We really appreciate you being here. We love that you like and share the, the podcast and the YouTube channel and the website. Thank you so much.
Tony
And stress less camping.
Peggy
Stress less 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.
