 Hey everybody, it's Robin with Creativity RV and welcome to another Sunday morning view queue where I answer all the best viewer questions from the view queue two weeks ago. So if you've got a question for me, then please do leave it in the comments below. Before I get to today's questions, which are fantastic, I mean, I'm talking about salvaged RVs and top-aged to be on the road and batteries and all kinds of stuff. I want to let you guys know that the quarterly updates for my book, Be a Nomad, Change Your Life, just hit this last week. So as you guys know, this book does not come in a paper format because I update the links constantly to make sure they're good. But every quarter, we actually update the book with new information. And this time we've got information on all kinds of stuff from health care changes to other camping options and job options. So if you have the book already, just go up into your settings on your e-reader and tell it to update all or update my book and it will automatically populate the book with all of the new information and links. And if you guys have not gotten the book, the link for it is down below. I also wanted to tell you that I have decided to up my Instagram game because I was going through my footage recently and I've got a lot of like one off things that, you know, didn't quite make it into a full video. Like bloopers and little travel videos and just stuff I want to share with you guys. And so I've decided to start putting that stuff on Instagram. I haven't been that active on Instagram, but I am going to be now. So the link for that and for Facebook are down below also and also in the about section of my channel. So let's get right to the questions. Paula Lucas said, what is the oldest person you have met who is Arvine? Well, I'll tell you for me, for a solo person, it was 73. And I have met people older than that that are in a couple. But I wanted to tell you that Susan Doyle said, oh, I'm sorry, she said, I'd love to know the answer. And then Holly said, my mother and I are full time in a minivan. She's 83 and does great. Holly, did I meet you at the RTR? I feel like it did because I met another wonderful lady who traveled full time with her mother and another like middle aged lady that traveled with her 20 something daughter. So that wasn't them, but that is great. And casual drifter said 97. And I would love to hear more about that casual drifter. So if you see this, please do put it in the comments below. I'd love to learn more about that. OK, see Green Two said, my view cue question. I'm in the process of downsizing. Do you have tips for downsizing? Is there anything you got rid of that you wish you'd kept that you ended up purchasing again? That is such a good question. I'm going to tell you what a couple of other people said because their their answers were really good to you. Yes. So my advice, first of all, on downsizing would be you can't keep everything sentimental. You know, if you've got a big trunk of stuff, it's hard to keep that in an RV. So I do keep some sentimental items, but they're smaller. And I actually had two or three outfits of like dressier clothes. I wouldn't say like super dressy clothes. But, you know, I thought if I go to a museum or, you know, I have to go to a funeral or something like that, I should have some clothes like that. I never wore them. They're gone now. I mean, you're looking at it. You're looking at it. This is it. I dress very casually. I haven't worn a pair of high heels in two years. And anybody that makes a comment about my short hair and what that means can pound sand. It's just what would I do? It's like dressy clothes and high heels in here. It's it's not the way I'm rolling now. It's not the vibe I'm going after. So I got rid of my fancier clothes. I absolutely had too many clothes. I have absolutely downsized my clothes at least three or four times. They go to Goodwill. I've also purged shoes. I mean, I had casual shoes, like, you know, sandals and stuff like that. And then I realized I wear four pairs of shoes. I always wear four pairs of shoes. You got your you got your hiking shoes. You got your your slip on like comfy like sketches. I have a pair of boots in case it gets wet and gross or I'm out of the campfire. And I've got my house slippers that I love. And that's it. That's everything. And that's all that I have now. I did repurchase some stuff that I got rid of, but it wasn't exactly the way that it sounds. There are some things that I use, for example, because I cook, like let's say I have an immersion blender, right? Well, I use the immersion blender all the time. So it wasn't that I used it and got rid of it. But what I found was I didn't want to plug it in because some of my outlets are not inverted. And I would have to turn on the generator to use the immersion blender. I had some other things like that, like a razor or a toothbrush, stuff like that. I ended up purchasing those items again as USB powered rechargeable items. If I could do it all again, I would make every small electronic device that I could USB powered. I'm gonna do a video pretty soon on that and show you everything I found that's USB powered. Now for me, I don't have any 12 volt outlets. So I know some of you are going to say 12 volt is more efficient. A 12 volt looks like a cigarette outlet if you guys are familiar with it that way. I don't even have that in here. This RV and my last one didn't have that. So for me, I have my little portable lithium battery that I charged during the day when the sun is out. And then that's charged all night and it will charge all of my USB devices. And I did a video called Always Be Charging. I don't know, about eight months ago, it's in my playlist that says I never miss any sunlight. And because of that, I can charge everything USB, including a new USB immersion blender and a dry razor and lights and cameras and my toothbrush and all kinds of stuff. That's what I would say I purchased again. I got rid of the stuff I had to plug in and made sure that it was power effective for me. And also like USB powered mini fans are everything. I charged them up during the day and I use them because it's hot right now and they do a better job than, you know, the stuff that goes up through the ceiling. Just know you do your best when you first get out on the road and then you downsize as you go along and you figure out what you use and what you're not gonna use. In fact, let me tell you what the other people said. So Pamela said, I can share a couple of items, a small ladder rake, regular size broom, Tupperware, extra bedding, don't ask. I assume that's because she got rid of that stuff and she had to purchase it again. Yeah, you know, and it's like stuff like the broom. I had to search forever for a little mini broom because I was sick of carrying a big household broom but that's something you learn along the way. And then Margaret said, in my opinion, downsizing is a guessing game. What will I need in the future and what can I live without? And that's the same whether you live in a house or a van. One thing that I have noticed watching van videos is that the majority of people change not only their rigs but the amount of stuff they bring. Most of them realize they brought way too much stuff and that's true. You know, in the interview I did today, they said something really interesting. The wife said, when I first started the RV life, I was trying to figure out how to fit everything I owned into the RV. And then you realize that it's a whole new life that you don't need to bring that life into the RV with you. And I thought that that was genius. Okay, moving on to the next question. Gypsy Road said, hey Robin, love your RV, thank you. I was wondering how your occupant and cargo carrying capacity affects your ability to store all the things you need to live comfortably in your RV. So related to that last question. So as some of you have mentioned before, I purchased a Tiff and Wayfair and the one downside I can see to this rig is that it has a low OCCC, which is carrying capacity. So I'm gonna do a video on this coming up because it's very confusing, you know, G-V-W-R or G-W-A-R-O-C-C-C, which is all stuff you will see on the sticker when you open up an RV door. And basically it will tell you how much you can carry. Well, it varies on VIN number because they might change the components they have in this rig. For example, if I had stabilizing jacks, I probably could carry less because this rig would be heavier or, you know, a bigger fridge or something like that. So for me in this rig, I have just under a thousand pounds of stuff that I can carry, which you would think would be enough for one person, but I added on solar and I have an e-bike on the back, which I think I'd just count the hitch for that. And I did find that I had trouble staying under the weight that they recommended. So for me, I purged, I purged more stuff and I had to get rid of it. And, you know, I have everything I need to live comfortably. You know what I found? I found that I was purchasing food like I was ready for the apocalypse. Like, you know, you have to put things, you know, in the back of RV cabinets. So I'd have a can of chickpeas back there. And I would know it was back there because it would be behind other things, maybe. Or I didn't check before I went to the grocery store. So I'd go to the grocery store and I'd buy another can of chickpeas. And the next time I went to the grocery store, I wouldn't remember and I'd buy another can. So recently I have redone that stuff and I'm really trying to just purchase what I eat and maybe a little emergency food. Barb Sanders said, but wait, you didn't tell us why your solar wasn't working. My solar wasn't working and my brand new reg. Oh, and there needs to be more Sundays in the week. I love your videos. Thank you. Okay, so some other people said, I second your comment and Brianna said she said the screws in her solar are leaking. Okay, so look, you guys should expect a whole new video coming out on this topic because yes, I had the solar put in and they didn't seal it around the screws and that leaked, but then my entire solar system just pooped the bed, you guys. You know, it was really rainy and I was traveling a lot and so my batteries were getting a charge, but then I thought, oh, I'm not really getting a charge because it's been so rainy until I got to my latest spot and don't you know it, a mobile repair guy saved the day again, which goes to the next question, which is from Donna Harrell or Dona Harrell. How do you find a mobile mechanic on the road? I Google mobile RV mechanic near me and you guys know from my past videos that three different times now a mobile RV mechanic has saved my heini and again, they're not warranty guys. So they're not just trying to swap out a part and get paid and they don't have a dog in the fight between the dealership and the manufacturer. They get paid when they figure out what your problem is and they fix it and I'll tell you, I found somebody great who had to get up on the roof and figure out what was wrong with my solar but I'm gonna tell you about that in an upcoming video so I can show you the parts and explain it and everything. So thanks for that question, look out for that video coming up soon. If you guys haven't hit the little bell after you subscribe, do that because it'll tell you when there's new videos coming out so you don't miss that one. Okay, this is one I definitely wanted to respond to this week. So you guys know in the last VUQ, once again, I recommended Harvest Hosts because you guys get a 15% off discount when you use the coupon code below that's at the top of comments and there's a lot of confusion about if vans are allowed and somebody asked about that last week and so I showed you in their FAQ, it says camper vans are allowed and Leda Saloh, I'm probably saying that totally wrong, I apologize, said, hi, I'm confused because she emailed them and she emailed them a thing that said, very succinctly, hi, Harvest Hosts, I have a mini van. She said, are mini van conversions allowed if they have the required interior toilet and contained gray water, thank you. And they said, we go more for RV type rigs. And I talked to the owner of Harvest Hosts today, Joel, who's great. And you guys know that we've done a video, two videos together in the past and this is what he said. You have to write in or call in and tell them that you have a converted camper van. The word mini van, I think is what maybe didn't fly because in mini vans, they're not sure that you have the right interior components and I know that you were very specific. These host locations are people's farms or wineries or museums, they're businesses and it's an uphill battle sometimes for them to get hosts that want to allow us because of these stigmas that we talked about before. And so because I think they've had a problem with mini vans before, that's where the hiccup is. So if you guys have a van, yes, Harvest Hosts will allow camper vans. I would email them and say, I have a camper van, tell them what your interior system is and let them decide on a case by case basis. But for everybody else, you know, schoolies are allowed because they're always outfitted in the right way in their experience and all other kinds of rigs are allowed and you get to travel around and, you know, I'm hitting a few Harvest Hosts this next week and I'm super excited about it and I'm gonna be taking you guys along on some of those videos, so look out for that. But they've also added golf courses, which I'm psyched about because after talking to Joel, he said the golf courses are very laid back and, you know, they're beautiful and you are in a huge parking lot and then they all go home and it's very chill and a good place to go. So I'm gonna try that out for you guys. Okay, Lou's Traveler 2 said, I want to get a tire monitoring system, me too, Lou. And I am narrowing down the possibilities now. Do you have any ideas on them? Thanks always, I'm glad big boy stuck around a little bit. So I was really surprised that my Mercedes Sprinter on my Tiffin did not automatically have a tire monitoring system. My last one did and so rookie move, I thought they both did because they were the same chassis. And I should have asked that because my tires recently were actually under pressure and out of balance. And I'm gonna tell you guys about that more, it really affected my ride. So I've been studying this and learning a lot. I did look at getting a tire monitoring system. And what I found was the tire monitoring system itself might be like 160 bucks, but the console that reads it can be 1,000 and it just wasn't worth it to me. So what I did is I got a little digital tire monitor that's made for RV, so it goes ahead and works with the dualies. There is a link to that in my Amazon gear page. So if you guys go below, you'll see it in the section that says, as seen recently on YouTube, I'll make sure it's there so you guys can see it. But it's battery driven and you just literally unscrew the little cap and you push it in and it will tell you what your tire pressure is. And I do this every time now before I travel. And I'll also tell you this, less Schwab or discount tires will go ahead and read all your tire pressure and look and see if your tires are balanced for free. So if a tire monitoring system is cost prohibitive for you, I would recommend the little digital gauge or just stopping every once in a while at one of the tire shops and have them checked for you. Cheryl says, next view cue, do you get cabin fever and how do you deal with it? If you're getting claustrophobic when considering a long-term RV life, okay, look, no, I've never gotten cabin fever except for two weeks ago when I was stuck in all that rain because if I went outside like literally, it was like God was pouring a bucket on my head. I lived in Seattle for five years and I loved it. So that's me, I can go out in the rain but that rain was so hard and so long that I was trapped inside a lot and I did get cabin fever. I usually talk to you guys inside because it's windy outside and I want you to be able to hear me without the wind noise. But I have these big windows and this breeze that's going across me right now that's going to the other side. And so no, I mean, I look at my windshield, I look outside when I'm inside the rig but I spent a lot of time outside and I actually wasn't going to talk to you about this today but I can see you can see it outside here. I got a quick set pop-up clam. I'll put a link to this also on Amazon. This is a freaking game changer. I'm going to do videos on this once I'm really good at popping it up and putting it down because this has doubled my living space, literally. Now, they're like 300 bucks. So it's not a small investment but I don't know if you guys can see this. This is the gray top out here. It's all one piece. I didn't have to assemble anything. You know, I have friends that have had tents and they have to put all the poles in. This thing literally you pull a strap and the entire thing goes boop and pops up. I also had to figure out that I had a place to store it and that I could handle the weight but it's bug-free. I mean, well, not bug-free. There are still bugs but I have a little like bug killers in there and I can fit a big desk in there, two chairs and a lounger that I have and so I spend most of my time out there and so no, I'm not getting cabin fever at all. I didn't before but now thanks to the clam I can spend time outside if it's raining or not and how do I deal with it if I get cabin fever? Here's a dirty little secret. In the morning, usually to start my day I have a kitchen dance party in the kitchen. I actually have a kitchen dance party mix on my phone and I blast it and I get my blood moving because sometimes it's not the claustrophobia so much as when you're trapped inside you're not getting your blood flowing, you're not getting as much exercise as you should so I dance in the RV. Someday, maybe I'll catch myself doing that on video and show you but probably not. And now to the best question from last week's view queue which was from Sweet Lavender again, she said I'm gonna go down to it. In my RV search I've come across a damaged RV website and then she has in parentheses insurance company money recoup but a lot of the RVs are damaged due to fire, water, or flooding so I have a possible question for your next Q and A. What are the statistics for the top five or 10 most common ways an RV is ruined, damaged and are RVs a big fire hazard? This is what I want you guys to know because I have an insurance background and I actually called a friend who's a claims manager and did some other research for this question. I may actually do a full video on it because I think it's so important. Yes, there are sites out there that sell salvaged RVs. It's just like a salvaged car. So first of all, let me say this, an RV or a car is salvaged or totaled when the cost to repair it is more than what the car is worth on an actual cash value or depreciated value. Let's say that there's an RV and it has a little bit of damage and it costs more to repair it than it's worth. Then the insurance company will give the owner of the RV two options. They're going to let the owner keep it and they'll pay them off part of it and they'll let the owner keep it with a salvage title or the insurance company will pay them for it totally at the actual cash value and then resell it to like an auction house that will sell it off for parts or as a whole RV. And that's probably where these are coming from. I don't know what site you looked at, but here's what to know about those RVs or cars if you're going that way. If you have a salvage title, it is very difficult to get it registered, titled and insured. I'm just gonna keep it real with you. It depends on the state that you're in. In some states you can still get it registered and get it titled, but you can only get it insured for liability only. They're not going to cover it for like collision and comprehensive. And then if you wreck it, I mean they're gonna say it's a salvage title, right? And if you try and resell it, it's extremely difficult to resell. There are some steps that you can go through to rehab it and then you have to go through a whole bunch of hoops for your state to say that it's no longer a salvage title. But then you have to think about the sweat equity. You have to put a lot of work into a salvaged rig to get it where you need it to be. Now, it may have had some minor fire damage or some minor flood damage. And there may not have been that many problems at the time. Maybe they went to fix it. But in some of the research that I've done, electrical problems are more common on rigs that have had prior fire or water damage and electrical problems are what causes fires. So I don't know. I mean, if you were looking for a really specific rig and you had the chops to redo it, probably fine. And you have to take it on a case-by-case basis, just really know what you're getting and what the laws are in the state where you want to title it and register it and ensure it. I know it can be tempting because they can be a lot less expensive, but you know, there could be hidden gremlins in that thing. So for me, probably, I don't know. I've had problems in a brand new one. So I don't know. I would have to take it on a case-by-case basis. Thanks again for watching. You guys, I appreciate all your questions. Please do put your questions for the next VUQ down below and look at your other viewers' questions so that if you have something to offer as an answer, you can add it. I wish you all happy travels out there and be free.