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Seminars at the 2019 RV Show

Download the Seminar Descriptions
Show attendees requiring seminars in alternative format are asked to contact the Show Office one hour prior to the seminar.

Campground Safety - Presented by Gary Bunzer

Campsite safety is paramount! Trouble-free RVing for all people, pets and property, while using any recreational vehicle, requires the RVer to know, understand and practice the proper procedures for pre-trip preparations, checking in, setting up, using, disconnecting and exiting any campground or campsite. The RV Doctor, Gary Bunzer, teaches this important session regarding all the safety aspects of RV use.   

120-Volt AC Electrical System Safety - Presented by Gary Bunzer

Under no circumstances should you ever feel a tingle or shock when touching your RV! This seminar provides an understanding of how the AC system works and knowledge of what to do and how to look for AC electrical anomalies. What test devices should you carry with you as you travel? Learn all about it in this seminar. This presentation also suggests safeguards to help reduce the potential of an electrical emergency. Learn a simple, inexpensive test that guarantees no damage to your RV's electrical system will ever occur.

RV Doctor's 10 RV Facts of Life - Presented by Gary Bunzer

Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor, has seen it all over the last 45 years in the RV business. Over time, the Doc has collected a few RV Facts of Life. Learn how to cope with and even take advantage of these non-negotiable realities. If you want to get the most out of your recreational investment, this seminar is for you.

RV Roof Top Air Conditioner Maintenance - Presented by Gary Bunzer

If subjected to repeated neglect, the common roof top air conditioner, with at least one found on just about every RV, can be a costly mistake, not to mention nuisance interruptions to a planned RV excursion! Learn how to perform easy maintenance checks to keep your air conditioner in tip-top shape, plus save money by doing it yourself before you actually need that cool air!

Freedom in a Can: Finding Sustainability in 72 Square Feet - Lifestyle Presentation - Presented by Hutch and Shari

Ever dream about chucking it all and hitting the road in an RV? Hutch and Shari did just that -- turning their mid-life crisis into an adventure and new lifestyle. Over the last 6 years, they have lived more richly, healthily, happily and sustainably in their tiny, vintage, “canned ham,” travel trailer.  Their story, accompanied by stunning images from the places they’ve visited (49 states, 4 countries, countless National Parks and public lands), will inspire, educate, entertain and challenge you to think differently about the opportunities and challenges of life on the open road.

Who are Hutch and Shari?                                                                   

David "Hutch" Hutchison and Shari Galiardi are a traveling freelance writer / photographer / speaker couple who have been living in their 72 sq ft vintage 1957 travel trailer since 2012. These full-time campers travel regularly, camp whole-heartedly, and pack their lives with experiences instead of things. Both are outdoor and environmental educators who have explored, volunteered, and worked across the country as well as internationally.

Living on the Open Road: How in the World Do You? - Presented by Hutch and Shari

Convinced that a big road trip is in your future?  Scared? Excited? Don’t know where to begin?  Hutch and Shari will share lessons learned, strategies, life hacks, and cautionary tales gleaned over 6 years of traveling the country out of a 72-sq. ft. trailer.  This fun, interactive presentation will cover everything from downsizing their life to practical concerns about paying bills and receiving mail.  Additional topics include: boondocking with solar power, finding seasonal work and volunteer opportunities, locating the perfect campsite, personal safety, among others.  Bring your questions, dreams, and concerns that might be holding you back from taking the plunge!

Hosting in Washington State Parks - Presented by Washington State Parks

The Host Program offers enthusiastic and interested volunteers the chance to stay and have fun in beautiful and diverse park settings while gaining experience in park operations and visitor services. Find out how rewarding becoming a host can be in this informative seminar.

Exploring Your Washington State Parks - Presented By Washington State Parks  

Have you visited a state park lately? Discover the many improvements we’ve made that will enhance your visit, including upgraded electrical hookups, cool new playgrounds for the kids, better boat launches and more! Get ready to rediscover your love of the outdoors at a Washington state park this year!

How to Get Started Workcamping - This seminar has been cancelled for Saturday - Presented by Amazon Workforce

Suggest attending the Freedom in a Can seminar for more information about working on the road.

Getting started work camping can seem daunting.  Armed with a little information though, the stress can be removed from the equation which will  help you make appropriate decisions.  This seminar is designed to answer your questions about job availability, variety, how do I get a job, what do they pay and qualifications.  In addition, we cover “In demand skill sets”, choice of RV, work camper resumes, what belongings to take and the question, “Can I really make a living doing this?”. Come join us for the seminar and see if the work camping lifestyle is for you.

Freightliner Chassis' Fireside Chat - Presented by Joe Snyder                                          

Offered at RV owner rallies and events across the country, Fireside Chat is an abbreviated version of Camp Freightliner – FCCCs (Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation) wildly popular two-day seminar-reserved exclusively for FCCC owners. It is packed with valuable information about your product, what Freightliner does to make your ownership experience easy and enjoyable, and maintenance tips and tricks for new and veteran RVers.

Although brief, Fireside Chat covers everything from joining the FCCC family to the parts of your chassis - broken down into seven sections to make the class easy to follow and convenient, in addition to being interesting and informative.

Learn more about the benefit of driving a motorhome built on an FCCC chassis by attending this informative seminar.

Staying Connected On (Or Off) The Road! - Presented by Sea Tech Systems

Whether you are heading down the highway, leveled up in a popular RV park, off in the wilderness, or overlanding the Trans-America Trail, there are a variety of ways you can stay connected to family and friends, travel companions, and even a business you maintain back home. We will dive into the options available from handheld trackers to wifi and cellular options, as well as ham radio and satellite.  We will highlight the pros and cons of the options, give an overview of the costs involved, what you can do with a particular type of system, and sprinkle in a little advice on making the best use of the connections you do get.

Boondocking 101 - Presented by Dave Helgeson

Are you a free spirit looking for the total freedom that a RV offers, that likes to go “where they want, when they want”? Then be sure to attend this entertaining seminar where you will learn how to break free of schedules, reservations, leash laws, campground fees and other modern inconveniences? In this seminar you will learn how to find your own secret hideaways on public land before leaving home via the internet and how to safely and comfortably stay there without hookups.

Full Time RVing - Beginning and Continuing your Journey - Presented By Bryan Appleby

Many dream for a very long time of leaving family, friends, their home and routines behind to purchase an RV and hit the road to explore the USA.  How to choose the best RV for the needs you will have to fulfill your dreams, as well as what are the essentials in being successful, personal safety on the road, where should you stay, mail/packages, workcamping, maintenance and that all important subject - budget.

Who is Bryan Appleby? 
From the very beginning when Bryan planned and left on a solo bicycle trip around the western half of his native state of Kansas at the age of 13, he has been traveling somewhere, often in remote locations. The outdoors has been an emphasis on this father & grandfather, taking him to his occupations as a State Trooper and a National Park Ranger.  Now, as a retired State Trooper and again working as a seasonal National Park Ranger, Bryan has been exploring America by full-timing in a RV, currently in his 9th year on the road.

Solar Debunked - Do I Need It? Batteries, Inverters & Charging Explained
Explained By Bryan Appleby

Solar can be a life changing experience or just an expensive novelty like a blender on the kitchen counter.  What is solar, do I need it and/or are there alternatives to consider? All these will be discussed as well as how one develops a plan for solar and how to better use their battery bank.  Understanding all of this is important as well as maintaining your equipment and safely charging your battery bank.

Exploring Alaska on the State Ferries - Presented By Alaska Marine Highway System

Learn how to optimize your driving vacation to Alaska using the state ferries.

Keeping Your Dirty Beast Clean and Tidy - This seminar has been cancelled for Saturday
Presented By Wade Weiss - President and Chief Formulator of Duratain Protective Coatings and Wade Maid RV Maintenance Products

Come meet Wade and get tip and tricks on how to keep your RV looking like new, longer. Wade will go through the common mistakes and proper ways to ensure you get all you can out of the lifespan of your RV's finishes. Busting some of the mythis out there, Wade will teach you how to make the care and cleaning of your RV easier.

Proper Travel Trailer Towing - Presented by Torklift

Trunnions, L bars, receivers, sway controls...determining what you need to safely tow a travel trailer can be overwhelming! Attend the Proper Travel Trailer Towing seminar and learn travel trailer “hitch lingo” and the optimal way to tow your travel trailer.

Proper Fifth Wheel Towing - Presented by Torklift

In the past when it came to fifth wheel hitches you didn’t have a lot of options. Today there are countless manufactures and types of fifth wheel hitches for short bed, long bed and flat bed trucks that adjust in corners, can be easily removed or nearly hidden in the bed of the truck. The Proper Fifth Wheel Towing seminar will explain your choices allowing you to make the right choice to safely pull a fifth wheel with your truck.

Equipping Your Truck to Carry a Camper - Presented by Torklift

If your choice of RV is a truck camper how will you safely carry it on your truck? Mounting and suspension will be topics of discussion at the Equipping Your Truck to Carry a Camper seminar. The correct equipment can make owning a truck camper a safe and enjoyable experience for the whole family.

Towing Capacity - Matching Truck & Trailer - Presented by Torklift

Engine displacement, gear ratios, four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive, 1/2 ton, 1 ton, long bed, short bed, transmission coolers and other terms may or may not mean much to you, but they make a big difference regarding how much a tow vehicle can pull and carry. If you are looking to tow a RV with your existing vehicle or have your eye on a shiny new towable RV and want to know what kind of vehicle you will need to properly tow it, sit in on this highly informative seminar and learn how to properly match truck and trailer.

Ask the Experts - Presented by Industry Experts

Have your technical, lifestyle and do-it-yourself questions answered by a panel of industry experts during this interactive presentation. This is your chance to get all of your RVing questions answered! Panel is scheduled to include:                                                             

- Nationally recognized RV technical expert, author and speaker, Gary Bunzer “The RV Doctor”
- Full timer RVer, author, speaker, retired State Trooper and seasonal National Park Ranger, Bryan Appleby
- RV owner, current service manager for a local RV dealer and past regional sales manager for Monaco, Chris Nelson
- Lifetime RV enthusiast, speaker, author and former RV dealer, Dave Helgeson
- Plus, others            

Concealed Carry Permits for RV Travelers - Presented by Old School Gun School

Learn how to obtain the proper firearm permits for RV travel in different states with different laws. Transporting firearms across state lines in an RV may be a felony in many states. Understand the firearm laws that affect interstate travelers. Be safe! Be legal! …..There’s more to it than just reciprocity.

Choosing a Firearm for RV Travel: Myths & Facts - Presented by Old School Gun School

Shotgun? Rifle? Handgun? We all carry a fire extinguisher in case of fire. We all carry a first aid kit in case of injury. Explore the advantages of traveling with a firearm. For most violent threats while on the road, you will be your own First Responder. With proper training and equipment, a firearm may increase your safety & security while on the road.

RV’s, Guns, Law Enforcement & Litigation… - Presented by Old School Gun School

When is your RV a motor vehicle? When is it your home? Guns in the vehicle laws. Guns in the RV laws. Open carry & concealed carry laws. What to say & do before a shot is fired. What NOT to say & do AFTER a shot is fired. Traveling with guns & children. Safe transport and storage.