The Wandering Traveler RV Life

06/04/2026

Made it to North Sterling State Park in Sterling, Colorado, and Bertie Bea decided we were going to take a pop quiz in campsite geometry. 🤣

This may have been one of the most unlevel sites I’ve ever pulled into, and it took three moves, a whole new vocabulary, some creative StakPad work, and about an hour in 90-degree heat to find the right spot.

The first place I wanted her? Bertie Bea and the HWH leveling system both said, “Absolutely not.”

After moving about 15 feet and making the power cord stretch just far enough without dragging out the extra 25-footer, I finally found the sweet spot. Front and rear were level, and only the passenger side needed to come up.

Best part? None of the tires are off the ground.

That’s a win.

Rolling Smooth isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it’s moving the RV three times, sweating through your shirt, and letting the campsite tell you where the rig actually wants to sit.

But we’re here, we’re level, the A/C is running, and I’m cooling off before the rest of the group arrives. 🚌

06/04/2026

I missed one fish, made a quick recast, and then the next one almost stole my fly rod. 🎣

For a few seconds on the Bighorn, I wasn’t really fighting a fish.

I was negotiating custody of my rod.

The fish got away, the rod survived, and Brian delivered the official boat review:

“I’d have preferred you just hang on to it from the beginning.”

Fair point.

The Bighorn keeps you humble, but at least it gave me my rod back.

06/03/2026

Bertie Bea is about ready to roll out of Cheyenne and point her nose toward the next stop on the Summer RV Tour.

Next up: North Sterling State Park on Sterling Lake in Colorado.

This stop is less about checking off miles and more about catching up with friends, slowing down a little, and enjoying one of those places that reminds you why the road is worth the effort.

Cheyenne has been a good reset. The RJourney park gave Bertie Bea plenty of room, Rosie got to rest in the shade, and I got a few days to breathe before the next stretch of highway.

That’s the rhythm of this life.

Roll a while.
Rest a while.
Visit with good people.
Then roll again.

If you’ve been enjoying the stories, the videos, the campground notes, the Rolling Smooth lessons, or just following along as Bertie Bea and Rosie wander from one stop to the next, you can help support the journey here:

https://buymeacoffee.com/wanderinggypsyrvlife

Every little bit helps keep fuel in Bertie Bea, groceries in the fridge, and the stories coming from the road.

North Sterling, here we come.

Keep your rig rolling smooth.

06/03/2026

Fuel stops are a whole lot calmer when the geometry works in your favor.

That’s why I like Maverik stations when they have gas and diesel in the truck lanes. Bertie Bea is a gas-powered Class A, and with Rosie tagging along behind her, having room to ease in, line up, fuel up, and roll out makes a big difference.

This stop in Douglas, Wyoming, was a little backed up, but that’s alright.

We’ve got nothing but time.

That’s part of the Rolling Smooth mindset: don’t rush the parts of travel that deserve your full attention.

Keep your rig rolling smooth.

06/03/2026

I just spent two hours and fifty one minutes listening to this podcast, and I have to say one thing, thank you for the honesty, Jade Corkill. I have been fence riding lately with God, and your testimony reminds me what it means to have Him by your side. As Miss Kendra says so eloquently in her post that this is a must listen. God is working today. If you need a pick me up or are wondering if God is listening, know that He is, every hour of every minute or every second of every day. Definitely som**hing I needed to hear today.

“The truth will set you free.” It’s in the Bible.

When it comes to mere mortals, it takes a big man to admit to his mistakes. But what if he’s willing to risk his own reputation because it might help someone else avoid the same devastating ditch? That takes big ones, and gets mad respect from me.

Perfect people might not appreciate Jade Corkill’s wide-open conversation with Charly Crawford. But I do. Lots of f-bombs. Get over it. The truth bombs trump them.

This is a long listen, and it’s not for kids. I strongly suggest parents preview it first, but I’ll tell you this: By the time my two sons were teenagers and old enough to hook up a horse trailer on their own, I’d have turned it up in the motorhome on the way to their next junior rodeo with me at the wheel.

Charly rated it R for Real. It’s Raw, too, and Jade risked everything to come all the way clean.

Thank you both for doing this. There’s no telling how many cowboy (and cowgirl) disasters will be diverted by the honesty here. It really can happen to anyone. Do not try it one time—I don't care how smart, talented or disciplined you are. This soul-sucking drug cost me someone very close to me, and I have plenty of friends who’ve paid the same sad, sickening price.

While we’re opening gaping old wounds for the greater good, m**h isn’t the only devil that can ruin everything. For you young guns who weren’t around when NFR cowboy Broc Cresta died at 25 without warning at The Daddy on July 28, 2012, it’s because he’d been prescribed pills after a painful rib injury in the bulldogging at the Timed Event that spring, and was still hurting.

It didn’t seem like a big deal to Broc or anyone else to have a few beers on top of a prescribed pain pill at the concert at Cheyenne that night. But as the Laramie County coroner told me, “That combination was just the perfect storm for Broc, and his body forgot to breathe.” Broc would want you all to learn from his innocent mistake.

There’s an old saying that “misery loves company.” Thank you, Jade, for not wanting anyone to join you on this particular part of your journey. So glad God got to you before it was too late.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/charly-crawford/episodes/Jade-Corkill-e3k5afj

Reliance Ranches

06/02/2026

Sometimes the best moments on the river aren’t about the biggest fish.

This one was fish number six on the Bighorn, and after a little net drama, a little joking with Brian, and a lot of “finally,” it felt like the river finally let me off the dime.

A good day with good friends, a fish in the net, and one more memory from the Summer RV Tour 2026.

Keep your rig rolling smooth, and your net in one piece.

06/01/2026

The Wyoming wind was blowing hard enough yesterday that recording video at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Grounds and Museum would’ve sounded like I was interviewing a freight train.

So I did the next best thing.

I walked around, took pictures, and let the place speak for itself.

Cheyenne Frontier Days isn’t just a rodeo. It feels like one of those places where the history is still leaning against the fence, waiting for the next gate to crack open.

The saddles, the old photographs, the stories of bullfighters, bronc riders, photographers, and the people who built the grounds all remind you that rodeo has always been more than eight seconds in the arena.

It’s travel.
It’s grit.
It’s family.
It’s busted equipment, long miles, bad weather, better stories, and people who keep showing up anyway.

Maybe that’s why this whole rodeo and RV life connection keeps making sense to me.

Whether you’re rolling into a campground, a fairground, a rodeo ground, or a windy parking lot in Wyoming, the road has a way of teaching the same lessons over and over.

Be prepared.
Respect the history.
Laugh when the wind wins.
And keep rolling smooth.

06/01/2026

Tent campers know.

If you have ever camped in a tent by yourself, with your spouse, or with the whole family, you understand the difference between “we’re making memories” and “I hope this air mattress survives until sunrise.”

Pete D’Acosta from Capri Campers said some of their happiest long-term customers are experienced campers because they already know what camping asks of you.

So when they step up into a hard-sided Capri Camper, it feels like a whole different world.

Still simple.
Still practical.
Still close to the outdoors.

But compared to tent camping?

It can feel a little like the Four Seasons.

That line made me laugh because it is true. Once you have fought rain, wind, mud, heat, cold, and midnight tent-zipper gymnastics, a hard-sided camper starts to look mighty civilized.

📺 Watch the full video podcast:
https://youtu.be/L4aXrHe6e2U

More from Wandering Gypsy RV Life:
https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com

Rolling Smooth RV Book Series:
https://bit.ly/rollingsmooth

Beyond the Chutes:
https://beyondthechutes.show

TechnoRV:
https://technorv.com?Click=12127

Support the journey:
https://buymeacoffee.com/wanderinggypsyrvlife

05/31/2026

Bertie Bea’s travel map is about to get one more sticker during the Summer RV Tour 2026. 🗺️

This map only counts states where Bertie Bea has actually stayed overnight, not just rolled through on the way to somewhere else.

So here’s the burning question:

What state will Bertie Bea add to her map this summer?

The first correct guess on each platform wins a free audiobook copy of Rolling Smooth: How to Enjoy the RV Life Without Losing Your Cool. I'll DM the winner.

That means I’ll give away one copy here on Facebook, one on Instagram, and one on Threads.

Drop your guess in the comments, and let’s see who knows their Bertie Bea geography.

Giveaway note: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Meta, Audible, or Amazon. First correct comment on each platform based on timestamp wins.

05/30/2026

Six years ago, I climbed into a little 25-foot Class C motorhome named Bessie and headed west with more enthusiasm than experience.

I had no idea where the road would lead.

Since then, there have been breakdowns, roof leaks, fishing trips, friendships, lessons learned the hard way, and more memories than I could have ever imagined. Along the way, I’ve discovered that some of the most important lessons have very little to do with RVs and everything to do with life.

As I drove Bertie Bea from Douglas to Cheyenne, Wyoming this week, I found myself reflecting on those six years and the people, faith, failures, dreams, and experiences that helped shape the journey.

This week’s episode isn’t a technical RV discussion. It’s a windshield conversation about life, friendship, perseverance, and what the road has taught me.

🎧 Audio Podcast:
https://rss.com/podcasts/wandering-gypsy-rv-life/2871919

🎥 Video Podcast:
https://youtu.be/B9710Lo-v10

📚 Rolling Smooth RV Book Series:
https://bit.ly/rollingsmooth

☕ Support the Journey:
https://buymeacoffee.com/wanderinggypsyrvlife

🌐 https://wanderinggypsyrvlife.com