Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Judy Fiegel was already an RVer before her husband died. Nothing
big, nothing full-time. Short trips, sometimes with her
granddaughter, sometimes with a group of women friends. A small
thing that was hers.
Four years ago her husband died, and the question in front of her
was not what to do about the RV. It was what to do with the rest of
her life.
She went all in. Four years and four RVs later, she's traveling in a
rig with a music studio in it and a quilting studio in it. She
didn't buy an RV and then look for room for her life in it. She
built the rig around the life. She writes and plays music, she
quilts, she travels with a 100-pound Bernese mountain dog named
Winston who is still growing, and she has built a community around
herself all over the country.
In this conversation: what it meant to have already carved out
something of her own before she lost him, what she wants to say to
couples where one person has nothing of their own, and how a solo
traveler actually finds people in a campground full of couples.
Also in this episode: Mike and Jennifer are back from their first
trip since Jennifer's summer of cataract surgery and knee
replacement, and it did not go effortlessly. Plus two listener
questions, on learning to back a trailer at 68, and on leaving a big
dog in the RV safely.
00:00 – Intro: The "Hard Conversation" every couple faces.
01:12 – Welcome to the RV Podcast & personal updates from Mike and Jennifer.
02:22 – Jennifer’s recovery and returning to the road.
04:00 – Finding your community in the RV lifestyle.
06:03 – Conversation of the Week: Meet Judy
07:18 – Judy’s story: Starting as a solo traveler.
09:28 – Transitioning and reinventing life after loss.
11:34 – Advice for couples: Preparing for the future today.
14:40 – Judy’s new 40-foot Brinkley & towing as a solo woman.
15:37 – Traveling with Winston (Bernese Mountain Dog) and safety.
17:14 – Navigating stereotypes as a solo female RVer.
19:12 – The "Pink Palace": Setting up a mobile music and quilting studio.
21:11 – Judy’s upcoming travel plans.
24:07 – The Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement.
25:37 – RV Overnights & unique camping experiences.
26:57 – Question of the Week 1: Is 68 too late to learn to drive an RV?
28:29 – Question of the Week 2: How to safely leave a dog in an RV.
30:41 – Final thoughts and where to join the community.
LINKS
Free daily newsletter: rvlifestyle.com/newsletter
Show notes and full transcript: rvpodcast.com
The RV Lifestyle Community: rvcommunity.com
The Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement:
rvlifestyle.com/RetirementGuide
RV Overnights, 40% off with code RVLDEAL:
rvlifestyle.com/rvovernights
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE and click the bell icon to be notified of new videos and our YouTube Live special reports from the cool places we visit on our RV adventures.
Please note this channel is for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV experts and are not simply sharing our opinions and what seems to work for us. You should do your own research and make your own decisions.
Judy Fiegel was already an RVer before her husband died. Nothing
big, nothing full-time. Short trips, sometimes with her
granddaughter, sometimes with a group of women friends. A small
thing that was hers.
Four years ago her husband died, and the question in front of her
was not what to do about the RV. It was what to do with the rest of
her life.
She went all in. Four years and four RVs later, she's traveling in a
rig with a music studio in it and a quilting studio in it. She
didn't buy an RV and then look for room for her life in it. She
built the rig around the life. She writes and plays music, she
quilts, she travels with a 100-pound Bernese mountain dog named
Winston who is still growing, and she has built a community around
herself all over the country.
In this conversation: what it meant to have already carved out
something of her own before she lost him, what she wants to say to
couples where one person has nothing of their own, and how a solo
traveler actually finds people in a campground full of couples.
Also in this episode: Mike and Jennifer are back from their first
trip since Jennifer's summer of cataract surgery and knee
replacement, and it did not go effortlessly. Plus two listener
questions, on learning to back a trailer at 68, and on leaving a big
dog in the RV safely.
00:00 – Intro: The "Hard Conversation" every couple faces.
01:12 – Welcome to the RV Podcast & personal updates from Mike and Jennifer.
02:22 – Jennifer’s recovery and returning to the road.
04:00 – Finding your community in the RV lifestyle.
06:03 – Conversation of the Week: Meet Judy
07:18 – Judy’s story: Starting as a solo traveler.
09:28 – Transitioning and reinventing life after loss.
11:34 – Advice for couples: Preparing for the future today.
14:40 – Judy’s new 40-foot Brinkley & towing as a solo woman.
15:37 – Traveling with Winston (Bernese Mountain Dog) and safety.
17:14 – Navigating stereotypes as a solo female RVer.
19:12 – The "Pink Palace": Setting up a mobile music and quilting studio.
21:11 – Judy’s upcoming travel plans.
24:07 – The Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement.
25:37 – RV Overnights & unique camping experiences.
26:57 – Question of the Week 1: Is 68 too late to learn to drive an RV?
28:29 – Question of the Week 2: How to safely leave a dog in an RV.
30:41 – Final thoughts and where to join the community.
LINKS
Free daily newsletter: rvlifestyle.com/newsletter
Show notes and full transcript: rvpodcast.com
The RV Lifestyle Community: rvcommunity.com
The Complete Guide to RVing in Retirement:
rvlifestyle.com/RetirementGuide
RV Overnights, 40% off with code RVLDEAL:
rvlifestyle.com/rvovernights
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE and click the bell icon to be notified of new videos and our YouTube Live special reports from the cool places we visit on our RV adventures.
Please note this channel is for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV experts and are not simply sharing our opinions and what seems to work for us. You should do your own research and make your own decisions.
