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Adventurer
Bret Michaels Shares Insights From New Show, “Rock My RV,” Airing Sunday
By: Darian Warden
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Rocker Bret Michaels says there are two things he lives for.
“I live for the open road and touring, and I live for music,” he told RV PRO in an exclusive interview.*
After participating in other ventures such as TV shows “Nashville Star” and “Rock of Love,” Michaels decided to pursue his passions.
So the self-proclaimed road dog teamed up with the Travel Channel to produce and host the new “Rock my RV with Bret Michaels,” TV show, premiering Sunday (May 26) at 8 p.m. Central.
Describing the show as a passion project, Michaels and his crew travel the country fixing up RVs. Doing insane build outs normal shops wouldn’t even dream of, Michaels said he has a knack for matching the dream with reality, describing himself as a “drealist.”
Although every episode features an epic remodeling of an RV, Michaels said one episode stands out to him. In one of the premiere episodes, Michaels and his team “rock” the Tapout RV. Tapout produces gear and clothes for the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community. After losing a friend in a car wreck, the guys from Tapout had to continue their slogan to “fight everyday,” and travel the country promoting their brand in an older RV that Michaels said needed a lot more love.
Giving every project 1,000 percent and sweating the details, Michaels said for the Tapout build he wanted to do something jaw-dropping.
“The Tapout build is really unique,” Michaels said. “I made a party deck of biblical proportions. They’re going out and a lot of people are going to see the exterior and interior and I thought, ‘I want to do something that’s mind-blowing.’”
Including a spiral staircase and plenty of slide-outs (they’re a must have for Michaels) the Tapout RV is a shining example of the custom detail put into every RV featured on the show.
Personal RV Preferences
Michaels owns an XL 3, which he uses for his tour bus, but is in the market for a second, personal RV. Michaels said he’s looked at an Entegra 42-footer or possibly a motorhome from Forest River or Monaco.
And when it comes time to buy, Michaels said he already knows which dealership he’ll be going to: MHS RV in Alvarado, Texas.
“They have great people down there at MHS RV,” Michaels said. “I’ve been to a lot of places and they actually love what they’re doing. They’re not pushy. It’s great. They know what they’re doing. It’s a big investment and you want to do it right.”
Besides slide-outs, Michaels said his RV must haves include unbelievable sound and TV ability, wireless Internet capabilities and all the modern touches.
His tip for others looking to purchase an RV with slide-outs: “Slide them in and make sure you can move around. Slide them in and slide them out before purchasing.”
Living the RV Lifestyle
An avid RVer, Michaels is no stranger to RVing, and he has the embarrassing childhood photos and stories to prove it. Michaels recalled being an energetic and adventurous kid, just shy of the energetic type that requires medication, and camping at Camp Yesteryear where he rode minibikes and made his first attempt at building a campfire.
Even the resulting singed eyebrows didn’t deter him from adopting the lifestyle.
“I jones to be on the open road,” Michaels told RV PRO. “I live for it. There’s just something it does to my soul. A road trip makes things right for me.”
Never one to travel by plane if possible, Michaels said he has always opted to tour by RV, even going so far as to be the first musician to use a tour bus in Australia. Even when on tour, Michaels said he prefers to stay in his bus rather than a hotel.
*
*
Michaels riding his dirtbike during a camping trip.
Other Projects
Aside from RVing, Michaels has other passions he advocates for. His foundation, “Life Rocks,” helps children with cancer, diabetes and the Wounded Warrior Project to name a few initiatives. Visitors can visit the site at www.bretmichaels.com.
Michaels has also been working on another venture that he considers one of his life’s passions. He will release his new album, “Jamming with Friends,” June 25 of this year. Featuring collaborations with artists such as Jimmy Buffet, Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Kiss and Van Halen, Michaels says the album is great traveling music.
“It covers 25 years of my career. This is everything from solo to Poison, including a cover of Sweet Home Alabama with Lynyrd Skynyrd,” Michaels said.
By: Darian Warden
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Rocker Bret Michaels says there are two things he lives for.
“I live for the open road and touring, and I live for music,” he told RV PRO in an exclusive interview.*
After participating in other ventures such as TV shows “Nashville Star” and “Rock of Love,” Michaels decided to pursue his passions.
So the self-proclaimed road dog teamed up with the Travel Channel to produce and host the new “Rock my RV with Bret Michaels,” TV show, premiering Sunday (May 26) at 8 p.m. Central.
Describing the show as a passion project, Michaels and his crew travel the country fixing up RVs. Doing insane build outs normal shops wouldn’t even dream of, Michaels said he has a knack for matching the dream with reality, describing himself as a “drealist.”
Although every episode features an epic remodeling of an RV, Michaels said one episode stands out to him. In one of the premiere episodes, Michaels and his team “rock” the Tapout RV. Tapout produces gear and clothes for the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community. After losing a friend in a car wreck, the guys from Tapout had to continue their slogan to “fight everyday,” and travel the country promoting their brand in an older RV that Michaels said needed a lot more love.
Giving every project 1,000 percent and sweating the details, Michaels said for the Tapout build he wanted to do something jaw-dropping.
“The Tapout build is really unique,” Michaels said. “I made a party deck of biblical proportions. They’re going out and a lot of people are going to see the exterior and interior and I thought, ‘I want to do something that’s mind-blowing.’”
Including a spiral staircase and plenty of slide-outs (they’re a must have for Michaels) the Tapout RV is a shining example of the custom detail put into every RV featured on the show.
Personal RV Preferences
Michaels owns an XL 3, which he uses for his tour bus, but is in the market for a second, personal RV. Michaels said he’s looked at an Entegra 42-footer or possibly a motorhome from Forest River or Monaco.
And when it comes time to buy, Michaels said he already knows which dealership he’ll be going to: MHS RV in Alvarado, Texas.
“They have great people down there at MHS RV,” Michaels said. “I’ve been to a lot of places and they actually love what they’re doing. They’re not pushy. It’s great. They know what they’re doing. It’s a big investment and you want to do it right.”
Besides slide-outs, Michaels said his RV must haves include unbelievable sound and TV ability, wireless Internet capabilities and all the modern touches.
His tip for others looking to purchase an RV with slide-outs: “Slide them in and make sure you can move around. Slide them in and slide them out before purchasing.”
Living the RV Lifestyle
An avid RVer, Michaels is no stranger to RVing, and he has the embarrassing childhood photos and stories to prove it. Michaels recalled being an energetic and adventurous kid, just shy of the energetic type that requires medication, and camping at Camp Yesteryear where he rode minibikes and made his first attempt at building a campfire.
Even the resulting singed eyebrows didn’t deter him from adopting the lifestyle.
“I jones to be on the open road,” Michaels told RV PRO. “I live for it. There’s just something it does to my soul. A road trip makes things right for me.”
Never one to travel by plane if possible, Michaels said he has always opted to tour by RV, even going so far as to be the first musician to use a tour bus in Australia. Even when on tour, Michaels said he prefers to stay in his bus rather than a hotel.
*
*
Michaels riding his dirtbike during a camping trip.
Other Projects
Aside from RVing, Michaels has other passions he advocates for. His foundation, “Life Rocks,” helps children with cancer, diabetes and the Wounded Warrior Project to name a few initiatives. Visitors can visit the site at www.bretmichaels.com.
Michaels has also been working on another venture that he considers one of his life’s passions. He will release his new album, “Jamming with Friends,” June 25 of this year. Featuring collaborations with artists such as Jimmy Buffet, Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Kiss and Van Halen, Michaels says the album is great traveling music.
“It covers 25 years of my career. This is everything from solo to Poison, including a cover of Sweet Home Alabama with Lynyrd Skynyrd,” Michaels said.