ATHENS, Texas – With the online premier of the RV Unplugged reality show set to begin Saturday, the National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) today released a synopsis of each of the nine episodes.
Filmed at a remote location near Dallas, eight contestant couples competed against the clock and each other to be the first to complete different challenges. Starting in Episode 3, the last place finishers wound up banished to Black Tank Island for the duration of the show.
The winning team will be crowned the first-ever RV Unplugged champions and receive a $10,000 cash prize. The finale is scheduled for May 6 to coincide with a four-day boondocking rally where fans can mingle with contestants while they watch the episode outdoors on a giant screen. Several educational seminars will also take place during the rally.
The series, which cost more than $100,000 to produce, was created to build awareness of the fun and camaraderie that awaits people in the RV lifestyle, said Tony Flammia, NRVTA’s sales and marketing director, who developed the series.
“We collaborated with some of the most-popular online RV lifestyle influencers to reach more than 1 million combined subscribers on various platforms,” he explained.
Episodes are scheduled for release every Saturday starting March 11. The series will feature nine 30-minute weekly episodes, including additional videos promoting contestant stories and behind-the-scenes footage. The series wraps up with a final episode recapping the two-week experience.
NRVTA will host a rally and watch party May 4 to 7 to coincide with the show’s final episode. There are 150 RV sites available at the rally.
Weekly themes include:
Episode 1 – Drought airs March 11
After arriving at RV Unplugged’s staging area, the eight teams receive a hand-drawn map showing the competition camp’s location. Competitors have one hour to find the camp and set up their rigs before facing their first challenge. Then contestants must build a water distribution system using only pipes and fittings they find around camp. Water resources are distributed proportionately with the winning team receiving 80 gallons while the losing team gets nothing.
Episode 2 – Zipline Drop airs March 18
Contestants face their fears while ziplining, but with a twist. They must grab a flag attached to a bean bag, which is suspended from a drone. Then they drop the flag onto various targets 50 feet below while zipping past at 20 mph to earn important supplies.
Episode 3 – Finding Fire airs March 25
During the first elimination challenge, contestants need to make a fire or determine which one of their teammates must leave the competition and spend the rest of the show marooned on Black Tank Island.
Episode 4 – Diving for Dollars airs April 1
After navigating to specific compass coordinates within a set amount of time, contestants endure a water challenge that requires strength, communication and exceptional team play while contending with even more twists that could change the game’s outcome.
Episode 5 – Solar Flare airs April 8
Teams select someone familiar with solar energy and pair him or her with another person who has never used solar power. Then contestants work together to build a solar system, including a battery, while avoiding challenges imposed by a competing team that could create a lose-lose situation for the winners.
Episode 6 – Escape from Black Tank Island airs April 15
The teams who were voted out of the show have a chance to redeem themselves in a side challenge that allows one team to return to competition while the others are truly eliminated.
Episode 7 – Family Fun Day airs April 22
After one team is penalized for using unauthorized water, contestants face each other at a family entertainment center where their proficiency at paintball, go-kart racing and other games will determine who advances to the next level.
Episode 8 – Escape From Bates Motel airs April 29
The remaining four teams pair up to find their way out of the Bates Motel Escape Room. The teams requiring the longest times are automatically eliminated.
Episode 9 – Finale airs May 6
The final two teams go head-to-head building a water distribution system by themselves, making fire and building a solar energy system. The competition almost ended in a tie, but one team managed to eke out a win.
Episode 10 – Season One Recap airs May 13
Todd Henson, NRVTA’s director of education and one of the producers who designed RV Unplugged challenges, talks with participants to recall their experiences during the intense two-week competition.
Season One contestants feature a number of popular YouTube creators, including:
- Ryan Miller, with Millers in Motion
- Katrina and Chris Bellofatto, founders of Our Everyday Getaway
- Howard and Katelyn Newstate, also known as the Newstate Nomads
- Chris and Martha Peters, founders of Venturesome Couple
- Charity and Ben DeVries, with Grateful Glamper
- Michael and Susan Scarpignato, from RV Blogger
- Dave and Tanya Villa, from Turn it up World
- Chris and Aaron Willers, with Irene Iron Travels
Phil and Stacy Farley, founders of You, Me and the RV (also known as Today is Someday), served as captains during the competition to lead their teams through various challenges.
For more information about RV Unplugged and the contestants, visit www.rvunpluggedtv.com. Episodes will be available at www.youtube.com/@rvunplugged.
For more information and to register for the RV Unplugged rally, visit www.rvunpluggedrally.com.
For information about NRVTA and its courses to train professional RV instructors and technicians, visit www.nrvta.com, email [email protected] or call (903) 386-0444 to speak with a student advisor.