Frequently Asked Questions

Our primary camera is a Canon R5 Full Frame Mirrorless with RF 13-35mm F2.8 and RF 24-105mm F4 and the Rode Video Mic Pro Plus (VMP+). We mount this on a DJI Ronin RSC 2 (gimbal) whenever practical (almost never) to get smooth footage.

We use 4 GoPros (2x Hero 10 and 2x Hero 9) (one with the Media Mod) for some vlog-mode shots and as a secondary angle camera when using the Canon if the light is good. When we're walking around filming something like an RV show, the Canon / Ronin, and GoPro 9 are what we use most. We use Go Pro Jaws Flex Clamps to mount them in various locations on the truck and RV.

On the motorcycle (Lucille), we use the four GoPros mounted in various locations using Go Pro Jaws Flex Clamps as well as some hard mounts. We also have one GoPro Hero 7 mounted in a Karma Grip (Tara manually filming).

For aerial (drone) shots, we use the DJI Mavic Air 2.

For voice audio, when we need to cut out external noise, we use the Rode Microphones Wireless GO II Dual Channel Wireless Microphone System.

We've also recently added some Peak Design gear to our inventory. We have the Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod as well as the Capture Camera Clip and Camera Strap. The Capture Camera Clip has been AWESOME on hikes, attached to the Camelback Backpack.

All of our camera equipment is here in our Amazon store (changinglanesrv.com…) also, including things that we don't use anymore (things we started out with) but still recommend.

We get asked fairly often about how to get the music in our videos. We use EpidemicSound.com, Musicbed.com, and Artlist.io for all of our music under a creator's license (royalty-free). We know that some of the tracks are in iTunes, but many are not. The best way to find out is to use the Shazam app or ask Siri “what's this song” (Siri uses Shazam) as the music part plays in our video. If it's available, Shazam should recognize it and show you where you can download it.

Our video files are super important to us. Not only the videos waiting to be edited but also our past source media and project files. Sometimes we talk about a place or event long after that video is released, and it's nice to have access to that footage for B-Roll in a current video. But that's TONS of data (currently about 70TB and growing constantly), and we live on cellular data. It's definitely a challenge to make sure we always make sure we have two copies of everything in separate locations. This is the process we've come up with:

1. After every shooting day, the contents of our SD cards are copied to our 60TB Synology NAS (48TB effective) Files are organized as:
   /YYYYMMDD-Location(or Event)/MMDD-Event/CameraName (e.g.
   20190523-MesaVerde/0525-RideToDurago/(GoPro1, GoPro2, Canon, etc.)) (1 copy but on NAS which has redundant drives)
   
2. The NAS is Synced (using a script) to my laptop into a Dropbox folder. This starts the process of syncing to Dropbox automatically. (3 copies – NAS, Laptop, Dropbox)
   
3. Once Dropbox has finished syncing, I mark the folder(s) as “offline only.” This free's up space on my local laptop, but files still appear to be local. (2 copies – NAS, Dropbox)
   
4. Once the footage is used in a video, it is moved to an “Archive X” (X being a sequential number) folder (still on Dropbox but outside the “Active” footage folder). This move is done on my laptop (and Dropbox) and the NAS. The “Active” and “Archive X” folders are always identical. (2 copies – NAS, Dropbox)
   
5. Once “Archive X” reaches just under 4TB, it is copied (from the NAS) to an external drive (WD portable hard drive). The NAS Copy is deleted, and my local (Dropbox) folder is marked to not sync. The files stay in dropbox. (2 copies – Portable HD, Dropbox). A new folder, “Archive X+1” is created for the next round.

This process ensures we have location-diverse local copies while the footage is new or recently used and cloud (Dropbox) copies of everything all the time. We also store our Final Cut project (FCPX) files for future use.

Definitely not! It gets quite bouncy in the RV when traveling, which doesn't bode well for physical (spinning platter) hard drives. So, as part of our morning of departure checklist, it gets powered down.

Additionally, I have it sitting on 1″ weather stripping (stuck to the bottom) to absorb shock.

Creating new content every week is challenging and the only way to do it is to have a backlog from which to pull. While we could be closer to real-time (3-4 weeks behind) by creating only vlog-style content and putting everything out in order, that's just not how we wanted to present our content.

We like to keep our educational videos in their own category and separate from our travel videos. That makes it easier to find the video about a specific RV topic versus trying to find it buried in a location video and means you don't have to sift through location content to try to find a helpful tip.

The result of this is that our location content gets backlogged by a few months in the summer but starts to catch up in the winter when we're not traveling to as many places. We like to take a couple of months and just visit family and not film as much. Having a backlog of content “in the can” allows us to still publish content. Our travel videos will almost always be in chronological order unless there's a good reason to mix in a more recent location. The balloon fiesta videos are a good example of this. We wanted to get that information out before registration opened for the next year.

For your convenience, we put all of our content here in categories and you can find a link to those at the bottom of the page. You can also find out Location and Educational videos linked in the content menu above.

We used Design Hill to make our logo as well as recent modifications to it. It's a pretty cool platform where you outline your specifications in a contest, then a bunch of designers will send you mock-ups to try to “win” your business. You get to interact with your favorite designers and, in the end, pick one to make your final design. If you're interested, we do have an affiliate link for them where you get 15% off: changinglanesrv.com…

For aerial (drone) shots, we use the DJI Mavic Air 2 (Fly More Combo). We've had it since it came out and it's a great drone!

Yes, I (Chad) have my part-107 commercial license. This is mandatory for any monetized Youtube channel.

We're using WordPress host at siteground.com. We've found wordpress to be the most flexible platform with tons and tons of themes and plug-ins for just about any need.

This FAQ is a plugin, in fact. 👍🏼

We get asked fairly often about how to get the music in our videos. We use EpidemicSound.com, Musicbed.com, and Artlist.io for all of our music under a creator's license (royalty-free). We know that some of the tracks are in iTunes, but many are not. The best way to find out is to use the Shazam app or ask Siri “what's this song” (Siri uses Shazam) as the music part plays in our video. If it's available, Shazam should recognize it and show you where you can download it.

We use Final Cut Pro X for our primary editing and Apple Motion for our stinger / intro.

As of Feb 2021, we both work full-time on the channel, which is about 60 hours a week each. Chad used to work from the road in IT (systems integration and automation development) but resigned from his position once the channel was providing enough income. While there are many ways to earn money with a successful youtube channel, we choose to focus on the content. Income from that content comes from ad revenue (YouTube) as well as affiliate marketing. Our policy on marketing is that we only promote products we use ourselves and can stand behind.

Our primary camera is a Canon R5 Full Frame Mirrorless with RF 13-35mm F2.8 and RF 24-105mm F4 and the Rode Video Mic Pro Plus (VMP+). We mount this on a DJI Ronin RSC 2 (gimbal) whenever practical (almost never) to get smooth footage.

We use 4 GoPros (2x Hero 10 and 2x Hero 9) (one with the Media Mod) for some vlog-mode shots and as a secondary angle camera when using the Canon if the light is good. When we're walking around filming something like an RV show, the Canon / Ronin, and GoPro 9 are what we use most. We use Go Pro Jaws Flex Clamps to mount them in various locations on the truck and RV.

On the motorcycle (Lucille), we use the four GoPros mounted in various locations using Go Pro Jaws Flex Clamps as well as some hard mounts. We also have one GoPro Hero 7 mounted in a Karma Grip (Tara manually filming).

For aerial (drone) shots, we use the DJI Mavic Air 2.

For voice audio, when we need to cut out external noise, we use the Rode Microphones Wireless GO II Dual Channel Wireless Microphone System.

We've also recently added some Peak Design gear to our inventory. We have the Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod as well as the Capture Camera Clip and Camera Strap. The Capture Camera Clip has been AWESOME on hikes, attached to the Camelback Backpack.

All of our camera equipment is here in our Amazon store (changinglanesrv.com…) also, including things that we don't use anymore (things we started out with) but still recommend.

Editing is one of the most time-consuming aspects of running a youtube channel for sure! Editing will take more or less time depending on how particular one is about audio, color grading, timing, etc. Most professional editors will say about 1 to 1.5 hours per minute of edited video, and that's about right. For us, a 30-minute video takes about 40 hours of editing. If you don't know, Tara does all of our editing and takes great pride in the quality of our videos. She has gotten faster over the last couple of years, but it just takes a lot of time to make a good video! I've seen Tara spend a whole day just finding the right music! But, editing is only part of the equation when it comes to an overall channel.

Every video starts with a plan. That plan can take between an hour and up to several hours depending on the detail and research involved.

Follow that with several hours of filming, depending on what it is. Sometimes the filming takes place over several days for projects and such. Sometimes the video is filmed while we're out seeing a new place, going on a ride, etc. Even that takes time to set up. We run 4 cameras for every ride! Then the “talk” portion has to be filmed also.

Once everything is “in the can”, Tara starts the editing process to tell the story of what we're trying to convey. That part is a real art, and she has gotten better and better over time in my humble opinion! That process usually includes 2-3 watch-thru sessions with both of us, making tweaks, then a final watch before uploading.

After upload comes writing the blog post and description for youtube, adding all of the metadata, links and so on. Then, the video, blog post, and social media posts are written and everything is scheduled for release.

Once a video is released, we read every comment, reply where appropriate, answer emails, comments on social media, etc. That part goes on every day, but is most busy on Monday, after a video release. About 20 hours a week is spent just managing social media. More if we make posts during the week.

Those are just the things related to a video. There's a lot more involved on the business side (partnerships, etc).

Long story short, when we're not out doing “stuff”, we're working on the Channel. Always trying to do just a little bit better than last week! I (chad) work a 9-5 during the week, working on the channel on breaks, lunch, and after work till around 9 or 10 at night. Tara gets up way before I do ? , and works all day editing, resting when she needs to (for her chronic Lyme). All told, we put over 100 hours a week between the two of us into the channel and we hope to make it our primary income at some point where I can quit the 9-5 and focus on the channel. ?

Our video files are super important to us. Not only the videos waiting to be edited but also our past source media and project files. Sometimes we talk about a place or event long after that video is released, and it's nice to have access to that footage for B-Roll in a current video. But that's TONS of data (currently about 70TB and growing constantly), and we live on cellular data. It's definitely a challenge to make sure we always make sure we have two copies of everything in separate locations. This is the process we've come up with:

1. After every shooting day, the contents of our SD cards are copied to our 60TB Synology NAS (48TB effective) Files are organized as:
   /YYYYMMDD-Location(or Event)/MMDD-Event/CameraName (e.g.
   20190523-MesaVerde/0525-RideToDurago/(GoPro1, GoPro2, Canon, etc.)) (1 copy but on NAS which has redundant drives)
   
2. The NAS is Synced (using a script) to my laptop into a Dropbox folder. This starts the process of syncing to Dropbox automatically. (3 copies – NAS, Laptop, Dropbox)
   
3. Once Dropbox has finished syncing, I mark the folder(s) as “offline only.” This free's up space on my local laptop, but files still appear to be local. (2 copies – NAS, Dropbox)
   
4. Once the footage is used in a video, it is moved to an “Archive X” (X being a sequential number) folder (still on Dropbox but outside the “Active” footage folder). This move is done on my laptop (and Dropbox) and the NAS. The “Active” and “Archive X” folders are always identical. (2 copies – NAS, Dropbox)
   
5. Once “Archive X” reaches just under 4TB, it is copied (from the NAS) to an external drive (WD portable hard drive). The NAS Copy is deleted, and my local (Dropbox) folder is marked to not sync. The files stay in dropbox. (2 copies – Portable HD, Dropbox). A new folder, “Archive X+1” is created for the next round.

This process ensures we have location-diverse local copies while the footage is new or recently used and cloud (Dropbox) copies of everything all the time. We also store our Final Cut project (FCPX) files for future use.

Definitely not! It gets quite bouncy in the RV when traveling, which doesn't bode well for physical (spinning platter) hard drives. So, as part of our morning of departure checklist, it gets powered down.

Additionally, I have it sitting on 1″ weather stripping (stuck to the bottom) to absorb shock.

Due to some recent health issues and upcoming treatments, we're scaling back on things this year and decided to pull the plug on our insider program… We're not sure if or when we'll re-launch it. Right now, we're just focusing on our video content. 👍🏼

No. See our announcement article for more details.