April 2002

If you have a yearning for learning, FMCA’s winter convention in Perry, Georgia, is the place to become educated this month.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a novice to motorhoming or have owned a coach for more than 25 years; there’s always something new to learn about the vehicle, its components, and the RV lifestyle. And an FMCA convention is the best place to become immersed in everything motorhome-related.

Two issues regarding motorhome ownership that I believe need to be addressed are the quality of motorhomes at the time of delivery, and service after the sale. You may be thinking, “Jeff, you put your foot in it this time.” After all, who is responsible for the products and the quality of the units available to us today? The manufacturer? I don’t think so.

It is a place without hustle and bustle, where we can amble among neighbors who remember our fathers, love our mothers, and who would have been just as friendly to us if we had never done anything other than grow peanuts for a living.
— Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter from Everything To Gain: Making The Most Of The Rest Of Your Life.
That’s how the 39th president of the United States and his wife described their hometown of Plains and surrounding Sumter County, Georgia. Never has another “first couple” been so defined by a birthplace as Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

The year was 1963. The Beach Boys were offering a whole new sound in music.

This is the ninth in a series of articles written by motorhome manufacturers that address the subject of quality control. Recently, FMCA commercial members involved in the production of type A, type B, and type C motorhomes were invited to describe the quality-control strategies they have in place at their manufacturing facilities.

Motorhomers who attend FMCA’s 27th annual winter international convention will have more than Georgia on their minds. The “Southern Sensation” convention, which will take place March 19, 20, and 21 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, will abound with seminars, entertainment, and impromptu good times.

In 1732 Britain’s King George II decided the threat of Spanish encroachment on the American colonies was too great to ignore. He signed a royal charter to establish a 13th colony to be located north of Florida.

Paul and Mary Dammers, F135857, made the trip from upstate New York. Ray and Jewel Hebert, F128509, visited family and friends along the way as they meandered in from New Hampshire on a circular route that eventually would return them to Florida for the winter.

Here are several ideas for assembling a laundry kit that you can pull out whenever it’s time to do the wash.
I use an empty dishwashing liquid bottle to carry my laundry detergent. Using a measuring cup, I poured liquid into the bottle, marking the sides of the bottle in four-ounce increments.

Roadmaster Inc. has introduced what it terms as the “strongest folding tow bar on the market today.” Constructed of steel and stainless steel, the BlackHawk, with an 8,000-pound towing capacity, includes such features as a drop-forged steel yoke, a hardened stainless-steel locking mechanism, specially formulated steel-alloy arms, and built-in channels for routing safety cables and wiring.

As we write this, it’s early January and we are parked at Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California, at the campground at San Onofre Beach. Our campsite is located on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

During the 30 years I served in the United States Navy, I was well schooled regarding respect for the U.S. flag and the protocol surrounding it.

Is Full-Timing In Your Future?” by Betty Hanegraaf (February 2002, page 94) mentioned finding employment while living in one’s RV. Two resources related to that topic are Workamper News and Workers On Wheels.
Workamper News offers a newsletter with employment listings as well as a Web site, a hotline, a referral system, and situation-wanted ads.

FMCA.com is not in the campground business, but it does operate an online motorhome “resort.” It’s called For Members Only.
Plenty of activities are offered in this special area of FMCA.com. The groundwork has been laid so that FMCA members can perform basic membership management tasks and gain access to various association documents and forms.
Free hookups — or links, as they’re called on the Internet — are the norm at this resort.

Q: I’m looking at a new 2002 40-foot motorhome with a slideout. The 2002 model I’m considering has a tag axle, but the same model in 2001 did not.

In the ebb and flow of corporate America, eventually all companies must recalibrate how they do business. This is what has happened in recent months at Fleetwood Enterprises, which is involved not only in the RV industry but also in the manufactured housing business.

The best-selling book Who Moved My Cheese?, by Spencer Johnson, M.D., is about staying nimble in the fast-changing business world. Full-timers also need to keep changing and maneuvering to stay afloat financially.

Cruising the Internet has become one of our favorite things to do instead of watching television. Recently, Kaye found some interesting information about the world’s oceans at www.ocean98.org.

According to Deadly Distractions, a booklet produced by Shell Oil Company with assistance from AAA and several federal agencies, driving distractions or inattentive driving contribute to one out of four vehicle crashes. Amazing, isn’t it?
We can’t control the distractions that cause other drivers to operate their vehicles dangerously, but we can certainly decrease our own odds of having an accident that could result in damage to the coach, or worse, injury to ourselves or others.

The e-mails I’ve received lately indicate that many readers prefer simple, old-fashioned recipes that call for few ingredients and little fuss. So, here are some solid, time-proven favorites.
Duckling With Cherries
4- to 5-pound ready-to-roast duckling
12-ounce jar black cherry jam or preserves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice or orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec
Tie the duck’s legs together, prick the skin all over with a fork (to aid in draining fat), and place it on a rack in a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan.

Recently I read a message from an FMCA member who assumed that the Legislative Advisory Committee was part of the paid staff of FMCA. This individual thought that all a member had to do to get legal advice was to alert the appropriate “staff official” to a need.

For more than a quarter century, Ken and Pat Wilson, L13812, of Greensboro, North Carolina, have averaged approximately 15,000 miles a year traveling in their motorhome without accident. Their travels have taken them to Canada and Mexico and to every state except Hawaii.

For the second year, Country Coach Inc., C2132, and Guaranty RV Center, C4161, teamed up to provide hospitality motorhomes for the SKINS Game at the Landmark Golf Club in Indio, California.
SKINS Game participants Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Jesper Parnevik, and Colin Montgomerie each enjoyed the use of their own 42-foot Affinity coach throughout the duration of the event this past November. The ESPN and ABC broadcast crews were provided a 40-foot Magna motorhome to use as a comfortable base of operations for the tournament.
“Having Country Coach provide a motor coach players’ lounge for the SKINS Game participants adds a unique excitement to the tournament experience for the players,” said Judy Vossler, tournament director.