May 2002

In early January we made our way across the country in our motorhome to attend the Western Area Rally in Indio, California. Somewhere along the way, our motorhome developed a leak that caused the air bag pressure to drop dramatically when the engine was turned off.

Liberty Coach, C733, based in North Chicago, Illinois, celebrated the official grand opening of its Liberty Coach of Florida sales and service center on February 1, 2002. More than 200 people attended an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new facility in Stuart, Florida.

The Pet Safety Heat Alarm System was developed to protect unattended pets in RVs from heat hazards due to air conditioning malfunctions. Malfunctions may be the result of a power failure, a circuit breaker tripping, a cord being unplugged, or a problem with the air conditioner itself.

If you own a portable satellite dish, don’t throw away that old garden hose. Use it to protect your satellite wiring on occasions when you need to position the dish across the roadway (gravel or paved) from your RV site for optimum reception.

Las Vegas is a show town, and I am not referring to floor shows, but rather trade shows. Each year, beginning in November, Glitter Gulch opens its tremendous convention center — and a number of other venues spread around town — to the three biggest expositions west of the Rocky Mountains.

One of my least favorite duties around the coach is checking the pressure in the dual tires. It concerns me that I invariably let out a quantity of air by not being able to seat the gauge tightly enough.

Think of the Southern United States, and beautiful gardens often come to mind. Bellingrath Gardens and Home, 20 minutes southwest of Mobile, Alabama, has long been one of the most popular destination gardens in the United States.

This is the 10th 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.

Branson, Missouri, is one fine entertainment town. First-timers who have heard about the shows there but have never attended one are in for a big surprise.

I’m a little nostalgic when it comes to motor vehicles. I miss wind wings and solid bumpers strong enough to hit a steel pole at 5 mph and sustain no damage, other than to the driver’s pride.

Whether you munch while traveling or pull over for a quick bite at a roadside rest stop, these snacks fill the bill for easy preparation and delicious eating.

 

These snacks can be made in the coach or whipped up ahead of time at home. Keep them in tightly sealed containers so they stay crisp.
8-ounce package shredded Cheddar cheese
2 sticks butter or regular margarine (not soft or liquid)
2 cups flour
1/2-teaspoon salt
1/2-teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups crispy rice cereal
Let the cheese and butter come to room temperature and mix them together in a bowl.

FMCA’s Executive Committee carries out policies set forth by the Governing Board and helps to formulate those policies so that the executive director and department directors then can lead staff members in carrying them out.
How does the Executive Committee function? Who are the members of the committee? How do they get along? Are there cliques? Are there private agendas? Do they forget they must act in the best interests of our members? Is the FMCA national president a strong person? Can he make the whole Executive Committee pull together as a team? Do they know the difference between having a “right” to do something and doing the “right” thing?
From my perspective as a national vice president, partway through my second term, let’s see if I can answer some of these questions and help you to understand how your Executive Committee works.
Before I do that, it is important that you realize that much of the Executive Committee’s work is done by various committees. These committees include two or three members of the Executive Committee who serve along with people drawn from the general membership.

Webster’s dictionary defines “extravaganza” as a “spectacular show or event.” As a search began for verbiage that would aptly describe the magnitude of Family Motor Coach Association’s semiannual conventions, the word “extravaganza” seemed to fit.
If you look at this month’s Event Calendar, which begins on page 162, you’ll note that no FMCA international conventions are listed. Where did the conventions go? Well, in November 2001, during the Family Motor Coaching Inc.

Dear Editor:
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Wildlife, is offering RV sites with full hookups in exchange for volunteer work at its Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area. The Bull Creek area is located west of Melbourne and south of Orlando.

Q: I own a 1995 Safari Trek on a Chevrolet P-30 chassis. In the November 2001 issue, the “Technical Inquiries” column included instructions for adding a manual switch to the radiator fan control on a P-30 chassis (page 24).

When Howard and Jerre Ferrin, A436, invited every motor coach owner they could locate in the Denver, Colorado, area to their Golden, Colorado, home for a get-together on July 23, 1966, little did they realize what they were starting.
For several months the group gathered for weekend meetings and outings and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent together. In October of that year, while at Chief Hosa Campground, 30 miles west of Denver, the participants decided to join a new organization called the Family Motor Coach Association.
At that time FMCA would send organizers to advise and guide prospective clubs interested in joining the association.

By the time you read this, FMCA’s 27th annual winter international convention in Perry, Georgia, will be history. I hope all who attended had a very enjoyable time.

The trillium is one of nature’s most amazing wildflowers. Think of it: how can something so beautiful appear to have been calculated by a mathematician? But consider its name: trillium — three of everything.

While the airline and hotel industries have suffered economically since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the RV world has done quite well. In recent months, recreation vehicles have been featured in the print and electronic media not only in travel or lifestyle pieces, but also in business stories.

In this month’s “Window On Nature” column, we explore the wonderful world of the trillium plant. So, in this column, we’re going to reveal some great spots around the United States and Canada to find these beautiful flowers.