July 2002

Most plants make their own food from sunlight and carbon dioxide, but a few do it in other ways. They may parasitize other plants or dine on decaying plant and animal material found in the soil; some use a combination of both methods.

My wife, Claire, and I are full-timers and travel throughout North America happily following the seasons, and our bliss, as hikers, bicyclists, runners, kayakers, and bird-watchers. Our traditional RV is a type C motorhome, perfect for getting in and out of the hidden campgrounds closed to larger units.

What does America mean to you? Even if your level of patriotism is higher than most folks’, it will be elevated even further by the time you’ve seen the Flags Over America program.
This pageant presents the flags that have flown over the United States from Colonial days to the present. A narrator explains each flag’s history as stirring melodies play in the background, and important historic moments are associated with particular flags.

When selecting cooling equipment for your new motorhome, or if you’re replacing an existing roof unit, several choices exist. You can opt for a conventional air conditioner, a conventional air conditioner with an optional heat strip, or a heat pump air conditioner.

The Yukon Territory is still as wild as it sounds. Look at this region on a map, and you’ll find precious few roads.

The 328-mile Glenn Highway through southeast Alaska yields gold. Well, not nuggets, perhaps, but gold in the form of mountains and fertile valleys; glaciers and lakes and streams; farms and museums; and sled dogs, musk ox, and bears.
The Glenn Highway begins at the town of Tok (pronounced “toke”) and is also known as Alaska Route 1.

It was a Wednesday afternoon when the phone rang. The voice on the other end of the line said, “The coach will be ready for you on Friday.

It’s a new kid on the block! Quite a few global positioning system (GPS) navigation devices are available today and of particular interest to RVers. Now a combination of a new navigation program and a palm-sized computer is making its debut.

We were looking for a way to protect our crystal stemware and other glasses while going down the road. We found that a Prest-O-Fit straight hose coupler, available at Camping World and other RV stores, worked great.

The Komo Multipurpose Chest is compatible with motorhomes and with most other vehicles as well, because it has a tilting feature that allows access to the rear of the vehicle. Constructed of polyethylene, it is resistant to cold temperatures and ultraviolet rays.

Hyder, Alaska, may be one of the few places in the United States where nature still rules. It is a place to wake in the morning and breathe pristine pine mountain air, and at the same instant see bald eagles soar through a misty sky.

“Welcome home, FMCA” read the sign at the entrance to the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in mid-March. That sign embodied the welcome that FMCA members who attended the “Southern Sensation” convention in Perry, Georgia, March 19, 20, and 21 received from the fairgrounds staff and from city officials and local residents.

It has become an FMCA convention tradition to adopt a charity with the idea of leaving something behind in the local communities FMCA visits. Since the international headquarters of Habitat for Humanity International is located in Americus, Georgia, only a few miles from the convention site in Perry, it seemed fitting that this non-profit organization devoted to eliminating poverty housing be recognized with that distinction for the recent “Southern Sensation” convention.
Members of the FMCA Chapter: Habitat for Humanity® coordinated a variety of Habitat-related activities throughout the Perry convention.

As full-timers, you can always get away from noisy neighbors simply by starting up the coach engine and driving someplace else. But it’s just about impossible anymore to outrun deception, quasi-legal hassles, and outright crime.

The United States National Park Service manages 384 areas, including national parks, memorials, historic sites, and reserves. With so many areas in the system, it’s no surprise that some remain relatively unknown.

How long does it take to cook a 3-minute egg? The answer to that and many other simple cooking-related cooking questions can be found in The Absolute Beginner’s Cookbook, Revised 3rd Edition ($14.95, Prima Publishing) by Jackie Eddy and Eleanor Clark. If you suddenly find yourself solo in the galley and haven’t a clue, this is the book for you.

Last summer my wife and I attended a rather unusual christening. This baby was more than 500 feet long and weighed approximately 9,000 tons.

Q: I have a 2002 Tiffin Zephyr motor coach. I am looking for a supplier that sells an electrical monitoring system that will automatically start my generator when the house battery voltage reaches a preset or low-voltage level.

It was recently brought to our attention by a transmission engineer at Volvo Cars of North America that Volvo vehicles cannot be flat towed. This is contrary to information previously provided by the company and listed in the “Towables For 2002” article published in the March 2002 issue of FMC.

FMCAStore.com is a convenient way to buy FMCA logo apparel for men and women, and FMCA accessories.
After you make a series of mouse clicks and keyboard entries, items purchased at FMCAStore.com arrive at your door in approximately seven to 10 days — if you use standard United Parcel Service (UPS) delivery.
FMCAStore.com never closes, so you can place an order any time of day. Other advantages include no checkout lines; no bags to store in your motorhome; no shopping carts to push around; and great-looking merchandise for year-round comfort.
Come inside. FMCAStore.com consists of two main areas: one area for shopping and a secure area for checking out.
All customers automatically receive a virtual shopping cart as they enter the store.

From a personal perspective, the most interesting and applicable seminar I have attended at an FMCA convention or rally was offered in 1995 at the first Great Eastern Area Rally (GEAR) in Nashville, Tennessee.
The subject of the seminar was highway safety, and the presenter had driven commercial buses for more than 20 years. He spoke with a great deal of experience and authority.

Several articles about Habitat for Humanity International have been published in recent issues of this magazine. This month I want to talk about the experience that Jean and I enjoyed with fellow members of the FMCA Chapter: Habitat for Humanity®.
The FMCA Chapter: Habitat for Humanity is made up of FMCA members who are interested in helping Habitat for Humanity International, a non-profit organization that works to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness worldwide.

On January 25, 2002, Home & Park Motorhomes, C3790, presented rock-and-roll legend Ronnie Hawkins the keys to a Roadtrek 190-Popular motorhome.
Jeff Hanemaayer, chairman of Home & Park Motorhomes, said, “Ronnie Hawkins is a Canadian rock-and-roll legend. He also has been a Roadtrek owner for the last four years.