August 2003

As thousands of motorhomers congregate at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg, New York, for FMCA’s 70th International Convention July 18, 19, and 20, they’ll find plenty to see and do. Awaiting them will be hundreds of new motorhomes to inspect and test-drive; buildings filled with exhibitors displaying RV-related products and accessories to peruse and purchase; and many hours of great entertainment to enjoy.

Like traveling by motorhome, shopping around at an FMCA convention is a great form of recreation. It’s exciting to find a brand-new coach or a small, appropriate gift for a friend.

July 20, 1963
26 families gather at the Hinckley School in Hinckley, Maine, to view a solar eclipse.

One of the earliest motorized vehicles equipped for camping was called the Touring Landau, built by the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company beginning in 1910. This chauffeur-driven luxury auto included such deluxe camping appointments as a folding washbasin attached to the back of the front seat; a holding tank for fresh water; a toilet (chamber pot-style — a predecessor to the portable potty) under one rear seat and a box containing a luncheon kit under the other side; storage boxes in place of the usual running boards; and a rear seat that could be folded down to make a bed.
These vehicles sold for $8,250 plus all accessories, at a time when the common Model T Ford could be purchased for well under $1,000.

A group of long, narrow lakes, shaped like the fingers of a hand, give west-central New York a character like no other. Most experts agree that there are 11 Finger Lakes in all, but most people traveling through the region will notice only the larger ones.

Forty years have elapsed since the Family Motor Coach Association was founded on July 21, 1963, in Hinckley, Maine. Today FMCA is an international organization boasting more than 126,000 member families.

Nowadays, nearly everyone behind the wheel of an automobile has taken a driver’s education course at some point in their lives. Instituted in high schools across the United States in the Fabulous ’50s, “driver’s ed” usually was conducted by an out-of-season sports coach in a car donated by a local auto dealership.

If interest in supplemental braking systems can be judged by the number of calls, letters, and e-mails received at the FMCA national office, this topic is on many motorhomers’ minds. Often folks simply ask, “What is the best system?” But, like the question “How big is a fish?”, there is no simple answer.

Hose storage ideaI like using a self-coiling water hose, but after awhile, it tends to stretch and tangle. To solve the problem, I purchased a length of 4-inch ABS plastic pipe and two end caps.

The StowAway2 Cargo Carrier mounts into standard 2-inch Class III and Class IV receivers to provide easily accessible additional cargo space. The 12.5-cubic-foot molded polymer shell is said to be highly impact-resistant and offers a carrying capacity of 200 pounds.
Features of the StowAway2 include an automotive-grade weather seal, a built-in lock, and even a drain plug for easy cleanup after carrying messy loads.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees nearly 12 million acres of land and water at 460 lakes across the United States, and volunteers play an important role in protecting the natural resources and maintaining recreation areas.

You’ve packed up the kids or grandkids and are ready to set out on a journey in the comfort of your motorhome. The road ahead is filled with adventure, excitement, and new sites.

Today’s fashion is tomorrow’s memory. Estates in the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island are coveted by the wealthy today.

Forty years ago this month, a small group of families banded together, as volunteers, to help each other in their common interest of owning and traveling in motorhomes, and their quest for mobile recreation. Thus was formed the Family Motor Coach Association.

You have to wonder how jellyfish got their name. These spineless creatures certainly aren’t fish.

This is a wonderful time of year to visit Canada’s national parks. For the most part, it’s much cooler in Canada than it is in southern latitudes of the United States.

Invite the campground neighbors over for an evening of conviviality and to enjoy these cool, carefree recipes.

As chairman of the Membership/Member Services Committee, I want to thank the other committee members for their assistance and for attending meetings with enthusiasm. Jim deBord, F16686S; Roger Merrill, F11560; Jim Moir, F102582; and Janet Stubbs, F107765, are the faithful folk who also serve on the committee with me.
The committee reviews and updates member benefits on a regular basis.

Only a few generations ago, a visit to see Grandma and Grandpa meant taking a trip to the farm. Today it can mean packing the children off to the campsite where their full-timer grandparents are living.

The Single Parent Travel Handbook by Brenda Elwell ($17.95, GlobalBrenda Publishing) is a hip and timely guide for full-timers who are parents, godparents, aunts, uncles, or grandparents.

Several years ago, Martin and Dottie Pierce, L57064, envisioned an annual rally that would be dedicated to fun, fellowship, and good-spirited competition. They planned the rally for early spring and called it “April Showers.” Since that first rally, FMCA members living or traveling in the Southeast have gathered for this special event each April.
This year, April Showers VII was held April 3, 4, and 5 at Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park, C8404, in Crystal River, Florida.

Q: Full-timers we recently met told us that a good workable solution for the black water tank is to mix one cup of household bleach with four quarts of water and four aspirin. Have you heard of this solution working as well as the expensive stuff at campground stores?
Harold Breuninger, F307094
Aiken, South Carolina
A: Let me ask you a question: Did you step into their RV to “smell the roses”? If these full-timers were using their own solution, you would have found out very quickly whether it worked or not.

In the May 2003 issue, an individual was misidentified in a photo caption that accompanied the article “A California Dream Come True.” On page 99, 103-year-young Cleo Pryor attended FMCA’s 69th International Convention March 21, 22, and 23 as one of the guests of Ben and Marguerite Boyce, F59326.

This is the last in a series of columns that I have written about the benefits that are available to members of the Family Motor Coach Association. This month I’ll conclude my discussion by focusing on insurance, financial services, and additional benefits.

The last time I contributed to this column, in the April 2002 issue, I attempted to explain how the governance of FMCA works. You may recall that I also used a chart to help in the explanation.
This month I would like to expand on that theme, and try to develop for you a model of how FMCA’s committee system works.

Some still call them blue highways — the back roads that connect the interstates, U.S. routes, and scenic spots.