December 2003

Life today is lightning-paced, with constant changes in everything from taxes to technology. Overdraw a checking account because your automatic electronic deposit was late by a few minutes, and you’re charged $50.

If you are an active RVer and have ever pushed your coach westbound late in the evening as the sun was about to set, I’m sure you have experienced what I call the “brutal sun zone.” Actually measured in inches, it’s that space between your lowered sun visor and the top of your dashboard. Ring a bell? The pervasive glare of the sun penetrates unabated through this gap, literally blinding you at times.

First impressions do matter when it comes to motorhomes. The Coach House Platinum type C, for example, exudes elegance and luxury, and has great eye appeal.

The Olympic Peninsula forms the northwest corner of Washington, with Puget Sound and Seattle to its east, the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. That may be its geographical description, but after you experience it, you’ll want to describe it with another word: diversity.
An amazingly different array of trees, wildflowers, weather, and land elevations all exist together here.

During our first year as full-time RVers, we paid an average of $17 per night in camping fees. That was seven years ago.

People go to Laughlin, Nevada, because it offers fun and games, right? Well … partly right.

At one time, all of the “Big Three” American automakers — Chrysler (Dodge), General Motors (both GMC and Chevrolet), and Ford — competed in the type A gasoline-powered motorhome chassis marketplace. Of the three, only Ford remains in the fray.

Finding a place to store paper plates; plastic knives, forks, and spoons; wax paper; plastic wrap; aluminum foil; resealable plastic bags, etc., has always been a problem. They never stay where they’re put.

No Stink Inc. offers a variety of odor-eliminating products under the brand name of ODORZOUT.

The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, now offers visitors a peek inside a historic diner, similar to those that lined Route 66 many years ago.

The restored Route 66 Diner, which opened this past May, is not being used as a working restaurant, but it contains original equipment from an eatery that operated from 1956 to 1964 in Shamrock, Texas, called the Porter House Cafe.

One Thursday in October, we pointed the motorhome toward Laughlin, Nevada. I had convinced my ever-accommodating wife, Julie, to spend a day (two nights) there to satisfy my curiosity about the place I had heard so much about.

As the holiday season approaches, many cities, towns, and hamlets in America are decked out in lights or finery. But some are garlanded every day of the year by a name that is associated with the yuletide season, such as Bethlehem, Noel, and North Pole.
A number of tourist attractions have special appeal during the holiday season, although they can be enjoyed any time of the year.

There are houses, and then there are houses. Some are the cookie-cutter variety, while others incorporate customized features.

Want to see a fossil firsthand? No, we aren’t talking about your great aunt Mary, but about really old fossils. Check out these national monuments, parks, and recreation areas that claim fossils as part of the reason for a visit.

Whether you’re cooking for two or 12, you’ll find a recipe here that’s easy to prepare and is sure to tantalize your taste buds.
Low Country Shrimp Boil
The nice thing about this recipe is that it easily can be portioned to serve a dozen people, making it ideal for campground potlucks. For even cooking, choose potatoes that are all approximately the same size.

This time of year, you’ll notice that birds frequently feed and move about in mixed flocks. Why would they do that? What is the advantage in having more mouths at the table? Actually, there are several payoffs for such behavior.
For one thing, feeding with companions increases the number of eyes and ears available to detect predators.

On a warm, sunny day in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, a rural community just north of Chattanooga, the door to Horsin Around, the only carousel animal carving school in the United States, stands wide open. Inside, sunlight floods the 1,500-square-foot studio, illuminating rows of shelves laden with carved wooden animal heads — horses, dogs, giraffes, and more — many of them works in progress.

Q: I have a 2001 Jeep Wrangler and would like to wire it so it can be towed behind my diesel pusher. Is there a wiring harness that will plug into the existing factory wiring, and if so, where can it be purchased?
Robert Laird, F321471
Beaumont, Texas
A: RoadMaster (5602 N.E.

Dear Editor:
As many of you know, my husband, Eddie, and I traveled to Buffalo, New York, in July to attend the FMCA convention and the Governing Board meeting. On July 16, the first morning of the Governing Board meeting, Eddie became ill.

The September 1980 issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine contained an article written by FMCA’s national president at the time, Harry Palmer, L481. His “FMCA Update” was titled “Help Choose A Convention Site.”
I thought you would be interested to see the convention site specifications he shared with the membership in that article, because they make for an interesting comparison with those of today.

It is said that opportunity knocks only once. In 1998 I was given the opportunity to serve on the Legislative Advisory Committee, and accepted the appointment with the hope that the work I would be involved in would benefit my FMCA fellow members.

There has been much discussion and support through the years for FMCA to have a permanent site for one of its annual conventions. In his final address to the Governing Board at the convention in Buffalo, New York, this past July, immediate past president Jeff Jefcoat, L118344, asked the new Executive Board to give consideration to this idea.

I’ve been told that a number of Coach House Inc. customers are folks who are downsizing from high-end diesel pushers, and it’s no wonder.