October 2004

Nearly four years ago, President George W. Bush began emphasizing a need for the citizens of the United States to become more compassionate and helpful to their fellowman.

John Dodgen, the venerable head of Dodgen Industries in Humboldt, Iowa, maker of Born Free type C motorhomes, was preparing to celebrate his 78th birthday soon after we picked up a new model for a recent test drive. Although he has been designing and building motorhomes for more than 30 years, Mr.

An amphibious motorhome? You bet. Debuted on “Good Morning, America” in July 2003, the Terra Wind serves a dual purpose for those enthused about motorhoming and boating.

Marathon Coach Inc., C2654, a bus conversion company based in Coburg, Oregon, recently reached a milestone by completing its 900th coach. The company, touted as the world’s largest Prevost bus converter, began converting new bus shells into recreation vehicles and corporate coaches in 1983.
Coach number 900, built on a Prevost Le Mirage XLII 45-foot shell with double slideouts, includes a host of luxuries and conveniences that appeal to the high-end consumer.

McNaughton Inc. has added three new Sole Mates products to its foot care line.

To spruce up the inside of our coach, I came up with this decorative idea that can be used in two ways. First, I purchased a fold-up drink holder designed to be installed in a convenient place to hold drinks in a passenger vehicle.

It’s safe to say that the slideouts-in-motorhomes combination is here to stay. Newmar Corporation introduced slideouts to the motorhome industry in the fall of 1989, revolutionizing motor coach design and, ultimately, the accompanying lifestyle.

One of the loveliest and most serene routes in the southeastern United States is the Natchez Trace Parkway. Whether or not you travel it all the way from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, this road will quickly become one of your favorites.

You know how it is: You’ve been behind the wheel since the early morning with the sun in your eyes, the wind rocking the RV, and asphalt that you swear continually goes uphill. You’ll reach your destination eventually, but right now you need a change of scenery.

Last fall, while driving through Mississippi, my wife and I saw smoke a few miles away. After we had driven a few more minutes, traffic came to a halt.

Wilson Castle, a 19th-century architectural gem near Rutland, Vermont, in the Green Mountains, is as unexpected as it is grand. Descriptions fail to adequately describe it.

There is nothing more American than the automobile, and no better place to relive automotive history than the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan. Here, more than 200 classic automobiles are displayed in renovated historic barns.
The museum features the private collection of Donald Gilmore, as well as the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Museum, the Pierce-Arrow Foundation Museum, and the Tucker Historical Collection and Library.

It’s the time of year when most of us hit the highways just for the sheer joy of leaf peeping. Here are ways to make your table sing with color, too.
Stained-Glass Quiche
If you prefer, fry a 12-ounce package of bacon and crumble it for this dish.

As I travel and hear from FMCA members, I find that many of them are concerned that RVers parking in retail establishment parking lots are abusing the concept of “parking,” and that their behavior is jeopardizing the opportunity for the rest of us to park at these facilities when we want to rest and relax before continuing on our motorhome journeys.
“Camping” is a totally different concept and should never be done in retail establishment parking lots. In December 2001 I wrote the following “Executive Director’s Commentary,” and it is still a good message today.
Quite frequently we’re asked what FMCA’s policy is regarding members spending the night in the parking lots of retail establishments.

Dear Editor:
We received the July 2004 issue of FMC magazine today and I began reading your article about my favorite place on earth — Crater Lake National Park (“The Bluest Blue At Crater Lake,” page 80). Being born and raised in southern Oregon, I have been to Crater Lake many times and have seen it in all of its moods, from sunshine and chipmunks to snow piled to unbelievable heights.
The article names William Gladstone Steel as the second superintendent of the park.

Q: I recently made several calls to Lexus inquiring as to whether a Lexus SUV (LX, GX, RX) could be flat towed behind my motorhome. I was informed that Lexus did not recommend flat towing the vehicle and that it could possibly cause transmission damage.

It’s reasonable to expect that after 26 years of Great Lakes Area Spring Sprees, the excitement for the event may have dulled for some longtime attendees. But that was not the case during the 27th annual G.L.A.S.S.

Shortly after FMCA’s first convention, which was held in Ticonderoga, New York, in 1964, several motor coachers gathered to start a regional chapter for the New England area. Of the many conversations held over campfires that weekend, one in particular is still rippling through the waters of history.

The concept of using a symbol on highway signs to help RV travelers find easily accessible businesses and tourist attractions that cater to their needs works, and is gaining momentum in Oregon and, more recently, in Louisiana.
Many of us have experienced the frustration of not knowing whether a tourist stop, restaurant, or gas station advertised along the interstate offers enough room for RV access and parking. It was out of this frustration that a suggestion was made to the Oregon Travel Information Council about signage identifying “RV Friendly” locations in late 2002.

This column is not about red robins, but bobcats — the smallest and most abundant wild cat still roaming North America. We spotted our first bobcat during our first year of full-timing.

Seeing the world as a full-timer can be very rewarding, but don’t be misled into believing that it’s all one big vacation. This still is life, and those on the road have the same challenges and opportunities — perhaps more — as those living in stationary homes.

Since 1985 the Virginia Main Street program has helped many of the state’s communities revitalize their downtown districts. It has a two-pronged goal — stimulate the long-term economic growth, and increase local pride in the past.

Once in a great while, an innovation comes along that has a dramatic effect on consumers and the related industry. In the RV world, slideout rooms and high-tech convertor-chargers are examples of the more dramatic changes in recent years.