October 2006

A better way of life and a better way of living are constant refrains heard from Fredericksburg, Texas, locals. From its earliest days, when the original German settlers signed their own treaty with the local Indians (a treaty signed without U.S.

California State Route 74 — also referred to as the Ortega Highway — runs east from San Juan Capistrano in the southern part of the state. The road’s winding, climbing lanes present a broad spectrum of driving challenges that are perfect for testing the road manners and driving behavior of any vehicle.

Monaco Coach Corporation has introduced the newly designed 2007 Monaco Dynasty. One of the most striking additions to the 2007 Dynasty line is the availability of the PanaSuite full-wall slideout in the 43-foot Palace III floor plan.

The Skooba Skin from RoadWired is a padded laptop sleeve that quickly converts into a carrying case. The two-in-one bag provides protection for the computer when it’s placed inside another bag or briefcase, or as a stand-alone carrying case.
When a computer is placed in the Skooba Skin’s sleeve, the mirror-image flaps overlap one another — one slides inside the case, the other wraps over the top — and the outer flap is secured via hook-and-loop fastening material.

As full-time volunteers, we generally spend a month or more in one location, so we prefer to have our awning arms extended straight down to the ground instead of attached to the motorhome. Often, our campsite has a patio, requiring us to use buckets filled with sand, dirt, or gravel as anchors to hold the awning arms in place, as well as the tie-down straps.
So we obtained two white five-gallon frosting buckets for free from a supermarket bakery, decorated them with decals we had from years ago, and “planted” bunches of artificial flowers in them once they were filled.
Editor’s note: During inclement weather, awnings should always be stowed.
Mike & Shar Rau, F273721
Emery, South Dakota

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Eliminating Black Streaks
Stopping windshield streaks with self-adhesive “J” stripTo keep roof water from running down onto the windshield and causing black streaks, purchase a 10-foot piece of “J” strip with a self-adhesive back from a source such as Camping World.

As fuel prices have gone up, interest in better fuel mileage has kept pace. Plus, concern over reducing America’s dependency on foreign oil is also increasing.

Cincinnati owes its existence to the Ohio River. Like many other Eastern American cities settled in the 1700s, it was the need for transportation — in this case, by riverway — that made the location advantageous to merchants, land speculators, and military strategists.

Thanks to technological innovation, a host of products now on the market make RV travel easier and more enjoyable than ever before. Even the newest motorhomes come out of the factory equipped with gizmos we never would have thought of 20 or 30 years ago.

When a new RV is introduced, the questions to be answered are usually “what?” and “how?” — “What does it come with?” and “How long is it?” But the new 40-foot gas-powered Flounder motorhome has a big "who" and "why" behind it: Who’s manufacturing it and why?

One of the oldest rivers on the North American continent, the Arkansas, wanders through five states before it joins the Mississippi. Along 12 short miles west of Canon City, Colorado (Canon is pronounced “canyon”), it has performed its most impressive work.

Regular viewers of NBC’s Today show are no doubt familiar with the human-interest segments filmed by feature correspondent Mike Leonard. For 25 years he’s been canvassing cities, towns, and out-of-the-way places throughout America, looking for the quirky, heartwarming, or just-plain-funny story to share with his television audience.

Over the past 15 years we’ve found all sorts of reasons to visit Little Rock, Arkansas. Attractions in the state capital are numerous: the Old State House Museum, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, the Little Rock Zoo, and the state capitol come to mind.

Rice Patties
Make these versatile fried cakes to serve with pancake syrup for breakfast or add tiny bits of vegetables, herbs, or a little grated cheese to turn them into a savory side dish to serve with meat from the grill. If you prefer to cook your own rice, you’ll need two cups of cooked, cooled rice.

As you read this, summer will be just about over, and we’ll be looking forward to fall. FMCA still has two area rallies to go this year — the South Central Area Rally, September 26 through 29 in Beaumont, Texas, and the Rocky Mountain Ramble, October 11 through 14 in Casa Grande, Arizona.
A number of area rallies take place throughout the year.

The fourth edition of the Family Motor Coach Association North American Road Atlas & Travel Guide is now available to members. I hope you will take advantage of FMCA’s offer to send you a free copy of the revised FMCA atlas when you sign up a new FMCA member.

Dear Editor:
In the November 2005 issue, page 28, a “Tech & Travel Tip” proposes an idea for tethering a dog to a motorhome by installing a special eyebolt for this purpose. I was taught as a child 60 years ago to never tether an animal to a movable vehicle.

Q: Following is a letter we sent to DaimlerChrysler Corporation regarding using a new Dodge Dakota as a towed vehicle behind a motorhome. The company did respond, saying that it is a new design on the Dakota and that they will try to make the towing information more “visible” to both dealers and buyers.

Dear RV Doctor:
Our black tank in the RV is plugged up in the toilet tank. We bought one of those back-flushing devices and back-washed the tank several times.

Robert (Bob) Gobrecht, L14273, who served as FMCA national treasurer from 1986 to 1987, is perhaps best known to music lovers as the father of FMCA’s popular Frustrated Maestros chapters. He passed away on June 22, 2006, at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California, at the age of 82.
In 1978 Bob and his wife, Betty, attended their first FMCA international convention in Tampa, Florida.

Are you an FMCA member living in southwest Utah who is ready to join a new kind of chapter? Then meet the Red Rock Rovers.
The chapter, which received its charter in January 2005, is a small group with a 30-coach limit that operates on five main principles: a focus on travel, fun, and companionship; only four to six rallies per year in locations outside the area; informal meetings with no rituals, scheduled early in the day; adventuresome activities; and the sharing of duties at rallies (no one has to be a rally host).
Gary Watts, F28005, chapter founder and president, is the person responsible for setting up these basic operating rules. He has been an FMCA member since 1986, and traveled in a motorhome with his family for years.

Some good news for Minnesota state park patrons, some busy times for committees and planning commissions in California.
Minnesota state park permits
Starting in 2007, motorhome owners won’t have to pay a secondary vehicle permit fee for their towed vehicles when visiting Minnesota state parks.
Currently, motorhome owners who tow a vehicle must purchase camping permits for the motorhome as well as their towed vehicle. An annual use permit costs $25, and a permit for a second vehicle, $18.

First question: What are badlands? Second question: What’s so bad about them?
The most common answer isn’t all that helpful. Badlands are areas where the soil has been extensively eroded by wind and water.

Some folks insist that the Black Hills are actually mountains, but having seen the real thing, we disagree. No matter the type of classification you want to give this region, it doesn’t detract from its beauty.

In the early 1900s, shortly after the gasoline-powered automobile became popular, the first improvised recreation vehicles began to appear. This led to the first production RVs, which became available in the 1920s and 1930s.