June 2007

From 1994 to 2003 Tim Ruddy anchored the Dolphins offensive line, many of those years as center for legendary quarterback Dan Marino. How Tim and his family embraced motorhoming after his retirement from a successful career in professional football is the subject of this three-part story.

FMCA Convention Featured In RV Video Podcast
American RVer — a new television show produced in high-definition video and stereo audio and converted into a video podcast that is then uploaded to the AmericanRVer.com Web site — will feature FMCA’s 77th International Convention (held in Perry, Georgia, in March) as part of its May 2007 and June 2007 shows.
AmericanRVer.com offers a series of videocasts related to the RV industry. Its owners and producers are Jim and Peggy Grich, F342867, broadcast veterans and full-time RVers.

Extendable Scrubber
Power Scrubber from Black & DeckerThe 18-volt Power Scrubber from Black & Decker makes it possible for motorhomers to clean the exterior of their coach without the need for a ladder.
The battery-operated scrubber’s fully submersible and pivoting head allows users to clean almost anything and can be locked into place to reach hard-to-access places. The scrubber extends from 3 feet long to 14 feet long and comes with two 8-inch brushes (one hard, one soft) and a storage bag.
The 18-volt Power Scrubber has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $99.99.
For more information, contact:
Black & Decker
701 E.

Attaching batten strips to the inside of a kitchen drawer to hold a cutting board.To create some additional counter space in our kitchen, I added batten strips to the inside of a kitchen drawer to hold a cutting board. The first step was to measure the thickness of the cutting board.

If you spend any amount of time traveling the highways and byways in your motorhome, two things will soon become apparent. One, the variety of RVs out there is amazing,…

Family Motor Coach Association members who converged at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry for the “Georgia Jubilee” convention, March 19 through 22, 2007, had plenty of reasons to rejoice during their stay. But perhaps the biggest cause for jubilation among attendees was that they were able to enjoy all of the convention activities and not get wet.

The Inspire 360 is a really, really fine coach — in the way it looks, the way it drives, and the elegant habitat it provides at the end of the day. With a base suggested retail price beginning at $307,090, the Inspire 360 also represents value in the high-line motorhome market.

Some 400 horse farms fan out from Lexington, that horse-crazy Kentucky town. On these farms, thoroughbreds kick up their hooves alongside quarter horses, Tennessee walking horses, Arabians, Morgans, Appaloosas, and American Saddlebreds.
Many of racing’s most famous thoroughbreds – Seattle Slew, Nureyev, Spendthrift, Black Gold, and the legendary Man O’ War, to name just a few — were bred here.

Geologically speaking, the Grand Canyon hasn’t changed much over the past hundred years. However, since the 1890s, the breadth and scope of tourism at the famous canyon has seen many turns.

Family Motor Coaching magazine is an important benefit for members and friends of the Family Motor Coach Association. The magazine’s first issue was printed in 1964, less than a year after the founding of FMCA in 1963.

When you retrieved this month’s copy of Family Motor Coaching magazine from the mailbox, you most likely did a double take. While the magazine cover bears the familiar name, the style is completely different, and whereas a motorhome normally takes center stage, this month the focus is on people who enjoy the lifestyle that their home on wheels affords.

Correction
An incorrect Web site for accessing RV park reviews was listed in the April 2007 “Full-Timer’s Primer” column on page 110. The correct Web site is www.rvparkreviews.com.

La Palma Puddle
Q: I have been experiencing an intermittent loss of coolant from my motorhome engine. It is a Ford V-10 in a 2000 Monaco La Palma with a total of 14,000 miles.

Dear RV Doctor:
I have a three-burner propane stove in my RV that seems to take longer and longer to perk a pot of coffee. I recently took a trip in a friend’s RV and noticed his propane stove perked coffee much faster.

Several thousand RVers began the New Year by “Getting Their Kicks On Route 66” in Indio, California, during FMCA’s Western Area Rally January 10 through 14. After a long day of driving, it was great to have people waving and welcoming you.

Is your pet a campground annoyance? Owners and nonowners chime in.
This month’s column includes information about tracking down your federal tax refund; how to start you own blog; and comments from our full-timer’s forum concerning folks who travel with their pets.
Get back your tax. The average tax refund check returned to the IRS as “undeliverable” last year was $963.

Mosquitoes thrive in most regions of the world and, as hard as it is to believe, humans aren’t their primary targets. Mosquitoes, as much as we love to hate them, are actually an important part of the food chain.

A sampling of regional dishes and slow-cooker creations.
Motorhomers can find local tastes wherever the road leads them. Here are a few more regional favorites that you can make wherever you happen to be parked.

Changes in latitude, changes in altitude determine the flora and fauna.
Where do you look for wildlife? It depends on what you want to see. No one expects to find an alligator in a desert arroyo or a manatee in a mountain lake.

The name of this chapter — One Hundred Plus — may leave some folks guessing as to the significance of the number. The answer is fairly simple.