January 2008

One of my favorite “duties” as FMCA president is attending the various area rallies held throughout the year. Since I have fewer responsibilities and commitments at an area rally than I do at an international convention, these rallies allow me more opportunities to visit with members and talk with them about FMCA.

Newmar Corporation, based in Nappanee, Indiana, hopes to cater to tailgating enthusiasts with its newest floor plan, the 4258 All Star, which includes two kitchens, two bathrooms, and numerous other tailgating amenities.

he new All Star tailgate floor plan is built exclusively on a Spartan Mountain Master ME (mid-engine) chassis.

The Attach-A-Table from Crazy Creek Products Inc. is a convenient swiveling table that is said to attach and detach easily from most framed chairs and can hold food, drinks, and other small items.
The table folds up and down, swings out, and can be adjusted to different height positions.

To keep ants and other pests from crawling into your motorhome through an access hole, treat an old towel with some insecticide and stuff it around the hole.
Deanie Hendrix, F761S,
Erie, Colorado
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Border Décor
My new motorhome needed something to spruce up the walls. I went to a wallpaper store and looked through tons of wallpaper border books.

Despite the flurry of activity that surrounds the holidays, the opportunity to share a moment with family and friends, or a good laugh, remains. These FMCA members provide three distinct answers to this month’s question: Describe your favorite holiday memory involving your motorhome.
I grew up in the Boca Grande Lighthouse on Gasparilla Island, Florida.

If you have owned a gasoline-powered and a diesel-powered motorhome, you don’t need to be convinced of the advantages of the diesel engine. Most RVers know that diesel engines produce more torque at much lower rpm than the equivalent gasoline engine, offer enhanced fuel economy, and have a longer service life.

In 1848 gold was found in a creek near Sacramento, California. Once word got back to the rest of the civilized world, a large migration west ensued.

Making an entry into the world of luxury motorhomes is no small task. Not only must the manufacturer be on the cusp of coach-building technology, but it also must have a dealer network.

When it comes to great ship museums, San Diego has two of the best in the United States — the Maritime Museum of San Diego and the USS Midway Museum. Between them they provide an opportunity to tour eight treasured vessels.

When J.C. and Inez Ware inspected the site for their new home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in 1971, they made an amazing discovery.

At its August 2007 meeting in Redmond, Oregon, the FMCA Governing Board approved a proposal to eliminate the membership listings from the January directory/member benefits issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine. This decision was based on the size of these listings and the associated costs (paper, printing, postage), as well as the fact that this information now is available online at FMCA.com.
In the recent past, the January directory issue included two listings of family members, one by membership number and the other by name.

Dear RV Doctor:
The carpet near the back of my Aqua Magic toilet is damp. I cannot see or feel any dripping from the water supply line.

Dorothy Jane “Dottie” Pierce, L57064, who served as FMCA’s national president from 1995 to 1998, died on September 24, 2007, in Clearwater, Florida, after an eight-year battle with colon cancer. She was 79.
Dottie was born August 21, 1928, in Wilmington, Delaware, one of nine children raised by her parents, Emmer and Ida Cloud.

Focus on basic solutions for removing nasty stains from fabrics.

Everyone knows the difficulty of dealing with tough stains from blood, grass, mud, etc. on clothing.

Job searching while full-timing; accessible travel resources; a Titanic book; and coach organization tips.
For some folks, becoming a full-timer is the ultimate retirement adventure. You live where you want, do what you like, and enjoy the fruits of all your hard work over the years.

These appendages tell a story in the varied ways animals use them.

Outside our window the rain begins to fall a bit harder, but the local gray squirrel just uses its tail as an umbrella to keep the drops from bouncing off its head. Evidently, the acorns it is collecting are more important than the slight discomfort of a little moisture.

Whether you’re wintering in the Sunbelt or using your motorhome for ski trips and snowshoe hiking, winter appetites call for heartier meals. Here are recipes that are kind to the cook, filled with homemade goodness, and easy on the cleanup crew.
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Sweet Potato Puff
Eggs turn this into a creamier, more substantial side dish than sweet potatoes alone.

If ever there were a natural proving ground for any kind of vehicle, and especially a 40-foot diesel-pusher motorhome, California State Route 74, also called the Ortega Highway, is it. It winds from sea level up to where it crests at the top of the Santa Ana Mountains and then drops dramatically down to Lake Elsinore below.

In July 2008 the Amana Colonies RV Park will be the hosting site to celebrate the Safari International chapter’s 20th anniversary. This rally will be held in Amana, Iowa, from July 1 through July 4, prior to FMCA’s 80th International Convention in St.

We are concerned about rodent (mice) control in our type A coach and wonder whether there are any solutions that are acceptable to the human senses?
John Watts, F364006
Ellington, Connecticut
We have a 2002 32-foot Bounder type A coach. Last winter while it was in storage, a family of mice took up residence and caused considerable mess and damage.

Games and plenty of music characterize this Canadian chapter’s activities.

Imagine sauntering up to a rally of FMCA members where plenty of live music is being played and exciting games are under way. That’s what Alberta Wild Rose rallies are like.

It is an unusual coincidence that musicians who play the violin, accordion, trumpet, saxophone, guitar, drums, keyboard, and more are represented in this one chapter.

A group of Clemson University football fans would be sacked for a loss if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) shortens the campground season at Twin Lakes Campground near Clemson, South Carolina.
Twin Lakes is situated five miles from Clemson and just minutes from Clemson University.