Enhance your motorhoming acumen by attending one or more of the many informational sessions to be offered at FMCA’s 79th International Convention.
By Doug Uhlenbrock, Associate Editor
February 2008
Members attending FMCA’s “Rush To The Golden State” convention at Fairplex in Pomona, California, February 25, 26, 27, and 28, 2008, will have access to more than 100 great educational opportunities presented during the event. Whether you want to learn more about the mechanical operations of your motorhome, discover how to more fully enjoy the RVing lifestyle, or find out how to make keepsake crafts, the seminar lineup will be to your liking.
All About FMCA
During the Pomona convention, FMCA executive director Don Eversmann, F240000, will provide a detailed explanation of “FMCA & Member Benefits” to remind attendees of all that FMCA offers and encourage them to take full advantage of their membership.
Attendees also can discover specific information about several of the services offered to them through their FMCA membership. Find out about the discounted rates available to members during “Coach-Net Emergency Road Service” and learn more about “MEDEX “” The Travel Program That Provides Travel Assistance, Emergency Evacuation, And Repatriation,” which is a no-cost benefit to each FMCA member family.
Those looking to find a chapter that they can call home will have a chance to visit with representatives from a number of these groups during the “Chapter Fair” on Monday, February 25. Members who have questions about FMCA or suggestions on how to make it a better organization can attend the “President’s Forum,” as well as two sessions of “FMCA Open Forum For Chapter Members,” during the convention.
For those who are attending their first FMCA convention, Mr. Eversmann will be joined by commercial services supervisor Maureen Mullarkey to welcome convention newcomers during an “Orientation For First-Time Attendees.” The duo will highlight the activities available to convention-goers and provide a brief tutorial on navigating the convention program to find necessary information.
Safety First
As FMCA members know, RVing can be a fun and rewarding adventure. But to help convention attendees realize the importance of safety both while driving and when parked, FMCA offers a number of seminars developed especially for motorhomers.
The “RV Driving Safety Program” provides attendees with helpful driving information and tips that, once learned, will make their driving experience a safer one. This two-session, classroom experience (six hours total) will focus on driver awareness and help individuals gauge their own driving abilities. Attendees also will learn to become more familiar with their vehicle’s size “” height, weight, and length “” and its impact on drivability, and gain a greater understanding of how different conditions can affect driving. Those who complete the program may be eligible for a discount on their insurance premiums, depending on their state of residence and insurance carrier.
The seminar is conducted and cosponsored by the Recreation Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation (RVSEF), C5999, an FMCA Three Star sponsor, and FMCA. Sign-ups will be at the RVSEF RV Driving Safety Program registration booth in the Information Center in Building 9 beginning Monday, February 25, at 7:00 a.m. and will continue until all sessions are filled. The cost is $20 per person.
The “RV Weight & Tire Safety” seminar, also presented by RVSEF, focuses on how to load and properly operate a motorhome; coach weights and carrying capacity; and factors that affect the life of radial tires. FMCA members can have their coaches weighed as they leave the convention by signing up for the service beginning on Monday, February 25, at 7:00 a.m. at the FMCA Information Center in Building 9; during the seminar; or at the RVSEF booth (#914) in Building 6. FMCA provides a $15 subsidy to the program, so the cost to members for having their coach weighed is $34. Appointments are limited.
In “Fire & Life Safety,” a seminar sponsored by FMCA, veteran firefighter Mac McCoy, C7648, will explain the causes of most RV fires and how to prevent them. Attendees will learn about different types of fire extinguishers; which gauges and detectors enhance safety in a motorhome; aspects of engine and transmission overheating; and more.
Attendees will learn proper filling, testing, and safety instructions during “LP Gas Systems.” “Safety Systems For Motorhomes” covers three categories of alarm systems that can alert motorhomers to potential problems in the vehicle: engine and generator fire detection systems; tire pressure monitors; and smoke/fire, carbon monoxide, and propane detectors.
Getting Technical
Being an inquisitive bunch, most motorhomers want to know how things in the RV work and how to keep their units in good operating condition. With so many knowledgeable industry experts on hand, there may be no better place to have your technical questions answered and become educated about the various motorhome systems than at the technical seminars offered during FMCA conventions.
Representatives from the major chassis manufacturers “” both gasoline and diesel “” will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about maintenance guidelines for their chassis. Owners of diesel-powered motorhomes can attend separate seminars presented by representatives from Caterpillar, Cummins, and Detroit Diesel, who will discuss operating and maintenance procedures for their engines. New or potential diesel motorhome owners will want to join Jim Brightly, F358406, technical editor of Family Motor Coaching magazine, and officials from the three diesel engine manufacturers listed above for “RV Diesel 101.”
A panel of experts will explain how to tow a vehicle safely behind a motorhome during the “Towing Roundtable.” The discussion also will include information about towing equipment; which vehicles can be towed four wheels down; and related accessories. During a separate seminar, “Supplemental Towed Car Braking,” manufacturers of towed vehicle braking systems will explain how their products work.
Other technical seminars will focus on satellite TV equipment and operation; generator use and maintenance; dry camping; RV batteries; refrigeration; hydronic heating systems; steering and suspension issues; Allison transmission operation; and motorhome tires.
The Lifestyle
Convention-goers will find a wide array of seminars that pertain to making the motorhoming lifestyle more fulfilling and enjoyable. Here are several that might stir your curiosity.
The widespread availability of high-speed Internet and wi-fi has made it worthwhile for folks to include a computer as part of their standard travel equipment. In Pomona, FMCA will offer a variety of seminars to help folks realize the potential benefits of having a computer on the road. Sessions such as “High-Speed Internet,” “Practice Safe Computing,” and “PC Annoyances And How To Fix Them” will provide valuable information about how to get yourself connected on the road, strategies for protecting your computer from viruses and other infections, and how to remedy computer problems should they arise.
Of course, there are countless things you can do with your computer. “Google Earth” shows attendees how to see places anywhere in the world via satellite using a free downloadable program. “Managing Digital Photos With Picasa” is another free program that allows users to organize and edit their photos and then share them with others. “Every RVer Needs A Blog!” instructs folks how to use the free Blogger Web site provided by Google.com to create their own travelogue, including stories and photos, that can be seen by family and friends.
Those who believe cleanliness is next to godliness will be in heaven during such seminars as “Beautifying & Protecting Your Coach,” “Clean With A Pro With Mary Moppins,” “M&Ms “” The Myths And Magic Of Microfiber,” and “Keeping Your Canine Pal Clean And Happy While On The Road.”
To enjoy the motorhoming lifestyle fully, it’s important to stay both physically and mentally healthy. Unfortunately, keeping oneself in tip-top shape isn’t always easy when traveling. But seminars such as “Back Health,” “Knee & Shoulder Health And Exercise,” and “Joint Health & Living With Arthritis” can provide stretching and strengthening exercises that can be done in the motorhome; “Health Considerations For Hypertension, Diabetes, And Coronary Heart Disease” will help attendees better understand and control these conditions; “Octane For The Brain” will offer tips on how to stay mentally sharp; and “Sudden Cardiac Arrest And The Use Of The AED” will explain what sudden cardiac arrest is and instruct attendees on how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Motorhomers interested in traveling outside the lower 48 United States and Canada will find plenty of fascinating options discussed during a number of seminars. If you’re looking for an adventure Down Under, you may discover your ticket to the Outback at “Australia And New Zealand RV Caravan Style.” Prefer a trip to the “Old World”? Take in the “RVing In Europe” and “Traveling On The British Isles” presentations. If you desire a spicier jaunt, find your way south of the border during “RVing To Mexico’s Copper Canyon And Baja Whale Watching.” Discover the wild beauty of Alaska at “RVing To Alaska: The Last Great Frontier” and “The Perfect Alaska RV Adventure.”
Need a hobby? Perhaps you’d be interested in “Quilting “” Try Something New,” “Fly Fishing The West,” “Digital Photography,” or “Wine 101.” Make your building skills work for others by finding out more about “Making A Difference Through Habitat For Humanity®.” Or find out what awaits you at FMCA’s 80th International Convention this summer with an overview of “Saint Paul Tourism.”
With the number and variety of seminars presented at the “Rush To The Golden State” convention, it’s almost a certainty that you can find one or more that satisfy your curiosity.
Pomona Convention Seminars
The following seminars were scheduled as of press time. Last-minute changes could alter the list. Please check your convention program for dates, times, locations, and seminar descriptions.
Technical
Aqua-Hot And Hydro-Hot Heating Systems
Basics Of Refrigeration
Caterpillar Engine
Cummins Engine
Detroit Diesel Engine
Driving With The Allison World Transmission
Dry Camping Can Be Fun
Freightliner Custom Chassis Preventive Maintenance
Generator Maintenance Roundtable
Introduction To RV Satellite 10
LP Gas Systems
Motorhome Tires: What You Need To Know To Take Care Of Them
RV Batteries
RV Diesel 101
RV Charging Systems
RV Inverter/Charger Systems
RV Maintenance
RV Weight & Tire Safety
Satellite TV Technical Talk
Spartan Chassis Maintenance
Supplemental Towed Car Braking
Steering, Suspensions “” Coach Ride And Handling
Towing Roundtable
What Every Motorhome Owner Should Know About Tires
Workhorse & Late-Model Chevrolet Chassis Maintenance
Educational
Are You Tired Of Troublesome Day/Night Shades?
Australia And New Zealand RV Caravan Style
Back Health
Beautifying & Protecting Your Coach
Chapter Fair
Chapter Officer Orientation Training
Clean With A Pro With Mary Moppins
Coach-Net Emergency Road Service
Digital Diesel Instrumentation And Diagnostics With SilverLeaf
Digital Photography
Don’t Go Without Velcro
Every RVer Needs A Blog!
Fire & Life Safety In Your RV
Fly Fishing The West
FMCA & Member Benefits
FMCA Open Forum For Chapter Members
Full-Timing
Get Acquainted With La Verne And Surrounding Areas
Google Earth
Health Considerations For Hypertension, Diabetes, And Coronary Heart
Disease
High-Speed Internet
Highway Watch Program
In-Coach Navigation 101
Introduction To Geocaching
Joint Health & Living With Arthritis
Keeping Your Canine Pal Clean And Happy While On The Road
Knee & Shoulder Health And Exercise
M&Ms “” The Myths And Magic Of Microfiber
Making A Difference Through Habitat For Humanity®
Managing A Business On The Road 101
Managing Digital Photos With Picasa
MEDEX “” The Travel Program That Provides Travel Assistance,
Emergency Evacuation, And Repatriation
Microwave-Convection Cooking “” Beginner ABCs
Microwave-Convection Cooking-On-The-Go
National Director Training
Octane For The Brain
On-Road Quilters
Orientation For First-Time Attendees
PC Annoyances And How To Fix Them
Photo Story 3
Practice Safe Computing
President’s Forum
Quilting “” Try Something New
Rally Planning
RV Driving Safety Program
RVing In Europe
RVing To Alaska: The Last Great Frontier
RVing To Mexico’s Copper Canyon And Baja Whale Watching
RVing With Odor-Free Holding Tanks And Safe Drinking Water
Safety Systems For Motorhomes
Saint Paul Tourism
Selecting the Right Motorhome For YOUR Needs
Sudden Cardiac Arrest And The Use Of The AED
The Perfect Alaska RV Adventure
The Real Cost Of RVing
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
Traveling On The British Isles
Water Filtration, Purification, and Conditioning
What’s Your Style? Wine Tasting
Wine 101
Crafts
Beginner Crocheting
Bow Tie Angels
Cactus Planter
Fabric Note Cards
Fun Fur Basket
Gemstone Chip Bracelet/Earring Set
On The Go Hat
Plastic Bag Crocheting
Rubber Stamped Greeting Cards
Southwestern Tic-Tac-Toe
Fun, Games & Exercise
Early Morning Workouts For All FMC