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Family RVing Magazine

Readers’ Forum: September 2013

September 1, 2013

Wrong Bridge, Right Bay

Dear Editor:
You know that photo of a bridge tower on page 68 of the July 2013 issue (Kids’ Section: Identifying National Monuments, Memorials, and Landmarks”)? It is not the San Francisco Bay Bridge. The international-orange-painted bridge in the photos is the Golden Gate Bridge, the one that everyone takes pictures of. Close, but no cigar.

Karen Osgood, F372191
Newman, California


Refilling Diesel Emission Fluid

Dear Editor:
In The July 2013 Readers’ Forum column (page 12), Dave Pessoni explained how he fills his diesel emission fluid (DEF) tank. His solution was to drive through the fueling station in reverse.

My solution was to find a tall, narrow, 5-gallon plastic fuel container that fits nicely in my motorhome’s passenger-side basement storage compartment. Now when I fuel up, if I need DEF, I fill my portable container at the same time. I have the option of filling the DEF tank immediately or storing the fluid for later use. I keep my DEF container on the coach at all times and use it only for DEF.

As the other reader pointed out, buying the DEF in bulk quantities is considerably less costly than buying it in disposable containers.

Don Frank, F359188
Ocala, Florida

A Big Dollar Difference

Dear Editor:
No wonder no one bought a duplicate of the 1953 65-foot motorhome mentioned on page 64 (“How Big Is that Rig?”) of the June issue. At $100,000, it would cost nearly a million dollars today. There were few millionaires in 1953.

Because of inflation, the dollar today is different from past values. It would give us readers a better sense of what happened if we also had prices in today’s dollars. Otherwise, you might as well be telling us a figure in Russian rubles or British pounds.

I admit to being guilty of boasting to my grandchildren that Cokes used to cost 5 cents. They were 5 cents in 1950s dollars. And they were only 6 ounces, not 20 ounces. In today’s dollars, that 5-cent Coke would cost 46 cents (7.6 cents per ounce), and a 20-ounce Coke today is about $1.59 (8 cents per ounce).

Hyler Bracey and Cass Flagg, F106633
Taylorsville, Georgia

Excellent Battery Replacement

Dear Editor:
I am writing to tell readers about an excellent location in Corona, California, to purchase batteries. I realized I was pushing the envelope when my coach and chassis batteries were 7 years old. Someone referred me to Powerstride Battery near Interstate 91 in Corona (122 Enterprise Court, Corona, CA 92882; 951-273-2200).

Right away they found a problem. All four coach batteries looked alike, but two were absorbed-glass mat (AGM) and two were gel. They could have replaced all four with gel batteries, which fit the existing coach racks perfectly. But these batteries would have been nearly impossible to replace if I needed to do so while in a remote location. We decided to replace all four with large AGM batteries. Because the original battery configuration was different, they had to modify the area so the new ones would fit. Most battery installers would not get involved in such an effort. I was even offered a ride to a restaurant for lunch while the work was being done.

The owner of Powerstride Battery, Richard Alvord, came out and introduced himself to me. I later learned he owns many other locations within and outside of California. The installers apologized for the long repair time, which was not their fault. I felt bad the job was not completed until well after their quitting time. They did not even charge me a premium for the extra hours.

I highly recommend Powerstride Battery to anyone replacing batteries in a coach, car, or any other vehicle. It is rare to find a place where the word “service” still means something.

Jim Allen, F372071
San Juan Capistrano, California

Downsizing With Ease

Dear Editor:
We have owned nine Type A motorhomes since 1985 and had been looking to downsize for more than three years. We are very pleased to have found a Unity motorhome  by Leisure Travel Vans. It is easy to drive, fuel-efficient, and very livable. The model 24MB is an ideal unit for a couple. The MB stands for Murphy Bed. Push a button and you are ready for an evening of relaxing sleep. The motorhome has a nice-size bathroom with a corner shower; adequate closet space; a decent kitchen; and a U-shaped lounge area that makes entertaining easy. Turn the front chairs around and you have seating for six, without feeling crowded. The Mercedes-Benz chassis allows us to tow a car and still be fuel-efficient.

Having toured the plant, we are even more impressed with the quality of this brand.

Bart and Doris Andrews, F71418
Huntington, West Virginia

Good Service In Kansas

Dear Editor:
My wife and I were traveling in our motorhome when its engine began to overheat. We had to stop occasionally and wait for it to cool down; eventually, we limped into a campground in Garden City, Kansas.

I went looking for a garage that might be able to help and found Kansas Truck Parts and Service Inc. They were busy with many semi trucks, and the service manager said it would be three days before they could get to us. He did come to look at the motorhome engine, however, and said he was sure the radiator was plugged with dirt. Since we were traveling, he said if we could leave the coach with him, he would have it fixed in about three hours. He was very kind and told us about a good place to eat. We took the towed car and had a nice sight-seeing trip around the area while we waited. The motorhome was ready to roll in three hours. And the service manager had been right about the cause of the problem.

What a blessing to have nice service and at a very reasonable rate. We highly recommend Kansas Truck Parts and Service (2509 N. Taylor Ave., Garden City, KS 67846; 620-276-2929).

Richard Ikens, F385290
Reed City, Michigan

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