A Great FMCA Benefit
During our summer motorhome trip we stopped in Gunnison, Colorado. My wife, Susan, tripped and fell, and broke a shoulder socket and bone in her left arm. After emergency surgery, the surgeon suggested she be flown home to Florida instead of making the long ride home in our motorhome.
I contacted Seven Corners, which administers the FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program, with the request. They arranged a flight for us both to Tampa. They offered to have someone drive the motorhome to Florida, but I declined that. Instead, they arranged a flight for me back to Gunnison, so I could bring it home myself.
Service by Seven Corners was outstanding. This is a great benefit through FMCA.
Bob Pitzer, F483953
Englewood, Florida
Arizona And New Mexico Recommendations
I recently had work done on my 2004 Dutch Star motorhome at A Touch of Glass in Yuma, Arizona (1701 S. Arizona Ave.; 928-343-2227; www.glassinyuma.com). I also used the services of Cox Tire & Auto in Albuquerque, New Mexico (3605 Osuna Road N.E.; 505-344-7855; coxtireandautomotive.com).
I highly recommend both companies.
Carl E. Engstrom, F257319
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Oklahoma Shops Go To Great Lengths
On Labor Day last September, my wife and I pulled our RV into the Walmart in McAlester, Oklahoma, to pick up some supplies. When we finished shopping, I found that one of the four tires on our fifth-wheel was low. This is no problem, as I have been able to change a tire in about 35 minutes.
The thing was that I needed a new tire, since we will not travel without a spare. Walmart’s tire department would take four or five hours to get to us. This was 1:00 in the afternoon. My wife found Beale Tire Company only two miles from us, and they had a mobile tech on duty. After a young man from there came with a tire and I put on the spare, I noticed the tire and hub were wobbling on the bearing.
After looking at the other tire on the same side of the trailer, we decided it was questionable also, so with the spare on the ground, the Beale employee took both bad tires to the shop for replacement and had them on the trailer quickly. We cannot begin to thank Beale enough.
We were able to make it to an overnight site just a mile and a half from us at the Valley Inn Motel and RV Park. As luck would have it, just two more miles from us was Motorsports Unlimited (1202 S. George Nigh Expressway, McAlester, OK 74501; 918-426-2887; www.motorsportsunlimitedok.com), which also repairs RVs.
We were at Motorsports Unlimited first thing Tuesday morning. Turned out that our trailer had Lippert axles and sealed bearings, which are no longer manufactured, because of problems with the bearings. Lippert had a special deal for replacing the failed sealed bearings and axles (buy one axle, get the second for $100). But that meant we would have to wait three weeks for the parts, time we did not have.
So, the great people at Motorsports Unlimited bent over backward to order new Dexter axles, bearings, hubs, and brake assemblies that were available three hours away. They put the trailer together again and had us back on the road on Saturday of the same week. We cannot begin to thank them enough.
We have XtraRide’s extended service plan, which picked up half of the repair bill and all of our hotel and food costs. More praise and thanks.
When we got back home, we contacted Lippert and told them what happened. They sent us a check in response to the offer mentioned above, which pretty much covered the half of the bill that XtraRide did not. Again, many thanks.
Walt & Teena Still, F485908
Baytown, Texas
Kind Campground Owner
Last October, we drove from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, over the Togwotee Pass at 9,658 feet elevation, after a storm had left some ice and slush on the road. The drive left our RV entry step and both holding tanks frozen. We headed to Wind River RV Park in Riverton, Wyoming. We needed to dump the tanks before moving on to our next stop, in Mitchell, South Dakota.
I told the owner of the park about our problem and asked how we could get thawed out. After some options were discussed, he insisted I stay another night without charge to give it more time to thaw. He didn’t wish to profit from another’s misfortune.
Wind River RV Park is beautiful, well laid out, and spotlessly maintained. Couple that with a kind and caring owner and you have the kind of place I wish to camp. The owner’s name? Joseph F. Pepper, a retired U.S. Navy captain. Thanks, Captain Joseph!
Bill Quillen, F286911
Knoxville, Tennessee
Thanks, Tiffin
I want all FMCA members who are owners of coaches from Tiffin Motorhomes Inc. to know that Bob Tiffin and sons truly treat customers as family. We recently had an issue with our coach and contacted Bob and sons by letter. Shortly thereafter, we received an extremely favorable response. The response indicated to us that we are truly lucky to be members of the Tiffin family.
Ernest & Susan Thibodaux, F427656
Lockport, Louisiana
Repair Saves Road Trip
This past October, on our way to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico, our motorhome broke down. The engine lost power and smoke started pouring out. We were forced to the side of the road in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We needed to be at our destination the very next day.
We had made it this far from New Jersey, and the thought of missing the event was upsetting, to say the least. We got in touch with Premier RV in Falcon, Colorado (11145 E. U.S. 24; 719 425 2284; www.premierautoandrv.com). Bryan Gustin, service manager, dispatched a tow truck and quickly removed us from our precarious location. When we arrived at the service center, Bryan and crew immediately got to work, diagnosing the problem and ordering parts. A frozen air-conditioner pulley had caused the serpentine belt on the engine to smoke and snap. A new A/C system and belt had to be installed. To my pleasant surprise, Bryan said they would have us back on the road by 10:30 a.m. the very next day. So, we spent the night comfortably hooked up to their RV site, wondering if Bryan was a man of his word.
Well, he was! A pleasant technician named Ian finished the repair in the morning, with Bryan personally supervising the installation. We left there on time and drove the remaining six hours to Albuquerque.
We made it. What a relief. And we got to enjoy an amazing balloon fiesta.
I can’t say enough about Bryan. A dedicated professional. I highly recommend Premier RV.
Gerard & Georgi Bonardi, F494879
Lavallette, New Jersey
Maine “Good Samaritans”
Rodney Guptill, his son Nathan Guptill, and Rodney’s Repair (282 Howes Corner Road, North Turner, ME 04282; 207-224-7345) are all you need to know if you have a vehicle problem while traveling near North Turner, Maine. The auto shop is west of Augusta and north of Lewiston.
On a recent RV trip through New England and Atlantic Canada, we had a front-tire blowout on a Sunday, but fortunately we were able to get into a big parking lot. That lot ended up, of all things, being the lot for a car and truck (and snowmobile) repair business called Rodney’s Repair. Rodney happened to be nearby, saw our situation, and told us of course it was fine for us to remain there. He took down our tire information, said he was heading out of town shortly, and assured us that his son Nathan would take care of us Monday morning.
Sure enough, the next morning Nathan drove me to the nearest tire business that had a satisfactory 22.5 bus tire in stock. We returned to the bus and Nathan mounted and balanced the tire, all for a very fair price.
Rodney and Nathan were our Good Samaritan saviors, who changed a scary situation a long way from home into a good story about kind, helpful people.
Don & Debbie Fryer, F427774
North Augusta, South Carolina
Reflecting On A Courteous Repair
I want to thank Wheeler Collision Shop in Kelso, Washington (2406 Talley Way; 360-577-7900; www.wheelersautotruckandrvrepaircenter.com), for their help. They responded quickly by contacting service at Tiffin motorhomes for the repair of my RV’s passenger-side mirror after it was destroyed by another RV.
Tiffin shipped it overnight, and Joe and Cody at Wheeler got me in immediately for repair. They are very courteous and enjoyable to work with. The shop is very easy to reach from the freeway. As a lady driver from out of town, I felt very relieved by their fast response.
I recommend them for any repairs needed. I was more than 80 miles away from the shop when the accident happened. They would have done the work at my location if I had not been able to get the coach to the shop. But I had a passenger with me who helped me to navigate without the mirror.
Elaine Rose, F319796
Pasco, Washington
Happy With Blue Dog RV
We have spent the past two years trying to get our trailer manufacturer to step up and fix the RV. Blue Dog RV in Fife, Washington, has been very supportive in getting our multiple issues repaired. We had to have the trailer towed there twice and have the major slide floor fixed twice, as the manufacturer didn’t agree the first time to the proper fix. Blue Dog staff have gone above and beyond to help us. We highly recommend them for any repairs needed. Their Fife location is at 1700 51st Ave. E.; (253) 444-0832; www.bluedogrv.com.
Jim & Cathy Matthew, F367667
Renton, Washington