Discount Reminder
I enjoy the magazine so much, especially since we no longer travel. Believe me, for at least three decades we enjoyed the U.S.A. from all points on the compass. I’ve written articles for “Gulfstream,” an RV newsletter, and for our business organizations, and they love hearing about our trips. We still keep in touch with some of the travelers we met.
One thing I’d love for Family RVing magazine to have a running announcement about is the wonderful discount we enjoy from Office Depot/OfficeMax. It’s substantial, and I’m not sure folks are aware of it.
This is just a friendly suggestion. Keep safe and take care of each other.
— Chic Holliday, F352307
Jacksonville, Florida
Editor’s note: Thank you for the suggestion. We do have an ad that runs periodically; see page 36 in this issue. For those who would like to learn more about this and other discounts afforded to FMCA members, visit https://www.fmca.com/fmca-shopping-discounts.
Campground, Service Recommendation
Because of the pandemic, we have missed several camping days due to government closings in our state. Finally, we were able to get our unit out of storage, and with three other units we headed for a trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (Cue in the song “Convoy.”) We met at a state park on Friday and were to leave for Gettysburg on Sunday for a week of camping and sight-seeing. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that our water heater and furnace did not work on arrival at the state park.
At this point, I want to sing praises for Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg. I called them when I discovered the problem, and they said they knew who to contact to help us. On arrival at Artillery Ridge, they gave me the name and number of S&S RV Service and said they would be expecting my call at 9:00 a.m. on Monday. I called S&S RV Service and answered their questions about the problems, make and model of our rig, and so on. Two hours later a repairman arrived with some parts and proceeded to diagnose and correct our problems.
The hot water bypass valve was not opened when the dealer prepped the rig for me to pick it up prior to the trip. The technician at S&S RV Service educated me on what to look for in the future, as he said this is a common mistake when dewinterizing.
The furnace was another matter, however. He thought the motherboard was at fault and said he would have to take it back to the shop for testing. He returned 45 minutes later with a new motherboard and thoroughly tested the whole unit — thermostat and sensors in the coach. Two hours labor, parts, and service call and I was happy to pay the bill.
The service was excellent and reasonably priced, and the repair technician was professional, courteous (he asked permission to enter our rig), and prepared to keep us safe from COVID-19 to the best of his ability.
If you want a great experience, I recommend the Artillery Ridge Campground (717-334-1288; www.artilleryridge.com). It was clean and quiet and had level gravel pull-through spaces that allowed us to keep our towed car connected.
If you are in the area and need repairs, please remember S&S RV Service, 40 Knight Road (corner of U.S. Route 15 and Taneytown Road), Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, at (717) 334-0149 or (717) 359-7856. The Scotts own and operate this wonderful business. I cannot praise their service enough.
— Allan & Carol Colgan, F495117
Columbus, Ohio
Send Us Your Uplifting Stories
With bad news permeating our world of late, we thought we’d collect and share some good news. Have you experienced or witnessed gestures of kindness during these times of social distancing and altered schedules? Have you had the opportunity to do something for someone else that you’d like to share, in hopes of inspiring others to do something similar? Perhaps you’ve found interesting ways to pass the time, either in your RV or stationary home — new or old hobbies, games, etc. Maybe you’d simply like to share observations you have made during this unusual time. We’d love to hear your stories. Please email all letters for this column to readerswrite@fmca.com.