Owners Manual Tabs
We recently bought a 2005 motorhome, and the tab dividers in the spiral-bound owners manual were bent, worn, and hard to read. After some research, we found the perfect item for making the manual look better and easier to use: Avery index tabs with printable inserts (product number 16241). Information can printed on both sides of the tabs by using a laser or inkjet printer, or written by hand.
Follow the package directions for creating the labels. Before printing on the tabs, test the type size and spacing by printing on plain paper. Make any necessary adjustments. When you are ready, follow the directions and print the labels using the tab sheets. Carefully trim the old tab off the binder, and then position and secure the new self-adhesive tab in its place.
Evan & Louise Hutchison, F285817
Warwick, New York
Towing Safety Measure
After a towing mishap, I devised a way to ensure that the tow bar is fully inserted into the receiver tube. I inserted the hitch into the receiver properly and scribed a mark on the hitch at the receiver tube. I pulled the hitch out, and using the scribed mark as a guide, I masked off a two-inch-wide area all around the hitch that is unseen when the hitch is fully inserted into the tube. I spray painted that area white. After it was dry, I masked off most of the white band and sprayed red paint all the way around. (The white is just to give the red some vibrancy.) Now, when I insert the hitch properly into the receiver, the red band disappears. This idea will ensure that the pin goes through both the receiver and the hitch holes.
Ty Berlanga, F325391
Lakeside, California
Hose Replacement
This idea came from a fellow FMCA member at a 2014 rally. We have a 2005 Monaco Camelot. From the motor air intake at the top rear of the motorhome, air is routed down to the air filter via a 6-inch flexible canvas hose, which bends 90 degrees at the bottom before connecting to the air filter. While replacing the filter, I noticed a hole in the canvas hose at the 90-degree bend, which meant we were sucking in the dust created by the left rear wheels. I cut the hose back above the bend and replaced that portion with a 24-gauge, 6-inch, 90-degree furnace pipe. This pipe is adjustable, and once I had it positioned correctly, I applied some industrial glue to the sliding adjustable joints.
Kent Catich, F366860
North Aurora, Illinois