When we began our motorhome lifestyle a year and a half ago, I knew that all those new places we’d visit, the interesting people we’d meet, and the great adventures we’d have would expand my world. I just didn’t count on our travels expanding my waistline.
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RV/MH Hall Of Fame Burns Bank Note
On May 9, 2013, more than 400 RV industry leaders attending the first RV Power Breakfast in Elkhart, Indiana, witnessed Darryl Searer, president of the RV/MH Hall of Fame, ceremoniously burn the organization's bank note to 1st Source Bank of Elkhart.
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LEGO Camping Set
The Friends Adventure Camper from LEGO Systems Inc. is directed toward young girls who enjoy the outdoor lifestyle.
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Ten motor coaches from the Blue Bird chapter rendezvoused at Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Tennessee, the afternoon of October 21, 2012. The following day, we would begin a tour of natural and historical sites along the Natchez Trace Parkway.
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Johnnie Linebaugh, L12971, who served as national secretary and first lady of FMCA during the 1980s and early 1990s, passed away on April 11, 2013, in Jupiter, Florida. She was 92.
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A Pressurizing Alternative?
Dear RV Doctor:
I watched your video about the SealTech device used to determine the location of possible water leaks in a motorhome (www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOQ-cJWGY-o). Instead of paying for this service, couldn't one effectively accomplish the same test with the roof vents in the motorhome? -
I love the slide-out pantry drawers in our new motorhome. …However, I discovered that if I stacked cans on top of one another, they would shift or fall out while traveling.
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The following companies have recalls detailed in this month's Recall Corner: Dometic Corporation, Gulf Stream Coach Inc., Prevost Car Inc., and Winnebago Industries.
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Dead Battery When Towing
When towing my PT Cruiser, I use a BrakeBuddy supplemental braking system. I have a 20-amp charge line coming from the motorhome’s house batteries to the towed vehicle.
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Remembering Peace Officers
Dear Editor:
Charlie Schrenkel's May 2013 "President's Message" column (page 6) identified days of remembrance and celebration in the month of May. I certainly concur on the importance of those listed, but I am compelled to bring another day of remembrance to your attention. -
During the past year, I have been inspired by the many suggestions, comments, and activities of the FMCA membership.
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It was the discovery of gold that brought the Yukon to the world’s attention in 1896, heralding the Klondike Gold Rush. By 1898, thousands and thousands of hopefuls attempted to walk or boat into this wilderness.
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Are you interested in a low-cost, low-key activity your family can enjoy while motorhoming, away from crowds and expensive tourist attractions? If so, you might consider letterboxing,
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On August 5, 2013, the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana, will induct a group of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the RV industry. Kirwan Elmers, L145, one of FMCA’s earliest family and commercial members, is in the Class of 2013 slated to be honored on that day.
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A look at Family Motor Coach Association and the motorhome lifestyle through the years, as portrayed in past issues of Family Motor Coaching magazine.
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Sit back and enjoy a brief drive past some of the FMCA events and milestones of the past five decades.
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Thank you for choosing to view a sample issue of the digital (tablet) edition of Family Motor Coaching magazine, the premier publication covering the motorhome lifestyle. Tap on the link…
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Time-Zone Clocks
For those in my family who are time-zone-challenged, I made a multi-time-zone clock display for our motorhome.
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A smart, active, young-at-heart full-timing couple I recently encountered supplements their retirement income by spending the season at a theme park where they are paid to demonstrate their crafts and to answer questions or spin yarns.
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Usually, we like to say the journey is the destination — that the real adventure of RVing is the getting there. But this month as we make our way west from our Michigan home to Gillette, Wyoming, and FMCA’s 88th Family Reunion, we’re pretty excited about the destination, too.
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Jayco Launches New Type A Motorhome Line
Jayco Inc. is re-entering the gasoline-powered Type A motorhome market with the introduction of the Precept. This new model initially will be available in 29-foot and 31-foot lengths and sold through authorized Jayco motorhome dealers worldwide.
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Glass Cleaner
Glass Kleen is a glass and all-surface cleaner from Bio-Kleen Products Inc. Glass Kleen will remove fingerprints, smoke film, dirt, and grease from windows, mirrors, counters, ceramic tile, chrome, and appliances.
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Frank “Scott” Brady, F19147, who served as FMCA national vice president, International Area, from 1988 to 1992, passed away on Saturday, April 6, 2013. He was 80.
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Forty-three motorhomes from three FMCA chapters — Great American RV Club, Olympic Snowbirds, and Reigning Rex — gathered Sunday, September 16, through Wednesday, September 19, 2012, at the Swiss Sportsmen’s Club of Tacoma in Bonney Lake, Washington, for a three-chapter rally.
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Members of the Travlin Texans chapter gathered at the Coffee Creek RV Resort in Santo, Texas, October 2 through 5, 2012, to commemorate the group’s 25th anniversary.
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Plastic Bag Storage
Several years ago one of our members suggested rolling up the plastic bags that come from the grocery and stuffing them into an empty tissue box. This has worked well for us, but we needed that valuable shelf space that the box was occupying.
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Pinpointing Water Entry
Dear RV Doctor:
It appears that I have a leak in the sidewall or roof of my motorhome. I bought the motorhome last year. The dealer said that they performed a "bubble" test that showed that the coach didn't leak. Shortly after I bought the coach, I found water damage in a drawer that slides to the outside wall area.
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LaPalma Information
Is there a Web site I can visit to purchase an owners manual for a 2006 Monaco LaPalma diesel pusher?
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Reluctant Farewell
Dear Editor:
I would like to say a reluctant farewell to all my motorhome friends. I had to sell my Foretravel motorhome in 2009 after my husband’s death. -
With FMCA's 50th anniversary year upon us, we here at the national office have been looking at old photos, magazines, banners, scrapbooks, and other keepsakes generously donated or loaned by many of you. Other staff members told me about a film documentary that was produced in 1973 regarding FMCA’s summer convention in DuQuoin, Illinois.
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It is 1:30 in the morning. Earlier, we stopped for the night in a campground just off the interstate. A rainstorm has come up; probably the reason I woke up. As I lie here, I listen to the raindrops landing upon the roof of our motorhome.
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The digital message on my dashboard warned of icy road conditions, with the additional advice, “Proceed with cake.”
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The show was Buffalo Bill's most famous legacy, but it was not his only one. In the 1890s, along with partners, Cody traveled to northern Wyoming seeking to purchase and develop some land. Approximately 70 miles east of Yellowstone National Park, they founded a town and named it Cody.
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A look at Family Motor Coach Association and the motorhome lifestyle through the years, as portrayed in past issues of Family Motor Coaching magazine.
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The Apollo ’13 rescue mission outlined in this article takes place much closer to home and doesn’t involve a crippled spacecraft, but rather a rare and doomed vintage motorhome — the Apollo Sceptre. As Ron Howard did for Apollo 13, we, too, would like to introduce a new generation of RVers to the Apollo Sceptre and its amazing story.
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From the earliest days of the RV industry and lifestyle, in the years around World War I, motorized camping vehicles were called “house cars,” or “motor coaches.” These terms especially described vehicles that had been converted from commercial highway coaches, as opposed to completely homemade or custom-made vehicles.
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Sitting behind the huge, one-piece windshield while driving up the hills toward Tonopah in the Journey’s captain’s chairs, we felt as though we were seated in First Class, watching Nevada’s beautiful landscape slip by on a giant 3D screen.
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Without a doubt, the use of supplemental braking systems is one of the most-discussed topics among motorhome owners. Visit any RV forum and you are sure to find someone requesting information about whether a supplemental braking system is needed. The answer should be a resounding “Yes.”
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When we downsized our motorhome, we also had to look for a smaller towed vehicle. Our new 24-foot motorhome is built on a Sprinter chassis and has a 3,500-pound towing capacity. Not many cars approved by the manufacturers for four-wheels-down towing weigh less than 3,500 pounds.
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If you’ve been meaning to adopt aspects of the Mediterranean diet into your lifestyle but need simpler recipes to mesh with your busy life on the go, let’s get started.
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One of the most surprising discoveries during our past year of traveling across the country is how many other uses exist for our Type B motorhome besides camping.
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Prevost Named Official Luxury Motorcoach Of NASCAR
Prevost and NASCAR recently announced a multiyear partnership that designates the Sainte-Claire, Quebec-based company as the Official Luxury Motorcoach of NASCAR.
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Multi-Tool
The 12 Survivors Multi-Tool is a handy, versatile device that includes all the basic tools you may need in a compact, lightweight, handheld unit.
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The Oswego Harborfest Rally, co-hosted by the Vintage Birds, Pen-NY Mixers, Fingerlakers, and New York Centrals chapters of FMCA, was a delightfully fun-filled, laid-back event on the shores of Lake Ontario.
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John Samuelson, F19, passed away on February 7, 2013, in Bourne, Massachusetts, at the age of 95. He and his wife, Jean, who died in 2009, were among the 26 motor-coach-owning families who met in Hinckley, Maine, in July 1963 to view a solar eclipse.
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Why ABS?
Dear RV Doctor:
Why do RV manufacturers use plumbing made of ABS material instead of PVC?