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Many questions arise around the campfire when the subject of batteries is discussed. What is the best type for RV use? What brand is the best? Should we buy the most expensive battery with the best warranty, or the least expensive battery with the largest capacity?

In short, there are no concrete answers — only opinions, and the opinions often are voiced by an expert who has a profit motive, prompting me to consider the advice with a bit of caution.

Who needs a recipe? When your cupboards are stocked with shortcut ingredients that contribute a bouquet of flavors, you may need only a few items to create a sophisticated, delicious recipe. Here are some ideas:
Mexi-jon Pork Chops
Using cooking spray, lightly grease a baking pan that will hold the number of pork chops you will need to feed your crew.

Just about anyone who has spent an hour at a lake, stream, or pond has seen the American coot (Fulica americana). These all-terrain, duck-like birds can be found throughout most of North America.

Fifteen years ago, a group of Pace Arrow motorhome owners got together to form the California Pacers chapter of FMCA. We started with 40 charter member families, and three still remain active in the club: Roger and Shirley Clark, F106016; Don and Ester MacDonald, F114045; and Patricia Nelson, F42570.
Fun is the main focus of our chapter, as we have so much at every rally.

As the staff of the Six-State Rally Association began arriving at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, Louisiana, on September 13 and 14, 2004, to start setting up for the South Central Area’s 31st Six-State Rally, it looked as though an unwanted visitor might be making an appearance in the area. Ivan, a strong category 3 hurricane, appeared to be headed right toward Gonzales by way of New Orleans.

Q: I want to tow a new Volkswagen Beetle with a manual transmission four wheels down. Are there any speed restrictions? What fuses or wires can be disconnected to stop the odometer and headlights?
Ted Smook, F330084
Ruther Glen, Virginia
A: When we have compiled our annual towing surveys in recent years, Volkswagen has indicated that it does not recommend towing any of its vehicles.

The telephone number noted in “Enter The Freedom Machine” (November 2004, page 86) for Winnebago Industries’ Special Vehicles division has changed. The correct number is now (800) 492-9135.

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Tiffin Recall Clarification
The November 2004 “Recall Corner” included NHTSA recall 04V383000 (page 28), which involves buckle assemblies on Amsafe seat belts installed in some 2004 and 2005 Tiffin Allegro, Allegro Bay, Allegro Bus, Phaeton, and Zephyr motorhomes.

Each year as I write this column for the January issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine, I try to entice readers to turn to the member benefits section in this magazine and become familiar with the benefits that are available to you as a result of your membership in FMCA. This year the “Member Benefits Guide” begins on page 186.

The president of the United States gives a yearly “State of the Union” address. Along this line, in last January’s issue, I wrote an article titled “State of the Association” to inform you of the status of the Family Motor Coach Association from my viewpoint as the association’s president.

Ballots on the amendments to the FMCA Bylaws were tabulated by FMCA’s CPA firm on November 11, 2004. There were a possible 488 votes, of which 391 ballots were returned.

For trip-planning information, contact these tourism offices. The contact information was accurate as of November 2006.
UNITED STATES

Alabama Bureau Of Tourism & Travel
P.O.

When I first heard about Recipes From The Road, which was described as a combination cookbook and travelogue, I was intrigued. My wife, Linda, and I enjoy cooking together and, not surprisingly, since we have been FMCA members since 1982, we also enjoy visiting new places.

The noise of interstate highway traffic fills the air as you roll along in your motorhome on Interstate 75, which runs from Michigan to Florida. There’s no doubt you’re in the frenetic 21st century.

What to do about the mail is always a concern for the traveling family. Motorhomers who enjoy extended summer trips or winters in warmer climes and full-timers who travel wherever the winds may take them are especially aware that keeping up with the mail can be a source of frustration and worry.
FMCA’s mail forwarding service* was instituted as a member benefit so that families might enjoy their travels without having to worry about when and where they would receive their mail.
FMCA members who wish to sign up for this service are asked to follow the procedures listed below to ensure uninterrupted mail service once they depart.
1.

As any traveler will tell you, the need for good telephone communication is heightened when the road beckons. To help enhance enjoyment of life on the road and provide peace of mind to members, FMCA began offering an emergency telephone message service in 1982.

Effective January 1, 2001, FMCA contracted with MEDEX Assistance Corporation to provide active family and life members with coverage under the MEDEX PLUS Program. This program helps traveling members to effectively manage the complexities and expenses of out-of-area medical and travel emergencies.

No matter where we travel, FMCA family motorhomes are instantly recognizable to members and nonmembers alike by our “goose eggs” — the white-on-black, oval-shaped plaques displayed prominently on our motor coaches.
Each pair of plaques bears a unique member number. That means more than 350,000 of them have been turned out since Family Motor Coach Association was founded in 1963.

FMCA’s next international convention will take place in a town known for its proximity to a number of great Southern attractions.
FMCA members will find an ample supply of Southern hospitality and charm in Perry, Georgia. From the unusual, quaint shops of the downtown district to the hustle and bustle of the state-of-the-art Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, FMCA members are sure to experience enjoyable moments during their visit.
Perry is promoted as the “Crossroads of Georgia” because of its advantageous location just off Interstate 75, approximately 25 miles south of Macon.

So you’re thinking about buying another motorhome? You’re obviously not alone. Motorhome sales have been very good for most manufacturers for several years now, and the companies continue to introduce exciting new products to please us.

Our new motorhome has beautiful beveled-glass mirrors on the medicine cabinet doors in the bathroom. On the cabinet frame near the bottom of the mirror is an indentation in the wood that allows you to reach under the door and open it.

Wind ‘N Go FlashlightThe Wind ‘N Go Flashlight from Max Burton by Athena is a rechargeable unit that never requires batteries, making it an ideal accessory to keep in a motorhome, towed vehicle, garage, or stationary home in case of power outages.
Crank the flashlight’s wind-up arm for one minute and the unit’s rechargeable lithium battery will be charged to 80 percent capacity, enough to generate at least 30 minutes of lighting power. The Wind ‘N Go Flashlight, which is equipped with three light-emitting diodes (LEDs), can be operated on either high (three LEDs) or low (one LED) illumination levels.

Thousands of visitors will make their way to Florida during the months of December, January, and February to take part in a ritual dubbed “Tailgate Tourism” by VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official source for travel planning.
According to VISIT FLORIDA, tailgate tourists are those who visit a community for a sporting event and then travel beyond the stadium on their vacation. And this season thousands of pigskin partisans will flood into Florida to be part of six major football games that will be played in the Sunshine State.
The lineup of games includes five college bowls, including the Orange Bowl, where the University of Oklahoma and the University of Southern California will play for the national championship on January 4, 2005, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami.

Prepare these delicious, one-dish meals in a nonstick skillet and cleanup is a cinch. Have you seen the new Spazio line of Teflon-lined, nonstick cookware? The name means “space” in Italian, referring to the line’s unique, space-saving, folding handles.

This is the final of three columns reporting the results of the full-timers survey published in the April 2004 “Full-Timer’s Primer” column. Nearly 300 replies were received, representing the opinions of approximately 600 full-timing singles, couples, and family members.

Having traveled through 49 of the 50 states, we rank the Florida Everglades among the top places for plant and animal diversity. Oddly enough, Everglades National Park has only two seasons: wet and dry.

One of the nicest things about touring caves is that you can do it in almost any season. If the weather is hot, windy, or cold outside, descend into the realm below where the temperature stays in a more moderate range.

Almost 25 years ago, an FMCA chapter was formed for owners of motor coaches built on Prevost bus shells. Today more than 900 families belong to the Prevost Prouds chapter, and it keeps growing.
The chapter members’ motorhomes all look a bit different, but that’s no matter.

When my wife, Linda, and I arrived at Three Lakes RV Resort in Hudson, Florida, in November 2003, the new corner lot we had purchased was filled with sand and weeds. Being a bricklayer by trade and having owned my own custom construction business, I decided to get busy and make our site homey.

Q: I have read in FMC about how to wire the lights on the Malibu for towing. Could you send me that info or tell me how to get reprints?
Walter Palmer, F93779
Andalusia, Alabama
A: Family Motor Coaching has not published an article recently that addresses wiring towed vehicle lights.

Dear Editor:
We recently completed a 41-day caravan tour of Alaska with Creative World Rallies and Caravans. We won the trip in a drawing during the 40th anniversary festivities at the July 2003 FMCA convention in Buffalo, New York.
It was truly the trip of a lifetime, with each day throughout the tour better than the day before.

This month I have asked Lana Makin, FMCA’s director of Administrative Services, to share information about a recent partnership FMCA has entered into with Friend Communications that will benefit not only family members but also some of our commercial members.
Looking back on the development of the Internet and Web sites, I am sure that many visionaries could see the opportunity for interaction and business transactions to occur without a single word being spoken. I, for one, waited as it developed and am still amazed at the information and data that are available at the click of a key.

As I write this article, I am also helping the FMCA committee chairs to plan their agendas for our November meetings. The Executive Board and most of FMCA’s committees meet at our Cincinnati headquarters in May and November of each year.

What do the Pygmy Forest in California, the Clifton Gorge in Ohio, and the Bigelow Preserve in Maine share in common? They are three of approximately 600 sites scattered across the United States that have been designated by the Secretary of the Interior as significant natural areas and are now looked to as National Natural Landmarks.
The designation is not new, but many travelers may not have heard of it. To warrant this status, each of the sites was deemed one of the best examples of a type of biotic community or geologic feature in its physiographic province.
Not all sites so designated are open to the public.

Interstate 10 crosses the southern section of Louisiana from east to west. Its popularity with motorhomers is obvious when one considers the number of units that travel that route.

In 2003 True West magazine named Amarillo to its list of the Fifty Most Western Towns in the United States. Encompassing everything from Western heritage, horses, and cattle to big sky and lots of land, Amarillo is a worthy recipient of this designation.
Start your visit to this city at the American Quarter Horse Heritage Center and Museum.

In 1783 it was called “The City of Peace,” and even now its location in the Berkshire region of western Massachusetts complements that description. But today it’s known as Hancock Shaker Village.

It’s an amazing sight, one that can be seen only at an American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Supercross Series race. Imagine 20 daredevils racing full-throttle around a winding dirt course laid out inside a football or baseball stadium.

To personalize our coach and add some color and character, we like having family photographs around, as well as photos that show sites we’ve visited, etc. Because the refrigerator does not have a magnetic front, we needed to use some creativity in attaching photos to it.

Splendide Premium Laundry Powder is described as America’s first laundry detergent designed primarily for combination washer-dryers and the traveling lifestyle. The powder is said to dissolve better in less water than regular detergents and to be safe for septic and gray water systems.

Tiffin Motorhomes, C1717, based in Red Bay, Alabama, announced that its top-of-the-line motorhome, the Zephyr, returns to the company’s motorhome lineup for 2005 after a two-year hiatus.
The upscale Zephyr includes new side-vision cameras and accommodations for king-size beds and full-size sofas. The 45-foot coach includes a 500-horsepower engine, quad slideouts, a 32-inch LCD TV, solid-surface countertops in the galley, and three air-conditioning units.

Eighty years ago, Eugene Prevost, a manufacturer of church furniture in Sainte Claire, Québec, Canada, built his first wooden-bodied coach and placed it on a new REO truck chassis. Seventy-nine years ago he built his second bus, and 78 years ago his third bus.

Try these delicious recipes, each with a secret shortcut or two, as you travel in your motorhome. They’ll save time and mess without letting your culinary standards slip.
Dockside Blueberry Crisp
This recipe, a freebie from the folks at Dockside Jewelers in Juneau, Alaska, celebrates blueberry season in the northernmost state, where this bursting blue fruit can be found growing in the wilderness.

High-efficiency inverters are here to stay in the RV world. They enable us to watch television, brew coffee, enjoy computing, and perform many other activities aboard our motorhomes without giving them much thought.

My wife, Becky, and I have done a lot to our motorhome over the years, but high-definition television is the most fantastic add-on. We love it!

We travel full-time (12 years now) in a 34-foot 1987 Holiday Rambler Monitor.

Emptying motorhome holding tanks can be worse than annoying. This fact became even more apparent to my husband, Art, and I last fall during our maiden trip in our first type B motorhome, a 2002 Roadtrek 190 Personal, after downsizing from a 32-foot type A coach.