2002

Q: I own a 1995 Safari Trek on a Chevrolet P-30 chassis. In the November 2001 issue, the “Technical Inquiries” column included instructions for adding a manual switch to the radiator fan control on a P-30 chassis (page 24).

Dear Editor:
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Wildlife, is offering RV sites with full hookups in exchange for volunteer work at its Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area. The Bull Creek area is located west of Melbourne and south of Orlando.

Webster’s dictionary defines “extravaganza” as a “spectacular show or event.” As a search began for verbiage that would aptly describe the magnitude of Family Motor Coach Association’s semiannual conventions, the word “extravaganza” seemed to fit.
If you look at this month’s Event Calendar, which begins on page 162, you’ll note that no FMCA international conventions are listed. Where did the conventions go? Well, in November 2001, during the Family Motor Coaching Inc.

FMCA’s Executive Committee carries out policies set forth by the Governing Board and helps to formulate those policies so that the executive director and department directors then can lead staff members in carrying them out.
How does the Executive Committee function? Who are the members of the committee? How do they get along? Are there cliques? Are there private agendas? Do they forget they must act in the best interests of our members? Is the FMCA national president a strong person? Can he make the whole Executive Committee pull together as a team? Do they know the difference between having a “right” to do something and doing the “right” thing?
From my perspective as a national vice president, partway through my second term, let’s see if I can answer some of these questions and help you to understand how your Executive Committee works.
Before I do that, it is important that you realize that much of the Executive Committee’s work is done by various committees. These committees include two or three members of the Executive Committee who serve along with people drawn from the general membership.

In early January we made our way across the country in our motorhome to attend the Western Area Rally in Indio, California. Somewhere along the way, our motorhome developed a leak that caused the air bag pressure to drop dramatically when the engine was turned off.

I’m a little nostalgic when it comes to motor vehicles. I miss wind wings and solid bumpers strong enough to hit a steel pole at 5 mph and sustain no damage, other than to the driver’s pride.

Branson, Missouri, is one fine entertainment town. First-timers who have heard about the shows there but have never attended one are in for a big surprise.

This is the 10th in a series of articles written by motorhome manufacturers that address the subject of quality control. Recently, FMCA commercial members involved in the production of type A, type B, and type C motorhomes were invited to describe the quality-control strategies they have in place at their manufacturing facilities.

Think of the Southern United States, and beautiful gardens often come to mind. Bellingrath Gardens and Home, 20 minutes southwest of Mobile, Alabama, has long been one of the most popular destination gardens in the United States.

One of my least favorite duties around the coach is checking the pressure in the dual tires. It concerns me that I invariably let out a quantity of air by not being able to seat the gauge tightly enough.

Las Vegas is a show town, and I am not referring to floor shows, but rather trade shows. Each year, beginning in November, Glitter Gulch opens its tremendous convention center — and a number of other venues spread around town — to the three biggest expositions west of the Rocky Mountains.

If you own a portable satellite dish, don’t throw away that old garden hose. Use it to protect your satellite wiring on occasions when you need to position the dish across the roadway (gravel or paved) from your RV site for optimum reception.

The Pet Safety Heat Alarm System was developed to protect unattended pets in RVs from heat hazards due to air conditioning malfunctions. Malfunctions may be the result of a power failure, a circuit breaker tripping, a cord being unplugged, or a problem with the air conditioner itself.

Liberty Coach, C733, based in North Chicago, Illinois, celebrated the official grand opening of its Liberty Coach of Florida sales and service center on February 1, 2002. More than 200 people attended an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new facility in Stuart, Florida.

If you have a yearning for learning, FMCA’s winter convention in Perry, Georgia, is the place to become educated this month.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a novice to motorhoming or have owned a coach for more than 25 years; there’s always something new to learn about the vehicle, its components, and the RV lifestyle. And an FMCA convention is the best place to become immersed in everything motorhome-related.

FMCA.com is not in the campground business, but it does operate an online motorhome “resort.” It’s called For Members Only.
Plenty of activities are offered in this special area of FMCA.com. The groundwork has been laid so that FMCA members can perform basic membership management tasks and gain access to various association documents and forms.
Free hookups — or links, as they’re called on the Internet — are the norm at this resort.

Q: I’m looking at a new 2002 40-foot motorhome with a slideout. The 2002 model I’m considering has a tag axle, but the same model in 2001 did not.

In the ebb and flow of corporate America, eventually all companies must recalibrate how they do business. This is what has happened in recent months at Fleetwood Enterprises, which is involved not only in the RV industry but also in the manufactured housing business.

The best-selling book Who Moved My Cheese?, by Spencer Johnson, M.D., is about staying nimble in the fast-changing business world. Full-timers also need to keep changing and maneuvering to stay afloat financially.

Cruising the Internet has become one of our favorite things to do instead of watching television. Recently, Kaye found some interesting information about the world’s oceans at www.ocean98.org.

According to Deadly Distractions, a booklet produced by Shell Oil Company with assistance from AAA and several federal agencies, driving distractions or inattentive driving contribute to one out of four vehicle crashes. Amazing, isn’t it?
We can’t control the distractions that cause other drivers to operate their vehicles dangerously, but we can certainly decrease our own odds of having an accident that could result in damage to the coach, or worse, injury to ourselves or others.

The e-mails I’ve received lately indicate that many readers prefer simple, old-fashioned recipes that call for few ingredients and little fuss. So, here are some solid, time-proven favorites.
Duckling With Cherries
4- to 5-pound ready-to-roast duckling
12-ounce jar black cherry jam or preserves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice or orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec
Tie the duck’s legs together, prick the skin all over with a fork (to aid in draining fat), and place it on a rack in a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan.

Recently I read a message from an FMCA member who assumed that the Legislative Advisory Committee was part of the paid staff of FMCA. This individual thought that all a member had to do to get legal advice was to alert the appropriate “staff official” to a need.

For more than a quarter century, Ken and Pat Wilson, L13812, of Greensboro, North Carolina, have averaged approximately 15,000 miles a year traveling in their motorhome without accident. Their travels have taken them to Canada and Mexico and to every state except Hawaii.

Is Full-Timing In Your Future?” by Betty Hanegraaf (February 2002, page 94) mentioned finding employment while living in one’s RV. Two resources related to that topic are Workamper News and Workers On Wheels.
Workamper News offers a newsletter with employment listings as well as a Web site, a hotline, a referral system, and situation-wanted ads.

During the 30 years I served in the United States Navy, I was well schooled regarding respect for the U.S. flag and the protocol surrounding it.

As we write this, it’s early January and we are parked at Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California, at the campground at San Onofre Beach. Our campsite is located on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Two issues regarding motorhome ownership that I believe need to be addressed are the quality of motorhomes at the time of delivery, and service after the sale. You may be thinking, “Jeff, you put your foot in it this time.” After all, who is responsible for the products and the quality of the units available to us today? The manufacturer? I don’t think so.

It is a place without hustle and bustle, where we can amble among neighbors who remember our fathers, love our mothers, and who would have been just as friendly to us if we had never done anything other than grow peanuts for a living.
— Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter from Everything To Gain: Making The Most Of The Rest Of Your Life.
That’s how the 39th president of the United States and his wife described their hometown of Plains and surrounding Sumter County, Georgia. Never has another “first couple” been so defined by a birthplace as Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

The year was 1963. The Beach Boys were offering a whole new sound in music.

This is the ninth in a series of articles written by motorhome manufacturers that address the subject of quality control. Recently, FMCA commercial members involved in the production of type A, type B, and type C motorhomes were invited to describe the quality-control strategies they have in place at their manufacturing facilities.

Motorhomers who attend FMCA’s 27th annual winter international convention will have more than Georgia on their minds. The “Southern Sensation” convention, which will take place March 19, 20, and 21 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, will abound with seminars, entertainment, and impromptu good times.

In 1732 Britain’s King George II decided the threat of Spanish encroachment on the American colonies was too great to ignore. He signed a royal charter to establish a 13th colony to be located north of Florida.

Here are several ideas for assembling a laundry kit that you can pull out whenever it’s time to do the wash.
I use an empty dishwashing liquid bottle to carry my laundry detergent. Using a measuring cup, I poured liquid into the bottle, marking the sides of the bottle in four-ounce increments.

Roadmaster Inc. has introduced what it terms as the “strongest folding tow bar on the market today.” Constructed of steel and stainless steel, the BlackHawk, with an 8,000-pound towing capacity, includes such features as a drop-forged steel yoke, a hardened stainless-steel locking mechanism, specially formulated steel-alloy arms, and built-in channels for routing safety cables and wiring.

For the second year, Country Coach Inc., C2132, and Guaranty RV Center, C4161, teamed up to provide hospitality motorhomes for the SKINS Game at the Landmark Golf Club in Indio, California.
SKINS Game participants Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Jesper Parnevik, and Colin Montgomerie each enjoyed the use of their own 42-foot Affinity coach throughout the duration of the event this past November. The ESPN and ABC broadcast crews were provided a 40-foot Magna motorhome to use as a comfortable base of operations for the tournament.
“Having Country Coach provide a motor coach players’ lounge for the SKINS Game participants adds a unique excitement to the tournament experience for the players,” said Judy Vossler, tournament director.

Paul and Mary Dammers, F135857, made the trip from upstate New York. Ray and Jewel Hebert, F128509, visited family and friends along the way as they meandered in from New Hampshire on a circular route that eventually would return them to Florida for the winter.

Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.
Georgia, Georgia, a song of you
Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines.
— from “Georgia On My Mind”
Peaches, pecans, and peanuts may be among Georgia’s most celebrated exports, but many people may be surprised by the state’s contribution to the world of music. Georgia has been home sweet home to hundreds of well-known national acts, including R&B legends Ray Charles and Otis Redding; country stars Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, and Travis Tritt; rock ‘n’ roll standouts Little Richard, R.E.M., the Black Crowes, and the B-52’s; and gospel/pop singer Amy Grant.

1. Everyone will be assigned a day and time of admittance based on the date their registration is received at FMCA headquarters in Cincinnati.

Q: Recently, a coolant hose failed on our 15-month-old motorhome built on a Spartan chassis. The hose, labeled “SAE 1527 J USCG Type 2,” was severely cracked.

The word game titled “Hoops Quiz: Court To Court And Coast To Coast” (January 2002, page 186), a quiz focusing on NBA teams, did not include mention of the Toronto Raptors. FMC regrets this exclusion.

Corrected MEDEX Cards

The telephone number that appeared on the MEDEX cards that were printed on page 209 of the January 2002 issue reaches MEDEX but is not the most direct number for FMCA members to use.

I would like to bring you up-to-date on the Constitution & Bylaws Committee’s proposed changes to the FMCA Constitution and Bylaws. These changes are not final and are subject to review by the Governing Board during its meeting in Hutchinson, Kansas, on September 29 and 30, 2002.
FMCA contracted with Ms.

Here are some time-saving recipes that can be whipped up on the go or made partially at home and finished in the motor coach.
Smoked Salmon Roll
Stir this up several days ahead of time and keep it cold. Serve it surrounded by crackers so everyone can scoop and spread what they want.

Call it a chinook, a sirocco, a Santa Ana, a dust devil, a whirlwind, or even a Cockeyed Bob. All are part of the same meteorological family — wind.

Part-timers think in terms of spring spruce-up and fall storage. Full-timers live by a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week, 12-month-a-year schedule in which spring cleaning could take place during any month of the year and fall layup may never take place at all.

Last month we checked out some of the national historic landmarks located east of the Appalachians — this month we’ll move westward. You’ll notice a considerable difference between the subjects this month.

Since retiring in 1993, Juanita Freeman, F157418, has had two traveling companions — her husband, Ray, and her hand-stitched “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” quilt.
For the past eight years, the quilt, a work in progress, has accompanied Juanita across North America — from Mexico to Canada; from Miami, Florida to Washington state; and even to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. During summers spent in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and winters in Yuma, Arizona, Juanita has carefully crafted the quilt, piece by piece.
Before retiring from her job as a school bus driver, Juanita had made machine-stitched quilts for several years.

Each year during the week following Thanksgiving, a gigantic recreation vehicle trade show is staged in Louisville, Kentucky. This event — which ranks as one of the largest trade shows in the United States — is sponsored by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).

Last year a professional market research firm sent a survey to a representative sample of FMCA members. Although it has been awhile since we received the results, I decided to take this opportunity to share some of the feedback we received, and to thank those who received and returned the survey.
I am happy to report that the response rate was 30.4 percent — very high for this type of survey, compared with routine survey response rates.

My brother and I were grown and living on our own before my parents purchased their first RV, a 10-foot truck camper that sat high atop my father’s green Dodge pickup.

We were shocked at their purchase, because my mother didn’t seem the camping type. She never left the house without applying makeup, and her dress was always color-coordinated and accessorized.