January 2012

Happy New Year! Thoughts this time of year ordinarily involve reflecting on what occurred during the past year and making resolutions that seem to last for, maybe, a few hours.

I was sitting in the Allegro Campground laundry room at the Tiffin motorhome factory in Red Bay, Alabama, watching the washer and two dryers spin and slosh our belongings around. Why? Because the sign over the appliances said so.

FMC magazine’s January 2012 Motorhome Regulations chart contains the following information for all 50 U.S. States and the Canadian provinces and territories: speed limit, length, height, width, combined length, and license type required.

Whom should you contact for travel information when planning a motorhome trip? To answer that question, the staff at FMC has compiled this list of tourism offices in the United States and Canada. The following information was accurate as of November 2011.

What’s the top activity or place to visit on your motorhome “bucket list”?

French, Cajun, and Creole flavors are the crown jewels of Louisiana cuisine, where good dishes begin with a cooked flour-fat mixture known as a roux. Come to the state’s southwest corner to discover the best in gumbo, boudin, sweet dough pies, and much more.

In the past three issues of Family Motor Coaching we’ve featured Type A and Type C motorhomes. This month we conclude our “Showroom Sensations” series with the Type B motorhomes that currently are being produced by manufacturers.

Winnebago Introduces Fourth Sightseer Floor Plan

Winnebago Industries Inc. recently unveiled the new double-slideout Winnebago Sightseer 30A for 2012. The Sightseer 30A features a sectional U-shaped dinette that extends to take seating from two to six in a matter of minutes. Add in a 42-inch LCD TV…

To determine the correct tire pressure, it is recommended that motorhome owners consult the RV tire guides provided by the respective tire manufacturer. You will see that these companies do not have a single recommended tire pressure for each size tire. They provide a chart wherein the correct pressure is based on the actual weight supported by the tire.

Paper Towels

It’s convenient to carry a roll of paper towels in the motorhome to clean up messes both indoors and out. But it’s also a hassle when you have to reroll the towels after they’ve toppled over because of wind or motion.

Family Motor Coaching magazine’s annual guide to flat-towable vehicles includes cars, trucks, and SUVs that have been approved by their manufacturers for four-wheels-down towing behind a motorhome without major modifications.

The 20th Century Wagontrainers (TCW) chapter gathered for its Jersey Devil Halloween rally at Holly Acres, the home of members Bob and Peggy Pittenger, on October 13 through 16, 2011.

Most Type A motorhomes and many Type Cs are equipped with multiple batteries connected together to form one big bank of DC electricity availability. The sad news is that 12-volt batteries wired in parallel or 6-volt batteries wired in a series or a series/parallel configuration are often connected in a manner…

Remote Control In Its Place
My wife and I are always misplacing the remote control for our bedroom TV. To make sure it remains in a commonly accessible place…

Updated information regarding the many benefits and services available to members of the Family Motor Coach Association.

Dear RV Doctor:
I am interested in adding solar panels to my motorhome to help power it when I’m dry camping. My motorhome uses four (U2200) golf cart batteries. I typically run them down to approximately 50 percent charge overnight.

The Badger chapter, which became one of FMCA’s earliest chapters when it received its charter on June 29, 1966, celebrated its 45th anniversary during a rally at the Tomah Recreation Center in Tomah, Wisconsin, September 22 through 25, 2011.

A great motorhome rally must have multiple aspects that blend together to make it extra special. …Fortunately, all of these pieces fell into place for the “Heartland Motorhome Festival,” the 38th Six-State Rally, held September 28 through October 2, 2011, at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson.

The company with a recall detailed in this month’s column is Navistar Inc., involving its Beaver Coach, Holiday Rambler, and Monaco Coach lines.

Towable Battery Assistance
I read the “CR-V Battery Problems” letter that appeared in the August 2011 “Tech Talk” column in which Bill Shaw wrote about the battery drain issues he was having. I’d like to share some information that I think could help people who are experiencing similar battery problems.

“RV News” Clarification

In the November 2011 “RV News & Notes” column, we included a story titled “Newell Coach’s New Suspension System” (page 40). It has been brought to our attention that Newell is not the only motorhome in North America that has an active-suspension system.