June 2016
Towns get started for many reasons. For Lowell, Massachusetts, it was the rapidly moving Merrimack River. This waterway supplied the power that turned the belts that powered the machines that wove the fabrics. Textile company owners devised a complex system of locks and canals that diverted water from the Merrimack to the factories along its banks.
Long before motorhomes were invented, an ancient footpath served as a travel route across what is now northwestern Massachusetts. Known as the Mohawk Trail, the famed path was created more than 10,000 years ago as American Indians walked, hunted, and traded along the region’s winding rivers.
Do you travel with young children or grandchildren? If so, you’ll want to know that planning is well under way for the Youth Program at FMCA's Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase, August 3 through 6 in West Springfield, Massachusetts, at the Eastern States Exposition, Home of the BIG E.
What makes a perfect day during an RV trip? I don’t know about you, but for Jennifer and me, it is a day doing what we want, on no particular timetable, and blessed by surprises.
It’s time to celebrate! Celebrate what, you ask? How about the freedom to travel, to live unencumbered, to enjoy one’s motorhome and all that goes with it. Folks who attend FMCA’s 94th Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase, August 3-6 in West Springfield, Massachusetts, will be in the heart of such festivities at the Eastern States Exposition, home of the BIG E.
Carefree Communities Raises Funds For Veterans
The fifth annual Carefree’s Got Talent competition finale raised $33,243 to support Disabled American Veterans (DAV). The March 29 event drew nearly 1,800 Carefree Community residents to the Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Florida.
Cradled on a 3500 Series Mercedes-Benz Sprinter EXT unibody van chassis, the 2016 Interstate from Airstream Inc. is ready to roll — in style. Though long known for building distinctive travel trailers, Airstream also constructs Type B motorhomes for its Touring Coaches line.
Mini Lantern
Everybody needs a little light in their life. The WD180 from Olympia is a palm-sized, rechargeable lantern with a magnetic base that can be mounted on any metal surface. You also can place it upright, adjust its feet to angle the light, or hang it using the built-in clip.
Proper chassis alignment is critical to any vehicle, especially a large motorhome. Tires must track correctly in order to provide a stable platform so that the coach handles smoothly and safely. If the alignment is off, not only will the tires wear prematurely, but the motorhome can be difficult to control.
For 29 years, members of the Heartland Execs. chapter have gathered to rally with friends. Last fall, our destination was Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
The cost has fallen for color cameras and monitors, which are an improvement over their older black-and-white counterparts. It takes a bit longer for the human brain to decode a black-and-white image compared to a color one. With a color image, therefore, the eyes can spend less time staring at the screen and more time looking at the road.
Linda Kendall, F396891, begins reading FMC from cover to cover on the day it arrives. That is, if she can get it away from Mikey, who she described as “a stray dog that adopted me” 17 years ago.
Joining a new group can cause a tremendous amount of nervousness. Will I fit in? Will the group like me? Am I cool enough to hang out with such a crowd? For my husband, Ryan, and I and our two young daughters, attending our first FMCA Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase this past March in Perry, Georgia, turned out to be as easy as eating a piece of pecan pie.
Additional Extinguisher
We recently switched from a fifth wheel to a motorhome, and while lying in bed one night, I thought about the location of the fire extinguisher. Ours is at the entrance door, and I would guess most others are also. If you are in bed when a fire starts, most likely in the kitchen area, how will you get to the extinguisher?
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The following companies have recalls delineated in this month's Recall Corner: Forest River Inc., Prevost Car Inc., Daimler Trucks North America LLC.
Brake Question
I tried to drive my Allegro Breeze after a month or so in storage and found that the brakes would not release. They apparently were stuck to the drums.
Quilts And Quilters To Meet At Next Family Reunion
Dear Editor:
In early August, FMCA’s On-Road Quilters will meet during the 94th Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase, at the Eastern States Exposition (ESE), home of the BIG E, in West Springfield, Massachusetts. If you’re a quilter, too, please join us.
Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. I can't believe we were just celebrating Christmas, and now, by the time you read this, half the year will have slipped by. I must have dozed off! I have a cute story I want to tell…
Let’s say you went to the moon, returned to Earth, and then embarked on a trip that took you nine-tenths of the way around the world. After all that, you would have journeyed about half a million miles. That’s how far Will and Charlene Triplet, F395462, have traveled in an RV since 1964, when they rented a travel trailer on their honeymoon.