March 2017
What’s more fun than motorhoming? Ask the members of FMCA’s Amateur Radio chapter, and they’ll tell you it’s motorhoming with a worldwide communication device on board. The radio is a portal into a world of people who share similar interests. It lets amateurs exchange info, make new friends, and keep in touch with old friends.
If you could only see me now. We are sitting in our motorhome looking out the windshield, with nothing but beautiful white sand and about a hundred yards between us and the Pacific Ocean. We are at Delmar Beach Resort at Camp Pendleton, California, and it is beautiful.
March is one of my favorite times of the year. With the start of spring this month, it is time here in Cincinnati to dig ourselves out of the cold winter conditions and look forward to blooming flowers and warmer weather. If you are lucky enough to be a snowbird, you can leave the comfy spot where you stayed over the winter and head back to your home.
Medicare In Canada
Dear Editor:
The writers of the “Border Crossings” article in the January 2017 issue of Family Motor Coaching (page 84) were correct in saying that Medicare coverage does not extend outside the United States. However, they left out an important consideration, one that has given us some peace of mind about making short forays into Canada.
A/C Drainage
Type C motorhomes have long had the problem of water draining from the rooftop air conditioner onto the sides of the coach, including the windows. Has a solution been developed to drain the water efficiently so that it falls to the ground without touching the coach’s sides?
The following companies have recalls delineated in this month's Recall Corner: Daimler Trucks North America, Entegra Coach, Forest River, Gulf Stream Coach, Jayco Inc., Newmar Corporation, Thor Motor Coach, Triple E Recreational Vehicles.
GFCI Question
Dear RV Doctor:
I have been one of your many fans for the past 25-plus years. I would like some information about GFCI operation. How do they actually work in a motorhome?
Flexible Vacuum Hose
We sometimes need a flexible vacuum crevice tool to reach into tight spaces and around corners in our motorhome. We solved this by getting a short section of old water hose…
The Cuatro Estados chapter held its 30th anniversary rally September 9 through 14, 2016, at Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The park maintains the look and feel of a trading post from the 1950s and ’60s. Forty-six people attended the anniversary party on September 11.
Members of the Central Alabama Travelers arrived in 16 motorhomes for a rally to celebrate the chapter’s 15th anniversary. It was held October 17 through 20, 2016, at Leisure Acres Campground in Cleveland, Georgia.
The Sand Dollars chapter held its first rally of the 2016-2017 season October 25 through 28, 2016, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The group stayed at San Carlos RV Resort & Marina, which offered beautiful views of the water.
Kentucky has about 40 state parks, many of which offer RV camping. And the camping season starts earlier and continues longer in the Bluegrass State than farther north. The following three parks are within easy driving distance of each other. Keep in mind, though, that traveling between them will require getting off the interstates.
Black-Tank Cleaner
It’s bad news when gunk builds up on the interior walls of your black-water holding tank and causes the sensors to produce inaccurate readings. Commando Black Holding Tank Cleaner, from Walex, is formulated to clean and remove waste and paper buildup — and the odor.
Airstream Teams With Tommy Bahama
Airstream has collaborated with Tommy Bahama, an island-inspired lifestyle brand, to create the Airstream Tommy Bahama Special Edition Interstate Touring Coach.
I’m far from being an RV salesman. But sometimes as Jennifer and I visit RV dealerships, shows, and rallies and meet with folks across North America, we feel like ambassadors for the RV lifestyle. We also like to push people off fences . . . fences of indecision.
Campground potlucks. Infield entertaining. Campfire conviviality. Tailgating. Motorhome travelers love camping camaraderie and the finger foods that go with it. Here’s a collection of serious snack recipes to eat hot or cold, sitting or standing, without fork or fuss.
This gasoline-powered Type A offers prodigious storage and a bevy of comfort-enhancing features, whether parked at a campsite or motoring down the road.
For motorhome owners whose winterized coaches have spent months in storage, the arrival of spring is an exciting time. But as much as everyone would like to hit the road, prudence requires a bit of preparation before you begin another season of RV travel.
Neglecting the periodic maintenance that all motorhomes require can lead to expensive repairs and vacation delays. One easy-to-forget component that needs annual attention is the RV water heater. Mounted outside, out of sight and out of mind, it often ends up relegated to a lesser place behind the more prominent motorhome maintenance mandates.
Conventional wisdom says that you can either grow a vegetable garden, or you can travel. In reality, the two aren’t mutually exclusive, and even if your family will be on the road for the majority of a season, you can still enjoy the benefits of fresh vegetables planted, maintained, and harvested by hand. It may take a bit more planning…
Fun and fascinating discoveries can be made in small towns along the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia coasts.