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What is this thing called spring? Can we really pin its beginning to a particular date? Or does the date depend on specific plants — when they bloom, or when a particular locality turns from white to green?

Pack these ingredient mixes before your next trip to reduce meal preparation time and to save space in your galley cabinets.

DTV Converter Question

We hope you can clarify the DTV converter box issue with our motorhome. Do we need to purchase a converter box for our motorhome TV, or will the place we camp at have the right digital connection for us? Please clarify this dilemma.

Coachmen RV Company has announced NHTSA recall 08V639000, which includes the following Type A and Type C motorhomes: 2002 through 2006 Coachmen Santara Type C and 2004 through 2005 Santara Type A …

If you’ve visited FMCA.com lately, you’ve no doubt noticed that the Web site has been completely revamped. The new site was launched on January 28, 2009. I have asked our Web editor to share some details about the new FMCA.com.

“Queen Of The Road” Web Site

Dear Editor:
Thanks so much for the lovely mention of my memoir, Queen of the Road (“RV News & Notes,” December 2008, page 118). Readers might want to know that my Web site, www.QueenoftheRoadtheBook.com, has pictures of our bus conversion and our …

What is your motorhome’s best feature (looks, livability, a special component, etc.)?

Just when you thought you had life figured out, it seems that somewhere along the line the rules changed. Things we once believed to be true have been proven wrong or have been replaced with newer, better truths. As free-roaming citizens of the world, full-timers have their own set of needs and concerns.

I happened upon this story quite by accident while spending time at a four-wheel-drive shop called Moab 4×4 Outpost, located on the south end of Moab, Utah, not long ago. As I watched the shop technicians install equipment on Jeeps, I listened to them talk fondly about a group of four-wheel enthusiasts they had nicknamed “The Old Man Mafia.”

Thousands of motorhomers will descend on the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, March 16 through 19, 2009, for FMCA’s 81st International Convention. More than 100 different classes will be taught, including 30 new sessions, covering a wide scope of technical and educational subjects, along with 13 different crafts classes.

Most everyone’s heard of Jekyll Island, a barrier island along the coast of southern Georgia. It’s situated near Brunswick, and especially hard to miss if you’re a snowbird who migrates north and south along Interstate 95 twice a year.

Do you want to know what tomorrow’s weather will bring? You could rely on newspaper forecasts, but they are often outdated by the time you read them.

Many RVers plan their travels to coincide with fun events such as festivals, or to pursue their hobbies at pet shows, antiques displays, car rallies, and more. In Oregon, my home state, just about every weekend of the year is booked.

When I was growing up, buttons from discarded clothes were removed and put in a large coffee can, ready to be sewn onto the next handmade garment. I used to love going through that button can. I would sort them by size, color, or favorites. Sometimes we used them in games of tic-tac-toe, tiddlywinks, or checkers.

I have been asked some questions recently about the FMCA Commercial Council and the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and have noted that some confusion seems to exist. So, I thought I would dedicate this month’s article to discussing FMCA’s commercial members and our relationship with RVIA.

This month, I’m sharing a list of questions we often receive at the FMCA national office and providing answers to them in the hope that other members will benefit from the information.

Fresh water chlorination

Dear RV Doctor:
The water in our RV had a bad odor — a musty smell — so we added some household bleach to the tank and let it sit awhile. Now we cannot get the bleach taste out. What do you suggest we do?

Although there are always interesting places to explore, in February we’re focused more on planning than actual travel. Between short trips to our favorite winter places, we spend this time of year making sure the motorhome will always be ready when the weather turns warm. Here’s how we do it.

It’s a juggling act to keep meals pretty and nutritious, yet simple and easy to clean up. At the same time, many RV chefs also are conserving their dollars, water, and propane. The following recipes are easy on the taste buds, the cook, and the budget.

Remembering Jim Hodge

Dear Editor:
In the November 2008 issue of FMC was a lovely article about one of FMCA’s founders, Jim Hodge (“Jim Hodge Was Proud Of His FMCA Roots,” page 32).

Frozen freezer

Our freezer section built up with frost and ice to an amazing degree. I had to defrost it every week (the refrigerator section is fine). It is level enough so that water seems to drain. The ice and frost collect in the upper part of the freezer.

The 25th Rocky Mountain Ramble — “Black Tie & Blue Jeans” — took place October 15 through 18, 2008, and was a rousing success. This year for the first time, all of the chapters within FMCA’s Rocky Mountain Area were invited to hold pre-rallies at the fairgrounds.

New state park near Brownsville, Texas

Resaca de la Palma State Park recently opened to become Texas’ newest state park and the eighth link in the World Birding Center chain stretching the breadth of the Rio Grande Valley. 

Certain plants are so closely associated with particular locations that they take on a symbolic nature. When you mention the desert, particularly in the Southwest, nearly everyone thinks of the saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea).

Describe a favorite snack or meal you enjoy on each motorhome trip.

One great thing about full-timing is that you’re free to choose the home state that works best for your situation. There are no easy answers, so each full-timer has to do some research in order to find the right address to call home.

Since 1988, Bob Helvie, founder and owner of Startracks Custom Lifts in Elkhart, Indiana, has built devices designed to make life easier for the physically challenged. The work, he said, “began humbly, a seat-of-the-pants production, when I designed a travel trailer with a lift.”

The annual compilation of cars, trucks, and SUVs that have been approved by their manufacturers for flat towing behind a motorhome without major modifications. (Requires member or subscriber login.)

Happy New Year and welcome to 2009. Although much of the recent news has been negative and discouraging, there is always some good news. The United States is a strong and resilient country that will look inward to find the strength and faith to pull us together as a nation …

Once again, the New Year brings a new Directory/Member Benefits Guide within the pages of Family Motor Coaching magazine. You’re holding the latest version of the issue that I believe we should carry with us in our motorhomes all year. Before I describe why, I want to address a category of FMCA membership that might not be familiar to some.

Lost electricity 

I have an electrical problem in my 2000 Monaco La Palma. I have lost the 120-volt-AC power to the kitchen and forward part of the vehicle, the wall circuits, the TV and VCR, the refrigerator, etc. The air conditioner works great …

Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. has announced two NHTSA recalls. The first is recall 08V503000, which affects certain 2008 and 2009 Jamboree GT and Tioga SL motorhomes manufactured from February 29, 2008 …

No output — battery

Dear RV Doctor:
Every time I tow my 2003 GMC Sonoma 4×4 pickup for more than four hours without stopping to start the truck for a while, my battery becomes completely dead or has just enough power to barely turn over the engine.

Marathon offers triple- and quad-slideout Prevost conversions 

Marathon Coach is offering triple-slideout and quad-slideout converted coaches built using the Prevost XLII shell. The new triple-slideout XLII includes a second front slideout that adds approximately 35 percent more salon space for entertaining or everyday living.

Here are 13 ways to keep from catching a cold or flu, or to avoid passing them on, whether at home or on the road.

Perhaps you have never heard of frost flowers. Neither had we until a few months ago. Always intrigued by old nature books, we stumbled upon mention of the frost flower in an 1891 book called …

Stews are especially welcome at the winter table. They are the ultimate comfort food, the essential one-pot meal. Save these recipes and celebrate a new stew each week as the temperatures drop.

Quilt fabric for charity

Dear Editor:
The Six-State Rally Association completed its fourth annual Quilts for Charity show at the area rally this past September in North Little Rock, Arkansas. This year we donated 227 quilts to charities in the North Little Rock area.