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A portion of an FMCA member couple’s journey in China was spent dreaming of — and driving toward — the perfect city featured in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Michigan’s Whitefish Point is the only museum of its kind. But it doesn’t just focus on tragedy — it tells great history lessons and contains a wealth of relics …

The digital transition is right around the corner, so make sure your motorhome’s TVs are ready for the change.

Motorhome owners might assume that if they use an RV dealer to sell their coach on consignment, it's still insured under their current policy. Or, they might think the consigning dealer has umbrella coverage that applies to all vehicles on the sales lot.

FMCA partnered with Passport America in 2002 to offer members a lower rate to join this discount camping club. Passport America invented the 50 percent discount camping club in 1992 and has continued to improve on that great concept.

Trailer Towing

I am looking to purchase a small motorhome that I can use to pull a horse trailer to shows in the Northeast within a radius of 300 to 500 miles from central New Jersey. I have my eye on a 26-foot Type C right now.

Short, But Sweet!

Dear RV Doctor:
What is the maximum amount of AC voltage that you should see coming out of the DC side of a converter?

Being full-timers and constantly traveling in unfamiliar areas can be a problem when tornado warnings and other severe weather alerts are issued. Usually we know the names of nearby towns, but not always the names of neighboring counties. So we came up with an idea …

Kenneth Wagner, F89069, who served as FMCA’s South Central Area vice president for three terms, from 1993 to 1996, passed away on May 22. He was 78.

Vent Screen

According to product literature from Fan-Tastic Vent Corporation, the new Pop ‘N Lock screen makes cleaning the vent screen or accessing the fan mechanism a snap.

First “National Get Outdoors Day” Attracts Thousands 

June 14, 2008, marked the inaugural National Get Outdoors Day (NGOD). More than 50 official National Get Outdoors Day sites across the United States welcomed thousands of new faces to the joy and benefits of the great outdoors …

The Marketing Strategy Committee was formed by FMCA president Connie Pool soon after she assumed office in 2007. Its stated mission is to work on the development and implementation of FMCA’s marketing strategy.

When you have generous relatives with lemon trees, as we do, it helps to have some uses for this wonderful fruit. Lemonade comes to mind, but there’s a limit to how much you can drink. Fortunately, lemons are versatile.

Several times a year we rearrange our sleeping schedules to watch one of nature’s annual fireworks displays. Just like clockwork, during the second week of August, the early morning sky lights up with the castoff particles left by the passage of a comet.

Do you have a one-dish wonder that comes out a winner every time? I’d love to hear from you at janetgroene@yahoo.com. If you want your name used, please provide it along with your FMCA membership number. Here are some of my fail-safe favorites.

Colorado expects to collect nearly $3 million from residents who registered their RVs out of state to avoid paying state and local sales tax and registration fees. The Colorado Department of Revenue and the state attorney general’s office investigated 12 individuals …

An Enjoyable “G.L.A.S.S.” Rally

Dear Editor:
Even though we have belonged to FMCA for many years, we were first-timers at the Great Lakes Area Spring Spree (“G.L.A.S.S.”) Rally this past May. We were quite impressed with how organized the rally was; how accommodating and friendly the volunteers were

Chrysler has announced NHTSA recall 07V594000, which affects certain 2007 Dodge and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles equipped with a 3.0-liter diesel engine built from May 2006 through October 2007.

Just like boats, airplanes, cars, etc., many motorhomes receive a touch of whimsy from their owners. Following are several of the many responses sent in for this month’s question. Since this topic seems to have struck a chord, we plan to share additional responses in next month’s column.

Discover an online banking option, where to find surcharge-free ATMs and free Wi-Fi service, info about a pet-sitting service, and much more.

This month I thought I would share some excerpts from the report I gave to the Governing Board at FMCA’s 80th International Convention this past July in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I was elected and assumed the position and responsibilities as FMCA’s president.

Keep the kids active and smiling while on the road this summer.

The Convention Committee has a slightly different makeup than we have enjoyed for the past few years. All members currently serving on the committee are members of the Executive Board, with the senior vice president serving as Convention Committee chairman.

You have made a major investment in an RV. You take great pride in keeping it clean, waxed, and properly maintained. Have you completely read, understood, and followed the information and instructions in all of the manuals for your unit?

After surveying the emerging needs and changing tastes of the motorhome enthusiast, Fleetwood RV has changed the chassis used as the platform for its Bounder Diesel, Expedition, Discovery, Excursion, and Providence diesel pushers.

Seeing the exhibits at an FMCA international convention is just as much fun as attending seminars, watching the entertainment, and socializing with friends. Shopping is a favorite pastime, and what better place to do so than at a gathering where the products are focused on motorhomers?

Looking for a museum that will take you places? Then make the Greyhound Bus Museum in Hibbing, Minnesota, your next stop. The museum traces the “pedigree” of Greyhound Lines to this small city in northeastern Minnesota.

In 1990 Bill Clemens of St. Cloud, Minnesota, offered his wife a gift of roses — actually, more than 1,000 rosebushes on a plot of land he purchased across the street from their home. He donated the land to the city of St. Cloud, hired a full-time rose gardener, and endowed a $1 million trust fund to take care of the garden in perpetuity.

Members attending FMCA's 80th International Convention at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, July 14 through 18, 2008, will find plenty to see and do during the daytime hours. If you find yourself in need of a little rest and relaxation, enjoy a great lineup of daytime entertainment.

This month I want to focus on the Administrative Department, because of the extensive interaction and support they provide to the other four departments on a daily basis.

This July 21 marks the 45th anniversary of FMCA’s formation. While FMCA may celebrate it in a quiet manner, it is something to be proud of and to recognize.

Ground fault interruptions 

In the January 2008 “House Calls” column, Jeff Hayes wrote about his new RV tripping the ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers at his house and at campgrounds as soon as he plugs in the shore power line (“Trippy GFCI,” page 28). I have a motorhome that did exactly the same thing.

Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. has announced NHTSA recall 08V232000, which affects some 2004 through 2006 Jamboree GT and Tioga SL 29 S model motorhomes built from November 15, 2002, through June 10, 2005. The potential number of coaches involved is 135.

Which End Goes Where?

Dear RV Doctor:
I’m embarrassed to ask, but I bought a brass water pressure regulator from an RV supply store. It came without instructions, and I didn’t think to ask. How do you use this thing?

On-Demand Greeting Cards

I’ve found a Web site that makes it easy for people to create personalized greeting cards on the computer using their own digital images and then have the cards produced, addressed, and mailed to friends and family.

“Leaving Tracks by Giving Back” is the motto of FMCA’s Golden State Trackers, one of the association’s newest chapters. The group, which received its charter on September 9, 2007, was formed by like-minded families with the desire to combine the fun of the RVing lifestyle with community service projects.

Awning Accessory

The RV TwinTrak from IF Designs LLC converts an RV awning’s single utility track into a double-track system, providing a second place to mount accessories such as shades, hangers, and lights on the awning.

Fort Pierre To Deadwood Trail Re-Enactment

Are you a history buff? If so, you might be interested in viewing the Fort Pierre to Deadwood Trail wagon train re-enactment that will take place in South Dakota from July 30 to August 15, 2008.

Butterflies are our favorite insects to watch as we explore the outdoors, but when you want to see a number of varieties in a limited amount of time, you might consider visiting a facility that specializes in these showy creatures.

During our many years of travel, we’ve found that we not only change locations with the seasons, but we also change the focus of our attention. As the heat of summer slows down our midday activities, the flash of color that catches our eye is more likely to be a butterfly than a bird.

With a smart shopping list and strategic planning, you can have most of these main dishes on the table within 15 to 30 minutes after hooking up at your campsite.

Enough room

Dear Editor:
After reading “Make Room For More” in the May 2008 issue (“Full-Timer’s Primer,” page 110), the “rule” most of us live by came to mind: “The motorhome parties six, feeds four, sleeps two.” That seems to work for about 99 percent of us out here.

Describe your favorite ice cream parlor.

The final passport rule, home state considerations, finding a post-retirement job, and other tidbits to keep you informed.

Your motorhome is “self-contained.” That means you have the ability to live in it for several days without hooking up to utilities.

Family Motor Coaching magazine’s annual guide to FMCA commercial member motorhome manufacturers and custom bus converters.

Host Industries, of Bend, Oregon, currently bases several motorhome models and coach lengths on the versatile Ford F-550 Super Duty 4×4 four-door crew cab chassis. These include the 300 TS, which I had the opportunity to evaluate just prior to FMCA’s February 2008 convention in Pomona, California.

We had arrived at the theater early, as it was a new location for us. Tour buses in the parking lot made it evident that this was a popular show. After finding our seats, we watched and listened as the stage technicians made final adjustments to the sets and sound systems.

FMCA’s national treasurer, Doug Key, reports on the financial status of FMCA.

The SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota, has gone hog-wild, and a bronze statue of a farmer and his two pigs outside the building is just the beginning. Inside, playful porcine images float in cloud murals, and visitors play a SPAM game show.