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This time of year a traveler’s thoughts turn to cooler places, in a literal sense. We already had felt the relaxation of watery surroundings as we planned and wrote this column.

Looking to save a little money this year? Here are some tips that can help you keep more of what you have in your pocket.
Emergency cash
Not yet the age of 59-1/2, but you need your IRA money right now? According to a column in the April 2006 issue of Entrepreneur magazine, you can tap into the funds without penalty for outlays such as disability, medical bills, buying your first home, converting to a Roth IRA, or paying for higher education. But there are so many rules, limits, and exceptions, it’s best to work with an IRA expert at your bank or brokerage to make sure you’re not hit with unexpected taxes or penalties.

Travel savings
Our first stop at a new destination is always the visitors center, chamber of commerce, or tourist information center.

Hard as it may be to believe, there are more than 30 species of sparrows listed in our favorite North American field guide. That number may grow, as it’s been rumored that several of them are about to be split into separate species.

The Texas Outlaws chapter was chartered on January 24, 1976, and was formed to have approximately half of its membership from Texas and half from Louisiana. Our rallies are most often held at locations within those two states.
The fun typically begins on Thursday as we have either a potluck or we go out to dinner.

For the past nine years, the first full day at the Western Area Rally in Indio, California, has been filled with excitement, rain or shine. Thursday is Parade Day! Yes, since 1998 the opening day has been highlighted with a parade.

Dear RV Doctor:
I have a 1990 Fleetwood Southwind with two air-conditioning units. They are on a front/rear switch so you can use only one unit at a time.

Q: I recently purchased a Saturn Vue to use as a towed vehicle. Prior to the purchase, I checked your magazine (the January 2006 article on towing), and also with the dealership sales manager and the salesman who sold me the vehicle.

Dear Editor:
It has been a hard spring for me because of my husband Bill’s death, but I am doing better. I appreciate all the letters, e-mails, phone calls, and visits from so many FMCA friends.

Recently I was asked by an RV trade magazine to contribute my thoughts regarding FMCA’s involvement in RV rallies and their benefit or detriment to the RV industry. Obviously, since FMCA itself promotes motorhome conventions and rallies, my comments were labeled as being “pro,” or in favor of such events.

In my opinion, the best way for FMCA members to enjoy their membership in this association is to join a chapter. If you don’t belong to a chapter, you are missing out on one of the greatest benefits of FMCA.
FMCA has chapters all across the United States and Canada.

While waiting for the Branson Follies to begin at the Follies Theatre, in Branson, Missouri, this past fall, I noticed a woman in the audience wearing a sweatshirt blazoned with the words: “It’s All In The Attitude.” She couldn’t have chosen more appropriate attire for this particular performance.
That’s because all 16 members of the energetic cast who performed the “Over 60 Never Looked So Good!” segment of the show had reached their 60th birthday, although many were 10 and even 20-plus years beyond that. What other than an amazing attitude — and, of course, a lot of hard work — could keep these women and men, at their ages, so nimble on their feet?
Among the 10 women in the cast, whose ages ranged from 60 to 85, was strawberry-blonde Lois “Layne” Mazgaj (pronounced “Mazgay”), F340541.

The scenic beauty of Devil’s Gate in south-central Wyoming belies the 1856 tragedy that struck members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints headed west over the Mormon Pioneer Trail. The primitive road, carved into the wilderness by cartwheels and trudging footsteps, ran adjacent to the Oregon Trail, which carried nearly 400,000 emigrants westward during the mid-1800s.
Today travelers find the stone landmark 60 miles southwest of Casper on State Route 220.

Family Parking Procedures
Families will be assigned a day and time of admittance based on the date their registration is received at FMCA headquarters in Cincinnati. All registrations will be divided equally over a three-day period.

Parking for FMCA’s 76th International Convention will commence on Saturday, August 12, at 7:00 a.m. Please display your admittance card on the front windshield, lower left hand corner of the driver side, without obstructing the driver’s view.

Almost 300 years ago, Swiss Baron Christopher de Graffenried led a ragged band of settlers across the Atlantic. They landed in today’s North Carolina in 1710 and established a village at the confluence of two broad rivers, the Neuse and the Trent.

The beauty and the backwoods of Ontario, Canada, inspired the creation of the first camper van that eventually would be called a Roadtrek.
In 1974 Jac Hanemaayer successfully built a small fully self-contained motorhome that his family could use as they enjoyed the backwoods, the skiing, the boating, and other outdoor recreation opportunities in Ontario, Canada. Today this multimillion-dollar corporation based in Kitchener, a city west of Toronto, is guided by his son, Jeff.
Jeff was 10 years old in 1974.

Hoover Dam has long topped our “must-see” list. Unfortunately, a dozen trips in and around Las Vegas through the years had failed to take us within viewing distance of the 4,360,000 cubic yards of concrete that make up this man-made wonder.

When artist Norman Rockwell was commissioned to paint scenes from Mark Twain’s books for the covers of Life magazine, he was surprised to find that none of the previous Twain book illustrators had actually visited Hannibal, Missouri. That’s where Samuel L.

North Carolina’s largest city, Charlotte, definitely has two personalities. The northern part of the metro area, specifically the community called Concord, is home to the famed Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Ask RVers what is the single biggest daily expense of owning a motorhome and most of them will cite the cost of fuel. As this article was going to press, the nationwide (U.S.) average price of regular gasoline was approaching $3 a gallon, and a gallon of diesel was priced similarly.

Drywall hammer drive anchorMy folding stovetop cover came with six rubber stoppers on the edges to reduce the vibration and noise caused by the cover when traveling. However, through the years the stoppers have fallen out and gone stray.

TracVision R6 in-motion satellite TV systemThe TracVision R6 in-motion satellite TV system from KVH Industries Inc. is said to provide reliable TV reception in an RV.
The system includes a compact, 12-inch-high antenna; automatic GPS-assisted Digital Video Broadcast satellite acquisition and switching; DewShield electronic dew elimination technology for improved reception in dew and rain; onscreen messaging and diagnostics; and an integrated 12-volt-DC DIRECTV receiver designed specifically for RV applications.

A 1950 General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress Tour Bus, one of 12 built, sold for an auction-record $4,320,000 to a private collector at the 35th Barrett-Jackson “World’s Greatest Car Collector Event” held in Scottsdale, Arizona, January 14 through 22, 2006.
The Futurliner, a self-contained display and transport vehicle, was created by renowned automotive engineer and designer Harley Earl as part of the “Parade of Progress” touring exhibit, which was developed by GM research leader Charles Kettering to complement the company’s “Motoramas” from 1940 through 1956. The red-and-white Futurliner that sold, one of only three in the world that have been restored to their original configuration, is powered by a 400-cubic-inch six-cylinder GM engine mated to a four-speed transmission.

Each year Home & Park Motorhomes wages an all-out effort to garner a larger share of the market — several markets, actually. One is the leisure travel sector, which boasts many active motorhomers.

If you missed FMCA’s 75th International Convention in Pomona, California, held Monday, March 20, through Thursday, March 23, you missed a great celebration. The number of family coaches attending our “Celebrating Family” convention was 2,892, and we had 1,375 commercial coaches, for a total of 4,267.
Although the weather was cool and damp on the first few days, it improved each day, and the last two days were ideal.

Twice annually the Youth Center at FMCA conventions opens its doors to traveling youth between 2 and 18 years of age to enjoy outings and friendship. There are four age groups separated between TOTS, ages 2-5; TWEENS, 6-9; PRE-TEENS, 10-12; and TATS, 13-18.

Hennrietta was a houseguest in our motorhome many years ago. We found her — at least we thought it was a her — in the middle of the road next to a backcountry campground, and no matter how many times we moved her, she insisted that the road was her personal highway.

Nothing ruins a summer vacation quicker than an overheating engine. There you are behind the wheel of your weekend getaway when a quick glance at the instrument cluster shows a temperature gauge needle creeping upward.

New Mexico has so much to offer — the spectacular scenery of caves, canyons, and cinder cones, plus human history going back a thousand years. We were so fascinated by the area that one time we spent the better part of a year just exploring it.

Stake your claim
Heaven forbid that you lose your rolling home in an accident, fire, or natural disaster. You have insurance, but how can you be made whole as quickly as possible? One way is to hire your own licensed insurance claims adjuster.

When you’re boondocking by choice or stuck somewhere and unable to get to a supermarket, your pantry shelves can provide good meals galore if you have provisioned well. Keep these recipes in a separate file of menus that use shelf-stable supplies.

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Savory Pumpkin Bread
This recipe from the book Making Quick Breads (see below) is not the sweet bread usually associated with pumpkin bread.

May 2006
What’s ailing motorhome owners these days? An outbreak of parking proposals, mainly. Among the festering issues …
Covina, California, residential parking
The Covina Planning Commission has produced several drafts of an ordinance that would restrict RV parking and storage in residential neighborhoods.
The latest proposal contains the following revisions to existing municipal code:

• No RV parking between the front lot line and the front building line of any residential lot.
  

Cotton is grown in many parts of Texas, but nowhere as much as near Lubbock, which is sometimes called “the world’s largest cotton patch.” In 2003 it was estimated that farmers in a 20-county area around the West Texas town planted 3.2 million acres of the fluffy fiber. So it was only fitting that when a chapter was formed for FMCA members in the Lubbock area, it took on a cottony name.
Marolyn Rinne, F296715, secretary and newsletter editor for the Cotton Country Travelers and wife of chapter president Al Rinne, said that Gary Simmons, F316138, a Lubbock resident, got the ball rolling for the chapter’s creation.

The Converted Coaches of the Eastern Area (CCEA) chapter of FMCA once again kicked off the New Year with its annual bus conversion rally. “Bussin’ 2006” was hosted by Jack and Paula Conrad, F72092, at Horizon Coach in Arcadia, Florida, which donated the use of its entire facility for the event.
Although the rally did not officially begin until Thursday, December 29, coaches began arriving on Monday, December 26.

Dear RV Doctor:
The city water connection on my RV is leaking, so I turned it off. After I disconnect the screws that fasten the cover plate to the outside, does the city water connection cover just pop off, or does it have to be unscrewed or something? I can’t see the housing of the inlet by removing the panel in the bathroom and need to find where the leak is originating.
Dave Terrt
Peyton, Colorado

RV Doctor: Dave, it depends on the type of plumbing line that was used for the fresh water piping system on your coach.

Q: I have a 1998 Holiday Rambler with a 275-horsepower Cummins ISB engine. I bought it used in 2003, and as far as I know, there have been no modifications.

In the April 2006 issue we reported a “Towable Correction” after a representative from American Honda Motor Company told us that none of the 2006-model Acura or Honda vehicles are approved for towing four wheels down behind a motorhome, including the Acura MDX and Honda CR-V. This was contrary to information we received earlier for the “Towables For 2006” article (January 2006, page 66).
American Honda has since clarified that the Honda CR-V is the only 2006-model Acura or Honda that can be towed four wheels down.

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Telephone Number Correction
The April “Full Timers Primer” column (page 116) listed an incorrect area code in the phone number for Long Term Care Insurance Planners.

I am happy to announce that FMCA has partnered with U.S. Bank to offer a new credit card program to the membership.

Almost before Hurricane Katrina had cleared the Southern Louisiana Gulf Coast in August 2005, leaving unimaginable devastation in its wake, the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, located in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, was in emergency operations mode. Leaders of the 4,800-acre base, located less than 10 miles south of downtown New Orleans on the west bank of the Mississippi River, had planned and prepared for hurricanes, but no one ever conceived of that much destruction.
All seemed as well as could be expected after the storm moved inland, until the protective levees were breached and the “Big Easy” and surrounding area were flooded.

You may have heard of the Shipshewana Flea Market, reportedly one of the three largest such outdoor sales in the United States (the others are in Kenton, Texas, and Webster, Florida). Located in the small northeast Indiana town of Shipshewana, the market attracts shoppers from throughout the United States and Canada, who roam among the stands of 1,100 vendors in pursuit of just about anything money can buy.
You know before you get there, because of what you’ve been told, that it’s going to be colossal.

“We are Family,” the hit disco tune from 1979, could well have been the theme song for FMCA’s 75th International Convention, dubbed “Celebrating Family.” Members of the Family Motor Coach Association share a special connection and sense of community, and association members gathered March 20 through 23 in Pomona, California, to celebrate those “family ties” and enjoy the makings of an event designed to celebrate the motorhome lifestyle as well. A total of 4,267 motorhomes traveled to the Golden State for this get-together.

My wife, Gail, and I were in our late 40s when we sent the youngest of our three children off to college. Even though the house would soon be empty, I knew that it might not be permanent.

It was happening right before our eyes. Our family vacation was going down the tubes.
Three tubes, in fact.

According to Coach Care business development manager Bill Gibson, more than 1.4 million motorized recreation vehicles are on the road today, and with all the troubleshooting and maintenance that statistic implies, the service industry is taxed. To help dealerships handle the growing demand for repair technicians and service bays, as well as to give RV owners a way to stay connected while they are out on the road, Coach Care’s national network of one-stop service repair centers was born.
“Let me define the term ‘one-stop,'” Mr.

We use a swim noodle placed between the slideout roof and the awning to keep the awning from flapping in the wind when the slideout is extended. Make sure that the noodle is tightly secured so it won’t blow away.

Sterling All Terrain aluminum tow barThe Sterling All Terrain from Roadmaster Inc., which is touted in company literature as the world’s strongest aluminum tow bar, now features Roadmaster’s exclusive non-binding technology. The Freedom Latch is said to release the tow bar at any angle, level, or bind the first time, every time.
The Sterling All Terrain is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and weighs just 35 pounds, but is rated to pull up to 6,000 pounds.

Mandalay Luxury Division, a division of Thor Industries, C847, has added the new Valencia to its lineup of type A diesel motorhomes for 2006. According to company officials, the Valencia has been designed for those who want the style and longevity of a diesel motorhome at a price point comparable to a luxury gas motorhome.
The Valencia is built on the Freightliner XC chassis with a 300-horsepower Cummins ISB diesel engine that provides 600 pound-feet of torque.

Tour Master Inc. — an affiliate of Gulf Stream Inc. — has drawn upon customer input to incorporate an assortment of interior living comforts and thoughtful design details into this reintroduced luxury diesel pusher.

These recipes were chosen to be easy on the cook, tasty for the crew, and highway-friendly for the family that loves motorhome travel.

Seafood Corn Chowder

Canned seafood is a lifesaver in the galley, because a little goes a long way. Surprise guests show up for supper? Reach into the pantry for a few cans to make this hearty chowder, which can be served with hot, crusty biscuits.

There’s no denying it: American badgers do get nasty at times. Maybe it’s in their genes.