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Some good news for Minnesota state park patrons, some busy times for committees and planning commissions in California.
Minnesota state park permits
Starting in 2007, motorhome owners won’t have to pay a secondary vehicle permit fee for their towed vehicles when visiting Minnesota state parks.
Currently, motorhome owners who tow a vehicle must purchase camping permits for the motorhome as well as their towed vehicle. An annual use permit costs $25, and a permit for a second vehicle, $18.

Are you an FMCA member living in southwest Utah who is ready to join a new kind of chapter? Then meet the Red Rock Rovers.
The chapter, which received its charter in January 2005, is a small group with a 30-coach limit that operates on five main principles: a focus on travel, fun, and companionship; only four to six rallies per year in locations outside the area; informal meetings with no rituals, scheduled early in the day; adventuresome activities; and the sharing of duties at rallies (no one has to be a rally host).
Gary Watts, F28005, chapter founder and president, is the person responsible for setting up these basic operating rules. He has been an FMCA member since 1986, and traveled in a motorhome with his family for years.

Dear RV Doctor:
Our black tank in the RV is plugged up in the toilet tank. We bought one of those back-flushing devices and back-washed the tank several times.

Q: Following is a letter we sent to DaimlerChrysler Corporation regarding using a new Dodge Dakota as a towed vehicle behind a motorhome. The company did respond, saying that it is a new design on the Dakota and that they will try to make the towing information more “visible” to both dealers and buyers.

Dear Editor:
In the November 2005 issue, page 28, a “Tech & Travel Tip” proposes an idea for tethering a dog to a motorhome by installing a special eyebolt for this purpose. I was taught as a child 60 years ago to never tether an animal to a movable vehicle.

The fourth edition of the Family Motor Coach Association North American Road Atlas & Travel Guide is now available to members. I hope you will take advantage of FMCA’s offer to send you a free copy of the revised FMCA atlas when you sign up a new FMCA member.

As you read this, summer will be just about over, and we’ll be looking forward to fall. FMCA still has two area rallies to go this year — the South Central Area Rally, September 26 through 29 in Beaumont, Texas, and the Rocky Mountain Ramble, October 11 through 14 in Casa Grande, Arizona.
A number of area rallies take place throughout the year.

A better way of life and a better way of living are constant refrains heard from Fredericksburg, Texas, locals. From its earliest days, when the original German settlers signed their own treaty with the local Indians (a treaty signed without U.S.

Over the past 15 years we’ve found all sorts of reasons to visit Little Rock, Arkansas. Attractions in the state capital are numerous: the Old State House Museum, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, the Little Rock Zoo, and the state capitol come to mind.

Regular viewers of NBC’s Today show are no doubt familiar with the human-interest segments filmed by feature correspondent Mike Leonard. For 25 years he’s been canvassing cities, towns, and out-of-the-way places throughout America, looking for the quirky, heartwarming, or just-plain-funny story to share with his television audience.

One of the oldest rivers on the North American continent, the Arkansas, wanders through five states before it joins the Mississippi. Along 12 short miles west of Canon City, Colorado (Canon is pronounced “canyon”), it has performed its most impressive work.

When a new RV is introduced, the questions to be answered are usually “what?” and “how?” — “What does it come with?” and “How long is it?” But the new 40-foot gas-powered Flounder motorhome has a big "who" and "why" behind it: Who’s manufacturing it and why?

Thanks to technological innovation, a host of products now on the market make RV travel easier and more enjoyable than ever before. Even the newest motorhomes come out of the factory equipped with gizmos we never would have thought of 20 or 30 years ago.

Cincinnati owes its existence to the Ohio River. Like many other Eastern American cities settled in the 1700s, it was the need for transportation — in this case, by riverway — that made the location advantageous to merchants, land speculators, and military strategists.

As fuel prices have gone up, interest in better fuel mileage has kept pace. Plus, concern over reducing America’s dependency on foreign oil is also increasing.

As full-time volunteers, we generally spend a month or more in one location, so we prefer to have our awning arms extended straight down to the ground instead of attached to the motorhome. Often, our campsite has a patio, requiring us to use buckets filled with sand, dirt, or gravel as anchors to hold the awning arms in place, as well as the tie-down straps.
So we obtained two white five-gallon frosting buckets for free from a supermarket bakery, decorated them with decals we had from years ago, and “planted” bunches of artificial flowers in them once they were filled.
Editor’s note: During inclement weather, awnings should always be stowed.
Mike & Shar Rau, F273721
Emery, South Dakota

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Eliminating Black Streaks
Stopping windshield streaks with self-adhesive “J” stripTo keep roof water from running down onto the windshield and causing black streaks, purchase a 10-foot piece of “J” strip with a self-adhesive back from a source such as Camping World.

The Skooba Skin from RoadWired is a padded laptop sleeve that quickly converts into a carrying case. The two-in-one bag provides protection for the computer when it’s placed inside another bag or briefcase, or as a stand-alone carrying case.
When a computer is placed in the Skooba Skin’s sleeve, the mirror-image flaps overlap one another — one slides inside the case, the other wraps over the top — and the outer flap is secured via hook-and-loop fastening material.

Monaco Coach Corporation has introduced the newly designed 2007 Monaco Dynasty. One of the most striking additions to the 2007 Dynasty line is the availability of the PanaSuite full-wall slideout in the 43-foot Palace III floor plan.

California State Route 74 — also referred to as the Ortega Highway — runs east from San Juan Capistrano in the southern part of the state. The road’s winding, climbing lanes present a broad spectrum of driving challenges that are perfect for testing the road manners and driving behavior of any vehicle.

Robert (Bob) Gobrecht, L14273, who served as FMCA national treasurer from 1986 to 1987, is perhaps best known to music lovers as the father of FMCA’s popular Frustrated Maestros chapters. He passed away on June 22, 2006, at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California, at the age of 82.
In 1978 Bob and his wife, Betty, attended their first FMCA international convention in Tampa, Florida.

Daniel Boone didn’t actually blaze the trail that bears his name; American Indians had used the trail for commerce and raids since before Christopher Columbus landed in America. Boone wasn’t even the earliest non-native American to make the trek.

At this time of year, many of us are traveling in climates where we depend on our RV air conditioners to keep us cool and comfortable. Several steps can be taken to determine whether an RV air conditioner is delivering the appropriate amount of cold air.

On July 17, 1979, on Mount Pinos near Frazier Park, California, we stood by the side of a winding road, peering through our binoculars in total silence. What do you say when you are viewing one of the last survivors of a species, knowing that an ongoing argument would determine its continued existence or extinction?
We had been given directions to this spot from birding friends we had met the previous year, but we knew our experience was a matter of luck rather than skill.

These concoctions are surefire hits for summertime ease. Get your recipe act together and take it on the road!

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Perfect Bran Muffins
Thanks to Marjorie Grubka, F283339, for this practical, delectable recipe.

When a hospital permits RV parking in one of its lots, a difficult medical situation becomes much easier for RVers with medical emergencies or in need of specialized treatment, especially full-timers. Here are firsthand experiences from several FMCA members.
“My husband had cardiac arrest and subsequently bypass surgery while we were on a motorhome trip in Oregon,” said Jeannie Hinton-Gregerson, F175698.

This month the Roll-N-Wheels chapter members are celebrating the group’s 25th anniversary. It’s the largest predominantly African-American chapter of FMCA.
The Roll-N-Wheels chapter was formed from several previous camping clubs dating back to the early 1950s, Offwego and Roaming Homes.

Try looking at an FMCA convention through a child’s eyes. Can you shop for a new motorhome? Not on your allowance.

Dear RV Doctor:
Q: I have an older (1976) RV I am trying to fix up. I would like to know whether it is advisable to use 3/8-inch copper tubing for my stove/oven instead of 1/2-inch.

Q: I’ve been a member of FMCA since the late 1960s, and this is the first time I’ve contacted “Tech Talk.” I am having a problem finding service for my Mountain Tamer, which is an exhaust brake retarder for gasoline engines. The unit was manufactured by Decelomatic Corp.

Dear Editor:
I read each issue cover to cover and thoroughly enjoy the articles and “Tech & Travel Tips.” In the June 2006 issue you have an article about Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina (page 84). Being a native of Charlotte, I read the article with great interest.

In FMCA’s most recent membership survey, Family Motor Coaching magazine once again was ranked first in importance among FMCA member benefits. Recently I identified the need for FMCA members to assist in the recruitment of new members, and what better way to make that happen than by introducing nonmember motorhome owners to this valuable source of information.

If it seems as though FMCA’s president spends a lot of time on the road, you’re right. Much of it is for convention-related business.

Glenn Troyer said he had never worked on an RV production line when he made the bold decision to form his own fifth-wheel travel trailer manufacturing firm. With RV production expert Paul Miller, Mr.

With the rising prices of fuel, food, and RV site rentals, it’s easy to find yourself arriving at a vacation destination and realizing you may not be able to do as much as you’d planned. Well, there’s good news.

America’s love for the automobile has no bounds. For more than a century it has been a national passion.

Every time I remove the battery from my cell phone I break a fingernail or need to find something thin to pry it out. I now use a short length of ¼-inch ribbon that I place in the battery well before inserting the battery on top, allowing the two ends of the ribbon to extend out the sides.

R3 wireless backup camera systemRoadmaster USA Corp. has introduced the VR3 wireless backup camera system to provide drivers with an unobstructed view of the area behind their motorhome when backing.
The VR3 camera lens bolts to the vehicle’s rear license plate and has a 110-degree horizontal viewing area and an 80-degree vertical viewing area for complete coverage behind the motorhome.

Creative Mobile Interiors, C9705, based in Columbus, Ohio, recently finished restoring a major piece of music memorabilia when it returned the MCI tour bus that carried legend Johnny Cash and his band from 1979 to 2003 to its original condition.
The bus, known as “JC Unit 1,” was purchased by vintage coach collector Dave Wright of Pinehurst, North Carolina, in late November 2005, and he drove it directly to CMI for restoration. “I would not entrust this job to anyone else,” Mr.

“You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression,” an old saw advises, and the people at Travel Supreme Inc. have taken this advice to heart.

Before the discovery of fire, life was much different than it is now. During daylight hours early mankind lived an active but precarious life as hunters and gatherers, and after sunset they retreated into the dark, dank safety of their caves.

If you’re leery of spiders, you’re in good company. It’s such a common complaint, it has its own name: arachnophobia.

The Aqua Saver from PJB Company is so named because it can save a great amount of water during the process of flushing and cleaning fresh-water tanks on motorhomes and boats. However, after installing and using an Aqua Saver on our coach, I think it also could be called “Time Saver,” “Work Saver,” and even “RV Antifreeze Saver.”
The Aqua Saver is a port that provides a 5.5-inch opening in an RV’s fresh-water tank and thereby allows access to the inside of the tank.

When we write a tips column, we like to test each idea before including it. This one was no exception.

Cooking is more than just a necessity when kids are along for the ride. Youngsters can learn about nutrition, fuel and water conservation, sanitation, and manners.

RV parking issues keep popping up in Southern California. But RVers spotted one in British Columbia, Canada, and quickly batted it down …
Prince George, British Columbia, overnight parking
City Council on April 24 passed a motion to ticket retailers who allow RVers to park overnight on their lots.

The Anasazi chapter, founded in 1997, is made up of FMCA members from the Phoenix, Arizona, metro area and surrounding cities. Named after the Anasazi people who once inhabited Arizona, the chapter currently boasts 30 member families (coaches), the maximum allowed by the chapter.
This chapter prides itself in having active members.

San Diego, California, is reputed to have the most perfect climate in the United States. Fortunately, the area lived up to its reputation March 24 through 26, 2006, when 10 family members of FMCA’s Golden Spike chapter, along with one guest family, gathered at the Chula Vista RV Resort, C2744, for their big spring adventure.

Dear RV Doctor:
I have an older Hydro-Flame 19,000-Btu furnace; the serial number is 0066957. The thermostat is a Robertshaw CM60.

Q: I had the same problem described in the “Triton Starter Problems” letter that was published in the February 2006 issue of FMC (page 20). I had a 2000 model F-53 chassis with a 22,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).

Dear Editor:
In the aftermath of the disasters that have struck the United States in recent years, FMCA members often have expressed interest in helping in some way. Having a motorhome at the ready provides a unique opportunity to travel to an area and bring one’s own accommodations and supplies while helping in the recovery effort.