The following recall notices are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To search for recalls, investigations, and complaints by vehicle year, make, and model, visit www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues. NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline is (888) 327-4236.

Read the new Tech Talk for March 2018!

Check out the Readers' Forum for March 2018!

Greetings from Cincinnati! As you read this, the national office staff will be wrapping up registrations for FMCA’s 97th International Convention and RV Expo, set to take place March 15 through 18 in Perry, Georgia. Registration figures for “Southern Charm” have us trending toward the biggest event in a number of years. If you want to join the party, it is not too late. You can go to https://site.fmca.com/fmca-perry-learn-more, or call us at (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622 to sign up or learn more about the event.

By the time you read this month’s “President’s Message,” Sondra and I will have been on the road since New Year’s Day 2018, serving our members. We left Elkhart, Indiana, in blowing snow, icy roads, and a windchill factor of 21 below zero. By the time we got to Chicago, our water lines were frozen . . . in spite of the fact that I had the generator going to power our fireplace, an electric heater in the water bay compartment, and an electric heater in the water tank bay. Plus, the Aqua-Hot heating system was going full blast, along with the dash heater. I don’t think most motorhomes are built to withstand such extreme temperatures.

We’ve all made them: those silly mistakes that cause RVing mishaps or, preferably, just a little embarrassment. It doesn’t seem to matter how long we’ve been RVing, either. At some point, we all slip up or forget one little thing. As a newbie, you’re at a disadvantage, because you just don’t know as much about RVing in general or your RV in particular. I know we’ve made our share of missteps in our RV, both as new RVers and as seasoned travelers.

On a clear night in Wisconsin about 20 years ago, John and Brenda Nejedlo took turns peering through the eyepiece of their first telescope. Among the celestial objects they observed was Saturn, the ringed planet. “I just stood there and cried,” Brenda said. “That was it. I was hooked.”

Full-time RVers want a product that can take the rigors of long-term live-aboard use while retaining many luxuries found in sticks-and-bricks homes. KZ RV, a Thor Industries company, meets this challenge with the Durango Gold series upscale fifth-wheel. The Durango Gold is filled with residential amenities and furnishings and is available in nine floor plans, ranging from 36 feet to 42 feet in length.

Gain insight into the lives of America’s third, fourth, and fifth presidents as you tour their Virginia homes.

Pull into any state or national park campground and you’re bound to be greeted by a camp host. It may be easy to take them for granted, but they play a vital role when it comes to enjoyment of one’s camping experience. Most volunteer their time in exchange for a free campsite during their stay.

In the fall of 2017, NeXus RV launched its newest motorhome, the Wraith Super C diesel. The name may bring to mind the most powerful car ever built by Rolls-Royce, also called the Wraith, a twin-turbo, 624-horsepower machine that can go from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Interestingly, Rolls-Royce built the original Wraith back in the 1930s as a rolling chassis, which was sold to builders that did their own bodywork on top of the chassis. In some ways, this is similar to the RV industry, in which coach manufacturers construct their product on top of chassis often supplied by other vendors.

Inexpensive digital voltmeters can help RVers avoid costly repairs. An AC meter monitors incoming voltage from a campground, alerting you to insufficient voltage, which can damage sensitive electrical appliances such as air conditioners. A DC meter indicates whether the RV batteries are properly charged, and such information can prolong battery life. This article provides an overview on how to install such digital voltmeters.

Motorhomes require periodic maintenance to stay in good working order. Engine oil changes are the most common procedure, but axles, the transmission, wheel bearings, and other components also must be serviced. No oil or lubricant is one-size-fits-all, so it’s important to make the right choice for each component according to the chassis manufacturer’s specifications.

The following companies have recalls delineated in this month’s Recall Corner: Forest River Inc., Kidde, Prevost Cars Inc., Thor Motor Coach, Triple E Recreational Vehicles.

The following recall notices are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To search for recalls, investigations, and complaints by vehicle year, make, and model, visit www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues. NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline is (888) 327-4236.

Do you prepare a favorite dish or snack when RVing in cold-weather months?

Check out the latest RV News for February 2018!

Learn about the newest RV Products for February 2018!

Join this active group of FMCA members based in Texas.

Super Bowl Sunday is this month — specifically, February 4, 2018 — and among the many watch parties taking place will be one made up of Bluebonnet Travelers. Members of this FMCA chapter will be at Brazos Valley RV Park in Caldwell, Texas, February 4 through 7.

Four dozen exhibitors, 38 seminars, and 22 craft sessions, as well as entertainment, activities, and socializing, highlighted the 44th South Central Area Rally, held October 25-28, 2017, at Four States Fairgrounds in Texarkana, Arkansas. The event drew more than 600 people and 318 motorhomes.

The GMC Motorhomes International chapter held its 35th anniversary convention from September 15 to 21, 2017, at Elkhart Campground in Elkhart, Indiana. Some of the attendees could recall the chapter’s first convention, held in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1982. Others were attending their first GMCMI convention. Regardless, everyone shared a common goal: to celebrate GMC motorhomes and their owners. Jon Walker, FMCA national president, was an honored guest.

Jean Pryor had two families, and she loved them both. She was connected to one family by blood, and to the other — Family Motor Coach Association — by a bond that spanned more than 40 years. Her children readily acknowledge that aside from her kin, FMCA was the most important thing in Jean’s life.

Read the latest questions and answers in this month's House Calls!

The following companies have recalls delineated in this month’s Recall Corner: Daimler Vans USA, Entegra Coach, Forest River, Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC, Highland Ridge RV, Jayco Inc., K.Z. Inc., Newell Coach Corporation, Newmar Corporation, REV Recreation Group, Thor Motor Coach.

Read the latest Tech Talk for February 2018!

Read the Readers' Forum for February 2018

The FMCA staff certainly has been busy over the past couple of months. As you probably have read or heard by now, FMCA has announced three new or revised member benefits since November 1, 2017.

It is my great pleasure to officially welcome anyone who owns a self-contained towable RV to FMCA! As a result of the recent vote of the FMCA membership, you and others can now join us as full members of our not-for-profit, member-owned association.

Some of you might be asking, why is this happening now? Haven’t we always been a motorhome owner’s association? I’m fortunate to have been an active member for a long time, and I have witnessed the history of the discussion regarding whether to maintain the status quo and keep membership restricted to motorhomes or to extend membership to owners of other self-contained RVs.

The FMCA membership recently approved new wording for the FMCA Constitution and the Articles of Incorporation. The votes were tallied by FMCA’s accounting firm on November 30, 2017, and the resulting changes became effective immediately.

A full-time RVer decides to take his hobby on the road and let it lead the way to adventure.

FMCA members Rich and Sherry Hashagen created an inclusive camp that serves thousands.

RVers have been stuck with 1960s technology long enough. Pondering how far technology has come in the evolution of RVs can boggle the mind. Here are just a few examples:

In mid-March, FMCA returns to a convention venue highly regarded by previous attendees: the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter. Located in Perry, just off Interstate 75 in the heart of the Peach State, it’s a convenient destination for snowbirds and other travelers. Add a dose of Southern hospitality, a facility nicely attuned to RV events, and a slew of planned activities — including touring RV exhibits — and you’ll want to put March 15 through 18 on your calendar.

Stop to see attractions as you drive along Interstate 75 in Georgia, and also be sure to taste the local flavor.

More and more people are deciding that they want to start RVing. After all, the lifestyle has much to offer. But selecting the type of recreation vehicle that’s best for an individual or family can be a bit bewildering. Choices include motorhomes, towables, and truck campers, and each has pros and cons. FMCA members, many of whom are longtime RV owners, are encouraged to share this article with RVer wannabes so they’ll be better equipped to make an educated decision.

The FMCA family is about to get bigger! The FMCA membership voted to welcome owners of other wheeled, self-contained RVs into the association, branching out from a 54-year history of requiring motorhome ownership for membership. No matter how you voted, rest assured that the FMCA you know and love will still be here for you. We’re just sharing all of the good things FMCA has to offer with even more RV enthusiasts.

Describe a factory tour or other type of tourist excursion you’ve enjoyed during your travels.

These hearty breakfast dishes will help make the most of your mornings.

I had lived 30-some years in the Pacific Northwest, and had become used to being saturated to the bone. One winter day, an opportunity arose to do a work assignment in San Diego, California. With thoughts of losing my webbed feet, I packed up the motorhome and headed south, not knowing what I was getting into.

Check out the latest RV News and Notes for January 2018!

Check out the latest RV Products for January 2018!

Colorado Columbines members gathered July 6-9, 2017, at Mountaindale Cabins & RV Resort for a special event: the chapter’s 25th anniversary celebration. The location was significant. Founding member Dick Greener explained that the idea to form the chapter was hatched in 1992 at Mountaindale, which is just south of Colorado Springs.

The Lone Star chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary with a rally September 7-9, 2017, at the Durant/Choctaw Casino KOA in Durant, Oklahoma. Lone Star received its charter in June 1967 and is the ninth-oldest chapter in FMCA.

If we know of a farm that offers tours near a Mohawk Roamers rally, we likely will visit it. We enjoy fun activities, and it just so happens that our area has plenty of farms!

Check out the latest Tech & Travel Tips for January 2018!

Check out the latest House Calls with the RV Doctor for January 2018!

Read the latest Tech Talk for January 2018!

See what members are talking about in the latest Readers' Forum!

As I sit down to write my January column, it is late November, and all I can think is, “Wow, what a wild month it’s been” — in a good way!

You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. January is traditionally a time for looking ahead to a bright new year. In planning for the future, it is really important to study the past to see where we have been.

New Orleans, Louisiana, calls itself the Festival Capital of the World, and honors Mardi Gras as a legal holiday. It celebrates its extraordinary Spanish roots with special events such as San Fermin in Nueva Orleans, also known as “The Running of the Bulls” (July 14, 2018). It honors its French side during a weekend-long party around Bastille Day (July 12-15, 2018).