By Charlie Adcock, F311374
July 2017

Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. With my time as FMCA national president drawing to a close, this is my second to last “President’s Message” column. My, how the time has flown by. It seems as though June 19, 2013, just happened. That’s when I was first elected to serve you as your national president. It’s been a very busy four years, but I will save all that for my farewell column next month.

DEF is key to an engine emissions technology that helps us all breathe a little easier.

Inexpensive kits offer the choice of wired or wireless installation.

Elegant, historical hotels impress visitors in this small, southern Indiana town.

Check out the companies that will be on hand at FMCA’s “Crossroads To Fun” convention.

A list of learning opportunities planned for FMCA’s get-together in July.

An exciting live variety show called Cirque-A-Palooza has been added to the evening entertainment lineup for FMCA’s 96th International Convention and RV Expo on Saturday, July 15.

Bill and Fanny Timmer travel with smiles on their faces and clever designs on their shirts.

Small and sleek, this Type B motorhome from Erwin Hymer Group joins its Roadtrek cousins with clever uses of space and battery power.

FMCA national president Charlie Adcock has invited me to share thoughts in this column several times during our time in office, and he’s asked me to do so again this month. In a short time, I will finish my four years of serving you as your national senior vice president. It has been a wonderful and fulfilling experience for me. During this journey, my wife, Sondra, and I have met thousands of FMCA members; have traveled back and forth all over North America; and have participated in many, many FMCA events. What we have found to be true is that FMCA is all about people, good people.

This month we officially welcome summer. I hope you all have been out enjoying the beautiful weather in your motorhome. As you make plans for the summer, be sure to include FMCA’s big July event in Indianapolis, Indiana.
FMCA will host its 96th International Convention and RV Expo at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center, Wednesday through Saturday, July 12 through July 15. The theme for this event is “Crossroads To Fun.” And that’s just what we are planning – FUN!

Read the latest letters sent into the magazine.

Find out the latest tech talk for June 2017.

The following companies have recalls delineated in this month’s Recall Corner: Entegra Coach, Newmar Corporation, Spartan Motors USA, Thor Motor Coach, Tiffin Motorhomes Inc.

Read the lastest House Calls with Gary Bunzer

Read the lastest Tech and Travel Tips.

As RVers who have owned both motorhomes and towables, this FMCA couple shares their thoughts on the proposal to extend membership to owners of all types of RVs.

Over the years, my wife, Barbara, and I have come to cherish two activities: camping in our motorhome and riding our tandem bicycle. Our love of bicycling came long before we bought our coach. For the better part of three decades, we have particularly enjoyed riding on rail/trails, those linear parks that have sprung from abandoned railroad lines all across the country. 

Last fall, while staying at Lassen RV Resort in McArthur, California, my husband, Andrew Richardson, and I had the strangest day of exploring. Our visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park ended at the front gate when we discovered that the park was closed because of snow. Feeling disappointed, we headed back.

If you are an honorably discharged or active member of the armed forces, this group “wants you!”

Check out the lastest RV products for June 2017!

Read about the lastest news and notes for June 2017

Recommendations for apps and devices to help achieve professional-looking results when using a smartphone to capture memories during your RV travels.

The Monaco Northwest chapter held its fall 2016 rally at O’Sullivan Sportsman Resort in Othello, Washington, from September 12 to 16. Kathie Balogh, FMCA national vice president, Northwest Area, presented the chapter with its 30-year certificate.

Less than three weeks before Houston, Texas, hosted the 2017 Super Bowl, members of the WesTex chapter held a rally in the area. The rally, from January 17 to 20 at Advanced RV Resort in Pearland, was attended by 39 chapter members. Hosts John and Virginia

When it was time to part with their 16-year-old Type C motorhome and get a new one, Chuck and Susan Speyerer, F384878, couldn’t find a replacement they liked. So Chuck decided to build his own.

The 2017 election of FMCA national officers will be held July 12, 2017, at FMCA’s 96th International Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center in Indianapolis will soon be the setting for a great time with other RVers. There, from July 12 through 15, FMCA will hold its 96th International Convention, called “Crossroads To Fun.” It promises to be just that: a place for  all who gather to have fun.

Do you travel with young children or grandchildren? If so, you and they will want to know about the great Youth Program package that is planned during FMCA’s “Crossroads To Fun” convention, July 12 through 15, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center in Indianapolis. We have scheduled several off-site trips for children between 6 and 16 years of age.

“Unexpected, unforgettable” is the current tourism slogan for Columbus, Indiana. The city also has been called “a living museum of architecture” and “different by design.” None of it is bragging, though; it’s all a way of stating the obvious.Columbus is a little less than an hour’s drive south of Indianapolis, Indiana, right off of Interstate 65. It makes an attractive side trip for anyone attending FMCA’s 96th International Convention, July 12 through 15 in Indianapolis.

What do you get when you cross a charming, old-fashioned Western town with a couple thousand modern buggies — not stagecoaches and wagons, but recreation vehicles? From March 7 through 10, the answer was “Rally In The Valley,” FMCA’s 95th International Convention.

The Aria is the newest Type A diesel motorhome produced by Thor Motor Coach. Introduced for the 2017 model year, this attractive coach leads the way with a modern, stylish front cap that incorporates LED lighting, a look that further identifies the Aria as a fresh design rather than a previous model tweaked with a few upgrades.

When one or more of a motorhome’s gas-burning appliances exhibit strange, random, or difficult-to-diagnose problems, it may signal the need to purge the propane container. Brand-new propane containers also must be purged properly before being filled for the first time. So what is purging? Does it apply to all RV propane containers? How do you know if your container needs such a service? And who can do it?

Sean Gobin, F460890, is a former U.S. Marine armor officer who survived three combat deployments. In 2003, he took part in the invasion of Iraq. In 2005, he battled insurgents in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. And in 2011, he was sent to Afghanistan to train security forces. Sean, who lives in Thornton, New Hampshire, returned home in the spring of 2012 in one piece. But he was not whole.

Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Gloria and I enjoyed a somewhat leisurely trip en route to Chandler, Arizona, site of FMCA’s 95th International Convention, March 7 through 10. At least it was leisurely compared with our earlier travels this year, when we crisscrossed the country going from one area rally to the next. Someone recently asked whether the tires on our motorhome ever cool off. The answer to that since I took office as FMCA national president in July 2013 has been, “Not often.”

I have spoken in the past about months that are special to me. May is one of them. I am fortunate to have married my beautiful wife, Jill, six years ago this month. She is a wonderful mother to my children and words cannot express how lucky I am to have her. I hear great stories about how many of our members have been with their loved ones for much longer than that. My hope is that I am blessed enough to enjoy the journey of life with her for many years to come.

DEAR EDITOR:
After we left Chandler, Arizona, on Saturday, March 11, my wife, Garnetta, and I never thought we would be fighting a fire on Interstate 10 in New Mexico.

Inverter Input Voltage

We have a 2006 Tiffin Allegro built on a Workhorse chassis with an 8.1-liter engine. Several years ago I installed a Tripp Lite inverter/charger, model RV1250ULHW. Two years ago we were on a trip and stopped for the night at an RV park. I plugged into shore power and noticed that the remote panel for the inverter was showing shutdown due to overcharge

The following companies have recalls delineated in this month’s Recall Corner: Daimler Vans USA, Foretravel Inc., REV Recreation Group, Tiffin Motorhomes, Winnebago Industries.

I own a 2005 National RV Dolphin motorhome. The kitchen/living room is half tiled and half carpeted. We would like to replace the carpet with vinyl planks that look like wood. They are about 6 inches by 3 feet and are self-stick. The product is called TrafficMaster Allure Vinyl Plank Flooring, which features the GripStrip design; it’s available at Home Depot. This product is thin and flexible. A friend replaced his carpet with this product and has experienced no problems. He has an older National RV coach that employed a step-up slide mechanism. My coach, however, has a newer flat-floor mechanism. Will our slide operate properly with this thin material on the floor? My mechanic says that the slide wheels will tear the vinyl floor. I'm looking for another opinion.

My wife and I decided that when staying in a campground, we should have a means of quickly summoning help to our RV during an emergency. So, I ordered two key fobs online for less than $4. In less than a minute, I programmed them to activate our Ford F-150 pickup. Using hook-and-loop straps, we mounted one fob over the bed and one by the entry door. Now, in an emergency we can press the alarm button on a fob and cause our truck’s lights to flash and the horn to blow continuously. This alerts people to check on us and also directs emergency personnel to our location.

Despite an interruption in their travels, this couple never lost their enthusiasm for RVing or the special camaraderie they enjoyed with other motorhomers.
 

Little did we know 40 years ago when we purchased our first camper, a 16-foot travel trailer, that we would be enjoying the RV lifestyle as we are today. Since we first towed our little Fleetwing to county parks for the weekend, we have owned seven RVs, each one a bit bigger than the last. Six years ago we sold our primary residence and became full-time motorhomers.

My parents, Henry (Hank) and Kathleen Baron, F908, were part of what could be called FMCA’s “first generation.” In 1963, with hard work and an exceptional spirit and vision of family fun and opportunities, this couple from Edina, Minnesota, converted a 1946 Aerocoach bus into a 33-foot motorhome.

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Perhaps you’re enjoying the warmth of Arizona, and your working years are in your life’s rearview mirror. But now, you may be searching for something new to do. Or maybe you’re still in the thick of employment, and your beloved motorhome is going nowhere as a result.

Check out the latest RV Products for May 2017!

Get the lastest news and notes for May 2017.

The Wendlands recently experienced damage to their motorhome as a result of a chunk of tire thrown up by a semi, prompting them to be more aware of highway debris and to advocate for change.

From side dishes to entrees, menu choices abound.