Complex Electrical Task 

 

We own a 2002 Beaver Monterey Type A motorhome with 50-amp service. It has two chassis batteries and four coach batteries. It also has a Xantrex PROsine 2.0 2,000-watt inverter/charger and a Progressive Dynamics 5200 series automatic transfer relay switch. We frequently stay at campgrounds that have only 30-amp service but also have a separate 20-amp outlet.

 

The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Limited was inadvertently left out of Family Motor Coaching’s “Towables for 2016” towing guide (January 2016, page 44). The front-wheel-drive vehicle is equipped with a 2.5-liter engine and an automatic transmission. To prevent the battery from draining while the vehicle is being towed…

 

It may seem a little odd that I would offer a new year greeting to you at this time; however, the oldest Roman calendar listed March as the first month of the year. Just as in modern times, in ancient Rome the arrival of the new year was cause for celebration with wine, food, and music.

Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family. Is it just me or is 2016 already slipping away from us too fast? In my February column, I mentioned that Gloria and I were on our way to Indio, California, to attend the Western Area Rally. We have just completed that event. Western Area members should be very proud of themselves.

One of the benefits of RVing is the opportunity to sample many local cuisines as you travel. Regional food offerings vary widely from coast to coast, but perhaps the most American of all is barbecue. It is a major fascination for many “foodies” — to the point that a ton of books have been written and many TV shows and even TV series have been created with barbecue as the star.

 

Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains area has been a popular vacation destination for decades, hosting millions of visitors every year. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the most-visited national park and third most-visited park site in the United States in 2014, behind Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Online forums, discussion boards, owners-club websites, and how-to videos often focus on one of the most perplexing of all motorhome problems: water leaking into the RV. It’s perhaps the number-one cause of damage to today’s motorhomes.  

Motorhomes are complex. If you own one but don’t understand how to properly operate and maintain it, you may incur some expensive lessons. 

The following companies have recalls delineated in this month's Recall Corner: Entegra Coach, Forest River Inc., Foretravel Inc., Jayco Inc., Newmar Corporation, REV Recreation Group, Tiffin Motorhomes, Winnebago Industries Inc.

 

The following companies have recalls delineated in this month's Recall Corner: Forest River, Newmar Corporation, REV Recreation Group (formerly Allied Recreation Group), Thor Motor Coach, Winnebago Industries.
 

February is designated Responsible Pet Owner’s Month. Since a significant number of motorhome owners travel with pets, I thought I would revisit some helpful tips for having a healthy and happy pet that have been shared over the years in Family Motor Coaching magazine.

Well, here it is mid-December, and my column for the February issue of the magazine is due. A lot has happened since my last column. However, for those of you who really seem to enjoy hearing about my adventures (and misadventures), I'm afraid this issue may disappoint you. I have actually behaved myself this month and stayed out of trouble!

Motorhomers are an inquisitive bunch. Just step in one of the seminar rooms at any FMCA Family Reunion and observe learning sessions in progress. You might not want to leave. FMCA’s knowledgeable seminar presenters expound on subjects that can enlighten and entertain their motorhoming audiences for hours.

Wildlife photography was once the sole domain of serious professionals, typically young men in their 20s and 30s who were rugged enough to trek heavy equipment deep into the wilderness. Modern digital photography and auto-focus lenses have changed that picture dramatically.

The Battle of Picacho Pass is best described as a skirmish when compared to other, large-scale engagements of the Civil War. But it does hold the distinction of being the westernmost fight in the war, and the losses were no less devastating to the soldiers' families than they were for families of men killed in larger battles east of the Mississippi.

The Dynamax Isata 5 Series motorhome debuted at the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s California RV Show in October 2015. A static display of the 36DS, a 36-foot double-slideout prototype, was more than just well received by attendees. 

I chose a compass-temperature system manufactured by American Technology Components Inc., based in Elkhart, Indiana. I’ve installed these products in my motorhomes in the past, and I wanted something larger and easier to see than the small display that was in our current coach’s dash entertainment system.

 

With a new year come new opportunities to explore new places and meet new people. As I write this, our motorhome sits in the driveway of our Michigan home. But I keep glancing out at it, chomping at the bit to hit the road.

In September 2015, 30 members of the NorCal Rex RV Club gathered at Casa de Fruta RV Park in Hollister, California, to celebrate the chapter’s 15th anniversary. 

The Friendship chapter can trace its beginnings to a question, one that a number of people were asking in the early 2000s: Why not hold a rally for the West Region of the Southeast Area? 

While attending a large FMCA rally in northern Colorado in the summer of 1999, a group of RVers from the Colorado Springs and Monument areas met and decided to form a small, more intimate chapter closer to home. They called it the Pikes Peak Rollers.

Heating Vent Cover

A first-grader watches a commercial on the Food Network and calls to his mom to come watch it, too. This isn’t your typical commercial that would appeal to a soon to be 6-year-old boy. It’s not about a toy or about a reality TV show. This commercial is about childhood hunger and a call to action for donations to help feed hungry children.