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Family RVing Magazine

The Un-Topper

Dip Your Toes in Bayou Teche

RV Roundup: Living Large, Full-Time

Heat Emergencies

Be Sun Smart

What Do You Mean I Broke My RV?

POPULAR STORIES


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Winterizing The RV

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Latest Stories

  • Open Mike: Treatments For Cabin Fever

    This is peak time for cabin fever, and it has hit us big-time. Cabin fever, as described by Wikipedia, is “a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in a small space, with nothing to do for an extended period. Cabin fever describes the extreme irritability and restlessness a person may feel in these situations.”
     
  • RV News: January 2015

    Boondockers Welcome, C12795, which launched in 2012, now includes more than 800 North American locations that offer RVers free overnight parking on private property. RVer hosts and guests can connect online at www.boondockerswelcome.com, which was started by Marianne Edwards and her daughter, Anna Maste.
     
  • RV Products: January 2015

    Liquid Dispenser 
     
    Bottles, bottles, and more bottles. One way to eliminate some of that clutter in the shower and kitchen is with the Classic Dispenser 3 from Better Living.
     
  • Family and Friends: Sandpipers Chapter Celebrates 20th Anniversary

    Elite Resorts at Citrus Valley in Clermont, Florida, was the setting for a rally June 6-8, 2014, at which members of FMCA’s Sandpipers chapter marked 20 years of motorhoming fun.
  • Family and Friends: Chapters Double Their Fun In Branson

    The Gateway Getaways and Ozark Ridge Runners chapters enjoyed a joint rally May 19-23, 2014, in Branson, Missouri. Thanks go out to those who planned the event, Don and Joyce Sturms of the Ozark Ridge Runners and Mark and Linda Boka of the Gateway Getaways.
     
  • Family & Friends: Making New Friends

    While camp hosting at Foscue Creek Campground in Demopolis, Alabama, Tony and Marijke Schellenbach, F83597, have met many nice people. They can now count Ernest and Ruth Aulick among them. 
     
  • Family and Friends: Northern Lights Rally At Lake Michigan Resort

    Members of FMCA’s Northern Lights chapter enjoyed a great rally September 4-7, 2014, at Frankfort Crystal Lake RV Resort in Michigan. The campground owner and crew did a fantastic job of welcoming us to the new resort on Lake Michigan.

  • House Calls: January 2015

    Electrical Malfunction
     
    Dear RV Doctor:
    My Safari is always “on” in some electrical fashion. This problem has now escalated to the point where I cannot start the motorhome.
     
  • Recall Corner: January 2015

    The following companies have recalls delineated in this month's Recall Corner: Entegra Coach, Newmar Corporation, Tiffin Motorhomes.
     
  • Tech Talk: January 2015

    Out Of Step
    I have a 2006 National RV motorhome. The automatic retractable steps worked as they should until I shut the door recently and the steps wouldn’t retract. What should I look for? What would make them not work?

  • Readers’ Forum: January 2015

    November Notes
     
    Dear Editor:
    I almost always read the “President’s Message” columns. I find Charlie Adcock’s messages particularly enjoyable and encouraging. Thanks for sharing not only the "good" stuff but also the challenges we can relate to. It's helpful to us newbies and part-timers.

     
  • Executive Director’s Commentary: Appreciating Freedom

    On the third Monday of January each year, America pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a pastor; an activist; leader in the Civil Rights movement; and, equally as important, a humanitarian.
     
  • President’s Message: Plans And Dreams For A New Year

    Happy New Year to my FMCA Family! Can you believe that another year has slipped by? Sometimes I feel like I’m racing against a clock. I have so many things I still would like to see happen in FMCA, and it seems as though time is running out on me.
     
  • Tech & Travel Tips: January 2015

    Makeshift Rain Hat
     
    I find those free motel shower caps so useful. They fit over a ball cap, making a perfect emergency rain hat.
     
  • Firefighting Through The Years

    You’ve heard that you can’t judge a book by its cover, and that can be said for the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Phoenix, Arizona. It is housed in a rather plain, single-story building, but its simplicity belies what’s inside — nearly 300 years of mechanized firefighting history.
     
  • Indoor Winter Fun

    It’s another dreary winter day. The kids look up from their electronic devices and moan: “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.” The weather is unappealing, so you avoid telling them to go outside and get some fresh air. It’s an indoor day. Again. What can you do?

  • Whatever Floats Your Boat!

    Are your chapter rallies getting a bit stale? Are you doing the same things over and over? If so, how about a cardboard boat race? This may not work for everybody, but it sure was a success for our chapter.
     
  • Colorado’s Snow Soldiers

    Just a few miles from Interstate 70 near Vail, Colorado, is the wide, broad valley of the East Fork of the Eagle River. It’s dotted with weathered concrete foundations and crisscrossed neatly by a grid of roads. This was Camp Hale, training center for the 10th Mountain Division, the Army’s elite winter warfare unit of World War II.
     
  • Find “California Gold” In Pomona

    In a few short months, FMCA members will be arriving in Pomona, California, anticipating fine entertainment, motorhome exhibits and related displays, enlightening seminars, and that most valuable commodity of all: each other’s company. All of these are mainstays at FMCA international events.

  • Tool Time

    Ask a guy what he wants for Christmas, Father’s Day, or his birthday and odds are the answer will not be socks, a tie, or a really cool sweater. The more likely choice: tools. Many of us just have to have more, because with the right tool, we can fix anything.
     
  • Towables For 2015

    Family Motor Coaching magazine's annual guide to flat-towable vehicles includes cars, trucks, and SUVs that have been approved by their manufacturers for four-wheels-down towing behind a motorhome without major modifications.

  • Newmar London Aire 4553

    Though its name may be familiar, this luxury diesel pusher from Newmar Corporation is a completely new model for 2015.

  • Chassis Checkup

    Save money and gain satisfaction by performing certain diesel pusher maintenance yourself.

  • Rear View: February 2015

    How do you "decorate" your campsite when parked?
     
  • Full-Timer’s Primer: The Fine Print

    Full-timers are easy targets for a fast shuffle. It’s not really fraud. After all, it’s all there in black and white. Small type is everywhere, from government regulations to websites, warranties, services, and even the most innocent disclosures, agreements, and waivers.

  • Open Mike: A Visit To Gobbler’s Knob

    All eyes this month will be on the tiny town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. More specifically, attention will be focused on a hilltop called Gobbler’s Knob, where every February 2, a shy little rodent named Phil is pulled out of his makeshift den to tell the world whether winter will last another six weeks.
     
  • RV News & Notes: February 2015

    Roadtrek Touring Series
     
    Roadtrek Motorhomes Inc. has launched its new Touring Series coach, the TS Adventurous. The coach, built on the Mercedes-Benz chassis, continues Roadtrek’s trend of clean and sleek exterior lines. On the interior, exclusive to the TS Adventurous, are charcoal cabinets with subtle hints of gray throughout and chrome accents. 
     
  • RV Products: February 2015

    Pill Organizer 
     
    It is not our place to remind you of the importance of taking the right medications at the right time. We can, however, suggest something that might help keep that routine running smoothly.
     

  • Family & Friends: CHAI-Chavurat Yehudim Chapter Plans 10th Passover Rally

    The CHAI-Chavurat Yehudim chapter was formed at the 2004 FMCA Family Reunion in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shortly before the Jewish holiday of Passover. Since then, nine of the Jewish-oriented chapter’s rallies have centered on the celebration of Passover. These rallies have been held at full-hookup campgrounds all over the United States . . . 
     
  • Family & Friends: Over The Hill Chapter Marks 40 Years

    In 1974, in the midst of a worldwide gasoline shortage and spiraling inflation, a group of RV enthusiasts decided to organize and form FMCA’s Over The Hill chapter. Several versions circulate as to how the group decided on the name, but whatever the reasoning, the chapter has hurdled many hills and is still going strong 40 years later.
     
  • Family & Friends: Jane Key Passes Away

    Jane Key, L23527, wife of former Rocky Mountain Area national vice president Perry Key, died on November 8, 2014.
     
  • Family & Friends: Chet Stewart Served FMCA Well

    Chester “Chet” Stewart, L23883, a former Rocky Mountain Area national vice president, immersed himself in many organizations. But perhaps none brought him greater joy than FMCA.
     
  • Tech & Travel Tips: February 2015

    Reducing Noise

    After our first motorhome trip in 1997, I wanted to eliminate the noise that kitchen utensils, dishes, and pots and pans made in the drawers, while still being able to access them easily
  • House Calls: February 2015

    Generator Is Not Charging Battery
     
    Dear RV Doctor:  
    I have an older 31-foot Type C motorhome on a Ford E-350 chassis with an Onan MicroLite generator, model number 4KYFA261000B. One weekend while at a remote location, the generator was used for about 18 hours for the air conditioner and RV power, and then early in the morning the generator died . . . 
     
  • Tech Talk: February 2015

    Leveling Jacks
     
    The leveling jacks work perfectly on my 2001 National RV. However, when they are retracted, the warning light indicating that the jacks are down sometimes will stay on for 10 miles or more (and on one occasion, 50 miles). 
     
  • Readers’ Forum: February 2015

    FMC Magazine Collection
     
    Dear Editor:
    We have retired from motorhoming, and we have copies of Family Motor Coaching magazine dating back to 1995. We thought someone might like to have them.
     
  • President’s Message: A Year In Review

    What happened to last year?  I guess we were having so much fun in 2014 that it just flew past!  It certainly was a busy year for FMCA. This month’s column is devoted to a look back at the accomplishments and changes of 2014, and a brief look forward to some great experiences that lie ahead for this new year.
     
  • Common Photo Foul-Ups

    Let’s look at some common picture-taking mistakes and find out how to fix them. Then our friends will smile right along with us when they see our pictures.

  • Florida Island Colors

    Along Florida’s southwest coast, islands extend in a long string like emeralds on a necklace. Almost 50 islands, many of them mostly covered by mangroves, are surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico’s crystal-clear, bluish-green water.
     
  • “California Gold” Seminars

    Not long after the arrival of spring, FMCA members will assemble in Southern California for the association's 91st Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase, March 26-29, 2015. The event, bearing the theme "California Gold," will take place at Fairplex, the annual site of the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona. 

  • California’s Commanders In Chief

    Southern California is crowned by not one but two presidential libraries, and they are located within 90 minutes of each other (depending on traffic). Each library makes significant contributions to visitors’ understanding of the history of the United States.
     
  • No-Fuss Fun In Los Angeles

    The good news: Pomona, California, where FMCA members will stay on the grounds of Fairplex while attending the association’s 91st Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase March 26-29, is just an hour from Los Angeles by mass transit. 
     
  • Recall Corner: February 2015

    The following companies have recalls delineated in this month's Recall Corner: Newmar Corporation, Thor Motor Coach.
     
  • Thor Motor Coach Outlaw 29H

    Thor Motor Coach (TMC) designers have applied technologies from the company’s Type A toy haulers and put them to good use when creating Type C models. One model, the Outlaw, is offered in Type A, Type C, and Super C floor plans for 2015.

  • President’s Message: “I’m From Arkansas, And I’m Lost”

     
    I never really intended to make it a habit of sharing my misadventures in this column, but for some reason, when I was considering what to write about this month, the story of how I got lost in Michigan this summer came to mind.
     
  • Rear View: December 2014

    Tell about a famous or unusual person you have met while motorhoming.
     
  • Full-Timer’s Primer: You Can Go Home Again

    The jolt of hitting the road as a full-timer is much like the culture shock of visiting a foreign country. Everything is new. In time, though, you work through all the personal, financial, and social speed bumps of the happily “homeless.” 

  • Open Mike: Brrrring Your Motorhome!

    At a time when most RVers are rushing to Florida or Arizona for warm weather, Jennifer and I are getting ready to drive the motorhome out into the heart of winter. We love winter camping.
     
  • RV News: December 2014

    RV Historian Retires
    Al Hesselbart, an RV historian, librarian, lecturer, and author who worked for the RV/MH Hall of Fame & Museum for 20 years, has retired. 
     
  • RV Products: December 2014

     

     
    License Plate Frame 
     
    One way to wink at the world as you travel is with a witty saying on your license plate frame. “Our Home Is Where We Park It,” “On Vacation And Not Coming Back,” and the old standby, “RV There Yet?” are among the sayings on frames offered by Traveling Designs. 
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COMING SOON:

  • The Versatile Multimeter: This device performs a variety of electrical measurements, making it an essential item for your RV tool kit.
  • RV Roundup – Nine Great Tailgating Models: Host a party on wheels with an RV equipped with fan-friendly features.
  • RV Snap Pads: These permanently installed leveling jack pads simplify the leveling process and save storage space.
  • RV Boondocking: Tips and tricks for dry camping away from crowds and commercial facilities.
  • The Treasures of Huntingdon County: The Raystown Lake Region has been called the crown jewel of central Pennsylvania.

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