Ready For Towing

Dear Editor:
Thank you very much for the “Beating The Breakdown Blues” article (June 2011, page 60) with its Roadside Emergency Chart. We used that chart as a template and then customized it to meet our needs.

I would like to focus this month’s commentary on changes that are taking place within FMCA. First, a new events manager has been selected from two very qualified in-house candidates. Please join me in welcoming Chris Lusk as FMCA’s new events manager.

Thank you once again for your trust and confidence in electing me as your national president. Jean and I have just returned from the “Family A’Fair” Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Madison, Wisconsin. And what a great time it was.

Following are abbreviated resumes for the five national vice presidents who were recently elected or re-elected for the 2011-2013 term. 

We were invited by a friend to the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, one of Arkansas’ top tourist attractions. It turned out to be one of the greatest places we have ever visited.

As motorhomers well know, the RV industry has had its ups and downs during the past several decades. The same can be said of RV pioneer Bob Lee, F65422, of Junction City, Oregon, who is best known for his years at the helm of Country Coach Inc.

A visit to Knoxville, Tennessee, is like opening a magic box. The more things you discover, the more unexpected treasures appear.

A total of 91 children participated in the Youth Activities program during the “Family A’Fair” Family Reunion in Madison, Wisconsin. As at past conventions, the youth were divided into four age groups.

By its very design, the cooling system on motorhomes equipped with a rear radiator tends to clog up fairly quickly. Imagine the amount of dirt stirred up from the road by a 40-foot motorhome with its six tires driving at highway speeds.

“We renovate RVs.” Those three words form a simple message for visitors to the Classic Coach Works Web site. Yet, as you take a longer look around the site — even better if you visit the company’s Lakeland, Florida, facility — you’ll learn how Greg and Stephanie Williams are carving out a valuable niche …
 

They call it the Yellowstone Trail, but in South Dakota the famous road could be dubbed the "Yellowstone Tales." From the Minnesota border to North Dakota, U.S. 12 across northern South Dakota is riddled with whimsical yarns and attractions. But then, the Yellowstone Trail — America's first transcontinental highway …

RVers who enjoy gathering for food and drink at campgrounds or tailgate sites may be intrigued by the Daybreak 34SS from Thor Motor Coach. This 34-foot-7-inch Type A motorhome is available with a nicely equipped optional exterior kitchen for comfortable entertaining. A new floor plan …
 

Motorhome owners sometimes express confusion about batteries and what charges them. All RV manufacturers follow some conventions, but enough differences exist that one cannot categorically say all RVs are alike in this regard.

When a customer walks up to the parts counter, nearly every conversation starts something like this. Customer: “I have a 1998 Skedaddle McFierce, and my water heater has gone out.” Salesperson: “What’s the make and model of your water heater?” Customer: “I don’t know. Can’t you look it up?”

Steve Stephenson found the solution to his vintage motorhome’s mechanical problems with a little help from a fellow FMCA member and friend.

Do you ever marvel at the original touches motorhomers add to their coaches (or chuckle at the humorous ones)? Or maybe you are the innovator? This month we focus on RVer individuality by discussing the question: How have you personalized your coach?

Bats get a bad rap. Often they are photographed with their mouths open, snarling in self defense. What type of reaction would you expect from a shy creature that spends its life in a low-light environment and suddenly has flashing bright lights in its face?

While you’re outdoors enjoying a cookout, it’s always nice to have a little something sweet to finish off the meal. But who wants to spend the better part of the day inside the motorhome baking? In these situations, it’s great to have a slow cooker that can be used inside the motorhome or plugged in outside.

Overnight Camping At Wineries, Farms
Harvest Hosts, a new RV membership program, offers RVers free overnight stops at wineries and farms throughout North America. The program was started by Don and Kim Greene, FMCA commercial members and avid motorhomers. While traveling across Europe in 2008 …

Dog Toy
The GoDogGo RemoteFetch G3 automatic ball-tossing machine for dogs will keep your canine friend busy for hours while giving you and your arm a rest.

If you have never been to a Mardi Gras celebration in your motorhome, you need to visit the Cruisin’ Cajuns chapter during our open Mardi Gras rally, held each year in Rayne, Louisiana. This year’s rally, which took place February 17 through 20, 2011, at the City of Rayne RV Park, included 212 coaches and was an incredible event.

What happens when you bring together the occupants of 646 motorhomes (including 101 first-timers), 186 vendors, eight RV dealers, and 19 volunteer chapters and then add 6,500 meals, 1,000 doughnuts, crafts, seminars, great entertainment, plus friends and fun? One awesome rally!

This month’s tips for RV owners: grocery story cards, easy outdoor lighting and power gear hydraulic tank support.

Up Or Down?
I moved my motorhome to the Oregon coast and will leave it there for two to six weeks between visits. Should the hydraulic levelers be left up or down? When I store it for the winter, six months at a time, I always retract them. Considering the saltwater air near the coast, I would assume they should be …

The company with a recall detailed in this month’s column is Airstream Inc. 

Power Switch Problem
We have a 2001 Country Coach Allure motorhome, and I hope you can help me with a shore power question. I think the problem is the Todd Engineering power switch, model PS245L, located at the motorhome’s electrical entry point. Todd Engineering is no longer in business.

Height Restrictions At Some Walmart Lots
James Beck, F278365, alerted FMCA that Walmart stores in Arkansas and Mississippi have put barriers with height limits of 12 feet at the entrance to their parking lots. In order to learn whether this was an across-the-board change or a local issue, Paul DuBois, F296221, FMCA’s national vice president, Northeast Area, and a member of the Governmental and Legislative Affairs Committee, looked into the matter.

This month, the director of administrative services will write about her department’s responsibilities and functions, among them the information technology (IT) team. The IT area is a key and critical component of FMCA. It is what makes FMCA tick as the association moves through the 21st century. Much of FMCA’s business is conducted over the Internet …

It is September, as FMCA enters a new year in terms of its leadership and then a new fiscal year on October 1. By the time you read this, the Governing Board will have met and heard committee reports, discussed and adopted a budget for fiscal year 2012, given the Executive Board feedback about the actions they took during the year, and …

If you travel by motorhome with children or grandchildren, what fun activities do you enjoy together?

No matter where you live, everyone needs a place to leave wet, dirty shoes and clothing so the filth is not dragged inside. How can you improvise the best features of a mudroom to help keep your motorhome’s interior cleaner?