Wardrobe Selection Solution

During the times of the year when the seasons change, it’s hard to know what clothes to pack for a trip (long sleeves or short sleeves, shorts or long pants). 

Refrigerator Leveling

Dear RV Doctor:
We recently purchased a preowned 2007 motorhome. We haven’t actually camped in it yet but have done some local driving to get used to it. We’ve read about the need to level the motorhome so the refrigerator works properly and understand the necessity.

Sneaky Circuitry

I am working on an electrical problem in a friend’s 2003 Holiday Rambler Traveler 26RB2. On the wall by the outside door is a push-button switch, whose purpose is to disconnect the coach battery from everything but the refrigerator and the inverter. 

Waste Management Notes

Dear Editor:
I enjoyed “Waste Management, Part 2” (January 2011, page 60). It seems to be timely regardless of when the reader takes the time to delve into the depths of this sensitive topic.  I would like to offer two additional suggestions.

In the past two issues of Family Motor Coaching, I wrote about the Czarsty family and our motorhoming experiences. This month, among other topics, I want to focus on the staff who keep FMCA’s national office humming, and on Brad Koshland, F313666, FMCA’s new executive director, who began work on January 3.

With apologies to Will Rogers … this nice and nimble Type C has never met a highway, a byway, a mall, or a driver it didn’t like.

Have you ever had an unusual “stowaway” in your motohome?

With late January and early February being the coldest time of the year in North America, many people are beginning to ask how much longer winter will last. If you’re tired of the tentative predictions given by media weather forecasters who change their opinion weekly, go to the one reliable source for a definitive answer. Just ask a groundhog.

For years, thousands of RV travelers have made a living on the go by temping, writing, crafting, etc. Then the Internet opened new professions while reaching a whole world of potential customers.

Carefree RV Resorts Offers Military Discount Program

Carefree RV Resorts, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, announced that it will offer permanent 50 percent nightly discounts to active and veteran military service members and their families at its 35 parks in Florida, Texas, New Jersey, North Carolina, and California.

Members of the Heartland Execs. chapter found themselves at the beautiful Dakotah Meadows RV Park in Prior Lake, Minnesota, September 12 through 17, 2010, for a terrific fall gathering.

Brighter Thermostat Display

Is your thermostat display too dim? You can make the display nearly twice as bright by removing the blue filters on the light bulbs.

Seeping Shower Stall

Dear RV Doctor:
We have a 2007 Damon Daybreak with a “hex” shower stall that is leaking. The leak is coming from somewhere in the glass section framing or where the shower sides, glass, and plastic connect to the bottom section.

Companies with recalls detailed in this month’s Recall Corner are Fleetwood RV Inc. and Forest River Inc.

Electrical Nightmare

I have a 2003 Monaco Dynasty motorhome with an electrical problem that has puzzled just about everyone I’ve spoken with about it. It all began more than two years ago when I started the generator and the engine to return to Canada. The inverter began to sound an alarm…

Winterizing The Water System

Dear Editor:
In the November 2010 issue of Family Motor Coaching, the “House Calls” column (page 18) mentioned using blowout plugs to winterize your coach’s water system. These are excellent devices and will remove water from most, but not all, places in your coach.  

Have you ever thought about all the adventures (or should I say misadventures?) you had when you first started motorhoming? Well, I’ve been thinking about that, and I have to admit that many of the errors we made can be traced back to me.

On October 31, 2010, former United States Marine Corps Sgt. Eddie Ryan lived out a dream in Washington, D.C., as he competed in the 35th annual Marine Corps Marathon. Four hours and 57 minutes later, the 26-year-old crossed the finish line with his team of runners, officially completing his first-ever marathon.

Our journey with a 2011 Fleetwood Expedition took us up the Maine coast from Portland to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park at the height of fall foliage, with breathtaking color and scenic landscapes that could easily grace the pages of National Geographic.

You can feel as though you have returned to those Wild West days by stopping along Interstate 75 northwest of Atlanta, Georgia, in little Cartersville.

Stand on a battlefield where teenagers, adults, and older gents all ate, slept, drank, told stories, cleaned weapons, wrote letters, and followed orders. Walk around a fort where brave Confederate soldiers defended their way of life to the last. You can do all this and more either before or after your visit to FMCA’s next convention in Perry, Georgia.

Increase your knowledge of motorhoming and other subjects that enhance the lifestyle when you attend FMCA’s 85th International Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase in Perry, Georgia.

Tires are perhaps the most overlooked and the most vulnerable component on an RV. They also are the most important. They are the vehicle’s contact point with the road, serving as the foundation for your house on wheels. As such, they should be given the same attention and care as the vehicle’s engine, suspension, transmission, and other systems.

When you overload a motorhome, the extreme weight can cause axle bearings to fail prematurely; shorten tire life; allow unsafe swaying in crosswinds or on curves; increase driver fatigue; and cause the suspension to sag by putting undue wear on its components.

Dog First-Aid Kit

Dr. Bill’s Dog First Aid kit is said to include everything necessary to handle most first-aid situations for canine companions.

Whom should you contact for travel information when planning a motorhome trip? To answer that question, the staff at FMC has compiled this list of tourism offices in the United States and Canada. The following information was accurate as of November 2010.

Whether you’re a full-timer or just a frequent traveler, you should not have to miss out on continuing your yoga exercises just because you are not “home.” I’m a full-timer and I drop in on a yoga class whenever possible.

Washington County, Texas, is renowned for its exciting heritage. But its prominent historical legacy is only part of the appeal that attracts families to “the birthplace of Texas.”

FMCA’s Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase, to be held March 14 through 17, 2011, in Perry, Georgia, will give FMCA members an opportunity to share laughter, music, and camaraderie while enjoying the exciting array of performers who have been scheduled throughout the event.

A Polar Bear Plunge is when a group of seemingly normal people don swimsuits or costumes in the middle of winter and jump into an icy body of water. Then they raucously herd toward shore, where they quickly put on their clothes again while shivering in front of fire pits.

Part 1 of this article (December 2010, page 40) discussed drainage lines, venting, and odor control in the waste system. Part 2 will examine holding tanks, additives, valves and terminations, tank monitors, the sewer hose, and more.

The state’s claims to presidential fame are exposed between LaGrange to the north and Americus to its south.  As you travel to or from Perry, Georgia, to visit with FMCA friends at the FMCA Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase this March, consider making stops at all of these locations.

Family Motor Coaching magazine’s annual dinghy towing guide to flat-towable vehicles include cars, trucks, and SUVs that have been approved by their manufacturers for flat towing behind a motorhome without major modications.

Packed with tons of fun and fellowship, these FMCA events are sure to convince you that friendship really is the tie that binds each of us to this association. From the moment you register for one of these great events until the time you retract your levelers and head back home or to another FMCA gathering, you’ll be glad you decided to join us!

FMC magazine’s January 2011 Motorhome Regulations chart contains the following information for all 50 U.S. States and the Canadian provinces and territories: speed limit, length, height, width, combined length, license type required, and reciprocity granted (for license).

What do you enjoy listening to as you’re traveling down the road in the motorhome?