Screen Door Handle
The screen door on my motorhome can be opened only with the outside handle. To solve this problem, I made a handle pull, which was inexpensive and easy to do.
Latest Stories
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Frozen Holding Tanks
Dear RV Doctor:
I think I really messed up. Last night the temperature dropped to minus 5 degrees. I thought about the fresh water and left it dripping at a faucet, but I never thought about the black and gray holding tanks. -
Companies with recalls detailed in this month’s Recall Corner are Caterpillar Inc., Entegra Coach, Prevost, Thor Motor Coach, and Winnebago Industries Inc.
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Refrigerator Facts
I have a 1996 American Eagle with a Dometic side-by-side refrigerator. It won’t maintain the cold when in the electric mode. The freezer works fine, but the refrigerator does not stay cold.  Â
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So Many Swirls!
Dear Editor:
I noted with a longstanding interest the comments by Mel Smith (“Simplify Exterior ‘Designs,'” Readers’ Forum, February 2011, page 12) about RV exterior designs. For years I have been puzzled by the freestyle swirls, appliques, and paint treatments on motorhomes and RVs in general. -
In order to shed more light on the operation of FMCA, I thought it would be a good idea for each department director to write a little something about his or her background and to explain the responsibilities associated with their position and how the staff plays a key role in what gets accomplished. I have asked Pamela Kay, director of communications, to start this off.Â
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One of the great benefits of being an FMCA member is the wonderful staff we have doing the work of the association in Cincinnati. Have you ever thought about how many weeks and days go into 42 years of service? Well, it is a bit mind-boggling.
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Some parts of the United States come up in conversation among travel buffs more often than others, and Door County, Wisconsin, ranks as one of them. But is this a worthwhile destination for motorhomers? We think so!
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Good news! This August, the Family Motor Coach Association will hold its 86th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Madison, Wisconsin. And “Mad Town,” as the city is affectionately called, is a place where you do not need “mad money” to see most attractions. Many are free!
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Family Motor Coach Association’s 85th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase, held March 14-17 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, provided RVers a jump-start to spring as they assembled for fun, friendship, education, and entertainment in the heart of the Peach State.
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Not often does a service provider have a positive impact on all segments of a given industry. The RV Safety & Education Foundation (RVSEF) fits that bill nicely within the RV industry. RVSEF is not only the RVing public’s best friend, but many motorhome builders in the RV industry have benefitted from its dedication as well.
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With the 2011 Platinum II and the 241XL DT floor plan, Coach House has hit a sweet spot in the luxury Type C motorhome market; the coach carries a price tag of approximately $173,000 when fully equipped.
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Describe a memorable attraction or scenic view that you accidentally discovered during your motorhome travels.
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We love our motorhomes, and for most of us, it takes a truly special destination to make us sleep anywhere else when we travel. But every so often we find a location worth bragging about to our traveling friends.
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Stay up-to-date on the latest information for saving money on fuel, choosing a home state, finding a physician, and more.
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Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort Under New Management
Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort, an exclusive Type A motorhome resort located in Webster, Florida, 45 miles west of Orlando, is now under the management of Bella Terra Realty Holdings LLC (BTRH).
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Motion Sickness Relief
Queaz-Away Travelers’ Wristbands from Davis Instruments Corporation are a nondrug aid for people who suffer from motion sickness when traveling along bumpy, twisting roads.
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FMCA members who attended the Great Eastern Area Rally (GEAR), held October 20 through 24, 2010, at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, donated food and cash to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.
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Medical Information
Here is a suggestion about carrying or having your medical information with you at all times.
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Dear RV Doctor:
I have a Magnum inverter in a 2007 Monaco motorhome. On shore power and generator power, all the receptacles check “good†using a three-light plug-in tester. However, when the electrical system is on inverter power, the receptacles show an open ground on both circuits. -
Companies with recalls detailed in this month’s Recall Corner are Fleetwood RV Inc., Newmar Corporation, Winnebago Industries Inc., and Workhorse Custom Chassis.
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Convertor/Charger Problems
My question is about my 1992 34-foot Safari Ivory that has a 50-amp convertor/charger that has stopped working. Can I replace this with a regular 120-volt-AC/40-amp battery charger?Â
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A Simple Exterior Is Best
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to the letter by Mel Smith of South Carolina about the exterior designs of current motorhomes (“Simplify Exterior ‘Designs,'” February 2011, page 12). I couldn’t agree with him more. -
First, let me express to my fellow FMCA members how honored and privileged I am to be the new FMCA executive director.
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Have you ever stopped to think how much we take our motorhomes for granted? Things are always supposed to work, but the reality is that they are machines and they do sometimes break down.
We have a 12-year-old motorhome, and it has a history. -
Mmm! Breathe in that clear mountain air. If you love the outdoors, you’ll want to spend time in the Adirondack Mountains in Old Forge, New York. This little village is a gem that people have been flocking to for years.
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Social networking Web sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can play a major role in planning your travels.
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Superstar cowboy Trevor Brazile is tearing up the professional rodeo circuit, thanks in part to the luxurious Foretravel Nimbus that he calls home throughout much of the season.
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It is uplifting to me when a company’s leaders push the envelope and introduce innovative products, realizing the future possibilities of such an endeavor. Such is the case with Jayco Inc. and its high-line diesel-pusher division, Entegra Coach.
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Make sure your motorhome’s rooftop air-conditioning system is ready to pump out cool, refreshing air when the weather heats up by performing the following maintenance steps.
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Making sure your tow bar is level is one of the key steps toward successful — and safe — towing.
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We were bound for Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, which has been at the economic center of the Navajo Nation for more than 100 years. John Lorenzo Hubbell, an icon on the reservation, began trading at Ganado in 1876 and bought the post in 1878.
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If you’ve attended FMCA international conventions, which has been your favorite, and why?
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During the winter, when deciduous trees have lost their leaves, the bare branches provide views of things that are hidden during much of the year. Sometimes you’ll find a green growth of mistletoe, living as a parasite in the tree. Other times it will be a hawk’s nest. And sometimes it will be a sleeping porcupine.
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St. Louis is a true American melting pot when it comes to cuisine, thanks to its immigrants. It began in the 1600s as a French settlement, later joined by waves of Italian, Irish, German, and Creole arrivals. Drawing upon that rich heritage, here are some St. Louis classic dishes to try in your own galley.Â
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2011 National Park Fee-Free Days
United States Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the National Park Service will waive admission fees on selected dates throughout 2011 and encouraged all Americans to visit a national park this year.
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As the winter of 2010-2011 draws to a close — and none too soon, many folks might say — it’s time to prepare the motorhome and hit the road. FMCA’s 85th Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase, March 14 through 17, in Perry, Georgia, may be the perfect destination as the warm-weather travel season commences.
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Stroll through any resort or campground, and you’ll likely agree that most RVers are sociable by nature. You’ll find people huddled together around fire pits and picnic tables everywhere you look. Chances are, you also will see plenty of spirited RVers playing board games. Games have become powerful social lubricants.
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There’s music in the air at the historic homestead near tiny Strasburg, North Dakota, and no wonder. This is where one of America’s most famous bandleaders, Lawrence Welk, was born — and learned to play his accordion. “The family got so tired of listening to Lawrence practice that they sent him out to the …
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What we saw when we arrived took us by surprise. In front of us was a 1989 Airstream “classic†370 LE motorhome. Judging by the exterior, it appeared to be in very good condition. Its two previous owners had always kept it under cover in Washington. The aluminum shell was in excellent shape and …
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California has more than 23,000 bridges. There are drawbridges, suspension bridges, arch bridges, and even truss bridges, but there’s only one Sundial Bridge. It’s located in the northern California city of Redding, and as the name suggests, it’s the odd combination of a bridge and a sundial.
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Tow Bar
According to product literature, the new foldable Alpha tow bar from Blue Ox has a 6,500-pound towing capacity.
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The entry-level, bath-and-a-half, gasoline-powered Winnebago Vista 35F motorhome provides comfortable accommodations for a full-timing couple or a family of four.
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Most people understand the importance of checking and changing the oil in their motorhome as part of the vehicle’s regular maintenance schedule. Insufficient or degraded oil can lead to poor engine performance and engine damage. The same is true for a vehicle’s cooling system, but it doesn’t seem to get equal attention.
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Fun, friendship, and merriment were experienced by members of three FMCA chapters that assembled for a joint rally at the Mtn. View Holiday Trav-L-Park in Baker City, Oregon, September 16 through 19, 2010. The chapters involved were the Snake River Valley, the Panhandle Gems, and the Rim Rock Roamers.Â
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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).Â
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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.Â
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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.