Happy New Year and welcome to 2009. Although much of the recent news has been negative and discouraging, there is always some good news. The United States is a strong and resilient country that will look inward to find the strength and faith to pull us together as a nation …

Once again, the New Year brings a new Directory/Member Benefits Guide within the pages of Family Motor Coaching magazine. You’re holding the latest version of the issue that I believe we should carry with us in our motorhomes all year. Before I describe why, I want to address a category of FMCA membership that might not be familiar to some.

Lost electricity 

I have an electrical problem in my 2000 Monaco La Palma. I have lost the 120-volt-AC power to the kitchen and forward part of the vehicle, the wall circuits, the TV and VCR, the refrigerator, etc. The air conditioner works great …

Winnebago Industries Inc. has announced NHTSA recall 08V606000, which affects some 2008 Winnebago Adventurer Limited motorhomes. The affected motorhomes were built February 26, 2008, through May 2, 2008. The potential number of coaches involved is 68.

Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. has announced two NHTSA recalls. The first is recall 08V503000, which affects certain 2008 and 2009 Jamboree GT and Tioga SL motorhomes manufactured from February 29, 2008 …

No output — battery

Dear RV Doctor:
Every time I tow my 2003 GMC Sonoma 4×4 pickup for more than four hours without stopping to start the truck for a while, my battery becomes completely dead or has just enough power to barely turn over the engine.

Hitch pin tightener

While towing, have you ever been annoyed by a clunk when accelerating or braking, only to find that the problem is being caused by a loose-fitting hitch pin? To tighten the connection …

On June 10, 2008, an armada of motorhomes filled with land-lubbin’ pirates braved tempestuous foul weather to seize control of the Sunnyview Exposition Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. These scallywags established headquarters there and began to set up for the …

Travel bag

The Nautica Clamshell Duffel from Luggageguy.com might just be the perfect travel bag for motorhomers and others with limited storage space.

Marathon offers triple- and quad-slideout Prevost conversions 

Marathon Coach is offering triple-slideout and quad-slideout converted coaches built using the Prevost XLII shell. The new triple-slideout XLII includes a second front slideout that adds approximately 35 percent more salon space for entertaining or everyday living.

Here are 13 ways to keep from catching a cold or flu, or to avoid passing them on, whether at home or on the road.

Perhaps you have never heard of frost flowers. Neither had we until a few months ago. Always intrigued by old nature books, we stumbled upon mention of the frost flower in an 1891 book called …

Stews are especially welcome at the winter table. They are the ultimate comfort food, the essential one-pot meal. Save these recipes and celebrate a new stew each week as the temperatures drop.

Quilt fabric for charity

Dear Editor:
The Six-State Rally Association completed its fourth annual Quilts for Charity show at the area rally this past September in North Little Rock, Arkansas. This year we donated 227 quilts to charities in the North Little Rock area.

Do you have a humorous license plate for your motorhome or towed vehicle?

Are you and your traveling companion living together without a legal relationship? Cohabitating is especially complicated for full-timers, because many different state laws come into play depending on your legal addresses, where your assets are, and the laws of the state you happen to be in when one or both of you encounter a legal or financial problem.

The annual compilation of cars, trucks, and SUVs that have been approved by their manufacturers for flat towing behind a motorhome without major modifications. (Requires member or subscriber login.)

The holiday season is here, so to help those who are struggling to make their wish list — or having difficulty coming up with gift ideas for that special someone — we offer a dozen possibilities selected especially for motorhome enthusiasts.

During the past several years, Chariot Vans Inc., dba Chariot, has embarked on a carefully planned journey into the RV market. Seeking its own market niche, this manufacturer has committed to producing high-end luxury motor coaches and garage coaches using Freightliner Class 8 truck chassis.

From the moment I was given the assignment to review the Era motorhome — Winnebago Industries' new full-featured Type B built on the Dodge Sprinter chassis — I eagerly awaited word about the availability of a test unit. The wait ended this past September when my wife and I took delivery …

In May 2000, while widening a road, a Tennessee highway crew hit pay dirt. The ground they turned over had a peculiarly dark color the men had never seen before. Scientists were called in, and what they uncovered was so important the highway crew did not dig there again.

The following is a directory of public sanitation facilities, or dump stations, located throughout the United States. Dump stations at privately operated campgrounds are not included. Check your favorite campground directory for details about those facilities.

Boost your brainpower and overall health by partaking in time-honored activities.

With new-generation digital and automatic single-lens-reflex (SLR) cameras now widely available, nearly anyone can capture technically correct images. But composing an eye-appealing image is entirely different.

Damon Motor Coach rocked the RV world with the introduction of the Avanti, a 31-foot motorhome touted as the industry’s most fuel-efficient “clean” diesel Type A.

The motorhome industry has gone through downturns before, and although it may take a fair amount of time, the industry will rebound as it has in the past.

“Stoppin’ Spots” is an invaluable listing of FMCA members who offer assistance and hospitality to fellow members who are on the road in their areas. The “Stoppin’ Spots” directory is included in the January 2009 issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine and is available at FMCA.com.

Bad Batteries?

I have a 1995 36-foot Dutch Star on a Spartan chassis with a Cummins diesel engine and an Allison transmission. We have had to replace all four batteries (house and chassis) within the last week and are now replacing the alternator.

Skimpy Molding

Dear RV Doctor:
One of the most troublesome things I have found to maintain are the exterior moldings that are used to seal the seams along the edges of the motorhome siding.

Making The Sleeper Sofa

The couch in our living area converts to a bed with an air mattress. I have to crawl over the mattress to the other side to put on the mattress pad, sheet, etc. Not an easy task.

Beginning on Monday, September 22, 2008, the banks of the Arkansas River in North Little Rock, Arkansas, temporarily became the most populated campground in the state as more than 900 motorhomes began assembling for the “Rally at the Rock,” the Six-State Rally Association’s 35th anniversary gathering.

Moisture Control

The ABSORBAG from Buffers USA is said to collect and trap moisture that can lead to the growth of harmful mold and mildew inside motorhomes parked in high-humidity areas or closed up during long-term storage.

Liberty Coach Wins 2008 Crestron Innovative Design Award

Liberty Coach, based in North Chicago, Illinois, received Crestron Electronics’ Innovative Design Award for the company’s use of the Crestron system in its Prevost Elegant Lady motor coach interior.

Convention after convention, we hear from parents, grandparents, and many others telling us how important the youth activities program is to the future of FMCA.

Vestiges of California history can be found at these churches established along El Camino Real.