nitehawk

Our old '97 Georgie Boy class C had a loose exhaust manifold on the driver's side. I thought my foot would burn it got so hot. Turned out a previous owner tried to weld the mounting studs into the heads due to stripped threads. Doesn't work as you cannot weld steel to cast iron. (different rates of expansion under heat).

Carryout are nice and so are the roof mounted domes. BUT, if you are parked under trees where the signal to the rooftop dome is obstructed then the carryout might be better. I say "might" because you might have to put the carryout a ways from your RV. Carryout sometimes translates to carryoff if you have some idiots in the vicinity.

Best advice I ever got from our accountant?? Travel now while you still have your health. The time may come when it may not be possible due to health, finances, whatever. We bought a Class A DP and have gone south for the winter the last two years and loved every minute. We are creating priceless memories that are better than money in the bank. A good end to life would be for my lawyer to receive a notice from my bank that we are overdrawn by a dollar the day he reads our wills.

We tow a '96 Tracker, two wheel drive, five speed stick. Put shifter in neutral, turn ignition key to "on" position, disconnect negative post connection and GO! Disconnect is a knob connection to battery that only needs about three complete turns to remove circuit connection. No problems at any speed. Have gone as far as 622 miles without stopping to start engine. In fact, never have started Tracker engine while in tow position.

Could be the P.O. had a cat and opened up access to the storage bay for a litter box.

Get a round steak--cut 1/4" thick, "tenderize" it a bit, cut into pieces, sear only in a cast iron skillet, add cream of mushroom soup (as much as you want to make enough gravy) let simmer until juices from the steak permeate thru gravy. Let cool while making instant mashed potatoes. Put steak/gravy in one microwaveable container and mashed potatoes in separate microwaveable container. Microwave only as much as you need for a meal. Note: Do not overcook the round steak while searing as it will dry out. I heat a cast iron skillet dry until, when I sprinkle salt into the skillet it turns brown immediately. Then I throw the steak pieces in, lightly salt, turn over, and then turn heat down and add soup/gravy.

I tried almost everything suggested and found nothing worked in our Foretravel so we ended up buying the clear flexible 36" x 48" chair pads from Sam's Club for $19.95 and cut them to fit where necessary. Now, when we are in an area where dirt is likely to be tracked in we put these pad protectors down. AND THEY DO NOT CREEP!!

DirecTV is real cute. Because they did not detect any activity on the three receivers at home while we were away for four months they suspended service. That was ok but they still billed us for four receivers and full service. Slightly crooked?? Greedy??

We have DirecTV at home--subscribed to it because we were told all we had to do was take it into our motorhome and have it reconfigured for the Kingdome dish. We are in Central Wisconsin. When we got to Canyon Lake, TX we TRIED, yes, TRIED to have service reconfigured to Texas but keep billing at our home address. We were told that we would be guilty of fraud and would be prosecuted by one DirecTV service person on the phone, put on hold four times (long distance cell phone call) while this person "searched" for her supervisor--never did get one. Next call (after hanging up on that idiot) was with a female service person that was very emphatic that the problem was our equipment, the weather, our contract, etc. This same person, four minutes earlier, did something that caused us to lose all reception. After declaring that it was on our end--because she had TWELVE years experience doing this--I informed her that my FORTY-NINE years in engineering would seem to trump her twelve years she hung up. She kept insisting it was weather but we had clear skies, no wind, no rain and the reception came back on shortly after she hung up. Little "secret": If you do have to call DirecTV do it just after 3:00 PM Central time. The personnel seems to be better trained along with better contacts for information.

Politics, religion, and MPH affecting MPG are all touchy subjects these days!! If someone wants to drive 70-75 (their handling limit or the speed limit) go ahead. We will wave when we pass you at the fuel stop or the site of your accident.

If you want a real "thrilling" olfactory experience try camping in the National park Chippewa Flowage west of Medford, WI when things are damp or just after a rain!! If you close your eyes and take a deep breath you would think you were standing in a very filthy dog kennel. Most of the campers are there for the weekend or a week and feel it is ok for their dogs to take a dump in the sparse brush between sites without having to clean it up. Personal observation: Most full-time RVers do pick up after their pets as they consider wherever they are camped as their home, be it ever so short a visit. A U.S. Forest service ranger informed us that due to the economy more people are bring their pets along for the weekend or week and these pets are not accustomed to all the activity in a CG. I do not and cannot blame the dog, whatever the breed, for bad behavior. The fault lies with the dog's owner in not teaching proper behavior. This, as most of us will attest, also applies to the behavior of their children. 'Nuff said. Just started another subject for disagreement.

I tried Bodacious in Boumont, TX. Really mediocre. Try Black's BBQ in Lockhart, TX. They are now on QVC channel on TV. They have been around about 50 years and still owned by the same family. Super tasting lean brisket. They can be found on the internet under blacksbbq.com

Check out the Sears Craftsman air compressor, Model No. 919.153093. It is a 120V, 150 PSIG, comes with the 25' air hose, air chuck, and misc attachments for $99.00. Buy a GOOD air gauge and keep it in the coach, just for the coach and only the coach. I would also, if you have duals on your RV, purchase a straightline air chuck and gauge in order to make filling and checking easier.

Our 1989 Foretravel Grand Villa has the sloped front end. Aerodynamically good, but a real pain in the head when a large LED flat screen TV is up there. So, I removed the old 13" analog TV, reworked the enclosure so it is flush with the bottom of the overhead, cut and fitted a piece of oak to fit the opening between the two access doors that are hinged to swing up. (I plan on staining to match) I now am fabricating a steel mount that will hook over the top lip of the oak piece, yet move the 23" flat screen out far enough away so the two access doors can be opened. (about 4") When traveling the TV will be easily and quickly removed for storage. The oak piece has a 1" square steel tubing (1/8" wall) inside the overhead with lag bolts holding the oak in place from the rear. This type of mounting will allow almost any size flat screen to be hung. DVD, antenna, satellite, power, and external speaker cords will be bundled and accessed thru the right access compartment. With the TV and cords stored away the overhead will look as if it never could accomodate any TV or components. A nice clean NON-PAIN IN THE HEAD conversion.

Stay away from extensions if possible. I had the driver's side inside dual valve stem break off just inboard of the threads due to the centrifugal force exerted by the extension. Road repair: $90 Second time--passanger inside dual--same problem, but didn't catch it in time: $561.00 for new tire, air chuck and service in my driveway. Stay away from the long extensions, buy a straight line air chuck and air gauge, and have some peace of mind.

Has FMCA ever posted the demographics of the membership? It would be interesting to know the age groups by quantities of members. I read all the posts above with interest and some discomfort. Why discomfort? Because It seems that a membership was presented under false colors and now complaints and observations are flying about what is wrong with FMCA. We joined for the benefits such as information resources, advice, and the magazine. The rallies and tours did not and do not interest us as we like to travel at our own pace and wherever we desire. The old saying that "likes attract and opposites oppose" still applies. This is what causes the formation of groups, clubs, and gangs. Who in their right mind would join a Hockey club and then try to change it into a Quilting club? Just so everyone understands: We are in our late sixties, we love our kids, grandkids, and great grandkids but would not expect them to have the same interests or energy levels we have. When and if we camp with others of our age group we try to provide activities for the younger ones that will not interfere with our friends enjoyment of the outing. As far as the snowbirds taking over the Fl campgrounds? I don't think there is a solution as long as the other Golden Rule applies:"He who has the gold rules!" A lot of people in Florida depend on the income generated by the snowbirds. If one can't get a campsite without reserving a year in advance then, like was suggested above, a little advance effort may be required. Even the snowbirds have to go thru the reservation process and take their chances.

The way your post reads it is as if Arizona butts up against Texas. My first thought was that you would have to look out for those irate and forgotten New Mexican citizens. Eventually my small, seldom used grey matter figured out what you really meant by Arizona/Texas borders. I participate in three RV Forum websites and have not heard anything happening along the US/Mexico border to any RV campers.

FWIW I actually had a vacuum reservoir fail on one of the Fords I owned and had the same symptoms mentioned.

Try putting a piece of pipe insulation over the clothes rod and then put the hangers on. Another method is put the pipe insulation over a piece of pipe mounted above the closet clothes rod. Hangers would then be inserted between clothes rod and foam insulation. nitehawk

Bill, it is supposed to rain/snow today-tonite and tomorrow with highs only in high 20s so it will be awhile!

Thanks Brett and Bill, Right now I have about 3" of really crappy cold white stuff on the roof so I will wait until warmer weather. There is no name on the dish and the cables are cut off where they come out from under the base and head toward where the Kingdome cables go. So I think the cables originally went into the coach where the Kingdome cables go now. I don't think there is any large hole under the dish base as there is nothing in the coach ceiling below the dish. My current project is putting the 42" snowblower on the lawn tractor. We were going to head south but the DW will need her gall bladder removed right after Christmas. Then time to heal so trip is, in all probability, off.

We purchased a class A this last August. It has a Winegard antenna(original equipment--still functional), a Kingdome(new in 2009--still functional) and a Dish Network antenna(all co-ax and wires cut coming out of unit--not functional) I worry about the Dish Network antenna leaking around the fasteners. Are they bolts or lag screws? They have hex heads. The roof is fiberglass. The coach is a Foretravel. I found no controls for the Dish Antenna and there is nothing inside on the ceiling for controlling or raising/lowering. Should I remove the antenna and replace the bolts/screws using sealant or just plug the holes with sealant or just leave everything alone until it shows signs of deteriorating sealant or leaks?

Try playing Perry Como, Andy Williams, or polka music. Any of the aforementioned are totally incomprehensible to young people.

Put steel wool around any landline ports in use. Use a few drops of oil of peppermint on cotton balls thru out the coach, including the engine compartment. OIL OF PEPPERMINT--NOT PEPPERMINT EXTRACT!! Oil of peppermint can be found at most natural vitamin stores but it is not cheap anywhere: about $5.49 for .34 ounces. The advantage is that mice and other rodents really hate and avoid it. Bounce sheets have on occasion been chewed on. If it makes you feel more confident use all three preventatives as you can never have enough!!

I believe what you are encountering are not Ladybugs but an Asian Beetle imported (mistakenly) by the DNR to eat (I believe) some non-native weed like Purple Loosestrife or some bug like the Gypsy Moth. It backfired and now we have an overabundance of bugs that look like Ladybugs, stink when smashed, leave an orange stain, bite, and can form large swarms under any type of cover (and Ladybugs get the blame). They normally become noticable when we have Indian Summer.