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lmsooter

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Posts posted by lmsooter

  3. Posted · Report reply

    I had the information I needed for the recent vote because I read the magazine, participate in the forum and look at the FMCA website at least daily.  I believe the information for this vote was there for anyone who wanted to read it.

    That bring said, I disagree with the philosophy that you must join a chapter to be represented at the Board level.  If only 30% of members are chapter members then the 70% non-chapter members really have no voice in the overall operation of FMCA.

    I am also a Life member of the National Rifle Association and all board members are elected by a vote of ALL members.

    i am not a member of any chapter of FMCA at this time and really don’t want to be.  Part of the reason for not being involved in a chapter is many have rallies at the same places year after year.  We are members of the Alfa Owners Club and the Alfa Roadrunners chapter.  We do not attend the Owners Club rally for the same reason - always in the same area.  But I am a member of FMCA and should have some representation at the Board level without being required to join another group (chapter).

    Sorry about the long post but I needed to express my opinion.  You kinda get the feeling from some of the comments above that you are not a “real” member or asset if you don’t join a chapter.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    On 10/9/2017 at 6:58 AM, jleamont said:

    Glad I found this. We are planning a trip in June to Roswell NM sight seeing along I-40 from TN (headed down I-81 to I-40 from PA) and possibly back on the same route looking for recommendations. I also mentioned to my DW about maybe heading into CO from NM. nothing in concrete yet but any experiences would be appreciated.

    Also considering an alternative route for the return trip and sightsee along that route back to PA.

    Joe, if you decide to try Carlsbad Caverns, then drop further south to Fort Davis, Texas and check out the McDonald Observatory.

    http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/

  9. Posted · Report reply

    This is the only floor plan I have seen with a rear lounge.  My wife looked at the floor plan and said “wasted space - where is the large closet for hanging clothes”.  But then that is why they make many different floor plans.  Hope it works for you.  I would have to look at it in person before totally rejecting it - hopefully you have had the opportunity to see it and spend some time in it.

  10. Posted · Report reply

    I leave both tanks closed until time to dump.  A couple of times we have found a nice swarm of sewer flies in an RV park sewer connection when we removed the cap.  I don’t really want them in my gray tank.  I just waited until the tanks were full, opened the black tank and flushed the critters back where they belonged.  Then the gray tank to finish

  11. Posted · Report reply

    Rob,

    i have never seen a Maxxair cover sealed to the roof.  Mine are mounted with brackets to the vent side wall. According to the Maxxair mounting instructions, there will be a 1/2" to 1" gap between the cover and the roof.  Then it goes on to say "do not caulk this gap".  Did Thor use a different mounting system?

  12. Posted · Report reply

    Welcome to the forum!

    when we decided to full time in 2011, we had a 33 foot gas coach we loved.  But we did not like the amount of storage we had for full time so we started looking.  We developed a list of "must have" and "nice to have" requirements.  Then we spent a year looking at RV shows as well as dealer lots.  We looked at all the brands you mention as well as Thor,  Monaco, Forest River and Foretravel.  We kept coming back to our Alfa because of the large windows and high ceilings.  But that also makes it harder to cool and heat.  We have never regretted our choice.

    just find a floor plan you really like and try get as many of your "must haves" as possible.  We have many friends with the coaches you mention and they love them.  Find what you like and go for it.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    6 hours ago, wayne77590 said:

    I'm waiting on insurance adjusters after Harvey and MH might be totaled. I'm looking also...hope we don't collide in looking.

    Good luck to you in finding what you want.

    I was wondering how your situation with your MH turned out.  Sorry to hear your rig may be totaled.  We were hoping for a little rain in Hondo but got less than 1/2".  It all stayed around San Antonio and farther east.

    Anyway, we hope you receive a quick and easy settlement with insurance and a speedy and painless search for a replacement.

  18. Posted · Report reply

    We are members of Good Sam and Escapees for the campground discounts among other things.  Yes they both have trip routing but so does FMCA and I have used it several times.  FMCAssist is worth the price of my dues but so is the magazine.

    We don't need another Good Sam or Escapees - we already have that.  We like FMCA because is motorhome specific.  Many of our friends have travel trailers and 5th wheels.  When we mention FMCA allowing towables, their question is "Why?".  And many of them have no desire to own a motorhome.

    As soon as I saw the ballot on the website, I printed and voted "No". It was mailed the same day.

    if we really want to attract new members, is there a way to work with manufacturers to offer a free or reduced cost trial membership?  May not be practical from a financial viewpoint but we need some alternative to becoming another Good Sam.

  19. Posted · Report reply

    3 hours ago, Kevinbrookwell said:

    Hello all. This is our first post and hope someone might have some thoughts or recommendations for us.

    We're located in Western Canada and recently purchased a beautiful, 2000 43' foot Holiday Rambler motorhome. Until such time as we officially retire and spend our winters in the southwestern US, we are considering the option of driving the coach down south (somewhere to be determined), leaving it there and then flying down a few times during the winter for a few weeks at a time. Our thought is we either find a nice campground (not super expensive) and either leave it in a site and pay the rates for the whole winter, or move it to and from a storage facility for the times we come down.

    Any information or advice FMCA members might have would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks
    Kevin and Cindy Brookwell, Calgary AB

     

    You might try a Happy Days RV Park in Apache Junction, Arizona. If they have a space available, you can pay the annual fee and leave it there all year.  It is a small park (180 spaces) compared to others in the area - some have 2000 or more sites.  We spent the winter of 2014 there.  Nice view of Superstition Mountains.

    http://happydaysrvpark.com/

  20. Posted · Report reply

    We originally started with the FMCA cards when we first join but I now print ours using my laser printer with Avery business card stock I buy at Staples, Office Max, etc.  The software is free.

    They really are nice when you make new friends.  Many people we have met in campgrounds on our travels have cards so it is a quick way to exchange information.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    9 hours ago, MWeiner said:

    Did the arithmetic work in your favor to sell your primary home,  purchase a new or late model rig and go full time?  

    As I see it,  maybe you'll save some money on your mortgage payments,  etc.   but,  it's still a depreciating asset and that's a problem.  

    Please explain your reasons why you went full time and how this affected your health care.  

    Saving money did not enter into the decision to go full time for us.  We were in good health and enjoyed our coach.  I had been tied to a demanding job for my entire career and had retired several years prior.  We simple said "Do we want to stay here and mow this 3 acres and maintain a large home for the rest of our lives or do we want to go see the country?"  That was in 2011.

    In 2012 we spent 3 months in Canada and Alaska.  And visited many states traveling there and returning to Texas.  We spent almost a year in 2015-2016 east of the Mississippi River visiting every state there.  In between the long trips, we visited friends and family in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico.  Now we spend the summer months (or June through September) in New Mexico and Colorado enjoying sightseeing, trains, fishing and photography.  The rest of the year we spend near family in Texas.

    As far as health care is concerned, we have a Humana Medicare Advantage plan which has served us well across the nation.

    We have never regretted our decision.

  25. Posted · Report reply

    US 82 from Artesia to Alamogordo is a good 2 lane highway.  We spend every June at Mayhill, NM coming up from Texas through Carlsbad. Then we go on to Alamogordo and head north through Albuquerque or Santa Fe ( just depends on where we are headed in Colorado.

    We followed the route you describe in 2014 with one exception.  Instead of continuing on US 70 to US 380, we stayed with US 54 when it splits from 70 at Tularosa.  Then we turned west on 380 at Carrizozo.  Much shorter route unless you are wanting to go through Ruidoso for some reason.

    on US82, just after going through Cloudcroft, be prepared to make extensive use of your exhaust brake.  You will have several steep downhill grades (7%) with each running several miles.  Also one short tunnel just out of Cloudcroft. We have probably driven 82 from Artesia to Alamogordo 6 times with no problems.  The grades are not a problem if you control your speed and don't overuse your brakes.  And the tunnel may look small but we make it just fine in our coach at 13'3".

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