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In an e-mail to FMCA, Bob Tilley shared his experience regarding the Texas drivers license. With Mr. Tilley’s permission, I have reprinted his e-mail here … We are very satisfied new FMCA members. Our membership has already paid for itself and then some. My wife and I have been RVers since 1979. This past March, we purchased our first Class A motorhome, a 2009 Allegro 36QSA rear engine diesel. Shortly after the purchase, we joined FMCA and left on a two-week 1,200-mile “shake down” cruise in our new Allegro. We were pleasantly surprised when we returned home to find our first issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine (April 2009) waiting for us. We were even more surprised upon reading the Legislative Update on page 70, Texas Drivers License Requirements. We learned that I had been driving our new coach illegally! I had assumed that my standard Class C Texas drivers license was all that I needed to drive our new motor coach. Wrong! Because our coach has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 26,000 pounds, I also am required to have the Texas noncommercial Class B license. I, too, had to take the core commercial drivers license written test and a driving skills test. You cannot imagine how high my stress level shot up when I was advised by the Department of Public Safety that I would be required to parallel park our 36-foot motorhome! Because our coach has an air brake system, I also had to take a written test on air brake systems, and demonstrate how to do a complete air brake systems check. Just like Mr. Leith, I now find it all rather amusing. It was any thing but that, until I took and passed all of the required tests. (And I was not required to parallel park.) I am so thankful that I was not stopped by state or local police while driving with the wrong license. That definitely would not have been amusing. I am so glad that we joined FMCA. Without your article, who knows how I would have learned that I was driving illegally? What if I had been pulled over during a routine traffic stop or, God forbid, had an accident? Would my insurance even have covered me? We purchased our motorhome out-of-state. I wonder if we had made the purchase in-state if we would have been advised by a Texas dealership of the special license requirement. I have since talked to our dealership in Louisiana. A considerable number of their sales are to folks who are residents of Texas. The dealership has been selling motorhomes for over 30 years, and yet they said they had never heard of any special license requirements in Texas. I cannot express my appreciation to FMCA strongly enough. Joining FMCA was one of the smartest things I have done in quite a while. Janis and I are leaving in our new Allegro RED the first part of June on a three-month trip through the western United States, Canada and Alaska. Thanks to FMCA, I'll be driving with the proper license. Bob and Janis Tilley, F406556 Kirbyville, Texas

Here it is, a direct link on FMCA.com: National RV Suppliers parts list (PDF)

FMCA member Steven Reaback of Huntington Beach, Calif., sent the following letter to his family to announce the passing of his dog. With Steve's permission, I am posting his letter here, along with a few photos. On March 21, 2009, at 1:30 p.m., I ended three months of suffering for my best friend, Brownie. He seems to have had liver, kidney and/or pancreatic failures. I noticed his decline months ago. His stomach gurgled and made many "juicy" noises hours after he ate his dinner. He steadily lost weight, despite my attempts to fatten him for warmth during the winter months. Six weeks ago he began burping, with odors strong enough to awaken me. One day (hours after dinner) he burped, and before he could get onto his feet, he lost his undigested food inside the motorhome. Good thing I had towels protecting the floor and carpeting! I watched Brownie’s sleeping habits change. He began to sleep almost all the time. He had some appetite, and he still enjoyed a short run alongside me as I rode my bicycle. I watched him sitting and lying down when, before, he would always stand. I hoped and rationalized he was just getting older. Then last month he got a mean case of diarrhea. I changed his diet. I cooked for him -- boiled ground beef, skinless chicken breast, rice and vegetables. Pepto-Bismol helped, I thought, but his stools never solidified. Everything I fed him went right through his stomach. He became bloated and very gassy. I took him to the veterinarian. But mostly I compared his symptom's to those of his mother, Snouffle. Snouffle had suffered the same digestive symptoms during her final months. Finally she stopped eating. She suffered with diarrhea and vomiting for 12 days before she died. I had promised not to let Brownie suffer the same. Last week his diarrhea worsened. He only passed a small amount of watery stools, sometimes bloody. He strained as he looked at me, with his eyes big and wide open. Friday he pooped maybe 20 times -- once inside the motorhome during the 10-minute drive to the water dump station. He would begin panting very heavily to let me know he had to go, and then he'd bolt out the door and trot away. I chased behind -- afraid he would not return. I had to use the outside shower to clean his legs and tail -- his diarrhea and gasses exploded everywhere! He did not whine, but I knew he was uncomfortable and suffering. Also, the blood in his watery stools almost made me pass out just to look. In the end, it was the way he looked at me. First I visited the veterinarian to prepare and to get some tranquilizers. I pulverized them all and fed him his final meal of roast beef and gravy. I gave Brownie a thorough bath and brushed his coat. I scratched his ears, sang him some love songs, and we had a final "boy-cycle" walk. He was pretty much out of it as I lifted him onto the examination table. Telling Brownie that we were going to fix his "pooper problem" did not help. He was very intelligent and he knew. As the veterinarian put the needle in, I sobbed loudly, and then for the first time, Brownie whined also. I guess we were exchanging goodbyes. While I feel sorrow and a sense of loneliness, I am not alone. Brownie's many memories will comfort me.

Motorhomes used for personal pleasure in Texas may require a Class B or Class A license depending on their weight ratings. After reading the article about Texas Drivers License Requirements, FMCA member Gary Kuba contacted FMCA about the renewal of a Texas noncommercial Class B driver license. This license is required for motorhomes with GVWRs of 26,001 pounds or more. (A Class A license is required if the towed vehicle exceeds 10,000 pounds.) Mr. Kuba states: "Any driver renewing the noncommercial Class B license is required to renew at a Texas driver's license location in Texas. You are not able to renew this license via phone or Internet. This is especially critical for people such as Escapees members who may not physically reside in the state, but hold a Texas Class B license. Finding this out at the last minute cost me a $500 flight to Dallas (city with the lowest fare) in order to sign my name and have my picture taken. You will need to plan ahead, so this doesn't happen to you." But according to the Texas Department of Public Safety Web site, Texas does allow mail-in renewal of Class A and Class B noncommercial licenses, even if you are not domiciled in Texas. Please see this Texas Department of Public Safety Web page: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administratio...taryrenewal.htm Several other FMCA members from Texas whose motorhomes exceed 26,000 pounds contacted FMCA with questions about the Class B license requirements. At least one FMCA member indicated that he received inconsistent information from DPS branch offices regarding the license class and requirements. And some Texas residents said they hold out-of-state licenses from states that do not require the special noncommercial license. Texas-lilcensed drivers of personal-use motorhomes that weigh more than 26,000 pounds are exempt from holding the Commercial Driver License. BUT, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, they must hold the Class B or Class A. Below is an excerpt from the Texas Drivers Handbook, page 7, that addresses the classes of Texas driver licenses. Similar information is in the Texas Transportation Code, starting under Sec. 521.081. For more information about Texas driver licensing, visit the Texas Department of Public Safety's Web site, www.txdps.state.tx.us. CLASSIFIED DRIVER LICENSE (Texas Transportation Code, Section 521) The following listed Class A, B, C, and M licenses will be issued to persons who are exempt from obtaining a Commercial Driver License or persons who are not required to obtain a Commercial Driver License: 1. Class A driver license permits a person to drive any vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds; including a vehicle included in Class B or Class C, except a motorcycle or moped. 2. Class B driver license permits a person to drive the following vehicles, except a motorcycle or moped: a. a single unit vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, and any such vehicle towing either a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating that does not exceed 10,000 pounds, or a farm trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating that does not exceed 20,000 pounds; b. a bus with a seating capacity of 24 passengers or more, including the driver; and c. a vehicle included in Class C. 3. Class C driver license permits a person to drive the following vehicles, except a motorcycle or moped: a. a single unit vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that is not a Class A or B; and b. a single unit vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,001 pounds, towing a trailer not to exceed 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating or a farm trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating that does not exceed 20,000 pounds.

Here is the recall: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 09V110000

Please post what year, chassis and coach you have any time you have a chassis issue. The location of the fuel gauge sender unit is very different on a gas chassis vs. a diesel pusher. Some are easy to access without dropping the tank. Some have an access panel in the coach floor to allow servicing the top of the tank, and some require dropping the tank. Also, your chassis maker can tell you how to troubleshoot whether this is indeed a sender unit problem, a wiring problem or a gauge problem. Hopefully, someone with the same chassis and coach will have an answer to your question.

Thank you for visiting the FMCA Forums, where motorhome owners -- from novice to veteran -- can discuss everything about motorhoming. To promote a fun and welcoming atmosphere, we have implemented the following rules: Check to see if your question/comment already has been addressed somewhere on the site. Use the search feature. Post in the correct forum. Look at other topics and see where your topic should go. Do not cross-post the same question to multiple places. Choose an appropriate Topic Title. Try to summarize your subject briefly in the title, and elaborate in the message itself. Repeat the title in the body if it will make things clearer. An example of a bad title would be "HELP ME." A good title might be, "Cummins ISB Engine Fails on Steep Incline." Do not use a URL as a thread title. Keep all posts on-topic. We may delete individual posts that could ruin a good topic thread. Threads that evolve into good-natured, off-topic banter are better suited for a personal contact method such as a private message or e-mail. Include as much information as you can when seeking help. This may include: coach make/model, engine, chassis, transmission. Solicitations to buy or sell of any kind are strictly prohibited. Do not post to advertise your product or business. Commercial advertising is not permitted in any relation to your account, including URLs or active links in your profile or signature. When recommending a product to help a user solve their issue, please disclose any affiliations -- paid or unpaid -- you may have with the provider of that product. Any post deemed to be self-promotion, advertising or spam can and will be removed. Posting excessive, unnecessary references to your products and Web sites is self-promotion. You may post about problems you have with a product, company or organization, but using the forums for repeated attacks is forbidden. Posts on matters in which legal counsel is/has been involved, including posts related to future, current or past lawsuits, are not allowed. Political and religious posts are not permitted. Keep all comments civil. Constructive criticism is welcome, but insults directed toward other users or the site administrators will not be tolerated. You may not use this message board to post any material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. FMCA reserves the right to remove any message deemed inappropriate or disruptive to our Community. If a topic is recognized as a violation of any of these guidelines, please contact a Moderator or an Administrator either via Private Message or the "report post to moderator" feature; do not respond publicly to the member. And please do not argue a moderator's decision publicly on the forums. FMCA reserves the right to change these rules as necessary to meet any future needs that may arise. FMCA is not responsible for any messages posted. FMCA does not vouch for or validate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and is not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of FMCA. Within these guidelines, FMCA encourages information exchange, friendly debate, socializing and good humor.Thank you for being part of our online community.

If this advice is followed with the parking brake on, and the service brake is applied hard, you are "compounding" the rear brakes (and can do major damage!).

Concerning using bleach to rinse the holding tank, an FMCA commercial member company that offers sanitation products, advises: "In tests we have done, consumers have failed to adaquately rinse out all remaining bleach. Any bleach left in the system will not only contribute to the taste and smell of the water, but can also form a potent carcinogen with organics in the water that is added." There are EPA-registered sanitizers on the market that are said to eliminate 99.9 percent of bacteria in 60 seconds, and get rid of the residual smell and taste.

FMCA member Carl Peterson of Rosharon, Texas, travels to water ski tournaments in his Safari motorhome. [Click to read story] On his first motorhome trip, he got a crash course in motorhoming at an RV campground. He asked a group of motorhome owners, "What are the 10 most important things that I should know about owning a motorhome?" Following is his original list, in the order that he wrote them down. "I still find them very useful," he said. 1. Keep tires inflated to the recommended cold pressure values. 2. Check tire pressure before every trip or every morning after a long drive. 3. Don't worry about tire rotation if you keep your alignment okay. Tires age out before they wear out. 4. Always walk around your motorhome before starting out anywhere. Check connections, jacks , antennas, for gear not stowed, unusual leaks, etc. 5. Add electric heat to your hot-water heater if it is gas only. Carry an electric heater in your rig. This saves on butane. 6. Don't leave awnings extended when you leave the RV park in case a storm with high winds comes in. 7. Towing your car four wheels down is simpler, and you don't have to park a trailer in addition to your car at the RV park. 8. Join an RV association and club. They are good sources for technical info and good friendship. (Note: I have really enjoyed FMCA and the Texans on Safari chapter since joining FMCA. 9. Join Good Sam's President's Club for good discounts on RV products. 10. Buy a directory of RV sites to plan your trips. Also, Next Exit interstate travel exit guide is useful when traveling on interstates. Care to add to the list?