MichaelCanode

13 April 2010 01:10 Hello, FMCA Friends! I'm Michael, from Columbus, Ohio, and I drive an Airstream 190 type-B motor coach. I was given an FMCA membership by my parents back in the early 1980's when I bought my first motorhome, an Open Road type-B. I used that coach mostly to attend the amateur radio / electronic hobbyist conventions in and around Ohio, but it wasn't until some time after I bought my second coach (an Xplorer, October 2000) that I re-established my membership and really began to participate in the FMCA "lifestyle". Now, I'm getting ready to become a Rallymaster for the first time, hosting an event in Urbana, Ohio in honor of the B-17 restoration project, the new aviation museum and the Grimes Flying Lab aircraft project at the city's municipal airport. "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S Webmaster - FMCA Ohio Nomads Chapter

28 March 2010 23:00 Hello, FMCA Friends! With 500 plus Chapters in our "family", I am sure that there are more than a few of us who... ...have already hosted a few Chapter Rallies, or ...are interested in becoming a "Rallymaster" for the first time. I have recently taken a bold step forward, and volunteered to act as Rallymaster when my adopted Chapter meets in early June. Fortunately, I have found a venue with enough space, newly-rebuilt electric service, a variety of nearby sights and stuff to do, and even an antique show / flea market right on the Rally site. I am, nonetheless, new at this Rallymastering business, and would appreciate some sage advice. It is my hope that this new forum can become an easy "virtual mentoring place, where experienced Rallymasters can meet with the "newbies" and answer their questions. And of course, this should be a two-way street: the experienced members can also draw new ideas about venues, events, fun items for Chapter meetings and so forth. RRRRRRRRING! Class Is In Session! "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S Webmaster / Rallymaster - Ohio Nomads Chapter E-mail "ohnwebmaster@ohionomads.com"

Yet Another Veteran... Michael Canode, F13059S United States Air Force 9 October 1971 - 10 October 1975 Seargent (E-4) Air Force Specialty Code 32850 - Avionics Communications Specialist Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Service, 1550th Consolidated Aircraft Maintnance Squadron - Hill AFB, Utah (cited best maintenance unit in MAC 1973 & 1974) "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael

========== 21 Oct 09 10:00 Hello, Arla & Chuck! Answering your questions in order -- 1) Ten days per NZ island can be quite an adventure. I only get two weeks' vacation at a time, so all I've ever spent is twelve days, and I was never disappointed or bored. 2) I've only used three rental outfits (there are at least twenty major outfits from which to choose), and the best of that small group was "Gateway Motor Home Hire" in Conifer Grove: check them out online at "motorhomehire dot c o dot n z". 3) Campgrounds ("holiday parks", as they are called in NZ) are plentiful, and rates tend to be less per night than here in North America. However,... 4) January and February are peak travel months in the Southern Hemisphere, and as such, airfares and coach hire rates are quite a bit more expensive. My voyages have been in either spring (early October) or autumn (early April), when costs are more reasonable, and the weather is still enjoyable. 5) It would take a whole Web server to store the answers. 6) If you have a month or more to spend there, Australia is certainly a "go trip". Just remember though, that AU is a tad bigger than the USA mainland, with a lot of long-distance driving between parts of the country. NZ is about the size of California, ao you could probably save some on-road time and fuel costs if you only had twenty days to spend there. "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S / NZMCA #19250

5 Oct 09 22:05 Hello, Roger! I'm still in the "working world", so I apologise for not replying sooner. I have used both "freedom camping" and holiday parks in my domestic travels, although more than half the time, I am staying with fellow FMCA members at a Chapter Rally, Area Rally or Convention. During this year's camping season, I spent anywhere from US$38 per night at Dayton, Ohio, to US$75 per night at Saint Petersburg, Florida. Chapter Rallies typically cost around US$20-25 per night, with from US$10-30 for rally events, meals and so forth. Area Rallies (there are ten each year, in various parts of the USA and Canada) typically cost around US$200 for a coach with two people, run four to five days and include live music, numerous seminars and one or more sit-down meals. FMCA Conventions happen twice a year, and typically cost around US$225 for a coach with two people. Perhaps, if you enjoy attending our NZMCA Area Rallies, you might want to pick out two or three Chapter Rallies and maybe an Area Rally, interspersed with three or four free nights and two nights each at a campground. And (please don't think me predatory for suggesting this!) it happens that I will be hosting a Rally in west central Ohio from 4-7 June 2010, one week after an FMCA Area Rally in southwestern Michigan (two easy days' drive apart). I definitely enjoyed the NZMCA Rally I attended on my last journey, and would be delighted to see you at either event next Spring. Happy Cybercamping! Michael Canode, #19250 / F13059S (P.S. Rumours to the contrary are false -- the FMCA >> is not << plotting a hostile takeover of the NZMCA!)

11 Aug 09 9:30 Hello, FMCA Friends! I am currently one of six American members of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA). I have kept my membership since 2003, because I have found New Zealand to be a very pleasant and cost-effective place for experienced American motor coach owners to visit. Please permit me to outline several reasons for my "humble opinion." Geographically, New Zealand is about equal in size to the state of California. This means that travelers need not spend endless days of driving to get from one interesting place to another. And yet, within that space, the scenes and settings are so widely varied that a one-day drive -- westbound from Oamaru to Haast on the South Island -- will present you with scenery you might see in a week of driving in the United States or Canada. Sites include hills and mountains, river valleys, and alpine lakes and "dead marshes" straight out of a John Tolkien novel. Plus, your choice of an aviation museum, a transport museum and a puzzle museum. Even a two-hour drive from New Zealand's largest city to the northern coastline will show you scenery you might see in more than a thousand miles of driving here at home. The large number of New Zealanders who own "motor caravans" themselves is another key reason I have found this country so RV-friendly. In relation to the countries' populations, New Zealanders own a tad over three times more RVs per capita than either Americans or Canadians. This means that, while hotel and restaurant prices are typically more expensive than in Norht America, "holiday park" (campground) fees and grocery-store prices are up to 50 percent less. These price comparisons were pretty consistent in the three trips I have made to New Zealand thus far (1990, 1999 and 2004). Finally, the presence of the 53-year old, 35000-plus-member NZMCA is itself a great resource for RVers traveling in New Zealand. The NZMCA is set up as 23 "Areas", with more than one Area Rally each, so there are many opportunities to hobnob with fellow RVers. Also, I have found NZMCA members happy to recommend local events and sights to see when I have knocked on their coach doors at a campground, introduced myself and asked politely for such recommendations. And, if you happen to be planning to visit New Zealand around Easter weekend, you can reserve your space for the NZMCA Annual General Meeting Rally (equivalent to our FMCA International Conventions). Visit the NZMCA online at www.nzmca.org.nz for further information, or post a query here -- I'll do my best to answer when I visit the forum. "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S / NZMCA #19250

8 Aug 09 7:45 Dear FMCA Friends, I found a spot at Tallulah Falls State Park in northeastern Georgia, along US Route 23, from which to photograph "Baby Newell II," my 1997 Airstream 190 coach. The hiking trails are great there, too! "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S

3 Aug 09 9:20 Hello, Friends! Since I am still in the "working world", I am on the road with my "Baby Newell II" for just under one month per year. This pattern is one reason I have stuck with type-B coaches: I can prepare for a trip, winterize my coach and so forth in a short time. In addition, I take advantage of more interesting "byways" (state and county roads) and camping locations where larger coaches can not easily go. In particular, the layout on the 1997-2000 Airstream type-B coaches leaves the rear and secondary passenger doors unsealed. This means that I can access my rear closet and galley storage >> from the outside <<: a big time-saver in packing and unpacking for a journey. As to the shower curtain issue, I have one "snap answer" which might work: the small, stainless-steel snap fasteners used in some articles of clothing. They have eyelets around their edges, through which they can be stitched onto the top edge of the shower curtain, and then to the tabs on the shower-curtain track. They may hold better than the hook-and-loop fabric fasteners, and should not (being stainless steel) corrode and stain the curtain. "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S

"Reporting Live" from the 82nd International Convention -- Hello, Skip & Nancy! Of course, the FMCA Forums area is the perfect place to explore forming another Roadtrek-related Chapter. Many current FMCA Chapters are outgrowths and / or overlays of existing Chapters. Since the Roadtrek International Chapter is part of the FMCA's International Area, one very simple way you might want to go, is to establish one or more Area-specific Chapters. The community of GMC Motorhome owners has done this successfully, and has some 20 active Chapters alongside the "umbrella" GMC Motorhomes International Chapter. The FMCA has a Chapter "startup kit", with a collection of documents and information on chartering a new Chapter: just contact the Chapters department at FMCA HQ for further details. In the meantime, other Forum members who might be reading this thread, join in and let everyone know of your shared interest. As always, "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S

6 June 09 22:45 Hello, FMCA Friends! This topic popped up a little too late to include in FMC magazine before the Convention, but I present it here in the hope that some members may find it interesting. Around 160km / 100 mi. south of Bowling Green, on US Route 68, there are three aviation-history venues open at Grimes Field Airport. The newest (just opened this month) is the Champaign Aviation Museum. There are already impeccably-restored B-25 Mitchell and AT-6 Texan aircraft on display, along with pre-restoration DC-3 and A-26 aircraft waiting for their "extreme makeovers". There is also a nearby museum hangar dedicated to the "Grimes Flying Laboratory": a Beech C-54 Expeditor used for many years by Grimes Aerospace to test aircraft lighting systems in flight (That hangar is open only on Saturdays). Last (BCNL!) is the ongoing restoration project for "Champaign Lady" - a 1944 B-17G Flying Fortress. I have been volunteering since January 2008 on the project, which has the goal of making this bomber completely airworthy, and making it a part of the Champaign Aviation Museum's collection. The project hangar is at the southern end of the airport. These three venues may not display the huge collections found in Dayton: they are, however, much more "up close and personal". "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S Webmaster - FMCA Ohio Nomads Chapter

---------- 1 May 09 7:50 Hello, Skip & Nancy! Delighted to "meet you" in the FMCA forums. I am an Airstream type-B coach owner (just remember, they don't call them 'class' anymore), and a member of three FMCA Chapters. Since you live in the northwestern corner of the country, one thing you might want to do is to check out the Northwest Area Association's links to nearly all of their Chapters: http://www.fmcanw.org/pages/chapterlist.html. Remember also, that there is the Roadtrek International Chapter, an FMCA-wide Chapter dedicated to all Roadtrek coach owners: http://www.roadtrekchapter.org. If you access the Web during your travels, accessing Chapters' Web sites (there are more than one hundred fifty of them) can give you the opportunity to locate a nearby Chapter Rally, contact the Rallymaster and see photos of other Rallies held by that Chapter. "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S

1 May 09 7:35 Hello, Friends! Welcome to the FMCA Family! I can certainly agree with the idea of joining the Roadtrek International Chapter: my own Chapter memberships have certainly added to my FMCA experience. Another opportunity to hobnob with fellow coach owners is to participate in a nearby Chapter Rally. With a tad over five hundred Chapters in our "little club", there is usually a Rally going on almost any time of the year. Also, remember that more than one hundred and fifty of our Chapters have their own Web sites, with detailed information about where the Rallies are held, and how to contact the Rallymasters. You don't have to be a member of a specific Chapter to attend that Chapter's Rally, either. "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S

===== 9 Mar 09 22:10 Hello, Laine! Your response is one key reason I started the type-B Forum: I know that there are more members out there with our "right-sized coaches" than one sees at the Conventions and Area Rallies -- now, we have a common place in the new FMCA Web site to share our experiences, technical advice and so forth. Thanks for visiting and sharing, and... "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode

======== 9 Mar 09 22:00 Hello, Deryck! Yes, that's true. I was invited to start the forum during the new Web site's "development" phase, as I have had a fairly long history as an FMCA Chapter Webmaster. Since you mentioned your Roadtrek rig, please remember that there are the brand-specific Roadtrek Chapter, as well as the regional "Florida Space Orbiters" Chapter. My hope in starting the Forum off is to provide a common Internet voice for those of us who appreciate all of the ways we enjoy our type-B coaches. Happy Cybercamping! Michael

14 Jan 09 9:30 EST Hello, type-B members! I have owned three type-B coaches since first joining the FMCA back in the early 1980's. My current "rig" is a 1997 Airstream 190, given the name "Baby Newell II" by a couple who owned a Newell coach. Since I'm still in the working world, a type-B coach is the optimum choice for me: it fits in my driveway, I can pack it up quickly when I have a chance to get on the road, and I can live in it for up to five days' "dry camping". I've ranged from New Mexico to Prince Edward Island, and from Minnesota to Georgia in the nine years I've owned the coach, and I'll be visiting relatives in central Florida after the Perry Convention. I was once offered $7000 and a >> HUGE << mid-80's Fleetwood Bounder in trade for my coach, but I declined the offer. One key reason is the way I interact with other FMCA members at our Conventions and Area Rallies. Nice as a larger coach might be to live in, it gets lost in a sea of like-sized coaches. "Baby Newell II" looks different from its neighbors (not just because of the US and New Zealand flags I fly from the awning poles), and attracts visitors who stop by to swap travel stories and ask questions. By the way, something else came to mind in preparing this. Years ago, a man named Isidore Lapre purchased a large, custom-built motor coach. The outside of the coach led some people to comment of the "converted bus". The coach was built from th wheels up, and not based on a bus shell, so Isidore told them (in a distinct accent), "It'sa No Bus!". And to this day, I tell people who ask about my coach, "It'sa No Van!" Hopefully, this forum will provide an interesting "virtual Chapter" for all of us who, to paraphrase a movie quote, "...don't need no stinking slide-outs". "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S Webmaster - FMCA Ohio Nomads Chapter