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My hope is FMCA will remain dedicated to motorhome owners only AND retains current member benefits. The aspects of motorhome ownership are much broader than those of travel trailer / fifth wheels as we have the opportunities / challenges that the "chassis" brings. If towables are "voted in" then FMCA becomes Good Sam Club or iRV2 type organizations with slightly different benefits. If FMCA is struggling financially, has FMCA thought about offering different membership levels and fees? For example, offer a basic membership as does Good Sam Club. Alternate "benefits" then could become "pay as you go" for something like the Emergency Medial / Travel Assistance service or pay a subscription fee for the FMCA magazine. Bottom line, I greatly appreciate the unique focus of FMCA and sincerely hope that focus is not diluted by towable RVs.

I concur with Bill Adams. WAZE has served me well on my motorhome journeys (albeit they have been less than 300 miles one-way each) and is my "go to" navigator for my daily drives to/from work in Houston area traffic (especially today as many parts of west Houston remain flooded). WAZE is "free", uses very little data and has better real time information than Google Maps. I'd like to know what advantages Garmin or other paid navigator systems have over WAZE. How is the cost for Garmin or other systems justified versus a free navigator like WAZE?

I'm like Bill. My reason for tracking fuel mileage is to have an indicator when the engine isn't performing as it should. I average 8-9 mpg driving 65 mph on mostly flat roads of south Texas and Louisiana. My fuel cost "is what it is" as my motorhome is "the" family toy. The value of my wife, kids, grandkids and me enjoying time together at an LSU football weekend or in the Texas Hill Country is immeasurable compared to the cost of a couple of tanks of diesel. I am thankful that my motorhome is just old enough that I don't have to mess with DEF (diluted urea).

18 months ago I had the Roadmaster Invisibrake system installed in my 2016 Jeep Wrangler. I hides nicely under the driver's seat. The Invisbrake thus far has worked very well. The one advantage of the Invisibrake system over the M&G system is no air line needed between the motorhome and Jeep. Only have the electrical umbilical cord.

Congratulations on your motorhome! Two years ago I purchased a near new condition 39 foot 2007 Damon Astoria motorhome that has provided outstanding, trouble free enjoyment for my wife's and my weekend adventures. Someday when the "career" phase of life ends we'll enjoy much longer outings. My opinion is Damon (now Thor) produces a good quality motorhome. Like you, I tow a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (which is also my everyday vehicle). I've yet to see a Damon nor Jeep owner who did not have a smile on their face every time they go about exploring the country! Enjoy your new home on wheels!! When you get a chance add your name, location, motorhome type, tow vehicle to your "signature block" as that info will help get excellent, detailed responses from the many very knowledgeable, fine folks on the forum.

After 20 months of motorhome ownership I'm still on the learning curve in some areas. When I purchased the motorhome 20 months ago one routine maintenance item I didn't think about the front wheel bearings as my simple mind presumed they were grease packed (like all of my Silverado, Jeep, etc.) and were good to go. At that time, I didn't know I had "oil bath" front wheel bearings thus the front wheels didn't get onto my mental list of "all fluids" that needed to be changed. I didn't learn that I had oil bath front wheel bearings until this past weekend when I removed the front tire covers to install a tire pressure valve extension. What is the recommended oil change frequency for oil bath front wheel bearings? Is changing the oil a do-it-yourself job? The oil level in both front wheel hubs is ever so slightly below the max fill mark. The oil looks "OK" as it still has the dark green tinge of new oil. There are no oil leaks from the hub. My motorhome now has a total of 14,000 miles of use. I searched the Chassis forum for info on changing oil in the front hubs and didn't find an answer for my situation. Hence why I'm posting these questions to the forum. Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

I have a nine year old Winegard Carry-out GM-1518 portable satellite antenna that I purchased during my "tent days" of LSU tailgating weekends. During the last six years of travel trailer and now motorhome LSU tailgating I climbed the ladder on the trailer/motorhome to place the Winegard on the roof and climb the roof again to take it down. The Winegard works great except for "by design" not being able to receive HD images from DirectTV. Thus I can't justify spending $1000 on a new Winegard (or Tailgater or other brand) satellite antenna. Images of my Winegard Carry-out are shown below. Has anyone "permanently installed" a Winegard Carry-Out portable satellite antenna? If "yes", could you share how you did the installation? Thanks for the help!

Will the voting only be by 1920's era paper ballots OR will FMCA use 21st century on-line voting with real time voting results? A paper ballot buried in an upcoming paper version of an upcoming Family Motorcoaching magazine is a clever way of assuring very few folks actually vote.

Duane -- My wife and two sons think a grill box for the camp stove is the way to go. Is your grill box for one burner or two? Is a grill box relatively easy to clean following use i.e. a good brushing of the grates and inside the box is adequate? Given the number of family and friends I feed at an LSU football tailgating party I likely need the the two burner grill box. Also, do you use your griddle for bacon or do you have another "fun toy" for frying bacon on the camp stove? Regarding the chili comments, I agree that true Texas chili has no beans! Taco Soup has beans!

I need help understanding the need to have tires on "something" while parked at an RV storage facility as long as the parking area is clean, well drained gravel, concrete or asphalt. The chemical engineer in me says hard surfaces that do not have gasoline, diesel, lube oil, solvents or standing water (algae) that can come in contact with a tire should be OK. If you think about our personal vehicles, their tires are in constant contact with concrete, asphalt, pavers, etc. all day every day and are subject to "stuff" on city streets and highways. That "stuff" doesn't cause any unusual "chemicals/oils" related degradation of the tire's synthetic rubber. It's easy to understand that a motorhome (or other vehicle) that is parked for a long time could cause tires to lose their shape as a tire very slowly loses air over that period hence the recommendations above to fully inflate each tire.

My "Aussie Walk About" charcoal grill that I've had for seven years and used for many an LSU tail gate party has seen its better days and needs to be replaced. Rather than purchasing a new charcoal grill, my eldest son asked if I had seen a "BBQ Grill Box" to use on the my burner Browning (Camp Chef) camp stove. I use my camp stove often to prepare big pots of gumbo, fry cat fish and fry bacon (the wife will not allow the smell of bacon in "her" motorhome!). The camp stove fits nicely in the basement of the motorhome in a convenient carry bag. The same style bag would be used for the "Grill Box". A "Grill Box" would eliminate the mess associated with a charcoal grill (bags of charcoal, lighter fluid, ashes, etc.). Does anyone on the forum have experience using a "Grill Box" on their camp stoves? If "yes", is the experience good or bad? Here are links to the camp stove and grill box info: Browning Camp Stove --> http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/browning-2-burner-camp-stove --> it was a great Father's Day gift a couple of years ago! BBQ Grill Box for Camp Stove --> https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-Deluxe-Barbecue-Burners/dp/B003NE7AOY Small propane tank I carry for the camp stove --> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Worthington-Pro-Grade-4-25-lb-Empty-Propane-Tank-281149/202034835?&cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|B|0|B-BASE-D28I+Grills|&mid=43iBWqb8|dc_mtid_8903vry57826_pcrid_73873450790550_pkw__pmt Your thoughts please!

This discussion has gone quiet the last two weeks. Any news about the "FMCA Remodel" coming from the Indianapolis Convention? We motorhome owners who were not able to attend the convention due to career obligations (like me) or other reasons would like to know the path forward for FMCA.

For hot LSU football weekends in September, I purchased the 15 foot long Carefree SunBlocker from Camping World (price was as cheap as Amazon) --> http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/sunblocker-by-carefree-black-6-x-15/48123 I also purchased the "Twin Trak" double-grooves insert for the awning roller so I could use both the sun shade and my purple & gold globe lights as the same time during an LSU weekend --> http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/rv-twintrak/42443

I should have added that the Grand Parkway Boat and RV Storage as of the July 4 weekend had two open 50 foot spaces. I'd think the new Luxury Boat and RV Storage facility near Rosenberg would have open spaces since that facility is just now completing construction.

gnmiller -- Between Katy and Richmond is the Premier Boat & RV Storage facility that has enclosed storage buildings --> http://premierstoragetx.com/ Two years ago when I was looking for a spot for my motorhome Premier Storage has no spots available. As such, I currently store my motorhome at the new Grand Parkway Boat and RV Storage which is also between Richmond and Katy --> http://grandparkwayboatandrvstorage.com/ I pay $195 per month for a covered, 50 foot long space, which includes 110 volt power to keep batteries charged, operate the refrigerator, etc. The folks at Grand Parkway Boat and RV Storage are very accommodating. There is a new storage facility under construction a bit west of Rosenberg named Luxury Boat & RV Storage that will have 50 foot long enclosed storage spaces --> https://www.luxboatrvstorage.com/ This new storage facility should be open very soon. When I called them a couple of weeks ago, the cost for a 50 foot space will be $295 per month which is a bit steep. This new storage facility will have a wash pad and dump station which Grand Parkway and Premier Storage don't have. Hence their higher cost is probably partly due to providing these services. Since the covered 50 foot spots at Grand Parkway Boat and RV Storage keeps my 39 foot motorhome in the shade all day, every day, I have little incentive to move to more expensive, a fully enclosed storage location. Having said that, there are a few 45 foot motorhomes at the Grand Parkway facility that I've seen get some sun exposure on the south ends of those motorhomes during winter months (all of the storage spots are oriented north-south). If I ever need a dump station near my home, for $5 I can use the one at the Love's Truck Stop at the I-10/Pederson Road interchange a couple of miles west of Katy (Pederson Road is the exit for Camping World, Holiday World and Ron Hoover RV Dealerships/Stores). The street in front of my home is a great wash pad early on a Saturday morning. Hope this helps!

Jim S -- No my 2007 Damon Astoria does not have an inverter and as best I can tell from the original sales brochure an inverter was not an option for the "base model" that I have. The sales brochure shows that a 1000 watt inverter was an option for the higher-end "Pacifica" edition of the Astoria. For the other forum responders -- During my many years of travel trailer days with my parents and then my own T-T, operating the refrigerator on propane while traveling was the only option to keep the frig and its contents cold (those T-T's did not have inverters). No problems ever happened operating those refrigerators which is the general experience of the forum. My only thought of adding an inverter was if the forum's experience was traveling with a refrigerator in propane mode was not safe. Hence, the idea of adding an inverter goes to "probably never" list of ideas. Thanks for all of the prompt responses and the usual great guidance!!

Likewise, my Damon Astoria is not equipped with an inverter. As such, while traveling I have to operate my Norcold NX841 refrigerator on propane if I'm not operating the generator. Is it worth the time / cost to install an inverter simply to avoid operating the frig on propane? In my 45 years of enjoying an RV (first my parents' travel trailer, then my travel trailer then my motorhome) I've never experienced any problems operating a frig on propane while traveling. I'm not a "electrical" do-it-yourself person and presume installing an inverter is not a first time DIY electrical project....

Carl brings up a good point. My Damon Astoria has a GVWR of 28,000 lbs and the Lynx blocks work well. They may not work so well for very heavy motorhomes. I can not find a max weight rating for the Lynx blocks. However, I have an older, partial set of Valterra leveling blocks that I used with my travel trailer for 18 months of temporary living while on a project assignment (disposed of several of them after the became fatigued by the sun). Valterra blocks have a max weight rating of 40,000 lbs. I'd think Lynx and other brand blocks would have a similar max weight rating. Valterra leveling blocks info --> https://www.rvupgradestore.com/EZ-LEVELER-JACK-PAD-p/92-0918.htm

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new Newell motorhome! When I priced tow bars, supplement brakes and installation 18 months ago, Camping World in Katy was surprisingly cheaper than Smitty's Welding and they did a great job installing the tow package. I purchased the Road Master Sterling All-Terrain "aluminum" tow bar, the EZ5 mounting bracket (I didn't want to mess with a cross bar type bracket) and Road Master Invisibrake. Smitty's Welding has Blue Ox tow bars systems. I've learned from the FMCA forum that Road Master and Blue Ox are both good towing systems.

I'm like CarlAda. I use Lynx pads (or lego blocks as my grandkids call them). My Lynx pads are hold-overs from my travel trailer days. I typically only use them on the soft'ish gravel LSU tailgating lot for RVs.

I concur with Essex Credit (which is a subsidiary of Bank of the West) as a good place to get financing. They had the best (i.e. cheapest) terms when I purchased my motorhome two years ago.

I've had the Tire Minder system for two years and have had no problems. I purchased the TM77 system (which came with six transmitters), the Rhino signal booster and four additional transmitters. Total cost was ~$700. I asked for nothing but money from the wife and kids for Christmas two years ago to cover most of the cost. TM-77 system --> https://tireminder.com/tire-pressure-monitoring-systems/tireminder-tm-77 Rhino Signal Booster --> https://www.amazon.com/TireMinder-Rhino-Signal-Booster-Strength/dp/B06XZ13LRB/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1498604508&sr=8-12&keywords=tireminder Transmitters --> https://www.amazon.com/2-Pack-Brass-Transmitters-TireMinder-TMG400C/dp/B00HAMP79K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1498604678&sr=8-4&keywords=tireminder+tpms

Three years ago when I owned a tandem axle 30' travel trailer, I suffered a flat tire on the curb side of the trailer while traveling on I-10 across the Atchafalaya Basis in southern Louisiana. I didn't know that a tire had gone flat until I felt some trailer sway and saw in my rear view mirror pieces of tire and pieces of the plastic fender flying. Changing a flat tire on a very busy I-10 was a harrowing experience. I didn't know about tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) for RVs until I purchased a motorhome and learned about TPMS from this forum. I wish I would have known about RV TPMS's before I had my bad travel trailer event. I purchased the Tire Minder system for my motorhome from Amazon at a noticeably lower price than Camping World. I have ten tire pressure transmitters. One for each of the six tires on the motorhome and one for each tire of my Jeep Wrangler. I also purchased the recommended signal booster for the system. Knowing tire pressure and tire temperature while traveling gives me great confidence and comfort that I will avoid a major incident involving a tire failure. The Tire Minder system will let me know a problem is starting before a tire blow out happens. A TPMS system is highly recommended and would be a great birthday or Christmas present !

Two weeks ago I joined the iRV2 forum just to see what an "all inclusive" RV forum looks like. While forum functionality is not a good as FMCA's, the iRV2 structure is quite good as it groups discussions about motorhomes with a subset of manufactures (e.g. a Damon owner's group), travel trailers, fifth wheels, and other topics similar to FMCA. The motorhome section of iRV2 has good advice from several forum members. I looked at the travel trailer forum and joined some conversations given my experiences from my travel trailer ownership days (which many of us have "been there done that"). I didn't look at the fifth wheel section simply because I don't have experience with those RVs. Having looked at iRV2 I now think an expanded FMCA including towables would not the demise of what FMCA currently offers. If FMCA morphs into an iRV2 look alike, FMCA will have to justify FMCA membership fees by clearly communicating how those fees result in cost savings or other benefits an iRV2 member can not achieve.

In reply to Tomas24's comment about Chapters reaching out to new members, I have not been contacted by any Chapter since joining FMCA 20 months ago. Herman and Carl were gracious to contact me by personal message to welcome me and give a quick info to the Lone Star Chapter and a Diesel club. I reached out to the FMCA Energized group thinking their might be some interaction but even that group for us younger motorhome owners has offered very little communication. The forum conversations have been fantastic and greatly appreciated!