A chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association Chartered March Editor: Bob Erickson

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1 NORTH ALABAMA RV ers A chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association Chartered March 2003 Editor: mhsurfr@gmail.com Greetings from our President Look for instructions on how I NEATLY recaulked my slide trim. Our Treasurer (Linda Hammond) has informed me that only about half our memberships have paid dues for Her address is on the Celebrations page. If you re not sure that you ve paid, Linda gave me a report-i ll be happy to check for you! Greetings, friends! Time is flying toward our season of RV ing! Kathie and I returned last week from a month in Florida in conjunction with the FMCA SouthEast Area (SEA) Rally in Lakeland. JUST AFTER LEAVING HOME, a file(s) was corrupted on my notebook hard drive, and it wouldn t boot. This was the fourth time this happened, but I couldn t figure out how to recover. Backups are important, even for us retirees! I ll say more about this in my Ramble. This is the reason for the newsletters tardiness, and I hope everyone got the word. We joined Jim & Betty Duncan, Ken & Linda Winters, Gene & Linda Hammond, Bob & Sylvia Connell, and Rick & Teresa Steinberg (six memberships total!) at the SEA Rally. I offered to do the rally report for Linda Winters-it would have been better if done real-time instead of waiting for my computer to be fixed. My phone is fully capable, but I m not capable with the phone Our next scheduled rally is the FMCA International Rally in Perry. I can t go, due to recovery from shoulder surgery. I ll be happy to make sure everyone knows who is going! April s club rally needs more detail, we ll send out a special on that. Please consider volunteering to host rallies. Also recommend locations (that you will host at ). This is a volunteer organization! If you ve never hosted, folks will be glad to assist. Also at rallies, EVERYONE will volunteer to help. At the end of the rally schedule is a list of potential rally locations. There are volunteers for April, May, and June. Please pray for those members and friends that are experiencing health problems and/or other issues. Those I m aware of are Tim & Barbara Day, Carl Hall, Gene Hammond, and Dwight Hayes. Please let me know who to add to this list (I know there s more)., President Page 1 of 11

Kathie and I did our part, spending over $400 for a system for repair of our bedroom slide floor (We NEED it!). This year s FMCA SouthEast Area (SEA) Rally occurred on February 7-10 2018.

2 Smile Awhile in Lakeland SEA Rally Report The camping locations were spaced, but there were 3 trams and 4-5 golf cart shuttles. The transportation situation was pretty good, hopefully saving limited parking space for handicapped folks. There seemed to be far less vendors this year. Kathie and I did our part, spending over $400 for a system for repair of our bedroom slide floor (We NEED it!). This year s FMCA SouthEast Area (SEA) Rally occurred on February Attendees from our club were as follows: Jim (past SEA President) & Betty (SEA President) Duncan Ken (Alabama VP) and Linda (SEA Treasurer) Winters Bob & Sylvia Connell Gene & Linda Hammond Rick & Teresa Steinberg Bob & Kathie Erickson Duncans and Winters arrived about February 3, and worked HARD throughout the rally! Hammonds and Connells volunteered on Transportation, and Ericksons volunteered on Security. Steinbergs were First-Timers at the rally. A word on volunteering: FMCA is a volunteer organization, as is our chapter. Over half of attendees were volunteers. I ll also say that volunteers got a dinner (choice of pork or chicken), and $5 each in volunteer bucks. I used mine on a new FMCA road atlas at the FMCA booth. Kathie used hers for strawberry shortcake at a vendor. SEA has a contract with Sun n Fun for 5 years, so it looks like we ll have a SEA rally every year. Jim Duncan asked if our club could take over the FMCA booth (like we used to under the Medlock s leadership). I said we could do that. There were 400+ RVs at the rally. I could not see that many opted for generator, and MOST had 50A power! There were NO generators. The word was that SEA paid for enhancements of the facilities as part of its 5-year contract, and that the cost to attendees for power might be coming down. From left:, Bob Connell, Gene & Linda Hammond, Sylvia Connell, and Kathie Erickson at Parkesdale Market for strawberry shortcake! This was on February 5, before Steinbergs arrival. From left: Rick Steinberg, Gene Hammond,, Bob & Sylvia Connell, Kathie Erickson, Linda Hammond, and Teresa Steinberg at Reececliff Restaurant on February 8. This was recommended by a local, and Jim Duncan endorsed it. Lazydays was an RV sponsor, and backed out DAYS before the rally began. Word was that they had awesome sales at the Tampa Supershow 2 weeks earlier, and had few rigs left to show. General RV deserves accolades (and business) for stepping in Page 2 of 11

with only a few days notice. There were very many other sponsors, and we appreciate them!

From left: is represented by his NASA cap, then Kathie Erickson, Sylvia & Bob Connell, Gene & Linda

He d be telling a story and then up pops an unexpected prop.

Here s Todd Charles singing and wearing a helmet with suspended stuffed animals spinning around his

Their show came with a free lunch as well! What could be better?

3 with only a few days notice. There were very many other sponsors, and we appreciate them! RV display Speaking of Valentines, here we are at the Romeo & Juliet Luncheon. From left: is represented by his NASA cap, then Kathie Erickson, Sylvia & Bob Connell, Gene & Linda Hammond, and Teresa & Rick Steinberg. Todd Charles humor was silly, but not slapstick. He d be telling a story and then up pops an unexpected prop. Oh, and he sang pretty good, too Hangers are better than tents! Here s Todd Charles singing and wearing a helmet with suspended stuffed animals spinning around his head. Silly, isn t it? The Rogues were fantastic (classic and country). Their show came with a free lunch as well! What could be better? Their show was in an outdoor pavilion, which funneled a nice breeze. Our Chapter Fair table was staffed by (From left):, Rick & Teresa Steinberg, and Kathie Erickson. The other rally attendees were working. Our theme was Valentine s day, and we gave away candy! Teresa provided the flower. Page 3 of 11

Betty Duncan said that Jim was in charge of entertainment, and he did well!

At the business meeting, we were told that the Smile Awhile in Lakeland theme was credited to our own Linda Winters.

I went up to the FMCA Midwest VP and his wife (in red chairs), and said I hope this helicopter doesn t have gas, because you re sitting behind the

They played multiple instruments as well. They mixed in humor, about 10%.

4 Betty Duncan said that Jim was in charge of entertainment, and he did well! I didn t go to any of the seminars, but enjoyed coffee and doughnuts (and Frustrated Maestros) every morning. At the business meeting, we were told that the Smile Awhile in Lakeland theme was credited to our own Linda Winters. It was voted that the next theme would be Smile Again in Lakeland. I went up to the FMCA Midwest VP and his wife (in red chairs), and said I hope this helicopter doesn t have gas, because you re sitting behind the tailpipe. I blame Todd Charles for that comment... The Marlinaires are a talented family that sang basically everything. They played multiple instruments as well. They mixed in humor, about 10%. What I remember most is a song sung by daddy Jack ( What a Wonderful World ) in Louis Armstrong voice. He asked son Chris if he could, and he took over. Then, daughter Michelle did it (and extremely well!). Here are our representatives doing important work at the business meeting! At the last entertainment, during announcements, Jim Duncan was given a key to the city of Lakeland. Also, our club was given a 15-year certificate. A club in Florida was given a FIFTY-year certificate! Page 4 of 11

5 I m receiving our 15-year certificate for the club. From left: Betty Duncan (NARV member and SEA president), Ken Winters (NARV member and Alabama vice president), Bob & Kathie Erickson, Sylvia & Bob Connell, Rick & Teresa Steinberg, Linda Winters (NARV member and SEA Treasurer), and Linda & Gene Hammond. NARV began in March of Another picture of Kathie & I I was walking Rocket by myself at a campground in Florida. A gentleman asked me how I trained him to heel so nicely. Without thinking, I replied I walk as fast as he does. I decided then to devote some space to pet quotes. I will attribute where possible. This is another by me. We had a Brittany Spaniel named Peaches that was well-trained, despite never attending formal training. She knew to stay off of the couch when we were home. We also understood that we would always come home to a warm couch. Choose your pet by the colors you like to wear. People Quotes about Pets On a Welcome Mat: approved by the dog. All guests must be Printed on a T-shirt: All my other shirts were covered in dog hair. Welcome to our home-where dog hair is both a fashion accessory and a condiment. Here s one especially for the Caruthers: food must go to the lab for testing. All Three out of four dogs love bacon-one knows there s a pill hidden in it. If you think dogs can t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them Phil Pastoret Outside of a dog, a book is a man s best friend. Inside of a dog it s too dark to read. -Groucho Marx You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. Harry Truman Page 5 of 11

6 NARV Newsletter Here s Rocket snuggling with our Husky pillow. We named the pillow Alaska. I couldn t help but include this. No attribution, it was on multiple sites. First I ll apologize for another late newsletter. My computer is 5 years old, and for the last 2 years has been corrupting operating system files. There are no bad sectors on the drive, and until this time I was able to manually replace the files. Newsletter Editor s Ramble I reloaded Windows 10, but lost applications. Some were bought and downloaded from the internet, and some I lost install disks. I found MS Office 2007 disks, but could not find my Office 2010 that I bought for this computer. Therefore, we have formatting issues in this newsletter. I ll keep looking We went to the Tampa Supershow before the SEA Rally. They were only 2 weeks apart. We stayed at Happy Traveler RV Park, only about 5 miles away. This time, I decided to upgrade my computer. It still has good specs, I did NOT buy a cheap one! I bought a 500GB solid state drive (SSD) and upgraded from 4 to 16GB RAM. I have also ordered a new battery. My computer is NOT user-upgradable, it is a major job to replace anything (no access panels, I really need to dig into it!). It operates very fast, now! Maybe it s easier to perform on stilts if one has a walker Page 6 of 11

We then went to Peace River RV Park (Thousand Trails) for 2 weeks while waiting for the SEA Rally. There are parks nearby to walk the dogs, but fire ants are everywhere!

After the SEA Rally, we spent a week at Three Flags RV Park in Wildwood. This is near the Villages, and LOTS of restaurants. We walk the dogs at the Brownwood Farmers Market on Saturdays.

7 We then went to Peace River RV Park (Thousand Trails) for 2 weeks while waiting for the SEA Rally. There are parks nearby to walk the dogs, but fire ants are everywhere! A Walmart was 15 minutes away, but restaurants were about 45 minutes away. We waited 3 days on a list for full hookups. We met a couple that were buying a HR Ambassador like ours. A retro RV! After the SEA Rally, we spent a week at Three Flags RV Park in Wildwood. This is near the Villages, and LOTS of restaurants. We walk the dogs at the Brownwood Farmers Market on Saturdays. Please consider sending input (and errata) for YOUR newsletter. I LOVE being told I made a mistake, because then I know the newsletter is being read! Prayer requests, RV used items for sale, family milestones, family biography, recipes, crafts or any type of motorhome project are requested. Also, if you have RV questions or issues you need help with. And don t forget to tell us where you ve been, with pictures! Two border collies soliciting donations for a worthy cause. Editor Caulking the Side of an RV I have a slide floor that s rotting, and I decided that the cause is a leaking slide wall. The trim around the circumference of the outside wall of the slide is ABOVE the slide floor. You ll see from the following that my caulk was not sticking to the seam very well! Page 7 of 11

I cleaned the seam with denatured alcohol, then taped with painters tape.

The cutting edge is only used to START loosening the caulk strand, to minimize

I caulked with Proflex RV clear caulk. Manufacturers say DON T use silicone!

Smooth with rubber end of caulk tool, and then pull off tape.

sore!). I pulled the seam from three slides, most in one piece for each.

8 I cleaned the seam with denatured alcohol, then taped with painters tape. The caulk tool above is $4.99 at Home Depot. The cutting edge is only used to START loosening the caulk strand, to minimize scratching paint. Then, the clear caulk is pulled perpendicular to the seam. I caulked with Proflex RV clear caulk. Manufacturers say DON T use silicone! Caulk at most four feet at a time. Smooth with rubber end of caulk tool, and then pull off tape. The caulk dries FAST, & then will pull messily when tape is removed (this is experience talking, folks!). I did the bottom seam of 3 slides in less than a day (but my thumbnail was extremely sore!). I pulled the seam from three slides, most in one piece for each. Here s what the seam should look like, except not fuzzy. I wiped the seam with a damp towel, then scraped the residue with my thumbnail. Here is a seam that was allowed to dry too long. The edges have pulled away from the surface, with the tape. There is also a gap in the panels, that is filled with caulk (it just looks split). Page 8 of 11

9 Member Celebrations February Birthdays 13 Kenneth Winters March Birthdays 7 Elaine Crowden Wayne Smith Jim Duncan 7 Linda Hammond 8 Jack Craver 21 Gene Hammond 25 Horace Crowden 27 Janet Holder 13 Trudy Rohr 17 Joy Nelson 18 Linda Hall February Anniversaries March Anniversaries 2 Wayne & Norma Burgett Wayne & Dianna Smith Bob & Kathie Erickson Membership Dues Reminder Annual chapter membership fees ($20 couple and $10 single) for calendar year 2018 are due, and they may be paid in the form of cash or a check payable to North Alabama RV ers sent to: Linda Hammond 7555 AL Hwy 168 Boaz, AL Page 9 of 11

10 NORTH ALABAMA RV ers 2018 Rally Schedule Members please take note of the rallies still needing hosts. You can sign up by send your selection to Randal & Pam Caruthers at I ve also included some nearby RV shows and nearby Good Sam rallies Note: Please make your reservations at least 60 days in advance of each rally, so the Wagon Masters can obtain a count of the attendees for the Hosts. Also let know your plans, and I will let the whole club know who is attending (include tentative, please). January Knoxville RV Supershow, Sevierville, TN (247 Miles) Good Sam show only, not a rally Go to for info. Good Sam membership gives 50% discount, $8.00 for adults (per day?) January Florida RV Supershow, Tampa, FL (663 Miles) Go to for info. $10.00 for adults (2d day free). Happy Traveler RV Park nearby has no vacancies. February Southeastern Area Rally, Lakeland, FL (651 Miles) $185 - $165 Additional Fee For Electric (Southeast Area Rally) Go to the FMCA website for info and to register. March FMCA 97 th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase, Perry, GA (299 Miles) $195 - $175 Additional Fee for Electric Go to the FMCA website for info and to register April Huntsville, ( (11 Miles) Location: Monte Sano or Ditto Landing, AL Ph. Charges: $22.00 per night or less depending on the discounts at that date. Rally Hosts: Pam & Randal Caruthers May Pine Mountain RV Resort ( (246 Miles) Location: 8804 Hamilton Rd., Pine Mountain, GA Reservations: Pine Mountain Charges: about $50 per night Rally Hosts: Bob & Sylvia Connell, Gene & Linda Hammond Page 10 of 11

11 June 7-10 Noccalula Falls (74 Miles) Location: 1600 Noccalula Rd, Gadsden, AL Ph Charges: about $22.00 per night, including tax and discount Rally Hosts: Bob & Kathie Erickson July TBD (XXX Miles) Rally Hosts: TBD July FMCA 98 th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase Gillette, WY (1800 Miles) Go to the FMCA website for info and to register August 9-12 TBD (XXX Miles) Location: Rally Hosts: TBD September TBD (XXX Miles) Rally Hosts: TBD October TBD (XXX Miles) Rally Hosts: TBD December 8 Holiday Celebration, Luncheon, business meeting Location TBD Tentative Campgrounds for Rally Sites Campground Name Phone Number City Miles $/Night Windemere Cove RV Resort Langston, AL 54 $ Rock Island State Park Rock Island, TN 110 $ Best Holiday Trav-L-Park Chattanooga, TN 110 $ Talladega Creekside Talladega, AL 106 $ River Country Gadsden, AL 74 Piney Grove Dennis, MS 117 $ Tishomingo State Park Tishomingo, MS 110 $ Page 11 of 11

NORTH ALABAMA RV ers

NORTH ALABAMA RV ers A chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association Chartered March 2003 Greetings, friends! I ve forwarded Tim Day s reports on Barbara Day s condition at Ft Wayne Lutheran Hospital.