NORTH ALABAMA RV ers

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NORTH ALABAMA RV ers A chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association Chartered March 2003 Editor: Bob Erickson mhsurfr@gmail.

She told me that a rally report for the 96 th International Convention will be in the September magazine. There were 1,724 total coaches (including 247 vendor registrations) at the convention.

Robbin gave me a teaser photo from the September issue: Greetings, friends! We had 4 coaches at Mountain Glen RV Park, including guests Brady (son of Jack & Connie) & Pam Rogers.

1 NORTH ALABAMA RV ers A chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association Chartered March 2003 Editor: Bob Erickson mhsurfr@gmail.com Greetings from our President Bob Erickson I talked to Robbin Gould, the editor of Family Motor Coaching. She told me that a rally report for the 96 th International Convention will be in the September magazine. There were 1,724 total coaches (including 247 vendor registrations) at the convention. She did not know when minutes of the membership meeting would be available (not under her control), but Amendment #3 (trailers) did pass. Next step is a vote by the total membership this fall. Robbin gave me a teaser photo from the September issue: Greetings, friends! We had 4 coaches at Mountain Glen RV Park, including guests Brady (son of Jack & Connie) & Pam Rogers. They bought a used rig, and this was their maiden voyage! Their route included narrow roads and switchbacks, up a mountain See the rally report in this issue. I don t have a member report from the FMCA 96 th International Convention in Indianapolis. My fault, I neglected to ask for one in time. Jim & Betty Duncan, Ken & Linda Winters, Bob & Sylvia Connell, and new member Donnett Murphy attended. Betty was installed as Southeast Area (SEA) President (yet another congrat, Betty!). The NARV Nominating Committee will be convened, and the NARV Executive Board will schedule an election for a replacement of Betty as NARV National Director. From left: Our own Betty & Jim Duncan. Now THAT S an Ice Cream Social (instead of the old ice cream sandwich)! Chuck & Sue Borcher had stepped up to host an August rally at Honeycomb Campground, near Guntersville on Hwy 431. Borchers, Caruthers, Halls, Donnett Murphy, Ericksons, and guests Rick & Teresa Steinberg had signed up. Due to threat of imminent rain every day of the rally, plus Chuck recovering from flu after 3 weeks, PLUS Sue catching a cold just before the rally, the rally has been cancelled. Page 1 of 10

Honeycomb has a cancellation penalty of $15, so all attendees selected the reschedule option. Before the end of this year, we can schedule for the cost already paid.

2 Honeycomb has a cancellation penalty of $15, so all attendees selected the reschedule option. Before the end of this year, we can schedule for the cost already paid. Since October s rally (River Plantation in Sevierville) venue is filled for those dates, and we did not have a host identified; Chuck and Sue have kindly offered to host at Honeycomb for that month. See the updated rally schedule. For the September rally in Hoover, see the detailed schedule in this issue. Please consider volunteering to host rallies. This is a volunteer organization! If you ve never hosted, folks will be glad to assist. Also at rallies, EVERYONE will volunteer to help. 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, Gene Hammond, Dwight Hayes, and Garry Claypoole. Please let me know who to add to this list (I know there s more). Bob Erickson, President Mountain Glen RV Park (Pikeville TN) Rally Report Bob Erickson The park is off the beaten path, and we were told not to follow our GPS. Borchers and Ericksons followed the resorts instructions as closely as possible. Rogers made the mistake of following the GPS route of narrow roads and switchbacks. We all experienced it afterwards in cars (some got nauseous). The park itself was nice, and fairly new. The resort was sloped, but the gravel of each site had decently level locations. The temperature was cooler, due to elevation. A rally was held July 6-9 at Mountain Glen RV Park in Pikeville TN. Attendees were: Chuck & Sue Borcher Bob & Kathie Erickson Jack & Connie Rogers Brady & Pam Rogers (Guests, & family of Jack & Connie) This was the hardest rally to report on, in my experience. First, we didn t have a host, and Borchers and Ericksons (no one else had signed up yet) decided to visit Tim & Barbara Day in Cleveland TN. Jack & Connie Rogers, and their guest family, were very welcome. Foreground, Erickson s rig then Borchers. Nice grass! Page 2 of 10

We had meals and games in the meeting room. The nice folks waived their charge for us (free with 8 sites, we had 4).

The current owners tore down some addition, restored many rooms with period furnishings, and (gasp) renovated/modernized part of it The yard (garden) had 2 fountains

Thursday we ate snack foods (meet n greet) in the meeting room, then played games. We played games there every evening.

Front of the mansion, with Bob Erickson Side of the mansion. Nice porch! From left: Sue and Chuck Borcher, Tim & Barbara Day, Kathie Erickson.

3 We had meals and games in the meeting room. The nice folks waived their charge for us (free with 8 sites, we had 4). They had renovated other homes before buying this in The previous owner had restored 3 rooms of the 10,000 sf mansion before giving up. The current owners tore down some addition, restored many rooms with period furnishings, and (gasp) renovated/modernized part of it The yard (garden) had 2 fountains (needing repair). We loved the owner s stories! From left, Jack Rogers, Chuck Borcher, Brady Rogers, Pam Rogers, Kathie Erickson, and Connie Rogers. Thursday we ate snack foods (meet n greet) in the meeting room, then played games. We played games there every evening. On Friday, Borchers and Ericksons drove to Cleveland to visit the Days. We met at Santa Fe Grille, and had lunch. Afterward, we visited their very nice home and talked. Front of the mansion, with Bob Erickson Side of the mansion. Nice porch! From left: Sue and Chuck Borcher, Tim & Barbara Day, Kathie Erickson. Missing is their dog, Vienna. The Rogers shopped at the Amish district at the same time. That evening, Chuck Borcher and Kathie Erickson drove through Fall Creek Falls State Park, about 15 miles away. On Saturday, Ericksons visited Falcon Rest Mansion & Gardens. This is a privately owned attraction, and the owners were our tour guides. Page 3 of 10

On Sunday Morning, Sue Borcher served pastries that she bought at the Amish shop. We ate outside Borcher s coach. Checkout was 1pm, which was nice. Back of the mansion, with fountain.

Crystal & Rocket are in the center, and Suki is on Chuck s lap. A national award!

For the Hoover rally in September, I have Borchers, Caruthers, Ericksons, and Murphy attending the rally.

4 On Sunday Morning, Sue Borcher served pastries that she bought at the Amish shop. We ate outside Borcher s coach. Checkout was 1pm, which was nice. Back of the mansion, with fountain. The female tour guide (owner) is the one repairing the fountain! Clockwise from left front: Brady Rogers, Kathie Erickson, Connie Rogers, Chuck Borcher, Jack Rogers, Pam Rogers, and Sue Borcher. Crystal & Rocket are in the center, and Suki is on Chuck s lap. A national award! Borchers visited Amish shoppes, and then drove through Fall Creek Falls State Park, and Rogers drove through the State Park separately. For the Hoover rally in September, I have Borchers, Caruthers, Ericksons, and Murphy attending the rally. Chuck Borcher, Randal September Rally Schedule Bob & Kathie Erickson Page 4 of 10 Caruthers, Bob Erickson, and Donett Murphy want to take the premium (backstage) tour. Tim & Barbara Day have taken this tour, and say it s fantastic! Please me if I missed you on my list, or want to add this rally to your plan. There s no meeting room at the Hoover campground for games, unfortunately Games each evening, for those interested, in coaches. Lunches are not on the schedule, catch it when you can Thursday: Ye olde Meet-n -Greet at 5pm. Bring a snack food to share. Friday:

5 8:30 Breakfast of pancakes, fruit, and yogurt at Erickson s coach. Bring plateware and drink. 10:30 Pet cute trick contest! <prize> 12:00 Visit Aldridge Gardens in Hoover (donation) (walking required) ns/map.html 4:30 Kathie didn t want to Pot Luck! So, we ll go to Johnny Brusco s NY Style Pizza in Hoover Saturday: Breakfast on your own. 9:00 Those that wish, leave for Barber Motorsports Museum. Museum opens at 10:00, Premium tour ($30 total) is first-come and limited to 14 participants. It s about 40 minutes or 25 miles away. Those that skip the museum can go shopping! 4:30 Leave for Cheesecake Factory for dinner, from park. Distance is about 15 minutes. (shoppers might meet us there) Sunday: Checkout is 11am Newsletter Editor s Ramble Bob Erickson I like to discuss RV maintenance issues. If you get tired of reading about mine, send me descriptions of YOUR problems to discuss! I try to keep our coach looking new, and it s over 5 years old now. I polished and waxed 25% of the fiberglass roof this spring, and just washed it for the first time since. It was BLACK due to tree sap eating the wax (NuFinish) and feeding mildew. I need to polish and wax the WHOLE roof, and cut down MORE trees! I wash the roof with car wash soap and a Ryobi RY psi electric pressure washer that was $79 at Home Depot. It s light weight, and holds ALL attachments onboard! It also has a 3-year warranty! Scrubbing with a soapy brush is STILL required Our water pump flow is not what it used to be. Also, it lost its prime, and I had difficulty priming it. I looked at the pump, and cleaned the inlet screen. I then tried to find any info on water pumps. I found that our Shurflo pump has an excellent reputation. I assumed the rubber diaphragm needed replacement, because we have occasionally run the pump dry. I could not find the diaphragm for sale. I found the inner and outer pump half, which did not include the diaphragm. I found the entire pump housing, which cost the same as the entire pump with motor! So, I bought the whole pump for $73. When I replaced the pump, I found that 2 of 9 stainless steel screws holding the pump to the motor on the old pump were missing! The other screws were loose, Page 5 of 10

6 and the pump halves gapped. I brought the pump into the house to show Kathie. I flexed the housing to show the gap, and water pumped out onto the floor. Kathie was not impressed by my technical aptitude I ve got a spare pump if I can find the 2 lost screws! Our front A/C was vibrating a lot, and I had a professional look at it. He said the fan needs replacement at some future time. The coils were the dirtiest I ve ever seen. We have a drain to the rear of the coach, and condensation was draining at the roof instead. He cleaned it for $130, and I assumed the drain was included <not!>. I found later that my A/Cs have a drain pump! I haven t figured whether the hose is clogged or the pump has failed I ll bring Newsletter Archive CDs to any rally that Kathie and I attend. Remember, this CD also includes my Travel Journal from 2016 (Our Western Adventure)! Please consider sending input (and errata) for YOUR newsletter. 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! Bob Erickson Newsletter Editor Page 6 of 10

Member Celebrations 1 3 August Birthdays Jim Pratt Lou Holcombe September Birthdays 18 Anne-Marie Williams 21 Bob Williams 12 Wayne Burgett August Anniversaries 1 Carl & Linda Hall 17 Jim & Betty

7 Member Celebrations 1 3 August Birthdays Jim Pratt Lou Holcombe September Birthdays 18 Anne-Marie Williams 21 Bob Williams 12 Wayne Burgett August Anniversaries 1 Carl & Linda Hall 17 Jim & Betty Duncan 20 Chuck & Sue Borcher 26 Tim & Barbara Day 26 Larry & Janet Holder September Anniversaries 3 Bob & Sylvia Connell 11 Gene & Linda Hammond 15 Mike & BJ Campe 19 Ken & Linda Winters 3 Bob & Sylvia Connell Membership Dues Reminder Annual chapter membership fees ($20 couple and $10 single) for calendar year 2017 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 7 of 10

8 NORTH ALABAMA RV ers 2017 Rally Schedule Volume 15, Number 8, August 2017 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 Bob Erickson 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 required, $8.00 for adults (per day?) January Florida RV Supershow, Tampa, FL (663 Miles) Go to for info. Camping sold out, local RV parks may be available. $10.00 for adults (2d day free). Happy Traveler RV Park also has no vacancies. January Chattanooga RV Supershow, Chattanooga, TN (112 Miles) Good Sam show only, not a rally Go to for info. Good Sam membership required, $8.00 for adults (per day?) February Southeastern Area Rally, Lakeland, FL (651 Miles, 26 miles from Tampa) Location: Lakeland Lindner Regional Airport. Go to the FMCA website for info and to register. See application illustration on last page. March FMCA 95 th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase, Chandler, AZ (1788 Miles) Go to the FMCA website for info and to register March Georgia Good Sam Spring RV Rally, Perry, GA (345 Miles) Go to: ion_spring_2017.pdf for information and registration form. Cost $110 for 3 nights, power available if you apply early. April DeSoto State Park (79 Miles) Location: 7104 DeSoto Parkway NE, Fort Payne, AL 35967Ph Charges $34.65 per night Rally Hosts: TBD Page 8 of 10

9 May Huntsville, ( (11 Miles) Location: Ditto Landing, AL Ph Charges: $XX.00 per night or less depending on the discounts at that date. Rally Hosts: Pam & Randal Caruthers June (new dates!) Joe Wheeler State Park ( (40 Miles) Location: Rogersville, AL Ph: Charges: $ for 3 nights (ask for senior discount at check-in!). Rally Hosts: Jim & Betty Duncan July Mountain Glen RV Campground, ( (125 Miles) Location: 6182 Brockdell Road, Pikeville, TN. Ph Charges: $31.00 per night or less depending on the discounts at that date. Rally Hosts: TBD July FMCA 96 th International Convention Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN (400 Miles) Caravan parking July Early parking in the holding area (as identified on date of entry credential beginning July 9. Tram service begins July August Honeycomb Campground (45 Miles) Rescheduled! Location: Mile marker 308 on Hwy 431. Phone: Discount for Golden Age passport Rally Hosts: Chuck & Sue Borcher Hoover RV Park September 7-10 lots/ (112 Miles) Location: 1000 RV Trace, Hoover AL Ph , contact Guy Corney Charges: $49 for phone reservation, $45 for online reservation. Plan to visit Barber Motorsports Museum (26 miles, 28 minutes away, $15; we MAY pay extra for a docent-led tour ($27 each) if we have at least 10 attendees). We also plan to conduct a pet cute trick contest. Judges will be members WITHOUT pets! Start your training now! Online reservations will be accepted starting about July 20, the application is still being tested. Signup is required. All 170 sites are currently available for our dates. Page 9 of 10

10 Rally Hosts: Bob & Kathie Erickson September Georgia Good Sam Fall RV Rally, Perry, GA (345 Miles) Go to: for information and registration form October Honeycomb Campground (45 Miles) Cancelled! Location: Mile marker 308 on Hwy 431. Phone: Discount for Golden Age passport Rally Hosts: Chuck & Sue Borcher December 9 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 $ Talladega Creekside Talladega, AL 106 $ River Country Gadsden, AL 74 Piney Grove Dennis, MS 117 $ Tishomingo State Park Tishomingo, MS 110 $ Page 10 of 10

NORTH ALABAMA RV ers

NORTH ALABAMA RV ers A chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association Chartered March 2003 Editor: Bob Erickson mhsurfr@gmail.com Greetings from our President Bob Erickson I have called Hoover RV Park,