the american coach association | having more fun than ... · customer service on a first-name basis...

Volume XVI, Issue 3 • May-June 2011

The Offi cial Magazine For Owners Of Heritage, Eagle, Dream, Tradition, Allegiance, Limited & Revolution Motor Coaches

“The Invisible Bra™” Paint Protection Film The CLEAR Alternative To The Vinyl Bra And Plastic Shield

DIAMOND SHIELD INTRODUCES NANO FUSION FILM! PAINT PROTECTION DESIGNED TO PRESERVE THE BEAUTY OF ALL EXTERIOR

AUTOMOTIVE TYPE FINISHES: •PAINT CHIPS AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY STONE CHIPS, BUG ACIDS, ROAD SALT, ABRASIONS AND

WEATHERING. •NANO FUSION FILM IS A BREAKTHROUGH PATENT-PENDING TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE

BEST PAINT PROTECTION AVAILABLE. NANO FUSION FILM IS BARELY NOTICEABLE, MADE TO TAKE ABUSE AND IS THE MOST STAIN

RESISTANT FILM ON THE MARKET!

•Fiberglass painted areas below the windshield •Under the grab handle •Around the door lock

DIAMOND SHIELD IS A STANDARD FACTORY INSTALLED ITEM FOR:

APPEARANCE: Diamond Shield WILL help your investment retain its value and WILL save time and money in reconditioning costs, while allowing the color brilliance to shine through for years to come! NO snaps, NO wind noise, NO paint chaffing, NO special care, easy to clean and maintain. (Pre-owned motor homes with existing paint chips are brush touched to form a permanent repair and then Diamond Shield is applied.) SERVICE DEPT: Diamond Shield can be installed at the American Service Center in Decatur, IN, by Diamond Shield Certified Factory Installers. Call for details.

EXCELLENT FITTING DESIGNS: Diamond Shield continually improves designs for the best fit in the market, with few, if any relief cuts. Diamond Shields exclusive standard system wraps most edges on the hood, gen- erator doors and their compartments and their openings and coverage extends to cap moldings on most mod-els. Diamond Shield’s factory installations wrap film under cap moldings, and under mirrors, leaving NO visible film edges whenever possible. PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION: Diamond Shield is applied by Factory Certified Installers who are located across the U.S.A, call for one closest to you! GUARANTEED SERVICE: Diamond Shield ID badges have our toll free number for customer service and are on every job we do! Protecting your investment is our business! WARRANTY: ONLY NANO FUSION FILM IS BACKED BY AN INDUSTRY LEADING LIFETIME LIMITED WARRANTY. INSTALLATION BY CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

Ph.888.806.5862—585-454.1950—585.820.4632—585.721.3647 Fx.585.546.3968 www.Diamond-Shield.com E-mail: [email protected]

Customer Service on a First-name BasisAmerican Coach owners get much more than a luxury motor home. They get an up-close and personal relationship with their American Coach dealer, factory service staff and team of Coach-Net customer service representatives available 24/7 over the phone. We’re happy to help you anytime you visit the factory. And if you see us at a rally, we’ll service or repair up to four items without charging for labor. At American Coach, we’re happy to call you a customer. But we’re proud to call you our friend.

To get to know us better, call 800.854.1344 or visit AmericanCoach.com.

AmericAn HeritAge | AmericAn eAgle | AmericAn trAdition | AmericAn revolution Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/americancoach

FLEE0017_AC Service ad_041811.indd 1 4/18/11 3:39 PM

Letter From the Editor . . . . . . . . .4 - Jane LihouPresident’s Message . . . . . . . . . . .5 - Bill DettmerVice Presidents Message . . . . . . .7 - Doug ThompsonAC/Fleetwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Ambassador’s Program . . . . . . . .8ACA Yahoo Group . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 - Debbie & Terry FarberChapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17Reader Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Circle Your Wagons Invite . . . . .19ACA Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . .20The Web Guy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 - Doug ThompsonRolling Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21The Roving Wrencher . . . . . . . . .22 - Joe BrunoRally Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Rally Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Tips & Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Membership Services - Welcome New Members . . . . . .29 - Janice ThompsonChapter Directory . . . . . . . . . . . .30Chapter Registration Form . . . . .31

ACA NATIONAL MAGAZINE:Editor - Jane Lihou9121 Atlanta Ave., #637, Huntington Beach, CA 92646714-749-7560 [email protected]

Advertising - Kevin Mallory331 E. Livingston St., Celina, OH 45822419-586-1193 / 419-852-0791 [email protected]

Design & Production - Print Group Inc.1440 W. Skyline Ave., Ozark, MO [email protected]

ACA Magazine - ©2011Volume XVI, Issue 3May-June

ELECTED OFFICERS:President - Bill Dettmer1509 Tejana Mesa Pl. NEAlbuquerque, NM 87112505-294-0564 / [email protected] President - Doug Thompson1812 Latelia Ct, Trinity, FL [email protected] - Mary Corcoran1051 Caravan Loop, Polk City, FL 33868863-984-0903 / 863-206-1418 [email protected] - Bob Downing808 Holley Lake Road, Aiken, SC 29803803-641-6455 / 803-645-1694 [email protected]

CHAPTER PRESIDENTS:Great Lakes - Dave Ehrhardt881 Moses Loop, The Villages, FL 32162352-259-4669 / 216-496-8236 [email protected] Wanderers - Bill Makowski3590 Round Bottom Rd., PMB 179674,Cincinnati, OH [email protected] Pack - Skipper CampbellP.O. Box 1126, Fort Mill, SC 29716803-547-6486 / 803-417-8242 [email protected] Valley - James CatronRR2 Box 255, Butler, MO 64730H 660-679-4577 C [email protected] California - George Borecky13101 Tomki Road, Redwood Valley, CA 95470707-485-0173 / 707-972-8076 [email protected] - Lloyd Monroe116 Boat Yard Road, Chesapeake City, MD [email protected] - Merritt MosbyPO Box 2182, Florence, OR 97439 925-383-6341 / [email protected] California - Beverly Petty34702 Calle Las FloresCapistrano Beach, CA [email protected] Central - Mary Jane Hebert36 Oak Place, New Iberia, LA 70563337-369-3992 / 337-380-0738 [email protected] - Jim Graham12245 Susanne Ct., Irvington, AL 36544251-825-9876 / 251-623-4321 [email protected] - Laura Bruno1250 Jodi Court, Gardnerville, NV 89460775-265-0468 / [email protected]

The ACA Across America Magazine (USPS 025-025) is published by-monthly by the American Coach Association, Publication Department, ACA, 1812 Latelia Ct, New Port Richey, FL 34655 (727) 709-0218, and is funded in part by annual membership dues and paid advertisements. Membership dues are $45 per year, of which $6 is allocated towards a yearly subscription of the ACA Across America Magazine. Membership in the American Coach Association is open to owners of American Coach motor coaches only – Limited, Tradition, Dream, Eagle, Heritage and Allegiance.

Periodicals Postage Paid at New Port Richey, FL, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER:Send address changes to ACA Across America Magazine, Membership Services, 1812 Latelia Ct, Trinity, FL 34655.

ACA Across America contains advertisements which may be of interest to members- the appearance of any advertisement for prod-ucts or services in this publication shall not be deemed an endorsement of the Association or individual members. ACA reserves the right to reject or accept, including editing for reasons of space and clarity, letters to the editor, chapter news or articles. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the author(s) alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers of the ACA, the members, the Editor, or Production Staff. Letters and photographs become property of ACA and will not be returned.

ADVERTISERS

American Coach . . . . . . . . . .1Ancira RV . . . . . . . . . . . . BackAutomotion Shade . . . . . . . .23Bradd & Hall . . . . . . . . . . . .32Campbell Group, The . . . . . .10Classic Coach Works . . . . . .24Cruising America . . . . . . . .27Desert Vista . . . . . . . . . . . .32Diamond Shield . . . . . . . . IFCFantastic Vent . . . . . . . . . . .25Girard Systems . . . . . . . . . . .6Harris Battery . . . . . . . . . . .23MCD Innovations . . . . . . . . .24Monroeville Chassis . . . . . .10RV Parts Plus . . . . . . . . . . . .4RV Fog Dr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Shine Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Sullivan RV . . . . . . . . . . . .32Summit Products . . . . . . . . .33Wade RV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

MAY-JUNE 2011 3

Contents

ACA National Membership:Membership Chairwoman - Debbie Darby1021 Pinehurst Pl., Camarillo, CA 93010805-482-6733 / 805-469-2903

Membership Benefi ts - Bill Dettmer1509 Tejana Mesa Pl. NE, Albuquerque, NM [email protected]

Membership Services - Janice ThompsonAmerican Coach Association, 1812 Latelia Ct, Trinity, FL [email protected]

ACA National Web Site:Chairman - Doug Thompson1812 Latella Ct., Trinity, FL [email protected]

ACA National Finance Committee:Chair - Laura Bruno1250 Jodi Court, Gardnerville, NV 89460775-265-0468 / [email protected]

ACA National Ambassador Club:Chairwoman - Debbie Darby1021 Pinehurst Pl., Camarillo, CA 93010805-482-6733 / [email protected]

ACA National By-Laws:Chairwoman - Margaret HarkerPO Box 2430 PMB 1512, Pensacola, FL [email protected]

ACA National Policy:Chairman - Chip Aiken1160 Vierling Dr., #345, Shakopee, MN 55379952-807-2290 [email protected]

ACA Scholarship Foundation:Chairman - Doug Thompson1812 Latelia Ct, Trinity, FL [email protected]

ACA National Rally Coordinator:Chair - Jim Graham12245 Susanne Ct., Irvington, AL 36544251-825-9876 / 251-623-4321 [email protected]

ACA National Rally Guidelines:Chairwoman - Mary Corcoran1051 Caravan Loop, Polk City, FL 33868863-984-0903 / 863-206-1418 [email protected]

ACA National Historian:Chairwoman - Ann Beadel8801 FM 45 South, Brownwood, TX 76801325-646-5104/325-998-0431 [email protected]

ACA National Legal Advisor:Chairman - Pete Smoot11444 Waterford St., Los Angeles, CA 90049301-472-1527/310-701-7736 [email protected]

You will notice a great big empty space in this issue where Justin Humphreys usually keeps us informed about what’s going on at American Coach. He re-cently resigned from his position at Fleetwood and accepted a job at Airstream, Inc. a division of Thor Industries. We are sorry to see him leave. He has been a friend to many of us and especially to ACA.

Fleetwood has temporarily replaced Justin but maybe not in time to write an article for this issue. Hopefully, we will hear from someone in the next issue. But, we did hear through the AC vine that sales at the FMCA National Rally in Perry, Georgia were great.We are starting to get some Revolution owners joining ACA and we look forward to meeting them at a rally in the near future. The na-tional rally in Memphis will see a few of them, but that was pretty short notice for most.

It looks like we will be seeing a lot of new offi cers in the next few months, including a new ACA president since Doug Thompson ran unopposed. Congratulations, Doug; we look forward to hearing your new ideas!

Letter from the Editor

4 ACA ACROSS AMERICA

American Coach is now on:

This is my last message as president. At the ACA Rally in Memphis, I will hand over the gavel to the very com-petent hands of Doug Thompson and John Corcoran. I am sure that the ACA will continue to grow and thrive under their dedicated leadership.

As I reminisce on the past two years, I can’t help but recall the challenges that we have faced. It was with the help of the national offi cers, the board of directors, and the committees that we were able to overcome them. And don’t forget Fleetwood; they are committed to preserving and growing the association.

Our problems started with the national economic reces-sion. It had a catastrophic effect on the RV industry and Fleetwood was not immune; they had to declare bank-ruptcy. Our membership rolls had a hard hit as we lost approximately 40% of our members; this of course, was refl ected in rally attendance. Those were dark days.

Fleetwood found a purchaser, AIP, and started out as a new company with the same location and personnel. Our membership started to grow as new coaches were being manufactured again. Fleetwood then welcomed a near cousin, the Revolution, into the American Coach family, and this gave us a giant boost in potential mem-bers. To help make that pay off, Fleetwood sent mail-ings to all recent owners of American Coaches to tout the advantages of joining the ACA and of attending the

Bill & Kip Dettmer

Memphis rally. We are just starting to see the effects of this as the applications are coming in.

In order to include the Revolutions in our family, we had to change our bylaws; and, while we were at it, we chartered a professional reviewer to update them. We sent out ballots to the entire membership and the members overwhelming voted to pass the new bylaws. Thanks to Mary Corcoran for receiving and counting all of the votes.

Just as we overcame the past challenges, new ones popped up. I believe that the current price of diesel is going to affect the attendance at rallies and maybe even the sales of new coaches. We certainly need to keep traveling distances in mind as we pick locations for future national rallies. Our national rally strategy should be fl exible in order to accommodate the changes around us. This is the task of “The Future of Rallies” committee.

As I leave offi ce, I would like to thank many who have worked so hard to make the association the jewel that it is. I could name them all; but it would take too much space in this column and I might miss a few. You know who they are; just look at the listings of the offi cers and committee chairs in the front of this magazine.

When you get this magazine, you will be leaving for Memphis or are all ready there. It’s going to be a great rally. We plan to join the SoCal Rolling Rally as they pass through Albuquerque on their way to Memphis. It should be a liesurley trip with good friends as we traverse the country. And we will get a chance to party at Charlie’s place for a couple of days.

In closing, I wish you all the best of luck and health. Kip and I will see you down the road and at the rallies.

Bill DettmerBill DettmerACA National President

MAY-JUNE 2011 5

President

Thanks to all our members for approving the bylaw changes as presented by the board. As you know, one of these changes was the inclusion of the Revolution and American Revolution in the ACA.

We are seeing a steady stream of new members joining the association, many of which are Revolution owners. This is truly a breath of fresh air. As you know, we have faced some membership challenges in the past couple of years, due in part to economic conditions, and to the natural aging process of the existing membership base. As Membership Services C hair, my wife receives calls or emails far too often asking to discontinue a membership due to the death of a spouse, or because the member has just decided to hang up their keys. After all, the coaches we operate are a huge responsibility on the highways and byways.

I am told that many Revolution owners are demograph-ically a bit younger just what we need to rejuvenate our ranks. Let’s make them welcome, encourage them to

Doug Thompson

Doug ThompsonACA National Vice-President

Doug Thompson

take on volunteer opportunities, forge new friendships and take advantage of the infl ux of their new thoughts and ideas.

We hope to see you out there on the road this summer. Right after Memphis, Jan and I are volunteering at Honeymoon Island State Park on Florida’s west coast, helping to protect the endangered loggerhead turtle hatchlings as they head for the sea. There is so much fun stuff out there to do and explore as we enjoy this lifestyle. Remember- life rocks when your living room rolls.

Doug Thompson

MAY-JUNE 2011 7

Vice President

DECATUR, Ind. -- American Coach, the luxury Class A diesel motor home division of Fleet-wood RV, Inc, saw a 17 increase in registrations in 2010 during a diesel market that was down 9 percent, the company announced today.The growth in sales in a down market allowed the division to increase its market share 30 percent with a reduced prod-uct offering and smaller dealer network, according to a press release.

The division’s growth in market share was led by American Revo-lution, which was recently added to the American Coach offering,

increasing its volume in 2010 by 48 percent year over year. In addition, American Heritage, the fl agship brand of American Coach, increased its volume over 70 percent during the same timeframe.

The success of American Heri-tage is a direct result of its full-wall-slide fl oor plan that creates an industry-leading 460 square feet of living space, said Justin Humphreys, vice president of American Coach.

“The increase in Revolution sales came as a result of adding it to the American Coach family,” said Humphreys. “Our dealers and

customers have embraced this change and we are excited about what the future will bring for this storied brand.

“For 20 years, American Coach has been passionate about pro-viding personalized service to all of our dealers and customers, and to building motor homes that exceed their expectations,” he added. “Our market share growth in 2010 is a testament to our customers and dealers having confi dence in what we are doing. We would like to thank them for their support, as well as con-gratulate our dealer network on a successful 2010.”

American Coach Outperforms the Market in 2010

Ambassadors ProgramWOW! We had a wonderful ACA National Rally in Memphis with over 200 coaches in at-tendance. What a feat for Mac Packers, with fuel prices ap-proaching $5 a gallon in many parts of the country.

As Ambassadors for the fi rst timers, it was especially reward-ing. We had over 40 fi rst time coaches at the Rally, that’s 20% of our attendees! After celebrat-ing our 20th Anniversary last year in Gillette, and the state of the economy, it is exciting to see so many new faces in our club.

With the inclusion of the Revo-lution, I am sure our fi rst timers are going to impact all of our fu-ture national rallies. If you attend one of these rallies, please think about becoming an Ambassa-dor. We want to be sure that all of our fi rst timers are so warmly welcomed that they continue to attend and become active in our club. Be sure and give an ACA welcome to these new friends.

Joe and Debbie DarbyACA Ambassadors


ACA GROUPDebbie & Terry here, your guides to the cyber side of coaching!

Well, it’s that time of year again - springtime! Our winter home is clearing out steadily as people head to their summer homes, and those who live in stick hous-es all winter are cleaning the cobwebs and moth balls out of their coaches in prepara-tion for their summer vaca-tions. Spring is an exciting time of year!

In the last issue we men-tioned that we had replaced our Norcold refrigerator with a residential grade refrig-erator. It turns out that this is quite the hot topic these days on the forum! As you know, we highly recommend it. It’s no more hassle than replacing it with another RV grade refrigerator, so it’s an option worth considering. And, if you do consider it, please check the forum for any tips on fi nding a refrig-erator, necessary modifi ca-tions, power questions, or any other concerns that might crop up in your up-grade. We think that it’s an upgrade worth looking into!

ACA GROUPACA GROUPAs the year progresses, coach sales must be picking up because we are getting requests for new members almost daily. We’re cur-rently up to 1,880 members! If you’re unfamiliar with the American Coach Yahoo Group, these are all people looking to share information about their American Coach motorhomes; asking ques-tions; answering questions; building a community. So, when we all meet at rallies we “know” each other even though we may not have met face to face in our lives.

As an example, I picked a page of messages at ran-dom to show the diversity of topics discussed – Cum-mins Coach Care, Turtle Wax, Kwikee step question, television modifi cation on 2000 Eagle, question for AC Group Brain Trust, micro-wave replacement, radios in 2010 and 2011, Dometic RM7732 Refrigerator and cruise control doesn’t work – and that’s only one page! It doesn’t matter if you have a ’91 or ’92, an ’01 or ’02, or even a ’11 or ’12, we wel-come questions on all Ameri-

can Coaches and all years of production, so please join us and ask your question!

If you’re interested and want to be part of the fun, we invite you to visit awhile and get to know us and get a feel for the benefi ts derived from our forum. To get to the AC Yahoo site, go to the Ameri-can Coach Association web site at http://www.myameri-cancoach.com and click on “Links.” Scroll down past the listing of American Coach dealers and click on the link for “American Coach Owners Yahoo Group.” The price is right – FREE – and I can just about guarantee you won’t regret it!

We look forward to see-ing you out on the road this summer!

Debbie & Terry‘02 Heritage

MAY-JUNE 2011 9

Great LakesThe Great Lakes Chapter has a slate of new officers that promises to be one of the best in the last two years. Some of our members have stepped forward to take on the offices and to keep the chapter one of the best in ACA. As everyone knows, our club is a fun one but it’s also a club that takes on responsibility. We have a great group of people who love to meet and have a good time but they also like to help out the children of the Fleet-wood employees by contributing to the ACA Scholar-ship Fund. As you read this article, we will be having a good time in Memphis. Upon leaving there, some of us will travel to Decatur to present a number of scholarships to the children of the people that make and repair our coaches. The ACA scholarships are a great way for us to say thanks for making a great coach.

I know that some of us look at today’s fuel prices and decide that they cannot make the trip to Memphis but, please keep in mind that two years ago, fuel was over $4.00 a gallon. Don’t misunderstand me, Kathy and I don’t like it any better you; when we started camping, the price of gas was 25 cents a gallon and would some-times go down to 19 cents. I know what you’re think-ing - boy is he old, and you’re right. Just nine years ago we paid 99 cents per gallon for diesel. But, as long as I own this motor home, I am going to use it. I can sit at home and look at pictures of where I want to go or, I can cut back on other things and go see some of these places. There’s nothing like seeing it for real! I would ask that we keep our service people in mind and pray that they return home safely. As always, please keep our members who are not feeling well in your prayers.

This may be my last article for the magazine, so thanks for the opportunity to be an officer and for letting me ramble on. I’ve enjoyed these last two years and I hope I’ve represented all of you well. And if you see another American Coach along the highway don’t forget to beep or wave because Kathy and I will be looking for you.

Dave Ehrhardt

Specializing in Front & Rear Alignment!We also offer FULL SERVICE and

are an Authorized Dealer for Roadmaster Sway Bars.

Just minutes from Fleetwood’s Decatur, Indiana factory and service center.

For more info or an appointment:Call Ron or Rex at 260-623-6093

For more information online:web site: www.monroevillechassis.come-mail: [email protected]

Call forpricing.

RV Insurance Specialist

The Campbell Group understands RV lifestyle and your insurance needs for motorhomes and companion auto. Your coach may be expensive, but your insurance needn’t be.

• We represent many of the top insurers.

• Discounts are available in most states.

• Our experienced agents deliver first-class service.

• Coverage is tailored for motorhomes and their owners.

• Licensed across the United States, we offer …

Home Motorcycle Casitas or Lanai Auto Boat Umbrella

Contact us today for a no-obligation quote.

1-800-748-0351 thecampbellgrp.com


Chapter News

Our American Coach Yuma “Social”, now history, was a success by all standards. We had 92 people sign in when they arrived and there were some that didn’t, so we feel there must have been more than one hundred people present for. Mike Wood and crew were there with a 2011 American Eagle for all of us to “ooh” and “aah” over. RV World also brought a Taco Caterer that really knew how to please everyone with fish, shrimp, chicken and beef tacos with all of the fixings including rice and beans. Thanks again to Elly & Everett Beenken for let-ting us use there gorgeous place in the Yuma Foothills to hold this now annual event. The only “down-side” was the tacos were so good that most of the pot-luck good-ies that everyone brought went untouched. Northwest members present were, of course Carita and myself, past president Karen Merlich, Dottie & Manny Vasquez, Tom & Patty Senter and, just as the event was winding down, Russ & Marie Troutman made an appearance.

Russ & Marie and Jim & Ruth Annan are hanging up their RV keys. You will be missed, please keep in touch. We have both of their coaches listed on the NW website as well as the DiSalvo’s coach. The coaches and prices are VERY GOOD, so pass this information along to friends and neighbors along with a NW membership application ;>)

I’d like to extend a big thank you to ACA President Bill Dettmer for negotiating with Pilot/Flying J for the new “Loyalty Cards” and a big thank you to Doug & Janice Thompson for doing the addressing and mailing of the cards. We will receive a .02 cent discount per gallon of gas, a .03 cent discount per gallon of diesel, a .10 cent discount per gallon of propane, 50% off any waste dump fee and every 6th drink purchased at the facil-ity will be free. I also understand there is a procedure sheet that needs to be followed to receive the discounts. Thank you to all involved.

Leslie Pettinger will be representing the Northwest Chapter at the ACA National rally in Memphis. Thanks Leslie, your plate is really full, you remind me of the Energizer Bunny; you keep going and going.

NorthwestOn September 8 – 12, The Northern California Chap-ter will be hosting a rally at Bodega Bay that we are invited to. Thanks for the invite Nor Cal, hope to see you there.

October 3 – 7 are the dates for the Western Chapters Rally which will be held in Las Vegas at the old Out-door Resort (now called the Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort) on Blue Diamond Road. Since there is only one national rally this year, we are having a multi-chapter rally for those on the west coast who couldn’t make it to Memphis. Many ACA members have property there, so it should be fun; I hope you can make it. Lasting five days, they will have three dinners for three hundred bucks, how can you beat that? And remember ……..what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Be sure to mark your calendar for this one.

Now is the time for a little Northwest Chapter Rah, Rah. The Chapter really needs your help. I’ll contact most of you via e-mail about an impromptu NW rally in the Florence area. However, how about you send-ing me an e-mail saying that you would like to put on a rally where you live. We really need to jump-start the chapter. I need your HELP, suggestions and ideas. Thanks.

And in closing, Please Lord, give our men and women in service to our country your safety and guidance. Please also give our elected leaders the strength and wis-dom to bring stability to the country and peace to the world. Thank you. Amen.

Merritt Mosby, PresidentNorthwest Chapter

MAY-JUNE 2011 11

Chapter News

As I mentioned in my last article, Ferdie and I had planned a trip to Colorado in February to see some snow. We felt that everyone had some snow falls in their areas, but not so in Southwest Louisiana, and we thor-oughly enjoyed our trip. We actually checked an item off our “bucket list” - dog sledding, and of course the snow mobiles were also a lot of fun!

The year is moving right along, and with it our plans to enjoy the camaraderie at our motor home rallies and summer trips. By the time this article is published, we will have enjoyed the National Spring Rally in Memphis hosted by the Mac Pack Chapter. Hopefully, we will see some Revolution and American Revolution owners in Memphis since they were offi cially voted in to join ACA this year. And then, South Central will be busy planning for the 2012 National Spring Rally in San Antonio, Texas scheduled for April 30-May 5, 2012. So, mark your calendars to keep these dates in mind. Our Rally Masters, Tony Todd & Robin Fagala are busy lin-ing up their committee chairman for various aspects of planning a great rally that you will not want to miss. In fact our 2011 SCC rally in San Antonio scheduled for Oct. 31 - Nov 4 will serve as a test run of the activi-ties we will be planning for the national rally in 2012. Tony & Betty Todd, along with Bruce & Sharon Pin-nel, are rally hosts for our fall rally this year, and it is very important that all SCC members make every effort to attend. Please check our website as fi nal plans are made. Remember, any one who wants to stay over for the Wurstfest in New Braunfels will need to make their reservations at the following RV Resort: Hill Country RV Resort, Exit 184 (Ruckle Road) on I-35 North. The phone number is 830-625-1919. The Wurstfest is located approximately 10-15 minutes from the RV Re-sort. These campgrounds in New Braunfels fi ll up fast, so take care of this early!

South Central What is Wurstfest?It is a unique celebration, rich in German culture and full of Texas fun located in beautiful New Braunfels, Texas! Enjoy good food, special events and the fi n-est in Alpine and Bavarian Style Entertainment. New Braunfels is a real German settlement that still offers sausage, cold beer, a raging Oktoberfest celebration, and great German food prepared to perfection. The Annual WurstFest celebrates the German way of life in the New World and the culture that has evolved from it. The New Braunfels Wurstfest is consistently rated as one of the top events in North America. It can’t get much better than that! The Wurstfest grounds lie just inside of Landa Park along the banks of the Comal River. Hope to see you there!

I just wanted to give another BIG THANKS to our webmaster, Joe Durrance, who kept up with our newsletter publications while he was enjoying what he called “Snowbirding in Hawaii” for ten weeks with family and friends. According to his article he wrote for our newsletter, Joe & Nancy fulfi lled quite a few items on their “bucket” list. Here they are enjoying food and en-tertainment, Hawaiian style, with an unimaginable view of the bay before dark, a spectacular sunset, and the beautiful glow of lights of the city of Honolulu skyline after dark. We continue to pray for all our members who are ill, undergoing surgeries or healing from recent surger-ies that they may soon be fully recovered. Please also remember our young men and women who are risking their lives so that we might enjoy our freedom. God bless us one and all….especially those who worship him, God bless America….still the greatest nation of all.

Mary Jane Hebert, PresidentSouth Central Chapter


Chapter News

I am happy to report that we had an excellent rally at Lazy Days in January with 62 coaches attending. The rally was a roaring success. Thank you, Dan and Renee for hosting this important rally. The food was great and the entertainment was very good.

We had our annual election and the following are your new offi cers: Jim Graham as President; Stew Macfarlane as vice president; Jill Olinski as Secretary; Bob Frank as Treasurer; Monty Campbell as Membership Chair; and Jerry Weimer as Rally Chairman. More information can be obtained from the Southeast Chapter web page at http://southeastaca.net/. Dan Lee spends a lot of time keeping our website up, and gets very little thanks for all his work, so please use it. And, if you fi nd it useful, please let him know.

Our next rally will be the pre-rally in Tunica, Miss. at Sam’s Town RV Resort. You can contact Jerry Weimer for more information on this or go to the web site for registration. We will caravan from Tunica to the ACA National Rally in Memphis on May 16th. As of now, we have 21 coaches registered for this pre-rally and na-tional rally. We hope, as the economy improves and the Revolutions join the club, that we will get back to our previous numbers of 80 or more coaches.

We have a great rally schedule for this year so make sure you mark your calendars. In October we will be in Dillard, Georgia for the fall colors. The Christmas rally will be back at Sun’n Fun in December. Stew, our new VP, has been working with Lazy Days and is planning a regional rally in January for all members of the ACA. This will coincide with the great Tampa RV Show. All dates will be posted on the website so check it out.

SoutheastRemember to keep your email and your snail mail updated with Monty Campbell so we can let you know what is happening with the chapter.

Doty and I and a whole bunch of Southeast Chapter members plus some other ACA members, including our ACA Past President and First Lady, attended the ACC Pre-Rally and the FMCA Convention in Perry, Georgia. Vendors galore, including our newsletter editor and husband, were selling their wares and having fun with the rest of us.

ACC had a good turnout for the rally and Leslie Pet-tinger, President of the ACC, did an excellent job organizing and hosting this rally. We all had a great time and then continued the party after a 125 mile caravan from Lake Park to Perry. If you haven’t been to an ACC rally, try one. They have a good time and it gives you a chance to double your fun, and double your work orders, as Randy and crew are hard at work in ACC as well as ACA.

Don’t forget to try and schedule some of the Southeast Chapter rallies this year. And, please consider running for offi ce next year. All offi ces will be open and we need new ideas and new interests for our chapter. Don’t wait until someone twists your arm; step up and help continue to make this a fun chapter.

Drive safe, and see you in Tunica.Jim Graham, President

MAY-JUNE 2011 13

Chapter News

Greetings from the Northern California Chapter. Where have the last two years gone. It seems like just yesterday that I was elected NorCal President and now my term is over.Unfortunately, Nancy and I had to cancel our plans to attend the Memphis Rally. Nancy’s mother had to have a valve replaced in her heart and we can’t be away for the length of time necessary to make the trip. How-ever, we are going to be able to get away next week for the joint NorCal/SoCal rally at the Wine Country RV Resort in Paso Robles. During the NorCal Business Meeting, we will hold the election of officers. The slate of officers, all running unopposed, are as follows: Glenn Caldwell for President, Mike Pettinger for Vice Presi-dent, Jeannine Caldwell for Secretary, Terry Bennent for Treasurer and Membership. I will remain on the board as Member at Large.Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the rally in Bodega Bay hosted by John and Brenda Hibel and Ann and Richard Forward. The rally dates are September 8 - 12. Check the website for more specifics but so far the hosts have suggested a tour of the Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory and a tour of a berry farm as some of the ac-tivities. Keep these dates free as this will be a great rally in a beautiful part of the Northern California coast.Don’t forget the Western Area Rally October 3 - 7, 2011. The rally will be held at the beautiful Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort October with the resort extending the rally rate for both before and after the rally. Pete and Eileen Smoot are putting this rally together and will need lots of help from the chapters. I have inside information that there will be a special performance from several California celebrities that you will not want to miss. We are also working on a Mexican food theme for one evening witch will include tacos by “The Three Amigos”.I want to welcome the Revolution owners to our group. Now that they are part of our group, we need to think of them as fellow American Coach owners as they are just that.Before I close my last newsletter I have so many people to thank. Charlie Adcock, your encouragement and words of wisdom are really appreciated. I am proud to have you as a friend. Debbie and Joe Darby, thank you so much for listening to my ideas and being a sounding board. We look forward to every adventure with you two. NorCal Officers Leslie Pettinger, Mike Pettinger,

Northern CaliforniaI hope that everyone has had a good start to the new year. It seems like winter came and stayed way too long – at least here in the Carolinas. I think we are all ready for spring and the travel season.

By the time you read this message the ACA National Rally in Memphis will be history. I am not good at writing about an event that has not occurred but, from where I am sitting on April 1st, I am confident that this is going to be a great rally. Our Mac Pack members have once again shown their support for both ACA and our chapter; our volunteers are the best. We had great rally chairpersons, Mary Corcoran and Bob Downing, who worked tirelessly for over two years on this rally. And, I can tell you that these two ACA/Mac Pack members along with their spouses, gave us the very best of them-selves in planning this event. As the president of Mac Pack, I thank you.

As of now, we have a waiting list for vendors, exception-al tours planned, great entertainment lined up with a new approach to evening fun, seminars that will appeal to everyone, the Blue Guitar Stroll, and so much more. Of course, no rally would be complete without Randy and his service crew. Thank you for everything that you do for us! I hope that you had a good time at the rally. It was a lot of work for a lot of Mac Pack members but, we believe we offered you a great location with fun things to do.

We have welcomed quite a few new members to Mac Pack since January: James & Esther Broaddus, David & Wendy Ellis, Neil & Lisa Jensen, Jerry & Jennifer Goergen and Rene & Lynn Descoteaux. The Borecky’s, Shea’s, and Krupa’s joined us at the end of 2010. What would our chapter do without new members? These are the people that keep moving ACA and their chapters forward. Thanks for joining us and we look forward to meeting all of you during the coming year.

Summer time is a family time for Mac Pack so we have no rallies until October. And, after hosting the 2011 national rally, we all need a break. So, from all the Mac Packers, “Enjoy the summer!”

Safe travels to everyone,Skipper Campbell

Mac Pack


Chapter News

News Flash. Alert! Alert! Important announcement! (Did that get your attention?) I wanted to point out a correction in the last ACA Across American article I wrote. We are getting excited about the Western Regional Rally on October 3 – 7, 2011 at the Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort. I was originally led astray (see how easily I can defl ect the blame) and was told that one had to be a member of SoCal, NorCal, Southwest or Northwest to attend, but that was WRONG! Not just WRONG, but dead WRONG. Any ACA member can attend this soon-to-be-infamous rally. Pete Smoot and his chairperson have been knocking it out of the park as far as coordinating the food, the location, and keep-ing the price to a bare minimum. Only 85 sites are available, so when the time comes, get your reservation in. Hopefully you are familiar with this fi ve star resort which was formerly an Outdoor Resort. It’s close to everything, but not close to noise and traffi c.

Now that I have that straightened out, let me tell you about the great time SoCal had at our Valentine’s Week-end Rally in the beautiful Emerald Desert RV Resort. Pete & Eileen Smoot and Lanny & Mary Wilson, with their fi nely honed rally skills, provided something for everyone. They were even able to provide sunny (yes, we got to wear shorts) weather in mid-February. One of the highlights for me was the “chocolate dessert” night dinner. And, there were left-overs!

Southern California

The weekend started out with Emerald Desert’s gala Valentine’s Day dinner in the clubhouse, which includ-ed dancing to a live band (so much better than a dead band, which can be so awkward). The next day we were thrilled to have Norma Dunn conduct a cake decorat-ing class. Not only did she share all of her skills with us, she made all of the cakes and provided all of the frosting, equipment and tools. We had some fabulous looking cakes…and some interesting looking cakes. But you know what, that night they all tasted delicious. Thanks Norma for some out-of-the cake-box thinking and for complete-ly entertaining and educating us.

For lunch we ventured out to Bob and Becky Clapper’s home away from home in La Quinta where we were treated to a great lunch on a picture-perfect day while overlooking the golf course. Bob and Becky must love punishment ‘cause it seems they are always cookin’ something up for us. Big thanks to you for opening your home to us.

Pete, Eileen, Lanny, and Mary made us dinner and completed the night with fun and games. Eileen was the master of ceremonies in our ‘Minute to Win It’ contest.

Ann Forward, Terry Bennett and CJ King, are the best. Everybody did a great job and it was nice to get to know each and every one of you a little better. Last but not least, I would like to thank Mike Campbell for his out-standing work as our website manager. Mike is a “can do” guy and always has things in control.Well, that about wraps thing up. Please say a prayer for the men and women of our Armed Forces that work so hard to maintain our freedom. Re-member, freedom isn’t free. Nancy and I hope to see all of you down the road.George Borecky, PresidentNorthern California Chapter

looking cakes…and

ventured out to Bob and Becky

MAY-JUNE 2011 15

Chapter News

Greetings from Decatur, Indiana, where it’s a cold and damp 45 degrees. We’ve been in the area for about four weeks, making the rounds of Charlotte, Decatur, Greg Mies (Trees to These) and Kevin Mallory (Cruising America RV).

While here, we’ve seen some old friends and met some new ones: First, we travelled in with fellow SW Chap-ter members from Colorado, Glen and Debbie Tilley, and met up with Tony and Mena Fiore (SW members from Illinois) at Camp Decatur. Merritt and Kay Me-dows from Las Vegas (and fellow SW Chapter members) are camped out in one of Fleetwood’s luxurious Class C units while having their sidewalls replaced. Tommie and Jean Graham from Phoenix (and also fellow SW members) arrived a week later. Tom and Peggy Meyer drove in from Dayton, Ohio so that we could spend an afternoon together. And we met and spent time with Gilles & Luce LaFrance from Quebec, Canada, who just bought a new 2011 Eagle…some of our very best friendships have sprung from meeting folks at Camp Decatur.

Since my tenure as the SW Chapter President is draw-ing to a close, this will be my last President’s message in the ACA magazine. It has been my pleasure to serve as an offi cer for our Chapter. There are so many mem-bers who have worked hard to make our rallies and get-togethers successful that I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to each and every one. Your efforts have made such a difference: Our SW Chapter is well-known as being the friendly and laid-back chapter. I have no doubt our future events will continue to be just as enjoyable!

I wish all the best to our new slate of offi cers: Chuck Weart, President; Glen Tilley, Vice President; Debbie Tillie, Secretary, and Jean Graham, Treasurer. All of these folks are caring folks who will work hard on behalf of all the SW members.

From all the Southwest Chapter members, we wish you safe travels, and look forward to seeing you in the future!

Laura BrunoSW Chapter President

SouthwestThe grand prize winner was Debbie Hanson! A 50/50 raffl e benefi ted the ACA Scholarship fund and Pat Adams won half the pool (and gave half back to the scholarship fund). We rounded up the weekend with the chapter meeting, a Mexi-can Train tournament, a Mexican dinner (with the above mentioned abundance of chocolate desserts), and more fun and games – including our new favorite game – “Who Knows You, Baby.” Brilliant win-ners were Norma and Jerry Dunn.

We are just about to head out to the “Let’s Wine About Spring” rally in Paso Robles. Our hosts are Joe & Deb-bie Darby, Bob & Becky Clapper, and George & Nancy Borecky. This rally is so complete that the attendees only have to furnish a lunch or two for themselves. Other than that our hosts are taking care of all the meals and we have no need to load food in our motorhomes! We will be participating in a complimentary wine tasting, a silent auction, and a 50/50 raffl e, again to benefi t the scholar-ship fund! There is so much going on during this rally, I’ll fi ll you in next time.

Next on our busy agenda – we are off to Memphis. I’m excited to say that we have at least 14 coaches making their way to Memphis. We have a large caravan head-ing out May 5th with so many fun stops along the way. We’ll see you at the Blues, Soul, & Rock ‘n’ Roll rally. Thank you, thank you very much! (that was Elvis-speak, in case you didn’t recognize it).

Living the Dream!Beverly Petty, PresidentSouthern California Chapter

Greetings from Decatur, Indiana, where it’s a cold and damp 45 degrees. We’ve been in the area for about four weeks, making the rounds of Charlotte, Decatur, Greg Mies (Trees to These) and Kevin Mallory (Cruising America RV).

While here, we’ve seen some old friends and met some new ones: First, we travelled in with fellow SW Chap-ter members from Colorado, Glen and Debbie Tilley, and met up with Tony and Mena Fiore (SW members from Illinois) at Camp Decatur. Merritt and Kay Me-dows from Las Vegas (and fellow SW Chapter members)

Southwest

desserts), and more fun and games – including our new


Chapter News

Happy Spring everyone! It still looks like winter here in Grayling, Michigan. We had to come home from Florida a couple of months early this year so Betty could attend a bridal shower for the future wife of our grand-son. Now, we’ll be attending their wedding and Nick has asked me (his grandfather) to be his best man; now if that didn’t bring tears to these old eyes. I would like to welcome our newest members, Dick and Edie Winskowicz and Steve and Carolyn Keffeer. We are anxious to meet you in Memphis and we extend a very warm welcome from the Happy Wanderers Chap-ter of ACA.We have a lot of things going on in our chapter. First, we are going to publish a camper’s cookbook. We are having a contest among our chapter members to name the book before publishing, so stay on the lookout for the fi nal results. The next thing on the agenda is our chapter photos. This project is being spear-headed by Rita Adams, our membership chair who is doing a super job of putting it together. It can be purchased as a com-plete book or on a memory USB stick. There are a few people that she can’t seem to get pictures of, so please respond to her call. She would like to have everyone’s picture in it. Now, when you see a fellow member and you can’t remember their name, just grab the book be-fore you walk out of the motorhome and you will have the answer to that frequently asked question, “Honey, do you remember their name?”I realize that a lot of the things that I’m talking about won’t get to our readers and members before the Mem-phis rally, but for those who can’t make it to the rally, this should bring you up to date. I would like to submit a couple of photos that were taken at the Happy wanderer’s Rally in Gillette, Wyo-ming to show you how we love to get together and eat and enjoy everyone’s company. As our chapter name says, we are a happy group.I hope to report to you in the next issue all the high-lights and fun times that we had during our stay in Memphis. Dave Crossan has a great schedule of events planned for our pre-rally so I’m sure we’ll all have fun.If you’re not a member of the Hap-py Wanderers I would encourage you to join; we are a very friendly, fun loving group that’s more like a family. God Bless our Troops, those who are serving and all veterans, wherever they are.Bill MakowskiChapter President – Happy Wanderers

Happy WanderersTime fl ies when you are having fun, or when you have work to do at home. I enjoy having fun more than work , especially if it includes traveling to American Coach rallies. We are going to Memphis early for the barbeque contests. At this time we have 14 members signed up. There are four new members signed up, and we would like to have them or anyone else to join the Missouri Valley Chapter. We are a small group and in-terested in enjoying life and each other’s company. RB, Peg and Webbie have sold their moterhome. We will miss them. RB might get his trike now. Is that OK Peg? Hope to see ya all in Memphis with more fun and laughter to come. Jim CatronMissouri Valley Pres.

Missouri Valley

says, we are a happy group.I hope to report to you in the next issue all the high-lights and fun times that we had during our stay in Memphis. Dave Crossan has a great schedule of events planned for our pre-rally so I’m sure we’ll all have fun.If you’re not a member of the Hap-py Wanderers I would encourage you to join; we are a very friendly, fun loving group that’s more like a family. God Bless our Troops, those who are serving and all veterans, wherever they are.Bill MakowskiChapter President – Happy Wanderers

MAY-JUNE 2011 17

Chapter News

This article is a compilation of two separate articles from Michelin North America and Goodyear Tire Co. I was doing some research for a seminar I put on at RV rallies on tire safety and TPMS. I thought some of the information would be helpful to the members. Jane Lihou

Tires are one of the most highly engineered components on your RV. Tire design is based on relatively strict physical laws and properties. Radial medium truck tires (typically used on RV’s) have approximately 32 components. Every time a tire on a vehicle rotates, it fl exes. To log 100,000 miles, a tire must withstand approximately 57 million fl ex cycles, with all components working in con-cert. Tires are an engineering system and, like all engineering systems, have limits. Just like a lawn mower, automobile, table saw or other engineered prod-uct, a tire will fail it is abused or not properly maintained.

Maintaining proper tire infl ation pressure is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid tire disablement. Heat is the enemy of tires. Every time a tire rotates, it fl exes (defl ects) and this generates heat. Tires are designed for specifi c de-fl ections and operating tem-peratures, sometimes called equilibrium temperature. At equilibrium, the heat generated within the tire is equal to the heat dissipated from the tires surface. Exceeding this equi-librium temperature for short periods of time is not necessar-ily harmful, but exceeding it for long periods begins to damage

the tires material components. Eventually, separation of the tire’s tread, belts and other structures can result.

So, what can cause excessive temperature? Overdefl ection and higher speeds (in excess of 75 miles per hour) are often the problem. Faster speeds translate to more tire revolu-tions per minute, which causes heat buildup as the tire fl exes through each rotation. Too much tire defl ection can come from overloading and/or under-infl ating your tires. It is impera-tive that you maintain proper speed, know the load on each tire and keep tires infl ated to the proper air pressure in order to avoid exposing your tires to excessive temperature.

A tire that is underinfl ated will build up excessive heat that may go beyond the prescribed limits of endurance of the rub-ber and the radial cords. This could result in sudden tire fail-ure. A tire that is underinfl ated will also cause poor vehicle handling, rapid and/or irregular tire wear, and a decrease in its fuel economy.

On the other hand, over-infl a-tion will reduce the tire’s foot-print or contact patch with the road, thus reducing the trac-tion, braking capacity, and han-dling of the vehicle. A tire that is overinfl ated for the load that it is carrying will also contrib-ute to a harsh ride, uneven tire wear, and will be susceptible to impact damage.

Maintaining correct tire infl a-tion pressure for each loaded wheel position on your vehicle is of the utmost importance

and must be a part of regular vehicle maintenance. The GAWR sticker (located on the wall beside the driver’s seat) is a guide in knowing your maximum loaded axle weights and subsequently your correct tire infl ation pressure. You will see recommendations for tire pressure for each of your axels. Keep in mind, because of dif-ferent options and personal loads, every motorhome, even of the same make and model, will vary in actual loaded axle weights.

If you carry a lot of stuff in your bays, you should consider having your coach weighed to determine your proper tire pressure. The only method to properly weigh and RV to ensure that each tire is within its prescribed load rating is to weight the vehicle by individual wheel position. Once this is done, you can determine the proper infl ation for each tire. Your owner’s manual will have a load and infl ation table. Use this to determine the proper in-fl ation for your tires. Be aware that different tire manufactur-ers build their tires to different specifi cations and therefor may have different load tables. Use the load table that matches your tire brand.

All tires on the same axel must be infl ated to the same pres-sure (the one required for the heaviest side). Remember, the infl ation pressure for the load stamped on the sidewall is the maximum air pressure when cold for that tire. This is not necessarily the amount of air pressure you should keep in your tires.

Reader’s Forum - Your RV Tires and Heat

cont’d page 2818 ACA ACROSS AMERICA

Greetings American Coach Owners, I would like to invite you to attend Fleetwood RV’s “Circle Your Wagons in Shawnee” National Rally in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The rally will be held June 25 – 29, 2011. Rally fee packages start at just $179 and include four breakfasts, two dinners, an all-American picnic lunch and an ice-cream social. The list of event activities includes:

• Golf tournament • Two evenings of live music • Family activities including a movie night • Casino night • “Behind the Wheel” driving instruction by Gary Lewis • Ladies afternoon tea & cupcakes with guest speaker

In addition, American Coach sales, service and product development teams will all be on-site. OEM suppliers and a variety of other vendors will also be available to answer questions and host information seminars. You do not want to miss this event! To learn more about the Circle Your Wagons in Shawnee rally, including how to register, visit www.fleetwoodrv.com/mhevent. At Fleetwood RV and American Coach, we know our success is not possible without you, our loyal customers. Thank you for your ongoing support. Hope to see you in Oklahoma! Safe travels, Steven Hileman Event Marketing Manager

MAY-JUNE 2011 19

ACA WebsiteThe Webmaster’s Report

ACA ScholarshipFoundationAs this issue reaches you, the scholarship team should already be in Decatur, getting ready to make this year’s awards to some very deserving students. Don’t forget that this has been made possible through your generosity and contributions to this worthwhile cause. Thanks to the members of the American Coach Asso-ciation who opened their hearts and wallets. Because of you, we are in a position to award scholarships to ten graduating students.

In preparation for this process, each student had submitted an application to the board, outlining their accomplishments scholastically, in sports, in their community, and work life. We received 16 applica-tions, all of which showed great accomplishments thus far in their lives.

We are so proud and happy to be able to contribute in some small way to aiding these graduating stu-dents in their effort to continue on to college or trade school. If you read any of the applications, you will take solace in the fact that the future of our country rests in the hands of these capable students.

The members of the Board of Directors of the Schol-arship Foundation wish to express our sincere thanks to the members of ACA for your generous participa-tion in this worthwhile program. Remember, the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow and, it’s a great feeling to be able to contribute in some small way to this development process.

If you have questions or suggestions on this program, please feel free to call, email me, or stop by the ACA website for further details. Thanks for all you do.

Sincerely,

Doug Thompson

I was happy to be able to report in our last issue that the chapter rosters are all synchronized with national roster, and that the accuracy of all of the data is in much better. This effort will continue with the chap-ter membership chairs meeting in Memphis to gather ideas on how to improve accuracy and provide better services to the members.

Remember, you can now print a report for any chap-ter, as well as for national (a handy item to keep in your coach as you travel). A lot of effort has gone into this project and we’d like to express our thanks to Janice Thompson, ACA Membership Services, Graeme Gee, ACA data coordinator, and each membership chair in the regional chapters for their outstanding work.

Traffic at the site has slowly started picking up again. There is no way for me to determine if this is a result of additional hits regarding the Memphis rally, or if people are just checking in prior to their summer travels. But, it is good to see more people dropping by. I have worked very hard for the past several months to raise our web visibility while learning as much as pos-sible about search engine optimization. This consists of preparing your site for a visit from the search engine robots, then inviting them to stop by and read your pages. They are pretty independent, quite busy and totally aloof. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the scheme of things.

In any event, please let me know if you have ideas or thoughts on what additional content we can provide for you. Thanks in advance.Doug Thompson


LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

HELPFUL HINTS & TIPS!If so, please send it in to your editor:

[email protected] or Jane Lihou • 9121 Atlanta Ave., #637

Huntington Beach, CA 92646

2 lbs yellow or green squash, sliced ¼ inch thick2 eggs1/4 cup chopped bell pepper1/4 cup chopped onion1 cup mayonnaise1 cup grated cheddar or parmesan cheeseSalt and pepper to taste1 cup Ritz Cracker crumbs1/4 cup melted butter

Saute squash, onions and bell peppers, without browning them, until tender . Let cool . Beat eggs, mayonnaise, cheese, salt and pepper until combined . Fold in vegetables . Pour into a buttered 8 inch casse-role dish and top with Ritz Cracker crumbs . Drizzle with melted butter . Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until golden brown .

1/2 cup mayonnaise2 Tbsp fl our2 eggs1/4 cup milk1/3 cup diced onions1/3 cup diced bell pepper8 oz shredded Swiss cheese1 lb pasteurized crab meat (found in the refrigerator section of your grocery store)1 frozen pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees .Bake frozen pie shells for 10 minutes . Let cool .Beat mayonnaise, fl our, eggs and milk until blended. Stir in onions, peppers, Swiss cheese and crab meat until ingredients are evenly distributed . Pour mix-ture into pie shell and bake for 45 minutes until fi rm and golden . Serve warm or at room temperature .

1 8 or 9 .75 oz can Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken Breast Meat8 oz cream cheese, softened½ cup mayonnaise1 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients well . Refrigerate mixture until fi rm enough to roll into one or two balls. Roll ball in chopped pecans . Serve with crackers .

Posh Squash

Easy & Delicious Crab Quiche Pecan Crusted Chicken and Cream Cheese Ball

The recipes for this issue came from Phyliss Ingram who we spent some time with recently. She made the chicken and pecan appetizer at the FMCA Rally in Perry, GA and we enjoyed the crab quiche for dinner with her and Kent at their home in Wagener, SC. I was grumbling about having to come up with the recipes every issue and threatening to put in a recipe for alligator meatballs (it is a great story and recipe and I will publish it sometime) and she gave me these three recipes, two of which I can vouch for. Thank you, Phyliss.

MAY-JUNE 2011 21

Rolling Recipes

THE ROVING WRENCHER

Crankcase Filters

The 2007 or newer coaches have a crankcase fi lter on the engine. Some 2006 coaches with Cummins engines also have a crankcase fi lter. These fi lters are a component of the new closed crankcase systems required under the new smog requirements, as opposed to the older open systems that al-lowed the crankcase to breathe into the open atmosphere.

These crankcase fi lters should be changed every two years. If your crankcase fi lter starts to plug up, your crankcase will begin to build up pressure, at which time you may see oil leaking onto the ground. In addition, some later model coaches will have a “Check Engine” light that will come on if pressure begins to build.

Recently, a friend of mine, who has a 2006 ISL engine, noticed oil on his driveway, and took his coach to a Cummins repair facility to be checked out. The repair facility decided to do a pressure test. There are three methods by which this can be accomplished.

Method One: Install test equip-ment on the engine, put the coach on a dyno, and check to see if your crankcase is build-ing excess pressure.

Method Two: Install test equipment on the engine, put the coach in Drive, apply the brakes and at the same time put the pedal to the metal, and see if your crankcase if building excess pressure. While this is a test procedure right out of the Cummins book, with this test all the stress is on the ring and pinion, the drive axles and the transmission.

For my friend, this was the testing method used by the Cummins repair facility. It showed excess crankcase pressure. The mechanic changed the crankcase fi lter and pro-ceeded to do a re-test, which now showed no excess pressure. At that point, the mechanic be-gan to back the coach out of the shop, and heard a clunking noise…the ring gear on the rear drive axle had broken. My friends were stuck at the repair facility for three weeks, awaiting a new ring and pinion assembly.

Method Three: This is my pre-ferred method. Change your crankcase fi lter, wash down the outside of the oil pan, and see if that doesn’t stop the oil

from leaking. Coming from the aircraft industry, we wash down the engine every time we ser-vice it; every time I service my engine, I wash it down.

The bottom line is this: Change your crankcase fi lter at least once every two years.

On a side note: I understand that Cummins has now ceased recommending the Method 2 pressure test. Do not let any repair facility use this method for conducting a crankcase pressure test on your coach.

By Joe Bruno


MAY-JUNE 2011 23

• Furniture• Upholstery• Cabinetry

• Electronics• Ceilings• Windows

• Flooring• Awnings

3340 US Hwy 92 E Lakeland, FL 33801

1-800-971-0017classiccoachworks.com

Day Shades

Night PrivacyShades

Household RefrigeratorsFlatpanel LCD TVStressless chairs and more!

Day/Night ShadesRoller shades power

or manual for cockpitor house.

Flooring

aba ad:Layout 1 4/27/11 5:32 PM Page 1


Industry Leader in RV Ventilation & Fans

BRINGS THE OUTSIDE

■ Exchange cabin air in minutes with clean, fresh, natural air

■ Highest quality components proven to withstand harsh weather

■ Maximum air exchange with minimum sound levels & power

■ Fully Open Dome Stability While Driving

■ Upgrade Kits Easily Add: - Reverse Air Flow Switch - Built-In Thermostat - Pop ‘N Lock Screen - Variable Speed Control - Hand Held Remote

■ Expert Technical Support

■ Trusted and Installed by more OEM’s

Signature Products, Signature Service

800.521.0298 www.fantasticvent.com

MADE IN USA

Serving the RV Industry for Over 25 years!

... INSTANTLY.®

Date Location Chapter

June 20 - 24, 2011 Shipshewana, Ind. Great Lakes Chapter

Sept. 8 - 12, 2011 Bodega Bay, Calif Northern California Chapter

Sept. 12 - 16, 2011 Lake Leelanau, Mich. Great Lakes Chapter

Oct. 3 - 7, 2011 Las Vegas, Nev. Western Regional Rally

Oct. 10 - 15, 2011 College Park, Md. Mac Pack Chapter

Oct. 31 - Nov. 4, 2011 San Antonio, Tx South Central Chapter

January 12 - 15, 2012 Lazy Days / Seffner, Florida Mac Pack Chapter

January 15 - 19, 2012 Outdoor Rsrts./Port St. Lucie Florida Mac Pack Chapter

MAY-JUNE 2011 25

ACA Rally Schedule

SOUTH CENTRAL CHAPTERBraunig Lake RV Resort (San Antonio) October 31 – November 4, 2011

The hosts for this rally are Tony & Betty Todd and Bruce & Sharon Pinnell. In many ways, this is Texas’s most beautiful and atmospheric city. Plans are already underway for entertainment, eats, and tours, etc. This is also the site of the 2012 National ACA rally which we will be hosting in the spring of 2012, so members should make every attempt to attend. The sites of-fered are all 50 amps with all the amenities of a full service campground. Please check our website to get the particulars on this rally - updates will be posted when received. You can contact Tony Todd @210-257-0267(Home) or 210-268-774(cell) or email @ [email protected] for more information.

Mac Pack ChapterLazy Days/Seffner FloridaJanuary 12 – 15, 2012 andOutdoor Resorts, Port St. Lucie, FloridaJanuary 15 – 19, 2012

This will be a new rally concept for Mac Pack this winter. Your rally hosts, Jerry & Millie Cohen have 30 sites reserved at Lazy Days during the Tampa RV Super Show. Lazy Days is not having any meals or entertainment rallies in 2012 so we will be “on our own”. Plans are being made to go to The Columbia Restaurant as a group and have our yummy strawberry social while at Lazy Days.

On Sunday we can caravan over to Port St. Lucie where our hosts, David & Denise Hillemann, have quite a rally planned. If you arrive early enough on Sunday you can join their resort breakfast. On Monday we are planning to have a catered dinner, on Tuesday evening we can join the resort owners in a pasta dinner, and plans are being made for a boat tour of Jupiter Island as well as a night golf game followed by a pizza party. Details are being finalized but make sure you save the date for this rally as well.

October 31- November 4, 2011San AntonioSouth Central Chapter

Mac Pack ChapterCherry Hill RV Park, College Park, MDOctober 10 – 15, 2011

Your hosts, Bill & Joan Engelkemier, Marcia & Corky Bailey and Walt & Sylvia Graham are putting together some great plans for this rally. We will have a catered dinner, an evening tour of Washington, DC, an authen-tic Maryland Crab Cake dinner and oh so much fun. This area offers so much for you to do and see so plan to come a few days early or stay a few day after to take full advantage of the capitol city. Make sure you save the dates for this one!

Four Chapter Western RallyLas Vegas Motorcoach ResortLas Vegas, NevadaOctober 3 - 7, 2011

Okay Guys and Gals…mark your calendars for a four-chapter American Coach Western Rally extravaganza. This next October 3 – 7, 2011, the NorCal, Northwest, SoCal and Southwest Chapters are hosting the only multi-chapter AC rally west of the Rockies that will be held before the National ACA Rally comes west in 2012. The location will be the beautiful and spacious Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort. There are only about 20 RV parks in the US rated 10/10/10 by the TL Camp-ground Guide, and this Resort is one of them!

Plans are already well underway for entertainment, eats, and other good things! While it’s still coming together, it looks like we’re going to be able to give you 4 nights and 5 days at the resort, 3 dinners (in-cluding one from Famous Dave’s BBQ) plus heavy hor d’ouevres the evening we arrive; a welcome breakfast, golf and other diversions; after-dinner entertainment; and all for under $300 per coach. Oh, and there’s Las Vegas, too…you might have heard of it?

Hold these dates on your calendar; and look for more information on this Western Rally both here and on the Yahoo AC site. You are also welcome to invite your Buddy Coach friends…the more the merrier. And remember, the best hospitality happens in the West!!!


Rally Sites

Storage space is always a problem in any home, but in our rolling homes it really lends itself to creative solutions. Having all the dishes we want in the kitchen at our fi ngertips makes it necessary to stack things on top of each other. The laws of balance require the larger items be on the bottom. When we are serving meals the dinner plates are always on the bottom, because they are the larg-est. Why not stack vertically? This way nothing is on the ‘bottom’. All you need is a lid rack. They are used to hold lids for pots and pans and are readily available any where that sells household items. They come in many sizes so, you can fi nd the size that will fi t into the cupboard you want to use, and then put your dishes in vertically. Now every size dish is literally at your fi ngertips, with-out having to lift the smaller dishes to reach the larger ones.

Organizing Your Coachby Debbie Darby

Tips & Tricks: Do you have an item, like a wastebasket in the bathroom that slides around when you travel. Just put a strip of adhesive Velcro on the side of the trash can, and one on the wall where you want it to stay, and it will ride down the road without moving. If you decide to change it, or the location, the ‘sticky’ left behind will come off with a dab of GooGone on a paper towel.

Are you going on a long trip and the freezer is full to the brim? Type or write a list of everything you have in your freezer. Tape it to the back of a cup-board door that is most convenient to the freezer. Next time you’re deciding what to cook, instead of staring in the freezer with the door open, (haven’t we all done that!) just look at your list. When you use something, be sure to cross it off the list. When you add something, just jot it down on the list!

Goodyear recommends check-ing your infl ation pressure weekly and making sure your tires are properly infl ated prior to a trip. Always check your infl ation pressure when the tires are cold (before you start driving). The infl ation pressure of tires that have been running down the road will measure 10 to 15 PSI higher due to the nor-mal expansion of air from heat build-up in the tire.

NEVER compromise safety for ride comfort. Lower tire infl a-tion pressure may translate to a softer ride, but it may also translate into tire damage and eventually, a disables tire.

Reader’s Forum - Your RV Tiresand Heat - cont’d


Welcome to our new members: Bill and Freeda Abernethy, Bert Adams, Kristie and Joe Alewine, Richard and Nicole Allen, Steve Altheimer, William and Elizabeth Altman, Doug and Kim Anderson, Ray and Debi Anding, Jerry and Bonnie Barber, Randy and Belinda Bauer, Mike and Yvonne Borkowski, James and Esther Broaddus, William and Linda burr, Larry and Laura Cariota, Jeffrey Chad, Terry and Deborah Clark, Donald and Pat Conner, Robert and Linda Cowgill, Jack and Noonie Crabtree, Ignacio and Tillie Curiel, John Curtain, Jacques Breton and Danielle Gagnon, Michael and Nancy DeLashmit, Brian and Glenda Donahue, James and Mary Claire Dover, Ken Edward and Suzie Adcock, Patrick Floyd, Edward and Corky Foerschler and John and Joan Foster.

We would also like to welcome: Steve and Chele Gerson, Jim and Vicki Getgood, Keith and Jayne Grasso, Marv Gregory, Michael Hafer and Jim Barber, Jim and Bonnie Hall, Donald and Virginia Halliburton, Tony and Pat Hasty, Tom and Paula Hawkins, Ralph and Karla Heinefi eld, Greg Heath, Mark and Carol Hoffman, Keith and Izzy Hulfeld, Gerald and Martha Humphrey, Ralph and Dianne Humphrey, Lester and Alisa Hux-Potter, William and Fran Johnson, Ernest and Barbara Jones, Steven and Debra Kirkpatrick, Paul and Joyce Kobetz, Steve and Mary Korrect, Richard and June Kranz, Bob Krum and Lynn Buland, Dennis Lamers, Thomas and Ann Lane, Jeff Lentz, Barry and Glenda Long, Chuck and Anita Lewis, Jack Luhtanen, Jim and Judy McAuliff, Joseph Miller, Carl and Rebekah Monroe, Rob and Becky Monson and Andy and Mary Murray.

And last but not least we welcome: Jason Nichols, William and Marsha Norton, Lori Pamperin, Richard and Arlene Parker, David and Joan Parriot, Dennis and Susan Pitts, Nick and Cathy Proffi tt, Corvallis and Trudy Ramey, Colin and Janelle Ratsey, Gary and Michelle Reichart, Dale and Rhonda Rector, Kathy Richard, Norman and Yvonne Rivera, Earl and Brenda Rolle, Tom and Jodie Salter, John and Pat Sharp, Frank and Joan Spanfelner, Craig and Mary Ann Sturken, Charlie Storke and Nancy Faville, Philippe and Margo Tasse, Ken Teed and Angela Brunner, Terry and Lacie Thrall, Ernie and Shirley Verkade, Roger and Jacqueline Vezina, Ben and Kathleen Walter, Ernie and Toni Ward, Gene and Dawn Warshawsky, Robert and Jane Watson, Carl and Eileen Wian, Mark and Linda Wilson, Maynard Wiens and Dick and Edie Winskowicz.We hope to see you all at a rally soon! Jan Thompson, ACA Membership Services [email protected] • (501) 858-9564 • (727) 364-5327

• Credit Card Services •You can join or pay your annual

dues with a Master Card or Visa on the ACA Web site*. We’ve taken

precautions to ensure it’s safe and no one will have access to your

credit card information.

• Membership Roster/By-Laws •Membership Roster & By-Laws can

be viewed and downloaded from the ACA Web site*. Please note we

no longer mail out either unless one is requested by mail or e-mail.

• Free Web Site Advertising •Members can place a classifi ed “coach for sale” advertisement

on the ACA Web site. Best of all, it’s FREE!

• Membership Badges •New members receive their

Membership Badge(s) - they are FREE - with their New Member

Welcome Letter. Existing members who wish replacement badges must order them directly from

McBee’s - see below.

• Change Phone or Address •Change and/or view your personal membership information on the

ACA Web site*

All ACA mailings, including the ACA Across America Magazine, are mailed to the address listed in the

ACA Roster data base.

If you don’t have a computer (or hate to use one) just call or mail us and we’ll make any necessary changes or corrections for you.

Need Swingers, Badges or Ovals?It’s easy: Mail your order along with an enclosed check (US $), including your correct ACA Membership Number, to the following:

McBee’s • 909-336-2325 • PO Box 660, Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352• Swingers @ $2.00 each • Badges @ 5.50 each • Ovals @ $16.00 each - Prices include shipping and sales tax.

Questions? send e-mail to [email protected]

* Type in www.myamericancoach.com - on the home page, click on Membership Services and follow prompts.

MAY-JUNE 2011 29

Membership Services Welcomes Our New Members

• NortheastMaine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts,Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,Delaware & Maryland Bob Hershman, Membership Chair2415 Continental Dr.Warrington, PA 18976215-343-2448 • cell [email protected]$8.00 Initiation Fee$12.00 Annual Dues-less $1.00 prorated per month after July

• Mac PackKentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina,South Carolina & TennesseeMarlene Shamel, Membership Chair279 Stonegate LaneMocksville, NC [email protected]$8.00 Initiation Fee$12.00 Annual Dues, due July 1

• SoutheastMississippi, Alabama, Georgia & FloridaMonty Campbell, Membership Chair8701 Belle Meade DriveFort Myers, FL [email protected]$8.00 Initiation Fee$12.00 Annual Dues

• Great LakesMinnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,Michigan & Southern Ontario, CanadaMary Jo Benhart, Membership Chair1014 Independence Blvd.Yorkville, IL 60560630-553-0102 Cell: [email protected]$10.00 Annual Dues, due by July 1$5.00 after January 1

• Missouri ValleyNorth Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa & MissouriLinda Smith, Membership Chair1419 Anglers RoadBeaufort, MO 63013573-484-3157 Cell: [email protected]$15.00 Annual Dues due by July 1

• South Central Chapter:Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma & TexasDavid Parsons, Membership Chair120 Julie LaneStonewall, LA 71078318-925-4606 • [email protected]$6.00 Initiation Fee$12.00 Annual Dues less $1.00 prorated per month after January

• SouthwestColorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Nevada and UtahSteve Hight, Membership Chair1698 Nez Pierce Loop, NERio Rancho, NM 87144505-343-0782 • Cell: [email protected]$8.00 Initiation Fee$12.00 Annual Dues less $1.00 prorated per month after July

• Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSusan Rose, Membership Chair/Treasurer300 S. Houser DriveCovina, CA [email protected]$5.00 Initiation Fee • $15.00 Annual Dues, due June

• Northern CaliforniaNorthern California and Northern NevadaTerry Bennett, Membership Chair1970 N. Leslie St., PMB 334Pahrump, NV [email protected]$5.00 Initiation Fee$12.00 Annual Dues less $1.00 prorated per month after July$33.00 Optional personalized window placard

• NorthwestOregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska,British Columbia, Alberta & SaskatchewanLeslie Pettinger, Membership Chair1919 Maiden LaneOakdale, CA 95361209-847-7133 / Cell: [email protected]$8.00 Initiation Fee$12.00 Annual Dues less $1.00 prorated after July

• Happy WanderersAll 50 States Plus CanadaRita Adams, Membership Chair524 Pleasant Home Ch Rd.Millers Creek, NC 28651336-602-9777 $5.00 Initiation Fee$15.00 Annual DuesAnnual dues renewal date: January 1


Chapter Directory

New Membership Application & Dues Renewal FormPlease complete this form and mail (with check in US dollars) to the ACA Membership Services address listed below

USE For Local Chapter Membership Application ONLY *I understand that I may join as many local chapters as I please but that I must be a member in good standing in

the National American Coach Association in order to join a local chapter - my membership number is: #____________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Owner’s name: first (if you prefer a nickname, use that) last

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Co-Owner’s name: first (if you prefer a nickname, use that) last

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing info: address & street name city state zip U.S. or Canada

(_______)_______-__________________(_______)_______-________________________________________________________

Phone: home cell E-mail address

See Directory & Dues page for a listing of chapters, states they cover, dues & initiation fees and key contacts.Indicate the chapter(s) that you wish to join by checking the appropriate box(es)

q Great Lakes q Happy Wanderers q MacPack q Missouri Valley q Northern California

q Northeast q Northwest q Southern California q South Central q Southeast q Southwest

Total of the enclosed check (see chapter requirements): $_____ Check number _____ Date mailed _____

* Send this completed form, along with a check in the correct amount for initiation fees and first year’s dues(US dollar please) and mail it to the appropriate chapter contact as listed on Directory & Dues page of this Magazine.

c u t & m a i l s e p a r a t e l y

• • • American Coach Association • • •3590 Round Bottom Road, Cincinnati, OH 45244-3026

If you need to correspond with the Membership Services office directly, you can reach them at 501-858-9564 or send Email to [email protected]

When enclosing a check with this form, please fill in the following information: Select one: q Current ACA member # _______ q Reactivating membership/previous ACA # _______ q Applying for new membership

q New or reactivated membership - $55 first year only ($45 annual dues plus $10 initiation fee) q Annual renewal dues - $45 yearly renewal of which $6 is allocated towards your yearly subscription of the

ACA Across America magazine, published bi-monthly

q Number or years renewal (select one): q One q Two

q Total of your enclosed check $ _______ (US dollars please) Check number _______ Date mailed _______

Please type or print clearly. NOTE: If you are a New Member, the National Directory & your ACA badge will be exactly as listed.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Owner’s name: first (if you prefer a nickname, use that) last

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Co-Owner’s name: first (if you prefer a nickname, use that) last

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing info: address & street name city state zip U.S. or Canada

(_______)_______-__________________(_______)_______-________________________________________________________

Phone: home cell E-mail address

I/we own: q Heritage/year _____ q Eagle/year _____ q Dream/year _____ q Tradition/year _____ q Limited/year _____ q Allegiance/year _____

I/we belong to the following local chapter(s): q Great Lakes q Happy Wanderers q MacPack q Missouri Valley q Northern California

q Northeast q Northwest q Southern California q South Central q Southeast q Southwest

MAY-JUNE 2011 31

Membership Form

Captains Chairs - Recliners - SofasTheater Seating - Tables - MattressesDinette Sets - Computer Centers

MCD Shades - LCD TV’s - Flooring

Shop Online - Visit Our ShowroomShipping - Professional Installation

FlooringInstallation Computer Desks LCD TV Installation


ACA Across AmericaThe Offi cial Magazine of American Coach AssociationMembership Services1812 Latelia Ct.New Port Richey, FL 34655

the american coach association | having more fun than ... · customer service on a first-name basis...

Documents