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News, Past, Present and Future - October 2014

           

For the last rally of our 45th year we were blessed with great weather. The weather for most of September and October has been generally above average. I am sure that winter's winds are just around the corner.

            When we arrived at Cedar Oaks RV Park in Grove, OK the usual suspects already there. The Severes, Cooks and McVays had arrived the day before. We drove from the Springfield area with the Backers. Shortly following us at the park were the Couchs and Sidebottoms. TJ Ballard and Sandy Thomas had also arrived earlier. Since the McKinneys live in Grove they did not drive their coach to the park but joined in the festivities. Later in the afternoon there was a fix of a broken water fitting on the Cook coach with the help of our loosely organized fixit team headed by Nick Backer. They also did some investigation of John Severes water leak that had an unknown origination. TJ Ballard may have come up with the best solution but only time will tell.

            The Severes were in charge of the Monday evening reception and Lucille had decorated the clubhouse with a large amount of Halloween items; it looked great. For the reception she had hot apple cider available and there were plenty of snack and desserts for all of the hungry diners. Along with the Halloween decorations there was also an appearance of Kansas City Royal World Series clothing . 

            For our Tuesday breakfast Dan Couch manned his every-ready spatula and served up those world-famous pancakes. He

stopped when he ran out of raw material. I do not think any of it went to waste. The pancakes were accompanied by sausage, orange juice and coffee. After breakfast we had a final business meeting about which you can read in the minutes available at the link to the left. Much of that day was spent with spirited conversations by the maintenance team with a number of problems and solutions advanced. Some to be accepted and others discarded. During the afternoon the ladies started a vigorous card game. That evening Carol Genrich served up a chili dinner with french bread, salad and two cakes. Many of the ladies were wearing special Halloween shirts for the occasion.

Shortly after dark a number of the members were seen heading for their coaches to watch the sixth game of the World Series. Good soundproofing kept the cheers localized.

            The Wednesday breakfast was handled by Elaine and Gary Sidebottom. We were served egg casserole with fresh fruit and coffee. During the rest of the day the ladies were involved with some jewelry discussions and then a card game while the gentlemen were once again discussing the pros and cons of various world problems. For the evening meal the McKinneys had invited the chapter to their home. We were greeted by some well dressed witches living in a Halloween-decorated abode. They have a lovely home situated on a golf course and we were given the two dollar executive tour. After the tour and conversation we sat down to a great mexican food feast consisting of beef and chicken enchiladas, mexican rice, refried bean, hot apple cider and cake. This was all prepared by the executive chef of the evening, Michael McKinney.

Joining us for the evening were Leroy and Carol Ollhoff. They are local friends of the McKinneys who enjoy the RV lifestyle. Later in the evening the Kansas City members escaped to watch the seventh game of the World Series. It was relatively quiet as groans are not as loud as cheers.

            Our Thursday morning get away breakfast was hosted by the Severes. Lucille Severe had made a deal with a bakery for some Halloween-decorated cinnamon rolls. That was joined by the remainder of the fruit and the egg casserole.

            All in all a very enjoyable rally. There are some that may note our lack of off-park trips or games or other events but there is much pleasure in spending time with friends who have similar interests such a motorhomes.

            

FMCAssist. Your FMCA membership has become more valuable ... FMCA’s Governing Board has approved the reinstatement of FMCAssist as an association-paid benefit. Effective Oct. 1, this medical evacuation/repatriation and emergency medical reunion benefit is included as a portion of your annual dues. The latest issue of the FMCA magazine has all of the details on this new program.

           That is it for the year. When next we meet it will be to usher in our 46th year. See you in April!

Information for September

I have been asked to address the general issue of motorcoach performance. Specifically, how do you get good fuel mileage and what contributes to poor fuel mileage? And a small piece on tires.

I have written on this subject before but it has been a while and probably needs to be restated.

Fuel mileage is determined by several factors:

1. The driver (you!)

2. Speed

3. Weight

4. Tires

5. Frontal area (that barn door you are driving)

6. Weather (specifically the wind)

There are additional factors but in my experience these are the most significant and the first four are owner controllable. Let's start with numbers one and two - You and speed. For reference, the most efficient drivers get 30% better fuel mileage than the least efficient drivers. Where are you on that curve? Want to get better fuel mileage, talk to that gent in the mirror.

While underway the driver has control over two main areas; speed and inertia. Obviously the driver can control the speed, but what is the best speed? Well, the faster you go the more fuel you use just because of the increase in wind resistance (drag). It takes X horsepower to move Y weight at Z speed. Let's look at an example:

For a 34,000 lb coach it takes 100 hp to travel at 55mph on level ground.

It takes 150 hp to move that same coach at 65 mph also on level ground.

As you increase your speed the hp required is increased, duh! Air resistance increases by the square of speed, so there is 8 times as much at 60 as at 30. Drag is so important to vehicle manufacturers that they spend thousands of hours in wind tunnels testing designs. However, not so much, if any, for motor coaches.

In the first example it takes 60 hp of that 100 hp just because you are driving a barn door. Increase the speed to 65 and you now need 102 hp for the same barn door. Go faster and it just gets worse. When that Prevost motors past you at 70 he is using over 200 hp. I hope by now that you have realized that more horsepower required means more fuel required. As a rule of thumb, it takes 0.1 more fuel for each 1 mph over 55 mph. Going from 55 to 65 will cost you 1.0 mpg not counting any other factors.

Let's introduce one other factor, terrain. I know, Kansas is billiard table flat. Humor me. Think about climbing the Donner Pass eastbound; zero to 8,000 ft in 50 miles. I have done that more than a few times. You can kiss your fuel mileage goodbye. If you want to climb a 6% grade at 55 with your 34,000 lb coach you will need more than 400 of those horsepower ponies. That is why I was usually at 45 mph climbing Donner. Now you know why those engines are so big.

At any given speed there is only one way for your coach to get better fuel mileage than the next guy, lie about it. When I go to Florida I am at max gross weight and am pulling a 3,900 lb car. Do the math. I am not going to get my "normal" everyday fuel mileage.

Now that I have you motoring along at a reasonable speed what about stopping. Obviously your RV will not stop in as short a distance as a car. What is your stopping distance? A car can be stopped from 60 mph in 250-300 ft depending on several variables one of which is reaction time. A semi takes about 400-500 ft. Since we weigh about one-half of a semi, but several times more than a car, your stopping distance is going to be closer to 400 than 300. Just stop and think about how far 400 ft is. Oh, how about your reaction time. Still catch flies with your bare hands? Yeah, right.

What about inertia? You always need to maintain momentum. When approaching a red traffic signal, try to time it so that you keep rolling when it turns green. Let others  trip the sensor, while you slow well in advance. Even a creeping start uses less fuel than starting from a complete stop. Also, from a complete stop, the only thing you will out accelerate is a fully loaded semi. Easy on the throttle big boy! There are other examples but I think you can get the idea.

So now we have addressed the first two items. On to weight. Again refer to the first example concerning Y weight. How much of what you are hauling around do you have to always have with you. No, you do not!! I am a minimalist. When we get home from Florida I empty the coach and start over. That way I clean out all of the nooks and crannys (look what I found!) and I put back in what we need for the summer. No, I do not need to carry that 50lb screen room all summer. Also, do you haul around a full tank of fresh water? Why? How much could you use before you get to the next faucet? You say to yourself, "I am already a heavy vehicle why worry about another 100 lbs.' Well, good luck with that.

Tires. One of the contributors to hp requirement is rolling resistance. Remember that in the first example it took 60 hp to overcome the drag at 55. Well, the rest of the 100 hp required (40) is from rolling resistance. How is the air pressure in your tires? Do you know what it is supposed to be? No, it is not stamped on the tire. That is the maximum pressure you can use and that is only necessary at your maximum weight. If the pressure is higher than required it leads to more rapid tire wear and a harsher ride. Conversely, if it is too low the tire will get hotter and there will be  more rolling resistance. Just like you, tires do not like to be hotter than necessary. It shortens their life and lowers your fuel mileage. For every tire there is an ideal air pressure for any weight. It can be found on the tire manufacturer's web site or in a brochure you can get at the tire store. Therefore, you will need to know the weight of your coach. Have not weighed your coach? Shame on you.

Frontal area. You have no control over this factor. It is what it is, large! Remember, wind resistance rises at a greater rate than your speed because of simple physics. No, physics is not simple.

Weather. The biggest weather factor is the wind. I know, it is always a head wind. Well, not really, it just seems that way. For me wind is the biggest factor affecting my fuel mileage. I drive 60 mph. A 15 mph head wind is just like driving 75. Driving that 34,000 lb coach into a 15 mph head wind requires 63% more hp than when there is no wind. Unfortunately, a 15 mph tailwind only reduces required hp by 38%.

Let's go back to the subject of tires. Are you aware that all tires have a maximum speed? That is one reason you cannot put just any old tire on that neat Corvette. Therefore, your motor coach tires also have a maximum speed. For example, all Michelin RV tires except one have a maximum speed of 75mph. The one that does not has a max speed of 65 mph. All Goodyear RV tires have a maximum speed of 75. So the next time you are doing 70 and that Prevost roars by you he is not doing his tires any favors. And neither are you.

Another point about tires. When fitted to an RV they will usually age out before they wear out. How do you know how long they will last? How can you tell if they need replacing? The answer to both questions is - it depends. The general consensus on when you should replace RV tires is 5 - 7 years. I know, you know a guy that has 10 year old tires and they look just fine. Well, good for him. He probably keeps his unit inside and drives 1,000 miles a year, if at all. Plus, you cannot tell the condition of a tire by looking at the exterior. You can have a tire tech dismount your tires and give you an estimate of the condition but you will never get him to put it in writing. Here is a good way to look at replacement time. Your coach is now six years old. How long are you going to keep it? If you say, at least another four years why not just get new tires now? Are you going to leave them on for another four years? If not, what is the point of waiting. If you change now you will probably be good on tires for another six years.

Hopefully, this is helpful information. For anyone who would like more information let me know and I will forward documents on this subject written by CAT and Cummins. They have both done quite a bit of research in these areas.

News, Past, Present and Future - August 2014

            Once again this summer we were blessed with great weather for a rally. Our first day, Tuesday, we had a high of 80. Not bad for the middle of August. The rest of the week would prove to be pleasant but not quite so cool. When we arrived at the Paradise RV Park south of Cassville the

Severes, Cooks, McVays and TJ Ballard and Sandy Thomas were already in residence and visiting the fish at the Roaring River Fish Hatchery. Arriving with us were the Backers and through the remainder of the day we were joined by the Nashs, Couches, Sidebottoms and McKinneys.       

            Our Tuesday evening reception was held in the park's pavilion. With the low temperature and low humidity it was a very pleasant evening. Our reception had the typical range of appetizers which more properly should be termed supper lite.

            For our Wednesday breakfast we went to the park cafe for biscuits and gravy with sausage or bacon and orange juice and coffee all paid for by the chapter. Unfortunately, during the morning one of our members was cited twice for excessive speed in the park. Rumors abound!! After everyone had a chance to complete their morning's tasks we headed for the Severe's lake house on Table Rock Lake. Along the way half a dozen of our members stopped at the Golden Museum. This is an eclectic museum that is hard to describe. They have a lot of local antique items, thousands of glass pieces, dinner ware, jewelry, etc. In addition to the museum owners providing a personal tour they also treated our group to a special viewing of an unopened section containing thousands of butter dishes and they met the family that donated said butter dishes. Meanwhile the rest of us continued on to the lake house. Each year the Severes have graciously invited the chapter to their lake house during our rally at Roaring River. This year

John treated everyone to a trip up the lake on their pontoon boat. We then sat down to a delicious lunch/supper consisting of potato salad, broccolis salad, baked beans, brisket, home baked cookies and cake and ice cream. The meat, drinks, ice cream and cookies were provided by the Severes. Again, the weather was great for sitting out on the deck and enjoying the conversations swirling about. All of the festivities concluded about sundown as everyone headed back to the park.

            For Thursday's breakfast we again met in the pavilion for baked french toast and ham cooked by Carol Genrich plus orange juice and coffee. Afterward a card game erupted in the game room while the rest of us either toured the area or solved the earth's problems, a never ending task. For lunch we met in the outdoors among the coaches and used the leftovers for an impromptu meal. During the afternoon more touring and card playing ensued. Our evening meal was taken at the Roaring River Lodge which is a beautiful facility where you can both sleep and eat.

            The Friday get-away breakfast consisted of doughnuts, coffee and juice outdoors in the cool morning. For some reason, when we eat breakfast outdoors people tend to not be in such a hurry to leave.

            September rally. As most members already know this rally has been cancelled. Through a series of situations many of the members were not going to be able to make this rally and it made little sense to have the Sidebottoms go to the effort of hosting a rally for a limited number. We will try to get to Topeka in another year.

            October rally. As we have done in prior years we are concluding our rally year at the Cedar Oaks RV Park in Grove, OK. The Severes are hosts for this rally. The flyer will be sent out in September. 

News, Past, Present and Future - July 2014

            Here we are in Branson for our July rally and the weather has turned to September. Not that anyone is complaining. A temperature of 75 degrees in July is welcome. We love the Polar Vortex. Keep it coming. When we got to the Stagecoach RV park on Tuesday we found that we had been preceded by almost everyone else. Already at the park were the Severes, Cooks, Backers, McVays, Nashs and McKinneys. Later in the day the Couchs and Sidebottoms arrived and then Tom Drennon with his new wife Marion and Jack Mathes. In April Tom had said that marriage was probably on the near horizon and that turned out to be a fact.

            Our Tuesday evening reception was in keeping with our Christmas theme in that everyone was asked to bring a Christmas-time appetizer. The conversations to catch up on the weeks prior continued into the evening. Guests of the McKinney's, Ron and Jan Carder, from Grove, Oklahoma, joined us.

            For Wednesday we skipped breakfast and went right to brunch. We motored to the College of the Ozarks Ketter Center restaurant. The College of the Ozark, nicknamed Hard Work U.  is very unique in that virtually all of the students attend tuition free. The college is the epitome of work study programs. The students perform almost all of the work to keep the college running. For example, in the restaurant all of the waiters and supervisors are students. A large amount of the foods for the restaurant come from the student-run gardens. After a great brunch most of us returned to the park while a few decided to sample the Branson shows.           There were others who restarted the card games in the club house. On Wednesday evening we had our 45th anniversary dinner and were joined by the FMCA National Vice President for the South Central Area, Jim McCabe and his wife Connie. For dinner we had sliced ham supplied by Carol Genrich and potato salad and cole slaw provided by the Couchs. In addition, the Couchs supplied wine and a set of wine glasses adorned with the FMCA and Heart of America logos. Each member was presented with one of these wine glasses. After dinner Jim McCabe complimented the chapter on

reaching the plateau of 45 years and presented our president, Lucille Severe, with a 45th anniversary certificate and a check for $300 from FMCA. In addition to his remarks concerning our chapter he gave us some Six State news. We all know that this year's Six State Rally will be held in Shreveport, Louisiana but he was asked about a possible return to North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Six State Association worked diligently with the North Little Rock officials but due to two very large construction projects, one of which involves a new bridge, the area that would be used to park coaches for a rally will be covered by a mass of construction equipment for the next 18 months. That makes it virtually impossible to have a rally in North Little Rock in 2015. Therefore, the 2015 rally will be held in Conroe, Texas, about 60 miles north of Houston. The plan for 2016 is to go to North Little Rock. Another item is that, at the Redmond rally, the FMCA Executive Board is going to recommend to the national directors that FMCA offer FMCAassist to the membership free of charge. After the presentation we dined on anniversary cake and ice cream. Dan and Marilee Couch arranged for a special cake while Jack Mathes contributed the ice cream.  

            For Thursday's breakfast we walked to Ruthie's Outpost Grill located at the park. You get your money's worth at the grill in quality and volume. After breakfast many of the members, again, took in some of the shows in Branson. Meanwhile there were others in the clubhouse playing cards. For the Friday evening meal Carol Genrich prepared a Christmas dinner of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and pecan cranberry salad. For dessert we had Death by Chocolate Trifle, white fruit cake, and pecan squares. Once again, Jim and Connie McCabe joined us.

            The Friday get-away breakfast featured huge cinnamon rolls from Ruthie's Outpost Grill. After that everyone headed home.

            August rally. We will be going back to Paradise RV Park inside the Roaring River State Park August 12-15. This is another Tuesday to Friday rally host by Carol and I. It greatly helps an RV park during the summer if we can avoid Saturday and Sunday. This especially true at Paradise RV Park because it is a membership park and many of their members come each weekend to fish at the state park. We will, once again, be hosted by the Severes at their lake house for one of our meals. Remember to help out and get those reservations into Carol Genrich as soon as possible. You do not have to call the park for reservations. Carol will take care of that.

            September rally. This rally is September 10 to 13 at the Deer Creek Valley RV Park in Topeka, Kansas. This is a Wednesday through Saturday rally hosted by Gary and Elaine Sidebottom. They will have a great rally including a tour of the recently renovated Kansas state capitol. However, due to park requirements they need to know by August 1st. If you are attending let them know by August 1st by phone or email. If you are unsure let them have at least  a maybe. If you do not say anything they will assume you are not attending and if you are unsure and wait to notify the Sidebottoms there may not be any space available. This is a very popular RV park. The rally flyer will be available after the August rally.

            Food donations. Carol would like to thank everyone for their food donations for the Clever First Baptist Church. The photo illustrates the volume of food delivered.

News, Past, Present and Future, June 2014

            Because Carol has made excellent progress on recovery from her knee operation we were able to make our way to the June rally at the Peculiar Park Place RV Park in Peculiar, Missouri. Since we had missed the previous rally we decided to arrive a day early on Wednesday. For the drive north we had the pleasure to travel in convoy with Nick and Joann Backer. Several other members of the chapter made the same decision to arrive early and by mid-afternoon there were seven chapter coaches at the park; Genrich, Couch, Severe, Backer, Ballard, Sidebottom and Stremming. We were pleasantly surprised that TJ Ballard had acquired a motor home after having been without one for some time. It is a 33-ft 1982 Holiday Rambler Imperial. I also saw three new (well sort of new) tow cars; Stremmings have a Lincoln SUV, Nashs a Buick Lacross and Severes have a CR-V. That evening everyone found a place in the local area for supper.

            Early Thursday the Nashs and Cooks arrived to bring our total to nine. Naturally, with plenty of players available the ladies started one of their card games. The evening reception was hosted by the Couchs and the refreshments were provided by the members. They included several desserts, pasta salad, dips and chips and fruit and meat appetizers. Later that evening as I looked across to where the Severes were parked I saw a crowd gathering in front of the coach. When I joined the group I found out that when the Severes returned to their coach they were faced with the coach being locked and all of the keys being located inside of that coach. After several hours of failed attempts to gain entrance, including the services of a locksmith who had to admit failure,  John resorted to his last option and broke a window, thereby gaining entrance. This was blessed by the Peculiar policeman that had contacted the locksmith. They are still trying to determine how the door got locked. I think either Kilroy or Murphy did it. Lucille has a different opinion.

            Friday breakfast was hosted by TJ and Sandy with biscuits and gravy, hash browns, fruit cups and OJ. As usual there were conversation before, during and after breakfast. It takes a while to solve all of the world's problems. Interrupting those solutions was a short non-business meeting to determine the amount of money the chapter would contribute to this year's Six State Rally door prizes, information about the July rally and Elaine Sidebottom's chapter financial report. During the afternoon Mike and Donna Bennett joined us to bring our total to ten. The evening meal was a catered affair from Cosentinos in Lees Summit. They supplied lasagna, baked chicken, potatoes, salad and dessert. Great food for a great price. The whole affair was arranged by Nick and Joann Baker. Not only can Nick repair your coach, he and Joann can feed you.

            Saturday morning we had a brunch at Ryan's Grill, Buffet and Bakery in Raymore arranged by the Couchs. Everyone had their choice from the buffet. By the time we finished it was after noon. The ladies quickly restarted their games while the rest of us had better things to do. Early in the afternoon Jim and Martha McVay arrived and joined us for supper. Jim has had some recent medical issues but was in fine spirits and looking good. For the evening meal we had a barbeque meal arranged by the Sidebottoms and catered by Jack Stack Barbeque. They brought sliced brisket and baked beans and Gary and Elaine Sidebottom supplied the potato salad, cole slaw, buns and the dessert in the form of two pineapple upside down cakes. Many members stayed well after the meals engaged in conversation.

            The Sunday get-away breakfast was pastries supplied by the park owner plus leftovers from earlier meals. Last seen, everyone was scattering to the four winds.

            One minus point concerning the rally was the electrical capability of the RV park. On Friday the afternoon temperature was in the low 90s and the humidity was rather high. Virtually all of the coaches showed low voltage, some down to 106 volts. In one case the coach's generator had to be used. The same thing occurred on Saturday but not to the same extent since it was less humid and cooler. It would probably be best that, if we return to this park, we not do so during the summer months. The popular opinion is that even though the park was originally robustly wired they have since added a number of sites and have probably not upgraded the electrical system. For the most part it is a good park. The roads are in good shape and the club house is large with good air conditioning and a full set of kitchen appliances.

            July Rally. The rally is at the Stage Coach RV Park in Branson on State Highway 165 south of Table Rock Dam and next to the Table Rock State Park. This is a Tuesday through Friday rally. This is the chapter's 45th year and we will be celebrating our 45th anniversary Wednesday evening and the South Central Area Vice President, Jim McCabe, is scheduled to celebrate with us. This is a full service RV park. They have a restaurant on site plus a shuttle bus and they can get you show tickets. You must make your own reservations with the park (800-446-7110) no later than July 1.

            Carol has asked that members participate in donating food and/or cash to the Clever Food Pantry. More info will be in her email.  

News, Past, Present and Future, May 2014

Since Carol underwent knee surgery early this month and I became the houseboy, we were not able to attend the May rally. However, I was able to ask Dan Couch to give me his thoughts about the rally and that is what appears below.

           

            The previous rally indicated that the winter’s grip had departed as the weather slowly warmed all week at that rally. We had to question that at the May rally. When the Severes and Backers arrived early on Monday John was wearing shorts and Nick had run his dash air all the way to the park. Those of us arriving on Tuesday drove through the rain and arrived for night temperatures in the low 40s. Attending were the Severes, Backers, Carlisles, Cooks, Couchs, McVays, Nashs , T J Ballard and Sandy Thomas. The Sidebottoms arrived on Wednesday after taking their coach in for jack repairs on Tuesday. The problem was only partially corrected and it goes back to shop when they get home.

            Tuesday. Our hosts, Joann and Nick Backer, oversaw the reception by having everyone bring appetizers. A great variety of appetizers, including watermelon, lemon cake, pecan pie and Carol Cook’s home-made bean dip, were available. There was much discussion of how Carol Genrich was progressing after knee surgery.

            Wednesday. The day dawned cloudy and cold but we were warmed up by pancakes and sausage by Dan and Marilee Couch. Much discussion also occurred relative to the fact that the excellent coffee (made by Nick Backer) that some members drank at the reception had interfered with their night’s sleep. If fact, more coffee was drunk at the reception than got drunk at breakfast. As usual during the day the women played cards and the men discussed various topics and told stories. Lucille Severe provided us with a gourmet meal assisted by the Backers and John (he made the salad). The theme of the rally was a Birthday Party for every one of our members. Happy Birthday to all of us!!! This brought out a round of birthday cake and ice cream.

            Thursday dawned bright but cold. A few hungry members came up to the club room and Dan Couch used up the left over pancake batter and sausage to feed them. For lunch we went to Smith’s Restaurant in Collins, MO. Most of us had the house specialty, a breaded tenderloin sandwich. The sandwiches were so large that most couples split one and ordered a “half” order of onion rings (approximately 1½ onions). Some were hungry enough to eat all of their food but some took doggie boxes home. A couple had room for dessert and indicated that they might walk home. On the way back to the park we stopped at a museum called Toys in the Attic. The museum housed lots of dolls, bears, antique buggies and sleds and much more to keep the ladies enthralled. Meanwhile, the men headed to the attached garage which housed a dozen or more restored cars of General Motors production (Chevys, Olds and Corvettes from the 50s). For those who could not make the rally, I would suggest that you put this place on your must visit list. It is located on US 54 about 2 miles west of MO Highway 13.

            Friday We gathered for a breakfast of biscuits and gravy with fruit kabobs prepared by the Cooks. Carol did most of the work because Wayne was very tired from scraping ice off his windshield. After breakfast the card game continued. Others began to visit nearby towns and attractions. For dinner the Carlisles provided an excellent BBQ pulled pork meal that resulted in raves from all.

             Saturday Joann Backer whipped up a variety of muffins as our get-away breakfast to complete a great rally. We thank our hosts the Backers for a job well done. We would also like to thank Bill and Ann Carpenter the owners of the RV park for making us feel welcome to their nice facility.

After talking to Joann Baker post-rally Carol had some thoughts about the rally that I thought would be good to include.

            The May rally has come and gone but stories linger. Word has it that, as usual, it was a food frenzy. From the reception until the get-away breakfast you ate, ate, ate and enjoyed every minute. I know about Dan’s famous pancakes, but he has never made them two days of a rally.  Joann must be a sweet talker. Chuck would have been in 7^th heaven. He loves pancakes. I guess the Sidebottoms missed the reception and ”forced” everyone to eat sandwiches and Brenda contributed her famous huge pies. Were they apple? The Severes strutted their stuff with a special chicken cordon bleu dinner with cake and ice cream. I heard no comments about Smith's Restaurant but what can you say about perfection. We know the chapter has at least two couples willing to drive 90 miles each way just to meet there for lunch. Did anyone buy their sweet rolls?

I think some place during the Arrowhead Point rally bar-b-que played a part. Did I leave out any food event? Was there chocolate?

            Is it true Jim McVey had to be physically dragged from the museum? Culture sometimes has that affect on a person. Chuck and I will need to visit it before next year. Maybe have lunch at Smiths.

            What is a rally without a coach problem. I am sure Gary was not happy to provide the technical part of the rally.

            Thanks go to the Carliles for introducing our chapter to the possibilities of Arrowhead Point a couple of years ago. A special thanks to Joann and Nick Backer for following through on a good idea and planning a super rally. There were visits and calls prior to the rally and the hard work paid off. Did anyone notice (other than hand and foot players) that it only rained during the night and every day was great? In fact, Arrowhead Point has been reserved for next May with the Backers again being the rally wagonmasters.  Thanks to all for a job well done.

June Rally. For this rally we will be returning to the Peculiar Par Place RV Park. The last time we were there it was hot enough to fry an egg without a stove. We should have more pleasant temperatures this time. Please note that you have to call the park to make a reservation. When you call make sure to tell them you are with Heart of America and bring money as they do not take credit cards.

News, Past, Present and Future - April 2014

            It seems that winter has finally loosened its grip. The weather for the April rally was nice to above. Every day, during the rally, the temperature rose so that by Friday it was nice to be in short sleeves. Of course, if I was standing on the shore of Lake Michigan I might have a different attitude.

            To beat some forecasted high winds Carol and I arrived at Coachlight RV Park on Tuesday followed shortly by John and Lucille Severe. By Wednesday afternoon virtually everyone had arrived. In attendance were the Severes, Backers, Cooks, Couches, McVays, McKinneys, Sidebottoms, Nashs, Tom Drennon, Jack Mathes and TJ Ballard and Sandy Thomas.

            Since October was our last rally, we spent quite a bit of time catching up on the past months and occurrences over the winter. A major topic was health. It seems that quite a few members were in the process of completing the healing process. Jim McVay has benefited from getting a new heart valve through a new noninvasive technique. Carol Cook has had an ankle repaired, Gary Sidebottom in recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and Lucille had foot surgery. Finally, Dan Couch is much more beautiful after nose surgery. Other than all of that everyone is in great health.

            Thursday evening we had our welcome reception organized by rally wagon masters Carol and Wayne Cook. Every one brought a salad dish and there were some great salads to pick from. By the time we got through with the reception we had learned almost everything that had happened over the winter. While the men disappeared into the night the women started the ever present card game.

            Friday morning dawned bright and late. Late because in place of our usual early breakfast we had a mid-morning brunch. For this event we headed to downtown Carthage to stop at the Rumor Has It restaurant. We had originally planned on eating at the Sassy Spoon but unfortunately, over the winter, the building burned down. Rumor Has It could easily handle our group and they made a special effort to ensure everyone had a great meal. After the meal Tom Drennon made the announcement that this will be his last appearance with the chapter as he is leaving the RV lifestyle. His wife Jeanette passed away late last year so Tom has been on his own since that time. But not for long as he has found a kindred soul and they are contemplating marriage in the near future. Tom has been a member of this chapter for several decades and will be missed. The afternoon was a lazy period as everyone went about attending to one or more tasks. For dinner Carol Genrich prepared sloppy joes, macaroni, baked beans and cake. In addition we had salads available that were left over from the reception and a pan of enchilades provided by the McKinneys.

            Saturday breakfast was biscuit and gravy plus sausage, fruit and orange juice courtesy of TJ Ballard and Sandy Thomas. Very tasty. Marty Lown, owner of Coachlight RV stopped by during breakfast to thank the chapter for our support of the campground and to pass on some local information. It always take half of the morning to get all of the conversations completed but by mid-morning the group had scattered in several directions. Later in the morning Gary and Elaine Sidebottom departed due to a prior scheduled affair. The afternoon was generally a lazy time as everyone attended to various chores. That evening we traveled back downtown to the Rumor Has It restaurant for our evening meal. Great food, great hospitality, great price. We will be back. After dinner the ever present card game resumed though with a reduced cast.

            Sunday we gathered for our get-away breakfast presented by the Cooks. They had procured large cinnamon rolls from Rumor Has It. After we cleaned up from breakfast and loaded all of the equipment everyone started their pre-trip preparation and over the next hour headed home in the great weather. 

            May rally. Please note that this rally starts on Tuesday and is a four day rally. We will be going to a park that we have never visited. Joann and Nick Backer will be our hosts at the Arrowhead Point RV Park. It is located on US Highway 54 midway between Eldorado Springs, Missouri and Clinton, Missouri. We visited the park last fall and I think that everyone will have a great time. You might note on the registration portion of the flyer that you need to indicate whether you would like 30 or 50 amp service. The park has asked for this information. If you choose 50 amps there will be a $5 per day upcharge (not unusual). Remember to bring a little cash for the Thursday lunch at Smith's restaurant as they have never taken credit cards. You will see that after the Thursday lunch there is a tour of the Toys in the Attic Museum. Fear not gentlemen there are also automobiles at the museum. You may think that the park is a little remote but there is still plenty to do. Eldorado Springs is well worth a visit and you can make a run to the Osceola Cheese Factory. Just remember, boredom is a self-inflicted wound.
            July rally. This rally will be held in Branson, hosted by the Nashs. During this rally we will be celebrating our 45th anniversary and Dan Couch is in charge of the event planning. We are expecting Jim McCabe, National Vice President of the South Central Area to attend.

            September rally. For the past several years we have not had a rally in September because of the Six State Rally which has usually been in the latter part of the month. However, this year that rally is the first week of October in Shreveport, LA. During the April rally there was discussion about having adding an HOA rally this September. If we do that we need a location and an overall host. Not a big problem, but something to think about. Several members suggested Topeka. Carol Genrich is waiting for the phone to ring!

           

            

News, Past, Present and Future - March 2014

           

          Talk about your winter of discontent! Everyone has probably tuned up and used those snow shovels and snow blowers more than they ever wanted to. I am not going to make any jokes about the weather, nor any reference to my winter in Florida. I am also going to restrain myself and not load up any clever pictures of snow. I would imagine that everyone north of the Gulf of Mexico is extremely tired of talking about, thinking about or seeing any reference to cold weather. Now you are ready for this rally year? We should have a great summer. So, it is almost time to get the old motor coach ready for the rally season.

            Without referring to the winter I have completely run out of anything to say. No, just kidding. On a good note I have not received any information about any problems that our members have endured over the last six months. That is a good thing.

            We do have a great set of rallies scheduled for 2014, which is our 45^th year. We are going to open with a rally at the Coachlight RV Park at Carthage, Missouri in April and end in October with a rally at the Cedar Oaks RV Park in Grove, Oklahoma. In between there are four, and maybe five, other rallies. Before you know it you will be thinking about Thanksgiving. Just remember, time really flies when you are having a good time. And what better time than being among those other coach-type folks.

            Pilot/Flying J Loyalty Card. Upon attending the Tampa RV show in January, among the many vendors at which I stopped was the Pilot/Flying J area. As I have seen on several occasions, when Pilot sets up a display they go all out; large space, lots of reps, etc. Upon approaching the area I noticed one of the Pilot reps talking to a couple so I decided to listen in. He was explaining the new loyalty card program being put in place in concert with Good Sam. As of January 1, 2015 the current Pilot/Flying J loyalty card program will no longer exist. On that date those Flying J RV Real Value and Pilot/Flying J myrewards cards will no longer be valid. A new program was started earlier this year in partnership with Good Sam. In essence, Pilot has turned over their loyalty program to Good Sam and they are using this year as a transition period. The new card is called Swipe & Save. It serves as a Good Sam card, replaces the Camping World President’s Club card and is the new Pilot/Flying J loyalty card you can use at the pump and inside. To get one you have to be a Good Sam member. If you sign up as a new member this is your membership card. If you are already a member, call Good Sam and ask for a new card. In most cases, I am told, they will ask you to renew your membership for one, two or three years. I say in most cases since I called and got one without renewing as I had renewed last Fall for three years. This card will give you the standard 10% Good Sam discount at most RV parks, a Camping World discount of up to 30% (?) and fuel, propane and dump station discounts at Pilot/Flying J. I believe that it is worth the cost of Good Sam membership and it more that pays for itself if you stop at Good Sam parks (yes Wayne, I know), use Pilot/Flying J and/or buy things at Camping World. If you are interested visit the www.goodsamclub.com web site.

            For those who want to listen, I now have additional experience in troubleshooting a frosting problem with our Norcold refrigerator. The bottom line is that I probably need a new lower right door but the knowledge route I took to come to that conclusion is interesting. 

          In any case I look forward to seeing everyone next month.

News, Past, Present and Future - October, 2013

      For the October rally we ventured to the Cedar Oaks RV Park in Grove, Oklahoma. This is our last rally of our 44^th year so we had to make it a good one.

      An even half dozen coaches arrived by Wednesday afternoon and the remainder showed up on Thursday. We were far from alone at the park as there were two other FMCA chapters in attendance; the Happy (Ok) Wanderers and the Covered Wagons and 30 plus members of a national Roadtreck organization. Four rallies with about 100 coaches goes a long way in filling an RV park.

      At our Thursday evening reception we had 24 members; Severes, Cooks, Stremmings, Backers, Bennetts, Carliles, Genrichs, Couchs, McVays, Sidebottoms, Nashs and TJ Ballard and SandyThomas. The Couchs had to attend via automobile because their coach decided it did not want to play nice and is now awaiting maintenance. Since everyone contributed appetizers for the event there was plenty of variety and volume for all. Many thanks to Anne Marie Carlile for doing a great job.

      Friday morning’s breakfast got off to a fast start with the World Famous Dan Couch pancakes. After much conversation several groups departed. Five of the men went to the Darryl Starbird National Rod & Custom Hall of Fame Museum while a number of the wives did some shopping in Grove. You have not seen Grove until you have been shopping at the Cheapo Depo. After lunch it was reported that a card game was in operation in the club house. During the late afternoon the predicted rain arrived and appeared to settle in for the evening. For that evening meal we ventured to a new establishment. The older Royal Bay restaurant, at the north end of Sailboat Bridge, has been rebranded as the Grand Lakeside and has been in business for several months. One of the Indian tribes has purchased the property and the local rumor is that they will have a hotel and casino erected on the property. We had gotten some good reports on the restaurant from Grove residents so we decided to give it a try. We had a group of 27 for them to contend with and they did a great job. Even with such a big group almost everyone was served within 30 minutes and the food was outstanding and plentiful. Joining us for the meal were Lyanna and Michael McKinney who were prospective members we had first met at Sedalia. After the meal, since it was still raining and cold, everyone decided to call it a day and retire.

      Saturday dawned crisp and clear, the rain having decided to visit Arkansas. During mid-morning we headed for the Heritage Inn for brunch arranged by Brenda and Gary Nash. At the Heritage Inn you can either order from the menu or go to the buffet. The price is right, the food is tasty and the staff is great. After brunch we went back to the park for a business meeting. The main reason for the meeting was election of officers. For the next year the officers are:

      President: Lucille Severe

      V President: Gary Sidebottom

      Secretary: Ruth Ann Stremming

      Treasurer: Elaine Sidebottom

      Nat’l Director: Chuck Genrich

      Alt Nat’l Director: Wayne Cook

In addition there was discussion about rallies for 2014. You can read all about the meeting in the minutes. The currently scheduled 2014 rallies are listed on the left side of this page. During the afternoon members attended to various items plus the McKinneys became the newest members of our chapter. In the late afternoon we gathered around the fire pit for refreshments. The main reason for gathering at the fire pit was that it was used to cook the bratwurst that was the centerpiece of the October Fest meal. Due to the sun disappearing followed by the temperature dropping we then retired to the club house for bratwurst, sauerkraut, chips and hot apple cider with a dessert of root beer floats. All of this was courtesy of the Stremmings and Severes. I have included some photos of the fire pit festivities including one of our chef-in-charge. The evening was wrapped up with the ongoing card game.

      The Sunday get-away breakfast, courtesy of the Carliles, was made up of rolls and orange juice and was followed, as always, by packing up the club equipment and preparing to depart the park. I want to commend Anne Marie and Dick Carlile for doing a splendid job on the rally.

      Six State Rally. I thought that I would write a few lines about the regional rally at Sedalia, Mo. First off, the weather was great. If my memory serves me correct there were some 700 coaches at the rally with Heart of America contributing nine coaches to the total; Couchs, McVays, Nashs, Genrichs, Sidebottoms, Severes, Backers, Cooks and Tom Drennon accompanied by Jack Mathis. I believe everyone had a good time as it was a great rally. Naturally, there were many seminars attended and the vendors did a brisk business. Overall the entertainment was average to above. The one I judged average was an illusionist and it is difficult for them when working a large crowd. The newly elected FMCA National President, Charlie Adcock, was present and our own Dan Couch was elected Treasurer for the Six State Association. During the chapter fair we had several couples show interest in our group which proved beneficial as noted previously. As we were getting ready to depart John Severe had a chain break on one of his slides that rendered the slide immovable while extended. With the help of several members, most notably Nick Backer (Mr. Fixit) the slide was retracted and John was able to return home where the problem was fixed. Jim McVay came up with some wood and straps to make sure the slide stayed retracted for the trip home. One never knows when they might need a short 4x4. This event highlights a reason why it is good to belong to a chapter. There is almost always expert help for any problem.

      2014. Our next rally in April 2014 is at Coachlight RV in Carthage, Mo. That will be the beginning of the 45^th year for the Heart of America Coachman chapter of FMCA. One more milestone on a very long 45-year road. The Wagonmaster has a number of empty slots on her spreadsheet for the 2014 rallies the main one is someone to be the rally master in July. The other empty slots are for events during the rallies. Also, while there was a good response at the Grove rally in paying 2014 dues, there are still some of you who have not paid. There is time left but let’s not wait until next spring. Remember I can always call on Guido to visit you. Have a great winter!!!!!!!!!!!

News Past, Present and Future, August 2013

      Well, the weird weather is continuing in the Ozarks. Here we are in the middle of August and last weekend was more like late September. Maybe this is the new normal. Many of you may remember that just the week before, the river that goes through Roaring River State Park had flooded the park. By the time we got there almost everything was in good shape but you could see some large drift wood piled next to the bridge. The flooding has also caused some erosion damage to the RV park and they had repaired most of the sites that had been damaged. They do have more to accomplish. There was also some damage to units stored at the park but considering what could have been the outcome the result was better than you might expect. The Couches were the wagonmasters for the rally and they did a great job. Thanks are owed to them.

      Thursday. In any case, we had a great rally. At the reception, hosted by the Couches, we had the members of six coaches; Couches, Severes, Cooks, Nashs, Backers and Genrichs plus Ginny Weaver, TJ Ballard and Sandy Thomas. Everyone brought an appetizer to share.

      Friday. We greeted the day with the temperature at 61 degrees and clear skies. We started the day with breakfast at the RV park dining room as we all ordered from the menu. That was followed by several announcements concerning the events of the weekend. Everyone then headed back to the coaches to get ready for our trip to the palatial lake house of the Severes. We caravanned to the lake, arriving just before noon. After we unloaded everything and the Severes gave the normal house tour, John uncovered his pontoon boat and most of us went for a tour of the lake. After the tour the cooks started preparing the feast while Wayne and TJ changed into swim trunks for the Great Water Display. After an aborted attempt to find adequate skies, John convinced Wayne and TJ they would be better off using a tube. Therefore, after about 30 minutes of preparing the appropriate equipment several of us got aboard the pontoon boat while Wayne and TJ “launched” the tube.

Once they were on the tube and it was attached to the boat we headed out to the center of the lake. Only the attached photos can adequately explain what ensued as mere words could not properly explain the result. There are more photos that are better

left in the camera and not on the Web. After Wayne and TJ regained dry land and the boat was docked, John fired up his BBQ grill and cooked the hamburgers while the cooks presented the rest of the meal. Needless to say it was great. After the meal a card game erupted and consumed the better part of the afternoon. After cleaning the area and putting everything away, we departed for the park. Since it was late in the day most decided they were done. I would like to give the Severes a big thank you for their efforts. I believe that we all appreciate it.

      Saturday. This day started just like the previous one, great weather and a breakfast at the park diner. The rest of the day was left open. This was a free kids fishing day at the state park and there were kids with fishing poles in every direction. The banks of the river were wall to wall kids and the fish cleaning station was crowded all day. The river had just been restocked and there were more than a few large trout landed. Since Nick Backer had suffered a failure of his bathroom sink, repair was on his list while John Severe needed to attend to tail lights. Late in the morning six of us headed to Bentonville, AR to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum. This is a world class art museum conceived by Alice Walton, daughter of Sam and supported by the Walmart Foundation. The museum contains hundreds of millions of dollars of art and recently hosted its one millionth visitor. There is a restaurant and gift shop and admission is free. This is well worth your visit. For the evening meal we headed uphill to the Roaring River Lodge restaurant and ordered from the menu. After that we retired to the club house for dessert. By the time we finished everyone was ready to end the day.

      Sunday. Our get-away breakfast occurred at our parking site with the Couches providing coffee cake, doughnuts, apple juice and coffee. After breakfast we broke camp and headed home.  

      Six State Rally. Our next event is the rally in Sedalia, MO. As of this writing we have nine coaches attending. The Couches, McVays and Tom Drennon/Jack Mathis will be parking with the association cadre. The remaining six, Genrich, Severe, Cook, Backer, Nash and Sidebottom are planning on parking together. To accomplish that we need to arrive as a group. Our current plan is to rendezvous at Menards on the west side of Sedalia at 1pm on September 10 and then travel to the rally grounds. If anyone else would like to join us they are more than welcome.

      October rally. Our next chapter rally is at the Cedar Oaks RV Park in Grove, OK, October 17 to 20 and it is hosted by Anne Marie and Dick Carlile. The flyer will be distributed in September. Be sure to attend this one as the list of 2014 officer candidates will be revealed and the election will be held. Remember, if you are not there you can not defend yourself.

     2014. In the near future your wagonmaster will be sending everyone an email with some information about next year. As of now only some of the responsibilities for two rallies have been signed for. We have six rallies next year. That means we need six rally masters. During each rally there is a reception, three breakfasts and two dinners. We cannot follow the 80/20 rule. That is, where 80% of the work is done by 20% of the members. We need support from everyone, and not just moral support.

News, Past, Present and Future, July 2013

      It seems that I am always starting this report with something about the weather. Well, everyone else is talking about it, why not me? Yes, it was hot in Topeka but not every day and it did cool off on Saturday. Suck it up folks, this is life!!

      Thursday. When I got to Deer Creek RV Park almost everyone else was already there. This included the Severes, Couchs, Cooks, Sidebottoms, Stremmings and Ginny Weaver. Later in the afternoon the McVays made their appearance. Deer Creek is a great park though a bit pricy. It is close to I-70 but screened from the road noise by a mass of trees. All of the interior roads and all of the sites are concrete and the sites are big enough for any size RV. They have a party room that would easily support a crowd of 50. Our reception started off right on time and we were graced with a range of appetizers followed by vigorous discussions. Remember, it has been two months since we last met and many of us had been travelling about including going to Gillette for the FMCA rally. Unfortunately, on their western trip the Cooks had a tire perform a rapid deflation (i.e., blowout) after Gillette that caused enough damage that they returned home early.

      Friday started with a great breakfast with Carol Cook and Martha McVay providing a sausage and egg casserole and a ham and potato casserole with various fruit and orange juice. After that was more discussion and when I finally noticed the time is was almost noon. That afternoon the ladies indulged in their usual card game with a break for a craft class by Ruth Ann Stremming which involved making greeting cards with stickers and glitter At the same time the men hid out in Severe’s coach solving several problems. John is still learning the ins and outs of his coach and we were able to fit one more piece of the puzzle. That evening we made the arduous trek (100 yards) to a local BBQ restaurant that is only open one evening a week. After that the ladies returned to their game with the rest of us attending to more pressing issues. The promised cooler weather arrived about dark followed by an impressive rain storm that probably helped the city yards. When I looked at the radar there was a long line of weather headed for Kansas City via I-70.

      Saturday. Once more we had a good breakfast consisting of biscuits and gravy and fruit and orange juice courtesy of the Severes and TJ Ballard. I do believe that we have been able to solve most of the world’s problems with all of the discussion that have occurred each morning. Of course, we solved none of our own problems. The weather was much nicer with cooler temperatures and an overcast. Later in the afternoon the men gathered around Wayne Cook’s coach to solve an awning problem. Most of the exotic coaches have electrically controlled window awnings and one of Wayne’s ceased to work while in the extended position. The end result is the awning was removed with the aid of 7 people, two ladders and 10 pounds of tools. That evening we dug into an Italian dinner and lettuce wedges prepared by Carol Genrich.

      Sunday morning started and ended with our familiar get-away breakfast with a lemon pound cake prepared by Carol Genrich and fruit and the remains of an egg casserole from Carol Cook. After that it was “Hit the road Jack!!!”

      Six State Rally. We are currently working on a plan to have a chapter rendezvous at Sedalia outside of the rally grounds so that we can enter and park as a group. The current plan is that the rendezvous will occur on Tuesday, Sept 10. More information and details will be sent to everyone at a later date, probably after the Cassville rally. If you wish to join us in this endeavor you will have to register to enter one day early (Tuesday) which will cost an additional $30 (sorry Wayne). Also, if some register for 50 amps, some for 30 amps and some for dry camping that also precludes parking together. I am sure that we can get it all worked out.

      August rally. Our next rally is at the Paradise Valley RV Park south of Cassville, MO, August 15 – 18.