Last month we published several stories from members who helped us answer the question of the month. Because of the number of responses received, we’re sharing more of them this month. The question? Does your motorhome have a nickname, and how did it come about?
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Years ago we raised our daughters while camping and waterskiing. Since we pulled a boat and couldn’t pull a trailer at the same time, we dreamed of the time we could buy a motorhome. Finally, in 1966 we went to an RV show and found the motorhome of our dreams. It was an 18-foot Fireball Class C, a nice size for a young family starting out in the RV lifestyle. Our parents had RVs “” one a trailer and the other a camper shell. They referred to their rigs as “trailer” or “camper.” Our RV was not a camper or a trailer, but “motorhome” was too hard to say, so we came up with “Tramper.” We are now in Tramper #4, a 40-foot Winnebago Vectra. We no longer need to pull a boat but love seeing the good old U.S.A. in comfort.
Orin and Clare Gilbertson, F75914
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
“La Tortuga” (Spanish for “turtle”) seems to be a common name for motorhomes, but ours has a special meaning. I have always been a fan of turtles “” from working as an Earthwatch volunteer in Costa Rica’s Pacific coast watching for poachers, to visiting the Galapagos during the summer of 2004. Shortly after that last trip, my fiance and I stopped by a dealership so that he could introduce me to a friend of his. There, my eyes wandered to a cozy, well-kept motorhome that had only 35,000 miles on it. My adventuresome spirit jumped up, and I mentioned my lifelong wish to visit as many national parks as possible. And, guess what? Three months later we got married, and my husband gave me the motorhome as a wedding present! We have it completely equipped with all the amenities of home, clothing, and food, and just like turtles, we travel in our second home with our roof on our backs.
Jocelynn Wirshing-Power, F380074
Gainesville, Florida
I already had Agnes the Airplane and Vinny the Volvo, so when a 1973 26-foot GMC entered the stable, “Moby the Motorhome” seemed the most appropriate name.
Glenn Giere, F384283
Sparta, New Jersey
We bought “Big Sugar I,” a Holiday Rambler Endeavor, in 1999, and we struggled to find an appropriate name for her. One day, in Branson, Missouri, we were enjoying our morning coffee and had run out of sweetener, so Jean had to use real sugar. After a discussion about “little sugar” (the sweetener) and “big sugar” (the real thing), we said almost simultaneously, “Hey, why not call her ‘Big Sugar’?” Our second coach, “Big Sugar II,” was an all-white 2000 American Tradition. Jean wanted a towed car that matched, so we bought a white Jeep Cherokee, which we aptly named “Sugar Cube.” Our third coach, “Big Sugar III,” was a 2002 American Dream. We tolerated the mismatch of colors between the vehicles until we traded the coach in for “Big Sugar IV,” our current 2007 Allegro Bus. Since Big Sugar IV has some browns and tans in her full-body paint, we traded the Jeep in on a tan Saturn Aura. You guessed it; we call her “Brown Sugar.” Lastly, our daughter and son-in-law borrowed a Class C to join us on a trip; she named it “Borrowed Sugar.”
Ben and Jean Griffith, F41743D
Canton, Texas
My husband, Terry, raced sports cars on paved road courses; the race officials, including myself, were called “Swamp Rats,” and each of us would choose a creative “rat name.” Terry picked Rocket Rat, as he was a rocket design engineer. Our 24-foot enclosed trailer had graphics with flames and a rat logo “” Rocket Rat Racing “” and we towed with a Chevy dually. When we decided to get a more paddock-convenient vehicle in 1996, we found a cute 22-foot Flair Type A motorhome, so, of course, it became “The Rats’ Nest” (plural possessive), since we were camping in it. The race car and trailer are sold now, but The Rats’ Nest continues to shelter us while traveling, although we (including Poppy the cat) have not seen, nor do we particularly enjoy, real rats.
Margie “Mother Rat” McMullen, F202205
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
The early 1980s were memorable years in our life as FMCA members. We traveled full-time until 1990, then part-time in a new 42-foot 500-horsepower Type A. In 2006 we began to relive some of our memorable trips. We watched some of our old videos. Realizing we have more years behind us than before us, we said, “Okay, it’s time we hit the road again.” We bought a cozy little 24-foot Type B motorhome for weekend getaways for the two of us and our much-loved yellow Labrador retriever. Oh, how cozy we were in our little rig! We soon ordered personalized license plates with the name “Cozy-Rig.” It took only one trip to realize our Labrador needed more floor space. We transferred our Cozy-Rig plates to a new 41-foot Type A 500-horsepower diesel pusher, which gives us a little more room. We’re loving every minute of it.
Paul and Evelyn Golie, F61738
Sun City, California
We have a 1996 Pace Arrow motorhome, and its nickname is “M.M.H.,” which stands for Mitten’s Motor Home. My husband, Mark, calls me Mitten, and it’s “my” motorhome, but that was too long to say each time, so it became M.M.H. We have had many adventures in M.M.H., including driving from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean and back again, to family reunions in Texas and Kansas, weekend trips, and too many more trips to name. As a matter of fact, we’re getting ready for another trip to the coast. See you there!
Sarah Williams, F299364
Silverton, Oregon
We have always had a nickname for our motorhomes. The first was a converted city bus, and it was “the Bus to Kmart,” because the first couple who boarded it asked that question. The next motorhome was “Winnie,” like everyone else, and then there was “EE,” which was our Triple E. Her name came from our daughter’s name for “Eeyore,” of Winnie the Pooh fame. But our current motorhome’s name is the “Kringle Express.” She was a Freightliner highway tractor delivering freight on the Interstate 5 corridor before we converted her. She is Santa red and has a large Santa painted on the rear with the expression “Be Nice” on the top right corner. I am a professional Santa, and the Kringle Express is our sleigh.
Bruce Ferrie, F137496
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Our 2006 Allegro Bus is called “Stormy.” When the coach came off the line, we picked it up on a late fall day during a freeze and snowy/stormy day. The regular dealer we’ve used for years was trying to clean it up . . . impossible. Even now, this coach loves storms. Our friends and neighbors know that if we pull out from our home, we are going to get a storm. The coach can sit in the storage shed or driveway for weeks “” no rain or storms. We pull out and then it storms! We had the A/C covers replaced from hail in Texas and awnings fixed from storms in southern Louisiana. No matter when we go, it will storm someplace. In fact, Stormy can be perfectly clean for weeks; then we pull out and it will rain just enough to get it and the towed vehicle dirty. So Stormy loves to be dirty, we guess.
Steve and Cynthia Ecton, F287228
Heber Spring, Arkansas
We call my Type B Roadtrek the “Buddy Mobile.” If my dog, BuddyDBear, discovers it missing from its usual parking spot, he’ll go to the empty space, paw the ground, continually cry a mournful howl until he tires, then lie down whimpering. One day the coach was gone for service. When a friend came for a visit, he opened the door and Buddy discovered the coach was missing. Buddy went to the empty spot and did his howling routine. Our friend had to carry whimpering Buddy back to the house. From that day forward, my coach was the Buddy Mobile.
Bev Wasson, F331336
Allenstown, New Hampshire
I was a primitive camper from boyhood, with backpack and sleeping bag. My wife felt that staying in a hotel, with no cable for television, was roughing it. So when I suggested we try out camping, she was not exactly excited. In fact, it put me in the “dog house” for a little while. But after I outlined some advantages of motorhoming, the major benefit being that it would enable us to bring our dogs (currently a basset hound and a Great Pyrenees), she agreed to try. And the rest, as they say, is history. The name “Dog House” just seemed to fit all of our coaches, and even the state of Ohio has recognized them with personalized license plates (DOG HSE).
Roger and Connie Pence, F193714
Edgerton, Ohio
Many of us have been RVers for years and have experienced the joy of trading in our motorhomes for newer models as we groaned at the reality of depreciating book values. I remember back in the 1970s and ’80s when one could pick up a preowned coach for a very reasonable price. I had located a Class C that was looking for a new owner, my purchase of which was subject to the satisfactory closing of a rental house I had sold. Well, the transaction was not a smooth one, and the title agent, “Flossie,” was very cantankerous. Finally, the sale was finalized, and as I hurried off to purchase the motorhome with the equity from the house, I decided to name it “Flossie Brontosaurus” after the title agent.
Natalie Jones, F307110
Sun City Center, Florida
We not only have a name for our Winnebago Brave motorhome but also for our Suzuki Samurai towed car. No, not Winnie and Suzi, but Naomi and Ruthie, because Ruthie goes wherever Naomi does! (See the Book of Ruth, chapter 1: verse 16).
Jerry and Carol Schultz, F281003
Green Valley, Arizona
During our 22-plus years of full-time RVing, my husband and I have had several motorhomes and have named them all. One was not so affectionately called “The Blunder.” Our current home is a 40-footer with three slides and all the bells and whistles that were available at the time it was manufactured. Compared to “Tigger,” our 32-foot Safari, it was huge, scary, and overwhelming at first, at least to me. My husband, of course, is fearless. Even our kitty, Mitts, was intimidated! When we pulled into a new campground, it was like landing a huge alien aircraft. Is it any wonder we call it the “UFO”? This is also the acronym for our Winnebago Ultimate Freedom and it’s Ours.
Betty Roughton, F88739
Full-Timers
Future questions:
1. Describe a favorite motorhome destination.
2. Do you have a humorous license plate for your coach or towed vehicle?
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