By Charlie Adcock, F311374, National President
September 2014
My Fellow FMCA Family,
Well, it’s that time again — time to bring you up-to-date on our activities. As I write this, we have just departed Essex Junction, Vermont, for the Northeast Area rally (more about that later). Since my last article, plenty has happened to me and Gloria.
After we left GLAMARAMA (the Great Lakes Area Rally, June 11-15) in Goshen, Indiana, we headed up to Petoskey, Michigan, where we spent a couple of weeks getting some much-needed rest and relaxation.
We left Michigan on June 29 for Scusset Beach, Massachusetts, to attend a three-chapter rally put on by the Cape Codders, Yankee Travelers, and Northeastern chapters. We felt like we were coming home. We attended this rally last year and had such a great time and made so many new friends that we decided to make the trip again. This year we also had a great time, in spite of spending one night with Hurricane Arthur! It was so much fun renewing friendships and enjoying lobster and steamers. Gloria also made a silk tie-dyed scarf with the ladies.
We left Scusset Beach on Saturday, July 5, for the town of Halfmoon, New York, to attend the Bussin’ Buddies chapter rally, held on John and Nancy Alguire’s property. And, of course, we just had to have another adventure.
We entered a toll booth to get on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Right in the middle of the E-ZPass lane, the motorhome’s warning lights for “low coolant” and “stop engine” came on. We were surrounded by trucks and cars. I told Gloria that we absolutely could not stop. About 100 yards past the tollbooth, the engine shut down. I coasted over to the guardrail, trying to get out of everyone’s way. The six lanes coming out of the toll booths merged into three; of course, I owned one of those three. I got out of the coach and walked around to the driver side and, with my back pressed to the side of the coach, I slipped my way down to the Hydro-Hot bay to see whether there might be a loose hose in there. But I could open the door only about a foot because the trucks were about to take me and the door off. I shut the door and asked Gloria to start bringing gallons of water from the motorhome, hoping to cool the engine off enough to trip the safety switch and let the engine start again. We had to get out of this very, very unsafe area. There wasn’t time to wait for a tow truck.
In front of us was a sign that said, “Service Area 1 Mile.” We got back in the motorhome and, sure enough, it did start. I took off as hard as I could, and at about the half-mile point, we were going 60 mph. Then the engine shut off again. At that point I was manually steering the coach (without power assist) to the approach ramp of the service area. We did not have enough momentum to make it to the truck parking area, so I attempted to restart the coach. It came back to life just long enough for us to make it to the parking area.
We waited for things to cool a bit, and then I was able to find a loose hose connection in the Hydro-Hot bay. After tightening the hose clamp, I needed to top off the coolant. The service department did not have the right kind of antifreeze, so we just used plain water temporarily. We then proceeded to John and Nancy’s place without further incident.
In contrast to the trauma of getting there, we had a wonderful visit with the Bussin’ Buddies chapter. The evening we arrived, John, Nancy, and about 10 of us got into the Alguires’ pontoon boat and traveled along the Hudson River to Waterford, New York, which is located where the Erie Canal joins the Hudson. We had to go through a lock, so John told us how the lock operates. At Waterford we were treated to the best display of fireworks I have ever seen. It was dark when we rode back to the Alquires’ house, but Nancy did a good job maneuvering the boat up the river and through the lock without incident.
I suppose you thought I was done telling my motorhome story. Well, no. I decided that the hose clamp may need to be replaced, so I got a new one and changed it out. In the process, I managed to create an air bubble in the system. We left John’s home and drove about five miles before the low-coolant light came on again, and the engine proceeded to shut down. We were going to drive only about 60 miles that day, so I decided to limp my way to the campground. I kept recycling the switch to get the engine back on; we could usually go about five miles before repeating the process. And, of course, we had to run into road construction, where we drove about five miles at 5 mph. Finally, we reached our destination, after taking three hours to travel 60 miles. Upon arriving, I called the manufacturer and they walked me through the process of bleeding the system. Now all I have to do is find a service center to remove the water and put in the proper antifreeze.
I’m sure this story will turn out well. You know, it’s all a part of motorhoming. We just put one foot in front of the other and move on. And as Gloria always says, “We are just making memories.” Yeah! Right!
As noted earlier, another stop during our recent travels was Essex Junction, Vermont, where we were warmly welcomed at the Northeast Area Rally, July 17-19. Tom Ziobrowksi, national vice president, Northeast Area; his wife, Connie; and the volunteer crew did an excellent job of making sure everyone had a lot of fun. Gloria and I can’t wait to pay another visit to this area.
By the time you read this, we will have finished the 90th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Redmond, Oregon, August 13-16, which is sure to be a great event. In fact, this issue will come out after the convention is over, and we’ll probably be back home. To give you an idea where I will be when we leave Redmond, we are going with the Overland Trailblazers chapter to the Columbia River for a four-day rally. And then we’ll look forward to attending the Eastern Area Rally in Asheville, North Carolina, in September.
Writing these columns can be difficult. I will let you know my new secret. For my first time ever, I am using dictation on my new laptop computer. It does not understand Arkansas slang very well, but I’m doing the best I can. I’ll bet Gloria can clean this up so you will be able to read it. I will close for now, and I look forward to seeing everyone in Redmond.
Lastly, I would like to say, “Remember: It’s all about having fun!”
Please Update Your Records
Please keep the FMCA national office informed when your contact information changes. You can make changes to your membership records anytime at FMCA.com (sign in; click on My Account; View My Member Profile), or by sending an e-mail to membership@fmca.com. Changes also may be submitted by calling the Member Services Department at (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Changes to your membership records can include home phone and cell phone numbers, e-mail addresses, mailing address, and the brand of motorhome you own. We especially urge you to provide your e-mail address if it is not on file with us. This helps us to contact you quickly in case important issues arise and to communicate about FMCA matters. Your private information is used for FMCA business purposes only.
If you are listed in the Stoppin’ Spots directory — Stop Over Spot, Come Visit, Mechanic’s Helper, and Pinch Hit Driver — please check that your contact information is up-to-date. The list begins on page 200 in the January 2014 issue of FMC magazine, and is available at FMCA.com (click on Members Area and then on Member Directory). If you would like to volunteer to be in the 2015 Stoppin’ Spots listing, please contact the Member Services Department. The deadline for making changes to the 2015 directory is October 15, 2014.