Updates To “2019 Towing Lineup”
The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu is not flat towable, according to GM officials. Initially, the 2019 Malibu owners manual specified that the vehicle, when equipped with a 2.0-liter engine, could be towed four wheels down. Family RVing recently learned that GM issued an owners manual supplement indicating that the vehicle should not be flat towed.
The 2019 Toyota Yaris sedan (equipped with manual transmission) is not flat towable, according to Toyota officials. This contradicts information Toyota’s corporate office provided to Family RVing late in 2018 as the “2019 Towing Lineup” was being prepared. At that time, the owners manual was not available. The manual specifies that the vehicle should not be towed four wheels down, which a Toyota spokesman confirmed.
The 2019 Yaris liftback (equipped with manual transmission) is listed in the “2019 Towing Lineup” and is flat towable, according to Toyota officials. The company originally planned to sell the 2019 Yaris liftback in the United States, but those plans changed and the vehicle was never ordered for U.S. markets. However, a Toyota Canada spokesman said the vehicle (referred to in Canada as the Yaris hatchback) is available there, and he confirmed that it is flat towable when equipped with a manual transmission. Refer to the owners manual for instructions.
Before buying a vehicle, always check the printed and/or online versions of the owners manual to see whether the manufacturer has approved it for flat towing.
Motorhome Goes Home Thanks To FMCAssist
In March 2019, while at a stop in Kentucky on our way back to Michigan, I fell off my stepladder and broke my right heel. The result was I could not drive for 2½ months. As I am the only motorhome driver, my wife and I were stuck. It was too soon to return to Michigan, and I needed to stay near the orthopedist for several more weeks.
The FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program came to the rescue. The folks at Seven Corners, which administers the program, were most gracious, working with us to accommodate our timeline requirements. We were able to stay in Kentucky until released to travel by my doctor. Then Seven Corners had a driver bring our coach back to Michigan while my wife drove us home in our car.
Many thanks to FMCAssist, Seven Corners, and especially Olivia, our coordinator at Seven Corners, for working with us and taking care of all the arrangements. An unexpected benefit of this unexpected extension to our trip was that we were able to enjoy an extraordinarily beautiful spring in south-central Kentucky.
FMCAssist is a fantastic benefit of FMCA membership. As newbie RVers, we were aware of this benefit when we joined FMCA a year ago, but we had no idea that we would take advantage of it so soon.
Michael & Deborah Reynolds, F479844
Grosse Ile, Michigan
Carhenge Correction
A car was incorrectly identified in the article “Nebraska’s Quirky Carhenge” (August 2019, page 58). The vehicle designated as a 1950 Plymouth De Soto is a 1950 De Soto, according to a Carhenge official.
We thank S. Weldon Brown, F135954, for bringing the error to our attention.
Cool Appreciation
My journey started when the secondhand refrigerator I got to replace a bad one also failed. So, I called around. I did not want to spend an arm and a leg for a new RV refrigerator, and I did not want a residential type. Chris Rico, who owns and runs Cool-Fun RV Cooling Units in Riverside, California, came to my rescue! As we were discussing a stronger, remade cooling unit, Chris remembered a nearly brand-new refrigerator a new RV owner had switched out, which he had in his shop. He sold it to me at a very economical price.
I had the refrigerator installed by a well-known shop, but the job was poorly done and poorly estimated (the price was higher than quoted). Chris had offered to pay for any fix needed for the cooling fans. I did have to get the cooling fans taken care of, and they were repaired at Laurelhurst Distributing in Portland, Oregon.
To this day, we stay in touch with Chris and he with us. The refrigerator is purring like a happy kitten. I am glad I have found someone who really cares, is honest, and I can recommend. (Cool-Fun RV Cooling Units, 6631 Columbus St., Riverside, CA 92504; 951- 785-7001; www.coolfunrv.com.)
Dr. Mary Ann Humphrey-Keever, F370527
Portland, Oregon
A Welcome And Familiar Sight
What a thrill it was to pull the August issue of Family RVing out of our mailbox and see the beautiful view of Kluane Lake and Cottonwood RV Park in Yukon, Canada, on the cover. Cottonwood RV Park is one of our favorite camping spots on the Alaska Highway. We have probably stayed there eight or more times. It is such a peaceful spot, and we love to camp right on the water. We always end up spending an extra day or two when we stop there, as we love it so much.
I was shocked, however, to see how low the water level is on Kluane Lake. When we were last there in 2012, the water was lapping on the bank right in front of our motorhome. In spite of the lower level of the water, however, we recognized the picture’s location immediately.
Thank you for refreshing our pleasant memories.
Ed Headington, F162856
Lakeland, Florida
Help You Can Count On
We were getting ready to leave on a trip and our front slideout failed to open. I called Ricky’s RV Repair in Sevierville, Tennessee. He replaced the slideout motor and had us on the road by the date we were leaving.
Ricky’s has come to our rescue twice, and by the estimated time we were given. Just wanted to let anyone visiting the Smoky Mountains area know that if they need help, Ricky’s is a great company to call. They are at 1742 Veterans Blvd., Sevierville, TN 37862; (865) 908-3245; www.rickysrv.com.
Harold Hayes, F477337
Strawberry Plains, Tennessee