Love For Porsches, RV Life
The May edition of Family RVing arrived, and my wife, Pam, got it first. As she was reading it, I glanced over her shoulder and was surprised to see what I thought was a photo of us on page 78. Turns out it was a photo of Bill Gowen in his Porsche 914. It’s ironic that we share his love for Porsches (this one in particular). I’ve included a photo of my wife and me in our Porsche 914 (Otto) at a Veteran’s Day parade in Shasta Lake, California, circa 2014. I was the veteran’s service officer for our county and, as such, was invited to participate in the parade. I served 26 years in the Air Force, retiring as a chief master sergeant. We are also very active in the Porsche Club of America, where I served for six years as president of the Shasta region in northern California — about as far away as you could get from Maine, where Bill was from.
We are also avid RVers, and shortly after this photo was taken, we purchased our current RV, aptly named “The Beave,” after Jerry Mathers, who played “The Beave” in the “Leave it to Beaver” television show. Jerry is also an Air Force veteran. The Beave is a 2006 Beaver Monterey Ventura IV motorhome, which we absolutely love. The Beave is accompanied by “Toad,” our towed vehicle, which has a vinyl wrap in the same scheme as The Beave. Not too often will you see a toad matching the coach. I thought readers would get a kick out of our love for Porsches and the RV life.
— Bob & Pam Dunlap, F465807
Cottonwood, California
Thanks For The Memories
Thank you so much for the wonderful article you did on me in the March issue (“Joyful Journeys,” page 78). I had several calls from people who remembered me — a few I remembered; a few I didn’t. That happens at 90, you know. I had so many stories I could have told you of my RVing and rally days with FMCA. They would have filled the entire magazine. It was a big part of my life for many years. But now, with my RVing days over, my husband gone for many years, my wonderful memories are what I dwell on. Fortunately, living in an Escapees park, I get to talk to people who are still traveling and tell stories about their trips. Many times, I can join right in and relive all those wonderful travels. Thank you so much. I do appreciate the wonderful article. You have made an old lady very happy, because I still love FMCA so much.
— Vera Greene, L27
Wauchula, Florida
Cool Refrigerator Retrofit
I found the article “Keeping Your Cool” (May 2021, page 30) interesting, but I would have liked another option to be included.
We are relatively new to RVing, purchasing our 2005 Fleetwood 38N and going full-time in January 2020. The Norcold model 1200 refrigerator that came with the coach worked fine, but we were not comfortable with propane, did not want to run off an inverter, and were very familiar with a 12-volt system we had on our cruising boat.
We found a 12-volt compressor system manufactured by JC Refrigeration (www.jc-refrigeration.com; 260-768-4067) of Shipshewana, Indiana. Upon arrival, it took us three hours to remove the old cooling system and install the new Dutch Aire unit. Factory support was exceptional, and we could not be happier with the performance.
There are many benefits to retrofitting your existing refrigerator using the JC Refrigeration cooling system.
- Uses the existing refrigerator box, so no cabinet modifications or issues getting a residential unit in the RV.
- It runs on 12-volt DC, so power is always available, including while driving.
- No issues with having to level the RV for the system to function properly.
- Eliminates potential hazards associated with propane-powered units.
- At the setting of “1” (1-10), it keeps ice cream, ice, meat, etc. frozen rock hard.
- Uses the existing refrigerator control system.
- It is quiet.
- Uses about 50 amps per day.
We ran a dedicated 6-gauge wire from the house battery bank to the refrigerator (with fuse) to minimize voltage drop. We also added 800 watts of solar to keep the batteries charged when boondocking. Finally, we added foam-board insulation to the cabinet interior where the refrigerator sits to enhance efficiency and reduce noise.
We are not affiliated with JC Refrigeration but are sold on their product and support.
— Ric & Sherry Bischoff, F500763
Green Cove Springs, Florida