Check Us Out!
We are delighted to return to the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in Frankfort, New York, July 10-13, 2024. Attending the Northeast Area Rally (NEAR) is one highlight, but there is so-o-o much to be experienced prior to the rally.
If HISTORY is an interest of yours, note that the Mohawk Valley is rich in American history. The Champlain Valley, where many battles of the French and Indian War were fought, lies within two hours of Herkimer. Fort Stanwix, a Revolutionary War fort in Rome, New York, has been carefully restored on the original site. Nearby is the Oriskany battlefield, where one of the most decisive battles of the Revolution was fought. The Oneida Indian Nation came to the aid of the colonies during this battle.
The Erie Canal passes along the Mohawk Trail; this amazing waterway opened access to the western area of our young nation. A 1.5-hour cruise is available at 800 Mohawk St. in Herkimer. Cruises fill up quickly, so call (315) 717-0350 or go online (eriecanalcruises.com) to reserve a spot.
If BASEBALL is a passion, check out the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. While there, check out the Cooperstown Cheese Company in nearby Milford, New York. It is part of the Central New York Cheese Trail.
Taste the fruits of the Mohawk Trail by visiting area wineries and breweries. Consider Saranac Brewery, with its VIP tours, located in Utica, or Domhnall Vineyards & Winery in Herkimer.
Whether you call them carousels, merry-go-rounds, flying horses, or whirligigs, there are two famous parks in Binghamton to share in the delight of these creations: Recreation Park and Ross Park. Check them out! Fantastic!
There is so much to see and do that you really must consider coming early to explore the region and then take part in our 2024 rally in Herkimer, New York.
To register for the Northeast Area Rally, check out the registration form in this February 2024 issue.
Phil Dana, F399760, Northeast Area Senior Vice President, And Roz Newton, F448330
Better RV Reviews
I love reading about the new RVs coming out on the market and your reviews of RVs in the monthly magazine. However, I believe a very important piece of information is missing in all your RV reviews: the occupant and cargo carrying capacity (OCCC) sticker. Please include a picture of the OCCC sticker(s) that are on the reviewed RV. If your review is a “paper” review only, then have the manufacturer send you an OCCC sticker picture from one of the units coming off their production line. There are RVs on the market today with cargo capacities as low as a few hundred pounds for people and gear. This places the buying public in a dangerous position since their RV may well be overweight driving down the road.
Do the RV community a great service and start publishing this information on every RV review. It is the responsible thing to do.
Marshall Poe, F534817
Kuna, Idaho
Liberty RV
I wanted to let everyone who is RVing in the Northeast know that if they get into trouble, there is a place that can help them. As far as I’m concerned, there is only one company to call for RV service, and that is Liberty RV of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (libertyrv4u.com). They are by far the best and most honest repair shop I have ever used. They are approximately 4.5 hours from my home in the Catskill Mountains of New York, but that doesn’t deter me from going there for repairs.
Back in January 2023, while volunteering in Big Bend National Park in Texas, we started having a problem with the electrical system in our 2005 Winnebago Journey motorhome. I found that the inverter/charger was not charging the house batteries, even though we were hooked up to shore power. I had done business with Liberty RV in the past and dealt with one of their master mechanics, Harvey, so I decided to call them. Harvey took the time to walk me through some tests. He said it sounded like the inverter/charger had gone bad, and the cost to replace it would be around $2,500 plus labor. We had expected to do some traveling for a couple of months after we finished volunteering, but because of the electrical problem, an issue with the basement air conditioner, and other things I wanted to take care of, we decided to return home early.
On February 16, 2023, we dropped off our rig. We told Harvey what needed to be done and also asked him to look over the motorhome as though it were his and advise us whether we would be better off trading the unit for a new one. Even though Liberty sells new and used RVs, he ultimately said that it did pay to fix the rig.
A week or so later, he called us again and said that he had both good and sort of bad news. The good news was that instead of us having to pay $2,500 to replace the inverter/charger, he was able to fix it for around $15. He found that the problem was a bad 300-amp fuse hidden in the battery compartment. The sort of bad news was that the part to fix the A/C was available still but on back order for two-plus months.
In the end, instead of spending $11,000 to do all the work, it cost us around $9,500. Any dishonest company would have made sure we spent the full amount, and we would not have known the difference. As important as the savings in money is the fact that anytime I have a problem or general question, I can call Harvey or one of the staff to get an answer. Also, they kept us informed in a timely manner and that is important to us. I commend Scott Geesey, one of the owners, for putting together a very dedicated and knowledgeable staff.
Louis & Jenny Silverman, F432496
Wurtsboro, New York
A Warning For RVers
We recently ran into a nightmare that really opened our eyes. I wrote this letter so other RVers can be prepared. The serpentine belt on our RV broke in Nashville, Tennessee. Working with our road service provider, we could not find anyone to tow us to a repair shop. Finally, after an hour, the insurance agent found a wrecker company that would come, but they did not accept the road service, so we were told we would have to pay for it ourselves. A quoted $750 tow ended up costing $2,750.
Just beware when you call a wrecker company. Ask all kinds of questions, and if you have the recorder app on your phone, use it. Ask the company rep how much? Ask whether that is an hourly rate or for the entire tow? Will there be any other additional charges or fees? Do you take credit cards? If they require cash only, hang up. You have no recourse when paying with cash. Where am I being towed? Will there be a certified RV mechanic working on my vehicle? Will there be a mechanic certified in (whatever the mechanical failure is)? Write all of this down.
You may want to hang up and call back after going to the internet and reading reviews for the wrecker company and the repair shop. The garage where we were taken was just as unscrupulous and forced charges on us that we did not want or need. Take your time, know all the facts, and don’t assume anything.
Had we done any of this, we would not have been taken advantage of. We have been traveling the country in an RV for over 20 years and have never run into this type of rip-off. We always had great luck with repairs on the road, probably because we used reliable wrecker services that accepted our road service.
Betty Jones, F292890
Binghamton, New York
CORRECTION
Western Reserve Buckeyes Chapter
The Western Reserve Buckeyes chapter was inadvertently omitted from the Chapter Directory in the January issue. This Great Lakes Area chapter for motorhome owners has been in existence for more than 20 years. For more information, contact James Goggin, (330) 414-5373, gcoondog1@yahoo.com.
We want to hear from you! Family RVing welcomes comments about articles published in the magazine or topics of interest to RV owners. Email readerswrite@fmca.com; mail to Readers Write, FMCA, 8291 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45244. Please include your name, city, and state/province. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.