Corrections
Towing Guide Change
After publication of Family Motor Coaching magazine’s “Towables for 2015” towing guide (January 2015, page 44), we learned that Jeep had provided us with incorrect information regarding the Renegade. The 2015 Renegade is not towable four wheels down behind a motorhome.
Recipe Correction
The March 2015 “Cooking On The Go” column contained a recipe for Chocolate Bonbons (page 86) that listed 1½ cups of coconut oil in the ingredients. The amount should have been ½ cup of coconut oil.
FMC regrets this error.
The Real Cost And Value Of Motorhoming
Dear Editor:
In the February 2015 “RV News & Notes” column (page 45), you included the results of a study commissioned by Recreation Vehicle Industry Association about motorhome vacation cost versus other forms of vacation travel (“Motorhomes Shine In Vacation Cost Study”). As a trained economist and Type A motorhome owner since 1988, I can unequivocally state that vacationing in a motorhome for the vast majority of owners is more expensive than other methods of travel. The vast majority of Type A motorhome owners are no different than the average population of vacationers who fly economy, rent compact/intermediate-sized cars, and stay in reasonably priced hotels.
An analysis of the true cost of RV travel would include yearly costs of ownership divided by the number of nights the RV is actually used per year. Maintenance, property taxes (in many states), and insurance are huge expenses. When a number that size is divided into the number of nights used per year (likely less than 50), it shows the true cost of ownership.
My wife and I have often commented how we could stay in the best hotels, take the most extravagant cruises, and fly to exotic destinations for what we spend on our motorhome yearly. But the benefits of motorhome ownership are not calculated in dollars and cents; they lie in the laid-back lifestyle, the people we get to meet, and our ability to take our pets with us. Our coach is no cleaner or more germ-free than other accommodations, but we know they are our germs and our dirt!
Martin Nadelman, F340263
Elon, North Carolina
Photo Philosophy
Dear Editor:
As a motorhome user and a commercial landscape photographer, I read with interest “Common Photo Foul-Ups” by Knolan Benfield (February 2015, page 84). The story was well-written, and the tips for making a good composition were well described.
I differ with the author’s statement that the more megapixels, the better the quality of the image. While this is generally true, it should be noted that not all camera pixels are the same size, and the actual size of each pixel on a given sensor is also very important in producing a good-quality image. Cell phone cameras cram a high number of tiny pixels on a small sensor and advertise a big megapixel (MP) number, but that number, for instance, 18 MPs, generally will not equate in quality to a digital camera’s 18-MP larger-sized sensor. So, when shopping for a camera, be sure to check the size of the actual sensor as well as the MP number. For excellent reviews of cameras and learning more about them, I recommend Digital Photography Review, at www.dpreview.com.
The author also recommends using a high ISO setting. A high ISO increases sensor sensitivity to light. In low light, it is necessary, because a faster shutter speed will prevent movement blur. However, I do not recommend a high ISO as a normal setting, because it adds more noise to the image than a lower number and may not be necessary for the shot. So, I suggest using the lowest possible ISO that will produce a clear, sharp image. If you don’t want to think about it, then select “auto” in the ISO setup and let the camera decide (cell phones may not have this feature).
Also, many professional photographers recommend setting the camera at the “Best Quality” capture. Camera memory cards are inexpensive, and you might want to crop a photo. Plus, you never know when that one-in-a-million picture opportunity will present itself. So, why gamble? You always can delete the throwaways. That’s the beauty of digital photography.
Peter B. Kunasz, F141994
Fallbrook, California
Southern Oregon Kite Festival
Dear Editor:
The 23rd Annual Southern Oregon Kite Festival will be held July 17-19 in Brookings, Oregon. This popular event is free and fun for all ages.
Festivities will kick off Friday evening, July 17, with an indoor kite-flying demonstration. On Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19, see nationally and internationally renowned kite flyers perform amazing routines choreographed to music on the kite field at the Port of Brookings Harbor. Weekend activities also include free children’s kite-building workshops and vendors selling eats, treats, crafts, and merchandise for the enjoyment of festival attendees. Free parking and free shuttles to the kite festival field will be provided. Visit www.sokf.org or email info@sokf.org for more information.
Emily Grimes
Brookings, Oregon
Alternator Help
Dear Editor:
During a trip from Texas to Florida in our 2002 Monaco motorhome, the voltage indicator started showing that the alternator was not fully charging. This problem started west of Baton Rouge, so we decided to go on into New Orleans, where we had campground reservations. After our stay was up, we took our coach to Big Easy Travel Plaza (5000 Old Gentilly Road, New Orleans, LA 70126; 504-943-5000; www.bigeasytravelplaza.com) to be repaired. They had difficulty finding a replacement.
The mechanics suggested having the old one rebuilt at Crank Systems (1808 Bridge City Ave., Bridge City, LA 70094; 504-437-0094). The people at Crank said the old alternator was beyond rebuilding, but they had found a replacement that cost one third the price Monaco quoted. We were back on the road the next day, and labor charges were more than reasonable.
We highly recommend both Big Easy Travel Plaza and Crank Systems in the New Orleans area.
Chip Mccormick, F245049
Bossier City, Louisiana
Trailer Brake Lights Added Quickly
Dear Editor:
This past summer, I purchased a pontoon boat in Kentucky. Our plan was to tow it to Florida behind the motorhome. The morning we were leaving our home in western Kentucky, we discovered we had no brake lights on the pontoon trailer. This was not good, especially since I was towing a 24-foot boat behind a 40-foot motorhome through Nashville, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia.
Eight miles from our home is Youngblood’s RV Supercenter in Mayfield (2132 U.S. 45, Mayfield, KY 42066; 270-247-8591; www.youngbloodrv.com.) So, we headed there. Of course, like many RV owners headed for a repair, I had plenty of worries in my mind, such as wondering if they’d take at least a day or two to get us in, and so forth. Garnetta called ahead and spoke with Holly, the service manager/receptionist. We were pulling in when she said to get it there ASAP.
Evan, a very nice young man, immediately went to work. We both decided that a separate plug for the pontoon trailer was the best way to go. He worked steadily for more than an hour. We checked it at least three times. He kept repeating, “I do not want to put you on the road until this is right.”
An hour and a half after we pulled in, we were on the road. As I approached Atlanta at 5:45 p.m., I could not help but think how thankful I was for the good people at Youngbloods.
William & Garnetta Mallory, F256138
Leesburg, Florida