Sep/Oct - The American Coach Association

Volume XV, Issue 5 • September-October 2010
The Official Magazine For Owners Of Heritage, Eagle, Dream, Tradition, Allegiance & Limited Motor Coaches
MEMBER FORUM
THE ROVING WRENCH’S
TOP 10 GADGETS
TIPS & TRICKS
VEGAS RALLY UPDATE
LETTER FROM RV WORLD
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CONTENTS: Where It’s At
ELECTED OFFICERS:
President - Bill Dettmer
1509 Tejana Mesa Pl . NE
Albuquerque, NM 87112
505-294-0564 / 505-238-2025
billdettmer@comcast .net
Vice President - Doug Thompson
1812 Latelia Ct, Trinity, FL 34655
727-709-0218
doug@rvzoomin .com
Secretary - Mary Corcoran
1051 Caravan Loop, Polk City, FL 33868
863-984-0903 / 863-206-1418 Cell
jfcorcoran@aol .com
Treasurer - Bob Downing
808 Holley Lake Road, Aiken, SC 29803
803-641-6455 / 803-645-1694 Cell
venderman@prodigy .net
CHAPTER PRESIDENTS:
Great Lakes - Dave Ehrhardt
881 Moses Loop, The Villages, FL 32162
352-259-4669 / 216-496-8236 Cell
dvehrhardt@comcast .net
Happy Wanderers - Bill Makowski
179674, 3590 Round Bottom Rd .,
Cincinnati, OH 45244
Cell 989-390-9444
wbmak@aol .com
Mac Pack - Skipper Campbell
P .O . Box 1126, Fort Mill, SC 29716
803-547-6486 / 803-417-8242 Cell
Skipper1126@comporium .net
Missouri Valley - Ray Smith
1419 Anglers Road, Beaufort, MO 63013
314-825-8906
rpscrosk@hughes .net
Northern California - George Borecky
13101 Tomki Road, Redwood Valley, CA 95470
707-485-0173 / 707-972-8076 Cell
water@pacific .net
Northeast - Lloyd Monroe
116 Boat Yard Road, Chesapeake City, MD 21915
443-466-3909
LBM251@gmail .com
Northwest - Merritt Mosby
PO Box 2182, Florence, OR 97439
925-383-6341 / 541-999-0304
maceagle@oregonfast .net
Southern California - Beverly Petty
34702 Calle Las Florea
Capistrano Beach, CA 92624
(949) 661-9781 Cell (949) 433-1850
bbpetty@cox .net
South Central - Dick Holmes
1001 E . Franklin, Hillsboro, TX 76645
254-582-9008 / 817-235-4880 Cell
dickholmes@sbcglobal .net
Southeast - Jim Graham
12245 Susanne Ct ., Irvington, AL 36544
251-825-9876 / 251-623-4321 Cell
jgraham179@mchsi .com
Southwest - Laura Bruno
1250 Jodi Court, Gardnerville, NV 89460
775-265-0468 / 775-790-3261
joeandlaurabruno@gmail .com
ADVERTISERS & SERVICES
American Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Ancira RV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Bradd & Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Campbell Group, The . . . . . . . 19
Classic Coach Works . . . . . . . 25
Cruising America . . . . . . . . . . 27
Desert Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Diamond Shield . . . . . . . . . . .IFC
Fantastic Vent . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Girard Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
MCD Innovations . . . . . . . . . . 24
Monroeville Chassis . . . . . . . . . 7
RV Fog Dr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
RV World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Spartan Chassis Parts/Service . . 28
Spartan Chassis . . . . . . . . . Back
Sullivan RV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Summit Products . . . . . . . . . . 33
Wade RV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
ACA Magazine - ©2010
Volume XV, Issue 5
September-October
ACA NATIONAL MAGAZINE:
Editor - Jane Lihou
9121 Atlanta Ave ., #637,
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
714-749-7560 Cell
jlihou@aol .com
Advertising - Kevin Mallory
331 E . Livingston St ., Celina, OH 45822
419-586-1193 / 419-852-0791 Cell
cruisingamericarv@verizon .net
Design & Production - Print Group Inc.
1440 W . Skyline Ave ., Ozark, MO 65721
417-581-7651 • www .printgroupinc .com
rdavis@printgroupinc .com
Letter from RV World . . . . . . 4
President’s Message . . . . . . 5
-BillDettmer
Vice Presidents Message . . . 7
-DougThompson
Chapter News . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Member Forum . . . . . . 14-15
-TravelinMexico
Vegas Rally Update . . . 16-17
Tips & Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . 19
ACA Scholarship . . . . . . . . 20
-DougThompson
From Cyberspace . . . . . . . . 20
-Debbie&TerryFarber
Rolling Recipes . . . . . . . . . 21
The Roving Wrencher . . . . 22
-JoeBruno
What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
-JustinHumphreys
Rally Schedule . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rally Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Membership Services . . . . 29
-JaniceThompson
Chapter Directory . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter Registration Form . 31
printed in U .S .A .
The ACA Across America Magazine (USPS 025-025) is published by-monthly by the American Coach Association, Publication
Department, ACA, 1812 Latelia Ct, New Port Richey, FL 34655 (727) 709-0218, and is funded in part by annual membership
dues and paid advertisements . Membership dues are $45 per year, of which $6 is allocated towards a yearly subscription of
the ACA Across America Magazine . Membership in the American Coach Association is open to owners of American Coach
motor coaches only – Limited, Tradition, Dream, Eagle, Heritage and Allegiance .
Periodicals Postage Paid at New Port Richey, FL, and at additional mailing offices .
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to ACA Across America Magazine, Membership Services, 1812 Latelia Ct, Trinity, FL 34655 .
ACA Across America contains advertisements which may be of interest to members- the appearance of any advertisement for
products or services in this publication shall not be deemed an endorsement of the Association or individual members . ACA
reserves the right to reject or accept, including editing for reasons of space and clarity, letters to the editor, chapter news or
articles . Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the author(s) alone and do not imply an opinion on the part
of the officers of the ACA, the members, the Editor, or Production Staff . Letters and photographs become property of ACA
and will not be returned .
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
3
A Letter From RV World
American Coach Owners,
We at RV World in Yuma, Ariz. are
honored and excited to be joining you
at the Fall National ACA Rally in Las
Vegas in October. I would like to take a
moment to introduce our dealership to
you before we meet in person.
My name is Mike Green, owner of RV
World. My parents, Bill and Donalyn, opened our business in 1989 on
a two acre property along Interstate 8
in Yuma, Ariz. We started small, with
trailer sales and a small parts and service department. My parent’s original
intent was to open a small seasonal
dealership that focused on excellent
customer service and unbeatable low
prices. Our service manager, Bob
Smith, along with three other employees, joined my parents and together
they started RV World. By providing
the highest level of service and great
prices, they quickly set the standard
in the desert southwest. My parent’s
dream of taking two or three months
off in the summer quickly disappeared
as business rose beyond their expectations. In 1991, I joined the business,
and we began to grow to our current
size of 18 acres and 62 full time
employees.
Although we have grown far beyond
what we anticipated, several things at
RV World have not changed: our commitment to our family of customers,
our commitment to the RV industry
and our commitment to providing top
of the line service and unbeatable low
prices to every customer, every time.
Bob Smith and our team of factory
trained technicians go out of their way
to provide excellent service and to set
the standard for service in the industry.
Our sales department is factory trained
on product and further trained to treat
our customers like guests in their own
homes. We provide a relaxed, warm,
family atmosphere for our employees
and they, in turn, treat you the same
way. I think you will find that your experience at RV World will be different
than any you have had elsewhere.
Whether you are stopping in for parts,
service, or the purchase of a new RV,
we want your experience to stand out
in your mind so that you will return.
Though relatively new to the American Coach product line, I believe you
will see that our experience with other
highline motor coaches and the values
and philosophies we hold, will set RV
World apart from the competition.
Our “mom and pop” dealership is just
the place to come feel at home while
on the road. We may not be the most
posh place you will ever visit, but we
are neat, clean, hard-working and,
above all, friendly. Our low overhead
will benefit you in all departments, especially in our sales department where
we have survived over 20 desert summers by earning business well outside
our market area.
Joining me in Las Vegas will be Greg
Svalstad, Mike Wood and Nick Stevens. Greg is my cousin and he joined
us after graduating from college in
southern Minnesota in 1998. He has
been married 11 years and has two
young children. Mike Wood came to
us in 2004 from the Ag Chemical business. Mike has three adult boys and has
been married to his wife for 28 years.
Nick became part of the team in 2006
and he and wife of five years have two
young boys. We all look forward to
meeting you in Las Vegas in October!
Happy and safe travels,
Mike Green
ACA National Membership:
Membership Chairwoman - Debbie Darby
1021 Pinehurst Pl ., Camarillo, CA 93010
805-482-6733 / 805-469-2903
Membership Benefits - Bill Dettmer
1509 Tejana Mesa Pl . NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112
505-294-0564
billdettmer@comcast .net
Membership Services - Janice Thompson
American Coach Association,
1812 Latelia Ct, Trinity, FL 34655
501-858-9564
membership@myamericancoach .com
ACA National Web Site:
Chairman - Doug Thompson
1812 Latella Ct ., Trinity, FL 34655
727-709-0218
doug@rvzoomin .com
ACA National Finance Committee:
Chair - Laura Bruno
1250 Jodi Court, Gardnerville, NV 89460
775-265-0468 / 775-790-3261
joeandlaurabruno@gmail .com
ACA National Ambassador Club:
Chairwoman - Debbie Darby
1021 Pinehurst Pl ., Camarillo, CA 93010
805-482-6733 / 805-469-2903
debdarby48@yahoo .com
ACA National By-Laws:
Chairwoman - Margaret Harker
3590 Round Bottom Rd ., Cincinnati, OH 45244
602-538-0604
ctrylady@gmail .com
ACA National Policy:
Chairman - Chip Aiken
1160 Vierling Dr ., #345, Shakopee, MN 55379
952-807-2290 Cell
caiken@aikenfamily .us
ACA Scholarship Foundation:
Chairman - Doug Thompson
1812 Latelia Ct, Trinity, FL 34655
727-709-0218
doug@rvzoomin .com
ACA National Rally Guidelines:
Chairwoman - Mary Corcoran
1051 Caravan Loop, Polk City, FL 33868
863-984-0903 / 863-206-1418 Cell
jfcorcoran@aol .com
ACA National Historian:
Chairwoman - Ann Beadel
8801 FM 45 South, Brownwood, TX 76801
325-646-5104/325-998-0431 Cell
bbeadel@bwoodtx .com
4
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
President’s Message
In Walt Kelly’s comic strip, the title character Pogo said “We have met the enemy and he are us”. As I ponder our lack
of attendance at our National Rallies, I say that “We have met our enemy and he are the lack of us”. It is obvious that
the poor attendance at our recent national rallies is primarily due to a decline in membership. There are other factors at
play, but membership is the prime one.
The following chart was provided by Doug and Janice Thompson:
Rally Sites and Dates
Tucson, Ariz., 2006
Mobile, Ala., 2008
Gillette, Wyo., 2010
Coaches in ACA
2,100
1,800
1,400
Coaches at the Rally
300
216
117
Participation
14.3%
12.0 %
8.4 %
Even if we turned out the same percentage as in Tucson in 2006, we could only expect a turnout of 200 coaches at a
rally. Our membership has leveled off and is currently increasing but not enough to make a big difference.
We can still hold a rally with a smaller number of coaches, but we have to cut back on our fixed expenses to keep the
rally costs down. Fixed costs are such things as the buildings we use for gatherings, vendors, seminars, and show coaches, entertainment and decorations. Unless we can get our numbers up significantly, this is what we are going to have to
live with.
I reported in my last message that during the ACA Rally in Gillette, the Board of Directors voted to reduce the number
of national rallies per year from two to one and to hold them near the center of the country at destination locations.
They also decided that there would be east and west regional rallies. ACA business would be conducted during the
national rallies, along with the fun. The regional Rallies would be pure fun.
With this approach, Fleetwood would support the one national rally but not the regional rallies. Since they would be
servicing only one ACA rally per year, they would provide more techs and fix more items than they do now.
Since then, some members have objected to this approach. Since rallies are the essence of the ACA, I believe we need
to have a consensus of all the chapters on this issue. Therefore, I have asked Doug Thompson to reconvene the Future
of Rallies Committee at the Las Vegas ACA Rally to continue to discuss our rally approach and to brief the board with
their recommendations. We need to finalize our approach at Las Vegas so we can proceed with our future planning.
Now, on to the ACA National Rally in Las Vegas. The Southwest Chapter is planning a different sort of rally. First
of all, it is at a destination that most people enjoy visiting (Kip is already lining up the shows she wants to see). Second, they are planning optional events that we have not seen before such as a Nascar ride-along, casino games, a Texas
Hold’em tournament, a football game party, a ladies and gents spa day, a Spartan/Cummins onsite workshop at representative coaches, and more. Of course, they will be scheduling all of the traditional events that we have at our national
rallies.
Fleetwood RV plans to have at least one dealer and several show coaches at the Las Vegas Rally. The coaches will be
2011 models with old emission engines. At this point, John Draheim, Fleetwood RV CEO, plans to be at the Rally for
the Fleetwood RV presentation on Wednesday. John Becker, a principal in AIP and the Chairman of the Fleetwood RV
Board of Directors, may be there depending on his schedule. Please plan on joining us in Las Vegas, and let’s have some
fun.
I still may be able to get a few more spaces for the Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta Rally, but time is running out. You need to let me know as soon as possible if
you would like to join us. Call me at 505-294-0564. The rally starts on October 1st
and ends on October 4th. There will also be a rolling rally from Albuquerque to Las
Vegas after the Balloon Fiesta Rally. The rolling rally
is open to all and is being planned and led by Bill and
Cheryl Gill (970-686-7040).
Bill Dettmer
ACA National President
Bill Dettmer
Bill & Kip Dettmer
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
5
Vice President’s Message
Assuming that this issue reaches you as scheduled, in
mid-September, there is still ample time to register for
the fall rally in Las Vegas. I’ve always said that no one
needs an excuse to visit Vegas, but if you feel you need
one, consider this an engraved invitation.
The Southwest Chapter members have spent considerable time and effort in planning and creating fun times
for this coming rally. You are sure to enjoy yourself.
We’re destined for a venue that is totally different than
recent national rallies; it should be a hoot. So, put just
the right amount of air in your tires and roll toward
Las Vegas.
Also, if you’re the out doors type, don’t forget to add in
another week or so to enjoy some of the many national
parks and monuments nearby.
At the Gillette rally, each chapter president was given
a supply of the new ACA membership brochures. Be
sure you carry some of these in your coach as you travel
and take time to speak with fellow American Coach
owners you may meet along the way to make sure that
they know about our association. Remember, it’s all
about the fun that we can have together as we enjoy
traveling along life’s highways in our beautiful
American Coaches.
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in Vegas.
We’re spending the summer at Lake Powell, enjoying
the parks and monuments near the Glen Canyon NRA.
I know it’s 114 in the shade, but, remember, it’s just
dry heat.
Specializing in Front & Rear Alignment!
We also offer FULL SERVICE and
are an Authorized Dealer for C
al
Roadmaster Sway Bars. priclinfgor
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Just minutes from Fleetwood’s Decatur, Indiana
factory and service center.
For more info or an appointment:
Sincerely,
Doug Thompson
Doug Thompson
Doug Thompson
ACA National
Vice-President
Call Ron or Rex at 260-623-6093
For more information online:
web site: www.monroevillechassis.com
e-mail: response@monroevillechassis.com
Doug Thompson
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
7
Chapter News: Keep In Touch
Great Lakes
Greetings from the Great Lakes Chapter! It is now
the beginning of August, and summer is starting to
close. We hope that all our ACA members would keep
some of our members in their prayers as they have had
some health problems and they could use your support:
Tom De Simone, Kent Landry, Joyce Bois, Bill Carroll
and Cary Hughes, Kathie Guttierrez, Carolyn Habegger, Barb Hoover, and Marilyn Wilson.
Our chapter just finished a nice rally up in Door County which was attended by 28 coaches. The weather was
great and all who attended enjoyed all the fun activities. We thank Bob and Pete Kolarik and Slip and Carol
Schwerdtfeg for all their hard work; it was a very successful rally.
Speaking of rallies, GLC has planned a winter rally at
Disney World in Feb. followed by a summer rally in
June, a pre rally for the Memphis National Rally and
then a later summer rally in Sept. at northern Mich.
Dates for the Disney rally are Feb. 21st thru 25th. The
pre rally for Memphis is May 13th thru 15th and then
onto the ACA National Rally in Memphis which should
be a good one. The northern Michigan rally dates are
Sept.12th thru 16th. We encourage anyone in the area
at those times to come join us.
A lot of our members are traveling this summer. Mark
and Jackie Belcher were traveling to points west after
the ACA Gillette Rally. The Branigans and a few others
also headed west. Gillette was a good launching point to
visit some of the western states. Kathy and I are still in
Denver but, we will leave soon for the coast where we
will stay until the Las Vegas rally.
GLC has been blessed with (hopefully) twelve new
members who have purchased new or used American
Coaches in our area. We hope they will all join the
Great Lakes Chapter and we’ve sent welcome letters to
each and everyone.
It is unfortunate that, out of approximately 1400
members, ACA does not draw more coaches to a national rally. I realize that times are tough but, fuel is the
8
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
cheapest it has been for the last three or four years. I
also realize that we are all getting older and that some
are having trouble traveling but, let’s not forget that
we have many nice friends that we only see at a national rally. Your board is trying to do all that we can to
plan great rallies at some nice areas. This club is for all
American Coach owners. If you have suggestions about
what you would like to see at a national rally, please let
us know. If you want less expensive rallies, you will have
to do with less - less food, less entrainment or perhaps
not full hookups. I don’t want to get on my soap box
but, please let us know how we can make it a better club
and get more of you to come to a national rally.
Kathy and I hope to see you on the road somewhere in
this great country and if you see us wave or give a blast
on the air horn we’ll be sure to return the same.
See you in Vegas!
Dave Ehrhardt
Great Lakes Chapter President
Southeast
The Southeast Chapter will be having a pre-rally to the
ACA National Rally in Las Vegas at the AVI Casino
RV Resort in Laughlin, Nevada. The rally will be held
on October 8th thru 10th and leaving on the 11th for
Sam’s Town in Las Vegas. Doty and I will not be at
either rally because we will be temporarily without a
coach. The registration form is on the SEACA web site.
Stew and Mary Macfarlane will be hosting the pre-rally
in Laughlin and have a great agenda planned for all to
enjoy.
This summer has been a very hot one for Doty and me.
We have stayed in Mobile at home and that is a rare
thing for us. We had a lot of things that had to be done
before we take our coach to Decatur for the sidewall
work and the first was to clean out my RV barn so we
would have a place to put all of the stuff that has
Chapter News: Keep In Touch
accumulated in the coach over the last five years. The
barn has been accumulating “stuff ” for the last 17 years
and it barely had a walk path from the front to the back.
We have actually been able to enjoy the pool this year.
I don’t think either of us had been in the pool for the
last five years. It has been hot here in Mobile, but we are
getting by and staying cool inside.
We met Dan and Renee Lee in North Florida a couple
of weeks ago at the Sprit of Suwannee Music Park just
north of Live Oak. We had a great time. We actually
went to Florida to set up the November rally at “Quail
Run RV Park” in Wesley Chapel. The place is very nice
and the spots are large and have lots of concrete plus
there will be satellite reception at every spot. The clubhouse is old but nice. They are building a new on, but it
won’t be ready for this rally. The rally dates are November 4th – 6th leaving on the 7th. We don’t have the activities planned yet but, I’m sure they’ll be fun. There is
a lot of shopping in the area and Bob Frank is going to
plan the golf at one of the many nice golf courses in the
area. Make sure to put this rally on your calendar. The
registration form will be on the web site soon. We’re not
sure our side walls will be finished but, I have faith that
the techs at the service center in Decatur will do their
best to get done in six weeks.
The Christmas rally will be in Sarasota, Florida at the
Sun ‘N Fun RV Resort on Dec 2nd thru the 5th. I will
have more on this rally later and the registration form
will be on the web site soon. I really need help as a host
on this rally. This is a good one to start out as a host
because the park will do most everything. The dates are
set up and the menus will be chosen soon so most of
the hard work will be done. I would like someone in
the area to volunteer and set up some activities for the
rally…. please.
Happy Wanderers
As I compose my last article as president of the Happy
Wanderers Chapter, Bob and I are spending time with
Jim and Carol Ball at one of Montana’s state parks. This
great park is a located by a beautiful lake and is a great
place to relax and enjoy the scenery as well as the cooler
temperatures.
Thanks to Dave and Nancy Crossan for entering our
chapter into Indigo Bluffs’ free rally contest. The theme
of the contest was a group that looked to be having the
most fun. The blue bear (Indigo Bluffs logo) had to appear somewhere in the photo. Dave and Nancy selected
the photo of the Road Kill Café group, from the Texarkana ACA Rally and, no doubt about it, they certainly
were having a good time. The photo was placed on the
Indigo Bluff website, along with the other entries to be
voted on via email. The Happy Wanderers Chapter received the most votes and won the free rally contest. So,
August 11th, the Happy Wanderers Chapter members
will be enjoying their free rally at the Indigo Bluffs RV
Resort in Empire, Mich.
It’s hard to believe that the summer of 2010 is almost a
memory and the fall season is fast approaching. Soon it
will be time for the Wanderers to begin the migration of
the “Snowbirds” traveling to their winter locations for
the season.
I hope that everyone will be able to attend the national
rally at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas. Of all the places in our
great USA, Las Vegas has something for everyone. The
Southwest Chapter has a lot of
activities planned and it will be
worth the trip west.
The new chapter officers will assume their duties at the
chapter membership meeting at the Fall ACA National
Rally in October at Las Vegas, Nev. The officers are:
President Bill Makowski, Vice President Don Miller,
Secretary Linda Coleman, Treasurer Nancy Crossan,
and Member-At-Large Bill Evans. I thank you all for
your support during my two years as chapter president
and I ask you to continue that support for the new
chapter officers. I would like to thank the chapter
members for the gift card that was presented to me as
a going out of office gift at the ACA Rally in Gillette.
Please remember our men and
women that are serving in harms
way around the world in your prayers.
Jim Graham
Southeast Chapter President
Safe travels and
see you in Las Vegas.
Margaret Harker
HWC President
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
9
Chapter News: Keep In Touch
South Central
Gosh, it’s hot up here in New England. It reached 100
degrees yesterday and today. We had a brown out last
night and the current dropped down to 104 volts so
obviously, our air conditioners would not run. After
much ado, we started the generator and slept well for a
little while.
We enjoyed the ACA National Rally in Gillette, Wyo.
We traveled from Amarillo, Texas to Gillette with some
good friends from the South Central Chapter and
enjoyed a couple of days in Buffalo before the big rally.
The weather got a little rough on the way up, but we
made it without incident.
Our fall rally is going to be another great rally and we
have plans to visit a lot of attractions along the way. We
have heard rave reviews about the National Cowboy and
Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and we
hope to explore Bricktown and ride the water taxi. We
will also visit Murray Museum and Memorial. We hope
you will join us.
We are currently making plans to attend the ACA
National Rally in Las Vegas and, from what I hear, it
is going to be another great rally. In addition to all the
activities that are planned, it will be fun to see all of our
ACA friends and maybe meet some new ones.
We would like to give a big SCC welcome to two new
members from Texas: Roger & Janice Guthrie from
Keller and Mike and Nancy Shaw from Fredericksburg.
I don’t think you need to be reminded to keep our great
nation and our troops in your prayers, but let this serve
as your reminder to do just that.
Safe travels to you and have fun while you travel.
Dick Holmes
President South Central Chapter
Southwest
Greetings from Nevada…no, Oregon…no, Arizona.
Yep, it is 105 degrees and we’re baking in this heat! We
started in Nevada and headed to Seven Feathers in Oregon for the ACC pre-rally and on to Bend, Oregon for
the FMCA rally.
This was our first stay at the Seven Feathers RV Resort.
What a gorgeous setting; the surrounding scenery and
the peace and quiet of the park made for a very relaxing time. In addition to that, the ACC event organizers
did a great job of putting things together. Joseph and I
enjoyed ourselves very much.
Our main goal in attending the FMCA rally was to connect with vendors for our Las Vegas National Rally. We
were very successful in our endeavors and it looks like
we are going to have a well-rounded group of vendors.
The Balloon Fiesta Rally, hosted by Bill and Kip Dettmer, is in place and ready to go. Added to that will be
a rolling rally from Albuquerque to Las Vegas for the
ACA National Rally. This Rolling Rally, hosted by Bill
and Cheryl Gill, will follow the famous Route 66 and
promises to be full of interesting and nostalgic stops
along the way. Bill and Cheryl have really done a wonderful job of researching sites for this rolling rally, so I
think we will give them the title of “Rally Organizers
Extraordinaire”!!!
Even though the Las Vegas National Rally is still in our
front windshield, we are looking forward to our annual
“If it’s January, It must be Quartzsite Rally.” This rally
is always a laid back affair and one that we try to set
around the time of the Quartzsite RV Show. We’ll have
more information on our January Quartzsite Rally in
the next issue of the ACA Magazine.
In the meantime, the ACA National Rally in Las Vegas
is really coming together nicely. We are very excited
about the seminars, the vendors, the show coaches, and
the special events; there will definitely be something for everyone!
From all the Southwest Chapter
members, we wish you safe travels
and look forward to seeing you in
Las Vegas.
Laura Bruno
SW Chapter President
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ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
Chapter News: Keep In Touch
Mac Pack
Our area is experiencing some of the hottest summer
weather in years. Each day is a triple digit day. Plants
and people are starting to show the strain of the extreme temperatures. Needless to say, we are looking
forward to fall, and meanwhile we’re having lots of
pool time!
Speaking of fall, the Missouri Valley Chapter is having
a rally at the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa. It is
September 9th -13th. This fair is world famous. The
Travel Channel has highlighted it as a number one attraction in fairs. We, as a chapter, visited it several years
ago and what a blast it was! Deb Weir and Bill Bramley
are hosting this rally. They always do a terrific job at
whatever they decide to work at. And, they recently
started to compete in competition BBQ and we will be
treated to some of their best barbeque!
Linda and I have had a quiet summer as far as traveling
is concerned. We have been putting our shoulders to
some work here at home. We did just return from the
Branson area, helping to celebrate my mother-in-law’s
90th birthday. She is amazing. There were close to 200
people attending the party and helping us to make the
day special for her.
We have plans to attend the Albuquerque International
Balloon Fiesta Rally sponsored by the Southwest Chapter. We have never been able to attend this event, so are
really looking forward to the fiesta. From there, we are
heading onto Las Vegas for the ACA National Rally.
What a fun rally that should be and we look forward to
seeing many of you there.
See you soon at Las Vegas!
Travel safe.
Ray Smith
Missouri Valley Chapter President
One word sums up the summer of 2010 – HOT!!!
I think I owe Mother Nature an apology. I fussed about
the weather during our trip out west – cold, rain, snow
and wind – but in July, when the temperatures in South
Carolina reached 97 and the humidity was just a few
percentage points short of that, I think I would have
welcomed the cold and rain. But as it has been said
before – you just don’t fool with Mother Nature.
Summer found us looking forward to a trip through the
Canadian Maritime Provinces which brought a welcome relief to the heat and sights to behold. It seems as
though Frankie and I did all of our traveling during 2010.
Mac Pack usually suspends rallies during the summer
months to allow our members to share the season with
their families. I hope that everyone has had the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends during this
time of year. The month of July always brings a special
time for all of us – July 4th. It is a time to thank our
military personnel for their service both in the past and
present, a time to show our love and support for the
great United States and a time to reflect on how fortunate and blessed we are to live and enjoy our wonderful
lifestyle. I hope all of you enjoyed and celebrated that day.
Fall is my favorite time of year for several reasons: the
cooler temperatures, the changing colors of the leaves,
the fall trips through the mountains. This fall will be especially fun as Mac Packers meet in Memphis, Tenn. in
October to continue our planning for the ACA Spring
National Rally in May 2011. This rally will mark the
beginning of the new format of ACA National Rallies,
one each year as opposed to the historical two. We are
excited about the location, the venue, the city and the
plans that are being made by our members. So Mac
Packers, if you have not done so already, make your
plans to attend this working rally; it won’t be all work
and no play!!!
Safe travels everyone!!!!
Skipper Campbell
Mac Pack President
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
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Chapter News: Keep In Touch
Northern California
Greetings from the Northern California Chapter. Summer is in full swing and I know of several Northern
California Chapter members that are on their way to attend the ACC pre rally in Canyonville, Oregon. Nancy
and I would love to be there but commitments here at
home prevented our trip.
Sadly, I have to report the passing of long time Northern California Chapter member, Don Lawrence. Don
and his wife Terri had been very active in the chapter
until a couple of years ago. Our condolences go out to
Terri and the family.
Hopefully, when you read this newsletter most of you
will be getting your coaches ready to attend the ACA
National Rally in Las Vegas. Laura Bruno has assured
me that this will be a rally we won’t soon forget. Northern California Chapter members are encouraged to sign
up a day or two early and join us at Sam’s Town RV
Park and see some of the things that Las Vegas has to
offer before the rally officially begins.
I recently received a note that Earlene Alves has been
in UC Davis Medical Center for over a month with a
serious illness. Please keep Earlene and husband Frank
in your prayers.
We are still looking for a member to host a rally. If
anybody has any ideas, please feel free to contact me. I
think that the only dates we may want to avoid would
be the time right before and after the ACA National
Rally in Memphis.
I do not have much else to report so travel safe, and
please remember the men and women of our armed
forces that work so hard to maintain our freedom.
George Borecky, President
Northern California Chapter
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ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
Southern California
SoCal members used this summer to their advantage,
either extending their motorhome trip from the ACA
Rally in Gillette, Wyo. or taking off on their own. The
following members hit the road in their luxury motorhomes for fabulous destination sites: Ray & Joanne
Lamb, Sal & Leslie Speziale, Bob & Becky Clapper,
Gary & Pat Adams, Scott & Susan Rose, Lanny &
Mary Wilson, Art & Sandy Bridges, Joe & Debbie
Darby, Marv & Linda Karsten, Karen & Lee Prather.
As I write this, several of our members are making their
way to Canyonville, Ore. for the ACC pre-rally. I don’t
have everyone listed, but I do know these folks are
traveling to Oregon: Pete & Eileen Smoot, Joe & Debbie Darby, Jerry & Norma Dunn, and Marv & Linda
Karsten. I know more of you spent quality time in your
motorhome this summer, just let me know and in the
future I’ll include you.
So what about the rest of us? Those of us that are
left behind enjoyed an intimate rally at the beautiful
Pechanga RV Resort in Temecula, Cal. This is a great
location with level, cement pads, beautiful landscape, a
clubhouse and it is located just a hop, skip and a jump
to the casino and shows. As a small group of just 15
coaches, it was reminiscent of our rallies of old - you
know, the kind where you can really get to know everyone. Our rally hosts,(OK, it was Ben and I and Norma
and Jerry Dunn) did most of the dinners, provided root
beer floats, and organized some entertaining events.
For example, every attendee was asked to bring their
wedding picture and all weekend long we would stroll
by the photos and try to figure out “who” and “when.”
Sounds easy? It wasn’t. But congratulations to Lisa
Short for getting the most correct answers. Her grand
prize, besides the notoriety, was a bottle of wine and a
giant jar of pickles (yes, occasionally we are that weird!)
We also played Two Truths and a Lie. Each person must
come up with three short stories or statements about
themselves and two of the statements are true, and one
statement is a lie. The rest of us try to figure out which
statement is the lie. We found out we have some very
convincing liars in our group. The grandest liar of us
all was Janet Hinesly. She totally pulled the wool over
our eyes with a tale about having won first place at the
county fair for her jam.
Chapter News: Keep In Touch
This was also the meeting to finalize our election.
The new officers are as follows: myself, Bev Petty as
president, Jim Hinesly as vice president, Pat Adam as
secretary and Susan Rose as treasurer/membership. As
past president, Sharon Miller will remain as MemberAt-Large. Thank you to Sharon for taking the lead these
last several years, and a fond farewell to Eileen Smoot
as she leaves the Member-at-Large position. Thank you
both for your commitment and dedication to the SoCal Club. Don’t get any bright ideas of escaping, as I’m
keeping your phone numbers handy! Pat Adams and
Susan Rose are relatively new to the Club, but already
they want to give back to the club by actively participating on the board and they both have recently been
involved as rally hosts. Congratulations and thanks for
your enthusiasm.
We have several of our members attending the ACA
National Rally in Las Vegas in October. Willie &
Marilyn Morris and Gary & Pat Adams will be hosting
the pre-rally at the Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort. Next,
the Board will be hosting a rally in Rancho, California
over Veteran’s Day – November 11th (arrival) through
November 14th (departure). We will have a patriotic
Veteran’s Day theme, a chili cook-off, BINGO, and
much, much more.
Also, as I am part of the committee putting on the ACA National
Rally in Memphis, Tenn. on May
11th – 16th, 2011, I’m hoping
many of us will start to plan now
to attend this new destination.
So come on y’all!
Sharon Miller
So. California Chapter President.
Northwest
Greetings to all ACA members, especially those living in
the Northwest region.
I’ll start this column off with some sad news. Jack Donovan, a Charter ACA member passed away on the first
of the month. Jack has been fighting cancer for quite
awhile, and he died peacefully at his home in Montana
with Janice at his side. Please keep Janice in your prayers
and thoughts.
And, I have more sad news, but of a different nature.
No one has stepped up to become a Northwest Chapter
officer or to help put on a Northwest rally. What are we
going to do? What should we do? What do you want to
do? This is your chapter and your club; please tell me
what you want.
It seems as though the worker-bee’s just keep on working & working. Leslie Pettinger, our Northwest Membership Chair and Director, has accepted the position
(non-paying job) of ACC President. Her plate is now
really overflowing. We’re all pleased that she stepped up
and we look forward to having her keep the “good ship
ACC” on course to make it the premier, successful, fun
chapter. Congratulations!
Carita and I have been really busy since the Gillette rally. Past Northwest President, Karen Merlich, stopped by
and Sheri & George Tomaszewski have been by a couple
of times. Gloria & Charlie Adcock stopped by for a few
days as well. Past Northwest President Ed Branch and
his wife Helen were up for a visit from their home in
Henderson, Nevada. Mike & Leslie Pettinger & Joe &
Debbie Darby spent a day with us, and we also had a
quick visit with Jim & Ruth Annan. Any time you are
in Florence on the beautiful Oregon coast, give us a call;
we will be happy to show you some of the good Oregon
hospitality.
Put your hands together for Laura Bruno and her
Southwest Chapter; they really have some interesting
and unique activities planned for the Las Vegas rally.
The NASCAR ride-along caught my attention along
with the Texas Hold ‘em Tournament. If you’re planning to go, please give me a call, and perhaps we can
put on a rolling rally. If you would like to get there early
and have a pre-rally with the Northern California Chapter, please let me know as well.
Dear Lord, please give all of the men and women in
service to our country your safety and guidance. Please
give our elected leaders the strength and wisdom to
bring stability to the country and
peace to the world. Amen.
Travel safe, be happy, and we hope
to see you in Vegas,
Merritt Mosby
Northwest Chapter President
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
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Member Forum: Travel
14
in Mexico
From Lloyd and Lisa Hodgins, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Great Lakes Chapter Members
Like many people from the north, we escape to warmer climates
that you find in the states, especially in the larger cities. In the
for the winter. For the past three years, our destination of choice
rural areas, your choices are more limited but the prices are
has been Lo de Marcos in the state of Nayarit, Mexico. This
substantially less. Fresh produce, meats, and baked goods are
rancho, a small town founded on the site of a ranch, has a winin abundance. There are many large grocery stores that rival our
ter population of about 3,000 and is situated one hour north of
chain stores where you can find many recognizable products.
the tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta.
You will not get the same selection of frozen and prepared foods
The past year has not
because Mexicans love to cook and everything is fresh. Easy al
been kind to this interestfresco or barbecued meals with lots of salads and grilled meats
ing and diverse country.
that can be prepared and eaten outside are more popular. If you
Media reports of crime
don’t feel like making food the local restaurants will be happy to
related to the illicit drug
feed you. We get tacos with wonderful toppings and homemade
industry, the fall of the
salsa for 10 pesos each and a cerveza (beer) is 10-12 pesos. A
American economy and
meal costs less than $10 for two of us.
Mexican immigrants who
Health Care - Your insurance provider will be happy that you
have taken up illegal resihad medical treatment in Mexico. The cost is substantially less
dency in the U.S., have all
than you would pay at home. An average visit to the doctor is
made headlines. But, it is
250 pesos – less than $25 – and a specialist is about 600 pesos.
important to remember
And you can get an appointment with the specialist the next
that these reports are only
day. Dentists are also very reasonable and do excellent work.
a few incidents. Much of
Most are trained in the United States and the equipment is
the drug related crime is
new and up-to-date. Lloyd needed a triple root canal and with
confined to the border
medication it cost less than $400! Speaking of medication, it’s a
cities and is between
good idea to bring what you take regularly with you. However if
warring drug factions, not tourists or RV’ers who are just passyou run out or you need anything special, just go to the farmaring through. So, with this in mind let me tell you about the
cia (pharmacy) and if they don’t have it they’ll order it for you.
Mexico we have come to know and love and give you some tips
No prescription required. Hospitals are also excellent should an
about travelling there in your RV.
emergency situation arise. One of the women in our RV park
Crossing the Border - There are many border crossings suitfell and broke seven ribs and her collar bone while travelling
able for big rigs. We have used several: Nogales, Ariz., Laredo
home this past spring. She couldn’t speak highly enough about
and Pharr-McAllen in Texas, and Santa Teresa, N.M. Before
the level of care she received and her doctor at home corroboyou enter Mexico, you are required to do two things – get a
rated that.
tourist visa and obtain permits (holograms) for your vehicles.
For this, you need your passport and your vehicle registrations
and drivers license. The tourist visa and the permit for your tow
vehicle will expire in six months after it is issued. The permit for
the motor-home is now a 10-year permit. If however, you sell
the motor-home within the 10-year period you must return the
hologram and provide proof in the form of other documentation to show you have sold it. You are not permitted to have
more than one RV or vehicle registered to you at a time.
Insurance - Your U.S. and Canadian vehicle and RV insurance
is void once you cross into Mexico. Therefore, you must buy
Mexican insurance. Check with your insurance company to
obtain this coverage.
Language - If you plan to do some travelling in Mexico, it’s a
good idea to have some basic Spanish. Try an on-line course,
language courses on CD, night school or Spanish speaking
friends. Even if it’s only a few words, it’s the effort that counts.
Once you get away from the border and the tourist destinaMoney and Banking - The currency in Mexico is the peso.
tions, very few people speak English so a basic understanding of
Currently the U.S. dollar is trading at about 13 pesos to the
numbers, directions, a few important questions such as “donde
dollar. ATM’s are available at banks, gas stations, variety stores
esta el bano?” (where is the bathroom?) are useful.
and Walmarts. Credit cards are not readily accepted once you
Shopping and Eating Out
leave the big cities. Cash is the currency of business. We usually
Whether you are shopping for food, clothing, electronics or
purchase enough pesos before leaving home to buy fuel, pay
medicine, you will be able to find most of the same products
road tolls, buy food and pay for incidentals. We also take U.S.
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
dollars to pay for our RV park site rental. When we need cash
throughout the winter we go to the ATM. A service fee of
about $2.00 is charged with each withdrawal. Don’t expect to
be able to get or cash U.S. dollars at the bank. This is done at
the money exchange.
Any utility or regular bills you have to pay can be done online
or through automatic withdrawal. If you must mail a cheque,
expect two to three weeks for it to get there. On the subject of
mail, don’t forward any to your Mexican address. If something
is so important that you must have it, have someone courier it
down for you. DHL and FedEx all deliver to Mexico.
Camping - There are RV parks in Mexico and many have
facilities for big rigs. You will find these along routes that are
travelled regularly by those heading south for the winter. The
standard power is 15- and 30 amp. Very few parks offer 50 amp.
However you may be able to make an arrangement with the
park owner to upgrade the service to your site. Power is usually
charged extra to your site rental when you are staying long term.
For example, we pay $600 U.S. per month plus about 1,000
pesos a month for electricity. Water is provided to the site and,
in our park, is potable. However we purchase bottled water for
drinking and cooking. Sewer outlets are also provided.
Weather - We like this part of Mexico because the weather is always reliable. Average temperatures are between 75-85 degrees
F for the entire season. The ocean is also warm and great for
swimming.
Guns and Ammunition - I’ll only say one thing on this topic
– DON’T take a gun into Mexico!! In Mexico you are guilty
until proven innocent and that process can take a long time.
Your government can’t help you in a Mexican jail if you’ve been
found carrying firearms or ammunition.
Radio, Television, Internet and Telephone
Sirius/XM satellite radio works in Mexico. Starchoice is the only
satellite television that is capable of receiving a signal but, many
RV parks have wifi. To make telephone calls, we use Skype from
our computer or get a phone card to use the local pay phone.
Using your cell phone is very expensive unless you make arrangements in advance to have an international plan. But that
is usually quite expensive. If you must have a cell phone in
Mexico, buy one there for about $40 and then buy minutes as
you need them.
Vehicle Fuel and Maintenance - There is only one gas station
in Mexico – Pemex. They are in abundance and most sell diesel
fuel. However, few if any stations sell ULSD. Diesel here is
low sulphur. If your coach is pre-2007 you’ll be fine. If not, one
or two tanks of LSD won’t hurt your newer engine, according
to Dale Eddy at Cummins. Many of our RV amigos travel in
newer coaches and diesel pick-up trucks and have not reported
problems using the Mexican diesel.
Parts for RV’s are not available in Mexico. We take common
parts like belts, filters, fluids, a spare tire and extra light bulbs.
Mexican mechanics are ingenious people. A friend of ours hit
a blown out tire on his way home and it broke his drive shaft.
Within 20 hours he had a new drive shaft made, a replacement
muffler and a number of parts, and was back on the road. All
for a fraction of the cost of what he would have paid at home.
There are large truck companies like Cummins and Freightliner
in the larger cities if you need specific parts or service.
Roads
There are two types of main roads in Mexico – the cuota or
toll road and the libre or free road. When making our way
south we stick to the toll roads whenever possible. It cost us
about $300 each way in tolls. Whereever there is a toll road
there is also a free road. However free roads go through all the
small towns and villages and are usually abundant with topes
or speed bumps. The cost of wear and tear on your coach far
outweighs the cost of the tolls. Toll roads are well maintained,
have plenty of Pemex stations and are regularly patrolled by the
Green Angels who provide roadside assistance if required. If you
do encounter a problem on a toll road you are entitled to be
reimbursed if you retain your receipt.
Pets - Pets are welcome in Mexico. You must have proof of
yearly vaccinations for dogs and cats.
Safety and Security - When I tell people that we travel to
Mexico, their first question is usually, “Aren’t you afraid?” This
comment is understandable given the amount of negative coverage that the media regularly reports. Our usual response is to
point out that the bulk of the crime that is reported takes place
in the border cities between warring drug factions in areas that,
cont’d. page 18
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
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16
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S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
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Member Forum: Travel
cont’d. from page 15
as travelers, we would not frequent and between people with
whom we would not have any contact. The key to travelling in
Mexico, as anywhere, is to use common sense. Travel on main
roads, stay in populated well-travelled areas of cities, don’t travel
at night and don’t carry a lot of cash on your person. If you
use the same common sense approach to travel that you do at
home, you won’t have any problems in Mexico.
The People - The Mexican people are sometimes described as
lazy and dirty, but in reality, this is far from the truth. In our
experience, we have found the Mexicans to be kind, helpful,
very hard working, family oriented, religious, clean, proud and
full of life. For example, while travelling through a larger city,
we came upon a road that was closed for construction. I got
out of the coach to assist Lloyd in backing up – we were at the
entrance to a busy market and there were four lanes of traffic
around us. A Mexican got out of his car, helped me to hold up
the traffic so Lloyd could back up, then signaled for us to follow
him in his car as he lead us to the correct road. This has been the
common experience for us and other people more than once.
Life in a Mexican town is never dull – there is always something going on in the plaza or town square. Religious and
civic holidays are the biggest celebrations – Easter, Christmas,
Revolution Day, a former Presidents birthday, a wedding – any
reason to have a fiesta. There is music, fireworks, rodeos, parades and, of course, every afternoon, there is a siesta. The days
go so quickly we wonder where our winters have gone.
Our Mexican Winter
We stay at one of the best RV parks in Mexico. It is called El
Refugio and is attached to a hotel called Villas Tlaquepaque.
As residents of the 75-site RV park, we have access to the
hotel’s amenities – two pools, restaurant, hotel and beach. On
a daily basis, many activities take place, mostly arranged by the
park’s residents. These include morning walks, exercise classes,
water aerobics, horseshoes, petanque (like bocce ball), baseball,
volleyball, cards, painting and day trips. There are karaoke
nights, happy hours, a 60’s party and lots more. Last season we
arranged trips to a Huichol Indian village, local hot pools, a
18
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
in Mexico
remote waterfall, zip lining and Rhythms of the Night – a boat
cruise and dinner show near Puerto Vallarta. We had live music
and dances on the beach and the park owner puts on a welcome
and thank you dinner and party for us each year.
The park also arranges a big trip each season. This past year we
went to Mexico City for four days. Everything including airfare,
hotel, breakfasts, tours and bus travel was less than $500.
The park is well maintained – each of the three sections has its
own gardeners - and the washrooms and showers are spotless. If
you have friends or family come to visit throughout the winter
hotel rooms with kitchens are available for $40 U.S. per night.
The town of Lo de Marcos has six other RV parks, but none
are as big or as nice as El Refugio. It is advisable to contact
the parks early to make reservations if you want to stay for an
extended length of time. Our park requires a minimum four
month commitment. However if you arrive without a reservation
at any of the parks, and there are sites available, you can stay.
The RV parks are all located right in Lo de Marcos so shopping
and restaurants are within a few minute’s walk. And, the beach
is so close you can hear the surf pounding on the shore at night.
What more could you ask?
In our experiences travelling throughout North American and
the world, we have found that if you treat people with the same
respect as you would wish to be treated, you will find people
friendly and helpful. If you act like an ‘ugly tourist’ you will be
treated that way.
A great resource for RV travel in Mexico is The Travellers Guide
to Mexican Camping by Mike and Terri Church. It is the bible
of Mexican travel and camping. You can purchase this book at
their web site www.rollinghomespress.com. They also write one
about travel in the Baja Peninsula.
Your GPS will need a separate program for Mexican roads. It is
expensive and not that reliable.
There is a very good Mexican map book called the Guia Roji.
It may not be available in the U.S., but it can be purchased at
most large Pemex gas stations. Ask for it at the counter as they
usually don’t have it on display.
If you have any questions about travel in Mexico please send us
an e-mail at ljhodgins@sympatico.ca.
Tips & Tricks: Organizing Your Coach
by Debbie Darby
When my husband worked, he wore dress shirts every
day. When he retired, he said “I can wear tee shirts
everyday if I want to.” And, he does and has expanded
his tee shirt wardrobe considerably. The volume and
storage became a problem for me to solve. How many
times has your partner called from the bedroom to ask,
“Where’s my blue American Coach shirt?” How often
does he wear the same shirt over and over again as fast as
you can wash and put it away because, “it was the one
on top!” My husband has a lot of printed tee shirts, with
the picture or pattern on the back side. When I fold his
tee shirts, I fold them with the back facing out, and then
I put them in his drawer vertically, so he can see the print
and color of the shirt he is searching for, without unloading the whole drawer. The drawer stays neat, he can
always (or almost always - he’s still a male) find the shirt
he is looking for without unloading the entire drawer on
the bed. I have the same setup for another drawer with
long sleeve shirts and polo shirts.
band’s, er, unmentionables (his underwear) and colored
socks, and roll them before I put them in his drawer.
Those of you who are frequent airline travelers know
that this is the best way to pack a suitcase, but it is also a
great way to keep a man’s drawers organized
(no pun intended). He has no problem finding the
right color socks and underwear and never messes
he contents!
Since I am focusing on the men this time, I will give
you another tip to help your husband. This one is a little
more personal, but it works in my family. I take my hus-
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S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
19
ACA Scholarship
Foundation
FROM CYBERSPACE
ACA Yahoo Group
If you are reading about the Scholarship Foundation
for the first time and perhaps are not aware of its
purpose, we are a tax advantaged 501C3 Corporation, seeking to award scholarships to the graduating seniors of the employees of American Coach/
Fleetwood RV. It is our attempt to “give back” in
some small way to those who build our wonderful coaches. Contributions you make to this noble
effort are generally deductable; please contact your
tax professional.
Here we are again, Debbie & Terry, reporting in from
cyberspace.
This year as you know, we are discussing modifying the national rally format and are concerned
that it may negatively impact contributions to the
fund for the spring of 2011. Remember that you
may contribute at any time, by sending a donation
to the treasurer. Also, please think about us as you
attend chapter rallies this year. We will be trying to
coordinate some fund raisers with Charles Schmidt,
and each individual chapter president, in an effort
to reach our annual goal of $10,000 in distributable
funds. Our current cash position for spring is a bit
thin; please think of us as we get closer to the end
of the year.
Since transfer of ownership, nothing on the site has
changed. Members are still receiving all the same valuable exchange of information they have received in the
past, no bad-mouthing or flaming is allowed and new
members are joining almost everyday. Rick created the
site in 2001 and there were eleven messages in the first
month. Nine years later, we are up to 1,746 members
with 1,116 messages in June 2010! As you can see,
we’ve grown substantially and the amount of information exchanged has increased dramatically. There are
also more American Coaches on the road, and we like
to think the AC Yahoo Group played a small part in
that increase by providing valuable information for
the new owners, increasing their satisfaction level and
providing them with the camaraderie many folks desire
when traveling.
Dan Lee of the Southeast Chapter has accepted the
position as our new Scholarship Foundation Treasurer. If you are sending contributions, please note
the change of address. Send your contributions to:
ACA Scholarship Foundation, % Dan Lee, 4961
60th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33715.
Keep your fingers crossed that the economy will
start improving soon, and that we can reach our
foundation goals for 2011. The awards we make,
$1,000 to each successful applicant - goes a long
way to helping them start their college years.
Thank you so much.
Doug Thompson
Some of you may remember Rick Gott, owner of a ’99
American Dream and creator of the AC Yahoo site.
Rick is doing well these days, but has gotten so busy
with the dreaded four letter word – work – that he has
decided to transfer complete ownership of the site to
Terry, who has been moderating the site for six years
now. Terry was thrilled to accept Rick’s offer and wished
him well in his future endeavors.
We are planning on attending the ACA Rally in Las Vegas in October and we hope to see many of you there.
For now, we hope you are all having a great summer
and safe travels!
If you haven’t joined us already, we invite you to visit
awhile and get to know us and get a feel for the benefits derived from our forum. To get to the AC Yahoo
site, go to the American Coach Association web site
at http://www.myamericancoach.com and click on
“Links.” Scroll down past the listing of American
Coach dealers and click
on the link for “American
Coach Owners Yahoo
Group.” I can guarantee
that you won’t regret it!
Debbie & Terry
‘02 Heritage
20
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
Rolling Recipes:
Crock Pot Cooking In Your RV
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
We’re also... looking for: HELPFUL HINTS!
If so, please send it in to your editor: jlihou@aol.com or
Jane Lihou • 9121 Atlanta Ave., #637 • Huntington Beach, CA 92646
Debbie Darby’s Crock Pot Boston Baked Beans
8-10 servings
1 pound dry navy beans
2 onions, chopped
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1/3 cup ketchup
¼ pound diced bacon
1 Tablespoon salt
1½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Soak beans overnight, drain and pour them
into the crockpot. Alternately, in a medium
saucepan, add the beans and about 4 cups of
water and cook until they reach a boil, boil
for 2 minutes, turn off heat and cover. Let sit
for 1 hour, drain, rinse and pour them into
the crockpot.
Add remaining ingredients, plus 1 cup of
water. Stir until combined.
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, on high
for 5-6 hours.
Hint: I always use a crock pot liner bag for
easier cleanup.
Carnitas Tacos
3 pounds pork shoulder, butt or picnic
5 garlic cloves
1 large onion
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 ½ tsp. crushed dried oregano
2 tsp kosher salt
24 corn tortillas
Chopped cilantro and onion for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish
Tomatilla Salsa for garnish
Trim thick fat from pork. Cut meat into large
pieces, discarding any pure fat. Put pork in
crock pot. Add enough water to cover. Add
garlic, onion, crushed red pepper, bay leaves,
oregano and salt. Skim off any scum as it
cooks. It will take about eight hours on low
and about five hours on high.
When the pork breaks apart with a fork,
remove it from the liquid and shred the pork,
removing as much or as little fat as you wish
(a bit of fat is good in these tacos).
Brush your tortillas with oil and warm them on
a skillet. Fill with pork and garnish.
Fresh Tomatilla Salsa
2 or 3 jalapenos, halved
1 pound tomatillos
1 cup lightly packed cilantro stems and leaves
1 clove garlic
½ medium onion, roughly chopped
½ tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients plus 2 tablespoons water
in a blender. Pulse the blender a few times before
blending into a puree. Add more water, if needed;
the salsa should be pourable.
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
21
The ROVING WRENCHER
By Joe Bruno
Chassis Air System
Air Dryer Bypass
Recently, I received a call from an
ACA member who was unable to
maintain air pressure, and his low
air warning was going off. I had
him check the air dryer unit at the
rear of his coach to see if it was
leaking air, and it was.
The fix to this
situation was
obvious; the air
dryer needed
to be replaced.
Most of us do
not carry a replacement air dryer,
however, there is a temporary fix.
You can bypass the air dryer with an
Air Dryer Bypass Kit from Spartan
that is easily installed and serves as
a temporary means to continue on
until you can get to a repair facility. I purchased this bypass kit from
Spartan while at a rally just for
such emergencies. Unfortunately,
this person did not have a bypass
kit but, he was lucky enough to be
parked in an RV park and was able to
contact Spartan. But, he had to wait
several days to receive a new air dryer.
The Spartan Air Dryer Bypass Kit
is small (about 4” long), costs less
than $20.00, and is a quick fix for
this situation. The kit works on all of
our American Coaches, so I recommend that all owners carry one. The
Spartan part number is MID1000.
Koni Shocks
Useful Gadgets
A few months ago, Charlie Adcock
told me about the much-improved
ride of his coach after installing
Koni Shocks. He said, “It’s like
having a whole different coach.”
Charlie installed the front shocks
himself, and later had the rear
shocks installed by a third party.
The other day my wife asked me to
list the ten most useful gadgets that
I carry in our coach. Hmmm, that
proved to be tough since I am convinced that everything I carry is not
only useful but necessary. So, she
rephrased the question and asked
me to list the ten most-often-used
gadgets, and I was able to begin
ticking them off. Here, I will begin
listing my most useful gadgets in no
particular order.
I felt the ride in my motorhome was
rougher than it should be, so I had
Spartan Chassis in Charlotte, Mich.
install the Koni Shocks on both the
front and rear of my coach. Yes, we
could definitely tell the difference;
our coach now rides much more
smoothly and takes the bumps with
much less jarring.
I passed this information on to our
ACA friends, Ron & Suzy Zuege,
who happened to be near the Charlotte area. Ron travelled to Spartan
to have the Koni Shocks installed
on his front end and he also experienced the same noticeable difference with his coach’s ride.
Pictured here is my Klein 10-in-1
Driver. The tool has four different
bits, including Phillips, straight,
square and tork and each bit comes
in two sizes. In addition, it has ¼”
and 5/16” nut drivers…hence the
name, 10-in-1 Driver. I have four
of these Klein driver tools which I
purchased from Lowe’s for under
$20.00 each (one can’t have enough
of these). I carry two of these drivers in my coach - one inside and
one in my electrical pouch in basement storage.
These shocks can be installed on
American Coaches with 2004 and
newer front ends. If your coach
is still under the Spartan Chassis
three-year warranty, and you are
experiencing a rough ride, Spartan
will install the Koni Shocks on your
front end for a special price on the
parts and no labor cost. If you want
Spartan to install these shocks on
the rear, there will be an approximate two-hour labor charge plus
the cost of the shocks.
Now, I’ll have to decide which
“gadget” to write about in the
next issue…
22
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
Justin Speaks
The 2011’s Are Here!
This summer has been a very busy time for
American Coach. Your factory sales team
has been traveling throughout the country
this summer and we hope each of you have
been doing the same in your American
Coaches! Here is the latest and greatest
news from your extended family here in
Decatur.
As of late July, we have been shipping our
brand new 2011 models to our dealers.
We are very excited about the new coaches
and what they have to offer. Many of the
changes we made were driven by the product feedback sessions that we conducted
at the ACA National Rallies. The biggest
change for American Coach in model
year 2011 dealt with modifications to our
Liberty chassis in order to prepare it for the
new emission engines that Cummins is now
producing. Because we had to touch the
chassis so much for this change, we took
the opportunity to improve a few areas.
The new and improved Liberty offers up
to 33% more basement storage capacity!
In addition to adding more pass-through
storage, we increased the height of the
storage substantially. Early feedback on this
increased storage has been very encouraging. In addition to the added storage, we
have improved access to inverters and batteries and added gas struts to our luggage
doors. Make sure you test drive a 2011
American Coach soon and check out these
great improvements!
The 2011 Eagle now offers newly styled
cabinet doors and slide box trims. The
“roped” design we had from 2007 until
2010 has been replaced with a more traditional design. In addition, we have added
an Ebony Glaze to the Regency Cherry
cabinet option, and we are now offering a
new wood choice called Almond Mocha
Glaze. This new “Honey Glazed” cabinetry
now offers customers a lighter choice of
wood. In addition to the new woods and
cabinet styling, we removed all carpet from
the bedroom and now run tile throughout
the entire coach - something the women
asked for in the product feedback sessions! The 2011 Eagle now offers a newly
designed Villa furniture style with ultraleather coverings along with many, many
more improvements. Make sure you see the
new 2011 Eagle soon!
The 2011 Tradition will not disappoint
you! We have updated the 2011 Tradition
with new slide-out trims and added some
new glazed wood options. As in the Eagle,
we now offer tile flooring throughout the
Tradition. We have incorporated paint fades
to the graphic lines on the exterior, adding
a very custom look to an already great
coach! The Tradition now offers an “all
electric” option which features an electric
cook top and residential refrigerator with
an additional four batteries and second
inverter. There are too many new features
in the 2011 Tradition to list here, so make
sure you see one at a dealer near you soon!
I am happy to report you will be able to see
the new 2011 Eagles and Traditions at the
rally in Las Vegas this October. In fact, this
rally will likely be your last opportunity to
get the much desired “old emission” engines. RV World has agreed to support the
club as they did in Gillette and will have a
minimum of six coaches on display. We are
thrilled to have RV World as our dealer at
the rally. They are so excited about the new
2011’s with “old emission” engines that the
owner of the dealership, Mike Green, is
going to make the trip himself! In fact,
Mike has already told me he will do all he
can to help anyone that is interested get
into a brand new coach! I will be at the
rally as well to ensure that together, RV
World and American Coach can earn your
business. We hope to see everyone there.
Speaking of the upcoming rally, I am happy
to report that the President and CEO of
Fleetwood RV, John Draheim, will be attending part of the rally. John will be at the
General Membership meeting during the
American Coach presentation and will be
available to answer questions. We hope each
of you can make it to the rally!
On behalf of 1,210 hard working families
in Decatur, Ind., I want to thank everyone
for your continued support. We are all
looking forward to seeing you in Las Vegas.
Until then, safe travels to all!
Justin
Justin
Humphreys
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
23
Your
Deserves
American Duo™ Day/Night Shades
Upgrade your coach to the superior look, functionality
and convenience of MCD house & cockpit shades
Go from
unappealing,
outdated
curtains. . .
. . .To modern,
sleek looking
MCD cockpit
and windshield
shades
Call or visit the MCD website at
www.mcdinnovations.com
800.804.1757
3303 N. MCDonald St.
McKinney, TX 75071
24
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
Rally Schedule: Where to next?
AMERICAN COACH ASSOCIATION RALLY SCHEDULE
Date
Location
Chapter
Oct. 1 - 4, 2010
Albuquerque, NM
Balloon Festival, SW Chap.
Oct. 8 - 10, 2010
Laughlin, Nev.
Pre-rally, S. East Chapter
Oct. 8 - 11, 2010
Las Vegas, Nev.
Pre-rally, S. Cal. Chap.
Oct. 9 - 10, 2010
Las Vegas, Nev.
Pre-rally, Southwest Chap.
Oct. 11 - 15, 2010
Las Vegas, Nev.
ACA National Rally,
Southwest Chapter
Oct. 22 - 25, 2010
Memphis, Tenn.
Mac Pack Planning Rally
Nov. 4 - 6, 2010
Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Southeast Chapter
Nov. 11 - 14, 2010
Aguanga, Cal.
Southern Cal. Chapter
Dec. 2 - 5, 2010
Sarasota, Fla.
Southeast Chapter
Feb. 21 - 25, 2011
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Great Lakes Chapter
May 16 - 21, 2010
Memphis, Tenn.
ACA National Rally,
Mac Pack Chapter
ACA_ad:Layout 1
12/12/08
2:35 PM
Page 1
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S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
25
Chapter Rally Sites: Mark Your Calendar
Northwest Chapter
Rolling Rally and Pre-Rally
Starting Point – Florence, Oregon
September 28th – October 10th, 2010
Sept 28, 29, 30, 2010 - Chapter rally and a starting point for a
caravan to Reno, Nevada, en route to the ACA national Rally in Las
Vegas . Contact Merritt Mosby for location and cost .
Oct 1, 2, 2010 - We will Caravan from Florence, Oregon to the
Grand Sierra RV Resort in Reno, Nevada .
Sept 3, 4, 5, 2010 - We will stay at the Grand Sierra RV Resort for
three (3) days of relaxation and fun .
Oct 6, 7, 2010 - Caravan from Reno, Nev . to the ACA Nat . Rally in Las Vegas .
Oct 8, 9, 10, 2010 - Get together/pre rally at the ACA National
Rally hosted by the South West Chapter at the Sam’s Town Hotel/
Casino, Las Vegas . Contact Merritt Mosby for information at
maceagle@oregonfast .net or 541 999 0304 .
ALL CHAPTERS
Rolling Rally from Albuquerque to Las Vegas
October 4 – 11, 2010
Come and join the Rolling Rally from the Albuquerque Balloon
Fiesta to the National Rally in Las Vegas . Led by Bill and Cheryl
Gill, the rolling rally will follow the famous Route 66 and includes
four stops along the way . With lots of beautiful scenery and many
interesting things to see and do, this will be a must-do gathering .
Contact the Gill’s by phone at 970-686-7040 or 970-290-0633, or
by email at wagill1@hotmail .com .
HAPPY WANDERERS CHAPTER
Terrible’s Lakeside Casino and RV Park
Pahrump, Nevada
October 8-11, 2010
Terrible’s Lakeside Casino and RV Park in Pahrump is the place to
be before caravaning together to the National Rally in Las Vegas,
and all American Coach owners are welcome . Located about 60
miles west of Las Vegas via state road 160, all sites include full
service hook-ups with 50-amp service and a concrete patio . With
lush landscaping, a 7-acre man made lake, and mountain scenery, you can choose to just relax, gamble at the nearby casino,
or join in the fun that we Happy Wanderers always have at our
rallies . The resort requires a $20 deposit per site . . .a check made
out to Terrible’s RV Resort and mailed to our wagonmaster Don
Miller, 122 Rainbow Drive, PMB 2255, Livingston, TX 77399 .
This deposit is refundable if you cancel with the resort more
than 30 days before the reservation date . If you belong to Enjoy
America, Passport America, or Camp Club USA, you will get a
50% discount off the $39 rate for Friday and Saturday and the $29
rate for Sunday . Otherwise you can get a 10% discount for Good
Sam, AAA, FMCA, or AARP . And we will qualify for an additional
20% discount if we have at least 10 rigs . If you plan on attending,
please contact Don Miller as soon as possible, but no later than
September 7, at rvromers@aol .com or 760-408-5342 .
MAC PACK CHAPTER
ACA National Working Rally
Memphis Agricenter, Memphis, Tenn.
October 22 - 25, 2010
The chairmen for the 2011 ACA National Rally (Mary Corcoran
and Bob Downing) are planning a working rally at the site in
26
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
Memphis . This will be the one and only on-site working rally that
we will have so it is VERY IMPORTANT that you attend . These
dates will allow anyone that will be attending the National Rally
in Las Vegas to travel back through Memphis . More information
and details will be forthcoming, but please block these dates on
your calendar . Reservations can be made by contacting Mark
Hoggard, RV Park Manger, Agricenter, 7777 Walnut Grove Road,
Memphis, TN 38120 . Telephone number is 901-757-7777, Ext
7103, mhoggard@agricenter .org . Please make sure that you tell
Mark that you are part of the Mac Pack rally group .
SOUTHEAST CHAPTER
Fall Rally at Quail Run RV Park, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Nov. 4 – 6, 2010
We don’t know what we are going to do, but we are going to have
fun . Maybe if everyone brings a bottle or two of wine from there
summer travels, we could have a wine tasting rally? I know I can
come up with two or three bottles . This could turn into an annual
event for the fall rally . This is a very beautiful park and after traveling all summer we need a nice place to get together and discuss
all of our travels . Anyone that would like to host this rally, please
contact Wendy or Jim Graham .
SOUTHEAST CHAPTER
Christmas Rally at Sun ‘n Fun in Sarasota, Fla.
Dec 2 – 5, 2010
The Christmas Rally will include coach decorations, Dirty Santa,
and a whole raft of activities . This is one of our best attended rallies so get your reservations in early .
MacPack Winter Rally
Lazy Days rally Park, Seffner, Florida
January 17th – 20th, 2010
As always, Mac Pack will be holding their annual winter Rally at
Lazy Days Rally Park . This rally is well attended but, this year we
hope to set a record as we continue to make plans for the ACA
National Rally that our chapter will be hosting . This will be our
final gathering before the national rally, so please plan to attend . There will be planning sessions, great food, entertainment,
socials, and of course, the wonderful strawberries from Plant
City . More information will be in upcoming issues but, mark your
calendars now!
Great Lakes Chapter
Winter Rally at Fort Wilderness Campground, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
February 21 – 25, 2011
GLC is doing Disney again! We have reserved 25 sites, which
always fill up fast . The reservation due date will be earlier than
normal in order to meet Disney requirements . If you want to arrive
early or stay later, plan to handle your own arrangements with
Disney . As they say at Disney – “This will be a magical moment
you don’t want to miss .” Contact Bob Kolarik at 262 .818 .2495, or
RBTKolarik@yahoo .com with questions .
Aftermarket Sales & Service
rvchassisparts.com service 866.383.3695 parts 800.722.3025
Take the miles in stride with a new set of Michelin tires from
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Visit our Service Parts Trailer at these Upcoming Rallies!
August 11 – 14
84th FMCA Convention
Redmond, OR
October 11 – 15
Fall ACA National
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ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
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Membership Services: We’re Here To Help
I hope everyone enjoyed their summer travels. Now it’s time to pack the RV’s and head for Vegas! What a
fun place to spend time with friends! Many of you have summer and winter addresses and you have registered them with me; if you have not, please do so. That way, you do not have to contact me twice a year, and
I can automatically make the changes for you. If you should have an address change, please let me know –
we want everyone to receive their magazine.
Safe travels to all – and remember “it’s all about having fun!? See you in Vegas!
Janice Thompson
ACA Membership Services
• Credit Card Services •
You can join or pay your annual
dues with a Master Card or Visa on
the ACA Web site* . We’ve taken
precautions to ensure it’s safe and
no one will have access to your
credit card information .
• Membership Roster/By-Laws •
Membership Roster & By-Laws can
be viewed and downloaded from
the ACA Web site* . Please note we
no longer mail out either unless
one is requested by mail or e-mail .
• Free Web Site Advertising •
Members can place a classified
“coach for sale” advertisement
on the ACA Web site .
Best of all, it’s FREE!
• Membership Badges •
New members receive their
Membership Badge(s) - they are
FREE - with their New Member
Welcome Letter . Existing members
who wish replacement badges
must order them directly from
McBee’s - see below .
• Change Phone or Address •
Change and/or view your personal
membership information on the
ACA Web site*
All ACA mailings, including the
ACA Across America Magazine, are
mailed to the address listed in the
ACA Roster data base .
If you don’t have a computer (or
hate to use one) just call or mail
us and we’ll make any necessary
changes or corrections for you .
* Type in www.myamericancoach.com - on the home page, click on Membership Services and follow prompts.
Need Swingers, Badges or Ovals?
It’seasy:Mailyourorderalongwithanenclosedcheck(US$),includingyourcorrectACAMembershipNumber,tothefollowing:
McBee’s • 909-336-2325 • PO Box 660, Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352
• Swingers @ $2 .00 each • Badges @ 5 .50 each • Ovals @ $16 .00 each - Prices include shipping and sales tax .
Questions? send e-mail to mcbeesengraving@hotmail .com
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
29
Directory & Dues: Contact Your Chapter
• Northeast
• South Central Chapter:
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware & Maryland
Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma & Texas
David Parsons, Membership Chair
120 Julie Lane
Stonewall, LA 71078
318-925-4606 • 318-349-5514
DavidTish@aol.com
$6.00 Initiation Fee
$12.00 Annual Dues less $1.00 prorated per month after January
$8.00 Initiation Fee
$12.00 Annual Dues-less $1.00 prorated per month after July
• Southwest
• Mac Pack
Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina & Tennessee
Marlene Shamel, Membership Chair
279 Stonegate Lane
Mocksville, NC 27028
336-998-2277
mshamel@yadtel.net
$8.00 Initiation Fee
$12.00 Annual Dues, due July 1
• Southeast
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia & Florida
Monty Campbell, Membership Chair
8701 Belle Meade Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33908
239-454-7007
mcampbel1@aol.com
$8.00 Initiation Fee
$12.00 Annual Dues
• Great Lakes
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Michigan & Southern Ontario, Canada
Mary Jo Benhart, Membership Chair
1014 Independence Blvd.
Yorkville, IL 60560
630-553-0102 Cell: 708-903-6572
Lbenhart@ameritech.net
$10.00 Annual Dues, due by July 1
$5.00 after January 1
• Missouri Valley
North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas,
Nebraska, Iowa & Missouri
Linda Smith, Membership Chair
1419 Anglers Road
Beaufort, MO 63013
573-484-3157 Cell: 314-825-8906
lkscrosk@hughes.net
$15.00 Annual Dues due by July 1
Beginning July 1, 2010, the membership
dues for MO Valley Chapter will be $15
30
ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Nevada and Utah
Steve Hight, Membership Chair
1698 Nez Pierce Loop, NE
Rio Rancho, NM 87144
505-343-0782 • Cell: 505-715-2688
stevehight@yahoo.com
$8.00 Initiation Fee
$12.00 Annual Dues less $1.00 prorated per month after July
• Southern California
Southern California
Jim Hinesly, Membership Chair
389 North K
Danuba, CA 93618
559-591-9338 • Cell: 559-799-8957l
jhinesly@hotmail.com
$5.00 Initiation Fee • $15.00 Annual Dues, due June
• Northern California
Northern California and Northern Nevada
Leslie Pettinger, Membership Chair
1919 Maiden Lane
Oakdale, CA 95361
209-847-7133 • Cell: 209-765-6547
lpettinger@aol.com
$5.00 Initiation Fee
$12.00 Annual Dues less $1.00 prorated per month after July
$33.00 Optional personalized window placard
• Northwest
Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska,
British Columbia, Alberta & Saskatchewan
Leslie Pettinger, Membership Chair
1919 Maiden Lane
Oakdale, CA 95361
209-847-7133 / Cell: 209-765-6547
lpettinger@aol.com
$8.00 Initiation Fee
$12.00 Annual Dues less $1.00 prorated after July
• Happy Wanderers
All 50 States Plus Canada
Nancy Crossan, Membership Chair
PMB 365439, 3590 Round Bottom Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45244
410-490-3574
nancndavc@msn.com
$5.00 Initiation Fee
$15.00 Annual Dues
Annual dues renewal date: January 1
Membership Form: Send It In Today
New Membership Application & Dues Renewal Form
Please complete this form and mail (with check in US dollars) to the ACA Membership Services address listed below
When enclosing a check with this form, please fill in the following information:
Select one: q Current ACA member # _______ q Reactivating membership/previous ACA # _______ q Applying for new membership
q New or reactivated membership - $55 first year only ($45 annual dues plus $10 initiation fee)
q Annual renewal dues - $45 yearly renewal of which $6 is allocated towards your yearly subscription of the
ACA Across America magazine, published bi-monthly
q Number or years renewal (select one): q One q Two
q Total of your enclosed check $ _______ (US dollars please) Check number _______ Date mailed _______
Please type or print clearly. NOTE: If you are a New Member, the National Directory & your ACA badge will be exactly as listed.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Owner’s name:
first (if you prefer a nickname, use that)
last
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Co-Owner’s name:
first (if you prefer a nickname, use that)
last
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing info:
address & street name
city
state
zip
U.S. or Canada
(_______)_______-__________________(_______)_______-________________________________________________________
Phone: home
cell
E-mail address
I/we own: q Heritage/year _____ q Eagle/year _____ q Dream/year _____ q Tradition/year _____ q Limited/year _____ q Allegiance/year _____
I/we belong to the following local chapter(s): q Great Lakes q Happy Wanderers q MacPack q Missouri Valley q Northern California
q Northeast q Northwest q Southern California q South Central q Southeast q Southwest
• • • American Coach Association • • •
3590 Round Bottom Road, Cincinnati, OH 45244-3026
If you need to correspond with the Membership Services office directly,
you can reach them at 501-858-9564
cut & mail separately
USE For Local Chapter Membership Application ONLY *
I understand that I may join as many local chapters as I please but that I must be a member in good standing in
the National American Coach Association in order to join a local chapter - my membership number is: #____________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Owner’s name:
first (if you prefer a nickname, use that)
last
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Co-Owner’s name:
first (if you prefer a nickname, use that)
last
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing info:
address & street name
city
state
zip
U.S. or Canada
(_______)_______-__________________(_______)_______-________________________________________________________
Phone: home
cell
E-mail address
See Directory & Dues page for a listing of chapters, states they cover, dues & initiation fees and key contacts.
Indicate the chapter(s) that you wish to join by checking the appropriate box(es)
q Great Lakes q Happy Wanderers q MacPack q Missouri Valley q Northern California
q Northeast q Northwest q Southern California q South Central q Southeast q Southwest
Total of the enclosed check (see chapter requirements): $_____ Check number _____ Date mailed _____
Send
this
completed
form, along with a check in the correct amount for initiation fees and first year’s dues
*
(US dollar please) and mail it to the appropriate chapter contact as listed on Directory & Dues page of this Magazine.
S E P TE M B E R - O CTOB ER 2010
31
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ACA A CR O SS A MER I CA
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800-329-2958
ACA Across America
The Official Magazine of American Coach Association
Membership Services
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New Port Richey, FL 34655
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