RV Fun Trips --- On the Road --- FMCA Oct 2002

Yet Another FMCA Motorhome Convention
Motor Home on the Range
October 2002
Page 3

Keeping Busy

With nothing officially started, we all used our time in camp to tinker and work on small projects. I went into the fairgrounds to check out the information center. While there, I checked out the booths of various chambers of commerce. One of the booths had material representing Barber County, Kansas. This is the county where Kay's mother grew up. At the Barber County booth we learned that the famous country singer, Martina McBride came from there. We enjoy her music.

A Barber County display board

I returned back to camp where we would have some time on our hands until the motorhome displays opened in the late afternoon. Tom spent some time working on an intermittent problem he had with the generator on his motorhome. Nora and Kay worked on hobbies with Nora showing off a Christmas ornament she had made.

Tom working on his motorhome electric generator

Showing off a new handcrafted Christmas ornament

The blow-by hose on the engine of our motorhome was venting oil vapor on to the lower frame under the engine. I had learned at a seminar at the Monaco factory service center in Harrisburg, Oregon that the blow-by hose could be extended to get the oil vapor below the frame. This is an important thing to do on our type of motorhome because the radiator is on the rear of the rig, which allows the oil vapor to blow through. The oil film on the radiator then can attract dirt causing part of the radiator to clog and the coolant to overheat. The only way to clean the radiator under these conditions is to have it steam cleaned.

The women are on their way to a class

With time on our hands, I figured this would be a good time to go on a trek to find an extension for the blow-by hose. Tom and I found our way to a Home Depot store a few miles from the fairgrounds. We would become familiar with this area during our stay, as there was a Wal*Mart store next to the Home Depot. The Wal*Mart store was visited several times to get supplies.

After getting a piece of hose and the necessary hardware to make a connection to the existing hose, we headed back to camp. I got down and dirty crawling under our motorhome to install the extension hose. This would get the oil vapor below the motorhome frame, but the vapor now could blow straight back on the front of our towed car. Another problem to take care of later.

The tram transfer stop was usually crowded

I finished in time to go to the opening of the motorhome display area. As befitting Kansas, we were getting to experience wind. It is more common to have a windy day than a calm day out in the Great Plains. The flags and banners were fluttering in the wind making a lot of noise as we found our way around the motorhomes.

Tom is checking out a slide-out on a Bluebird motorhome

I found that the latest accessory to have in a high-line rig is flat-panel plasma television. The 42-inch model is especially popular. The panel is usually mounted so that it folds up against the ceiling when not in use. However, I saw one model where the big flat-panel TV seemed to levitate up out of the dash area. Even the TV in the bedroom area had a smaller version of flat-panel screen.

Tom spent some time looking over the new Bluebird Wanderlodge M380 motorhome. It is a very nice motorhome indeed. I was very impressed with the flush slide-outs. It was difficult to tell that the M380 had slide-outs when they were pulled in.

Our group waiting for a tram to take us to the music

We returned to the campground for our evening meal and to prepare for a trip back into the fairgrounds. We went in to watch the first night of entertainment provided by the FMCA. The Sherman Gunn Big Band Explosion provided big-band style dance music. Tina and Kevin found their way out on the dance floor to take advantage of the big-band music. It was an enjoyable way to end the day.

Sherman Gunn Big Band Explosion providing evening entertainment