FMCA International Rally - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Chandler, AZ (High 78 degrees, low 40 degrees, bright blue skies)

"An investment in knowledge

pays the best interest"

Ben Franklin

FMCA photo

The Good

We recently attended FMCA's Rally in the Valley in Chandler Arizona.  FMCA rally's are lots of fun, educational and a great way to meet up with friends and make new friendships 

Our camping clubs entry in the horse race (FMCA photo)

We did enjoy many informative and well presented seminars. The Geeks on Tour presentations are always my favorite. I started this blog seven years ago and it was their "show me how" videos which taught me how to create it. 

Chris and Jim with Geeks on Tour

I've used Picasa to organize, crop, and enhance my photos. This is a Google product and unfortunately it's not longer supported by them.  Google Photos is their new product and the Geeks on Tour seminar was very helpful in showing me how to use ti. What I really like about Google Photos is it puts all your photos together (computer, phone, camera) and allow you to access them anywhere. For example, I can access all my photos on my phone by the the Google Photo App and regardless of where they are stored I can see them all.  Sweet!

I purchased a thumb drive from the Geeks on Tour with all their "show me how videos" and a year subscription to their website. I like the thumb drive because I can watch them off line. They really keep on top of the ever changing technology whether it be your smart phone, photos, Facebook, blogging, and more. If you don't belong I'd highly recommend checking them out by clicking this link

FMCA photo

Free donuts and coffee each morning (FMCA photo(

John attended the always outstanding Spartan Chassis seminar present by Mike. He has gone to many of them and always learns something helpful This time he got a great tip on how to keep your engine in shape while being in one location for an extended period do time.  We volunteer often and these commitments usually last 3-4 months. We have been told to take the motorhome out on the road monthly to keep it "exercised" and to distribute the oil, seal lubricants, and fluids. It's a great suggestion but not always very easy to do.  Mike told the group when this is not possible to air it up, let the engine warm up, and then pull forward 25 feet and go back.  Great tip!

Our Roadmaster hitch was inspected without us requesting the service by a roving technician. He said it really needed a tune up.  John dropped it off at their shop on wheels and the next day it looked almost brand new. Because of all the new parts there was a nominal charge but we were so impressed by this great service.  

We also had our headlights polished. They were very dim and the technician quickly improved them for only $20. 

Some of the other classes we attended include the following:

Complete Motorhome Remodeling

Detailing your Coach in One Hour

Technology by Travelers

Staying Connected on the Road with Wy-Fi and Cellular

Simplifying your Entertainment System

Preparing a Motorhome for Non Use in Any Climate

Technology to Tell Your Stories

What Makes A Good Story

Photo Memories with Google Photos

Got Moonshine? Prohibition in Arizona

Did I mention vendors??

Vendors

There was a huge building with vendors selling things you needed and didn't even know you might need. It took us several visits to see everything and we found some really cool stuff.  Here are a few of the items we found.

Almost Heaven Microfiber

The best microfiber cloths for cleaning the inside and the outside of your motorhome. They last forever and are well made

Almost Heaven Microfiber

A special one to quick mop. Snaps onto your Swiffer

My Pillow

We decided to give them a try and purchased to queen size pillows.  Love them!

Gripstic

Cool, easy to use sticks which replace clips to keep cereal, chips, and crackers fresh

Renovation Ideas

TV comes up and down on a lift from inside cabinet

There are several vendors who presented programs on how to renovate your rig. We have always disliked where our TV is located above the cockpit But at the time when our motorhome was manufactured this was how they came. New motorhomes today oftentimes have the TV in a cabinet across from the sofa where you can watch it at eye level. Buying a new coach just for this feature is not an option for us. Ours is paid off and we do not want to have a mortgage. 

FMCA photo

John attended a program presented by Smoky Mountain Coach Works. He was really impressed by the owners knowledge of TV's and computers and how to make them work in a RV.  We had  him come out to look at our motorhome and he gave us some great options to consider. A cabinet which would have a TV come up and down on a lift and a place to accommodate a computer and printer would be ideal. This renovation would be expensive but a much smarter option then buying a new motorhome.  

The Bad and The Ugly

We volunteered to be a part of the parking and will call crew.  Big mistake!

These motorhomes had waited over 4 hours to enter the holding area

This is our third time attending an international rally but our first time volunteering. In fact, this was FMCA's 95th international rally. You would think they would know how to organize such an event. However, this was not the case. In their defense this location was a new one for them. 

Will Call Crew

We volunteered to be a part of the parking and will call crew and anticipated we would be very busy putting in long hours parking the 2300 coaches who had signed up to attend. We did not anticipate the chaos and lack of preparation FMCA had done in advance to prepare for how to route the traffic and get everyone parked quickly and efficiently.

It was chaos and no one in charge seemed to know how to handle the arriving coaches. Folks coming into the event waited hours to be parked. They were furious and certainly vented their frustration to us. We were so embarrassed to be a part of this team. The dust kicked up by the motorhomes was awful. The roads had not been watered to reduce this and we came home each day just filthy.  After about four days FMCA started to get the event operating more smoothly but it really sucked the happiness out of us.

So, will be attend another FMCA international rally? We both said we would. Fortunately we have attended others and it was only this one which seemed to be so poorly organized. For us the seminars are top notch and we really learn so much by attending them. The fire and weight safety classes we have attended in the past are worth the price of attendance all by themselves. Will we volunteer to be a part of the parking crew?  Thanks but no thanks!

Rail Station, Sand Dunes, Cactus, and COWBOYS!

Mojave National Preserve, California (92 degrees, blue skies with some really cool clouds)

Kelso Depot and Visitor Center

We left our campground and took a off road Jeep trip to the Kelso Depot, a quiet oasis rail station in the middle of the desert.  

Getting there was half of the fun. It was also challenging and enjoyable  and a five star blue sky day. The train station used to be a thriving rail stop in 1924 until 1962. Staff, conductors, and railway crewmen stayed in the Depot and their was also a busy restaurant on site. It was recently restored by the Park Service and it's an interesting place to visit.  

Train passing by entrance

You certainly didn't want to get in trouble in this town.  The picture below is of the local jail.   

Jail "House"

We left here to attend a ranger led hike at the Kelso Dunes with Ranger Bob.  The sand dunes are over 600 feet tall are very vast but it was the endless blue skies  and wispy clouds which really took my breath way. These are known as singing dunes because as you slide down them you can hear strange moaning sounds. None of us climbed the dunes due to the heat.

/Ranger Bob demonstrating some of the magnetic rocks 

Along our way we were amazed by the wide variety of cactus.  Elevation changes are frequent and the type of vegetation changes frequently.  Here are a few examples.  

It was a great road trip and we had a nice pot luck dinner together afterwards.There are some good cooks in this club.

The next morning we headed out again to view some lava tubes (more about the tubes in my next post). Just as we were turning the corner a large herd of cattle came down onto the road along with three cowboys in white shirts on horseback. The preserve has several ranches which are allowed to run their cattle and ranches within the park. It was fun to watch real cowboys in action  We didn't have to wait long but some of us certainly didn't mind the delay. :)

THE END!

Lonesome Desert - Mojave National Preserve

Hole in the Wall Campground (Mojave National Preserve), California

"For all the toil the desert takes of a man it gives compensation, deep breaths, deep sleep, and the communion of the stars"

Mary Austin, "The Land of Little Rain"

Sand Dunes

Our last day with GTA was October 10th and we are now back on the road again. It feels good to be moving and we now find ourselves meeting up with our camping club with FMCA called Cuatro Estados (Four Corners). Our location is a remote campground in the Mojave Desert called The Hole in the Wall. It is such a stark change from the Tetons but we have always found the desert to be very beautiful. It takes a couple of days to adjust to its wonder and fully appreciate the beauty.

Along the way here we stopped for one night in Evanston, WY  at a so, so campground called Phillips RV Park.  However, the breakfast at Jody's Diner was memorable. Waking up to snow was a bit of a shock but it didn't last long. Whew! We got out of the mountains just in time.  

Elks Lodge (five sites) Provo Utah

Elks Lodge

The next two nights were in Provo Utah at a fantastic Elks Lodge. The five non reservable sites have full hook ups, modern lodge, friendly members, and $2 draft beers. For $20/night it is a perfect combination for a nice place to stay. We were like kids in a candy store due to the wide variety of shopping in Provo  Jackson Wyoming is very remote and expensive.  Just to give you an idea the closest Walmart is 100 miles away and in a different state. 

In N Out Burger

Camping World, Sams Club, Verizon, and yes Walmart were some of our stops. A first for us was trying a In N Out Burger. What a yummy treat.  Provo is very green and manicured with mountains surrounding you from all angles.  It's very picturesque but the air quality is rather poor due to almost constant smog.

Our next stop for two was at the Nellis Air Force Base FAM camp called Desert Eagle in North Las Vegas Nevada for two nights. Suddenly we have developed a strange creaking sound in the front of the motor coach over the drivers side wheel.  We spent most of our time here trying to find someone to look at it but couldn't get an appointment for a week at the  nearby Freightliner. Hopefully this repair won't be too complicated or expensive. TBA. We will stop back here after leaving the desert.

Desert Eagle FAM Camp

The campground is really nice with full hookups and a manicured site. As with most military campground everyone is so friendly. There was lots of planes flying over and this is the home for the Thunderbirds. John has been thrilled to see F-15, F-16, A-10, F-22 and C103 planes flying over. This is a very active base. It's only $20/night however you must be active or retired military to stay here with a few exceptions.

So, now we are here in the Mojave desert with our camping rally.  While we were out west three years ago we joined this club during a rally in the Four Corners area with FMCA.. Then we spent the rest of the time out east and were only able to attend one rally. It's a very active club and each one is so well planned. We met the rally leaders in Florida (Barry and Jann) last winter and spend about a month with them on and off seeing some of the sights around Sanibel and south Florida. They also came to visit us in the Tetons this summer and we had a fun kayak trip down the Snake River.  So, we may not have attended many events with the club but we value the friendship we have made with them.  It would never have happened without belonging to Cuatro Estados.  The French call this Lagniappe - something unexpected.

The Hole in the Wall Visitor Center

Note the holes in the "wall"

The Mojave National Preserve is the third largest National Park (Yellowstone and Death Valley are slight larger). It encompasses over a million acres and is very remote.  There are two campground and we are staying in The Hole in the Wall. It's a primitive campground (unreservable)with nice sites and breathtaking views and did I mention the stars at night are awesome.  Just the way we like it! And, it's only $6/night with a Golden Age or Access Pass. 

Our site 

Barry and Jann planned some great hikes and off road trips. However, the day after we arrived I found myself at the ER in Bullhead City due to a very painful knee.  I had some concerns about a blood clot but after a few tests they found some fluid had built up in my knee and called it an effusion.  I was certainly relieved.  The sudden onset of it in conjunction with driving such long distances without much exercise had me concerned.  The care at the ER was top notch and soon we were back at the campground. I'll just have to scale back some of my activities for a few days.

The next morning we woke up to this outside our front window. 

The sunrise in the desert is truly breathtaking.  

We are heading out to see the sand dunes and Kelso rail station.  Check back tomorrow to see how the day unfolds.