I am writing this having just returned to Florida from the pre-rally at Pine Mountain and the FMCA convention in Perry, Georgia.

This was another success in a string of pre-rallies, Mary & Harry Condrey did an excellent job of planning and facilitating the rally.  Those who reserved prior tot he cut off date all had full hook ups.  There was more than enough food and all probably gained a few pounds.  Griff and Janet Livingston were kind enough to provide their tent, which supplemented the campground-provided building.  Our thanks to Mary & Harry for the great southern hospitality.  There are other articles and photos in this newsletter and o the Website about this rally.

We were supported by Fleetwood at the pre-rally, with four service people to pre-register for service at the convention and two of them inspected the undercarriage of every coach, checking welds and other items.  They also had four marketing personnel, including Luc vanHerle and Stan  Sassman, the top people in charge of product design in Diesel coaches at Fleetwood.  They conducted an informative session on where the designs are going and we had a preview of the new Excursion.

There were also three different 2002 Discoverys on display and available for test drives.  Fleetwood also made a financial contribution to the rally and provided some door prizes.  Fleetwood delivered on every item that Dawn Fann & I discussed in Sisters, OR, last August.  Thanks for following thru on the commitment.

At the convention, we had a good parking location and were able again to put up the Livingston's tent as a gathering place.  Our first chapter meeting of 2002 was held with a record attendance of 86 members.  Four new members joined at the meeting.

At the pre-rally and at the chapter meeting members were given an opportunity to contribute to Habitat for Humanity International, the designated FMCA charity, thru the purchase of bricks, windows and doors.  With what the members contributed and $300 from the chapter by way of a motion, Discovery International turned in their "house" with $940, the largest amount to date at the convention.

One of the goals of FMCA is membership growth.  In the years 1999 to 2001, 52,869 new members joined FMCA.  With a loss of 46,206 in the same time frame, the net gain was 6,663.  Without getting into all the math, please accept that the average loss is 1.8 members per hour.  So if you recruited two new members recently, you have covered one hour's loss.

We are asked to recruit new members when we see a motor home without a goose egg.  This way others can share in the benefits of FMCA.

Along the same lines, there are about 5,000 Discoverys on the road.  If you encounter one in your travels, make them aware of our chapter and refer them to our Website or give them a newsletter with the application in it.

At the recent Pine Mountain Pre-rally we had 10 coaches who attended one of our rallies for the first time and based on their experience, I am sure we will see them at future rallies.

God Bless and Be Well,

Ron

Discovery International members "lucked out" at the Fleetwood door prize drawing in the new coach display area at Perry, Georgia.  Winners were:  Gerry and Vaike Berg--Pocketmail; Pete and Martha Palasota--XM Radio; Bob and Carolyn Chinn--$50 Flying J gift certificate and Harry and Mary Condrey--an electric bicycle.  Congratulations to these lucky members.

Our hosts for the Pine Mountain pre-rally were Harry and Mary Condrey of nearby Cataula, Georgia.  Thirty-four member coaches (68 people) of Discovery International made their way to Pine Mountain for this beautifully planned event.

The evening of arrival we gathered for a social hour before diving into a delicious variety of pizzas and hot wings prepared and delivered by a local pizza shop.  Grits and biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, coffee and juice, what a way to begin the first morning at Pine Mountain!  Fleetwood representatives had arrived even before breakfast was over to speak with members about their service concerns and make arrangements for appointments in Perry to address some of those concerns.  Three brand-new display coaches were on site at Pine Mountain for our members to view.

Harry also made arrangements that very first night for anyone who was interested to participate in a Snipe hunt.  All interested parties were to meet at 11:30 p.m. with all the necessary items for a successful hunt, being sure to remember to bring a "croaker sack" for their catch.

Nearby Callaway Gardens was a popular place as well as Warm Springs, The Little White House and FDR State Park.  Everyone who visited the Bullick House for a meal reported that the food was excellent.  Most visited the village  of Pine Mountain to enjoy the wonderful shops and local cuisine.

On Friday we had a pot luck dinner with the neat being provided and concluded our pre-rally at Butts Mill Farm for a complete barbeque dinner on Saturday evening.  Sunday's caravan from Pine Mountain to Perry was flawless.

Discovery International would like to thank Harry and Mary for their gracious hospitality and wonderfully planned rally.

HARRYisms:

Road Kill Chicken - marked with a yellow X the firs5t time you pass by so that you will know when you pass by again which chicken is fresh and which has been there awhile

Possum on the Half Shell - A dead armadillo along the road

Funnies - the comic strip in your daily paper

Coke - ANY soft drink, Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, Orange, all are referred to as "Coke," NEVER referred to as soda or pop

Home Repair Kit - Duct tape and WD 40.  Instructions for use:  If it moves and it is not supposed to, use the duct tape.  It it is supposed to move and doesn't, use the WD 40.

Fixin' to - Use this term when you are preparing to do something, ex. "I'm fixin' to go the store for some Coke."

Sack - A paper bag.

Plastic bag - A Wal-Mart bag

Poke your lip out and walk all the way to town - A reference to someone that you have offended.  Ex. "When I told her I didn't like her grits, she poked her lip out and walked all the way to town."

Things a True Southerner Knows:

• The difference between a "hissie fit" and a "conniption fit."

• Pretty much how many fish make up a mess.

• What general direction "cattywumpus" is.

• That "gimme sugar" don't mean pass the sugar bowl.

• The difference between yankees and damn yankees.

• Knows what "Well I Suwannee!!" means.

• The difference between "pert near" and "a right far piece."

• Never to go snipe hunting twice.

• That it is important to say "Ya'll take care", and mean it, when somebody leaves

Outside Refrigerator Access Panel

Has the access panel for your refrigerator faded to a different color from exposure to Ultra Violet light?

Ours was changing to a dingy shade of gray against the white coach.  I found that with about 30 minutes of work it was almost back to original white.

What I did was use a product called "The Solution" (I found at the FMCA convention, sometimes as a free sample) and a green artificial steel wool pad (Scrubber).  You can remove the panel to work on a table and the frame you can do on the coach.

Just put the "solution" on and wait about 30 seconds and with a little elbow grease it was back to white.

Do you have a helpful hint you would like to share with other members?  Please send them to our newsletter editors by email or snail mail.

Ron Hyslop

Interesting web site:  www.RVersGuide.com

Phone hook-u; at the site:  Sun Coast  RV Campground, right off I-75 in Georgia, not far from the Florida/Georgia line.  Grand new.  campground@suncoastrv.com 877-814-9678

 

ABOUT THAT EXTENDED WARRANTY

Discovery International members Russ and Roxie Foster who were our hosts at the pre-rally in Sisters, Oregon, could write a book and give you a glowing testimonial in favor of having an extended  warranty.  Last fall they had to have the armature replaced in their generator (thank you extended warranty).

Shortly thereafter they had to replace two new tires on the front of the Discovery (not covered by the extended warranty).  Russ reports that after only 200 miles the new tires seemed to be more square than round!

While they were in Glacier National Park ALL of the batteries decided that they needed a long rest, so Russ and Roxie replaced ALL of the batteries.  Also not covered by the extended warranty.

Then they were driving east of Missoula, Montana, and lost engine power and had to be towed to the Cummins location.  The Cummins mechanic decided that their problem was not the engine but the transmission, so they limped to the Allison garage.  Allison said that the transmission was in good shape and sent them back to Cummins.  Cummins removed the transmission and trucked it to Allison for a tear down only to find out that the transmission was in good order.  Cummins decided to take a closer look at the engine and found that the problem was that the solenoid bracket had broken causing the main fuel to shut down.  The engine could not get enough fuel, so they put on a new injection pump (thank you extended warranty).

After 10 days they were on the road again only to have the differential begin to howl.  By the time they arrived in San Jose, they really had a big-time noise back there.  Now they have all new bearings, gears and u-joints (thank you extended warranty).

Russ has been shining up the "almost new Discovery in anticipation of a busy summer.  He and Roxie came to Florida in February before heading back across the country to LA via Tucson and Phoenix.  They plan to spend June, July and August in Alaska with another Discovery International couple, Pete and Martha Palasota as well as Martha's sister and husband and another Discovery Texan couple.  It sounds like Russ and Roxie will have the Discovery in very good order for this wonderful adventure.

Discovery International would like to thank Fleetwood for a HUGE presence at the Pine Mountain pre-rally.  Fleetwood representatives to whom we owe a big "thank you:"  Luc vanHerle, Product Planning; Stan Sassman, Product Development; Chris Carter, Regional Training Manager; Justin Humphreys, District Sales Manager; Dawn Fann, RV Services Coordinator (All Owners Clubs); Sam Gilbert, Nick Colchin, Barry Krueckerberg, and Terry Zeser, Service.  Thank you, Fleetwood!

Ron has asked us to explore the possibility of upgrading the quality of the newsletter and to issue only four editions a year making it a quarterly publication.  The new look would include a booklet  form of the newsletter and higher quality photo reproduction.  Your newsletter editors are currently volunteering for the National Forest Service and are camping "up the mountain," in the Cradle of Forestry (Pisgah National Forest) so these changes will have to wait until we are "back to civilization."

Excerpts from letter addressed to Discovery International and recently received from the American Red Cross:

"Thank you for making the American Red Cross the recipient of your recent contribution.  We are grateful for your commitment to our work and support of our services.  Indeed, your philanthropy enables us to fulfill an enduring promise  to be ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help families prepare for, prevent and cope with emergencies.

Every day countless people rely o the American Red Cross.  With the continued generosity of friends like you, we are able to empower older adults and adolescents through outreach programs, assist disaster victims in times of great need, and provide education about health and safety that can save lives.  Your support provides relief when help and hope is needed most.

Thank you again for your gift and all that it will make possible.  On behalf of all the families we serve, please accept my heartfelt appreciation."

Signed:  Rosalyn S. Lambert

Director, Leadership Giving

Our gift was donated October 20, 2001 in the amount of $250.00.

We recently changed the membership expiration date for all members to January instead of having memberships due at different times for different members.  We hope that no confusion resulted from this change.  At the same time we found some discrepancies in our membership role and have worked to correct errors.  If you have not renewed your membership this will be the last newsletter that you receive.  If you have a question about membership dues, please contact our membership secretary.

Before coming to Florida this winter, we made some changes to the interior of our 98 36T.  We removed the sofa bed and the factory-installed recliner.

We replaced the sofa with two Stressless recliners with separate footstools (Norwegian style) which are very comfortable for our extended stay here at Crystal Lake.  The factory recliner was replaced with a desk chair at the computer desk I had previously built.

Sarah now has her own desk and workstation.  It is installed on the rear of the slide on the outside wall between the end wall and the edge of the table of the freestanding dinette.  We only use two of the chairs that came with the dinette and the one chair serves both the table and workstation.

The unit is made from cherry to match the coach interior, when in the closed position it provides storage for the laptop computer, track ball, and auxiliary drive.  The printer (BJC-80) sits on top of the unit along with a telephone.  The top of the unit is flush with the top of the table so as to provide the use of the table as additional workspace. The laptop tray cover folds down to be part of the slide out work surface.  Below that there is a file drawer and three additional drawers for organizing "stuff."

Ron Hyslop

 

20-DAY CARAVAN THROUGH MEXICO

On February 1, 2001 there was a group of Discovery owners, led by Glenn Camp, who met at the Discovery Rally at Lazy Days to plan a trip through the Copper Canyon in Mexico.  On February 20, 2002, five Discoverys, along with 22 other RVer's left Presidio, Texas, on a 20-day caravan.  The five Discovery Caravaner's were:  Glenn & Gail Camp; Jim & Lynn Casimir; Gervase Schwenk & Theresa Stratman; Dick & Brenda Snyder; and Wil & Betty Weinzapfel.

This trip included five days with our coaches loaded on flat cars as we traveled through the Copper Canyon.

Our first stop was in Chihuahua, Mexico, where a bus tour took us to a museum, the government building, a beautiful home and a city park overlooking the whole city.  Our next stop was in Chahtemoc where the Mennonites had settled in 1920.  Since that time they have improved the land and it seemed like we were back in the USA with all the improvements they have made.

La Junta would be our next stop where we loaded our Ds on the train for the trip through the canyon ending in Los Mochis.  What an unbelievable site the canyon was.  It was fun sitting in our motor home and leaving the driving to someone else.  Each afternoon the train would stop and we would sit on a siding overnight.  There was usually a bus tour at each stop with a dinner in the evening.

After we left La Junta, the train stopped at Creel, Divisadero, Bahuichivo, El Fuerte and ended in Los Mochis.  We saw the Taranhumara Indians living in the canyons, who remain the most primitive tribes in North America.  There is thought to be forty-five thousand of these Indians between Creel and Bachuichivo.

The canyons between Bahuichivo and El Fuerte were spectacular.  We spent seven hours traveling over trestles and though tunnels and the train descended from 7,500 feet to 500 feet in El Fuerte.  There was one area where we could see three levels of railroad tracks winding down the side of the canyon.

We unloaded our coaches at Los Mochis and ended at the campground along the Sea of Cortez, which was about 20 miles west of Gausave.  We spent four nights here along the ocean and enjoyed our time with warm days and cool nights.

The rest of the trip included two days in Alomos, and three days in San Carlos Bay.  This area is very beautiful with mountains surrounding the bay.  The San Carlos Bay area is very clean and the RV Park had a pool, spa and tennis courts.  Most of the people can speak some English in the area.

Our final day was spent driving the 260 miles to Nogales, Arizona, and we were happy to be back in the good old USA.

Safe Travels from . . . Dick & Brenda Snyder

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.  One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end.  They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation, etc.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing  to his roommate all the things he could see out the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.  Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of very color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.  As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.  Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it.  In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.  Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.  She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the bode away. 

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.  The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.  He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.  It faced a blank wall.  The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.  The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.  She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

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