Member Spotlight

Keith and Beverly Harvey
Campbellford, Ontario, Canada

FMCA membership number:  F306953. We joined FMCA in 2001.

FMCA chapter memberships:  Ontario Rovers

Current motorhome:  a 1991 Rockwood Regent, our first motorhome

We decided to buy a motorhome because:
We wanted to travel and explore the United States and Canada, and wanted the freedom from fussing with reservations for hotels. We also wanted to take our pet pooch with us.

Occupations:
We’re retired from the telephone, cable TV and the business services industries.

Children, grandchildren:  five children and 12 grandkids (blended family)

The best thing about motorhoming is:
The wonderful people we meet on the road and we can set our own travel pace. Plus, we always have a clean washroom and our own bed!

When we’re not motorhoming, we’re:
Trying to keep our gardens under control. Tinkering with ham radio and enjoying our new home.

If we could meet anyone from history, we would choose:
Keith: Michelangelo, a truly inventive individual. Bev: Jean Lafitte, who was dashing, handsome, debonair and adventurous. The France native helped U.S. forces in the Battle of New Orleans at the end of the War of 1812.

We travel in the motorhome approximately:  five months per year

Our all-time favorite motorhome trip was:
Cruising Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana. San Antonio and St. Augustine were a wonderful experience. We’re still new to this, and are planning trips to Prince Edward Island and the Florida Keys.

One of our fondest motorhoming memories is:
The wonderful folks in Oklahoma who came to our rescue when a bad stumble demanded a chiropractor. They not only made the appointment for us but also came over to get us and took us to the office to introduce us to the staff. They checked on us all week to see if we were okay!

Our “dream” motorhome trip would be:
Alaska and Mexico’s Copper Canyon

Our worst motorhoming experience was:
A tire blowout on I-75 in Cincinnati rush-hour traffic.

The best thing about our motorhome is:
It’s ours! It’s not fancy, but it is comfortable.

Something about motorhoming that we know now but didn’t know when we started is:
It is a wonderful life, but be prepared for this “house on wheels” to give you all the challenges of keeping a house and a truck running.

If we could change one thing about our motorhome, it would be:
Although very convenient as it is, dual slideouts would be nice.

The best alteration or additions that we’ve made to our motorhome is:
We removed a tub chair and custom built a cabinet to give us eye level TV viewing complete with a small cupboard for shoes, etc. We also created a drop-down PC/makeup table in the bedroom.

Our favorite thing about FMCA is:
It’s a great way to meet people while on the road and has a very useful Web site for planning purposes.

If you could appear as a contestant on any TV game show past or present, we’d choose:
Let’s make a Deal. I like negotiating!

One feature of our motorhome that we could not do without is:
We absolutely have to have the nice bathroom facilities.

A motorhoming tip we’d like to share with other motorhomers is:
If your battery charger/conditioner is installed under the bed, move it to a basement storage area. This will keep the heat and humidity outside. I’ve also added utility 12-volt outlets in various outside areas for a portable air compressor (for bike tires, motorhome tires, etc).

Our hobbies/interests are:
Keith: amateur radio, photography, computer technology. Bev: gardening, reading, decorating.

Our favorite way to exercise is:  walking and bike riding

Favorite movie:  E.T. -- The Extraterrestrial -- both 20 years ago and the newer release.

Favorite book: Keith: Books by James Herriot. He was an English veterinarian who wrote tales of animals and people in the Yorkshire dales. Several of his stories have been adapted for children. Bev: the Harry Potter series.

Favorite music: Keith: light opera and classics. Bev: Anne Murray

Favorite restaurant:  Michael’s on the Thames, London, Ontario

Favorite store:  The Sharper Image

Favorite campground:  KOA Okeechobee Resort and Golf Course in Okeechobee, Fla.

When motorhomers visit Ontario, they should be sure to see:
In Toronto, the CN Tower, The Science Centre and The Royal Ontario Museum

An item that we always keep in our motorhome refrigerator while traveling is:  Wine

Our advice to new motorhomers is:
If you are buying a used motorhome, get a seasoned RVer to look it over for you. We could have avoided some early problems if we had done that. The dealer was reputable but we did have to fight to get warranty items understood and looked after.

Behind our motorhome, we tow:
A Trans Sport van using a Remco transmission lube pump and Roadmaster towing equipment

Our favorite activity to do inside the motorhome is:
Cook, read, visit with new friends

Our pet that we travel with is:
A Havanese named Meghan. It’s her motorhome.

Other than family and friends, the three people whom we would most like to invite for dinner are:
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, U.S. President George Bush and Mexico President Vincente Fox. It would be interesting to see what could be done to improve the economy of the three countries.

Other FMCA members may contact us via e-mail at:  keith.harvey@sympatico.ca