Member Spotlight

Daniel "Paul" and Karen Landry
Port Charlotte, Fla.

FMCA membership number:
F230354. We joined FMCA in October 1997.

Our current motorhome is:  a 1994 Fleetwood Southwind

Other motorhomes that we have owned:  A 1987 Eldorado Prelude

We decided to buy a motorhome because:
It was time to graduate from our small travel trailer, and we worked out a very exceptional purchase on a new Prelude.

Current or former occupation:
We are currently work-campers at a KOA in Vermont. My (Paul's) previous career: senior software engineer at a large aircraft engine manufacturer. Karen is a former customer service rep at a bank.

Children, grandchildren:  We have three children: Laura, Ken and Lisa. Two grandchildren: Ben and Abby.

The best thing about motorhoming is:
It gives us the freedom to travel at a moment's notice — without stressful arrangements. We travel in the motorhome about two months per year, to local areas in Florida and, of course, up and down the East Coast.

When we're not motorhoming, we're:
Relaxing in our motorhome on Florida's west coast. Work-camping and living in our motorhome in Vermont.

Our all-time favorite motorhome trip was:
A February 1988 trip to Florida for the first time in our new motorhome with four teen-agers. Everyone still talks about it now.

Our favorite motorhoming destinations are:
Long stays at KOA Okeechobee, Fla.

One of our fondest motorhoming memories is:
Not pre-arranged. Our whole family arrived at Salisbury Beach Campground in Massachusetts one at a time, some in automobiles (three campers and one motorhme were set up). It was a wonderful surprise reunion.

Our “dream” motorhome trip would be:
A slow trip through Alaska.

Our worst motorhoming experience was:
While coming from Florida several years ago, our left inner tire blew out at noon on I-95 in Richmond, Va. It was one of those trips that no one seemed to care or help us.

The best thing about our current motorhome is:
How well we have everything set up for what we call extreme comfort. We actually find things easier in our motorhome than the house we had with 12,000 cubic feet of space. The unique part of our motorhome is that it's a 1994 model and looks factory new. This applies to the chassis also. There are many small things that my wife and I made or installed ourselves that make our motorhome comfortable.

The best alteration or addition that we've made to our motorhome is:
installing Hadley air horns and a Banks complete power kit. My wife and I manufactured a "steering wheel round table" years ago, before they were for sale.

If we could change one thing about our motorhome, it would be:
Getting a lightweight slideout!

Something about motorhoming that we know now but didn’t know when we started is:
We should have started full-timing and work-camping years ago.

Our favorite thing about FMCA is:
Family Motor Coaching magazine is informative and interesting. We also sincerely appreciate how well FMCA responds to member inquiries and concerns. It's like receiving this Member Spotlight survey: Everyone is important to FMCA.

If we could appear as contestants on any TV game show, we would choose:
Karen: "The Price is Right." It's exciting and similar to a casino. Paul: "Let's Make a Deal," for the same reasons. It's fun to dream that the people winning could be us.

Motorhoming tips we’d like to share with other motorhomers are:
If time and finances permit, motorhome often. Never overlook any small detail of required maintenance.

If we could meet anyone from history, we'd choose:
Norman Rockwell — we grew up with Norman Rockwell's art in the Saturday Evening Post. We are avid Rockwell collectors and appreciate his work and understand what his art means.

Our hobbies are:
Karen: sewing and fishing. Paul: backyard mechanics and computers.

Our favorite way to exercise is:  walking

Favorite movie: Paul: Band of Brothers and Witness. Karen: Savannah Smiles.

Favorite book or magazine:  Paul: The Firm. Karen: Good Housekeeping.

Favorite singer:  Paul: Celine Dion — songs from the movie Titanic. Karen: Sarah Brightman — "Here with Me."

Favorite restaurant:  Cracker Barrel and Applebee's

Favorite stores:  Sears and Wal-Mart

Favorite campground:  Brattleboro North KOA Resort in Dummerston, Vt.

When motorhomers visit our state or hometown, they should be sure to see:
The west coast beaches near and around Charlotte County, Fla. The wildlife and nature is outstanding. Fisherman's Village is one of our best places to walk.

Items that are always in our motorhome refrigerator while traveling include:
Fruit, bottled water, caffeine-free ginger ale

Our advice to new motorhomers is:
Life is short. If you own a motorhome, use it often. There are many places in this country that should be seen, experiences to experience, and people to make friends with.

Behind our motorhome we tow:
A 1999 Toyota Camry XLE. We tow it four wheels down using a self-installed Remco system with accessories.

Our favorite activity to do inside the motorhome is:  Karen: sewing. Paul: reading, computer.

Our pet that we travel with is: a 12-year-old west highland terrier

Other FMCA members may contact us via e-mail at:  plpolly35@wmconnect.com

Other comments:
Our current lifestyle is low-key and modest. My wife and I feel honored that we were selected to participate in FMCA.com's Member Spotlight. We don't have a new Class A motorhome or an excess of funds. However, we feel we should have started full-timing years ago. Again, we live a lifestyle that can't get much better. Thanks for reading our story. FMCA is the best!