Member Spotlight

Mel and Sandy Denney
Fallon, Nev.

FMCA membership number:
F213165. We joined FMCA in 1996.

Our current motorhome:
A 1998 Fleetwood Bounder 32H

We have owned six other motorhomes, including:
A 1970 Pace Arrow, a 1976 American Clipper, a 1978 Vacationeer and a 1979 Allegro.

We decided to buy a motorhome because:
I, Mel, was a divorcee and wanted to take my four children on a nice vacation on a limited budget. A dentist had a 22-foot Winnebago that he rented. I borrowed it to take kids and two of their friends on a week-long trip to Disneyland and Sequoia National Park. The next year, I bought the 1970 Pace Arrow.

The best thing about our current motorhome:
We love our 33-foot Bounder with a Chevrolet 454 Vortec engine. It has a perfect layout, good storage capacity, and handles well. It has been perfect with no problems after driving it 39,000 miles. It makes traveling comfortable and convenient. And, it gets 8 to 8.5 miles per gallon.

Occupation:
I retired from a position as administrator of special programs and planning for 28 years.

We travel in the motorhome approximately:
Twelve months per year. We mostly go on short trips, in the 100- to 1,000-mile range.

Our all-time favorite motorhome trip:
To Yosemite National Park, 12 years ago

Our "dream" motorhome trip:
Travel the Northwest, including Puget Sound

Other favorite destinations:
Oasis, and Smith, Nev. FMCA conventions in Oregon and other locations

Our worst motorhoming experience:
This year's trip to Redmond, Ore., for FMCA's 72nd International Convention. My supplemental braking system malfunctioned and did $2,400 in damage to the front end and brake of my Cavalier towed car.

The best addition we've made to our motorhome:
Solar panels. I also use the smallest Olympic catalytic heater in winter. It provides constant heat and uses no battery amps.

If we could change one thing about our motorhome, it would be:
Increase miles per gallon to 20 from 8. We have been on a fixed income for 19 years.

Something about motorhoming that we know now but didn't know when we started is:
How comfortable traveling is. It's much better and easier than a car.

When driving the motorhome, the most important thing to remember is:
Its size, and stopping distance.

Our favorite thing about FMCA is:  he conventions.

A motorhoming tip we'd like to share with other motorhomers:
I like to leave the black water valve open after it has drained. This allows gray water to flush both valves.

Our hobbies are:  Photography, guns and shooting

Favorite way to exercise:  Walking

Favorite movie:  "The Mummy"

Favorite book:  Romances of Herman Melville

Favorite restaurant:  Mimis Cafe

Favorite store:  Costco warehouses

Favorite campground:  Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort

When motorhomers visit our state, they should be sure to see:
Lake Tahoe

Items that are always in our motorhome refrigerator while traveling:
Two days worth of food supplies and fruit juices

Our advice to new motorhome owners:
Learn as much as you can from fellow FMCA travelers.

Behind our motorhome, we tow:
A 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier using a Roadmaster Falcon II motorhome-mounted tow bar

Our favorite activity to do inside the motorhome:  sleep, read, watch TV

Our pets that travel with us:  a cat and a 55-pound dog

Other comments:  Every motorhome owner should belong to FMCA.