"SEPTEMBER 2006 NEWSLETTER"

Fall is a beautiful season for camping!

REX'S CAPE FEAR CAMPING CLUB

PO BOX 15446

WILMINGTON, NC

Robert Clark, President

Phone: 910-395-1836

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“Rex’s Cape Fear Camping Club, where you are treated like family.”

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FROM THE CLUB 2^nd VICE-PRESIDENT:

It is hard to believe that there is only one more camping trip this year that will take place at Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach. The 2006 camping year has gone by fast. We have had fun on every trip with a good group of new and old members with the weather being good on every trip this year. Please be thinking of places you would like to go next year and bring your suggestions to our final meeting in November. The Outer Banks trip was a fun trip even though it was a small group with six units attending plus Brian and Christy along with Christy’s parents attending the dinner / meeting on Saturday night. You can read about some of the activities that took place on this trip in other parts of this newsletter. Chuck and Joyce you did another great job as wagon master on this trip.

Please keep in mind the OPEN HOUSE Rex is having at his new location the first weekend in October. Some of us will be camping at the KOA in Wilmington. It would be nice to see as many of the club members as possible as Rex is setting up a table for the camping club.

Friday night everyone got together to make our own subs and sundaes (Chuck Murdock made the biggest ice cream sundae).  We had the room for both Friday and Saturday night and what a view we had.   Chuck and Joyce provided kites for everyone and it was decided that we would meet around 2:00 on Saturday to fly our kites.   Some did really well while others crashed.  Bill Martin had the highest-flying kite (after a little re-engineering).  

Instead of a Pot Luck Dinner everyone brought hamburgers, steaks or whatever they wanted cooked on the grill along with a side dish.  Randy Freeman said Grace and Chuck Murdock cooked.   After the meal we had more ice cream sundaes.  The meal was terrific as usual.  Rex contributed some wonderful door prizes for this trip.  With only 6 units we did not do the 50-50.  Chuck passed out the door prizes.

 Bill Martin held a short meeting.  We welcomed our new members, Rick and Lynn Clausman from Lake Gaston.   Brian and Christy along with Christy’s parents, Wayne and Becky Clay joined us for dinner and Bill introduced everyone.  We had 6 units for this trip.  Brian has 5 applications for new members and says the flags should be ready in time for Rex’s open house.  Wilmington KOA is holding a few sites for anyone wanting to camp on Oct. 6 & 7^th.  This is also the weekend of Riverfest in Wilmington so they will not hold the sites for long.  Please make your reservations as quick as possible.  They are also reserving 10 sites for us for the November meeting.  We discussed places of interest for next year such as Lexington in October for the BBQ festival.  Be thinking of places you would like to go.  We have really had some good trips and beautiful weather this year. 

The cookbook is ready to be printed. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful recipes.

                                                                                                                 Bill

For your information………………

Club flags should be ready for Rex’s Open House. If you need a flag, just let a club officer know.  Rex & Sons will also have flags available for new members.

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FROM THE CLUB SECRETARY

Barry and I regret we were not able to make it to the Outer Banks trip.  It sounds like everyone had another great time as usual.  We hope to see you at Ocean Lakes in October and the year-end meeting in November.  Remember to be thinking about places you would like to camp next year and please consider becoming a Wagon Master for one of those trips………thanks!

                                                                                                            Dianne

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TRIP UPDATES AS FOLLOWS:

Mark your calendar and get your reservation made for the last official camping trip of the 2006 season. 

October >>   Ocean Lakes, Myrtle Beach, Wagon Master - Ken Williams (10/20-10/22)

20 sites reserved for the club with more sites available if we need them.  Room has been reserved for our dinner/meeting on Saturday night.  Cost is $35.00 per night for club members.  If you want a concrete pad it is an additional $5.00 per night; however, the concrete pad sites are not within the same group of sites that have been set-aside for the club.  Make your own reservations at Ocean Lakes (1-800-722-1451). Let them know you are camping with Rex’s Cape Fear Camping Club.

November >>  Rex & Son's RV, Wilmington, NC on Saturday 11/18

A few units are camping at the Wilmington KOA that weekend.  Make your reservations.  

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UPDATE FROM OUR SPONSOR

We hope you all can come to our open house on October 5^th, 6^th & 7^th. COCO LOCO Party Band will be playing from 11:00-2:00 on Saturday the 7^th.  Additional parking is available next door at Carolina BBQ. Parts (fold-up rocking chairs, reclining chairs, generators, etc.) will be at great prices.  We are also giving away two reclining chairs.  Happy camping.

                                                                                                                               Rex

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Reminder >>>> Free of charge, you can set up a Yahoo account. E-mail Brian Batts (brianbatts@yahoo.com).  Brian will send you an invitation to join the club site. Brian did an excellent job and we hope you enjoy it. 

Check out the club web page at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/capefearcampingclub

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BUSINESSES THAT OFFER DISCOUNTS TO CLUB MEMBERS ARE: 

Rex & Sons RV's Inc...........will serve you through sales and service in Wilmington, NC

Gilbert RV Insurance Company..........they offer very competitive prices for your RV coverage. Their toll free number is 1-888-784-6787.

Coco Loco Party Band............this band is available for hire for private parties. Club members will get a discount if you hire them. Contact Jody Bundy at 910-367-3153.

Wells Transmission..............where your automatic choice is taken care of! They have been in business in the Wilmington area since 1963. They are located at 1002 South 16th Street, Wilmington, NC. If you need repairs or it is just time for some general preventative maintenance, call Ken Williams at 910-762-1133.

Protec Door............need service or repairs to your home garage door? Call someone who has been serving residents in the Wilmington and surrounding area for over 14 years. Call Mike Brennan at 910-270-3035. 

Lifestyle Designs LLC............the next generation in floor coverings. Contact Dave Calary at 910-619-0186 or email www.swisstrax.com  

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The 2006 Club Officers are as follows:

President > > > > > > > >>          Robert Clark…(910-395-1836)

Vice President > > > > > >          Mike Enyart…(910-612-1041)

2nd Vice President > > >>      Bill Martin...(910-270-4082)

Secretary > > > > > > > >          Dianne Youngs…(910-738-1689)

Treasurer > > > > > > > >          Brian Batts…(910-330-7362)

Club Reps > > > > > > > >          Ken & Carol Williams…(910-313-2869)

We want Rex's Cape Fear Camping Club to be the best that it can be.

Contact any of the club officers with suggestions, comments, questions or concerns.

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Best wishes to the following people for their

Birthdays & Anniversaries!

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS                                                                                        OCTOBER ANNIVERSARIES

George & Angel Karafus             10/06                                       Tim & Loria Blackburn            10/18

Jackie Carter                            10/07

Carol Williams              10/08

Carolyn Davis                           10/11              

Elton Tucker                             10/14

Travis Creech                           10/15

Laura Carey                             10/17

Aggie Karafus                          10/27

My apologies if I missed anyone.  Please let me know of corrections that are needed so that I can update the club record…………....thanks

Safety Tips & Helpful Hints

TRAVELING WITH OR WITHOUT PROPANE

Traveling with propane poses a dilemma for RVers: Should it be turned on or off while driving down the road? There are pros and cons to each; therefore, each Rver must weigh the facts and decide which option best suits their comfort level.

Traveling With Propane On

There are several conveniences to traveling with the propane on. First, it allows the refrigerator to run, which keeps the food inside cool and fresh. In cold weather, propane allows you to run your RV’s heating system in your RV and keep water in the hot water heater hot. Some RV’s require the propane be on to run the generator.

There are benefits to travel with the propane on, however, there are risks also. Propane lines can break in an accident on the road or appliances may move while traveling. With no restriction in the line, propane can escape. Since propane can ignite with only a small amount in the air (eight parts per million of propane), any triggering device in the area can ignite it.

If traveling with the refrigerator on propane, you must turn it and all appliances off prior to entering a fuel stop.  Most propane tanks can only be filled to 80% capacity to allow expansion of the gas in the tank and prevent the pressure relief valve from allowing gas to escape. When the main gas valve on the tank is turned on, it is critical that you fully open it until it locks to enable the excess flow valve to operator.

A past issue of Escapees magazine recounts an RVer had pulled into a fuel station and attempted to refuel while the RV’s water heater was on. The resulting explosion burned the vehicle completely, destroyed the station, and killed a Good Samaritan who tried to help. Propane is the direct cause of fires less that 1% of the time. In other words, it’s very rare. However, driving with propane on is a gamble.

Ann and I experienced an incident the first time we decided to travel with the refrigerator on. While enroute on I-40 a passerby got our attention pointing to our 5^th wheel. Looking through my driver’s rearview mirror I saw rubber being slung all over the interstate. Getting over in the emergency lane and stopped as quickly as possible, I noticed the left forward tire had blown and come apart in pieces and was smoking hot. When I walked to the rear of the truck I heard a hissing noise. You guessed it, the propane gas was leaking. The tire tread being slung around had cut not one, but two gas lines just in front of the wheel well.  One line to the refrigerator, the other line to the furnace. I immediately shut off the propane tank valve. No explosion, no fire, we got lucky. We could have been killed, injured and the damage to our vehicles significantly worse.

Traveling With Propane Off

If you choose to travel with your propane off, you minimize the risk of an accident becoming much worse due to propane leakage; it’s a trade-off that someday may save your life.

Many states even require that the propane be turned off before entering tunnels. If keeping your food fresh is the main reason you’ve chosen to drive with your propane on in the past re-evaluate this decision based on weather conditions and your refrigerator type and age. With new technology, it’s no longer necessary to travel with propane on to keep food in the refrigerator from spoiling, With minimal opening, most refrigerators manufactured after 1995 keep an internal temperature of less than 40 degrees for eight hours on a 100 degree day.

To ensure you food stays cool, purchase a refrigerator fan. These small battery-operated fans can be found at the Fire & Life Safety booth at RV rallies, Camping World and some Wal Mart’s for $15 to $20. A refrigerator fan circulates cold air. Place the fan on the lower shelf for best results. Positioning a stainless steel bowl filled with ice next to the fan cools even longer.

Here are some additional tips to help maintain the temperature with propane off.

1.      Keep drinks, lunch and other items you’ll want during the day’s travel in a small ice chest.

2.      Prepare meals and snacks prior to leaving and place them in a spot in the refrigerator where you can quickly open the door and retrieve all items as once.

3.      Turn the refrigerator to coldest setting the night before you travel and leave it there until you leave the next day.

4.      Turn all appliances off. Many have electric ignition that causes sparking to light pilot lights.

5.      If your refrigerator has the 12-volt option, use it. The safest choice.

If safety is your first priority, then the clear choice is to drive with your propane turned off. If you feel the benefits of driving with your propane on outweigh the potential danger, then you may choose to keep it turned on. Either way, you are making an informed choice.