Member Spotlight

Joe and Linda Evers
Amana, Iowa

FMCA Membership Number:
F146029 (we joined in 1991)

Our current motorhome:
A 2003 Tiffin Phaeton

Three words that best describe our motorhome:
Quality, attractive, comfortable

The best thing about our motorhome:
Anyone who owns a Tiffin motorhome is assured of outstanding service and satisfaction. We feel their reputation is unmatched in the industry.

Other motorhomes we’ve owned:
A 2000 Dolphin by National RV

We decided to buy a motorhome because:
We liked the idea of having the convenience of having our own home with us as we traveled. It provides a great way to spend time with other motorhoming friends and offers the opportunity to meet new ones with various interests and experiences.

Our occupations:
Joe retired after working for 30 years at John Deere in Dubuque, Iowa. Linda retired after 35 years at Teamsters Local 238, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Family: We have four children and nine grandchildren.

We travel in the motorhome:
Approximately four months of the year. When we’re not motorhoming we’re keeping up our home with a yard just under one acre; gardening; golfing; helping an elderly parent; and spending time with family and friends.

Our favorite motorhoming destinations:
Sedona, Ariz., and the Oregon Coast.

Our all-time favorite motorhome trip:
Probably to the FMCA convention in Brunswick, Maine, where we bought our Dolphin motorhome in August 2000.

Our “dream” motorhome trip:
Mine (Linda’s) would be to travel the Oregon Coast. My husband would love to visit Nova Scotia.

Our perfect day of motorhome travel:
Any day we arrive at a destination with no problems.

Our worst motorhoming experience:
Traveling to Branson, Mo., in our Dolphin. Our radiator went out and we had to be towed back to Springfield, Mo. Because we had tickets for shows in Branson, we ended up going to Branson three times in one trip.

Our motorhoming pet peeve:
People not picking up after their pets.

The best addition we’ve made to our motorhome:
Adding a washer/dryer combo.

If we could change one thing about our motorhome:
We’d have a full tile floor through the living room, kitchen and bath.

Something about motorhoming that we know now but did not know when we started:
That diesel fuel would become more expensive than gas.

When driving, the most important thing is:
To drive at the speed you feel comfortable with.

We joined FMCA because:
Friends encouraged us to join.

An FMCA chapter that we belong to:
Midwest Pacers (formerly Midwest Pace Arrows)

Our advice for other motorhome owners:
The coils on our Dometic refrigerator kept frosting up and we were defrosting it once a week. Friends then told us that there was an adjustment on the coil. After we lowered the adjustment wire, we had no further problems.

Our hobbies:
Joe: NASCAR, golf, gardening. Linda: Tap and line dancing, golf, arts and crafts, grandchildren.

Our favorite holiday:
Probably Thanksgiving — it's less stressful than Christmas. It’s a relaxed time with family remembering the many blessings we have in our lives.

Favorite restaurant:
We really don’t have a one-time favorite. We enjoy checking out local eateries or bar and grills.

A celebrity we admire:
Oprah Winfrey for what she has achieved and the obstacles she has overcome and all she does to help others who are less fortunate.

If we were awarded a shopping spree at the store of our choice …
It would be hard to choose. For motorhoming it would probably have to be Camping World. However, I think Target has a variety of good quality items in many departments.

Favorite campgrounds:
There are too many to list. A few would be Deer Run Resort in Elkader, Iowa; Grand Casino Hinckley RV Resort in Hinckley, Minn.; and Outdoor Resort Indio (Calif.). Each one of these offers a unique experience.

When motorhomers visit our state or hometown, they should be sure to see:
Amana Colonies

Items that we always keep in our motorhome’s refrigerator while traveling:
I say a bottle of wine. Joe says beer.

Our advice to new motorhomers:
Start off simple, not trying to do all on your first trip. Also, do some research on your own and talk to other motorhomers.

Behind our motorhome, we tow:
A 2007 Dodge Dakota pickup

A pet that travels with us:
Our miniature schnauzer, Domino

When we’re online, sites we like to visit:
I usually Google any subject I am trying to find information about, whether it be a campground, travel destination, etc.

A technical or travel tip we’d like to share with other motorhome owners:
I found that using space bags to store items is very helpful. Also, make a checklist of what needs to be checked before starting your trip.

Contact us via e-mail: LindyfromAmana@msn.com