OKIEBAGOS
Newsletter
Newsletter Date - May 7, 2015
Inside This Issue
From the President - Darrell Carver (918-841-0291)
2015 State Rally
2
2015 State Rally Pictures
3
Safety Tip - Pre-Drive Safety
Checklist
4
Anniversaries and Birthdays
4
Prayer Requests
4
Tip of the Month –
Motorhome Maintenance
Mishaps
5
Tip of the Month –
Motorhome Maintenance
Mishaps (Continued)
6
Upcoming Events
of Interest
 June 4-8—SS Campout, Lake
El Reno
 June 18-21—GC Campout—
Cloud 9, Hot Springs AR
 July 21-25—GNR, Forest City
Ia.
 Nov 5-8—Thanskgving Campout, Citizen Potawatomi Nation
in Shawnee, OK
It’s been a while since I have sent out a newsletter. Several of our members mentioned to
me last week at the rally how much they enjoyed getting the newsletters. That motivated
me to get back on track for doing periodic newsletters.
Life has been very busy for us the last 4-5 months. After Christmas, we traveled to the
Rose Bowl parade and then spent about 2 months in the desert with friends. We also did
the Puerto Penasco rally before coming home. Since then it has been pretty much getting
everything ready for the state rally. It takes a lot of planning and preparation to make
everything work together. I think the rally was a big success. You can read more about on
page 2.
GNR is coming up pretty quick. I hope many of you will attend. We plan to take the
“Great Barrier Reef” stage backdrop used for the decorations at the state rally and put it
up on the side of our motorhome for the row party night. We are also planning to give out
the “Australian Pain Medicine” that Green Country used for the welcome bags.
The Oklahoma attendance for GNR has been down the last few years, but I guess that is
also true of campouts. I guess health and economy are the two most prevalent reasons for
lower attendance. The same is true for most of the WIT clubs. We have got to encourage
new owners to join with us and share our camping experiences.
I want to thank CW Harris and Ken Zwiegel for stepping up and volunteering to fill the
Okiebagos Vice President positions. As our club matures and loses members it becomes
even harder to get volunteers to fill the officer positions. Even if you don’t feel you can
perform an officer’s position, please consider volunteering to host or co-host a campout.
Darrell
Page 2
2015 State Rally
What a great weekend! Everything went very smooth, thanks to all the great volunteers. We received many complements from the out of state attendees about the rally and it didn’t happen without the support given by the Okiebagos
volunteers. Enough cannot be said about the willingness of our members to step up and help when asked!
We had 46 motorhomes in attendance, 24 from out of state and 22 from Oklahoma. In addition, several of our members
who are unable to use their motorhomes dropped by on Saturday to say hi to everyone.
Those arriving before Wednesday were greeted with lots of rain and cool weather, but on Wednesday, the sun came out
and it warmed up for all the remaining days of the rally. Unfortunately, the rain had soaked the golf course, so the golf
tournament had to be canceled. The Wednesday PL2 (Parking Lot Pot Luck) was a great success with more than 50 eating hot dogs and all the great sides and desserts. Socializing and making new friends continued until it got dark.
Six couples took advantage of the Oklahoma City tour on Thursday. Also on Thursday, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol
trooper arrived with his portable scales and weighed about 35 coaches in their parking spaces. Volunteers helped him and
expedited the process so that everyone who wanted the free weighing was weighed. That afternoon we had a roundtable
discussion on iPad and iPhone.
Friday morning, Shawnee Mayor Wes Mainord opened the rally with a great speech, followed by the ladies of Okiebagos’
great hospitality table. Wow, what a great assortment of snacks. After lunch, the games began. We also had seminars on
LED usage and management of motorhome weight that afternoon. After the great catered dinner we had Bean Bag
Baseball.
Saturday started off with a catered breakfast and then a Facebook roundtable. The hit of the day was the ladies’ Tea
Party. There were fancy hats, fancy dresses, and lots of finger food. Pretty sure we will have another one next year. We
also had an RV roundtable were all the guys talked about past and present RV problems and solutions. Saturday night
we were entertained by Cliff Shelder with classic country songs and afterwards the Kangaroo races were held.
Sunday was a catered breakfast followed by a devotional. Then we said good bye to all our visitors until we see them
down the road, at GNR, or at their state rally. Afterwards we had our club meetings.
After getting everything taken down and out of the building, the officers sat down and discussed the positives and negatives about the rally. These will be typed up and used for planning the 2016 rally events when we meet at GNR. Some of
the positives were sending out the expanded agenda prior to arriving, the OKC tour, tea party, parking lot pot luck (We
had 35 coaches arrive early for it!), seminars, and handing out door prizes, Some of the negatives were defective hook ups
for water and electricity, doing the kangaroo races in the evening when attendance was lower, doing tours and golf when
other activities are going on, and having games conflict with seminars,
Next year we are thinking about a evening Bricktown meal and boat ride tour on Tuesday and another tour and pot luck
for Wednesday for the early arrivers. We also might move the horse races to the time right after the ice cream social. We
are also thinking about each club preparing a basket for an auction since many persons expressed that they missed them.
Page 3
2015 State Rally Pictures
The Great Barrier Reef
The Texas Attendees
The Ladies Tea Party
Ice Cream Social
The Arkansas Attendees
Parking Lot Pot Luck
Page 4
Safety Tip - Conduct a Pre-Drive Safety Check
Many accidents are caused by simple forgetfulness: leaving doors unlatched, awnings up or steps attached. Create a
step-by-step checklist, and like a pilot on a jet, conduct a “walk-around” visual inspection before driving away. A
preflight checklist should include:
Making sure bay doors are closed and latched.
Double-checking tow bar and safety cables.
Disconnecting all power, TV, phone, water and sewer lines.
Retracting jacks, steps, and awnings.
Looking under the rig for signs of fluid leaks.
Checking oil, transmission and coolant levels.
Checking air brakes, parking brake and tow brakes.
Making sure stove, oven and heater burners are not lit.
 Checking the propane tank for leaks and intake/exhaust lines for
blockages.
Inspecting tire inflation pressure and tread wear.
Making sure smoke and propane leak detectors are working.
Checking your surroundings (weather, overhangs and ground hazards).
Making sure your “significant other” is in the coach!
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays
Prayer Requests
Anniversaries
Janet Long
May 2
CW & Denise Harris
May 3
Gene Parnell
May 10
Bob & Barbara Holt
May 4
Don Holtz
Wilma Biddy
May 11
May 12
Paul & Elizabeth Warne
May 9
Melvin & Sharon Baker
May 10
Joe Wall
May 16
Paul & Vickie Holt
May 10
Jasper Biddy
May 20
Bert Pryor
May 25
Wanda Standridge
May 25
Donnie Zwiegel
May 29
Mary Sill
May 30
Thelma Osborn
Allen Michael
Brenda Pryor
Jan Crane
Jerry Standridge
Wilma Biddy
Others that I forgot!
Page 5
Tip of the Month - Motorhome Mainenance Mishaps
(The following was taken from Mark Polk’s Comments on the FCMA website.)
1. Checking and adding air when the tires are hot
I see this all the time, people checking their tire pressure when the tires are hot. You should always check and inflate tires when
the tires are cold, before traveling more than one mile. Hot air expands and will give you a false reading. If the tires are already
hot, wait several hours before checking and adjusting inflation pressure.
2. Neglecting to check the water level in batteries, periodically
Eighty-five percent of lead acid batteries manufactured in the United States die before they should. One of the leading causes
of battery failure is overcharging the battery. Overcharging a battery results in severe water loss and plate corrosion. This is a
common problem with motorhomes.
The RV converter has a built-in battery charger. Many RV owners are under the impression that if you leave the RV plugged
in when the RV is in storage, the converter will keep the batteries topped off. While keeping batteries topped off is extremely
important, the problem is that many, but not all, RV converter chargers provide a constant charge of about 13.5 volts. This is
too high for fully charged batteries, and the electrolyte is boiled off, which results in an early death for the batteries. There
have been advances in converter charger technology, thought. Many of today’s converter chargers are three-stage chargers that
will prevent batteries from overcharging. Periodically checking and adjusting the water level in the batteries can save and extend the life expectancy of the battery. When you add water, use mineral-free water. Distilled water is best, and only fill the
battery cell to 1/8-inch below the vent well.
4. Not performing pre-departure checks
I think nearly every motorhome owner, at one time or another, has learned this valuable lesson. Pre-departure checks or a final
walk-around before leaving can save you costly repair bills. Common RV repairs relating to this are repairs to the steps, TV
antenna, awnings and power cords. Take a minute to walk around the RV, and look on top and underneath the motorhome
before heading out.
5. Not periodically inspecting your motorhome for water damage
Water leaks on a motorhome can cause extensive damage and can be costly to repair. To protect your investment and your
wallet, take the time to inspect your RV for water leaks. The outside of your motorhome may look fine, but the internal damage caused by water over a period of time can result in the entire roof, floor or wall rotting away without you even knowing it,
until it’s too late.
To prevent a leak before it starts, thoroughly inspect all roof and body seams, sealants and around any openings cut in the motorhome roof or sidewalls. Reseal any seams or sealants that show signs of cracking or separation. Consult your RV owner’s
manual for inspection intervals and for the type of sealants compatible with different types of materials.
6. Not performing routine safety checks
It’s not uncommon for a motorhome to sit in storage for periods of time. If dry-cell batteries aren’t removed from devices like
smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, these devices won’t work when you need them. By simply getting in a habit of
checking the smoke, CO, and LP-gas leak detectors prior to each trip you can prevent this from happening. Follow the testing
instructions found in the owner’s manual or on the device itself. If you remove dry-cell batteries during storage remember to
reinstall them next spring.
Also, get in a habit of inspecting the fire extinguisher before each trip. Look to see if the arrow is pointing in the green area in
the sight gauge. If it reads empty or needs charging replace it or have it recharged immediately. If it’s a dry powder type fire
extinguisher the arrow pointing in the green doesn’t always guarantee that it will work. Every month you should turn dry
powder extinguishers upside down, tap on the bottom of the extinguisher and shake it so the powder that settled on the bottom
is released. Make sure you know how to operate the fire extinguisher, too.
A simple pre-trip checklist can serve as a reminder to test all safety devices prior to leaving on a trip.
Page 6
Tip of the Month - Motorhome Mainenance Mishaps (Continued)
7. Not maintaining the RV water system
The potable water system in your motorhome requires some routine maintenance to keep it trouble free. Something I’ve run
into quite often is the complaint that there is a stale odor coming from the RV water system. When you return from a trip and
you’re not going to use the RV for a while, drain the entire water system to prevent it from getting stale and musty. You
should drain the water heater, low-point water drains and the fresh water holding tank.
Caution: Never drain the water heater tank when it is hot or under pressure. With the drains still open you can turn the water
pump on for a moment to help force any remaining water out of the system. Do not let the pump continue to run once the water stops draining. Close all of the drains.
If by accident you forget to drain the water system and you get that notorious stale odor, all is not lost. You just need to sanitize the water system. Start by draining all of the old water out of the system, and then close all of the drains. Take a quarter
cup of household bleach for every 15 gallons of water that your fresh water tank holds. Mix the bleach into a 1-gallon container
and pour it into the fresh water holding tank. Fill the fresh water tank completely full of water. Turn the water pump on, open
all hot and cold faucets and run the water until you smell the bleach at each faucet. Close the faucets and let it sit for about 12
hours. Drain the entire system and refill the fresh water tank with potable water. Open all of the faucets and run the water until you no longer smell any bleach.
It may be necessary to repeat this process to eliminate all signs of bleach from the water system. Once this is done it is safe to
use your water system. It’s also a good idea to use a water filter at campgrounds and to keep bottled water on hand for drinking.
If you don’t feel comfortable performing any of these steps you should take your motorhome to an authorized RV service center to have the maintenance performed.
I still have 2 battery powered, practically new bicycles for sale. Each one
folds up and is capable of normal pedaling. They are made in China, but are
made of very sturdy quality. I just installed new 36 Volt batteries in each of
them. I will also include a bicycle rack, double receiver hitch (which allows
you to mount the bicycle rack on the top receiver and your tow bar on the
bottom receiver), locking cables, and a cover for the bicycles when on the
rack. These bicycles will go 20 mph and are rated for 20 miles between
charges, although, I suspect that rating is on level ground with a lightweight
rider! If you are interested, these are comparable to new ones around $500
each. I’m asking $500 for everything including the two bicycles, front wire
frame baskets, bicycle rack, dual receiver adapter, combination locking security cables, and cover. 918-841-0291
Okiebagos
President 1st VP 2nd VP Secretary Treasurer -
Darrell Carver (918) 841-0291
C.W. Harris
Ken Zwiegel
Connie Carver
Vickie Holt
You can order nameplates from either of these
2 sites:

Ken Timmins
[email protected]

John Trent
[email protected]
Okiebagos consists of a group of individuals that all share a common
love of RV lifestyle. We get together at various locations around Oklahoma and neighboring states. To be a member you must own a Winnebago manufactured product and be a member of WIT, the national club
for Winnebago Industry manufactured products owners.
We would love to have you visit one of our meetings or attend a campout with us. Contact Darrell Carver (918-841-0291) or
[email protected] for more information.