M.O.C.

WRITTEN BY REX

FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AGO I STARTED READING AND JOINED AN INTERNET DISCUSSION FORUM CALLED M.O.C. (MONTANAS OWNERS CLUB). AT THAT TIME IN 1999 THERE WERE ABOUT 100 MEMBERS, I WAS #99 TO JOIN UP. TODAY THERE ARE 5500 MEMBERS READING AND EXCHANGING INFORMATION. THE FORUM IS WELL CONTROLLED BY A TEAM OF MODERATORS WHO ARE QUICK TO DELETE THE SPAMS ADVERTISING, AND ANY TOPICS NOT RELATED TO THE RV LIFE STYLE.
I HAVE LEARNED EVERYTHING ABOUT MY TRAILER OFF OF THIS FORUM. AS AN EXAMPLE, LAST SPRING I WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING A BLINKER TO WORK ON THE TRAILER. I SWITCHED BULBS, FLIPPED BREAKERS, AND EVEN ASKED MY NEIGHBORS. I POSTED MY PROBLEM ON THE MOC, AND IN JUST A FEW HOURS A CAMPER FROM TEXAS EXPLAINED THAT UNDER THE HOOD OF MY FORD PICK-UP I WOULD FIND ANOTHER HIDDEN FUSE BOX, AND THERE WAS A TINY FUSE THAT BURNED OUT CONTROLLING THE LEFT BLINKER ON THE TRAILER. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE, OTHER TOPICS HAVE INCLUDED EXACT INSTRUCTIONS ON GREASING MY WHEELS, COUNTLESS TIPS IN SECURING THINGS INSIDE FOR TRAVEL, CHECKLISTS, WATER FILTERS,AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN ANODE ROD IS? ANOTHER ITEM WE LEARNED WAS THAT CERTAIN TRAVEL TRAILERS MANUFACTURED BY MONTANA IN 2000 HAD WARPED AXLES CAUSING A TIRE WEAR PROBLEM AND EVENTUAL FRAME DISTORTIONS DETECTED FIRST BY THE DOOR STICKING. WHEN WE SAW THESE TIRE WEAR PROBLEMS AND THE DOOR STICKING WE QUICKLY TRADED OUR 2000 TRAILER FOR A 2004 TRAILER WHILE THE OLD TRAILER WAS STILL WORTH SOME MONEY.

ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS, STEVE & VIKI REIGLE, HAVE MADE OVER 10,000 POSTS IN THE FIVE YEARS AND HAVE GRADUATED INTO LIVING FULL-TIME IN THEIR MONTANA, HELPING COUNTLESS PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS. THIS DEDICATION HAS EARNED HIM THE TITLE OF “WIZARD” IN THE GROUP. WE’VE BEEN E-MAIL BUDDY’S FOR YEARS AND VERY MUCH ENJOY AND KEEP UP WITH THEIR TRAVEL BLOG. LAST YEAR MARY AND I ATTENDED THE NATIONAL RALLY THIS GROUP HELD IN CARSON CITY NEVADA. IT WAS REALLY FUN TO PUT A FACE WITH THE NAMES, SOCIALIZE, TOUR THE OTHER TRAILERS AND SEE THEIR IMPROVEMENTS, AND ATTEND THE HELPFUL SEMINARS. MANY OF THESE IDEAS WE’VE IMPLEMENTED INCLUDING A THERMOSTAT UPGRADE AND PLEXIGLAS PANELS THAT TURNS OUR SCREEN DOOR INTO A STORM DOOR.

YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING INTO THE RV PARK, MARY COMMENTED , OH LOOK THERE’S ANOTHER MONTANA PULLING INTO THE PARK. I LOOKED OVER AND REMEMBER THINKING HOW SO MANY MONTANAS ARE PULLED BY WHITE FORD PICK-UPS. WHILE EATING SUPPER AND READING THE MOC BOARD THERE WAS A POST BY SOME NEVADA PEOPLE COMMENTING ON CAMPING WITH THE “WIZARD” IN THE ARMAGOSA VALLEY, AND THAT THEY WERE HEADED TO CARSON CITY FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. I WALKED DOWN AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS STEVE & VIKI. WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A NICE COUPLE OF DAYS SPENT WITH A COUPLE OUR SAME AGE AND HAVE BEGUN MAKING PLANS TO GET TOGETHER WITH THEM AGAIN IN OCTOBER IN INDEPENDENCE, MO.