01-22-2009, 08:30 PM
Doug SmileyLeslie Hoagland
I heard that Leslie Hoagland final lost his battle with cancer and died on December 11th.
He was the Link between the FMC, MCC and Barth
motorhomes. He will be missed.....
01-23-2009, 09:01 AM
Bill N.Y.Thank you for that update, I'm sorry to hear that he lost his battle. I spoke with him in great detail just a few days before this. He did say he was in bad shape and hinted that he didn't think he would see the New Year.
He was laboring with every breath he took but his passion for what he did was evident. I couldn't get him to stop talking

. He told me about different things with the chassis and how he set them up. He seemed to have more of a fact based answer to everything as nothing came across as an opinion. It was his strong belief that, his way, was the only way to do something on these chassis.
He did work on these chassis (FMC/MCC) for many
years decades and I'm sure he was more qualified than the original engineers who designed these in the first place. I know when someone tells me something that I know wouldn't work as well I'll let him know my opinion and try to convey the proper course to take. This is called steering the customer in the correct direction. With him, Leslie knows what he knows and it will only work this way so you better believe it.
I believe his son is running things now and I am sure he is very qualified as Leslie kept talking to his son for clarification while I was on the phone with him. I believe that none of the attention to detail will be lost if someone was to use Motor Coach Restoration for their MCC Chassis needs.
I wish his family the best...