FMCA Vote. A Poll and your thoughts.

[Bill_Satellite]

I have been a Motor Home owner and member of FMCA since 1994. I have been a full time RVer since 1997. I think as a full time RVer for 20 years I have some insight worth sharing and I am still learning new stuff everyday. So, my questions to existing FMCA members about the recent changes include, but are not limited to.....

A) The FMCA vote to allow towables has not changed my opinion of FMCA in any way.

B) I will not renew my FMCA membership but I will remain an active member of the FMCA forum.

C) I am DONE with FMCA and I am out of here!

D) Something else

To non-FMCA members and/or non-Motor home owners (add any additional information or suggestions)....

E) What's FMCA?

F) I am excited to be able to join FMCA!

G) It's to early to make a decision....Is there a benefit to me to joining FMCA?

H) I am already a member of other similar organizations and see no need to join.

I) What exactly do I get if I join FMCA that I don't already have now?

Any other thoughts about anything related to the FMCA changes. I would like to keep this topic pretty rigidly on this narrow topic if at all possible.

What, if anything, do you think this change will have on you, specifically. Not the industry, not your friends, not tent campers, etc. What, if any, effect do you think this will have on you?

[Walaby]

Old Blue wrote:
We are members and have been for many years, plan to renew for 2018, never been to any conventions or anything just like the organization.

What is it that you like about them? Honestly curious.

Mike

[John_S_]

I have been a member for 16 years. I have talked with them over the early years I was a member I told them that they were not providing a way for younger people to be involved. The chapters in our area are a joke and the big conventions are held during the week. They used to be at 120k members and now are at 70k. The magazine is no different then any other fluff piece. Look at the reviews there us never a true review but read these forums and get the truth. They just want to sell advertising. Letting in towable means they can now put those ads in the magazine but I think this organization is on its last legs. The same group of people run it as has always run it. Don Eversman had no clue and told me this is how they alway did it. Oh well their numbers decline shows that what they provide is not what people want and do not find it worth while to join.

[Old_Blue]

We are members and have been for many years, plan to renew for 2018, never been to any conventions or anything just like the organization.

[Archie_Kravitz]

I like the magazine. Anyone can join, how do they know what kind or if you even own a RV or not?
Got a heck of a deal on 8 Michelin's thru them.

They don't mail as much **** as Good Sams .

[Bill_Satellite]

The FMCA camping discount, on the rare occasion a campground offers it, is the same 10% offered if you are a Good Sam member.
The FMCA plan won't be taken away as it requires a 2 year contract. No necessarily good in this age of ever changing data plans. However, the big draw back is that the "unlimited" part is highly limited to 25GB/month and you are then HARD throttled to a bit faster than dial up speeds (170Kish) until the start of the next month. The Sprint plan is unlimited but Sprint coverage is so bad that it simply cannot be your only internet source if you will be traveling.

[Ralph_Cramden]

dons2346 wrote:
You know, after telling people about FMCA a bunch of times, it gets tiring having to repeat myself. People always want to know "what's in it for me?". Have they ever thought about giving something? Probably not. There are those that say I am not a joiner. These people could be those we call "curtain hermits". They are the ones that come into a campground, pull their drapes, and do not interact with anyone around them.

There are the tire programs but people say they can get a better deal elsewhere. Possibly but in my area the deals from FMCA are the best I can do.

There is insurance. Yup, you might be able to beat the deal but I know people that found dealing with the FMCA insurance agent the best deal.

FMCAssist. Not all people have the MASA stuff and don't want to pay for it. The assist program will get your dead carcass home if you die elsewhere or even in a foreign country. I know of an instance where the assist program flew a member home from Germany. Will your medical program get your pets or your grandchildren home if needed? Probably not. There's more, go look for yourself. The assist program will spend up to $5,000 to get your coach home if you or your significant other cannot drive it. Age of the coach makes no difference. Good Sam charges extra for this type of program.

Road assist. Have to pay extra for it but if you have ever needed a tow and get some rinky dink tow service show up to tow your 40,000 pound rig.....well

FMCA does have a governmental committee that will assist you with parking regulations within your area.

FMCA has a commercial council that interacts with the industry.

Anyone use the Verizon unlimited data plan?

Anyone use the Sprint unlimited data plan?

Anyone ever use the FMCA campground?

There are campgrounds that do give discounts. Have you asked for a FMCA discount?

Do you belong to a rv club of any sort? Do they have liability insurance that covers your activity? If you belong to a FMCA chapter, you will be covered for liability during any chapter function. Need to contact FMCA for further info.

There is more but most people aren't interested

All of that is good, but prior to entering credit card info and punching "give" at the FMCA website I can find no specifics on the benefits you list. Sure they have a glitzy page which is more or an advertisement.....where are the details?

Where can the terms/coverages/exclusions of all these benefits be read prior to giving?

You mention a tire and insurance discount program but also say others have obtained both at less cost, or have heard such, without it's use.

Campground discounts? How much and where. Is there a listing of participants?

FMCA assist? Terms?

Verizon or Sprint, terms of those discounts? Knowing those outstanding companies I would bet dollars to donuts there is a can be cancelled at any time clause somewhere.

Liability insurance while attending functions? Why would I need that? Liability for what? Most of the millions of people who own RVs frequent the same facilities where these functions are held I assume, just not in a group scenario. Do they carry additional liability insurance?

Thousands if not millions of people attend organized camping or RV rallies, but do not pay any yearly dues to anyone? I've attended a few myself with a few different groups. What makes an FMCA rally stand out from any of the others? The yearly fee?

[Mile_High]

Is there a place to send back our ovals for recycle? the cost savings might just save the poor broke association.

[Kaz]

I suppose I'm D'ish: wait and see. Putting aside people who are just venting their spleens (it's weird that a harmless topic like this generates so much bile), the most thoughtful comments seem to be split about 50/50, so I don't see any way to know for sure what the future holds for FMCA except to give them a fair chance to make it work and see what happens.

To the OP, what's the tally?

Skip

[DiskDoctr]

dons2346 wrote:

dons2346 wrote:
You know, after telling people about FMCA a bunch of times, it gets tiring having to repeat myself...

There is no "attitude" here. Sorry if you feel that I am not a good "ambassador" for FMCA. It is true that most people do not read what is presented to them, they only see what they want to see. If you consider it a flipped bird , so be it.

Apparently when you respond to questions with "it gets tiring having to repeat myself" ...it is a term of endearment on your end of the country? :R

For the rest of the civilized world it clearly conveys annoyance and rudeness.

If you want to be helpful, be helpful. If others annoy you so much, go play Minecraft or something instead.

[Mile_High]

dons2346 wrote:
You know, after telling people about FMCA a bunch of times, it gets tiring having to repeat myself. People always want to know "what's in it for me?". Have they ever thought about giving something? Probably not.

MMMMMM - didn't the members all GIVE by check?

[Bruce_Brown]

I thought Don made some good points. For those who didn't know FMCA offered those benefits, now they do. No harm, no foul.

[dons2346]

DiskDoctr wrote:

dons2346 wrote:
You know, after telling people about FMCA a bunch of times, it gets tiring having to repeat myself...

Stopped reading there.

Why bother posting anything else after starting your post with a virtual flip of the bird to those who showed a legitimate interest in the organization?

If that is the attitude of that "group," no thanks :R

Way to go "ambassador" 😞

There is no "attitude" here. Sorry if you feel that I am not a good "ambassador" for FMCA. It is true that most people do not read what is presented to them, they only see what they want to see. If you consider it a flipped bird , so be it.

[DiskDoctr]

dons2346 wrote:
You know, after telling people about FMCA a bunch of times, it gets tiring having to repeat myself...

Stopped reading there.

Why bother posting anything else after starting your post with a virtual flip of the bird to those who showed a legitimate interest in the organization?

If that is the attitude of that "group," no thanks :R

Way to go "ambassador" 😞

[dons2346]

You know, after telling people about FMCA a bunch of times, it gets tiring having to repeat myself. People always want to know "what's in it for me?". Have they ever thought about giving something? Probably not. There are those that say I am not a joiner. These people could be those we call "curtain hermits". They are the ones that come into a campground, pull their drapes, and do not interact with anyone around them.

There are the tire programs but people say they can get a better deal elsewhere. Possibly but in my area the deals from FMCA are the best I can do.

There is insurance. Yup, you might be able to beat the deal but I know people that found dealing with the FMCA insurance agent the best deal.

FMCAssist. Not all people have the MASA stuff and don't want to pay for it. The assist program will get your dead carcass home if you die elsewhere or even in a foreign country. I know of an instance where the assist program flew a member home from Germany. Will your medical program get your pets or your grandchildren home if needed? Probably not. There's more, go look for yourself. The assist program will spend up to $5,000 to get your coach home if you or your significant other cannot drive it. Age of the coach makes no difference. Good Sam charges extra for this type of program.

Road assist. Have to pay extra for it but if you have ever needed a tow and get some rinky dink tow service show up to tow your 40,000 pound rig.....well

FMCA does have a governmental committee that will assist you with parking regulations within your area.

FMCA has a commercial council that interacts with the industry.

Anyone use the Verizon unlimited data plan?

Anyone use the Sprint unlimited data plan?

Anyone ever use the FMCA campground?

There are campgrounds that do give discounts. Have you asked for a FMCA discount?

Do you belong to a rv club of any sort? Do they have liability insurance that covers your activity? If you belong to a FMCA chapter, you will be covered for liability during any chapter function. Need to contact FMCA for further info.

There is more but most people aren't interested