pamkay

That's great. Glad things worked out for you.

Hello. This article in the May issue has a section about automatic fire suppression systems and lists several companies that offer them. Perhaps the companies could to direct you to an installer? https://familyrvingmag.com/2019/05/01/rv-fire-safety-3/ Pamela Kay Director of Communications, Publishing Family RVing magazine

Years back, FMCA provided all members a small accidental death and dismemberment policy, with the opportunity to buy additional coverage. That ceased quite some time ago.

As noted in the text of the article in question, it is important to make sure the tow bar is reasonably level when connected. So, you make an excellent point and a good reminder for motorhome owners. This photo was supplied by Demco and shows their Dominator tow bar. Given their expertise, we believe they would have made sure the setup was within tolerances before taking the photo. And as Mark Quasius, the author of the article noted, when I questioned him about this, “We can’t see the whole picture. It’s possible the motorhome could be on a sloped surface that would lower the front of the coach, raising the back to make it look like the tow bar was at an excessive angle.” Pamela Kay Director of Communications, Publishing Family RVing magazine

Hi, Kay. Thanks for confirming. Kay actually is my last name. I acquired it when I married. Good thing my first name wasn't Kay! That would have been confusing. I do end up being called Kay accidentally at times.

Hi, Ross. I was able to see my posts by clicking on my name at the top right of the page; then Profile; then See My Activity on the right side of the page. Pamela

Hello. You may want to check out the Membership Directory at FMCA.com -- accessible via the Membership tab/Membership Dashboard. The search function makes it possible to look for "Pinch Hit Drivers" in a particular city or state. These are members who have agreed to drive a member's RV in an emergency situation, at the owner's expense. Here is a link to the search page: https://site.fmca.com/member-help-search It is possible to filter by state and also by Pinch Hit Driver. Pamela Kay, Director of Communications, Publishing

Hello, all. Actually, the purpose of the original post was to invite new members of FMCA to participate in the new "Meet the Family" feature in the magazine, not to discuss the name change or how it came about. But since that's where it's gone, I thought I'd jump in and offer some explanation. When the vote to allow owners of other self-contained RVs to join FMCA took place, the decision was made not to change the name of the association but to focus on the acronym that many members already use -- FMCA. That didn't work quite as well for the magazine. So, the idea of giving it a new name arose. Careful consideration was given to the name, and ultimately the Executive Board gave the change its blessing. The staff didn't unilaterally make the decision. The new name definitely ties in with the former. We believed it was important to retain the "Family" aspect of the name, because it describes the essence of FMCA -- a close-knit community of RV owners -- a family, if you will. And it describes the people who are enjoying the RV lifestyle. I'm not sure how we could have involved the entire membership in the decision regarding a new name. Instead, the Executive Board was given the opportunity to represent the membership in this decision, as they do with many other things. Even if we had taken a vote, undoubtedly some would have been disappointed that their favorite wasn't chosen. We aren't planning to lessen the focus on motorhomes even with this name change. And, like John indicated, much of the content we've been publishing for years is "equipment neutral" -- it is valid, useful information no matter whether your RV has its own motive force or needs to be towed. We're excited about the refresh that the magazine is undergoing. It's been 10 years since it was given a new look. And we do realize that some members liked the magazine just the way it was and aren't ready for this change. We heard comments to that effect with the redesign we undertook a decade ago. My favorite comment about a redesign came years back from a member who called to say that he likes his olives to stay in the same place in the grocery store, and we had essentially moved his olives! I don't know about you all, but the stores I shop in seem to love moving things around. We definitely appreciate your passion about FMCA and the magazine! I hope this explanation helps. Any new members out there willing to be profiled in "Meet the Family"? Pamela Kay Director of Communications, Publishing

Here is an article from RVBusiness.com that addresses this issue and notes that RVs will continue to be included, perhaps thanks to some RVIA education of legislators: http://www.rvbusiness.com/2017/12/rvia-tax-reform-bill-will-benefit-rv-industry/

Hi, Bill. FMCA still sends members a monthly magazine, unless they specifically request to place the print copy on hold in favor of reading the digital edition. I checked the records, and your magazine wasn't on hold. We looked at the April and May label files as examples, and labels were prepared to send the magazine to your mail forwarding address. Perhaps you had requested that the mail forwarding provider not forward periodicals to you? In any case, I'm sorry you missed out on receiving the magazine. Pamela Kay, Director of Communications, Publishing.

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF CAMPGROUND OWNERS IDENTIFIES PARKS THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE HURRICANE HARVEY EVACUEES The Texas Association of Campground Owners has identified campgrounds and RV parks with space available for Hurricane Harvey evacuees. “Many Texas parks are privately owned and operated by folks who would like to help their fellow Texans and visitors find a safe place to wait out this hurricane,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director and CEO of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO), adding, "Texas park owners have opened their hearts and their parks. They are receiving countless evacuees and helping them while the storm passes and the cleanup begins. It will be a long process but together we will get through it." Schaeffer encourages hurricane evacuees to check TexasCampgrounds.com and TexasCabinRentals.net to locate Texas parks that are far enough away from the coast to escape the brunt of the storm. After checking the list, people should call the parks in advance to reserve a site. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a proclamation temporarily suspending ALL state and local hotel occupancy taxes in Texas for evacuees from designated disaster prone areas as well as documented relief workers. This proclamation also applies to occupancy taxes normally charged by campgrounds, RV parks and resorts. This temporary tax relief is effective from Aug. 23 to Sept. 6. Counties affected by the disaster declaration include: Aransas, Austin, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Harris, Jackson, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kleberg, Lavaca, Liberty, Live Oak, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Waller, Wharton, and Wilson.

Hello, Chris and Herman. Availability of vehicles and writers to review them are the true determining factors in which motorhomes end up being reviewed in Family Motor Coaching magazine. Also, to clarify: We endeavor to keep advertising and editorial as separate as possible. That’s better for the magazine’s editorial integrity and better for the companies that end up having products reviewed in the magazine, actually. Companies DO NOT pay for coach features, the front cover, or other editorial material in the magazine. If you check back, you will note that some of the companies with coach features definitely are not advertisers. We’ve included their vehicles because we endeavor to keep readers abreast of what’s available in the marketplace. Of course, we’d like all of the major manufacturers to advertise. Advertising helps to support the production of the magazine, to the benefit of members. Thank you for the suggestions, Chris. I remember touring an Earthroamer at an FMCA convention years back, but their current models look completely different. They have new ownership since I would have toured them. So, this probably is worth looking into. We did have a Lazy Daze review years back, so it wouldn’t hurt to try again and see whether they are willing to provide a vehicle for a writer to check out. Not all companies are, believe it or not. Again, thanks for the suggestions. I’ve shared them with FMC editor Robbin Gould, who coordinates coach features for the magazine. Pamela Kay, Director of Communications, Publishing

Yes, it is possible to place the print copy of your magazine on hold. If you are interested in doing so, please contact the Member Services Department at the FMCA national office -- membership@fmca.com or 513-474-3622 or 800-543-3622. Another idea is to keep the print magazine coming to you and then pass it along to another motorhome owner in a campground or to leave copies at a local RV dealer, etc. to help spread the word about FMCA.

@Me2Bus. Glad to hear that the digital issue worked well on your smartphone. I, too, love the print version of Family Motor Coaching magazine, and all of my other magazines (I have a bit of an obsession with magazines in general). But I must admit that I'm growing more fond by the day of my iPad, and Family Motor Coaching magazine looks really great on it. And having options is especially nice for FMCA's mobile membership. Thanks for the feedback!

It is possible to download a PDF copy for reading offline.This option appears on the Tools menu. The icon looks like a hammer until you roll over it, at which time the word Tools appear. The download PDF button is at the bottom of the menu.