rmatteucci

In addition to check to checking out this forum regularly I visit http://www.irv2.com/forums/ It has a lot of activity and you can almost get any question answered pretty quickly. irv2 has many forums for make, model, chassis, full timers, trips planning, etc. You name it they have a forum. By adding the Escapees you seem to have all the memberships covered. Escapees is the go to location for full timers. They have an excellent magazine that has many articles devoted to full timing.

Although not a trucker I listen to the Road Dog Trucker Channel on Sirius regularly and they have been talking about ELD's for quite a while doing a quick check online at the FMCSA website it only applies to vehicles that have a USDOT number and further narrows it down to trucks manufactured after 2000. Every once in a while you will see an motor home with the USDOT numbers taped on a side window or a pickup towing a trailer with a USDOT number on it these are deliveries and by law they are exempt from having ELD's however they are still bound by the hours of service law. It does not affect recreational drivers.

We stayed at Fishing Bridge several years back and like Herman said the sites are close together but manageable and it's in the park. The year after we were there they were installing a cell tower at the campground so cell service should be good. I have already booked three nights for late July this summer at Fishing Bridge on a return trip and I booked two nights in Colter Bay Campground in the Grand Teton NP. The last time we stayed only at Fishing Bridge and did a day trip to the Grand Teton's it was about an hour drive. When I booked the sites about two months ago the campsites in Colter Bay were mostly taken. The park is so big it really saves time being in the park. I would book ASAP.

Jeff, I also find your proposals valid and timely. However, I am one of those that think bigger is not better. I belong to many other organizations and the members only really vote on changes to the operating bylaws. The organizations are ran by a board of directors where each year a portion are elected by the membership for a multiple year term and they hire a STRONG executive director. These organizations also have elected vice presidents who move up to be president after several years. I think that with a Strong Executive Director and a smaller board (no more than 50 or 60 members) it would improve efficiency and keep the organization up with the times. If everyone on the board is operating within the confines of the bylaws and there is a strong executive director that keeps them in check so if a membership vote is needed it is called for what is the need for an elaborate representation setup. The board could set up committees to research different topics or even have standing committees to report to the board on specific areas of interest to the board and this would be where interested members could volunteer to assist. Maybe behind the scenes there is a lot going on that I don't know about but some times we have do a reality check and look at what we are as an organization and what we want to be.

I originally had no issues with allowing other RV's to join and then after reading many passionate posts about why people joined I did some looking back to why I joined and it was simply because it was an organization for Motorized RV's. When it came time to vote I voted No to keep it the same. However, looking back to when I renewed it I found was because the perceived value of membership exceeded my dues. The real bottom line for me is whether I get my dues worth from maintaining my membership. At this point I still feel that I get my moneys worth and have no plans of not renewing my membership. My hope is that inclusion is ran right where it helps maintain low dues and the list of included benefits (not just discounts) is maintained or grows which will intern grow the membership. I have some concerns about the organization handling this properly based on the past nonetheless I will give them the time to get it done and will contribute whatever I can to make it happen. The big disappointment here is not the way the vote went but the low number of people that voted after three magazines and emails reminding them to vote - it says something about the membership in general.

I flat tow and have on a Rockhard 4x4 bumper and mounts for my Roadmaster tow bar. The mounts are steel and you would have to hit them pretty hard to bend them. No issues after about 40,000 miles of being towed. I had the regular Roadmaster mounts before I got the Rockhard bumper and while no issues it was a pain to hook and unhook. This one takes all of five minutes to hook and unhook. The safety cables hook to D-Rings (not shown)

No matter what side of the issue you are for, everyone should be concerned about everyone getting three ballots and that photo copied ballots are acceptable. The several national organizations I belong to either send a ballot pre-printed with your name on it (attached to the monthly magazine) and you return it to third party that certifies the ballot and tallies the vote or you are given a specific logon and password to vote online. Doing the vote in an impartial and open manner will go far to restore integrity to the organization. If the they don't and the vote is close then it will be another black eye for the organization and loss of more members.

Chris, I like your train of thought providing an Idea for FMCA Revenue Enhancement. I am not certain that trying to market FMCAssist outside of the membership is the way to go as unlike GS which basically self insures all of their products FMCA has to purchase the plan from an outside vendor which means anyone can always cut out the middle man (FMCA)) and get it cheaper. But I am sure there are other ways to provide the FMCA with a viable Revenue Enhancement. We (FMCA) have one thing going for us is that the membership comes from diverse backgrounds ranging from captains of industry to public servants. If we all took a few minutes to post a suggestion sort like a online "suggestion box" we could provide ideas for solutions to many of the FMCA issues. I am not advocating the tail wag the dog as we have elected officers and representatives however sometimes using the "chain of command" via the directors, chapters, etc. by the time the suggestion runs the course it is not nearly the same as it was first suggested or it is simply too late. A public post where the executive director, elected officers and directors can see the suggestion may be helpful to the organization. Perhaps if viable ideas are posted then one day the President, Executive Director or main office might create a monthly post with a problem for members to provide ideas for solving it.

I got mine a week ago and I really like it. I opted for the the 2 year contract so it was free and $20 per month. I got mine in 2 days and went on Amazon and got a USB to OBD2 adapter for the Mobley and used it at home to test. This week Wife has it on a trip with her sisters and says it works fine on the road. We will be using it in July on summer trip. Here is the webpage https://www.att.com/devices/zte/mobley.html#sku=sku7700323

Just ordered mine at the AT&T website https://www.att.com/devices/zte/mobley.html#sku=sku7700323 free express shipping should have it in a few days. Then went on Amazon and got a USB power adapter which should arrive the same time.

Bill, Thanks for the invite - a bit far to travel for now but in a year or two when the wife retires and we have more flexibility it will be something to consider. Bob

I have just got done spending the better part of two hours reading the last two weeks of post on this thread. I have to admit in a previous post I supported adding the towables in the FMCA but after reading the well thought out comments in which the writers passion about the FMCA was clear as well as their clear support for it being a motor home only organization was evident. I got thinking back to when I joined the FMCA which is only about six years ago. A friend of mine told me about the FMCA and joining the FMCA was the first thing I did after I made my motorhome purchase and it was because it was for motor homes and it had a nice magazine. I wasn't sure about the other benefits but I justified the joining as somewhat a magazine subscription. Regarding towables I have to admit my opinion was swayed by a conversation with Charlie but now I see my error and will be supporting that the FMCA stays motor home only. I am happy that I am a member and don't plan on going anywhere soon. I've been to one regional rally when I first joined and it wasn't what I expected and will say it wasn't bad but wasn't something I needed to do again soon. I don't understand the importance of Rallies and what is so special with them. Maybe it is just me I can't justify spending the time and money to travel a long distance to attend a meeting of members to just socialize.. I am still enjoying the "see America tour" and perhaps when that is done I will feel differently. I belong to one chapter (Amateur Radio) as I put an HF rig in my dingy. So far I have been unsuccessful in checking into the FMCARC net. For me the emphasis on rallies as a priority of the organization is like holding on to the past. With that said It is clear from the posts there are many issues facing the FMCA that need to be addressed and don't know if putting them in a list will do anything as quite frankly some are just opinions and some are perhaps not across the board issues. However If I were classify them they all fall into the management and recruitment categories. The organization has to look at the business plan that it operates under and see if it's serving the organization as it should be.

I don't understand why the last thread on this topic was closed to further posts. Can someone explain the criteria for closing a thread as I have come across many posts on the board that are years old and still open. Regarding the plan - I found out about the plan on this very forum and responded to it from the information on this "official" FMCA forum. The same forum the executive director in the previous thread encouraged all to call in to the office to get on the plan. If the FMCA wanted to they could have stopped it then as I assume they monitor this board all the time. I appreciate that the FMCA is working on more benefits that will attract and/or keep members. I just can't help thinking that when the deal was negotiated FMCA told Verizon the current number of FMCA members and a percentage of members they felt would take advantage of the plan so someone should have had an idea what to expect. What else is confusing why did the price go down from $49.99 to $43.99 - did the trial group not like the deal?

I did the same filled the form out two days ago and never got a return call and then called them around 2 PM today and was told the plan is on hold and that they were putting in people for July. I wasn't asked to be put on a list however I was told to call back in a week or so to see if the program is up and running. I agree with the disappointment in the FMCA that many others have expressed. This is one of the many of the poor choices that the association has made over the past several years from the handling of the "makeover" aka towable inclusion, investing in RVillage rather than coming up with something that draws people to the FMCA website not away from it. and failure to have the vision to change the organization with the times so that younger people would join. The organization will go no where if it's always in crisis management mode.

Sounds like a great trip and great adventure something only yesterday the wife and I were talking about for a trip next Easter (Blue Ridge Pkwy Portion) - the only issues I see are the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway are 45MPH and the 105 miles of the Skyline Drive are 35MPH. That means a 400 mile day is going to take about 10 hours not counting any stops and if you continue up the Skyline Drive the 105 miles of it will take close to 4 hours. Most people plan for a leisurely trip about 5 hours driving which comes out to be about 8 hours behind the wheel (taking into consideration lunch, sightseeing stops, etc) for the Blue Ridge Parkway then plan for a 225 (5 x 45) mile day (slightly longer or shorter depending on campground stopovers. As far as tunnels you should be OK but several you are going to have to take the center lane. The Blue Ridge Parkway has a milepost type guide so you can see what you like or would pass by and it has listing of some of the campgrounds. On the Interstates 5 hours gets about 325 miles. I've made the run down I-81 from Winchester VA continuing to Baton Rouge, LA when the son was in LSU several times in the RV and and the only issue I found was finding a campground near where daily goal of miles would place me.. Back then I was destination oriented and put some long days behind the wheel on the Interstates. It all depends on how long you are comfortable driving, what's on the route to see, and where is the next campground. I do a 30 days summer cross country trip every summer, I first pick the route and then look for campgrounds and more than anything the locations of the campgrounds will dictate the number of miles per day. Some days I have around six hour drive and others a 4 hour drive. One thing we learned there is plenty that we will have to pass by and leave for another day. We have no regrets and note them down for the next trip.