Haidenger

Are there any benefits for Canadian Members? This is the question I am asking myself when pondering if I should renew my FMCA membership this year. Frankly, I am not aware of any benefits for Canadian motorcoach owners other than those potentially enjoyed while in the US. And now, with FMCA broadening its scope to accept non-motorized RVs I can see their efforts being directed primarily toward this new revenue source, making it unlikely that Canadian motorcoach owners will see benefit improvements in the foreseeable future. This is not a post meant to complain as I am sincere in trying to find a valid reason to continue our membership. If I wish to participate in the tire discounts I must travel to the US as that program is not available in Canada. The large international rallies all appear to be primarily in the central or eastern US and in the spring or summer when Canadian snowbirds have to return home to comply with the US limit visitation of 182 days per year. Insurance discounts? Again, available in the US only. Please, if I am missing any benefits for Canadian members, let me know.

Newbie, I've travelled Hwy-1 a number of times by motorcycle and car and you are 100% correct that some portions of that road are not appropriate for a big coach. Please post about your experience attending the Rose Bowl Parade. We are planning to attend it in 2016 and I've started looking at the issues and options, including enrolling in a package tour to eliminate the complexity and organizational responsibilities.

If you do the Rose Bowl Parade with a tour group or solo, I would be very happy to hear about your experience afterward. My DW and I are planning to do the Rose Bowl Parade in 2016 and we have many of the same questions and concerns. We were in the Pasadena area about a month ago and I have a renewed dislike for driving our rig through the LA area traffic and the general congestion of the area. Though it would certainly cost more, we're seriously considering a tour group, such as Fantasy RV Tours, offered through FMCA. We are registered to attend the Pomona Reunion at the end of March and we'll be looking more closely at that option. I have not done an organized tour group before as it seems like a lot of extra money for things I can do myself but for this one the convenience may be worthwhile and allow me to sit back and enjoy the festivities more.

My DW and I drove the "Historic" Route 66 this past fall. Unlike what most folks consider to be Route 66, the actual "Historic" route is mostly backroads with several areas that were challenging for our 43 ft Mountain Aire that weighed in at about 18 tons, has a 12' 6" height clearance and a width of 101.5", not including the mirrors. Height was not typically an issue though we did run (not literally) into a few places where it could have been had we not been careful. One was a 12' 1" clearance we came across while taking a shortcut to an RV park and another was two 12' 3" railroad tracks on either side of a small town that our GSP (Garmin RV760) warned us about. Over-height is not the only thing you need to be aware of though as both weight, width and even length can be issues as well. Height: My GPS includes information on height, weight and length. I have a set of low clearance POIs loaded onto my GPS to add an additional layer of information (www.lowclearances.com). There are also websites, like AllStays, that include clearance information (www.allstays.com). Weight: On a couple of situations we also came across small, sometimes difficult to spot signs on bridges such as (10 Ton Limit). As we were towing a TOAD four down backing up was not an option without unhitching and the nearest driveway or cross road on this narrow two-lane was almost a mile back. We ran into two bridges that day with weight restrictions less than our rig's weight. Width: Some of the old Route 66 roads were narrow with a drop off the right side road surface and no shoulder. On one stretch we had the right tire on the white line and the left tire was riding on or over the yellow line when we encountered a large farm truck of a similar width coming the opposite way. Fortunately the ditch was such that he was able to drive off the road a bit and park while we passed by. Length: With our Toad we have a total length of 62' and some roads, like the old section of Route 66 going to Oatman, AZ, that has a limit of 40' total length. Be aware of all these potential issues and plan your route out ahead each day and you will be fine.

I see a product like this as a possible solution for those of us crossing borders often. If you are a US citizen crossing into Canada or a Canadian in the US, the roaming charges on a cell phone contract become very costly quickly. My cell phone plan allows me to call anywhere in Canada and access more data than I need all for under $70/month. If I cross the border into the US, my cell phone cost skyrockets to $1.45 per minute. I was planning to simply pick up a pay-as-you-go package for my phone calls and a package like this would fill in the data needs for Internet access without costing me for the months I'm back home in the frozen white north.

Thanks for the post QuiGonJohn. As a Canadian who will be travelling in the US for 5 to 6 months of the year I need reliable wireless internet access but I don't want to pay hefty monthly fees for the other months of the year when I am in Canada. This sounds like it may be a viable solution since the unused usage does not expire and no time-binding contract is required.

Hi B&G, My Wife and I are first timers also. Though we owned a Class C 25-30 years ago, the FMCA Rally in Redmond will be our shakedown trip for our recently acquired 43 ft Class A. It will be our first time at an FMCA Rally and first time boondocking as well. If you read through the "Convention" info on the FMCA website you'll find there is a good deal of information available. There were hookups available for rigs up to 35 ft max, if my memory is correct, but they are all reserved now. There are also areas separated by the use of generators; no gens, limited hours and 24 hr use. Honey wagon and fresh water service is also available at $20 or $25 per service. When you get your welcome package, it contains a good deal of additional information and their is an orientation meeting for all of us first timers. I have also sent a couple of emails to the FMCA with additional questions and they have been great in getting back promprtly with the information requested. It certainly seems that they have it all very well organized.

I have started using RV Service Reviews to checkout service providers before doing business with them. You might want to post a comment about your experience there and possibly save others from also getting ripped off. I did check the website on Black Bear RV Repair and there currently is no listing for them. I've used RV Service Reviews three times now. Twice is has provided verification of good service and I used those vendors and was very satisfied. On a third occasion, the service facility I enquired about had three average to poor reviews so, using the list of those with excellent reviews, I chose a different service shop and I was extremely happy with their work. I also pay it back by posting a review of each service provider I deal with. BTW... I am not affiliated with RV Service Reviews in any way - just a happy user.

I contacted a tire dealer in OR a couple of weeks ago about getting four new shoes after the Redmond Rally. He had a few XZEs (295/80R22.5) coming in that week so he put four aside for me with an install appointment for Aug18. Sometimes it pays to plan ahead.