hyco2000

Board Voted Today !!! Anybody know how the vote went ?????

Generally, when I see the words "remodel" and "New Direction" boldly displayed on a website's home page, I assume that it means there is a "Website Redesign" in the making. I NEVER Figured that those BOLDLY placed words referred to a COMPLETE Redesign of the Organization !!!!!!!!!! Placing this on the main web page for FMCA really should NOT HAVE BEEN DONE!!! The change to allow Towables is NOT a DONE DEAL !! AND, the change should have never been "Advertised" to the Public in Such a Conspicuous Manner !!! I have to agree with other posters who have commented that the change seems to be a "Fait Accompli" based on the way the information is presented, and so prominently, on the Main Web Page !!!!!!!!!!!!! There have been some very valuable and insightful comments made on these two Forum Threads and I just hope that EVERY Director has read EVERY Comment and given each comment Careful Consideration BEFORE casting their Ballot.

I agree, Allowing Towables is the WRONG FIX for the PROBLEM !!!!!!

Wham -- Spam, Of Course !!!

Every business needs to have a "Unique Sales Proposition" (USP), something that makes them unique in their field, something that makes them stand out from the crowd... Does anyone on this forum think that if there were a half dozen manufacturers of shiny, tube like, travel trailers, Airstream could charge $150,000 for their trailers ? People that buy Airstreams pay extra for the uniqueness of Airstream, they like the style and the "Retro" feel of Airstream. FMCA has a "Unique Sales Proposition", they are the "Premiere" (and ONLY) Motor Coach Association in the US (except for brand specific coaches). FMCA needs to Capitalize on their USP and market that which is special to the organization, not dilute their Uniqueness by becoming "Just Another RV Club"!!!!! I realize that FMCA is facing some financial pressures, mostly due to the loss of their magazine advertising revenue. BUT, it is a FANTASY to believe that by allowing towables, thousands of New Members will Magically appear to fill your coffers. Granted, it is tempting to look at 80% of the RV market and feel like you are missing out on potential revenue from that market, BUT, Most of the 80% ARE NOT GOING TO JOIN ANY CLUB !!!!! (beyond Good Sam because of the discounts at Camping World). A much smarter approach (which has been previously suggested) is to focus on getting more of the Class "B" and "C" owners to join FMCA. If you want to attract a younger demographic, focus on benefits that the younger demographic want (like the defunct Verizon Hotspot plan). The FMCA Assist program is a Great Program, but, it attracts the Older Demographic. Financially, the organization needs to change to reflect the new reality of lower revenues, NOT Fundamentally change the composition of the organization by loosing their "Unique Selling Proposition". Note: I intentionally posted this comment on both threads to maximize impact.

Every business needs to have a "Unique Sales Proposition" (USP), something that makes them unique in their field, something that makes them stand out from the crowd... Does anyone on this forum think that if there were a half dozen manufacturers of shiny, tube like, travel trailers, Airstream could charge $150,000 for their trailers ? People that buy Airstreams pay extra for the uniqueness of Airstream, they like the style and the "Retro" feel of Airstream. FMCA has a "Unique Sales Proposition", they are the "Premiere" (and ONLY) Motor Coach Association in the US (except for brand specific coaches). FMCA needs to Capitalize on their USP and market that which is special to the organization, not dilute their Uniqueness by becoming "Just Another RV Club"!!!!! I realize that FMCA is facing some financial pressures, mostly due to the loss of their magazine advertising revenue. BUT, it is a FANTASY to believe that by allowing towables, thousands of New Members will Magically appear to fill your coffers. Granted, it is tempting to look at 80% of the RV market and feel like you are missing out on potential revenue from that market, BUT, Most of the 80% ARE NOT GOING TO JOIN ANY CLUB !!!!! (beyond Good Sam because of the discounts at Camping World). A much smarter approach (which has been previously suggested) is to focus on getting more of the Class "B" and "C" owners to join FMCA. If you want to attract a younger demographic, focus on benefits that the younger demographic want (like the defunct Verizon Hotspot plan). The FMCA Assist program is a Great Program, but, it attracts the Older Demographic. Financially, the organization needs to change to reflect the new reality of lower revenues, NOT Fundamentally change the composition of the organization by loosing their "Unique Selling Proposition". Note: I intentionally posted this comment on both threads to maximize impact.

I would like to issue a Challenge to ALL the Directors who will be voting on the proposal to allow Towables... I challenge each Director to read all the postings on this subject, giving each comment careful consideration, and posting a note that they have actually read these comments and sign their name and title within this thread certifying as such. I don't want their opinion, I just want to know they are listening !

It sounds like you might have insect activity in the burner area. Take the shield(s) off and inspect the burner area and clean as necessary using a soft bristle brush and a can of compressed air to blow out the dirt. It is also possible that your gas valve is not working for some reason. If this is the case I would (first) look for loose connections and/or corroded connections. I recently removed my refrigerator and could not believe how many Mud Daubers had camped out in the fridge area (I definitely installed insect screens when I reinstalled the refrigerator).

It has already happened, there are two transit bus companies with buses running on the streets of the USA right now. As far as Elon Musk taking Tax dollars, Tesla has not used any tax dollars for his company. Tesla did get a loan that was guaranteed by the US government, but, that loan was paid back in FULL, WAY Before the loan was due. So, in reality, the Tax Payers have made money (interest paid) from Tesla, not the other way around.

There are two all Electric transit buses currently being used on the streets. One is Protera, and the other is BYD. Both buses are being manufactured today and both have variable range based on the battery pack purchased ( I think the base range is around 135 miles). With constant improvements in Battery technology it is quite conceivable that an all electric Motorhome is not too far off into the future. Certainly with today's technology a 200 mile Motorhome is feasible and with improvements made to reduce charging times a 300 mile (plus) day is possible with only a 30 minute stop (maybe less) to charge up the battery pack and eat lunch.

As a Fan of electric vehicles (who has studied the evolution of electric vehicles) I have not seen any reports showing that Tesla's are unreliable or that a Tesla is less reliable than any other car on the road. The only report that even suggests a reliability issue with Tesla's is Consumer Reports' report where they reduced Tesla's reliability and repair rating because of some issues with the door handles which were all fixed under warranty. When I look at reliability, I only consider things that leave you stranded on the side of the road. A persnickety door handle does not make a vehicle unreliable. With only 20 moving parts an electric vehicle is inherently more reliable than an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle which has over 2,000 moving parts.

Have you seen the results from recent coverage tests performed by independent research firms showing coverage and speed results? T-Mobile's performance and coverage has become so good lately that there is no significant differences between the two carriers. Verizon's coverage advantage has disappeared and AT&T is coming in at third place. When you look at future coverage, T-Mobile was the largest winner in the most recent (lower) Bandwidth auction which will allow T-Mobile to send their signals farther and penetrate buildings better than any current carrier giving them a clear advantage in the future. In case you are wondering how long until this becomes available, T-Mobile announced that they will be testing this lower bandwidth before the end of 2017. T-Mobile has also stated that this lower Bandwidth would become the foundation of their 5G network strategy.

Well, That Sucks !!!!!!!!!!!! Verizion has pulled out of the Mobile Internet Hotspot Agreement !!! The Absolute BEST benefit FMCA has created recently has been Killed !!! Why is this ?? Because the program was a SUCCESS !!!!!!!!! The program had a very reasonable price for Unlimited Data and and Included a Hotspot Device. Perhaps T-Mobile could be enticed to "Uncarrier" Verizion and match the program that Verizion Pulled out of. Wouldn't that be GREAT !!!!!

Thank you all for the welcome. Before I posted this question, I did a Forum search and the above mentioned thread did not show up ( I even searched the word "towable" ). I have read some of the previous thread and would like to hear your fresh comments now that y'all have had time to ruminate on the subject. Thanks, looking forward to getting to know y'all through the forum and at rallys.

Thank you for the welcome Carl and others!

A very well thought out and well reasoned posting.

Well Bill, I am sure some of those Towables could have out backed you in your Motor Home and done it with only one hand on the wheel !!! How do you park these things? You Park Them Right Next to The Coach Right Beside It !!! You DON'T Create Separate Areas for Towables !!! By-the-way, Ever tried to back up a flat tow? With a Towable all you have to do is put the Tow Vehicle in Reverse !!!!

Creating a "Separate, But Equal" club for Towables is doomed to fail. the only way to accommodate Towables into FMCA is COMPLETE Integration !!! You can't have Towables parked in a Separate Area at a Rally and expect them to feel Included. You can't make statements like "Not mentioned is the is the logistics of how do you park these things at FMCA rallys, Many drivers are fine heading forward through pull thru spaces many can not back one up on a bet. What would have happened at Chandler if they were part of that scene? " By Bill Edwards. Well Bill, I am sure some of those Towables could have out backed you in your Motor Home and done it with only one hand on the wheel !!! How do you park these things? You Park Them Right Next to The Coach Right Beside It !!! You DON'T Create Separate Areas for Towables !!! Total Inclusion is the ONLY way to successfully have Towables in FMCA (if that is the way the vote turns out).

True a 22.5 tire won't benefit a Class "B" or "C", HOWEVER, Michelin makes smaller tires for these vehicles and I am Sure they have some type of Fleet Discount Program these members could participate in, or maybe they could design some type of rebate program, or maybe they could create some type of discount code that gives FMCA Members 10% off of the retailer's Best Pricing. Point Being, There is a way to extend the tire program to the smaller tires used on Class "B"s and "C"s !!!!!

What does the "L#" stand for?

While reading this post, I was reminded of my visit to the FMCA booth at the Tampa RV Super Show a few years ago... I specifically remember the person in the booth mentioning "Motor Homes" (meaning Class "A"s) and there was no mention of Class "B" or "C" Owners being able to join. This is unfortunate, as a more inclusive description of "Motor Home" would have yielded a New Member on-the-spot. Instead, I needed to call the office to determine if we were eligible to join FCMA and even then there was some question as to whether our coach qualified. Additionally, when trying to signup as a new member on the website, it only asks "Do you own a Motor Home?", it does not ask if you own a Class "B" or "C"? Having this more inclusive question on the website would have eliminated the need to call the office. Side note: Often times people DO NOT take the extra step to "Call the Office", they just BLOW IT OFF and move on to the "next thing" that interests them. PS: I probably investigated FCMA 4 or 5 times before making that phone call !!!!

I noticed that there has not been much discussion on the Forum about the forthcoming vote to allow towables to join FMCA as Members. Where does everybody stand on the issue? Why do you feel the issue should be decided one way or another?