richard5933

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the state websites are down/problematic right now. With many offices closed, there are bound to be issues like this since there is not full staff to go re-boot systems or correct problems. Combine that with the number of state govt IT people who have likely been moved from their normal departments to help work on the unemployment systems to help keep them from crashing, and it's not surprising at all to see DMV pages not working. I've encountered this happening on not just govt sites, but on many business sites as well.

Seems to me that a key to FMCA continuity is bringing in younger members. Does any one know if any type of survey / study has been done in recent years to determine what those younger members might find attractive?

Interesting, the difference between those of us with vintage coaches and those with modern motor homes. I often see videos of someone rescuing a 50, 60, or 70-year-old coach. When they check the fuel in the diesel tank, often it's discolored and old, but unless there is a leak allowing water in there is not usually a lot of water in the tank, if any at all. Doesn't seem like moisture should be able to enter a closed system. There is only so much moisture in the air above the fuel, and no matter how many cycles of heating/cooling take place it's just the same moisture that's forming condensation over and over again. My tank has a drain at the bottom where it's possible to check for water. For those without a drain like this, it's possible to use testing paste to check for water in the bottom of a tank. Just smear a little on the end of a dipstick, insert into the tank, and pull it out. If there is water in the bottom the paste will change color. https://www.amazon.com/Kolor-Kut-Ounce-Water-Finding/dp/B00905UC5E/ref=sr_1_3?crid=174OMFHIL7JV9&dchild=1&keywords=water+finding+paste+for+fuel+oil&qid=1587658768&sprefix=water+finding+p%2Caps%2C244&sr=8-3 The other thing to check periodically is the fuel filters. Many filters are designed so you can drain a little fuel from the bottom of the canister to check for water, and others are translucent so it's possible to visually inspect. Whether it's via the dipstick/paste method, checking the tank drain, or checking at the fuel filters, determining if you have water in the tank should not be difficult. If there is none, then the worries are less. If you find water, then you can take appropriate action (like draining it out.) Bottom line, physically checking for and then removing any water found is the surest way to avoid problems.

Not yet - the timing has not worked out yet. Between a work schedule to accommodate and not bringing the coach out of winterization until late April, it just hasn't been possible yet. Especially up here in the north, doing something in the winter season without the coaches would give members a chance to interact. Since the RV shows are in the cold season up here, it would be a great thing to build an event or social activity around.

Speaking of events - I've always wondered why every event needs to be a rally. Personally, I'd love to have a local event here in SE Wisconsin just to get to meet other FMCA members. Could just be a social gathering, or maybe a meet-up at a local RV show (there are typically 2 a year in Milwaukee area). Or maybe FMCA could have an information table at one of these shows with a social gathering for members during the show. To me it would be really nice to be able to build connections in person with other members, even if our rigs are not involved. Sure would make the rallies more meaningful if you were going to see friends that you interact with in person throughout the year.

That was me - I wrote earlier "Another thing that is not mentioned, but important, is the ability of an organization like FMCA to lobby on behalf of members for legislation and regulations favorable to us." Lobbying for legislation beneficial to the motor home and RV world has long been a purpose of FMCA and other organizations like it. The fact that there is an exception to many vehicle and driver licensing laws for owners of RVs is due in part to this type of lobbying effort. Here is a quote from FMCA's website: FMCA's purpose The purpose of FMCA is to organize social activities, exchange RV information, and supply benefits made possible, in part, by collective purchasing. The interest of the Association also extends into the area of political and legislative action. FMCA supports recreation programs and the legal rights of RV owners.

Two totally separate issues here - driver licensing and trailer towing laws. You may be legally licensed to drive/tow your rig in your home state (which would usually carry into other states) and at the same time your rig may not be legal to drive in all states. Driver licensing usually carries from one state to others. Vehicle/trailer legality does not. For example, if your home state does not require a Class B license to drive your coach you're pretty much good to go in any state driving it with your current license. But, even if you are legally permitted to drive your rig/trailer without trailer brakes in your home state, that same rig might be required to have trailer brakes in another and be illegal to two there without them.

Some states have totally separate rules for towing a trailer vs towing a travel trailer as well, as there are exceptions for an RV that don't exist for other types of trailers. So, it may matter if that trailer is a large 5th wheel or a large closed trailer with a car inside.

It would be interesting to see a generational study of the issues, and not just how it relates to FMCA but rather how it relates to all organizations. My suspicion is that the younger generations are not 'joiners' in nearly the same numbers as people raised in the 50s, 60s, or 70s. If my suspicions are correct and the change is beyond FMCA, then the answer can't be to continue offering just what appeals to those from earlier generations. I once served on the board of a local non-profit - it was basically a social/recreation club that provided non-bar activities for young adults ranging from pot-lucks to card nights. Kind of like the RV lifestyle, only without the RVs. Numbers were great for decades, and then in the early 2000s we started to see a drastic reduction in new memberships. Things continued to get worse as the new generations just didn't see the need to join anything. They made their social connections totally differently, and they had no use for an organization. They could get more people to show up for an online-sourced, last-minute meet-up than we could by advertising an event for a month and doing lots of leg work to get people there. I realize that I'm not specifically offering solutions here, but what I'm trying to do is point out that we need to know what the actual problem is before it can be solved. I don't think the problem is that what FMCA does is not good - it might just be that what FMCA is doesn't fill a need the same way it did decades ago.

I think that this sums up what's a huge split in why people are members of FMCA. Some view FMCA as not much more than a discount club, while others see it as something totally different and more like a club of like-minded people. If FMCA were just a discount club, then certainly it could do with far less staff. But, that's not all it is, and providing the other functions takes more effort and more money. Another thing that is not mentioned, but important, is the ability of an organization like FMCA to lobby on behalf of members for legislation and regulations favorable to us.

Doing away with a print magazine comes with mixed results. I have many digital subscriptions, but I regularly only read those that are in print. I will read through a digital copy once. A print copy will sit on the table and get looked at often. Then it moves to the 'reading room' where it gets read another few dozen times. I think that the problems with digital magazine can be seen just by looking at the forum participation - we have tens of thousands of members and only see a tiny fraction of them here.

Where are you getting the info that "they don't cover class A motorhome"?

Again - it's not the vehicle owners that "voluntarily" send information to CarFax. It is places like insurance companies, vehicle dealerships, and body shops. If I was going to spend substantial money on a new motor home, it would be worth the $40 or so for a CarFax on the outside chance that it showed something even an inspector missed.

The advantage to CarFax is that they will have data which the owner may not feel like passing on to the buyer. For example, my car has been to the shop a few times for minor repairs, and once for serious repairs. All of this was in a CarFax report because the body shop and/or insurance company reported it. Does it contain information on all events? Of course not. But, it will likely have more than the seller will provide on their own.

Craig - welcome to the forum. From what I can see, not all the states required insurance companies to provide rebates. California looks like it did, but not all states. We got a refund today in Wisconsin from our auto carrier, and as far as I know they weren't required to give it.

I just had all 7 balanced - did the spare as well since it might need to be used up front. Cost was $30/ea for balance and $30/ea for install.

There have to be other resources in your area besides Camping World. First step for me would be to get a few other quotes, then price the equipment online so you can see what a DIY install would cost.

Wow - if you had problems out of the gate which were not corrected with the usual methods I'd strongly suspect some type of defect. Bent wheel? Defective wheel hub? Loose wheel bearing(s)? Bent axle? Just a few things which could be defective from the factory and which may be overlooked if the shop of focused on tire problems. The front tires seem to be more problematic than the rear, so that's where I'd focus the search. Lots of things there that could be missed. Just a wild thought, but maybe it's time to find a body shop with a laser inspection machine to confirm that the front frame clip is correctly installed and that there are no problems there stemming from a factory problem. Or perhaps it was damaged during assembly and not properly repaired.

Back to the OP's question about TCS vs TSD... I've got both. Hands down, the TSD card is the winner. A few reasons: Both TSD and TCS cards are for use on diesel pumps. TSD has better discounts. TSD is fully automated once set up. They do a nightly reconciliation and do one pull from your account to cover the transactions for that day. TSD is much easier to get set up. TCS does offer discounts in a few brands that TSD doesn't TCS is a pre-paid cash card. You have to have money on deposit to use the card. TCS has a difficult system for loading the card, with the free options taking at least a day or two. I did get the TCS card, despite its shortcomings, so that I have an additional payment method if needed. I put a few hundred dollars on the card, and it just sits there for now ready if I need it. We use the TSD card as often as possible. If you get the TSD, the card is issued by EFS, which is a large fuel payment company used by many trucking companies. You can then load that card as your payment card for places like Loves. If you have the Loves app and load the EFS card, you can then start the pumps through the app and never need to go in to the fuel desk. The receipt will be in the app, and you'll get an email with the nightly reconciliation showing your discount and the fee taken. The fee for the TSD card is 10% of the discount given. Quite a deal since the discount is huge. The TCS card is okay, but I feel that it's not the best out there. I was hoping that FMCA would have gotten in on a better program, but apparently not.

You've already put two set of tires on the front, and now are getting ready for a third set. Really sounds like changing tire brands isn't the solution you are looking for, as any of these brands should be up to the task. We had a 1974 Pontiac station wagon when I was in high school. It went through front tires like they were made of tissue paper from day one. We had multiple alignments done at the dealer and at a few local shops, but the problem persisted. I took the car on a cross-country trip a few years into this and had a tire problem. It was a very observant tire tech that noticed one of the steering linkages didn't look right. Turns out we had been driving with a bent linkage since the car was new, and while it didn't stop the alignment shops from doing an alignment, it prevented the alignment from being able to fix the problem. Not exactly sure what the part was, but once the shop changed it we never had an issue with tire wear again. My point? Have that front end checked with a fresh set of eyes. Have them inspect the entire front end with bright lights and a strong set of hands, everything from shocks to spring mounts to the front frame. Lots of things that can aggravate tire wear that a casual inspection could miss. As mentioned earlier, ball joints or king pins could be the problem, as could front wheel bearings. Could be a combination of things.

Congratulations! Love to see some photos once you have a minute to clean her up for the camera.

What Brett said. If one side is leaking down, you likely have a leak in the lines, an air bag, or maybe inside the leveling valve itself. Especially when you're messing with the air suspension, you need to make sure that the body of the coach cannot fall on you as you check things out. One line lets loose or you move the wrong "thingy" and you'll find that there might not be enough room for you underneath.

I can only imagine. Next time you're up this way you ought to try them fried. Tasty.

If you come, make sure to find a good fish fry as well. And a local cheese store. There's actually lots to see and do in Wisconsin. Sometimes we just pick a small town nearby and gov visit - nothing like being tourists and still being able to go home at night. We've even spent a day discovering new things in our own area just by wandering around as if we were tourists. Likely we'll be keeping the coach closer to home this year, once we can travel again. Hopefully we can discover lots of new things like this.

One thing great about being in America's Dairyland is that we have great ice cream and frozen custard. In addition to the brands already mentioned, we have local favorites like Purple Door ice cream.