rsbilledwards Report post Posted June 19, 2017 I will say this Very interesting...We live in Colorado and have heard nothing from our local chapter in the 7 years we have been in FMCA! We belong to Safari International and have been to two of their rallies, very good, tons of laughter. We have been to two FMCA rallies. The tech sessions informative and the vendors good. Do we make an annual trek to these events, no. I agree with Kenon, Joe, Barkley, the minority demographic is missing, much is missing. All you have to do is look to see what is missing. The general population is not out going unless they know the group. I am a joiner and meet people easily. I too am not in favor of the towable inclusion. It will not be good for the long haul. Here is my take on the minority thing. We had an African American fellow move into the neighborhood 2 years ago. I was the first guy to introduce myself to him and invite him to join the homeowners association. He is retired a professional, attorney I believe.He has not come to any of the picnics or Christmas dinners, He has not embraced the neighborhood. Point I am trying to make is that it is a two way street, problems on both sides for what ever the reasons. For what it is worth I am Caucasian and my wife 1/2 Chinese, I get it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
isaaac1 Report post Posted June 19, 2017 Same here, after joining FMCA last year, I attempted to contact a couple of the nearby groups via email, and also received no response. Personally I suspect it is much more about out dated contact information, people not checking emails, or having emails blocked by spam filters than it is about age, race, or fuel source. Which is not to say those three things don't cause problem, just that they may not be the issue at hand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted June 19, 2017 Keon, Come on down and break bread with us. Door is always open when we are in town. If I had a place here at the homestead to park you would be welcome to that also. Many campgrounds in the area and some tourist attractions. Come On Down! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tomas24 Report post Posted June 19, 2017 We were pretty lucky I guess. Our chapter Penn Coachmen FMCA reached out to us right away. We got a phone call to see if we got all of the FMCA materials, if we had any questions, and if we would be attending the Centre Hall Grange Rally ( which we did attend and had a great time). I thought all FMCA chapters did this sort of outreach. I'm sorry to read they do not. The phone call really meant a lot to us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted June 19, 2017 Tomas24, Penn is one of them that is local to me. Curious...what age bracket are you in? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aztec7fan Report post Posted June 19, 2017 I drive an old 1989 southwind gas coach with peeling and faded graphics on the outside. I plan on going to the Rocky Mountain Chapter rally in August up at Central city, CO. I have a 16 year old son, and I'm only 51. I'm curious to see what activities they will have and how I will be treated. RSBILLEDWARDS, feel free to stop by as well. It should be interesting. I'm going because it's their 50th anniversary, and my dad was president of the chapter in '72 & '73. Chris G. F3508s Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted June 19, 2017 On 6/18/2017 at 2:21 PM, manholt said: Bill, when it comes right down to it...do you see any Latinos, Orientals or Blacks on the FMCA EB or Committees? How about your Chapter? South Central Area? That's where the crux of the problem is! As Barkley said, "a touchy subject"! I'm Chinese and I'm on the technical advisory committee. I was one of the founders of the Colorado River Ramblers in 1981. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted June 20, 2017 DD. Glad to hear it. Most I have met or seen have been WASP ! Keon is right, we all have a pre conceived notion about folks, especially these days. Maybe I had blinders on, but I never had a racial issue in the 70's and 80's in FMCA or GS. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hayesfamily Report post Posted June 21, 2017 On 6/19/2017 at 3:25 PM, wayne77590 said: Keon, Come on down and break bread with us. Door is always open when we are in town. If I had a place here at the homestead to park you would be welcome to that also. Many campgrounds in the area and some tourist attractions. Come On Down! Be careful what you ask for because we like to eat! LOL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted June 21, 2017 Keon, How old are your kids? Have feed three boys through their teens. When we finally got them out and on their own, we could then afford a motor home. 😁 Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted June 21, 2017 Keon. Heard you make some really good fried fish! Me too. Linda and I, will run out of Fuel, before we run out of food. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tomas24 Report post Posted June 21, 2017 On 6/19/2017 at 5:34 PM, jleamont said: Tomas24, Penn is one of them that is local to me. Curious...what age bracket are you in? I'm 60. Not retired yet but hopefully in two more years {fingers crossed}. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fagnaml Report post Posted June 21, 2017 In reply to Tomas24's comment about Chapters reaching out to new members, I have not been contacted by any Chapter since joining FMCA 20 months ago. Herman and Carl were gracious to contact me by personal message to welcome me and give a quick info to the Lone Star Chapter and a Diesel club. I reached out to the FMCA Energized group thinking their might be some interaction but even that group for us younger motorhome owners has offered very little communication. The forum conversations have been fantastic and greatly appreciated! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fagnaml Report post Posted June 21, 2017 Two weeks ago I joined the iRV2 forum just to see what an "all inclusive" RV forum looks like. While forum functionality is not a good as FMCA's, the iRV2 structure is quite good as it groups discussions about motorhomes with a subset of manufactures (e.g. a Damon owner's group), travel trailers, fifth wheels, and other topics similar to FMCA. The motorhome section of iRV2 has good advice from several forum members. I looked at the travel trailer forum and joined some conversations given my experiences from my travel trailer ownership days (which many of us have "been there done that"). I didn't look at the fifth wheel section simply because I don't have experience with those RVs. Having looked at iRV2 I now think an expanded FMCA including towables would not the demise of what FMCA currently offers. If FMCA morphs into an iRV2 look alike, FMCA will have to justify FMCA membership fees by clearly communicating how those fees result in cost savings or other benefits an iRV2 member can not achieve. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted June 21, 2017 I don't know what the big deal is about letting trailers in. At Perry 2011 I was crew leader for family electric and I also parked a group of trailers. There have been trailers since then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rayin Report post Posted June 22, 2017 On 5/9/2017 at 11:15 PM, BillAdams said: I have no idea what the original thread did or did not say but I would vote NO, no towables in FMCA. Doing so just makes FMCA "another" Good Sam business. I completely agree! I joined this year for the unique experience of motor coaches only. I'm already a life member of Good Sam, if FMCA allows all types of RV's in, there is no logic to paying dues to FMCA. This may be my first, and last year in FMCA if they open up to all types. We had a reservation for Indy, but had to cancel; DW's surgeon says she is still unable to travel that far, and we live in Bloomington??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted June 22, 2017 On 6/21/2017 at 3:42 PM, HayesFamily said: Be careful what you ask for because we like to eat! LOL. I didn't say I was going to feed you, just that the door is always open. However, I do know the places to eat and especially the "All you can eat Catfish" ==================== Consider that there are many similarities between towables and motorhomes. Water heaters, refrigerators. generators, converters/inverters and many more. Threads could be separated by specific category of RV and if a member does not wish to partake of that category it is their choice. I'd like to see the present benefits stay and also possibly expand to other good benefits. Adding the towables would give a boost to the financial pocketbook of FMCA. Not going to cost the present members and their affiliations a nickle more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dons2346 Report post Posted June 22, 2017 You fellas aren't reading the proposed articles and the proposed constitution. They have removed the words "motorhome" and or "motorcoach" and have replaced it with "recreation vehicle". Now with zero definition of what would be constituted as a "recreation vehicle" I can join FMCA with my boat, my motorcycle, my airplane. There is nothing that defines what a recreation vehicle is! The verbage cannot be changed before the GB votes to accept the changes to the documents, we have to vote them they way they are presented. So, in a campground get ready for a boat with a goose egg on it parked next to you Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
isaaac1 Report post Posted June 22, 2017 On 6/22/2017 at 3:38 AM, wayne77590 said: ... Consider that there are many similarities between towables and motorhomes. Water heaters, refrigerators. generators, converters/inverters and many more. Threads could be separated by specific category of RV and if a member does not wish to partake of that category it is their choice. I'd like to see the present benefits stay and also possibly expand to other good benefits. Adding the towables would give a boost to the financial pocketbook of FMCA. Not going to cost the present members and their affiliations a nickle more. Except it dilutes their control over the organization, and once you start down that path there is no stopping it, and if towable owners flock to the FMCA then by sheer numbers given that something like 5 towables are sold for every motorhome it becomes easy to forecast the existence of an organization that no longer caters to motorhome owners. After all why have features that only appeal to 1/5th of the membership, the logic says it would be far better to cater to the commonality, and hence you get another Good Sam club. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillAdams Report post Posted June 22, 2017 iRV2 is a for-profit business and, in my opinion, a poorly run site. If you do post something a moderator does not like or you disagree with a policy they ban you from the site rather than allowing a differing opinion. There are some who can do or say whatever they like and if you try to challenge them you are banned. It is a very heavy handed site so anything that they perceive might effect their earnings is deleted or the poster banned. I was a long time user before it was bought out but now you have to be one of the cool kids and do as you are told. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rayin Report post Posted June 23, 2017 On 6/22/2017 at 4:12 AM, dons2346 said: You fellas aren't reading the proposed articles and the proposed constitution. They have removed the words "motorhome" and or "motorcoach" and have replaced it with "recreation vehicle". Now with zero definition of what would be constituted as a "recreation vehicle" I can join FMCA with my boat, my motorcycle, my airplane. There is nothing that defines what a recreation vehicle is! The verbage cannot be changed before the GB votes to accept the changes to the documents, we have to vote them they way they are presented. So, in a campground get ready for a boat with a goose egg on it parked next to you Yup, a Razr is a recreational vehicle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted June 23, 2017 So is a bicycle ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted June 23, 2017 What amazes me is than none of the hierarchy have anything to say on this thread to agree or dispel the thoughts and ideas presented here....I have my canoe ready....B Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted June 23, 2017 Sorry Bill, your already a member...nice thought ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hayesfamily Report post Posted June 27, 2017 On 6/21/2017 at 4:18 PM, hermanmullins said: Keon, How old are your kids? Have feed three boys through their teens. When we finally got them out and on their own, we could then afford a motor home. 😁 Herman Babies are 8 and 19 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
