Should FMCA Allow Towable RVs-- Vote NOW

[jleamont]

17 minutes ago, cwswine said:

Where I have heard if younger people sign up rates will go down -----  Oh yes I remember now The Affordable Care Act and how that work out.

 

[BillAdams]

So Smitty, are you suggesting that when you join FMCA you will have to declare how old you are or are you and the insurance company just jumping to the non-verifiable conclusion that EVERY towable owner will be younger than EVERY motorhome owner.  I have never heard of an actuary that would make a financial decision based upon this kind of speculation.

[rpelatt]

56 minutes ago, BillAdams said:

So Smitty, are you suggesting that when you join FMCA you will have to declare how old you are or are you and the insurance company just jumping to the non-verifiable conclusion that EVERY towable owner will be younger than EVERY motorhome owner.  I have never heard of an actuary that would make a financial decision based upon this kind of speculation.

Maybe I'm forgetting something, but I don't remember giving out my age was a requirement when I joined...

[manholt]

It isn't.  Voluntary, when you enter contact info, mailing and phone info (that also is voluntary)! 

[rpelatt]

On 10/25/2017 at 8:02 AM, rossboyer said:

When I chaired the first Committee to select the provider for FMCASSIST the average age of our membership was 66 years + or - 2 months based on gender. Seven years later, the average age was 71 with the same 2 months except the gender had switch as which was younger or older. Statically, any insurance company will tell you the older the group insured, the greater the claims. As more of our members become aware that this insurance is provided and get older, more claims are made.

We still have members that still don’t know we have this insurance or know the procedure to activate the service. Also, cost of the services has increased. Early years the average repatriation cost was $18,000. The last I heard, the cost had increased to $24,000 and that was a few years ago. 

So, if stating our age is not mandatory, how could you possibly have known the average member age of 66 and later 71? 

[rpelatt]

On 10/25/2017 at 6:53 AM, smithy said:

Anyone in insurance will tell you that the more people to spread the risk, the more likely the cost per member will go down. Doesn't mean that will be the case every time. Yes our membership did grow, but so did the claims. 

The fact of the matter is towables are a younger average age. The younger you are, the less medical issues you have. If we can increase membership with younger towable owners, naturally the cost per member will go down because they won't have as many claims as our current membership.

Smithy, As mentioned above, FMCA does not require you to give your age when joining, so how can you know the age of the towable group is younger? Where did you get that info? 

[manholt]

rpelatt.

That's why I asked for substantiated information!  All I got was "Catch 22" ! 

When I became a member the first time, I gave my DOB, as a A member the same and as a F member again the same...had I known that something like this was coming, I would not have given my DOB.  Where FMCA gets the numbers from, is probably a base known age....low, high + they know the month and year that a F # was issued..  Today, with all the computers, Internet and reporting agencies that are available...you can get all the info you want.  Legal? Yes.  Immoral?  Possibly.

[aztec7fan]

Since we are in the age issue, I will bring this up again...the assumption is the the age of towable owners is significantly younger than 71.  If the organization is open to towables, who's to say that just the older towable owners might join FMCA, and our average age will stay around 71?

What is the appeal of FMCA to younger RV owners?

[camarti1]

I have another concern, which is the club affiliates such as the Thor Diesel Owners Club. I was all set to join the Thor club, except I must be a member in good standing with FMCA in order to do so. If this change occurs, I will have no desire to belong to the FMCA, as I signed up for a "motor coach" group. I did not sign up for a rv group, as we are already Elite in the GS club. So, not only is this decision affecting the body as a whole, but the affiliates as well. I wanted a group supportive of motorhomes. Otherwise, what will be left is another Good Sam Club.

Thank You for allowing me to add my two cents worth.

Edited October 26, 2017 by camarti1
spelling

[wildebill308]

2 hours ago, camarti1 said:

I have another concern, which is the club affiliates such as the Thor Diesel Owners Club. I was all set to join the Thor club, except I must be a member in good standing with FMCA in order to do so. If this change occurs, I will have no desire to belong to the FMCA, as I signed up for a "motor coach" group. I did not sign up for a rv group, as we are already Elite in the GS club. So, not only is this decision affecting the body as a whole, but the affiliates as well. I wanted a group supportive of motorhomes. Otherwise, what will be left is another Good Sam Club.

Thank You for allowing me to add my two cents worth.

Welcome  to the forum.  Just wondering, if you don't want to be a associated with tow behind's why are you a Elite member in the GS club? 

How exactly is this going to effect the Thor Diesel Owners Club? They would have to buy a Thor Diesel to park next to you at a Thor Diesel Owners Club Rally

Once more I will state that I see this as a "non event". Where are the hordes of people begging to be let in? When it is all said and done I bet there are fewer than 400 new members with tow behind trailers on the books in a year.

Bill 

[camarti1]

1 hour ago, WILDEBILL308 said:

Welcome  to the forum.  Just wondering, if you don't want to be a associated with tow behind's why are you a Elite member in the GS club? 

How exactly is this going to effect the Thor Diesel Owners Club? They would have to buy a Thor Diesel to park next to you at a Thor Diesel Owners Club Rally

Once more I will state that I see this as a "non event". Where are the hordes of people begging to be let in? When it is all said and done I bet there are fewer than 400 new members with tow behind trailers on the books in a year.

Bill 

We are an elite member because we purchased a motorhome from CW.  It shouldn't affect the Diesel Club directly. But, if the vote goes to allow towables and there are those which are a part of the Diesel Club also wishing to allow their membership to lapse, it could decrease the number of members in the TDC. I don't care who parks next to me, I do care about a bait and switch on the members. My attraction to the group was the motor coach aspect of the membership. If I would have known the club was seeking to become another version of CW, I suspect I wouldn't have joined.

[jimnorm]

Said it before and I'll say it again, If FMCA is unable to attract younger owners of MS, why do they think they can attract younger owners of trailers? If we have not been positively rejected by every owner of a MH that is not currently a member, why are we going to an other demographic?

[wildebill308]

1 hour ago, camarti1 said:

It shouldn't affect the Diesel Club directly. But, if the vote goes to allow towables and there are those which are a part of the Diesel Club also wishing to allow their membership to lapse, it could decrease the number of members in the TDC.

All I see is a bunch of knee jerk reaction to a non event. 

 

1 hour ago, camarti1 said:

My attraction to the group was the motor coach aspect of the membership.

So please explain what will change. All I see is a bunch of knee jerk reaction to a non event. 

Bill

[jeff753]

On October 25, 2017 at 11:02 AM, rossboyer said:

When I chaired the first Committee to select the provider for FMCASSIST the average age of our membership was 66 years + or - 2 months based on gender. Seven years later, the average age was 71 with the same 2 months except the gender had switch as which was younger or older. Statically, any insurance company will tell you the older the group insured, the greater the claims. As more of our members become aware that this insurance is provided and get older, more claims are made.

We still have members that still don’t know we have this insurance or know the procedure to activate the service. Also, cost of the services has increased. Early years the average repatriation cost was $18,000. The last I heard, the cost had increased to $24,000 and that was a few years ago. 

Hey Ross

We tried to run age data from the membership data base for U60 members and to explore activities fitting to our membership.  The data doesn't currently exist at FMCA absent a survey that was undertaken a few years ago.  If you have ANY data that include ages we could merge that into the current membership data. Are you saying you have or had such age data?

[rossboyer]

FMCA provided the data to me, but that was before the computer conversion. 

[isaaac1]

I am also currently at the 6 state rally in Texarkana, let me share my observations as a first time rally attendee,  and under 50 (barely) member.  I don't know how many coaches are here, though I did hear an unofficial count of 209 a couple of days ago, and more have rolled in since, regardless of the exact number this place is at near capacity, and almost every coach is a class A of some type, there are a handful of class B's, but they are by far in the minority and I think I have seen a grand total of 1 traditional class C with a bed over the cab.   So before we try to get trailer owners to join, how about trying for all those families that own class B's and C's.

[manholt]

Isaaac1.

We got 3 more Class "C's" yesterday afternoon...we're on a roll.  If you come by A-16A you'll find me, I'm next to a 1998 Monaco Windsor/Cruising Cajun! 

Carmati1.  Thor owns Jayco and Jayco makes MH's and Trailers...Join Thor club!  I will agree with WBILL  about a non event at this point and only time will tell...my main concern, is why are we really bent on this to begin with?  Can't be for the benefit of FMCA as a club, since we can't make $$$.  So, it has to be for the benefit of FMC, who can and must make $$$ in order for FMCA to continue as a club!

I feel, that the whole issue of the FMCAssist is a "Red Herring"!   I feel that everyone on this Forum, needs to start thinking and asking, "what is the real reason for the change"!  Forget about age...

[camarti1]

Okay folks, I have a few suggestions which could help FMCA be a motor coach club in the fashion I would like it become.

First, lets update the logo. It looks old and tired, which means others viewing will also feel it is for an older and tired group. The logo needs redesigned to meet the dynamic of today's rving family. Something in color and alive, something that screams to the "family" market come join us, it will be a good time.

Second, start having family rallies which occur during a Friday evening, Saturday, and end on a Sunday. Do face painting, have a petting zoo, hire a local singer to sing songs which are conducive to a family get together, and rent one of those blow up movie screens and have a movie night with an ice cream social. Make it real family outing so every member of the family can enjoy the outing. Of course a few coaches available for a day so everyone can see what is new in the market.

Third, go to rental locations which offer RV rentals and get the word out to them, big time. Many people rent coaches before buying, so get the bug in their ear of all of the benefits FMCA has to offer the coach owner. Look to independent RV sales locations and place flyers out or ask the finance people to include a brochure with the closing of the coach deal. They might not remember what was said right at the moment, but the owner can sit down later and read the benefits of FMCA.

Fourth, stop doing pop-up ads on Facebook. They are not reaching the demographic you are hoping to reach. You want to strategically place ads on TV in the middle of RV shows, such as the ones on Great American Country, or GAC, on Dish Network.  Make sure the ads are after a family purchases a class A coach, and have the ads stress how much more fun it would be to take your new coach to an event in your local area.

Okay, I'll stop for now, as I have an appointment to get to. I would like to make a motion that this vote be tabled until such time other options can be explored by the FMCA committee for expanding its membership, using some of the suggestions brought forward contained here within. Okay, so I know its too late for this now, but the suggestions are worth at least considering

Thanks for your time, it is greatly appreciated.

[isaaac1]

Well the story continues to evolve, I am at the Six State Rally in Texarkana, and attended the member benefit seminar this morning, and the topic of the vote and turning FMCA into just another Good Sams was brought up by the speaker, and his position on the vote had nothing to do with getting younger members, instead it was to follow up on a direction change that was made in FMCA 4 or 5 years ago to make FMCA the number one source for information for all types of RV's.

On a side note some new benefits were covered, most notably a new $69 per year road side assistance plan that is superior to the old $109 plan which goes live next week, as well as a $49 per month with 2 year contract Verizon data plan with mobile hotspot device also going live in the next week or two.

[manholt]

How nice!  Here I was reprimanded by some of our finest, by PM, for just hinting about FMCA working on a new Verizon deal..

[wolfe10]

53 minutes ago, manholt said:

How nice!  Here I was reprimanded by some of our finest, by PM, for just hinting about FMCA working on a new Verizon deal..

Ya, we at FMCA have quite a history of releasing "sneak previews" of programs before everything is finalized.  Sure has come back to bite us on the backside.

So, at least I for one would like to see a program announced AFTER all the details have been worked out.

Guess that would take some of the "drama" out of it-- but that may be a good thing.

[manholt]

That "sneak" preview was not released by me Brett....I knew about it for several months prior to Durant, OK....since there it was released to a whole chapter, it was a secret no more! 

[wolfe10]

31 minutes ago, manholt said:

That "sneak" preview was not released by me Brett....I knew about it for several months prior to Durant, OK....since there it was released to a whole chapter, it was a secret no more! 

Yup, I remember-- not suggesting it was you who released the details. Apologize if it did not sound like finger pointing directed at you.

But as an organization as a whole, I think we could do a better job of announcing what IS with no "sneak preview" with, perhaps some of the details not quite worked out.

[bobbflas]

I have enjoyed being a member of FMCA because the information and activities are targeted to my interest and investment.  Once the information furnished thru the website, printed materials, emails, rallies etc. become consolidated with towables FMCA  stands to loose its target audience.  Let me clear I have no problem setting up next to a towable and I am certainly no better than anyone else, so why the need for change? There is no end to the motorcoach information that is needed, appreciated and shared by the members.

One mans opinion

 

 

[rpelatt]

On 10/26/2017 at 10:27 AM, manholt said:

rpelatt.

That's why I asked for substantiated information!  All I got was "Catch 22" ! 

When I became a member the first time, I gave my DOB, as a A member the same and as a F member again the same...had I known that something like this was coming, I would not have given my DOB.  Where FMCA gets the numbers from, is probably a base known age....low, high + they know the month and year that a F # was issued..  Today, with all the computers, Internet and reporting agencies that are available...you can get all the info you want.  Legal? Yes.  Immoral?  Possibly.

I asked Smithy how they determined the age yesterday in a post above but he apparently hasn't had the time to respond. Perhaps, he will make the time soon, as I feel it is an important piece of information we could all learn from.  I doubt they could look at the date the F number was assigned as they still would not know your age unless given on the app. I am beginning to wonder if they used the average age of those who needed FMC Assist.