Should FMCA Allow Towable RVs-- Vote NOW

[smithy]

3 hours ago, manholt said:

What year was that?

Definitely before my time at FMCA, which has been about 4 years.

[aztec7fan]

5 hours ago, manholt said:

What year was that?

There was a survey/questionair done in the magazine, several years ago.  It asked questions about type of coach, do you travel with kids, age, occupation (before retirement), average income, etc.  It was used at the time to compare the current FMCA member to the membership in the 1960s,.  I might still have some 2008 magazines, so I'll take a look.

[manholt]

Chris.  I remember the survey.  Other than occupation, coach and avg. annual length of travel (days, weeks or month's), I left the personal stuff alone.

Brett.  Yes!  Still trying to find out why trailers?  Bet their old too!  If I was under 40 and had a towable, I would be with the organization that catered to my needs!  GS caters to all and the only common denominator that see, with us taking in trailers, is Insurance, extended warranty's and road side service (kick back).  For the sake of $$$ we throw in the towel on that witch made us unique! 

My 2 cent worth!

[rpelatt]

18 hours ago, wolfe10 said:

Let me ask a question-- neutrally:

Does anyone question that the average of current FMCA members is 71 years old???

I don't really question the age either. But, in our travels, it seems that when I see much younger people at an RV park they almost always have a license plate of the same state.  Any towables that have a different states' tags are over 65 as well. That makes me feel like the younger crowd are only going relatively short distances from home, 3-5 day getaways and are not likely to want to join any group other than Good Sam where they can get discounts on camping gear.

[fagnaml]

rpelatt --

I concur with your observation as I'm in the mid-late 50's age group that still have busy careers and can't take 10-14 days of vacation in one chunk to attend an International Rally.  I'm also of the age that activities for a local Chapter rally do not align with my or my wife's interests (quilting, pickle ball, puzzles are not on the radar screen yet).   My wife and I with our busy careers are "four day weekend" adventurers to someplace that is a 6 hour drive away.  My Texas plates are usually in a Texas RV park.  When we retire in 5-7 years, then we'll have the time for two week (or more) adventures.

If the main reason for FMCA needing to include non-motorhome RV owners is "financial" to continue to provide the medical assist benefit to all FMCA members then an obvious answer is to stop providing that benefit to everyone and allow those who want the benefit to purchase it on their own.   From my vantage point, it appears that FMCA financially may be facing the same issues at ObamaCare -- not enough younger members paying fees to FMCA to properly fund the medical assist benefit for older / other members who need that service.  The only option for more revenue per FMCA leadership is to allow non-motorhome owners to join FMCA to collect additional "fees" income.

I wish I knew if FMCA leadership has evaluated offering the medical assist benefit on a stand alone basis for a member to purchase or not (i.e. the same approach as currently used for the FMCA roadside assistance benefit).

[home42shirley@gmail.com]

Just vote no and forget about all this 

[gulya]

7 hours ago, home42shirley@gmail.com said:

Just vote no and forget about all this 

Yes just vote no like I did and then sign up a new member like I did. 

[jrwitt]

4 hours ago, home42shirley@gmail.com said:

Just vote no and forget about all this 

X 2

 

[gulya]

Still need to sign up a new member. If each member signed up a new member we'd double our numbers to 140,000 and be out of this alleged dilemma 

[manholt]

But it would not stop the vote and now, if the count for "YES" wins, then it will be implemented, whether we have 74,000+ members or 400,000! GB voted yes, to allow the members to decide the fate of FMCA!  The majority of the members, I'm afraid to say, have drank the Kool Aid again!

[isaaac1]

On a side note, do we know when the results of this vote will be announced?  I ask because my membership expires in mid December and I am not sure if I will renew it if this passes, sinking ships and all that.

[BillAdams]

You don't need to renew in December.  Just wait to see what the results are.  If they go the way the powers that be want and expect it to go you just leave it lapsed.  If by some miracle it does not pass you can pay your dues at that time and you will not have lost anything.

[manholt]

Isaaac1.

Vote will end the last day of this month & we should know the results by "Happy or Sad New Year"!

[hayesfamily]

On 10/31/2017 at 7:53 PM, wolfe10 said:

Let me ask a question-- neutrally:

Does anyone question that the average of current FMCA members is 71 years old???

Question ... Not really. Believe it, yes.  

I am if not the baby, close to the baby of the bunch at 38 years old and there may be a few people between me and JLeamont ... but once you get to him, and my wife for that matter and close to 50, (forever 29 in my eyes) the numbers start to get closer but I believe the biggest density of the membership hovers around 70 years of age.  

 

[aztec7fan]

I agree with the previous statements about where people take their vacations.

I'm 51, with wife and 16 year old son.  we take 1-2 out of state vacations a year, which last about a week each, and all other getaways in the motorhome are in-state for a long weekend or two.

No time to commit to a national convention (although I will check out Gillette next year and see if there is a compelling reason to go), or even a local chapter event.

Chris G.

F3508s

[wildebill308]

11 hours ago, Isaaac1 said:

On a side note, do we know when the results of this vote will be announced?  I ask because my membership expires in mid December and I am not sure if I will renew it if this passes, sinking ships and all that.

Why the kneejerk reaction? What has changed?  What will change? When? 

I see this whole vote as a  big NOUTHING BERGER. No large group of towable owners are waiting to get in so what is going to change? 80%+ of current members don't go to the rally's or belong to local chapters now. 

The big problem as with any club of this type is recruiting and keeping new members. The management has failed to do a good job of finding new members to replace the ones in this aging demographic. They have failed to get the info in front of younger people who own or will own RV's. The whole Energize theme needs to be expanded. 

I think there have ben several great suggestions offered in this thread. Personally I think each member could do more in that area. It is you who are in the campgrounds who can talk to new people. It is at the local, chapter where the most growth can be achieved. 

I challenge you to quit wining about the current situation and do something about it. Set a goal for next year to recruit one new member each month. Think about this for motivation. Every one you recruit will be (most likely) a like minded RV owner. The more like minded members we have the more control we will have over the future and direction of the club. 

Bill

 

 

 

 

[BillAdams]

Why would you put the onus of making this business successful on the members and not the owners (FMC)?  Yeah, yeah, non-profit, owner/members, it all non-sense.  The business men and woman who determined that this business cannot survive under the current business model have not done their job and have given up on keeping this business the original creative minds envisioned.  It's a good model as it is now and it's a watered down mess if / when they change the entire premise forged by the founders.

If those running the business don't know how to run the business they should step aside and let someone who does take over the reigns.  It's not the members job to pay the membership fees AND recruit new members just to keep a poorly run business running.

[manholt]

Good point Jim!

[ispjs]

Jim makes some valid points, as does Bill (Adams).  From a new member prospective I'm not thrilled I joined an RV club for coaches only to discover they were about to open it up to all RVers.  I guess my thinking is if it eventually gets "watered" down concentrating on popups, tow behinds, and fivers then to me it is just another RV club.  I certainly did not join thinking I would need to recruit other new members.  We are not rally people nor are we interested in joining a club within a club.  We anticipate traveling much of the year and at 65 years of age we have much of the U.S. to explore yet.  

I will let it all play out and wait and see.  I have my .25 cent plastic placard from FMCA mounted on the coach and if someone asks me about the organization I will fill them in, but it is their dime and I'm certainly not going to be giving them any type of sales pitch.  

[jleamont]

My goose eggs are going upside down, sign of distress   

[rfsod48]

It seems to me that the only thing we really need to worry about if this passes is whether  this forum changes or is able to maintain as it is now. It’s a valuable source of information that I would hate to lose. The monetary savings are nice but not that big a deal .

[manholt]

Truly sorry Joe, but your in the middle of all of this...not what you or any new member needs! 

I have a lot of friends in FMCA and Escapees (50/50)...I'm not going anywhere, until I find out how much collateral damage there is! 

[isaaac1]

I see nothing knee jerk about it, I just have no desire to ride a sinking ship down.  While there may not be a line of towable owners waiting to join, if this vote passes I don't see a course back to being anything other than another Good Sam, and my Good Sam membership is currently paid up for 3 more years.  I am all for trying to save the FMCA as long as it is an organization of motorcoach owners, I am willing to go out and try to recruit other younger members, I just ask that the organization give us younger members some tools to use to recruit people, as tire discounts and rallies with bingo and ice cream socials just does not cut it, also local chapters that require its members to attend at least 3 events per year does not cut it either.

[camarti1]

On 10/31/2017 at 6:53 PM, wolfe10 said:

Let me ask a question-- neutrally:

Does anyone question that the average of current FMCA members is 71 years old???

Look at the pictures under the governance tab, look at the Chapter leadership photo's, look at the activities occurring. Does anyone, from a neutral position, doubt the age of the average member? Look at the "F" numbers of the members of the various committees, read the resume's of the latest elected officials. Read how long they have been doing this for. I, for one, admire the years of service provided to the FMCA, but I do ask how can it be expected to have an open mind for the new and emerging members to participate in various activities, when various activities are not offered via chapters and mostly important, the executive and governing board.

It is sad to say, but the FMCA is aging itself out of fashion unless it gets the point of attracting the newer, younger members and families. This would mean a whole new thought process around what direction the FMCA wants to steer the ship in, because it is quite apparent the ship is off course if it feels offering membership to trailers is the solution to its larger problem.

I feel the FMCA is a motorcoach group, and should stay this way. If the vote turns out to be against allowing towables, the next logical step is to look  inwards for some real clarity about what the membership needs, how the corporation is structured and how to be welcoming to the next generations of motor coach owners.

The baby boomers are already here, next we need a long range plan to attract the millennials, or GEN X, as they are going to be the next group to woo into the camping fray. If it is business as usual, these folks won't even consider being a part of the group, or as I heard it put, this isn't your granddad's RV anymore. 

[smithy]

1 hour ago, Isaaac1 said:

I see nothing knee jerk about it, I just have no desire to ride a sinking ship down.  While there may not be a line of towable owners waiting to join, if this vote passes I don't see a course back to being anything other than another Good Sam, and my Good Sam membership is currently paid up for 3 more years.  I am all for trying to save the FMCA as long as it is an organization of motorcoach owners, I am willing to go out and try to recruit other younger members, I just ask that the organization give us younger members some tools to use to recruit people, as tire discounts and rallies with bingo and ice cream socials just does not cut it, also local chapters that require its members to attend at least 3 events per year does not cut it either.

One comment and one question.

We just launched roadside for $69 per year, and you can lock it in for 3 years. You will be hard pressed to find that pricing that covers both your RV and car. People want roadside, regardless of age. We will be teasing another benefit launch tomorrow that will go live next week. It is a benefit that people want no matter what age you are. It will be offered at a price you could not come close to on your own, or with any other organization. We are seeking out benefits that FMCA members can take advantage of that cannot be found anywhere else. That is the beauty of FMCA. We are a non profit. Which is why we can offer things to our members that other clubs cannot because they are profit driven. We have e a medical evacuation policy that is included with dues. Any other organization would charge you well over 100 bucks for the policy. I am all ears about what benefits members would like to have. We are and will continue to add benefits to attract members of all ages.

My question is simple. I keep seeing we are going to turn into just another Good Sam. That is a pretty blanket statement. Can you elaborate on why you feel that way? Not tying to be argumentative at all. I just keep seeing the statement with no support.