Perry 2011 Open To Towable RVs

[tmoning]

Owners of towable RVs are invited to attend FMCA's Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Perry, Ga., in March 2011, and park on-site. Judy Czarsty, FMCA national senior vice president/acting national president, says, "As our friends in Georgia would say, "Ya'll come. Join us for some good-old-fashioned fun and RV fellowship and learn firsthand about the motorhome lifestyle."

So, motorhome owners: Invite your friends with towables to join you in Perry and fully expose them to the motorhome lifestyle that you enjoy so much. Read more

[Roodriver]

Hmmmm... Sounds like FMCA intends to compete with Good Sam. Or maybe, the friendly folks at Good Sam are gobbling up another competitor?

[wolfe10]

Guess I read it differently. Many of us have friends who travel by trailer/5th wheel. Attending an FMCA Convention would be a good way to introduce them to the motorhome/FMCA lifestyle. And, many younger RVers start in towables. After attending a convention, some may decide to move up/over to a motorhome. And then they would be eligible to become FMCA members. I see it as a great recruiting strategy. Brett

[lmsooter]

Looks like a great opportunity to introduce friends to motorhoming.

[lukeaa]

And what would be the difference between RVing in a towable and a motorhome, other than the perceived social status of the rig? This organization needs an attitude adjustment and there is nothing like a plunge in membership to change some ingrained attitudes. Welcome to the 21st century where all RV'ers are equal and everyone's dues are welcome to keep our organization solvent.

[Guest BillAdams]

I don't believe this has ever been a social class issues but rather an issue if focus. There are/have been magazines that focused on any or all types of RV camping. The FMCA magazine make a choice to focus on the self-contained motorized RV's only. It's great to see them allow any RVer to join us at the rallies but I do hope that the FMCA magazine remains fully focused on the Motor Coach in their name.

[jmonroe]

I don't see this as a 'class' thing at all. Those of us with 'motorized' RVs have a different set of issues to deal with than those who's RV consists of the 'house' part only. Everything from how to maintain an engine that is stored for long periods of time, access to fueling stations, places to park, on and on. Yes, many of the house systems are the same as our towed bretheren, but putting the house on top of a truck chassis presents challenges different from towables. FMCA is an opportunity for us to compare notes, if you will. My guess few, if any, members restrict their non-FMCA weekends and functions to associating with other motor home owners only. Most of us have probably owned towables.

Don't work so hard to take offense where none is intended, or even implied.

[lukeaa]

Jay,

I am not offend by FMCA, but I am frustrated by an old organization that refuses to evolve as the world evolves around it. The issue is about being an inclusive club, rather than an exclusive club. The era of there being enough motorhome owners to keep FMCA at it past membership level is gone. Maybe forever or maybe until the U.S. economy gets back up to full steam in 5-10 years. Even then, gas will be $5+ a gallon and most people will probably go with a towable because they get better milage. In the meantime, FMCA will continue to lose membership. At present, towable sales are 20 to 1 over motorhome sales. We can either be a single product club or a multiple product club. We all know how long a single product company lasts when their product goes out of style.

The difference between motorized and towable issues can be addressed by adding some towable forum catagories on the website and adding some applicable classes and activities to the rallys and chapters. The object is to get the younger generation locked into FMCA now. They will move up to a motorhome, when they can afford it. In the meantime, all of us old motorhome owners will get old and die off. If we are not replaced as that happens, then FMCA will be overtaken by the more aggressive commercial clubs like Good Sam.

I like this club and I like their rallys. I would rather go to a rally with 5,000 attendees, than one with 1,500 attendees. It does not really matter to me if they arrived in a towable or a motorhome. The entertainment is better, there are more classes with better teachers, and there are more vendors.

Luke

[aztec7fan]

Keep in mind, I remember when some people didn't want to welcome some Class C motorhomes and also Class B's because the driver couldn't go from the drivers cabin to the living quarters in a "fully standing" position. Now these types of coaches are fully welcomed in FMCA.

People and organizations change with the times. I see allowing the towables to one convention as a great marketing strategy to show the usefulness of having a motor home.

[garykd]

This is more than attending rallies in a towable or self powered coach. If FMCA is contemplating expanding their target market the executives need to be prepared to have activities that interest the new target market. A couple of examples might be:

1. Toy haulers - What activities would interest those who own a toy hauler? Who could FMCA partner with to help launch these activities?

2. Families where both parents work. What kinds of events/rallies would these families attend? What actives are needed to draw them to FMCA events?

Expanding the target market without the support structure in place and continuing to hold rallies that are cookie cutter agendas for the current target market may not provide a meaningful experience to those who FMCA is soliciting.

[dalltop]

I have tent camped, towed, and now own a motorhome. I am a member of FMCA to take advantage of the special experience and issues shared here about owning and maintaining motorhomes. Travel trailers will always outsell the motorhomes. Entry-level towables pricing is very resonable for folks starting out to experience camping. It is also a issue of personal likes. I know full-timers who gave up MH for fithwheels and would never go back. I have never been to a rally but I camp with tenters, towables, and MH. I would stop to help any fellow camper regardless of the age or type of unit, and have. Since I have no experience with rally's, I am not sure but I would think the more folks that attend, whatever they are driving, would help bring vendors in and help make it a better experience.

[Guest BillAdams]

Since FMCA will be going to just 1 rally per year in 2012 this will be even more important. FMCA is going to have to figure out what their focus is now and what it will be into the future. You are/were a magazine publisher with a specific target market. Opening the rallies to those with towables but NOT focusing on towable issues would seem to be a logical step if the purpose is to invite people with towables into the self-propelled community. Opening the rally to those with towables and adding seminars and vendors focusing on towables would mean a completely different direction is ahead for FMCA and they would simply become another generic RV club as can be found with other existing clubs. I am not suggesting that either of these courses is the correct one, but it certainly has to be an issue that FMCA is wrestling with.

[cbayman@embarqmail.com]

In the end we are all the same, Campers enjoying life.

[Guest BillAdams]

Ah, but FMCA is not a magazine for all campers (far from it actually). There's the rub and that's where FMCA has to make a future direction decision.

[johnklopp]

I think allowing the starter RVs into the club makes sense. Most of us at some point started with a tent and slowly moved up in the type of rig we own. Im not sure the word has gotten out regarding towable being allowed at Perry. I have been here since Friday afternoon and have not seen a single towable. That may be because they are being sent to a towable parking location, Im not sure just havent seen any of them.

[Guest BillAdams]

I have been looking around here at Perry as well and I have yet to see any vehicle that would not qualify as a self-propelled motor coach.

[MHMama]

Even with the invitation, I heard only 15 towable showed up at the rally. None were interested in buying a motorhome and many had just purchased their towable. I don't care whether a person has a towable or motorhome but the name of this organization is Family MOTOR COACH Association. I have seen clubs that only allow a certain kind of coach such as Discovery Owners or Country Coach. If you don't like it, don't join. Many motorhome owners are also members of Good Sam and can go to those rallies. What is the big deal?