Under 50

[JohnJill]

Yes I am inquiring if there is or can be a branch of the association for member under 50. We are a family of 3) 6yr old girl,8 yr old boy and a 10yr old boy, located in McKinney TX north of Dallas.

We are fortunate to be in our 40s and be able to have this type of lifestyle. We were in Marble Falls over the weekend to where there was a Tiffin rally at the resort we were in. With that being said all of the member were all retired or close to it.

While I always enjoy talking and getting more knowledge from my elders, I would like to be able to meet other families that have the same interests as ours, being able for our kids to meet other kids and experience things on their on level.

Thank You for your time.

John Swanner

[BillAdams]

Motorhome owners are generally VERY old and there is no way to change that. They are the only ones that can afford an RV like that. There are a number of RVers who own trailers and 5th wheels who might be in a similar state of affairs as you describe. This is not everyone and it's not everywhere, but you appear to be among a privileged few who can do what you do and do it in a motorhome.

You might be able to find more families and friends in your age group within some of the other RV groups. Please don't bail out; I am just saying that this might not be the organization that has the most members in your age group.

[JohnJill]

That may be true, and I am very blessed to be in this position, and you're right that this may not be the association for this, but when I joined it was because of the word Family. I didn't know there was age criteria. But even us young members should be able to find each other as well. Thanks. I will check out other associations.

[gulya]

Although I am now "Very Old" by Adams' standard, we started over 40 years ago. We had our first motorhome, a Class B, when I was 30 with 2 young kids, then trailers, and a Class C at 45 with 4 kids. We found friends our age locally and mostly caravanned with them. Probably the biggest thing that changes with age and participating in clubs is "time," and not as was smugly stated, money. You are fortunate to have the gift of time to travel and to enjoy it at a young age. We did not join any chapters even though we were Good Sam members for the discount for many years. Instead of going to rallys, we tended to go to campgrounds and areas that attracted younger families with kids, such as Yellowstone; Wisconsin Dells; Pigeon Forge; Arlington, Texas; Williamsburg Va.; Myrtle Beach, and Orlando.

[hermanmullins]

John,

There are chapters out there for younger folks like you and Jill. Our current FMCA national president, Charlie Adcock, is adamant about getting younger members like you and Jill active in FMCA. He has instituted a group of members under 60 to help increase the number of younger members.

With your permission I will pass your name to him. Please send me, by a personal message, your information. This time I won't confuse you with Jeff.

Hopefully there may be some other members out there reading the Forum and can get with you to form a chapter for young families.

Your friend,

Herman

[aztec7fan]

John, there is a private discussion group here on FMCA called the" under 60 task force." You might ask the admins here if you can have the password to enter.

Also, if you prefer, I created a Yahoo discussion group for the same demographic:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FMCAunder60/conversations/messages

I travel with two teenage boys and would like to talk with similar FMCA members.

[JohnJill]

Ok thanks. I have the president weeks ago with no response. I am sure there are more of us with as many members that are here.

[aztec7fan]

I sent an email to Penny Gortmiller in the FMCA office to see if we can add you to the task force.

[Howde]

John Jill, I think it would be great for FMCA to have a group of young families to have their own rallies/get-togethers. I think camping is a wonderful family bonding activity. We camped with our children for 15 years and our experiences were similar to Gulya. Of all our friends in our home town, no one was willing to travel as far, or as much, as we did with the family. We camped with them a few times within a hundred mile radius of home. But maybe only a handful of times did we have another family travel with us. I think work schedules, children's school and outside activities dominate your family's travel schedule. Rarely does anyone else's schedule matches yours.

We found the state and national parks have some wonderful activities to include children. We often met some nice families along the way the kids enjoyed playing with. But our kids never complained or felt isolated during our camping trips AND we did not have a TV or electronic gadgets in those days. Our last trip with our youngest was when she was in high school and she had begged us to go so we did on her spring break and took one of her friends. So I think that says a lot when a high schooler wanted to go camping with her parents.

Go with your family as much as you can, create memories, and enjoy the journey!

[scotttami]

John,

I'm part of the under 60 task force and we welcome you to FMCA. We are incorporating younger people into FMCA and your idea of having a separate rally is great. We do have alot of families at our Glama rally which takes place in June of this year. Also the large national rallies also have quite a few children as well. Look in your FMCA magazine for Jerry and I forget his last name but he heads up the task force. He would love to hear from you, you can always send them emails.

Tami

[scotttami]

John,

I'm part of the under 60 task force and we welcome you to FMCA. We are incorporating younger people into FMCA and your idea of having a separate rally is great. We do have alot of families at our Glama rally which takes place in June of this year. Also the large national rallies also have quite a few children as well. Look in your FMCA magazine for Jerry and I forget his last name but he heads up the task force. He would love to hear from you, you can always send them emails.

Tami

[aztec7fan]

What about putting together a Facebook page for kids of FMCA? This way, the kids who meet at the reunions can continue to communicate throughout the year, and possibly arrange meetings at local chapter rallies.

It could be run/organized in part by the TATs president and other members, with support by FMCA.

What do you think?

[jleamont]

What about putting together a Facebook page for kids of FMCA? This way, the kids who meet at the reunions can continue to communicate throughout the year, and possibly arrange meetings at local chapter rallies.

It could be run/organized in part by the TATs president and other members, with support by FMCA.

What do you think?

That sounds like a good idea. My wife and I are in our low 40's with two teenage kids, while we are not full timers we do enjoy meeting people our age but we also end the older folks also, I always love to hear the stories from the older folks and their experience is also great, we can exchange helpful hints back and forth.

[royclem]

My wife and I are under 60, and have our seven year old granddaughter every summer. So before joining a Chapter I emailed the ones That WE were interested in joining and found one where some of the Members travel with their grandchildren in the summer.

Not the same but an Idea?

[Leannpyatt]

Good afternoon!!! We just joined FMCA due to the"Family" in the name too. Like you, we are blessed to have the ability to have a Class A that we use every weekend. We're located in south Missouri and have a 5,4 and year old boys who love the "buscamper". Excited to see if we can attract younger families to get together.

[hayesfamily]

Im a little late to the punch on this one however I can honestly say most if not all of the folks i encounter in this fraternity of camping are way older than me ... and to quote a few people, most people who own motorhomes tend to be over the age of 60 because they have the time and the patients to deal with MH'ing and the money. 

My story is different. I was in a near fatal car accident in November of 15 and it made me want to be with my family more and this was the way I chose to do it. At 37 years old (other half closer to 50) i can honestly say that NONE of our friends have a Class A coach and the ones who camp arent doing Baltimore to FL type long distance trips. The person that introduced me to this lifestyle is almost 70 but he was in his 40s when he got is first travel trailer and he seemed to be HAPPY all the time. If figured it was the coach and the life style so we bough one and havent been happier. 

So, to kind of respond to Tami:

On 11/25/2014 at 5:43 PM, scotttami said:

John,

I'm part of the under 60 task force and we welcome you to FMCA. We are incorporating younger people into FMCA and your idea of having a separate rally is great. We do have alot of families at our Glama rally which takes place in June of this year. Also the large national rallies also have quite a few children as well. Look in your FMCA magazine for Jerry and I forget his last name but he heads up the task force. He would love to hear from you, you can always send them emails.

Tami

That under 60, under 50, and especially under 40 group that we may be seeking simply doesnt exist especially in the Mid Atlantic region where the geographical cost of living doesnt provide extra funds for a coach. I would tend to think thats the case most places but especially urban jungles like the Baltimore Philly New York areas.  

So the solution to this "issue" is to use technology and social media to create events where we can come together, the few of us under 60 with children, and to camp and expose our kids to world like other than the "norm" of PS4 and Xbox in a campground with a pool. We homeschool which give Michelle and I super flexibility so we arent opposed to meeting families in SD at Mt Rushmore or meeting in the grand canyon, or Niagara Falls --- EVEN DISNEY. We coordinate events (even if once a Year) and have fun together. Thats how we introduce other families to this lifestyle as well. 

 

Just my $0.02   

[manholt]

Keon.  Send a PM to Joe Leamonte.  He's in PA.  Under 45!  I have been there and done that, in the late 60's and 70's, there was not many people traveling in Class A's.  I found out that most chapters of FMCA , enjoyed having young owners....the "older members" felt I could learn from them.  They where right !  So, find a chapter, find out where they are going next, make a RSVP and jump in...may be OK.  If not, try the next chapter.

That was my recommendation to Joe also! 

Carl

[hermanmullins]

Keon,

First, go back in this post and find JohnJill, send him a Personal Message. John and you need to get to know each other. You both are around the same age and have children and you'll love to travel in your coaches. 

The Family Motor Coach Association was started by families just like the two of you. They met in I believe Hinkley, Ohio back in 1963. Through their love of camping with their families they formed the FMCA.  Back then most all coaches were converted school buses, older buses and vans. They were sometime not too pretty but they were also beautiful folks with wonderful ideas. 

Now would be a great time to return to those Family Values and traditions. We, the FMCA members, are getting old and need folks like you & your family and John & Jill to pick up the mantel and get more Families back to camping with the Family.

Just a side note, John went to school with my kids and his dad and I were in the same High School Class, Class of 1955, to gather in McKinney, Texas.

Let start putting "FAMILY" back in the Family Motor Coach Association.  

[manholt]

Herman.  Well said !  You had your second cup..

[jleamont]

Herman, that was truly an inspirational speech!

I'm like a sponge and I love the older folks sharing their stories and adventures, I can sit and listen for hours. Half or more of it goes on our list of things to explore.

Herman, I am looking into the "First State Travelers" Chapter, their president has sent me a list of outings for the end of 2016 and 2017. We are planning on attending and see where it goes, really hoping to connect with some that are local and in a similar situation as us. Since we are part time with 14 and 16 yr old children it is tough to connect, especially with Motorhome people, if I had to guess I would think less than 2% of motorhome people are in the position we are in.

[manholt]

There are a lot of young families that RV, most are not affiliated with a club like GS or FMCA....so, young Joe, it is up to you and others to get the one's in coaches, to join FMCA.  Now, if you, JohnJill and Keon/Hayes get together, why not start forming another chapter?  I know, we have the under 60 taskforce, but that's not the answer...don't put a age limit on it, young or  old, with kids or grandkids, that like to travel and do things together, that is off interest to the grownups and the kids!

Carl (no kids)

[jleamont]

Carl, that very thought has crossed my mind on many occasions. One thing my DW pointed out, if you look at most of the chapters (some of the ones local to us anyway) they have a tendency to sway in one direction. She as brought up how every event is at a different location with the same plans, kind of like a dart board with one dart in the same spot all the time, not a broad variety that might suite some on one outing and other on the next one, or a variety to appease 90% of the attendees. My DW is a planner, she comes up with all kinds of creative idea's for trips, places to go etc. She should be a activities coordinator with the stuff she comes up with. We also noticed most do not have a website to get information from, or a way to contact them. I can tell you from experience that was frustrating. As you know I have sent out many emails, tried calling for the last year and was unsuccessful until recently, I was just about to give up.  If you are not out in front of people you are behind people and that is not where you want to be, especially with something looking for new members.

[wildebill308]

One activity we had did at the FMCA 6 State rally in Shawnee Ok. was a Chapter fair. All the chapters had "booths" to talk about the activities that they participate in, the rallies they have planned and to recruit new members. This is a fun activity and allows you to visit with many chapters and clubs. 

Bill  

[hermanmullins]

Joe,

Mondain , repeative  just a few of the words that come to mind with a lot of rallies.  We, the DW and I , when we are Wagon Masters always try to include at least one thing we have never done before.  However have been shot down every time I mention skinny dipping in the Gulf. 

Now with our group and ages, that would be a sight to behold.  

I have said that Nationals should be held in an area that is a destination like Six Flags or the like. Families could come and have a place to go before or after the rally for the young one.

Remember it all about FAMILY.

Herman 

[jleamont]

Herman, the Gulf swimming trip...I can see why there was some resistance .

There are plenty of places in the US that would be close to stuff like amusement parks etc. I hadn't thought of that before, that's a great idea. My biggest draw back for the reunions is the distance and where they are typically located stacked up against my limited time off of work. If they were closer I could run, but spending a day or more on the road to and from really cuts back from us going, plus if we don't have full hookups or at least water and electric with a honey wagon service, I will hear that all week  and it wont be pleasant.

Springfield is probably our best bet, 6 hours is defiantly an option, but 16 to Perry or 12 to Indy would be tough. Do they ever change locations or are they always in the same locations?