FMCA

[elkriverrats]

Hi all,
I have recently joined FMCA. I have seen mixed reviews on other forums but I thought I would give it a try with the hope of attending a rally for some of the seminars....

Question 1 - Does anyone have any experiences with the big rallies they would like to share? I am most interesting in learning technical things as my hubby travels for work and I often camp without him.

Question 2 - How is the camping at the rallies? I assumed everyone camped there but other posts I have seen lead me to believe that others find nearby campgrounds? I do not tow a car so would by driving our MH wherever I go. I assume it is more similar to overnighting in a parking lot, rather than a campground.

Question 3 - I have asked for info from two chapters (Coach House Owners and a local group that I forget the name of haha) and have not heard anything back. Is this typical?

I don't know how many events I will be able to get to. I work full time and when I do take time off it is to meet up with hubby. I see that the CH Owners rally in April is M-F, probably impossible for me. I'm sad about that, I was looking forward to it. It has been surprisingly hard to find CH owners (they have a FB page but I don't have FB)

Thanks and Happy Camping!

[BirdbyBird]

I have never attended an FMCA rally in modern history. ( I worked for the FMCA during a break between undergraduate and graduate school in the early 1970's but I don't think that counts for much and I never got out of the information booth except for dinner and sleep. ) I did attend a National Escapees rally in 2005 right after I bought my first MH. I also have followed Nick Russell's comments in his blog over the past ten years and attended two of his rallies back when he was holding rallies. There is information to learn from any of the rallies, big or small. Check out the formal listed seminars. Many are presented by vendors and know that some will head right back to their booths ready to sell you a product. The informal sharing of information from folks you meet and your ability to observe so many choices and options will keep you mind humming.

Be aware that FMCA only accepts motor homes, where as Escapees and other groups such as Good Sam GTGs, are going to have a broader diversity of different rigs and price ranges. FMCA in present history has a reputation of high end, large rigs.....not everyone who attends fits this profile but many many do.

I also encourage you to try to attend one of our gtg's. There won't be dealers and vendors set up for you to explore but you would get to pick our brains (we still insist that we have some left. ) learn from our adventures and misadventures and ask questions around a campfire where there really are no silly questions......but sometimes silly answers depending upon the wine.

Back to another of you questions.....Most rallies list your camping choices. Electric, water, Boondocking, etc. Most offer limited full hookup sites and priority based on medical needs..... Staying at a rally is not like camping at a state park. You usually are parked close together but your purpose is to attend the rally not sit around enjoying the scenic view out your door. I think part of the experience of attending the rallies are participating in the activities offered from seminars to vendors to evening entertainment, while getting to know some of the other attendees.

Someone who has attended a recent FMCA rally should jump in and report what they are like now. For myself, they would not be my first choice but individual experiences greatly vary.

[Azusateach]

If you're interested in attending a large rally, you might consider RVing Women. It's ALL women, and they make no bones about it. No men welcome. Ever. But they hold an annual national rally that changes location every year. While not as large as an FMCA or Escapees Escapade, they will often have 600 women in attendance. This year's convention will be in Arizona in October. They have a website, so you can check them out. They also have regional chapters, and you can attend two rallies as a guest before they make you join the national organization. Once you've done that you can attend any rally anywhere you want for whatever the camping fees are, and occasionally a small ($1/day) "host" fee -- they often put on quite a production at their rallies.

Another person who's got a blog and holds rallies is RV-Dreams. Howard & his wife Linda have been on the road for almost 10 years, and have built up quite a following. I've met them, and they're delightful folks. Haven't been to one of their big rallies, but from everything I've read they're well-done. Check out his blog -- they've got something coming up this spring.

Laura

[Acadianmom]

I have never joined FMCA and the only big rally I have been to was for RVing Women in 2008. I take it that you have a Coach House, so do I. I never did join the Coach House Owners Club but I belong to 2 Yahoo Coach House groups. I think the guy that started one has passed away and I never get any posts from it. The other one is not very active and I only get a post from it every couple of months if then. Someone will ask a question and several will answer. I think I tried to contact the CH owners club and I didn't hear from them either but that was probably 10 years ago. I didn't know about a Facebook page. I'll have to check that out. I would like to attend one of their rally's but that's about 800 miles from me. I live in South Louisiana and I seldom ever see another Coach House.

Keep looking for women's camping groups. A friend started a Facebook group for Louisiana women. She posts a campout for every month, usually at a state park. It is a very informal group. Sometimes someone will post that they are camping somewhere and invite anyone that wants to come. I am camping with them for the next 2 weekends. I recommend trying to attend one of our forum GTG's. They are alway fun. A few of the women camp with their husbands and they are welcome to come if they want. My husband doesn't want to travel or camp.

Martha

[WickedLady]

You might want to check out Loners On Wheels. For singles only; not a dating club. Men and women. Campouts every month May-Oct. Very diverse. I belong to the Oregon chapter and they are a great group.

[Pooker]

I have been a member of FMCA for years! I do not belong to a chapter, but I have gone to the large annual rally held at the Indio Fairground in Southern California each January almost every year. I am also a Lifetime Good Sam member and I do belong to a GS chapter which camps out once a month. I love rallies, but you have to understand that it's a different type of adventure. Usually, they are held at fairgrounds in order to fit the hundreds (even thousands) of rigs. The Indio one offers 30 amp electric for a pricey fee or generator area with no electricity and certain hours to run generators. You are usually parked parking lot style - that is to say, no separate campsites and there's just enough room between rigs to put out a slide or awning. However, most folks don't spend a lot of time in their rigs because there is a lot to do and see. I enjoy attending some of the seminars and there are usually a lot of them. The seminars cover many different areas, from crafts to repairs; batteries to water/sewer problems. You can learn a lot from these seminars. Rallies usually also have vendors selling all sorts of things related to RV travel. The smaller the rally, the fewer the vendors, of course. The vendors are usually the ones who offer the seminars. Each evening there is usually entertainment of some sort. There may also be bingo (or Samgo, at GS rallies), a parade, a pet show or pet parade, perhaps a fashion show, game competitions, coffee and pastry each morning and maybe a dinner or pot luck.

There are two other huge pluses to being a FMCA member: the magazine is just about worth the price of membership and with your membership comes FMCA Assist. This valuable benefit provides emergency aid if you are 100 or more miles from home. If you have an accident or illness while traveling, they offer free medical evacuation, ensure that your dependents, pets and RV are returned home, and even more. PLUS there are other FMCA folks all over the country who volunteer to help you if you need advice, a place to park in their yard, help you with repairs, drive your rig home, even tell you where the best ribs can be found or closest RV repair place. This list of people as well as lists of repair facilities and campgrounds is included each January in the magazine. Good Sam also has volunteers to help members who are traveling.

Didn't mean for this to be so long or to sound like an ad for organization membership. I just wanted to explain that there are many benefits to belonging.

Evie

[elkriverrats]

Thanks for all the responses! I did join primarily for the magazine and the emergency benefit. I don't think I would be too tempted by all the goodies for sale, except for ideas on how to repurpose other items haha - but I never say never! I would love to see a rally..I love to check out campers and window shop. If I could work out the work/hubby schedule I would do it. There is one in GA in March that I can't get to but maybe the Aug rally is doable.
I have checked out the GTGs when I see the posts, but work gets in the way for the amount of time off I would need to get there and back...if something pops up within easy driving distance I plan on going! I have also checked out the rving women site and would also like to go to one of those events. My mom and I were going to attend one last year in PA but we had to postpone that plan. I will take a look again and see if anything is coming up in my area.
Thanks for the tips on other sites to check, I will take a look.
And Martha, nice to meet a CH owner! We just got ours and I love it!! It drives like a dream and is the perfect size for me. My mom and I recently drove to Pensacola and back and only saw ONE CH on the road in over 2000 miles. I will look for those Yahoo groups.

[Acadianmom]

My Coach House is a 2002 23' and I love it. It's my 4th motorhome and the best one. I think I scared some people in a Coach House that stopped in our local Walmart parking lot. I went up and started talking to them because I was so excited to see some one in a Coach House. They probably think Louisiana women are crazy.

Martha

[Rufflesgurl]

Belonged to FMCA for quite a few years and went to a few chapter rallies that were held close to where I was living at the time. People were very friendly. mostly couples and had a good time. Appreciated the chapter president said prayer of thanks before the Saturday night dinner. Loved their magazine also. Think it is a pretty well run organization.

Linda

[Bethers]

I'm a big believer, especially for newbies, to attend one of the big rallies and learn as much as you can. I've not been a member of FMCA but have friends who attend some of theirs. I've been to a few of the large Good Sam rallies.

[Colliemom]

I'm looking at possible heading to Gettysburg, PA in June. Seems like some of the gals out that way are interested in meeting with m. If I get this moving, will post it and maybe there will be a GTG there. I know I will be camping at one of the Gettysburg campgrounds, not sure just which one yet. Waiting for some more info to come in and also studying maps for easiest route to get there. So I you and mom are interested, you are welcome to join us.

[elkriverrats]

Good Morning!
Gettysburg is perfect - only a few hours from me. My parents are members at a CG there so mom and I were already talking about a trip this year. I would love to meet some of you and I know my mom will be thrilled. Can't wait to make plans for fun times! We are getting ready to face off with Winter Storm Jonas and escape is on my mind!!!