FMCA losing their allure?

[TheArnolds]

Originally Posted by docj

Quite simply FMCA is a business that wants my money and has to create a reason for me to want to pay it to them. This has absolutely nothing to do with the ME generation. I don't volunteer at Walmart to make them a better store; I either shop there or I don't. I have no obligation to want to make FMCA a better organization; I do lots of volunteer work for entities all over the US. In this case I simply would like to join an RVing organization that had benefits worth the cost of joining. If the organization can't offer benefits then why should I belong? IMHO there are lots of benefits that FMCA could offer that would make it more valuable to me. For example, if the campground discounts were equal to Good Sam, I'd gladly drop my GS membership, but they are not. MEDEX was a nice benefit, but it's no longer available. The tire discount is nice, but it's a once every 7-8 year thing. Tell me why I should want to remain a remember; sell me on the benefits. I don't like rallies and your magazine is nice, but not worth $40. Tell me what else I get, please.....

At your own admission it is a non-profit club! Hot flash…it is NOT a Wal-Mart or anything close either…it is a club! This club and its chapters depend heavily on volunteers to make it work. If you are so benevolent, like you claim to be, then volunteer to help make it better or are you one of those people that like sit back and complain and cast dispersions with no intentions to do anything else? To compare the FMCA “Club” to anything other than another non-profit club is not an honest comparison so again you are looking to find fault, not to make anything better.

[JohnRR]

We seem to be starting to stray a bit.

[Butte64]

Did someone mention desire for discounts?

Just got my FCOC renewal thanks and here are a few benefits it mentions:
" ...enclosed your new membership card which you can use to receive a 5% discount on parts and labor at the FCCC Gaffney, SC Service Center. You can also receive this discount when purchasing parts from the Freightliner Service Trailer at our National FCOC rallies. You are also eligible, as a member of FCOC, for purchase discounts on all new Chrysler vehicles (except Dodge Viper and Mercedes Benz). Also, check out our new O'Reilly Auto Parts Discount program on our website http://www.fcocrv.org"

Works for me.

[MattC]

Originally Posted by Butte64

Did someone mention desire for discounts?

Just got my FCOC renewal thanks and here are a few benefits it mentions:
" ...enclosed your new membership card which you can use to receive a 5% discount on parts and labor at the FCCC Gaffney, SC Service Center. You can also receive this discount when purchasing parts from the Freightliner Service Trailer at our National FCOC rallies. You are also eligible, as a member of FCOC, for purchase discounts on all new Chrysler vehicles (except Dodge Viper and Mercedes Benz). Also, check out our new O'Reilly Auto Parts Discount program on our website http://www.fcocrv.org"

Works for me.

Did you happen to notice that FCOC is a chapter of FMCA?

Matt

[Butte64]

Originally Posted by MattC

Did you happen to notice that FCOC is a chapter of FMCA?

Matt

Of course, that is why I brought it up.

[ImagineIF]

I'm a member and have enjoyed discounts on tires (3 times), CG discounts, and insurance discounts.

The internet has changed so many businesses, FMCA being just one example. When there are excellent sites, like this one, RV information sharing is better than FMCA could ever hope for. Before the internet explosion, information specific to the RV community was very limited with FMCA and GS being the leaders. GS is effectively gone, being not much more than a CW benefit. Oh yea, I still belong to GS because CW extended my membership for 5 years for just a few bucks.

I wonder why so many FMCA chapters don't break away from FMCA. If they did I would expect another big plunge in membership. If FMCA wants to survive they need to find a way to cut their expenses so dues can be cut. There is a price point for most that would get them to belong, even if they didn't get a lot from it.

[dons2346]

"I wonder why so many FMCA chapters don't break away from FMCA

It is because of the liability insurance provided by FMCA for club events.

Someone said that FMCA requires you to be a member before you can join a club. Just the opposite is true, the clubs require you to be a member of FMCA before you join, here again for liability insurance purposes.

[TheArnolds]

Originally Posted by dons2346

"I wonder why so many FMCA chapters don't break away from FMCA

It is because of the liability insurance provided by FMCA for club events.

Someone said that FMCA requires you to be a member before you can join a club. Just the opposite is true, the clubs require you to be a member of FMCA before you join, here again for liability insurance purposes.

Exactly! My local club, which will turn 40 years old next year, has annual dues of $15.00. If it was a stand alone club responsible for things like liability insurance I am sure that the cost would be many times this amount.

I personally feel that I get much more in RVing fellowship belonging to my local club and its association with our FMCA Regional and National club then the cost of membership in these clubs.

[MattC]

Originally Posted by dons2346

"I wonder why so many FMCA chapters don't break away from FMCA

It is because of the liability insurance provided by FMCA for club events.

Someone said that FMCA requires you to be a member before you can join a club. Just the opposite is true, the clubs require you to be a member of FMCA before you join, here again for liability insurance purposes.

And you had better believe it. I am well involved with several type-specific chapters. We looked at dropping FMCA and getting equivalent coverage for our own group(s). In the final analysis, it was less expensive for the membership to pay the FMCA annual membership than to pay the increase in cost of membership in our own organization.

Smaller group would really take it in the ear. I particularly like the officer liability coverage.

Matt

[BillorTeresa]

I'm not sure what the comment about Good Sam being a shill for Camping World means but we were at the fairgrounds where a rally was being held and it appeared to be a well run rally. We have a 5th wheel now so we do not belong to the FMCA but it seems belonging to some sort of group is always beneficial. ANY discount is better than NO discount

[Steve Ownby]

FMCA has just reinstated FMCAssist as a part of the benefit package. There was a big uproar when it was dropped a couple of years ago. Charlie Adcock made it his major goal as president of FMCA to get this benefit back.

There is a fairly vocal group of motorhomers who seem to think their life and motorhoming experience would be enhanced if FMCA would die an agonizing public death. I don't understand this mind set as if I don't like an organization I simply don't join.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

[UFO Pilot]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

FMCA has just reinstated FMCAssist as a part of the benefit package. There was a big uproar when it was dropped a couple of years ago. Charlie Adcock made it his major goal as president of FMCA to get this benefit back.

There is a fairly vocal group of motorhomers who seem to think their life and motorhoming experience would be enhanced if FMCA would die an agonizing public death. I don't understand this mind set as if I don't like an organization I simply don't join.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

[docj]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

FMCA has just reinstated FMCAssist as a part of the benefit package. There was a big uproar when it was dropped a couple of years ago. Charlie Adcock made it his major goal as president of FMCA to get this benefit back.

Even though this is probably the same benefit as FMCA previously offered, anyone who reads the small print will quickly realize that it is not at all what many people think it is. There seems to be a belief that this benefit would provide for an ill or injured person to be repatriated to the US or to their home area along with shipment of their RV. In reality it provides nothing of the kind.

Rather, the policy provides for an ill or injured person to be transported to the nearest location at which adequate medical care can be provided if they currently are at a location where such care isn't available. Nowhere is repatriation from Canada or Mexico discussed. If you were upcountry in the Yukon you might be eligible to be transported to a bigger city, but if you're expecting to be transported home you are likely to have an unpleasant surprise.

Furthermore, none of the other benefits, such as transport of your RV to your home, are available unless you have been transported for medical reasons.

So, in reality, this "benefit" is typical of most low-cost insurance benefits. The actual chances of actually getting paid under this coverage is somewhere between slim and none. "Celebrating" this as an accomplishment is a joke IMHO.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by docj

Even though this is probably the same benefit as FMCA previously offered, anyone who reads the small print will quickly realize that it is not at all what many people think it is. There seems to be a belief that this benefit would provide for an ill or injured person to be repatriated to the US or to their home area along with shipment of their RV. In reality it provides nothing of the kind.

Rather, the policy provides for an ill or injured person to be transported to the nearest location at which adequate medical care can be provided if they currently are at a location where such care isn't available. Nowhere is repatriation from Canada or Mexico discussed. If you were upcountry in the Yukon you might be eligible to be transported to a bigger city, but if you're expecting to be transported home you are likely to have an unpleasant surprise.

Furthermore, none of the other benefits, such as transport of your RV to your home, are available unless you have been transported for medical reasons.

So, in reality, this "benefit" is typical of most low-cost insurance benefits. The actual chances of actually getting paid under this coverage is somewhere between slim and none. "Celebrating" this as an accomplishment is a joke IMHO.

Joel,

Are you an FMCA member?


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07