By Chuck Woodbury
PUBLISHER
I have been a member of FMCA, the Family Motor Coach Association, for more than half its 61 years. For the past decade I have watched the non-profit organization lose its focus and become less relevant.
Roughly 10 years ago, I began to worry that it was only a matter of time before the club ran its course and shut down. As a member, I have shared my thoughts, unsuccessfully, for more than a decade with FMCA’s staff and officers about what the club might do to remain relevant. I’m viewed, I suspect, as a complainer or even a troublemaker. This article certainly won’t change that.
What follows is based in large part on my own observations through the years as a member of the club.
In the last week, CEO Chris Smith left FMCA after 10 years. I don’t know if he left on his own or was forced out. I have tried to contact Chris to comment, but so far no luck. From what I know, his efforts were very often hampered by an executive board with little or inadequate experience operating a non-profit organization, much less one in decline.
The club was founded in 1963 for motorhome owners only. Its founders were mostly 60-something senior citizens. But the average age has steadily crept up (as the membership decreased). It’s now about 72. The club still holds bi-annual national rallies, which once drew as many as 7,200 RVs. Today, a thousand is a good turnout. Only about 1 percent of members now attend the national events. In the early 2000s, FMCA’s membership was about 130,000: It’s half that today.
The club’s magazine, which recently began publishing every other month from monthly, has not fundamentally changed with the times other than get thinner as advertisers departed (true for thousands of other printed periodicals).
When a magazine switches from publishing monthly to every other month, it is usually because it’s losing money. The magazine was once hugely profitable. In recent years, my guess is its “profits” have moved to the loss column. I don’t see any way it could be profitable again. A less-expensive newsletter could replace it, although the loss of the traditional magazine would cost the club members, most of whom consider it the main member benefit.
FMCA recently began offering memberships to towable RV owners, which effectively only diluted its focus and has had little if any effect on slowing membership decline.
Many of the club’s local and special interest chapters have disappeared as members “aged out.” Membership in chapters has gone from 66% of FMCA members in 2002 to 18% in 2018 to 16% in 2020. “Nobody wants to join a chapter these days,” past president Jon Walker told me.
Desperate attempts to increase memberships
Within the last year, the club began accepting members who do not own RVs, which it had never done before. It has also offered “limited time” membership deals one after another. My guess is that both are desperate attempts to increase cashflow (been there, done that as a former magazine publisher).
The club’s focus lately has been on member benefits. Many if not most only offer a discount on products or services that are almost always available for the same price elsewhere. To me, FMCA has become a discount club with mostly mediocre discounts.
Today, shortly before press time, I received an email from ex-president Walker, who criticized the poor management of the current president and his predecessor. He also brought up a subject that I suspect many members and others have considered: Bankruptcy.
“You may have recently received a letter from our current President [Gary Milner] outlining, from his perspective, how we have gotten in the terrible, near bankrupt condition that we are in today,” Walker wrote in a group email. “His letter is full of holes and untruths implying years of staff mismanagement, budgets that were not realistic, and complete surprises why withdrawals were made.”
I reached out to Milner for a comment but he did not respond.
Similar tales…
Look what happened to Kodak, Sears, Polaroid, Blockbuster and Kmart as they declined in sales and/or relevance even with high-powered leaders who were unable to reverse their company’s courses fast enough to avoid a bankruptcy or, indeed, even ensure survival.
If you would like more information about FMCA and its goals, click here for a PDF of its 2023 report, “Planning for the Future.” It’s very ambitious but I doubt achievable.
Are you a member of FMCA? Do you have something to add to this discussion? If so, please leave a comment or email me privately at chuck (at) RVtravel.com.
RELATED: Harvest Hosts buys Escapees RV Club.
##RVT1166
IMO, the FMCA should have stuck to its basic premise as an association of “motor coach” owners and dealt with its membership issues sticking to those core principles until the association could no longer financially afford to stay in business. Times change but that is no excuse to “muddy” your values to remain on life support for a few additional years. Sometimes you just have to say thanks for the great memories but it’s time to go.
I was asked to write some articles for them, which I did my first one and it was rejected for being TOO technical, very disappointing as it was geared to new RVers. I have pretty much given up on them, but keep a membership for some of the other “perks” like medical, etc.
FMCA has become something that I still have a membership in, but never ever think about. My membership expires next year, and doubtful if I will renew.
I totally agree with your story. I attended my first Good Sam Rally in 2006 at Daytona. It was a huge rally. Since then Good Sam has declined. I have attended many FMCA rallies in Perry Ga. Like Good Sam the earlier rallies were great with good entertainment. That’s not the case anymore. I agree FMCA has turned deaf ear to its members. At previous rallies I have asked questions about the rallies but didn’t get any answers. I have offered suggestions but no one seems to be interested in what I have to say. FMCA is like the dinosaur. If you don’t listen to your members and adapt to change you will become extinct!
I have been a member of FMCA for many years. I have tried to find the benefits of membership but frankly, I don’t feel there are any. I’ve reached out to their office to speak with a member of staff, hoping to become excited by what they would say, only to get voicemail and no call back. I’ve attended rallies only to find them boring, lacking substance, very stuffy, etc. The recent rally I attended had very limited exhibitors as well! FMCA did not deliver a quality experience IMHO. I do not see any reason to continue our involvement in FMCA so we most likely will let our membership lapse. I suspect many feel as we do.
We enjoyed the magazine over the years. Hated to see the monthly edition go to bimonthly.
But, the January Editon is the one that I keep in the RV for reference.
We assist at the Spring Rallies as Volunteers for many years, and hope to keep doing it in the future.
Change is constant. Adapt or die.
We joined in the ’80’s out of interest in the “motor coach” aspect of the organization, as we were converting a Blue Bird All American school bus to a high end RV. The FMCA was a wonderful technical resource at the time, and was invaluable to us. Most of the advertisers were geared to folks like us, and the publication was well done and we looked forward to it each month. We never joined a local chapter, and I am not even sure there was one in our area, however, that was not our interest anyway. We have never used any of the “benefits” of membership, and have no knowledge if they are worthwhile.
We first joined 20 years ago then dropped because I saw no benefits. I rejoined about a year ago and and just renewed. I did this because of their travel benefits. Now that we are retired I thought it would be fun to meet local (Florida) members to. Unfortunately, even in such a large state of retirees I found this was not possible. As far as their magazine it is pretty much useless. I would like to see them bury the hatchet and work together to lobby the industry and congress toward improving construction and safety of RVs and coming up with standards for private parks. I seldom vs their web site. Obviously they need to promote better in 2024.
we are lifelong campers and Motorhome owners. For years we saw the FMCA logo and joined early this year. We didn’t know a lot about the organization and after 6 months, we were a bit surprised. It really doesn’t offer much you can’t get other places. And the almost daily emails regarding the expensive Oregon rally became annoying.
I doubt we will renew next year.
About 8 years ago, I joined the RV family (again). I had seen the old Good Sam and FMCA stickers and placard on RV’s since the 70’s. After my first, and last, stop at Camping World, I was talked into joining Good Sam. I did not renew my membership. Last year, or so, FMCA offered a deal on membership. I took advantage of the special deal only to realize the organization did not address my wants and needs. It seemed to me more of a social or fellowship group. I sympathize with FMCA and their declining membership. Bod Dylan sang: “Times they are a changing” and unless organizations keep pace, modify or adapt they cannot survive.
What did/do you need them or another organization to address?
FMCA has a problem with no longer being relevant. It is run by old people who are out of touch with the enormous number of new young people who are now buying up RVs. FMCA added an unnecessary and expensive benefit to their members, offering emergency life flight assistance to people stranded with dire medical complications in a faraway place. Given that all American hospitals are satisfactory there is no need to waste valuable resources on this service, even if members want it. That money could be better spent increasing membership through advertisements in magazines young people read such as Wired. FMCA should employ recent college graduates who are more in touch with younger people.
I pretty much agree with you, Mark, except for your comment about how “all American hospitals are satisfactory”.
I still belong mainly for the emergency evacuation insurance. It’s worth the price of membership. I’d buy it somewhere else anyway. If something happens to me it’s nice to know all of us, including my wife, dog, and RV will get home with their assistance. I’ve been looking at chapter rallies if they’re somewhere I want to go.
I really miss RVillage.
I met a lady last year for whom the FMCAssist came to the rescue. From southern CA she and her husband were RVing in their motorhome in Key West when he died of a heart attack. Assist flew her son to be with her, returned the MH to So Cal, returned her, her son and the remains to So Cal with no out of pocket costs. She started driving the MH, sold the house in CA and has traveled the country solo for several years.
At 60 I bought my TT and joined. I liked that if something happens to me I would be taken care of. Their coverage wouldn’t work for me when I went to Australia and I had to buy from another. Just to be on the safe side I purchased Skymed so if that goes away, oh well.
Mark, they do have younger, savvy people on some of their committees, but the Board doesn’t listen to their recommendations. Old, wealthy, white men running the show and they wonder why they aren’t relevant. Sounds familiar.
Curious, What’s does race have to do with it?
Just read RV Business and two things you will not see. One is criticism of the poor quality of manufacturers’ products…RV’s, and second, is no minorities, just mostly older and very white male folks. Every issue I look for a more diverse management of all the participants in the RV industry. But, alas, the mag is supported by the old whites, who continue to manufacture or supply junk. junk. And I joined FMCA’s local chapter, nice folks, older , white, and it seemed to me to be a rest home on wheels. Change is the only constant, yet the industry refuses to change. RIP if you are lucky!
Race has nothing to do with it, which is why there should be diversity on the governing board.
I joined FMCA last July to see what it’s like. Got too many emails trying to sell things. Toward the end of last year I wanted to buy a TT out of state. I sent FMCA an email asking them if they knew any trucking company that would transport it to Pa. Never heard from them. I liked the magazine, but wasn’t happy they were going every other month. Dues are more than I want to pay. So I didn’t renew.
Thank you, Chuck! 🙂 Yes, DW and I are members. We are not members of any of the regional.organizations. DW is not all that keen on “rallies” per se. If they happen to be in a location she wants to.visit, then she becomes much more willing. We generally travel when and where we please without consulting rally schedules. We currently are members through August 2026 and have a T-Mobil hotspot and data plan through FMCA. We have regularly used the campground in our travels northward because Cincinnati is a convenient place to overnight. Very sad to read your comments. They certainly ring true. I wonder if there is a way forward that is other than bankruptcy and dissolution? Thanks again, …
have a great weekend, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
I was a member for many years, chapter officer, attended/volunteered at rallies, etc. I enjoyed the experience; it made a big difference being part of a chapter. I did not renew my membership after I “aged out” of RVing four years ago. It was sad to see the organization decline over the last years I was a member. I would like to hear Chuck’s ideas on what they could have done to “remain relevant.” I think FMCA was a victim of changing times – look at what happened to Good Sam and now Escapees. People today have different interests. The same thing has happened to fraternal organizations (Elks, American Legion), churches, and bowling leagues.
You’ve hit the nail on the head, Ray. You can learn more from YouTube or some paid on-line classes than you can at a convention and you learn on your own schedule.
The music at the conventions, like doo wop, is just…I would almost rather hear country music. Well, maybe not.
Then the ads I see for FMCA all show old white people sitting in parking lots. Could the ads on social media be less enticing?
Yes! Times have changed, and COVID really hurt social gatherings. RV parks are not friendly gatherings as they used to be. They are pricing themselves out of reach. When we first got our motorhome, we wanted to learn more, but people did not want to share as much. The same info was given rally after rally. The food offered at the rallies got worse. Tiffin rallies were far better, but now they have sold out to Thor! It is now easier and far cheaper to access the internet for info than attend a rally. Yes, the magazine has gotten worse, but so have other magazines. Popular Photography has shrunk into a web site. People would rather shoot photos on their phones. And we have change
We joined FMCA our first year we bought in 2011 and attended our first FMCA rally in 2012. We’ve gone to 3 or 4 rallies and found all of them fun and educational. We only stopped because after that many and being on the road for 8 years, we didn’t see a point any longer. We’ve kept our membership mostly because of the medical/airflight transport insurance as we feel it’s a great benefit. I do think it’s sad that they seem to be failing; between them and Escapees, the new folks coming on board to RV’ing won’t have either one of these two great groups to help them with all the wonderful classes, and camaraderie that we have had.
We belong to FMCA primarily because it is the home for the Roadtrek International club. That has been a useful group.
We are in our 2nd year of membership. Joined last year because the discount on Continental tires was very good…nearly $200 per tire better than I could get anywhere else. The large regional dealer I worked through said the cost was less than his!
As I write this, we are on our way to the Redmond rally. The cost was obscene, but we thought we’d give it a try as we haven’t visited Oregon, so spending nearly a month in the state touring. I was shocked when I saw that only around 700 rigs were registered. Last rally we attended was 2001 in Perry with GS & there were MANY thousands! If we paid a lot for a poor rally, we won’t renew. If it’s good, probably will.
Chuck
we have been FMCA members for a few yrs..joined when we had a MH but now 5th wheel and a toy hauler. Remained members for generic support of industry, magazine info and really for a very good price insurance program that also worked internationally. Have had same thoughts as you about some of strange comm from them lately. They need to clear the air with members
We attended one of the club conventions in Perry, GA a couple of years ago as we were seriously in the market for a Class A coach. We were looking for a coach under $200K and treated as far less than desirable folks. Only one dealer took the time to explain to us that FMCA was a group of folks who look down on anyone looking at entry level or near entry level coaches. They could not have been more accurate in their assessment. After purchasing our 4 year old Class A we looked into joining a nearby chapter. What a mistake. We were told we would not fit in and she essentially hung up on me. End of FMCA for us. They deserve whatever they get.
So sorry you got such a negative response from your local chapter. Some chapters are manufacture specific, but many are not. We belong to two chapters, with very different membership activitites. I own a 2016 entry level Class A, and no one has ever had anything negative to say about it.
Interesting! I am a life member of Good Sam (30-35 yrs) and remember the great programs, Highways magazine, Roadside Assistance et al and had interested responsive management with Meg Ryan et al. Then Lemonus came in and changed leadership and cancelled the magazine, replaced management, failed to answer fone calls or emails, stopped community issues involvement, trip planning and basically stripped it of every benefit – so he could pad his bottom line. So, I did not see a need to belong to another Rv club. Last Jan or Feb Rv Travel had a special FMCA reduced membership ($50.?), so I tho’t I would give it a try and see what it was really all about.
…I had read the stories about the 2020 covid convention cost vs income so was a little skeptical. I have been impressed with FMCA, altho I like the magazine sorry it is going to every other month – but that is the reality of our current inflationary times. The Redmond convention is expensive for sure, and we are unable to attend for health reasons. I like the roadside assist, the medical flight and Rv home program and several others. shades of the former Good Sam club. Cancelling programs is not the answer to stability. KMart and the others had it made – then overbuilt, then failed to see WalMart as a threat. We know the outcome. FMCA needs to be responsive and inclusive of all Rv’s.
DW/ND, no, the magazine’s problems have been going on for many years. The current inflation is not responsible.
There are reasons to Join FMCA.
Some join for the benefits. Not mentioned here is FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Plan. This is included in the $50 annual membership and that alone is a bargain.
A second reason is the fellowship; we have always enjoyed the clubs we have belonged to and the good friends we have made through the years.
The shared common interests in our coaches and travel is another benefit. We learned how to maintain our RV from club members with similar RVs, although this benefit has been diluted by expanded eligibility.
Fred, and yet the club continues to shrink. The FMCAssist program is expensive and does not interest younger members or potential members. And only about 15% of members join chapters and only about 1 percent attend the national rallies, which are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars each. The upcoming National Rally in Oregon is expected to lose $400,000.
Fred says: “Not mentioned here is FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Plan. This is included in the $50 annual membership and that alone is a bargain.” Agreed! One of the primary reasons I joined FMCA after purchasing a coach. The Forums are another reason the $50 is a bargain, and I’d be willing to pay more.
Chris, FMCA needs more members like you, but they have proved hard to come by.
Hopefully the purchase of FMCA by Harvest Host will bring new life and resources to the club. Just hoping it wasn’t purchased as a tax write off or like hedge fund groups buying it to strip it of resources then walking away.
Harvest Hosts bought Escapees, not FMCA.
About four years ago I had significant conversations with Jon Walker about the lack of relevance of FMCA. I have been a member for more than 20 years. The organization veered away from advocating for motor home owners, and yielding to manufacturer’s demands to keep advertising revenue. At that time I told Mr. Walker that FMCA was dead, but executives just ignored all the signs of being on life-supports. Adding travel trailer owners to a motor home organization was the final dagger. Trailer Life was their publication. FMCA, your time has passed- let it die with what little dignity it may still have.
Speaking of having a foot in the grave, you know motorhome sales are in a huge decline whereas towables are about 95% of sales. I don’t see the relevance of catering to a market that is simply in big decline. But I’m a travel trailer owner and you couldn’t give me a motorhome.
Well, you could. It would be on Facebook Marketplace that afternoon.
Tony, it would be an interesting write-up by you detailing your dislike of motorhomes vs trailers. Perhaps you already have.
I’m with you Tony. I was calling FMCA in 2016-2018 asking if they were taking towables yet and joined as soon as I got a yes. I never considered a MH when doing my research on RVs. I like being able to drop my trailer and take off in my truck. Not having to take care of two engines, trannies, etc., one of them being extremely expensive to maintain is a major reason. Not being able to back up easily and get out of a situation is another. FMCA is in trouble. And in my opinion so is Escapees with their sale to HH. People under the age of 55 don’t join anything. Look at all the service organizations (Elks, Moose, etc.).
And yet as Confucius say: “Better to be big fish in little pond than little fish in big pond.”
We joined FMCA because it became available to travel trailers and 5th wheels and have never felt looked down on. We enjoy the rallies and belong to a great local chapter. This is the secret to loving FMCA! Get involved, make lasting friendships, and recruit family and friends to join us. Let’s keep moving ahead, don’t give up hope!
I am a FMCA member and attend rallies as a volunteer. I enjoy working as a group to help make the rallies happen. I do think the content and format of the international conventions need changing. Large rallies are expensive to produce. Some people want to boondock and that is available, but the most desirable spots that sell out first are full hookups. I use the Tech Connect+ benefit but I think the overall package should be focused on what members will actually pay for and use.
I read the other comments and did not see anyone mention the competition. I am not attending the Oregon rally because I am attending the RV club rally by my RV manufacturer. These rallies sell out months in advance.
The volunteers are exceptional at these rallies so thank you, Larry! The rallies are a well-oiled machine.
The funny thing, to me as someone who has a very capable solar/lithium system, is how utterly perplexed the organization is by people who do not want hook-ups and do absolutely not want to be around folks with stinky, noisy generators. Like so many aspects of the FMCA, they need to realize that it’s no longer 1963 after all.
I am a lifetime Good Sam member. When I joined in 1990 the main reason was for the local and international rallies. When Marcus Lemonis raped the Good Sam organization, I was happy that FMCA expanded to accept us towables. I had heard over the years how much nicer the FMCA rallies were than the Good Sam rallies and was hoping to benefit from that. I have only been able to attend the rally in Perry GA last March, and an earlier rally in Lebanon TN. I hope they can find a solution to keep FMCA solvent and revlevant.
We joined FMCA in 2019 when we bought our current class A, mainly for the assist programs. We went to 1 regional rally a year ago and were kind of underwhelmed there.
The reason we’re going to this years national rally is because we’ve never been to anything quite this large. I also needed to plan some kind of trip far enough in advance to be mostly healed up from my heart surgery, and as motivation to get up and be ready to travel again. So far so good.
We’re new Newmar owners and joined the Newmar Kountry Klub. We went to one of their international rallies and numerous chapter rallies. We joined FMCA last year and in comparison, were very disappointed. I only renewed our membership because my husband liked one article in their magazine. My problem is I can’t pinpoint the difference between the two organizations. NKK rallies were well organized with a lot of fun activities. I was hoping FMCA would step up to the plate.
Fascinating article and discussion. I joined G Sam for a short while to get campground discounts but soon found that they were not really discounts when I went to a campground and found that with the discount was still more costly than the campground across the street, without discount. I have never been a club joiner, so did not need that aspect of membership. The discussion here has led me to believe that our younger selves had to join organizations to share the common interest. Today those common interests appear to be shared on YouTube by RV bloggers and their subscribers – just more soc-media not meeting the guy next door face to face. Organizations must be dying (except for the IRS).
We are members of FMCA because we do enjoy getting together once or twice a year with the chapter club Northwest Trek Fun Club for Safari Trek motorhomes. We went to one regional FMCA rally about 5 years ago and it was like a time capsule with a very bad, annoying sound track constantly playing in the background. The craft class offered actually featured decorating fly swatters… about as out of touch Grandma as you can get. I have no desire to repeat attending an FMCA rally again. I remarked at the time that there is no way younger people would find it appealing either.
Chuck. While you have a lot of good points about FMCA membership, I think you need to realize that the whole nature of nonprofit memberships in any interest is not as strong as it used to be. I’m involved with various groups and find the membership constantly dropping because people just don’t want to be members or be active in organizations.
As an active RVer for many years, I too have no interest in attending a rally. Those I go camping with, have similar feelings.
With print publications, and even digital publications, There is a real problem, keeping subscribers and members No matter what benefits or interesting material they include.
Maybe FMCA has some issues, but they are not alone.
We were members of FMCA for many years. We dropped our membership after selling our motorhome. We attended the first FMCA national summer convention held in Redmond Oregon. At that time being somewhat new full-timers we learned a lot and had some minor repairs done on our motorhome by the manufacture. It was a great experience. The next January we attended the SW regional at Indio, CA. Smaller but also a good experience. In the early days of our RVing one of the reasons for membership, other than the magazine, was the toll free message number where family members could leave voice messages and we could retrieve them on any phone. This was before cellphones were as reliable as they now.
“I have tried to contact Chris to comment, but so far no luck.” Typically a high level employee’s termination agreement contains “no comment” provisions.
We have been members of FMCA for over 6 years. We volunteer at the Rallies and have attended about 5 or 6 of the large Rallies. We will be in Oregon next month.
Everyone wants to put a stake into the heart of FMCA and call it dead, but that’s not true. FMCA is still a vibrant organization. We get a lot of benefits from FMCA. The benefit of FMCA Assist is worth the yearly dues. We always enjoy the rallies to talk to the vendors, get work done on the Coach, and learn at the Seminars. We won’t drive 1,000 miles out of our way for the Rally, but if we are close, we are definitely there.
Hi Chuck, I agree that while FMCA has much fewer members from 20 years ago, I have heard from various FMCA staff that the membership numbers have been pretty stable over the past four years (with the acceptance of other RVs). I don’t see FMCA being in a “Death Spiral” but I do see an organization that needs to adapt and understand the current needs.
I won’t renew this year. Just not enough value there