BCM Community

I am a member of FMCA but researching it looks like the largest of the 3 Good Sam has the most to offer with the lower fees even with all the junk mail they send what say the group

good luck

FMCA saved me a ton of money on package deal vehicle insurance.

It won't let me vote for the two I am a member of.

At one point their discount programs (FMCA=Michelin tires, Good Sam=Pilot RV fuel discounts) were the incentive to join but now those are available free on Prevost Community. Don't see benefits from either any more.

I can't see any value in any of them. I just drive my bus in peace without them. The only thing worthwhile is CoachNet.

JC

We have Good Sam, we got the junk mail stopped. Not sure it's the best but it works. Our only issue we had so far was they couldn't get anyone to come change a tire on 26 near Mt Hood. Other times they've been real quick. Craig

I only joined FMCA because way back Coach-Net was going to charge me an extra $40 for the first year otherwise.  It was the same cost to join FMCA as the $40 extra to Coach-Net.  I dropped FMCA after the first year.

Good Sam RV Club and Good Sam roadside assistance are not the same thing.  Good Sam roadside assistance is something offered for extra cost by Good Sam, but you don't even have to join Good Sam to buy the roadside assistance.

They are all in it for our money only. We will be your friend  IF you pay us every year and oh pay us for our expensive rallies and our food and our venders that we pick for you to push stuff you don't really need for you RV life style. Then we will lobby for you so that when your RV gets to old that we will make sure you have to buy a newer one to get into the parks etc. Now let me fill your mailbox with all kinds of stuff we can sell you also.
I called them up and asked if they keep sending me their insurance and fix-it pamphlets will they fix my old bus when it breaks down. Oh no we can't do that yet they send it each month, LOL

Actually, with the exception of the Escapees the others are not clubs but businesses with the purpose of making money. FMCA is member run, but it's activities and programs are money generators. Good Sam is assuredly a business.

Hi Clifford, would not let me vote.for.fmca & good sams & not for.escapees, good sams emergency has been good for me, fmcas not, good sams incessant emergency repair flyers are a pain, when they wont go thru with bus repair, I like fmcas & sams magazines, but not worth the membership.costs tv is advertiser paid and free,  and overwhelming advertising. Most annoying is each not giving a dam about issues at the center of rv living, like the 10 year rule, lvmci...

We are Good Sam members only because one of the campgrounds in the Outer Banks of NC gives a discount well worth more than the membership fee! I hate all this crap!
Jack

We are not members of any of those.  We have joined membership camping clubs in the past based on our needs at the time.  One was Coast to Coast.  The resale memberships in an affiliated campground is cheap online, and if you are going to be camping where they have campgrounds their $10/day rate makes it worthwhile.  For the past couple of years, we have not had any use for it and quit. If you look into buying a membership though, be aware that you should only buy one that lets you quit when you want.  Some say you are perpetually obligated to pay their dues or find someone to replace you!

We also had joined something called Happy Camper for a couple of years.  It also paid for itself at the time, but we stopped that also when it no longer served our purposes.  I am told that if you can go through the process of joining the Elks, they have many campgrounds.

Looking at the finances seems like all 3 are cash generators Good Sam is out of this world for cash,the Escapee's are in better shape than the FMCA both of those are gaining members while FMCA has lost 35,692 members in 5 years and another 1230 members from Jan to Jun this year alone no report out from Jun to Dec 31 yet for FMCA 

Charles Adcock has his work ahead of him to save FMCA if he can it's not looking good they have laid off almost 1/2 of the employees down to only 37 now,I like Charles I just hope he can turn it around in his 2 year term but that is not much time for a turn around IMO

We don't belong to any. Never stayed in a park. Do have Good Sam's towing

TOM

Quote from: Jon on December 29, 2013, 11:03:56 AM
Actually, with the exception of the Escapees the others are not clubs but businesses with the purpose of making money. FMCA is member run, but it's activities and programs are money generators. Good Sam is assuredly a business.

Escapees is also a business, albeit a family run business. I think more approachable.

FMCA long enuff to take advantage of the Michelin Tire discount and not going to renew.  Good Sams insurance, in 25 years, had one service call for a tire inflation, now have the Coach net. Never called them yet.
Agree Good Sams mag is A catalog for Camping World.
Seldom stay in CaMP ground other than the Arcadia event, where am at present.  ;D
Need to chase down a golf cart or a little motorized chair/ buggy.
Dave M

I have both FMCA and Good Sam. I like the FMCA magazine for the reading material. Good Sam is now going to a quarterly publication attached to Motor Home magazine. They gave you the choice of either Motor Home of Trailer Life as options instead of the usual catalog/magazine. Sure the FMCA events are a big money maker but it is a great event to learn about whats new and meet new people etc. Sometimes I think the gatherings are too big but where else could you go and see a few thousand rv's of many types including converted bus all in one location. Great chance to discuss rv's with many different people.

Used to be FMCA members many years ago, but never figured out what we got out of the dues. Since then, we're like many others, simply carry roadside assistance.
Will  :)

The voting has ended seems like most that voted prefer Good Sam,I asked the question on another board with 1200 members 60 said they see no benefit in belonging to any of the groups but FMCA or Escapee's membership was required to belong to their club chapter so they pay to belong to their chapters to gather with friends and don't mind the 40 bucks a year to FMCA or the 60 bucks for the Escapee's 

thanks 

That seems to be an overly restrictive way to conduct a club. Must be an outgrowth from the current administration's method of doing business.

One reasons clubs require FMCA membership is because the club gets liability insurance through FMCA. 

Belfert, that is a 2 mil policy and it does not cover the members of the chapter it covers a few of the officers not the general membership it's sorta of a joke

   I belong to FMCA Not necessarily for the benefits any more, however I plan to take advantage of the Michelin tire deal. They got so big that we aren't even on their radar anymore. Still, maybe they will go back closer to their roots, now due to the massive shrinkage. These high fuel prices, especially diesel, is killing everyone and everything.
   Pa. just added 91/2 cents gas tax and 13 cents fuel tax per gallon to fix roads and bridges to the wholesale level, but every distributor or company is passing it on to the public.

We are presently with coach net and that is about it at this time ;)

Other places offer the tire program Jon on the Prevost Community board has the Michelin, Napa and a fuel program for free just sign up

With as many members as this board has they could probably offer programs also, I am working with Toyo,and Bridgestone/Firestone (GCR) on a tire program for a club I belong too there are plenty out there without paying 

Quote from: luvrbus on January 03, 2014, 07:57:08 AM
Belfert, that is a 2 mil policy and it does not cover the members of the chapter it covers a few of the officers not the general membership it's sorta of a joke

If a member gets hurt at a rally the officers are the ones likely to get sued if anyone.  I had heard the reason Bussin' was run under FMCA was to get the insurance for the rally.  Maybe there were other reasons too, I don't know.

I don't how Bussn would work that not being a FMCA chapter maybe through some FMCA chapter sponsor in that area I don't know

Quote from: luvrbus on January 03, 2014, 01:06:18 PM
I don't how Bussn would work that not being a FMCA chapter maybe through some FMCA chapter sponsor in that area I don't know

The Arcadia rally is handled thru the Southeast Bus Nuts, an FMCA chapter.

The Oregon rally, IIRC, was set up as a specific chapter.

FWIW & HTH. . .

;)

LOL yea RJ, Bus'n USA was a chapter you want a Bus'n USA charter member badge that is all that is left of that chapter just the badges

I just realized that I should have mentioned in my previous post that I could not vote as we are not members of any of the clubs above, but we will be looking into some to join in the future and will probably keep coach net too.

Quote from: luvrbus on January 03, 2014, 05:21:42 PM
LOL yea RJ, Bus'n USA was a chapter you want a Bus'n USA charter member badge that is all that is left of that chapter just the badges

Clifford -

Chk your PM box.

RJ