FMCA to Host 1st ‘Family Reunion’ in Georgia

Change has come to the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), members of which will meet March 14-17 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, Ga., for their first-ever Southern Homecoming Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase.

Not only has FMCA relabeled its gathering a family reunion instead of a convention — as the association’s national confabs have been called in the past — but also, owners of self-contained towable RVs have been invited to attend the previously all-motorhome event.

That, of course, was a big step for the traditional motorized-only consumer club, and whether the changes are permanent or not, remains to be seen.

”This is more of a reunion,” said Jerry Yeatts, director of shows and commercial services for the Cincinnati, Ohio-based association. ”Convention’ just seemed to us to sound like it’s exclusive for members. We wanted the public to know that it’s more than that. Adding the words ‘motorhome showcase’ shows that it also is a trade show.”

The Southern Reunion will be the first under the direction of FMCA’s new executive director, Bradford Koshland, a veteran of the New Jersey State Police, who most recently was with the Florida Division of Real Estate. Koshland took over on Jan. 1.

FMCA, which will hold its second ”reunion” Aug. 10-13 at the Alliant Center in Madison, Wis., has seen attendance at its conventions decline in attendance in recent years due to the Great Recession.

”Because we have some additional space available, we thought it would be nice to invite our friends who are towable owners to see what FMCA is all about and what our national events are all about,” Yeatts said. ”We don’t know if we will do it in the future. We will evaluate it after Perry and it will depend on space available.”

Three weeks before the ”Southern Reunion,” owners of about 2,500 coaches were registered for the event. Fewer than 20 towable owners have accepted FMCA’s invitation.

”Some of the (towable) folks are former members who have downsized from a motorhome,” Yeatts said. ”We imagine a lot of (towable registrations) will come at the last minute. We have been in contact with the local community and campgrounds in Georgia and northern Florida and sent out e-mail blasts to our members who may have friends who have towables. That’s where we have gotten our biggest response.”

When FMCA last visited Perry in March 2009, 2,774 family coaches were registered.

This year, FMCA has sold out 156,000 square feet of outdoor display space at which manufacturers are expected to exhibit more than 800 new motorhomes. In addition, 400 booths also have been sold out to 300-some vendors offering RV accessories, camping supplies and related products.

In addition, activities will include seminars on a variety of topics related to motorhomes and RV travel, plus local tours and daytime and evening entertainment.

Gate registration is $185 for FMCA members or $235 for non-members, who also will receive a membership. Towable owners attending the event will eceive a one-year subscription to FMCA’s Family Motor Coaching magazine.

The public is invited to attend for $7 a day, with children under 12 and those on active military duty admitted free.

Only one national gathering is scheduled for 2012 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis July 2-5.

Woodall’s Directory Marks 75th Anniversary

Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Woodall Publications Corp. is launching a host of new digital products and services to complement its industry-leading campground directory and website.

“It’s cool to be celebrating 75 years,” said Ann Emerson, vice president and publisher of Woodall Publications Corp. “It’s not only 75 years as a print title – Woodall’s North American Campground Directory – but look at all the digital stuff we’re doing today. The RV lifestyle lends itself to the technology that’s coming out now. It’s all about the digital world.”

“It’s very exciting. There are some incredible statistics out there about how many people own cell phones and are texting. The younger demographic is ripe for the digital channel and we are ready to deliver it,” she said.

For example, Emerson noted that in 2010 Woodalls had 277,000 people visit woodalls.com via mobile devices. In 2009, that might have been around 5,000.

Virtually all Woodalls’ readers have cell phones and 79% own two or more. Average age is 57, average income is $85,000, average nights annually spent in parks is 57. And those campers, on average, spent $1,500 on their last RV trip.

“We had a 33% increase in the number of visitors to our website in 2010,” said Emerson. “We get 15 million page views in a year, twice as much as our nearest competitor gets. That’s why we’re doing the mobile version of our website.”

Emerson and her staff rolled out plans for the 2012 Woodall’s North American Campground Directory and a host of related programs at their annual “rep” conference, a term referring to the teams that travel North America visiting campgrounds on behalf of Woodall’s, which was held Jan. 17-20 at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel.

The company officially marked its 75th anniversary at a closing banquet attended by an array of industry leaders.

The 27 rep teams, some of whom began their data collection in the field on Feb. 1, were introduced to a host of new cutting-edge digital programs at the Woodall conference to better serve Woodalls’ “affluent, active and tech-savvy” customers, 54% of whom own web-enabled mobile phones.

Packaging its digital assets – mobile and online – is a focus for Woodall’s, allowing consumers to find RV parks and campgrounds through multiple channels and touch points. Many of the enhancements offered on woodalls.com are also available on the mobile application, often optimized for this emerging channel, explained Emerson.

Woodall’s will roll out its first mobile application this spring, which will be available for the iPhone (including the iPad and iPod Touch). This free app will allow RVers to search for campground listings geographically, by name or by nearby attractions. Some of the campground products and features available on the mobile app include:

• Website Link: A direct link from the application right to your website.
• Digital Photos: Up to five digital photos with one’s Listing Details Page.
• Banner Ad: A mobile version of a listee’s state/provincial banner found on the Search Results Page of the application.
• Front of the Line Exposure: Exclusive Woodall feature that “jumps” your listing to the top of the iPhone Search Results Page in a city of your choice.
• Video – A video of your park, optimized for viewing on the application.
• Digital Spotlights: Your story in your own words.
• Visual Tour: This interactive slideshow is located on the Listing Details Page and “paints the picture” of the camping experience you offer guests.
• The above-mentioned products will also be available on woodalls.com, as well as:
• Digital Web Ads: A digital version of a print ad in the campground directory can be activated from the Search Results and Listing Details Pages.
• Instant Email: Customers can e-mail a campground directly from the Listing Details Page.
• Social Media: Accesses a campground’s Facebook and Twitter links from the Listing Details Page
• Rotating Banners: Rotating State/Provincial Banners found on both the Search Results and at the footer of a campground’s Listing Details Page.
• Blogging Opportunities: Three blog posts to draw readers to a given area.
• E-newsletter Editorial Features: Reach the inbox of Woodalls’ most engaged users by telling a story in your own words. Campgrounds may choose the months.

“We are so excited and our rep teams are excited to go out and talk to our campground customers about this technology and marketing possibilities we can all learn together,” said Emerson.

The traditional print directory will include full-color state and provincial travel maps, GPS coordinates and physical addresses on select listings and “One Tank Trip” ideas, among other helpful information for campers.

A scannable QR (Quick Response) Code placed in a campground’s ad connects RVers from their offline print ad to their online Visual Tour via their mobile phones.

The 2011 edition also marked the first year advertisers were able to incorporate an industry-first, four-color process in the listing section advertisements in the Woodall’s directories. “It’s breathtaking, the colors really pop,” Emerson said. “We know for the 2012 edition there will be even more parks that want to do that.”

The 2012 directory will contain ratings of more than 8,000 privately owned and 6,000 public parks across North America.

Woodall’s is the official directory of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), Family Campers & RVers, Camp Club USA and Camping World President’s Club. The Escapees RV Club and the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) are also partners with Woodall’s, while Camping Life is its affiliated family camping magazine.

“We are very optimistic it will be a good year for the industry and for Woodalls,” said Emerson, noting that the deadline for data collection for the 2012 directory is Aug. 31. The directory comes off the presses the week after Thanksgiving.

For information, call (800) 323-9076 or visit www.woodalls.com.

Affinity Group Inc. (AGI) is the parent company of Woodalls and RVBUSINESS.com.

Nexus RV to Debut New Lines at March Rally

Startup Class C manufacturer Nexus RV LLC will debut its first lines — a traditional Phantom minimotorhome and a B-plus-style Viper C-body — March 14-17 at the Family Motor Coach Association’s Southern Homecoming Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Perry, Ga.

”We are in the process of ramping up our production,” said Claude Donati, president of the Elkhart, Ind., startup. ”February is our staging month and we hope to start bringing product off the end of the line on March 1,”

Donati said the first 50 units will be marketed to rental outlets as Scenic Traveler Class C’s.

”Our goal the first year is $20 million in sales and in five years, if things go right, we will be at $100 million,” Donati said. ”Our unit goal the first year is 240 — one unit a day.”

Phantom and Viper motorhomes will be sold factor- direct with a strong presence on Facebook and other Internet social media.

Nexus, currently with 17 employees, has 87,000 square feet of manufacturing space along with a 25,000-square-foot indoor showroom on 10 acres near the Indiana Toll Road on the north side of Elkhart.

”We are set up to take trade-ins and we will be selling used product as well as new,” Donati said, adding that by the end of the year the company expect to have 35-40 employees.

Nexus has made service arrangements with 200 independent service centers throughout the country. ”I’ve developed relationships with many of them during my many years of experience in the industry,” said Donati, formerly vice president of motorized at Gulf Stream Coach Inc. ”The service centers don’t sell product; they just service RVs.”

All Nexus Class C’s are built on 14,500-pound GVWR Ford E-450 Super Duty chassis with lightweight steel superstructures and Azdell Superlite composite sidewalls and roofs.

The Phantom is available in five 23- to 32-foot floorplans with up to two slideouts and an MSRP of $85,300. The Viper will feature a molded fiberglass cap and be offered in three 23- to 27-foot floorplans and up to three slideouts for an MSRP of $89,600.

Factory direct sales will allow Nexus to sell units for as much as $5,000 less than its competitors, Donati said.

”The benefits for the customer are saving money,” Donati said, reporting that the average Nexus’ selling cost is expected to be between $65,000 and $70,000.

In addition to the Internet, Nexus RVs will be marketed at major RV shows and Donati plans to host clubs at its Elkhart facility that have been ”orphaned” by manufacturers that have gone out of business, he said.

1,000-Plus Coaches Attending FMCA Rally

Motorcoach dealers were licking their chops Wednesday (Feb. 2) as the big-wheeled behemoths rolled in by the hundreds to the Hernando County Airport in Brooksville, Fla.

That’s because many of the owners of the 1,127 recreational vehicles arriving for the opening day of the 30th Annual Family Motor Coach Association Southeast Rally will be looking for new models, both upgrades and down-sized, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

“We’re not here to show; we’re here to sell, baby, sell,” said an enthusiastic Chris Burdin of Long View SuperSales, one of the 14 dealers at the event.

The dealers have 125 models on display, the most ever, said Southeast Area association president Tom Eller. The rally that continues through Saturday.

(“Buying) has increased in the last nine months. Last year was depressed,” said Keith Abbott of Five-R Custom Coaches of Sanford.

“Banks are starting to finance again,” noted Tommy Kay, of Great Recreation.

“(Business) is upbeat. It’s getting much better,” added Dick Rocha with Giant Recreation World, a dealership with sites in Winter Garden, Ormond Beach and Melbourne.

“On Sale” signs surrounded the venue for Long View, which has taken part in the rally since 2002. Burdin said his company is offering RVs at 40% off dealership prices, from $40,000 for a 21-footer to $260,000 for a 43-foot model.

They’re willing to deal, the dealers said, because they don’t want to drive their coaches back home.

All of the dealers mentioned that more and more Baby Boomers are taking up the RV lifestyle, while some older folks are looking to downsize for economy’s sake.

“I think by the number of coaches here,” said Kay of Giant Recreation, “you can tell interest is up.” His company has 19 coaches on display.

What are shoppers looking for? More slide-outs, perhaps bigger counter tops, greater living space, bathrooms at the end of the living space rather than in the middle, computer and desk tables, dealers report.

Of course, many visitors from the North come to the rally for the warm weather.

Mike Jorde of North Attleboro, Mass., removed himself from 61 inches of snow this winter. More snow was in Wednesday’s forecast back home. “We come to Florida every year,” he said, “to live in the RV.”

Tim and Verona Calbath of Dover-Foxcraft, Maine, didn’t take any chances on getting caught in the blizzards. They toured in their RV to Zephyrhills in November and visited the rally on a daily pass Wednesday, just wanting to see what’s new in the RV business.

Back in Maine, “It’s snowing,” noted Verona Calbath.

FMCA Recipe Contest Promotes Food Drive

The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), in partnership with Microwave Connection, has launched an online RV Recipe Drive to help feed the hungry.

Everyone who adds an acceptable RV-friendly recipe to FMCA.com’s Recipes for the Road (http://www.fmca.com/motorhome/recipes) now through March 1 will be entered in a drawing to win an On-the-Road Muffin/Cupcake Set (a $ 57.50 value) from Microwave Connection, according to a news release.

For each recipe added during this period, FMCA will donate one non-perishable food item to a local food bank in the Cincinnati area.

“The RV Recipe Drive is not only a perfect opportunity to share recipes with other RVers, but a chance to feed some of the millions of Americans who go to bed hungry,” said Janet Sadlack, owner of Microwave Connection, an online resource on microwave and microwave-convection cooking.

FMCA and the motorhoming community are known for their eagerness to lend a helping hand, said Judy Czarsty, FMCA national senior vice president/acting national president. “The RV Recipe Drive is a great way to share a favorite recipe – an old family favorite, a new one that you created, or perhaps one from a friend – and feed the hungry at the same time.”

FMCA encourages participants to submit recipes of all sorts, including main courses, side dishes, soups, salads, appetizers and desserts.

Recipes can be entered at http://www.fmca.com/motorhome/recipes.

“Silicone cookware is great for traveling because it is lightweight, stacks easily and is flexible for storage,” Sadlack said. “It’s also non-breakable, rattle proof and can withstand temperatures of microwave, convection and combination cooking.”

The Teflon baking sheet supports the regular-size muffin cups on a rack and also doubles as a cookie and baking sheet. It can be rolled up and inserted into an empty paper towel tube for storage.

Sadlack travels the country presenting microwave-convection cooking seminars at FMCA conventions and other RV shows. She offers advice, videos and recipes on her website, http://www.microwaveconnect.com. “Many RVers love to cook in their RV, and they enjoy trying new recipes,” she said. “I look forward to seeing some of them on FMCA.com.”

A complete list of RV Recipe Drive rules is at http://www.fmca.com/motorhome/motorhome-news/3338.

FMCA is an international organization for families who own and enjoy the use of self-contained, motorized recreation vehicles known as motorhomes. The association maintains its national headquarters in Cincinnati and currently has approximately 100,000 active member families. FMCA offers its members a number of benefits, including a subscription to its monthly magazine, Family Motor Coaching; an emergency medical evacuation program; trip routing; mail forwarding; and group rates on an emergency roadside assistance program.

Big Rigs Best Bets Releases 2011 Edition

The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Western Motor Home Association rally at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio, Calif., was the backdrop for release of the 11th edition of “Big Rigs Best Bets.”

Both the 498-page spiral bound large print copy and the innovative web-based online version were on display at their booths. According to Ken and Ellie Hamill, co-authors, the 23rd annual Western Area Rally was “the logical choice” because of the heavy concentration of RVs which congregate in the area at this time of year, according to a news release.

As Hamill related, “The rally attendees, coupled with the guests at nearby resorts, are the core of the segment of the RV market which we serve. Not only do these coach owners tend to have the most discretionary income for RV related products, they tend to travel greater distances and for a longer period of time.”

They were particularly delighted to discover the online version is compatible with all computers, tablets and smart phone mobile devices as Hamill demonstrated the easy navigation of the book on the Apple I-Pad, he stated.

“Real time changes in the content of the online version throughout the course of the year is a real bonus for our reader base,” stated Hamill.  ”An added benefit to our advertisers is they now have a resource to reach out to our online membership base with improvements and changes to their facility throughout the course of the year rather than waiting for the next annual print copy.”

Features include:

• A blend of 1,200 upscale resorts, overnight stays along the interstate, destination parks and suitable public parks.
• Each park listing includes specific site numbers and the various lengths of these preferred sites along with other park details, including Wi-Fi.
• Detailed ” dead on ” directions from an RVer’s point of view. Physical addresses for GPS users are also noted.
• 532 paved and maneuverable fuel stops. For your convenience the online version has links to gasbuddy.com
• 244 notable restaurant tips.

Big Rigs Best Bets has been serving the RV community since 2001.

Learn more at www.big-rigs-rv.com.

FMCA Meeting In Indianapolis in July 2012

FMCA, an international organization for motorhome owners, has announced the dates for its 87th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase, to be held July 2-5, 2012, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind.

Family parking days will be on June 30 and July 1.

This will be FMCA’s first international convention at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the fourth FMCA international event to be held in Indiana. The last time FMCA met in Indiana was in July 1991, when motorhome owners gathered at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend for the association’s 46th convention, according to a news release.

“The Indiana State Fairgrounds will be a wonderful site for members to celebrate Canada Day and Independence Day in 2012. Indiana is known as the Crossroads of America, and we intend to have a true family-oriented get-together for all motorhome enthusiasts to enjoy. This will be a great location to bring families,” said Judy Czarsty, FMCA national senior vice president/acting national president.

Approximately 3,000 motorhome families and some 8,000 to 10,000 people are expected to gather for the event. All motorhome owners and members of the general public are invited to participate. Various admission options will be available.

Activities abound at these get-togethers. One of the important elements of these reunions is an exhibition of motorhomes. Major manufacturers and dealers gather to display their vehicles, and motorhome components and accessories also are available for inspection.

A wealth of informative seminars centering on topics of interest to motorhomers — including motorhome chassis maintenance and microwave-convection oven cooking — are held.

In addition, opportunities for taking part in various social events — including morning coffee hour and an ice cream social — present themselves to convention attendees. Organized tours of local sites and attractions also take place. And evenings are filled with entertainment presented by nationally known performers, as well as other social activities.

Prior to the gathering in Indianapolis in 2012, FMCA will host two reunions, the first at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, Georgia, March 14-17, 2011. For this event, a special invitation has been extended to owners of towable RVs as well.

The Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., will be the location for the reunion that will take place Aug. 10 to 13, 2011.

To register for the upcoming event in Georgia, or for additional information about FMCA’s family reunions and motorhome showcase events, visit FMCA.com or call (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622.

FMCA Names Koshland New Executive Director

Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), an international organization for motorhome owners based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has announced that Bradford Koshland has been hired to serve as the association’s next executive director.

As a motorhome owner and FMCA member, “Koshland brings to the association great enthusiasm for the RV lifestyle,” according to a news release. He also has a variety of management experience. Most recently, he served as bureau chief of enforcement for the division of real estate for the state of Florida, Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Prior to that, his career included 28 years in the law enforcement profession, and he retired as a lieutenant from the New Jersey State Police.

Koshland has a master’s degree in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J., and a bachelor of arts degree from Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. He is a certified public manager and brings with him a varied array of management and life experiences relevant to the executive director position.

“We look forward to welcoming Brad as executive director,” commented Judy Czarsty, FMCA national senior vice president/acting national president. “As a motorhome owner himself, Brad is well-qualified to represent the interests of Family Motor Coach Association and motorhome owners in general. Brad will bring leadership and a fresh perspective to the association as it continues in its mission to promote and enhance the motorhome lifestyle.”

Koshland will officially begin work as FMCA executive director on Jan. 3.

FMCA Opens Georgia Reunion to Towables

Family Motor Coach Association, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has announced that it will welcome not only motorhome owners but also owners of other types of self-contained RVs when the group meets in Perry, Ga., in March.

While membership in the association is open only to motorhome owners, FMCA leaders recognize that this represents only one segment of the RV family, and during a recent meeting they made the decision to open the Georgia event to towable RVs as well, according to a news release.

FMCA’s 85th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase will take place March 14 through 17 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. This represents the association’s seventh visit to Perry but the first time towable RVs have been included in the mix.

“The Georgia National Fairgrounds has become a popular place for RV rallies, and with its spacious parking facilities and convenient location just off Interstate 75, the FMCA Executive Board decided that this would be a great location to open our motorhome event to all RVs,” commented Judy Czarsty, FMCA national senior vice president/acting national president. “As our friends in Georgia would say, ‘Ya’ll come.’ Join us for some good-old-fashioned fun and RV fellowship and learn firsthand about the motorhome lifestyle.”

Owners of self-contained towable RVs will pay the non-member rate for attending the event. This fee will include a one-year subscription to Family Motor Coaching magazine, the association’s official monthly publication.

The early-bird non-member rate is $205; after Feb. 7, the non-member rate becomes $235. For a space with electricity, the non-member early-bird rate is $380; $410 after Feb. 7. These vehicles will be parked together in a zipper parking format for the owners’ convenience. Any motorhome owners who have friends with towable RVs may opt to park with them in these special lots.

Activities abound at FMCA’s international events. In fact, attendees often have a difficult time deciding how to divide their time. The choices are many. One of the important elements of these gatherings is an exhibition of motorhomes. Major manufacturers and dealers display hundreds of motorhomes, and RV components and accessories also are available for inspection.

Another important element will be a full complement of informative seminars. RV owners will be able to expand their knowledge with regard to a variety of topics, from motorhome maintenance to microwave-convection cooking.

Tours to explore local attractions will be offered. In addition, opportunities for taking part in various social events — including morning coffee hour and an ice cream social — present themselves to attendees.

Evenings are no less action-packed. Sunday evening, March 13, will be devoted to movie night, with refreshments and plenty of fun and fellowship. Monday evening will bring the “Motorhome Preview” event, with a sneak peek at the motorhome exhibits, capped off by a fireworks display. On Tuesday evening, pianist Mac Frampton and the Hollywood Hills Orchestra will treat audience members to his “rock-alternative” sound.

Country music star Lorrie Morgan will light up the stage on Wednesday evening as she performs many of her biggest hits, as well as her newer tunes. Professional speaker and humorist Jeanne Robertson will leave the audience in stitches on Thursday evening as she shares some of her amusing life experiences.

With exhibits, seminars, entertainment and plenty of fellowship, FMCA’s Perry 2011 gathering promises something for everyone. And this time, all RVers are encouraged to join in on the fun.

For additional information about FMCA’s 85th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase or to register, visit FMCA.com or call (800) 543-3622 or (513) 474-3622.

Czarsty Succeeds Charlie Schrenkel at FMCA

Charlie Schrenkel has resigned as the president of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) citing health reasons, the RV News Service reported.

“I have given much thought and have done a lot of reading these past few days about the challenges I am faced with as far as my health is concerned,” he wrote in his resignation e-mail to the club of motorhome owners. “It would not be fair to this association to have a president not fully capable of holding that office. A president of FMCA should be directly involved with the day-to-day operation of the association, and not have any distractions, such as health problems that take away from the assigned duties of that office. I don’t know how to do both. Therefore, I respectfully submit my resignation from the office of president of Family Motor Coach Association.”

In accordance with FMCA’s Bylaws, FMCA senior vice president Judy Czarsty is serving as acting president.

“On behalf of the FMCA family, we wish Charlie well as he faces these challenges,” Czarsty said. “We regret that he will not be finishing out his term but would like to thank him for his many years of service to FMCA, and for his strong leadership, most recently as FMCA president but also as national vice president, Southeast Area, among other roles over the years. We ask that the FMCA family lift up Charlie and his wife, Jean, in thoughts and prayers.”

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