Catching up with the FMCA - new is the name of the game

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Welcome to the weekly podcast all about turning the great American NORP RV adventure into stress less camping. Each week we explore tips, tricks, ideas, and destinations, and talk to the happiest campers in the RV world. Pull up a seat at the campfire as we enjoy some stress less camping. Welcome to the camper.

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Yeah, we're in it, and I'm Tony PERSON.

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I'm Peggy PERSON.

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And we're two RV industry veterans who travel part-time.

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In this small trailer.

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Looking to share big adventures and help you with great tips.

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Tricks.

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And discounts.

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So we're sitting in the camper because we can't wait to leave tomorrow.

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Yeah.

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As we record this, it is Monday.

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But we are leaving tomorrow Tuesday. Tuesday.

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And of course, this comes out Thursday.

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Yeah. So we figured we might as well, you might as well get used to seeing us in the camper. This will be the way it is for the next few weeks. Yeah.

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But we're at home because we haven't left yet, but we will be first thing in the morning. We will be lefting in the morning, so to speak.

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We're very excited.

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So, of course, while we're getting ready, you know, the refrigerator's on.

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And because Tony PERSON's a nut, because he always admits it anyway, well, it just

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turns out that our Starlink PRODUCT actually works better than our home internet, which is kind of silly.

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But it also works better in here because this is where we keep the router. So why not? We're in here.

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And we're keeping all that powered with our Masterbolt power system designed by ABC Upfitters ORG.

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And we are, you know, using the power of the sun to power.

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Well, we will be using it to power our adventure.

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I guess our adventure is started now.

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Our adventure has begun.

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Something I've noticed from ABC Upfitters ORG is that they're starting to do more and more

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instructional videos about their systems that

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they install. And there are some common components that they typically install from MasterVote PRODUCT, like a control panel and certain inverters and battery systems and things like that. And so they've really been stepping up the video game to make it just easier to use these systems. And that's something that I really appreciate about them. You can give them a call and they will actually answer questions. They've started Facebook ORG groups for those of us who have these systems.And they really make it not just here's your system. Goodbye.

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Yeah, here's our system, make it fit.

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Right. Yeah, that's the other thing. Do you have a van? Do you have a giant fifth wheel?

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Right.

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Do you have a travel trailer as we do?

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Right.

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They are very good at listening to what you want to accomplish.

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Yep.

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And putting in a system that's thoroughly engineered that just works. Yes. Knowing that our Starlink PRODUCT worked well, what I basically did is I just turned on the inverter here in the trailer, fired up the Starlink, and it's been, I don't know, a couple weeks now.

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Yeah.

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That we've just been using the Starlink PRODUCT from inside the trailer in our house.

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Right.

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Luckily, his office is right on the other side of that wall.

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Yeah.

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So he has the best feed, which is fine.

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He does the most work.

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But it's just, you know, it's something I didn't think, oh, am I going to get, you know,

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have issues or blah, blah, blah. No, turn on the inverter, you know, plugged in the Starlink PRODUCT. Bing, bang, boom. We were off and running. Frigerator PRODUCT, we didn't bother turning it off again.

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We didn't even bother emptying it. I found things in there like, oh, we should have been eating this while we were home. Yeah.

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So it's just a really good system. And if you would like a really good system that fits your needs, whatever size they are, our friends at ABC Outfitters ORG are really good people to speak with. And you can do that by giving them a call at 574-333-3-2-2-5.

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That's 574-33-33-3-2-2-5.

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Yeah, really good people. Of course, there'll be a link below in the show notes.

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We might have, you might not have noticed that we're both wearing shirts from various conventions at FMCA ORG. And the reason is because we are actually speaking with Chris Smith from FMCA today. And he is giving us a great update on what's going on over at FMCA ORG.

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Yeah. And so without any further ado...

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Let's hear from Chris PERSON.

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Indeed.

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Today we're honored to be joined by Chris Smith, the CEO of FMCA ORG. Chris PERSON, thank you for joining us. We have talked to FMCA ORG and about FMCA quite a bit, but there's some new stuff going on. And so we wanted to give everybody an update of what's happening around there.

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Yes, you guys saw the announcement we sent out last week. We are, as we like to say, we're expanding the family.

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So we are now allowing a new level of membership called Pathfinder ORG. The name kind of speaks for itself. It's someone who is trying to decide what path to take towards RV ownership. And we feel like we're a pretty good resource to help those people.

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One of the things that I don't believe a lot of people know is that the FMCA ORG has a tremendous vetted resource library of really good information about becoming an RVer or making your RV experience better.

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Right. Yeah, so we just kind of stepping back. I mean, we've, FMCA ORG's been around for a while. We've been around for over 60 years now and, you know, education is kind of one of those cornerstones of kind of why we exist and what we feel like we do well. And what you're referring to is FMCA University ORG.

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Yeah. So we have hundreds of articles that anyone that's a member has full access to. There's

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no additional fee. There's no, it's just part of your dues. And what we do is we have a nice education committee formed of volunteers. And what they've done is they've taken a lot of the articles and information we have, put it into kind of a lesson format. And what they've done is they've taken a lot of the articles and information we have, put it into kind of a lesson format. And then they also have at the end quizzes you can take to kind of test your knowledge, make sure you understand the content, and you can kind of brag to your friends.

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You get different levels of attainment. And you can eventually get cool stuff.

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I mean, if you, I think it's if you get every quiz done and take the test, you get a free year membership.

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So we try to reward people for going on there and educating themselves. So yeah, that's, that's included with dues. I know a lot of, I know some other clubs have that resource, but they do charge additional. We, we do not. That's just part of your dues.

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I knew about the

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resource library I had no idea about the quizzes and all of that so that's pretty cool yeah if you're in the badges and in achievements yeah go on there and take all the quizzes and

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you will reward you yeah is that available to the Pathfinder ORG members as because Pathfinder is sort of a membership light a little bit right yeah so just the Pathfinder ORG members is because Pathfinder is sort of a membership light a little bit, right?

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Yeah, so just the Pathfinder ORG, the only difference between a Pathfinder and a family member, obviously, is owning versus not. With a Pathfinder ORG, you do get digital-only magazine, and you can't hold office within FMCA ORG, but you get access to all the other benefits.

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Okay. You know, so while some of the university content is, you know, kind of geared towards owners, a lot of it's content that someone that's interested can find useful, you know, to kind of educate themselves.

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So Pathfinders PRODUCT have full access to the library, just like regular members do.

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Okay.

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And you just had a national convention in Arizona last month, I think, that we missed,

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unfortunately.

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It's been a couple months now.

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And there were some programs specifically for the Pathfinder ORG members there, too, if I'm not mistaken.

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Yeah, so it was back in March in Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, Arizona GPE.

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And we kind of soft launched the Pathfinder ORG there.

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What we did is we had intro to RVing seminars on site.

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And we did a lot of promotion within the Tucson GPE area to non-owners.

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Because we found out a lot of people that come to the event through Public Aid ORG.

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I would say it's probably about half and half.

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Half of them actually own an RV and half of them don't. So we kind of use that as our kickoff to, you know,

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to have the seminar get some Pathfinder ORG prospects to make sure that before we fully launched it, that everything in our association management software was set up correctly and it would all flow properly. So yeah, we had three days in a row of doing an intro to RVing seminar. Okay.

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So somebody who's kind of thinking about joining us in this crazy lifestyle, that's a great way to get sort of acquainted and avoid some of the pitfalls that people have.

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But something I like about your resource library is that it's vetted by people who know what they're talking about as opposed to asking a question on social media. And man, the answers are all over the board.

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Yeah. Yeah, like I said, a lot of the content layout and the questions were all done by,

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again, our education committee who are volunteers and most of them have been RVing for a very

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long time. So they're the perfect people to kind of make sure the content we're putting out there is

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true, accurate. And again, with the quizzes and some of the other stuff that we include, it makes it fun, too,

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I think, to kind of go through and participate. Yeah, and kind of helps people, you know, learn more and absorb the information, which is good. Right.

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But I'm going to step back because I know there are some people who listen to our podcast

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or watch the videos don't really know much about the FMCA ORG. So let's start even further back. What is the FMCA ORG and who is it for?

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Yes, like I said before, FMCA has been around since 1963. We've been in the RV industry for a long time. For about 56 or so of those years, we were motorhome only. And we kind of saw, you know, five, six years ago, the landscape has been changing for a while, but it's really started changing to where the towable fifth wheel market is, I mean, that's the dominant market in the RV industry.

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And kind of the slogan we had when we expanded to allow those units was, it's about the person, not the RV, right? I mean, yes, there are topics and content that are motorholt specific, but a lot of the stuff that we were already doing pertain to anyone that owned an RV, any type.

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We did expand and allowed that group in about six years ago, and we went from 100% motorhome to now we have 15% of our membership are towables.

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Okay.

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So, you know, then we kind of looked at in, and what sparked the Pathfinder ORG is I've received

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a study from RVIA ORG. And what really struck me is while there's 12 million or so RV owning households now, there were about 21 million households that intended to own an RV. And half of those intended to do so in the next five years. So I kind of step back and I said, you know, again, one of our cornerstones, one of our pillars of existence is education. We have a magazine, we have a load of content that we gear toward, you know, the education side.

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And you kind of look around like you said before, you can Google anything.

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You can answer on anything. Now, whether it's reliable or not, that's, you know, you have to

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figure that out for yourself, maybe sometimes the hard way. But we kind of said, look, we already

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have the content. We really see a segment of the RV population that is being really underserved.

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And we want to be that trusted resource who has 60 years of experience that can help them.

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Because, you know, I mean, buying an RV, it's not like buying a car.

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I mean, it's a whole different process to figure out what you want and come to that conclusion.

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And we want to be that trusted resource for them.

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So that's kind of how we got to where we're at as far as allowing them.

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And, you know, the quick pitch is, you know, again, education's a big part of FMCA ORG. The benefits are obviously a big part. You know, a lot of people want something in return for their money.

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And we try to provide a wide array of benefits. And it's hard to list all of them because there's so many. Sure.

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There's some that really stand out to me. The safe return home, tire discount, going to the conventions and rallies, chapters for specific interests or specific brands of RV.

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Or specific locations.

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Yeah. Or locations. Yeah.

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So I, yeah, definitely the social aspect is another, another big part. I know you guys have been to a few events. We have two international conventions per year, a lot of chapter rallies sprinkled in there, area rallies as well. 250 chapters, like you said, if you have an interest or an RV type, or if you live in a

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certain part of the country, you'll find a group out there that you can join if that's what you choose to do. Yeah.

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I think one of the big things that people tie to us is the tire program because we were the first ones really to have that as part of a membership benefit. So a lot of people tie that to us and assist, like you said, that's a big one. Really, it's a $200 benefit included with your dues, right? Once you enroll as a member, you're automatically a part of that benefit and you're covered right away from day one.

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That's incredible. So it's basically if you have a medical issue out on the road and you need to get you and your rig, or not you, but whoever is not having the medical issue and the RV back home,

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that's something the FMCA ORG can arrange for.

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And that's part of your membership.

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Yeah, a big part of that benefit is what you just said. If you do have a medical emergency and you have to go to the hospital or if you can't drive and you have your spouse with you, travel partner, kids, grandchildren, pets, you know, they'll take care of not only getting your RV home, but also getting those people traveling with you home as well. And if you do go to a medical facility that cannot treat you, the benefit does also pay to get you to the closest facility that can.

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So it really is. I mean, it's peace of mind

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when you're on the road. Right. You know, because getting your RV, you know, if you're on one side of the country and you have to get it home to the other side, that's not only expensive, but a lot of planning on your parts. We kind of take the financial burden off and also the planning burden as

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well. That makes it more stressless. Knowing that it's okay to be out there because you've got backup if something goes badly.

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Absolutely.

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Yeah.

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That's a good point.

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I like that.

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So in addition to the Pathfinder program, you now can do monthly payments for a family membership as well.

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This idea really came about kind of COVID when things got a little weird in the world and finances became a little tighter for a lot of people.

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We wanted to find ways to not make the price a barrier, right?

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Because I think no matter if you're paying the yearly dues up front or you're paying monthly, we give you value.

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And we don't want to have anything to be a barrier to finding that out.

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So we've seen

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the kind of the monthly option work for a lot of different companies and and we thought it would

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be good for us as well to just to give our members another another way not only to join but you know you can also if you're a current member switch over to that monthly fee as well and we've seen really great results so far from launching that so yeah yeah, just another way to join the family.

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Yeah.

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So that that's good too.

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And then another question that I see all the time on the various social media places, how do I get on the internet while I'm on the road?

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Right.

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And you've expanded Tech Connect PRODUCT significantly.

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Yeah. So we already had Verizon and AT&T.

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The only major carrier we were missing was Team Mobile, and we did bring them on back in about mid-January. So it's nice that we have all three major carriers because you guys travel all over. You know, one may work the best in one place and then you travel for a day or two

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and then it's number three out of the top three. So, you know, we wanted to give people all three carriers. And not only that, but with T-Mobile ORG, we were also able to work out providing cell phone plans as well. So for the first time, we do have phone plans as part of the Tech Connect PRODUCT package.

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And it's a very affordable phone plan, too. Yeah. Yeah, we think we're very, very competitive on the

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phone side. Yeah. You know, it is bring your own device, so we don't, we don't have the option like we do

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with the hotspot plans where you can rent equipment from us, so you do have to have your own phone.

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But if you already have a phone and you want to save a lot of money on your monthly bill,

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the switchover is easy.

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You port your number in and you're up and running.

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Pop a SIM call, yeah, that's all it is.

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I believe it's $20, or $1999 a month for that?

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That's correct.

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$19.99 a month, unlimited tech talking data.

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Which is really affordable.

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Yeah.

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And then with the Tech Connect PRODUCT, I believe you're also able to get higher prioritization of the

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data service for FMCA ORG members.

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That's correct.

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Yeah.

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We were able to work out with them.

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Our members on the T-Mobile ORG towers, wherever they're at, they have top priority, like

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you said, to the network.

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So let's say you're somewhere where there's something weather-wise has happened where it's really messed up the congestion on the towers, you have top access to the tower. Essentially the same access that a first responder would have. So it really is a nice benefit to know that no matter where you're at, you're going to have connectivity.

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Yeah. Yeah. And then another nice thing is the people who provide the answers are FMCA ORG people.

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Right.

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So rather than talking to someone in some strange place, you're talking to an FMCA ORG team member.

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It really understands a service.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yeah. Yeah, that's a big selling point for us is the customer service, right? You don't have to call an 800 number where you might have to wait 30 minutes an hour. We have three full-time employees in our Tech Connect PRODUCT department who are fully trained on all the plans, all the devices, and we really refer to it as white glove service, right? I mean, you can call or email and you're going to get someone not only that's knowledgeable,but also, like you said, as an employee of FMCA ORG and understands that this person's a member, we're going to give them, you know, top-notch service when they need us. Yeah.

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For data consumption, is it unlimited data or is it unlimited to a certain point? Or how does that play out?

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It is unlimited data. You know, it's like a lot of plans where you may be network managed at 100 gigs, but we have not really seen that come into play. So it truly is unlimited. There's no hard throttle. And we haven't had anyone to report that, you know, call in and say, hey, I'm at 101 gigs and I can't. Yeah, so it truly is

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unlimited on the T-Mobile. Okay. Great. Man, that's one of the best ways of getting connected

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besides if you have a Starlink PRODUCT dish. This is a great way to go. And to be clear, this is not

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included in your membership, but is available to you if you are a member to go. And to be clear, this is not included in your membership,

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but is available to you if you are a member.

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Right.

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And another service like that is the roadside assistance program,

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which we looked at.

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And I think FMCA ORG has the best roadside assistance program out there.

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Yeah.

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You know, a lot of people look at some of the other roadside providers, and a lot of them, what they'll do is they'll, you know, I'm sure you guys know, they'll heavily discount that first year. And it seems like a really good deal.

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Then you get the renewal notice and it's, you know, two or three times what you paid to sign up.

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You know, there's no, there's no bait and switch with us.

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There's no, we'll give you an amazing price the first year and then we'll pull the rug from under you. You know, it's, it's solid pricing. We haven't had a price change and it's been a while, five years, six years. So the provider we have, safe ride. I mean, they, they're probably the biggest player in the game as far as roadside assistance and they've been a great partner this whole time. yeah and our pricing I think is very fair and very competitive and with roadside you're always going to get complaints and issues but

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of course I think I mean you know my car I had an issue about two weeks ago my car overheated and

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you know I was ready to you know just start walking home after about 45 minutes. So, you know, people,

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people don't want to be strained on side of the road. But the true issues we have with the plan are few and far between. Again, these guys are, there's a reason they're the biggest provider in the

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company. Well, and for those who don't know, all roadside assistance programs are, use contracted

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towing services. Yeah. Yeah. It's not like Chris PERSON is going to drive a tow truck out there and help you.

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Right. Or AAA ORG.

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Or what I'm saying is any like FMC, it's not an FMCA ORG employee that's going to do it.

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Right.

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FMCA ORG contracts with a local tow truck or service.

Speaker 41339.5s - 1347.52s

And some places, it's just hard to find those services no matter how great you are. Yeah. Or they're just busy because there's a lot of calls. Or that, yeah. Yeah, I think it's just hard to find those services no matter how great you are. Yeah. Or they're just busy because there's a lot of calls.

Speaker 21347.52s - 1348.3s

Or that, yeah.

Speaker 01348.56s - 1352.24s

Yeah, I think it's not just that, but I think, like, in a lot of industries,

Speaker 41352.8s - 1356.4s

the tow industry is seeing a labor shortage.

Speaker 01356.64s - 1371.46s

You know, that's kind of when I've talked to Safe Ride ORG, that's a big issue they've had, is there's just, they're having a hard time finding an overabundance of, you know, providers for towing. But again, they're taking care of our members. And again, the major problems are few and far between.

Speaker 11371.62s - 1389.62s

And if we have had an issue that, you know, gets to the office or gets to me a simple conversation with safe ride PRODUCT, and there's usually a good resolution to where, you know, it may not have been a perfect scenario, but we have such a good relationship with them and they understand the value of our relationship that they're willing to

Speaker 01389.62s - 1398.56s

make it as right as they can. So yeah, if you ever, if you do sign up and have a problem, give us a call at the office and we'll help you get some resolution on it.

Speaker 41398.56s - 1407.28s

Excellent. And something that I think is also good for the towable people is they will not only haul your tow vehicle,

Speaker 31407.42s - 1414.28s

but your trailer too. And that not all roadside assistance will do that. So we know somebody

Speaker 41414.28s - 1421.76s

who they broke down. The tow service came. It wasn't FMCA ORG. They towed away the truck,

Speaker 01421.76s - 1429.06s

left the trailer, and this trailer got stolen. And it was a vintage trailer, so it was not a good situation.

Speaker 21429.32s - 1437.44s

Right. So we talked a second about Pathfinders have, like all that access, the one thing that they only get the magazine digitally.

Speaker 31437.8s - 1444.8s

But tell us about the magazine, too, for the people who aren't, who aren't, I don't want to say just Pathfinders PRODUCT.

Speaker 01444.8s - 1446.16s

That makes it sound bad for the people who aren't, I don't want to say just pathfinders, that makes it sound bad

Speaker 21446.16s - 1454.14s

for the people who have RVs. Yeah, so we've been producing the magazine for over 50 years now.

Speaker 01454.3s - 1473.3s

So again, it's one of those big educational tools we can provide to members and pathfinders alike. I think there's a lot of information they'll find useful in there. One change we did make recently that you guys may or may not have seen is, is starting with the June issue. It will be

Speaker 31473.3s - 1478.1s

my monthly from that point forward. So I'm sorry, it starts in July. So June is the last

Speaker 11478.1s - 1515.86s

monthly issue. Then July will be July, August. So we'll go from 12 issues a month down to six, but the content's still going to be the same as ever. And not only in print form, but like we said, it's in digital form as well. So yeah, it's one of our, whenever we survey members, it's always a top, top two or three benefit, because it's, it's that one thing that everyone gets. And we, we always refer to it kind of as our house accordion, right? We have email, but not everyone checks their email or, you know, they might just quick delete.The magazine is the one thing that we provide to every member that kind of keeps them informed about what's going on with the association.

Speaker 41516.14s - 1522.54s

Very good. And I'm going to say, if you are considering joining the FMCA, first of all, do.

Speaker 31522.92s - 1528.86s

And secondly, go to local events or especially the national

Speaker 01528.86s - 1536.74s

conventions. I mean, there are golf cart parades and tremendous seminars and there are all kinds of

Speaker 31536.74s - 1543.78s

things to spend your hardly earned money on. I mean, on and on. And it's just, it's funny because the people

Speaker 01543.78s - 1547.5s

we meet at the FMCA ORG conventions that we've been to,

Speaker 31548.04s - 1556.36s

a lot of them have become friends that we run into on the road. And, I mean, the value of that can't be understated. It's pretty darn cool.

Speaker 01556.54s - 1560.28s

Just real quick, on the events, yeah, you're, you've described it perfectly.

Speaker 11560.28s - 1592.24s

You know, FMCA formed by a group of about 10 RVers getting together to watch a solar eclipse and it's kind of grown from that one gathering to what it is today where we have 66,000 members and we put on two conventions and 10 area rallies and hundreds of chapter rallies. So the social aspects are a huge part of what we do. And we realize, you know, going to especially the national conventions, it's a big commitment, not only time-wise but money-wise.

Speaker 01592.38s - 1609.76s

So we try to make it to where if you want to be busy and you want to be entertained and you want to fill your days, we're going to find a way to do it, whether it's seminars, education, hundreds of vendors at the exhibit hall, evening entertainment, daytime entertainment,

Speaker 11610.52s - 1611.8s

just anything you can.

Speaker 01611.92s - 1612.44s

Donuts.

Speaker 21612.62s - 1615.9s

If you say you're bored there, then you've been doing something wrong.

Speaker 01615.9s - 1616.64s

You're doing it wrong.

Speaker 41616.96s - 1619.14s

As Peggy PERSON said, donuts and ice cream.

Speaker 01619.34s - 1620.14s

I mean, my gosh.

Speaker 21621.1s - 1622.16s

Can't forget that.

Speaker 01622.16s - 1628.64s

And also, if you are a pathfinder or just a regular family member, there's almost always

Speaker 21628.64s - 1629.78s

RVs for sale.

Speaker 01629.94s - 1630.18s

Yeah.

Speaker 41630.18s - 1634.14s

So you can upgrade, downgrade, side grade, whatever.

Speaker 31634.14s - 1640.48s

And you could come in with RV from the early days of the FMCA ORG and leave with something

Speaker 01640.48s - 1663.02s

Brian New and shiny. Yeah, and that's a big part of why on the public gate side, we get always a strong showing wherever we go is because we do have display coaches, display RVs where people come in, whether they own one or not, they can walk through, they can ask questions of all the different dealers that are there. And the display RVs are definitely a big, big draw as well.

Speaker 41663.46s - 1671.68s

Well, in fact, when was the last time I saw Steve Harvey PERSON at a convention shop in RVs?

Speaker 31672.06s - 1674.98s

Yeah, and the last time we were in Perry, Georgia, yeah.

Speaker 01675.22s - 1684.22s

Someone snapped the picture and I didn't get to see him, but yeah, they snapped a picture and posted them on Facebook ORG, I believe.

Speaker 31684.22s - 1688.42s

But, you know, we've had some, you know But we've had some big names before.

Speaker 01689.28s - 1693.88s

Someone told me before my time, like Michael Jackson was at an event once.

Speaker 31694.4s - 1696.6s

He came on and bought an RV brand new.

Speaker 01696.9s - 1697.28s

Wow.

Speaker 31697.6s - 1703.22s

Going years back, we had George Bush PERSON as like a while he was president as a speaker at the event.

Speaker 01703.42s - 1709.2s

So we had Solie a few years ago as a guest speaker at the event.

Speaker 41709.3s - 1712.4s

So yeah, we've had some big names show up.

Speaker 01712.76s - 1712.92s

Yeah.

Speaker 41713.06s - 1714.08s

It's a good group.

Speaker 01714.08s - 1720.76s

And to me, the best way I've found of making friends is make, don't miss the morning donuts.

Speaker 41720.96s - 1725.38s

Because you'll find people and you start, you know, we all have one thing in

Speaker 01725.38s - 1730.92s

common. We're all RVers or want to be RVers. And there you are starting talking about,

Speaker 41731.04s - 1735.96s

oh, I, you know, I modified this or this broke. And next thing you know, you got a friend.

Speaker 01736.08s - 1741.48s

That's right. Well, I always tell this story. So I just go along that line. My, my brother,

Speaker 41741.72s - 1746s

a few years back, he bought a Winnebago PRODUCT a class C and he didn't

Speaker 01746s - 1750.56s

really know what he was doing it just sounded like a good idea to travel with his family like a lot

Speaker 41750.56s - 1756.08s

of people you know he didn't really probably do as much homework as as he needed to and and he called

Speaker 01756.08s - 1763.68s

me one day and he said what do i do like how do i learn how do you know he's here in cincinnati

Speaker 31763.68s - 1765.1s

that's where our headquarters is.

Speaker 01765.14s - 1770.88s

And we do have a FMCA ORG-owned campground here in town where members get really nice discounted

Speaker 31770.88s - 1772.58s

pricing, you know, when they stay here.

Speaker 01772.82s - 1776.32s

So if you're coming through Cincinnati GPE on the way to or from somewhere, make sure you

Speaker 21776.32s - 1777.46s

stop in and stay.

Speaker 01777.46s - 1778.26s

Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 21778.34s - 1781.52s

But I told him, I said, I said, here's the best thing you can do.

Speaker 31781.6s - 1783.52s

I said, go down to Newtown GPE.

Speaker 21783.58s - 1785.46s

That's a little suburb here in Cincinnati GPE. I said, go to New best thing you can do. I said, go down to Newtown. That's a little suburb here in Cincinnati.

Speaker 31785.98s - 1788.18s

I said, go to Newtown GPE where our campground is.

Speaker 01788.52s - 1789.88s

Stay there for a night or two.

Speaker 41789.94s - 1790.66s

And here's what you do.

Speaker 31790.96s - 1795.96s

I said, walk out your door, stand out where everyone can see you and just start kind of

Speaker 41795.96s - 1796.7s

scratching your head.

Speaker 31796.9s - 1798.32s

Look like you don't know what you're going on.

Speaker 01798.32s - 1801.72s

I guarantee you a member will come up.

Speaker 31802.06s - 1806.5s

And he said two or three of them came up, answered all these questions, showed him how to do everything.

Speaker 01806.94s - 1808.92s

And so it kind of goes along with what you said.

Speaker 11809.02s - 1813.4s

I mean, I think Pathfinder ORG is perfect for us because that our members love,

Speaker 31814s - 1816.52s

love being social and love helping each other.

Speaker 21816.52s - 1826.86s

And I think it's a perfect fit. Yeah. I agree. You know, Chris PERSON, something that I don't really hear a lot of talk about, and I don't think I knew about it until they approached me.

Speaker 01826.86s - 1845.72s

But the FMCA ORG adventure, it's hard to pronounce because there's not two A's in the middle, but FMCA adventure is it kind of combines the, like, magazine sort of aspect and the social aspect because it's all family members that write the articles in that.

Speaker 31845.78s - 1846.26s

Is that right?

Speaker 01846.38s - 1847.06s

That is correct.

Speaker 21847.18s - 1847.34s

Yeah.

Speaker 01847.44s - 1861.44s

And I think it's another tool that we're going to push big for the Pathfinders PRODUCT. I think it gives them good insight. It kind of expands more in my mind to like the lifestyle side of it too because like you said, the members write a lot.

Speaker 11861.54s - 1885.66s

So it's not all the technical, you know, here's what you need to know about all the components of your RV. It gives more insight into the lifestyle. You know, I think the issue that we've had kind of really pushing traffic there is we kind of made it its own URL. I think we're going to bring it back under fmca.com ORG. You've had a little trouble trying to drive traffic because of that. So I think once we want to get that complete, you'll see

Speaker 01885.66s - 1887.54s

us push that a lot more because it is

Speaker 11887.54s - 1889.78s

a great resource, I think, for

Speaker 21889.78s - 1893.96s

the Pathfinders PRODUCT. It's very good, good reading. Yeah. I like it

Speaker 41893.96s - 1898.02s

a lot. You're right. It was a little challenging to find, so bringing it under

Speaker 21898.02s - 1901.46s

the website would be a good idea.

Speaker 41901.94s - 1909.64s

Well, is there anything that we've missed that we should share with everybody about joining the FMCA ORG other than do it now?

Speaker 01911.16s - 1922.92s

I think the one thing with Pathfinder ORG that I'll say is we have created a Facebook group and we're not really, if someone joins and it's called RV Curious ORG.

Speaker 11923.36s - 1986.22s

So if you're looking for a Facebook group to to get information if you're looking to RV just started I would suggest joining that we did start that page but you will not see FMCA ORG promoted within that group I mean the intent really is to allow you know obviously we've encouraged our members to go in so they can be a resource. If someone ask a question, we'll have some engagement. We'll have some back and forth. You'll have a resource that can answer your questions.And it's not, you know, we're not selling FMCA ORG. We just want to, you know, create a place where people can go and ask our members. Like I said, our members are more than happy to help anyone with questions they have. We'll also have a newsletter. It's not up there yet, but we'll have a newsletter that people can sign up for, where once a month they'll kind of get a high-level topic that they're probably interested in and get a lot of detail within that topic. You know, again, just a good group to join, a good newsletter that we'll be putting outjust to help those trying to enter the lifestyle

Speaker 31986.22s - 1994.38s

sounds good well i i'm happy to see new and improved things happening at the fmca but there's also

Speaker 41994.38s - 2001.4s

long-time things that have been just cornerstone reasons that we've been members for years so

Speaker 32001.4s - 2005.18s

like the first year that that towables were allowed in.

Speaker 02005.26s - 2006.82s

Yeah, we were right there.

Speaker 32006.82s - 2008.22s

We were part of the 1%.

Speaker 02008.62s - 2009.56s

Take our money.

Speaker 22010.04s - 2013.32s

The 1% of towables that belong to FMCA ORG.

Speaker 42013.32s - 2015.2s

I've never been part of the 1% before.

Speaker 22016.68s - 2021.36s

Well, Chris, thank you so much for spending some time with us today and giving us some

Speaker 32021.36s - 2024.02s

updates and information about FMCA ORG.

Speaker 42024.16s - 2025.64s

We sure do appreciate your time.

Speaker 32026.06s - 2026.32s

Yep.

Speaker 22026.5s - 2026.68s

Yeah.

Speaker 42026.96s - 2028.02s

Thanks for having me on, guys.

Speaker 22028.18s - 2028.96s

Always a pleasure.

Speaker 42029.2s - 2032.58s

Well, we're going to miss you in Redmond GPE, which is the next big convention.

Speaker 02032.58s - 2033s

I know.

Speaker 22033s - 2033.02s

I'm so sad.

Speaker 42033.22s - 2035.94s

But we'll catch up with you soon.

Speaker 32036.34s - 2036.46s

Yeah.

Speaker 02036.66s - 2037.22s

You better.

Speaker 42037.58s - 2038.48s

That's two in a row.

Speaker 02039.18s - 2039.7s

I know.

Speaker 42040.62s - 2041.02s

I know.

Speaker 32041.14s - 2046.92s

This is the first time in a very long time that we've missed two national conventions in a row.

Speaker 02047.12s - 2050.36s

And we'd love to go to Redmond and we love going to Arizona GPE.

Speaker 42051.04s - 2053.1s

We'll get back in the swing of things.

Speaker 32053.1s - 2053.5s

We will.

Speaker 22053.98s - 2054.76s

I'll take your word.

Speaker 32055.84s - 2057.12s

Thanks again, my friend.

Speaker 22057.24s - 2059.28s

And we will hopefully see you soon.

Speaker 42059.4s - 2060.26s

I'll look out for it.

Speaker 02060.34s - 2060.72s

All right.

Speaker 42060.8s - 2061.54s

Sounds good.

Speaker 22062.04s - 2063.84s

So hopefully you learned a little something.

Speaker 32064.34s - 2077.64s

They really, FMC ORG really is expanding what they do and what they have always done. They've done well. And it's a very welcoming organization. So if you are not a member, I would look into it.

Speaker 22077.72s - 2099.36s

I just think it's been worthwhile for us the whole time we've been RVing. And one of the great benefits, as we talked about, are the, like all the gatherings, there's the international conventions, and then there are the regional. And because we've lived in two different regions, we got to be part of both regional gatherings. And those are usually like annual.And then there's so many chapters.

Speaker 42099.74s - 2101.52s

Well, there's ones for trains.

Speaker 22101.86s - 2106.2s

Yeah. There's ones for specific brands of RVs. Right.

Speaker 42106.4s - 2108.9s

There's one called the frustrated maestroes PRODUCT.

Speaker 22108.9s - 2121.04s

That's right. Where they get together and play music at the conventions. I love the frustrated maestro. Yes. I am a frustrated maestro. That's right.You are. And I am frustrated that he tries to be a maestro.

Speaker 32123.12s - 2127.28s

But, you know, there's other places also to look for festivals and gatherings.

Speaker 22127.44s - 2146.34s

So if there aren't enough gatherings for you through FMCA ORG, we talked to Road Trip Mojo a while back and we'll put a link to podcast number 194. And that's what they do. They do a lot of traveling for music festivals. Yeah.

Speaker 42146.5s - 2155.76s

That's where we're sort of going. This trip, we're going to the Camp Carpidium FAC, which is sort of a beer-focused gathering.

Speaker 32156.22s - 2168.66s

Ultimately, we're ending up in Arkansas. Yep. And it's kind of, yeah, Hot Springs, Arkansas. It's sort of a beer-focused get together, but there's a hammock university or hammock gathering or something.

Speaker 22168.66s - 2169.92s

Gathering space, yeah.

Speaker 42170s - 2175.86s

Yeah. They do a lot of mountain biking, so we won't participate in that, but we are taking our electric bikes.

Speaker 22175.92s - 2186.74s

Yeah, we are bringing the electric-y bikes. While they're out doing some 40 miles straight up the mountain thing, we'll, like, take some some little three mile trail and we'll do our own

Speaker 42186.74s - 2189.08s

version of sitting in the hammocks maybe.

Speaker 22189.16s - 2189.84s

Yeah, maybe.

Speaker 42190.66s - 2199.24s

So by the way, another throwback. We put the flated truck camper or air topper back on the truck yesterday.

Speaker 22199.78s - 2202.8s

And it took like 15 minutes or so.

Speaker 32203.26s - 2210.9s

That thing, I really like that thing. So if we're going to cross paths on this adventure, you will get to see it. Yeah, it took like 15 minutes or so. That thing, I really like that thing. So if we're going to cross paths on this adventure, you will get to see it if you want to.

Speaker 42211.36s - 2214.42s

That's right. And maybe if you don't want to, you might see it anyway. You might have to see it anyway.

Speaker 32214.42s - 2214.66s

You never know.

Speaker 22214.96s - 2229.22s

You never know. So what's cooking? I'm going to do a little bit of a tease. What I'm going to do is revisit the biscuits and gravy breakfast that Cindy made for us while we were in Quartzite GPE.

Speaker 42229.32s - 2230.76s

Which was really good.

Speaker 22230.82s - 2240.66s

We're going to put a link to that breakfast, which it could also be done in a cast iron, but she did it in her Omnia PRODUCT oven. And we just got an Omnia PRODUCT oven. Yeah.

Speaker 32240.66s - 2243.96s

This is just kind of a tease for both of those things.

Speaker 22244.4s - 2257.06s

I have a new recipe, and I've decided to hold off until I can make it in the Omnia PRODUCT oven so that I can next week report on the recipe and the Omnia oven both at the same time.

Speaker 42257.84s - 2266.96s

Well, I mean, everybody out there raise your hands if you do not like your RV oven. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh,

Speaker 02267.14s - 2267.3s

yeah.

Speaker 32267.88s - 2282.3s

Well, a lot of you, it seems, don't like the oven in your RV. So what this Omnia PRODUCT thing is, and we'll put a link. We did do a story about it.And we have Cindy PERSON's recipe. But it's essentially, it looks like a bunn pan.

Speaker 02282.64s - 2290.56s

And it sits on your stove top. And it works like an oven. And it's from like Sweden GPE or like a bunt pan. And it sits on your stovetop. And it works like an oven. And it's from like Sweden or Denver GPE, somewhere like that.

Speaker 22290.92s - 2302.52s

We'll put a link and you can see it. And it's kind of a cool thing. Yeah. But this week we're going to report on a gadget that is going to come in very, very handy because the weather is getting warmer and warmer.

Speaker 02302.52s - 2304.28s

And we're going to be on the road a lot.

Speaker 42304.94s - 2311.92s

And so we are, as we speak, I've got the ice maker running, making a bunch of ice to put in

Speaker 02311.92s - 2316.2s

our Domettic go hydration jug with Power Fawcett PRODUCT.

Speaker 22317.32s - 2321.7s

So what that thing is is it's essentially half a Jerry PRODUCT can.

Speaker 42322.2s - 2323.52s

Then it's made out of plastic.

Speaker 22324.34s - 2345.94s

And so we put it in our back seat. And as Peggy PERSON said, we fill it with water and ice. You could put margaritas. Probably not a good idea. Probably not while you're driving down by high. But then in addition to this plastic jerry can type of thing,and two of these Dometic PRODUCT go jugs will fit in a holder for a single jerry can.

Speaker 32346.08s - 2349.66s

Oh. But, yeah, it was designed specifically for that format. Okay.

Speaker 02350.16s - 2355.82s

It also has an option of a power faucet that goes on it.

Speaker 32355.82s - 2373.92s

And so we put this thing in the back of the, you know, in the back seat of the truck. The faucet goes into the jug and like draws the water out. And we put a magnet on top of a little ice chest in the, that's also in the backseat of the truck. And so there's water when we need it.

Speaker 22373.92s - 2375.4s

We have ice water on the go.

Speaker 42375.68s - 2383.64s

Absolutely. So it's kind of a cool thing. And it was, it's part of our, you know, we've talked about our overlanding camper rig.

Speaker 22384.16s - 2398.54s

This is, was a part of that idea, but we're going to use the heck out of it on this trip. And so, and we have a review of it, of course, which we will put a link to in El Nodos de Show ORG-oh. Speaking of overland, isn't

Speaker 42398.54s - 2425.12s

that have something to do with your RV this week? It does. I got to look at the mammoth overland tall boy. I got a sneak peak of it. And Mammoth Overland is an aircraft company, much like Spartan Aircraft Company was in the 50s. So they make small planes and they also make RVs. And they made this sort of a small trailer that's sort of like the end of the world edition.

Speaker 32432.52s - 2432.96s

But now this tall boy is really interesting because it's not that big, but it has a bathroom in it.

Speaker 42433.16s - 2437.12s

It's got a king size bed. It's got bunk so it could sleep four.

Speaker 22437.24s - 2437.94s

Is it two stories?

Speaker 42438.68s - 2443.72s

No, but it's just, you know, compared to their normal like tier dropy sort of configuration,

Speaker 22443.72s - 2454.32s

this is tall. But it's still relatively light. It's built kind of like an aircraft. The kitchen is outside because they said, we are Overlanders NORP. We like to cook outside.

Speaker 32454.32s - 2456.32s

That's right. It's kind of a neat rig.

Speaker 42456.74s - 2465.46s

And the interesting thing is if you happen to be at one of the Overland Expos this weekend, you can see it in person.

Speaker 22465.72s - 2478.04s

Oh. And Peggy has been hard at work putting RV events in our calendar at StresslessCamping.com. Right. Including the, there's four different overland expos. That's crazy.

Speaker 32478.04s - 2479.86s

They're like in four different parts of the country.

Speaker 42480.16s - 2487.38s

And I don't know if I can remember them all the one in Oregon, one in Colorado, one in somewhere and somewhere else.

Speaker 32487.78s - 2492.24s

I think there's somewhere and somewhere where the Arizona GPE and then somewhere pretty far east.

Speaker 42492.24s - 2496.14s

Yeah, I think the Arizona one is where this mammoth, Overland, Tallboy, is going to be.

Speaker 22496.26s - 2497.7s

Whichever one is coming up this weekend.

Speaker 42497.78s - 2497.98s

Yeah.

Speaker 22498.24s - 2499.44s

So check it out.

Speaker 42499.52s - 2503.58s

We have information at stressless camping.com.

Speaker 22504.22s - 2510.06s

Last week's question of the week and you guys must not be very creative because we didn't get a lot of answers we asked

Speaker 32510.06s - 2521.2s

what creative places have you found for boondocking now we have talked before about you know mooch docking and sisters and aunts's driveways and things like that

Speaker 42521.2s - 2524.16s

and Bill and Brian both had a

Speaker 22524.16s - 2529.22s

nice conversation about mooch docking in Tony and Peggy PERSON's driveway or backyard.

Speaker 42530.4s - 2533.68s

So apparently we are the creative place for boondocking.

Speaker 22534.72s - 2537.94s

I don't know how creative it is, but it's always good to have folks here.

Speaker 42538.48s - 2542s

We, of course, have been to Quartzite GPE on many occasions.

Speaker 22542s - 2542.66s

Boy, yeah.

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Someone mentioned that they've goased their boondocking.

Speaker 32548.72s - 2549.96s

Someone mentioned that they have...

Speaker 22549.96s - 2551.76s

By the way, if you come here, don't goose us.

Speaker 42552s - 2555.66s

Someone mentioned that they have boondocked at Gooseneck State Park FAC.

Speaker 22555.82s - 2556.9s

Oh, that's the goose.

Speaker 42556.9s - 2559.16s

And we have been to a lot of places.

Speaker 22559.4s - 2564.34s

In California, is Triaco Summit, and it's a little bit east of the Palm Springs GPE area.

Speaker 42568.88s - 2574.44s

And there's a military museum there, and there's also like a travel stop and that. But behind the military museum, they allow people to boondock out there in the desert.

Speaker 02574.8s - 2579.68s

Yeah, they have all kinds of military machines, including, you know, half-tracks and tanks.

Speaker 22580.22s - 2585.66s

So really, if you go there, make sure to say tanks for letting us stay.

Speaker 42586.58s - 2592.94s

There's also, you know, a lot of restaurants and, you know, kind of daytime travel stops.

Speaker 22593.26s - 2594s

Bravo Farms ORG.

Speaker 32594.1s - 2597.64s

Sorry, I almost couldn't remember because we didn't have it written down, but it just came to me.

Speaker 42597.64s - 2606.06s

We were going to talk about P-Soup Anderson's, not the one, unfortunately, that closed in Buellton, but the one in Santonella GPE.

Speaker 22606.18s - 2606.92s

Or salmonella.

Speaker 42607.14s - 2609.82s

Or salmonella is a pea soup Anderson's,

Speaker 22609.82s - 2615.82s

and they will allow you to sleep overnight in the parking lot. And there might be a restaurant,

Speaker 42616.06s - 2634.16s

but I'll have to wait until next week because I don't want to give any promises before we try it. So next week I'll tell you if this was a good idea or not. We've also read and heard that churches, casinos, and hotels a lot of times will let you sleep in their parking lot. I don't get

Speaker 22634.16s - 2639.22s

the hotels, even though I know more than one person has said it. But why would you want someone

Speaker 42639.22s - 2645.12s

sleeping in your parking lot? And not buying your room. You not buying, you know, you're selling rooms.

Speaker 22645.12s - 2665.74s

Right. So it's kind of strange to us. But, you know, also because we're from California in the whole West Coast LOC, BLM, Bureau of Land Management ORG has so much open space. And in the east, more U.S. Forest Service ORG has a lot of open space. And that's the kind of thing we were hoping to find out.So hopefully maybe more people

Speaker 42665.74s - 2671.8s

will answer. Yeah. So this week, our question of the week is, what pets do you travel with?

Speaker 32672.08s - 2678.54s

I have seen more and more cats. We have seen a lot of cats. We had a very creative boondockers day

Speaker 22678.54s - 2685.02s

with us last week. Yeah. And they had built a catio out of one of the windows in their RV.

Speaker 42687.44s - 2687.66s

We have had friends who travel with birds.

Speaker 22687.96s - 2689.08s

Birds? And of course dogs.

Speaker 42689.16s - 2692s

Yeah, dogs, of course. But I know there's more answers than that.

Speaker 22692.16s - 2701.04s

So let us know what creatures other than your spouse you travel with in your RV.

Speaker 42701.5s - 2705.1s

Yeah, and you can answer that at our fun and friendly, stressless campers

Speaker 22705.1s - 2717.18s

Facebook group. And do you know, you should know, because we tell you this all the time, but we have a newsletter and we send it out once a week and it's absolutely free. And it's got

Speaker 42717.18s - 2722.68s

links to the stories, videos, and podcasts that we think will help you get the most out of your

Speaker 22722.68s - 2737.14s

RV experience. So just visit the website and on the bottom of every page you can sign up and please know that we do not, will not, shall not share your information. We just use that list to send you one email each week, period. Yep. The website's

Speaker 42737.14s - 2746.54s

also where you'll find the show notes for this episode, episode 255 on the podcast page of Stressless Camping.com. ORG Also on Stressless Camping.com.

Speaker 22746.9s - 2764.62s

Also on Stressless Camping.com, ORG don't forget about the deals and discounts page. That's a great page and it has deals on things you're going to need for your stressless camping adventure. And if it's not there already and you know it exists, please reach out and let us know and maybe we can get more deals on that page.

Speaker 42764.88s - 2780.28s

Yeah, and you know, we are in all those social places and maybe we can get more deals on that page. Yeah. And, you know, we are in all those social places, but you can start at stressless camping.com. And then from there, we have links to all of the social places that we like to hang out, which is probably the social places where you like to hang out.

Speaker 22780.52s - 2786.16s

And of course, if you don't want to miss a future episode of the Stressless Camping Podcast ORG, it's free.

Speaker 42786.4s - 2800.24s

It is to subscribe on any podcast app. We are always saving you a seat around our virtual campfire. And by the way, again, last week, Brian had asked about Google ORG is sunseting their podcasting platform.

Speaker 02800.24s - 2808.26s

And so I think Spotify ORG is a good choice. If you're not on an iPhone or Apple ORG products,

Speaker 32808.42s - 2813.6s

if you're on Apple ORG products, then Apple makes a, yeah, they make a good thing. So anyway,

Speaker 22814.1s - 2832.12s

that's the story, morning glory. And as always, it's a good reminder that a review will help others find the podcast. And then more people will listen. And the more people will listen and the more people that listen the more great guests want to be part of it and talk to all of you. So if you haven't left

Speaker 32832.12s - 2837.48s

a review, there's information, there's instructions in the newsletter on how you can do that.

Speaker 22837.72s - 2841.72s

And there's also instructions on how you can share. So maybe you've already written a review

Speaker 32841.72s - 2845.32s

and you're tired of us asking.

Speaker 22850.34s - 2863.14s

But still, if you hear something that you like or see something on the website or see something on social media that you like, please share it. We really appreciate that too. I, again, will thank my cousin John and my aunt Kathy PERSON, who share everything we write. Yeah, I really appreciate them.

Speaker 42863.14s - 2865.26s

And we really do appreciate that. And all of you, of course.

Speaker 22865.38s - 2871.1s

Of course. Well, with that, it's a pleasure to be here with you again this week. From Inside our

Speaker 42871.1s - 2879.68s

Rockwood Mini Light PRODUCT, this is about to hit the road because we're about to take it with us. So maybe we'll see you out there on this adventure.

Speaker 22880.02s - 2885.12s

And that would make this even more awesome. In fact, it would make it.

Speaker 42885.76s - 2886.86s

Stressless camping.

Speaker 12887.88s - 2911.62s

We hope you learned a lot and had some fun and got some tips for your next stress less camping adventure. We're honored by your reviews on Apple Podcasts ORG, which helps others find us too. Don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss out on the adventure, and we look forward to your joining us next week until then happy camping of course there'll be a link benot

Speaker 42911.62s - 2918.58s

bono there'll be a link below in the show notes yeah below and show is bono didn't you know

Speaker 32918.58s - 2925.28s

that didn't you bano that oh my gosh. Yeah.

Speaker 42925.92s - 2926.96s

Silliness.

Speaker 32927.76s - 2927.92s

The snow.

Speaker 42928.4s - 2929.12s

The snow. What was it?

Speaker 32929.24s - 2930.78s

El Notos de show-o.

Speaker 42931.02s - 2931.58s

Show notes.

Speaker 32931.58s - 2935.18s

You said below the bonotes.

Speaker 42935.62s - 2936.14s

The boats.

Speaker 22936.58s - 2937.52s

The balotes.

Speaker 42937.84s - 2939.58s

Hey, we could be drinking boat drinks.

Speaker 22939.58s - 2940.34s

Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 42940.5s - 2941.08s

Oh, man.

Speaker 22941.54s - s

We're inventing our own language over here, everybody.