Could see this coming but still saddens us.
Sounds like the club needs to get James Triana under contract asap.
I read this with much concern. I have been the owner of my foretravel for a year now and I remember at the time how fortunate I felt, not only because there was quality built into my unit but because I was now part of the foretravel family. My parents also had a foretravel and I always thought how great the motorcade club was, that was a major factor in looking at foretravel when it came time that I could buy an rv...honestly never thought I could afford one, felt fantastic. Since we bought our rig we have gone to two rally's and look forward to more, eventually when we retire we are hoping to do a few motorcades too. But with foretravel moving out of the picture, that seems doubtful. Make no mistake, without foretravel support the likelihood of a future is in doubt. I love the great magazine, comb over it with every issue and plan on which events we will be able to attend with our limited time off. The day the magazine arrives is so exciting to us...we can look it over and get excited about meeting new friends. I assume foretravel watches this board, so I have this to say. I think the new IC-37 is a great step looking forward. I am sure you will sell many, that is what was needed, a shorter coach that is a little less overwhelming to drive and at more friendly price point to boot. Perhaps you could evaluate how much the motorcade really costs you and the dues structure could be made to accommodate. But I would not be surprised if the loyalty to the brand is not more closely related to the motorcade club than you realize.
Just my 2 cents, windwalker
I am sitting here looking at my renewal check going in the mail today. Maybe I should just tear it up, >:(
jk
First off, I agree with the comments that windwalker made. After reading the letter a couple of times, I don't see where the nuts and bolts of the motorcade club are any different from how it's been in the past. Just my thought.
Dropped it last year. Didn't see the need for it.
This forum does more for me personally.
But still a strong FT supporter
Chris
The 10% discount on parts at FT has paid for my subscription twice over just in the past 2 months.
There is a lot that can be read into Read's letter.. Years ago, I saw a similar move made by Airstream Inc. eventually severing all club support relations with the membership. The result overtime saw the creation of an independent Airstream Club with name changes, permanent staff, monthly magazines, yearly election of officers, a Club office building, etc. This may be the road Foretravel Inc. may travel. This is not all bad & from my experience a good working relationship can be maintained but I would forecast the Company support will dwindle with time & the Club will struggle to stay afloat.
I am a rather new comer to Foretravel & a Motorcader club member & frankly benefited several times from membership. But outside the 10% discount, ( Only good through the factory, not the Foretravel endorsed 6 satellite service centers which I learned the hard way) there appears nominal benefit to me even as a Chapter Officer. Don't miss read me, the Motorcader club staff does a phenomenal job and Mr. T has saved my butt several times.
I guess where I am going with this is a question to Mr. Read; Where do I send my 2019 dues since one of the two company supported club management corner stones is being dropped by the Foretravel - namely Financial, and what might that dues be?? So, a second question to our National Officers; what is the membership's next step ???
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,
Lou
There has to be a business reason such as insurance or something else driving this since it looks like FOT is going to stay involved, just not the owner of the club.
Same parts 50-75% cheaper, online, and faster...Just sayin'
Having been a Motorcade member in the past, we were so proud belong! Just the calls that we made to James T. were worth any amount they could have charged back then. We also formed many friends at the gatherings, but alas, never made a Motorcade Grandvention. Time will tell if this is a good move, but hopefully it will be better and stronger in the end.
I brag everyday to other SOB owners on how much we loved our Foretravel.
Just became a member 2 months ago. I guess wait and see. I feel like I've lost something I've never had yet. No magazine yet but anxiously waiting to get my first one.
Forum Members:
Wanting to get to get first hand info I called Bev Koonce at FT - here is what I learned.
1. - It was confirmed that Jan 1 is the beginning of the Foretravel fiscal year and the club will become an independent entity on that date.
2. - There were a number of business reasons for this change, but some have already been listed including the opportunity to grow the club membership via new partners or programs.
3. I was told technical support from James Triana WILL still be included as a Motorcade membership benefit, included in the cost of the club dues. Time will tell how this works out.
4. - I was also told that the member discounts WILL still be in place and honored as a benefit at FT service.
5. - The major national motorcade events (GrandVention, Alaska Motorcade, Driving School, etc.) are self sustaining and will likely be continued in their current format.
Bev closed saying any club member with questions or concerns should just call her direct at FT to discuss.
I was satisfied in the conversation that the membership still had plenty of value to me. I frequent FT and MOT enough, (both honor the discount), have used James T services a few times to bail me out, and enjoy getting the magazine, so unless they change one or more of those aspects of the club, I intend to renew my membership at renewal time.
Tim
Disclosure - I am not an employee of FT or related in any way personally to FT or the Motorcade Club, on a business or personal basis.
Thanks for the briefing Tim. I guess I'll hang in for another year and see how it goes.
jk
I'm not worried, and I'm keeping my membership.
Proud to support the Motorcade Club, James T. has saved my bacon a few times too....
Paid our membership dues for next year and spoke to Bev direcfly. Switched Chapters, due to our impending move to Tampa in the next two weeks. Looking forward to meeting the Florida members at the Spring Motorcade Rally. The learning experience from the experienced members alone is worth the price of admission! :)
Jeff & Kristen
When we purchase our next Foretravel, we will again become Motorcade members! James T's help is priceless!
Where will the members be able to purchase the Motorcade imprinted/embroidered sportswear?
James is the best. All my years selling rvs, never seen support like this. I will continue to be a Motorcade member as long as I have a FT and it is available.
Airstream's official club is the Wally Byam Caravan Club - started in 1955 in Canada. Their national office now, is just down the street from the Airstream factory in Ohio and is/was not part of the Airstream corporation as the Motorcade is/was. Byam started the club to promote the use of Airstreams, a company he founded.
It would indeed be a good model to learn from and perhaps follow... but maybe without all the pomp and circumstance.
Oh well, this might change things a bit. I have been debating remaining a member after 17 years and being pretty active in the club. We sold our Foretravel and now have a Born Free. I wold think that the club could let all brands join now.
I would think that the club could let SOBs join now.
We still have our Foretravel Motorcade jackets and they still fit! I would vote to keep the Motorcade membership strictly for those owning a Foretravel.
We still have our Foretravel Motorcade jackets and they still fit! I would vote to keep the Motorcade membership strictly for those owning a Foretravel.
I 2nd that
I would vote for whatever it takes membership wise to keep the club viable. With the dwindling numbers of coaches being built, accepting SOB may become an economic necessity, perhaps a dues increase or both.
Tim Fiedler
Sure Start Soft Start (http://www.gen-pro.biz) - home of SureStart soft starters TCER Direct (http://www.tcerdirect.com) - home of Generac Approved Aluminum and Copper TCER Composite cable generator-gas-prod (http://www.generatorgasproducts.com) - home of X-Riser Gas Risers for PE installation Call me at 630 240-9139
Gen-Pro
We've had limited experience at the Motorcade events but when we've been able to go they are outstanding. James has saved us on the road twice.
In Branson at the Grandvention as I looked around the room I realized that most of the wonderful people there are, like me, getting a little long in the tooth. The club probably has a short life without infusing new blood. Those people won't come from a diminishing number of older coaches on the road. Taking on other brands may be the salvation of the group.
Years ago I got invited to potluck campfire the first day of owning a Barth. The president of the club had SOB, Monaco. I was shocked, however, after talking to her, "our RV had its last breakdown in Canada, we had no choice, and these are my best friends". I fully understood, an evening I'll remember forever. Tim, even if not an economic necessity, it is the right thing to do. Although it would be nice to have only FT members, have you ever experienced the feeling, being told you do not qualify for membership? I have, it sucks. Maybe a patch for the jacket under the FT emblem, SOB? Are we really that exclusive of a club?
No matter what, I probably will never go to a Motorcade event, unless all the stars line up. I will remain a member to support the membership and the brand. Un-rallies, another story, I'll attend any I can and am near.
I still don't understand how the Motorcade is going to work or be managed. Just an idea... Why not create Foretravel Chapters via FMCA. There could be different chapters for different areas or regions. Just my 2 cents.
John M
I probably was accepted to a few before they figured out what they were dealing with.....lax investigation to be sure...
"I don't want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members." - Groucho Marx
I Don't Want to Belong to Any Club That Will Accept Me as a Member – Quote... (http://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/04/18/groucho-resigns/)
Tim Fiedler
Sure Start Soft Start (http://www.gen-pro.biz) - home of SureStart soft starters TCER Direct (http://www.tcerdirect.com) - home of Generac Approved Aluminum and Copper TCER Composite cable generator-gas-prod (http://www.generatorgasproducts.com) - home of X-Riser Gas Risers for PE installation Call me at 630 240-9139
Gen-Pro
We've been Motorcade members since we bought our Foretravel in 2013 and have yet to attend an event. We'd like to, but so far their schedules and ours have not matched up. Someday, maybe, it will happen.
We are 60 and 61. We love the motorhome lifestyle for its freedom. Some of our best friends are fellow FT owners. That makes perfect sense as we are like minded people with these coaches and this forum in common.
The Motorcades are just too structured for our taste. We prefer to spend our time out in a less structured manner. We have been member since we bought our coach to support the brand. Going forward we will probably not rejoin.
We love un-rallies!
Unrally 2019 Camp Wolbertus..!!!!!!!!
How much room do you have? ;D ;D
Probably squeeze 6 ...Jeff/Allen what ya think.??
Wait, If I tear the veggie garden fence down ( one side ) probably 3 more but no power... :) :) :)
I'm pretty sure that former FT owners/members can now continue as club members if they have SOB.
Rich
6 easy Hans
Six for sure.
We bought our Foretravel 11 years ago and live in it full time. During this time we have had some exposure to Motorcade Club- 1 Granvention and a mini motorcade after it. Met lots of great people there and we are still friends now. We have attended several chapter rallies across the country when it fit our schedule and was going to places we wanted to go. Enjoyed them a lot and saw some old friends and made new ones. We also enjoy the Un-rallies wherever we run into other Foretravelers.
My main point is that a motor coach club is just that, a club of like minded people who enjoy each others company and want to do similar activities. They can be formal like the Motorcade or informal like the Un- rallies. As things are changing perhaps there can be a blending of these concepts?
This is my 2 cents worth- oops, not 2 cents, we already paid our 2019 dues. ^.^d
Dear Motorcade Club Members,
The structural change that is coming to the Club is just a change. Lyle Reed's decision to due this is a business decision that we have to respect. The change does give us options for the future that we do not have as a subsidiary of FOT. The Board of Directors are setting up committees to have an officer structure, business plan, and revised bylaws in place by the time FOT completes the divestiture sometime in June of this year. A preliminary meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled at FOT on March 13.
After this meeting, we should have a clearer idea of the corporate structure, any transitional financial support, and the level of support that FOT will provide with the services of Beverly and other staff. Not all Board members can make the meeting so we plan to email the minutes to all Board members. At that time, I will update the Forum on this platform.
Remember, if the Club was important to you prior to this announced change, it will be important to you after. Only, now, you, as a member, will have more control over what we do.
Steve crook
President
I see this change as an opportunity that allows users to control what's offered rather than being "hostage" to corporate winds of change. For the opportunity to be realized, however, will require all of us to stay involved in local chapters supporting rallies and understanding that this like Motorcades must pay for themselves. I'd be surprised if FT does to continue to honor the 10% discount and technical support since it drives their revenue too. There are many active owners groups for brands that are not even in existence. As a FT owner we should all consider the modest cost of membership to preserve the community we all enjoy.
My 2 cents.
I have never and not sure if I will ever meet up and be a part of the Motorcade area chapter....I sign up for the discount..
Funny I dont like annual fee credit cards but here I am paying the fee to get a discount. Haaa.. Funny how things change!!
Welcome Steve, and thanks for the information.
I do hope that FOT will continue with the tech support.
Did anybody get a new 2019 membership card yet?
jk
Paid our dues and nothing yet.
For those lurking or otherwise not knowledgeable, perhaps someone could explain the costs involved as well as the benefits for joining the Motorcade.
Larry
Foretravel Motorcoach - Foretravel Motorcade Club (http://www.foretravel.com/motorcade.php)
I would imagine that most folks are motivated to join the Motorcade Club is because of the 10% discount they receive on parts and services at FOT. Additionally they have access to James Triana's tech support.
I would guess that fewer than half of the membership is motivated by the club activities, be it at a local chapter level or at the international level. Most of the Motorcades don't seem to attract the participation levels they did in years past even though they are well organized and the costs seem to be reasonable. Sandy and I have enjoyed the rallies and Motorcades we have been part of and have met and made friends with many members we probably wouldn't have met otherwise.
For a $100 a year you get the FOT discount, a Motorcade Club magazine and tech support and the opportunity to participate in club events. All on all a pretty good deal from my perspective.
In regard to the membership cards I would add that I have never been asked to show this as proof of membership. Just giving our Motorcade member number to anyone that asked for it was sufficient.
Steve
I think our chapter in the PNW region is on life support and the cord is half unplugged. Just got an email from the chapter and not even enough showed up at the last meeting to have a vote for officers and two officers resigned.
Granted the PNW is a very large geo area with a sparse coach population.
This is a common theme for all clubs. At one time i was President, Vice President, Competition chairman and Facebook page moderator for our photo club. Even with 30 members. I could'nt get anyone to raise their hand to help. So when we started our RV trip in November. I told them that I won't even be in the state for months. Still no one stepped up. They still don't have a president. So the motorcade isn't alone in their dilemma.
Bigdog, "This is a common theme for all clubs". So true. Only a few years ago a high end manufacturers club, that has sold mutiples of the rvs Foretravel has, was having their annual get togeather on the Oregon coast. I volunteered as a salesman to attend and work our display there. I was told, no, we already have two salesman going, we are only taking two rVs to display, and the club only reserved 14 spots for attendees, and at this time only 12 can go. Four of the twelve had bought new rvs in the previous 12 months.
This is why all that can participate, should. I appreciate this forum alot, we have a gem of participants, whom have saved my butt more than once.
I'll continue to support anything with the name Foretravel attached, as I know the value. I also value my FMCA membership and will continue my membership, even though I'm unlikely to attend any of their get togeathers, that being said, my attendance could change, my support not.
Bigdog, my employer gave a free first year membership to FMCA to all our customers and renewed for a year if they already belonged. A sign of the times, so many said "no, we would never participate".
I see no reason that many of the suggestions here...unrallies for example, can't be part of the club after we own it.
I was very active in the club and really enjoyed our rallies. The last one I hosted as president if our chapter had 33 coaches out of 55 total show up. We made it worthwhile. We had tech talks, fun and onetrip to see the area we were in. Then FT sales started to crater. The new IH owners were not interested in the club. Look how many we have on here, very few. So as the older owners took their coaches to MOT to sell we had less in the mid Atlantic and North Atlantic chapters. The PNW has always been small but they had a store there so I wonder. Kodak sold the most coaches after TX but when they were no longer a factory store the writing was on the wall for many chapters. Our membership kept shrinking year by year as people downsized or left the RV lifestyle all together. Foretravel was late to the party with a smaller coach so that hurt as well. I know 6 people who downsizedout of FT altogether. I have been on the board of directors a number of years and have been chapter president and vice president. I let my membership go after being a member since 2002. Foretravel did it's best to push us people out who were their coach owners. Heck one of their former motorcade directors has a Born free as well. They did say if you have ten years you can stay in but the fact is it is not the same. I wish the club every success but fear for its survival. Look at the pictures and the ages and you will see it is getting older. I joined at39 and was the youngest owner at the time. Many of my foretravel friends I made thru the club are dear friends but are aging out.
Understand what you mean John,Elks clubs and KC's are facing the same thing,the younger crowd seems to just want to talk
and text on social media and not phisically get involved in things.Think we can probably get a few informal forum rallies going.
Oh, how I wish I could keep my mouth/fingers quiet on this one! But, it seems I can't so here goes.
There are a lot of folks who choose not to participate in rallies because of the cost, the location, their own finances, health issues, and for some, work commitments.
Perfect example is the FMCA rally in Georgia. Why would I, or someone even further away, drive from here in Wisconsin to Perry for a few days and have to make a reservation so far in advance that it is unlikely we could attend due to my cancer followups and finances.
Obviously everyone has different preferences and interests. Every rally or group cannot cater to everyone, and usually the organization's leaders are led from the rear by a very few individuals who have their interests.
Our KC and Moose club, Elks clubs have virtually disappeared up here.
Want to go dancing after you have attended one of the two dance studios here in town? Good luck with that!! Bars do not allow dancing, the city frowns and won't issue licenses because of the violence that has occurred at these places.
We have to plan our outings, now that we are in our mid-seventies, around medical schedules and finances. In case no one has noticed, our COLA that we seniors get every once in awhile, has not kept up with the costs of fuel and other expenses.
My wife and I are 60/61 and we feel young when looking at pictures from motorcade events. We prefer less structured un-Rally's, I guess we are good examples why the program is suffering.
That said I think FT is making a mistake by turning this marketing and support opportunity loose. It's a captive audience. Didn't FT once buy a coach manufacturer to get its hands on their travel group? I thought I read that once.
It was the Motorcade they were after at the time.
As far as having rallies, we have a great rally in the desert in Jan. We had 36 coach's this year as far as I know we all had a great time.
It may not be for everyone because we have no potlucks or meetings but hey we have a good time and we had a bunch of first timers and they all are looking forward to next year.
Just enjoying the foretravel experience and sharing our knowledge and helping with what we can.😎
As new owners we're going to join, not sure what benefits we may or may not use, we're probably more of un-rally folks so probably won't be to active, If nothing else our dues show support for the club.
As a new owner you will get a lot out of it and you will be able to meet a lot of other owners and look at lots of coaches. So for you it is probably a good idea.
I paid my dues, and I don't have a coach at present. I will find one of the 29 or 30ft with twin beds for my Toy for short trips.