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Topic: Grandvention (Read 867 times) previous topic - next topic

Grandvention

Thinking of attending this year's Grandvention in LA.  What exactly is a Grandvention, and is it fun?  Also, what is the cost to attend, and what do you get?  Is it like a campground setting, or just a parking lot kind of affair?

Gregory S
2003 Designer

Re: Grandvention

Reply #1 –
Its a get together for the factory to show off their latest and greatest, give some very good technical forums by factory and vendors, allow you to get some work done on your coach, meet a whole bunch of Foretravel owners and sell you some Foretravel merchandise. The food is good, the venues selected are good. The company is generally great.
The Motorcade Club also has business meetings to plan then next years or two. Lately its been their venue to throw out those they don't like, too. The raffle items are very good! Often the local chapter will have a 'pre-grandvention' get together at the same park (or one close by) to have their own get together.
There are usually 100 plus coaches - it often sells out (or has in the past). The price is kept low so it tends to be a great deal. Everyone should go to at least one...
The selected media item is not currently available. Dave Head & Megan Westbrook
Titusville, FL - The Great Outdoors
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Re: Grandvention

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Dave Head –
Its a get together for the factory to show off their latest and greatest, give some very good technical forums by factory and vendors, allow you to get some work done on your coach, meet a whole bunch of Foretravel owners and sell you some Foretravel merchandise. The food is good, the venues selected are good. The company is generally great.

Expanding on what Dave said, based on our lone Grandvention participation at Texas Motor Speedway a few years ago.

Lots of opportunity to meet and greet other FTers.  There will likely be sale coaches to walk through (not sure how many, at the TMS one there was still a dealer network, so several dealers brought coaches). 

There are social activities.  Meals, evening entertainment (which may have involved dancing, don't know as we didn't participate.  Between us we have 6 left feet), and a little free time.  Each Motorcade chapter had a dinner with a little business thrown in.  There was at least a ladies' only lunch (a Red Hat function) followed by a craft session (which I skipped and went to the James Triana men's session instead).

Agree that the raffles are awesome! 

There will usually be an "ask FT" session with management plus engineering.  Some technical vendor presentations (although at TMS they were about the new A/V system and Active Air on the newest coaches; we would have preferred ones on common systems).

An awards ceremony where folks get mileage awards, years of membership awards, etc. 

FT (Motorcade) mechanics available for service.  Girard Awning guy as well (that paid off for us - found out we were missing a part on our awning).

My favorite part was getting to put faces with names.  And my second favorite part was the technical sessions with James T. and Aubrey L.  While there are some sessions geared for the distaff side (Cooking with your Sharp Oven, Designing/Remodeling, the Red Hat lunch and the craft session), my personal interest is much more technical so I crashed the guy's party, at least for the presentations.  I would love even more technical Q&A, but that's the engineer in me. 

TMS camping was W/E 50A, dump, in an asphalt parking area (the "premium" TMS camping zone).  We didn't spend that much time at the coach.  The sessions, etc., were held in the TMS convention facilities. 

We won't be at this year's Grandvention (would have attended if they had been able to keep it in Kerrville), but we're planning on Mineola, TX next year.

Michelle
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320