FMCA Rally - No More for Me

[truk4u]

This was our 3rd Rally, will be the last, they all ended similar to this:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6d639b3127cce8bab55a0865d00000016100EcM2TJwxZMX

The good part was all the Prevost Conversions and a great dinner downtown Charlotte at the Hilton, compliments of Prevost Car including bus transportation.;) I will attend the pre-rally of my choice and then avoid the FMCA completely. No sense rambling on, it sucked!:mad:

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Truk4u, my brother-in-law lives down south and thinks he has seen semis in south Georga with your logo on the door, do these belong to you?

[ken&ellen]

Tom, Here is what we put up with at Perry, Ga. The trams could not get through to our section and we had to walk in as well as out. I had just had a heart procedure, but did not have time to get a handicap permit prior to the rally....FMCA would not give us any assistance. Ken

[rmboies]

Tom, you should have joined us in Asheville--no mud there:p Several of the coaches were headed to Charlotte from Asheville so I have no doubt they shared in your disappointment. Ken and Ellen had already shared their Perry experience with us at POG 1 so we had no intention of going to Charlotte, even though it is close by. Where are ya'll headed next??

Debi and Bob-00

[Just Plain Jeff]

There is dwindling interest in FMCA not only from owners, but from the converters as well, as the 'mud' you are seeing usually winds up in nice new coaches!

FMCA rallies have become mega-events, much more focused on retail sales of mid-range rigs.

I'd venture a guess that there may come a day when you won't see the converters go. When the first converter blinks and says, 'No more!' that'll be it.

Up the road here in Hinckley, Maine, was the site of the first FMCA rally, where they had 27 coaches, lots of fun, people got to know each other and had a good time...hey, wait a minute, that's sounding like POG today!

What the heck?

[Coloradobus]

FMCA MUD FEST 2002 Hutchison, Kansas. You can read what happened to us on Prevost-Stuff. Do a search. (body work on the Prevost CC, done in Dallas) They had 5000 coaches stuck up to their chassis. They used John Deere articulated all-wheel drive tractors with 8 tires to drag us out backwards thru the mud to dry land( Pavement).

Oh JOY, the 2007 Airstream International Rally June 26th-July4th will be in Perry. We haven't decided to go yet, bugs, humidity, potential mud. Even a 2 ton airstream can get mired in the the muck. Ick! We will NEVER, EVER go to another FMCA rally unless they GUARANTEE CONCRETE! I learned from that experience, never drive a 50,000lbs+ vehicle out onto grass!:eek: :eek:

[lewpopp]

Trukin Tom. What the hell are you doing in the middle of all of those "plastic boxes"?

Well Lew, "thats where they told me to park"

Don't you know all you have to do is to put a big POG sign in the front window and they will put you in the psychiatric area where all of Jeffs friends are. He's got the "PULL".

Becareful about winning the award for the bling. You soon find out why Parliament gave it for the prize. POS

Lew

[truk4u]

Lew, as we were being bused around the area with Prevost, picking up people for the big dinner, we pulled into the Prevost Prouds area! No mud, paved drives, nice high ground and filled with complimentary golf carts for each bus.:eek: They all felt sorry for us when we returned and saw all the mud (gasp) what are you doing out here with the common folks in plastic!:(

Joe, not my trucks, I now own "0" trucks and move 12,000 loads a year by contracting out the freight.

Debbie/Bob, we went to the Marathon Pre-Rally in Lake Toxaway, NC at Outdoor Resorts and it was fantastic. Next trip is POGII, are you going to take a few weeks off and go?

Jeff, your right about the sales aspect, that's really what the Rally is all about. The plastic folks were in a frenzy. We have a friend who plopped down 650K for a new Beaver and there were Sold signs all over the place with excess inventory parked in 2 other lots. The Rally was spread out all over the track, poor services for the elderly and handicapped, hot tents for seminars, junk old school buses for piss poor transportation, no place to sit in the entire infield when trying to eat (pizza or chicken only) and basically no services. The vendors were in a HUGE air conditioned tent and one I talked to lost some inventory due to flooding and told me FMCA paid 450K for this tent and he was holding them accountable for his spoiled inventory.

Bus, your right, live and learn....

The positive part of the Rally was seeing the Prevost Converters and talking to other owners. I did get the word around by wearing my POG shirt and you would be surprised how much interest there is in this group. I also saw Jon's new Newell with the murphy bed and steerable rear axle, I wasn't impressed!

Jim & Jeff, now what we need is to attend one of these rally's (with special parking high & dry) with as many Poggers as possible and caravan in all together. I'll bet you could get help from the converters with special parking! Since most of the converters have pre-rally's, everyone could do their own thing and then meet up for the mass Pogger arrival.

[Coloradobus]

OH the sight of it all,,,,,,Stainless and Kevlar/Fiberglass in volume. Kewwwlll!!!

[lewpopp]

Hey TRUCKLESS, I certainly hope the Prevost Prouds had all of the services you mentioned because their rallys run about $1295 - $1895.

I could either put up with the inconvenience or stay home for that amount of Lew Bucks.

We could have a nice pre-rally and have all of the ammenities if we're willing to pay the pimple. These rallys have to be planned a year or more in advance and big money has to be deposited. Poor Jeff is not in that position this week, maybe next week.

As far as the FMCA rally, I spend very little time visiting the coach displays. I will see a few old friends I've dealt with before and touch base with them and head for the indoor goodies. I'm gone in a couple days and no longer partake in the entertainment because I'm not one of the deprived from Tenn. or Texas. Most of the entertainment is cowboys and indians. You sit back so far you can't see or hear. All of the volunteers get the good seats(and rightly so) and the suckholes get the rest. In Maine, I think we were in another time zone.

Everyone should attend at least 1 or 2 big rallys. It's really an experience you'll never forget.

[rmboies]

[QUOTE=
Debbie/Bob, we went to the Marathon Pre-Rally in Lake Toxaway, NC at Outdoor Resorts and it was fantastic. Next trip is POGII, are you going to take a few weeks off and go?
[/QUOTE]

Tom, like I told JDUB the other day, we will not be able to get away for POGII:( I am hopeful that we still we still have a bus for POG III whenever that is:) Wish we could see you there but it is not in the cards for this fall. Hi to Nancy!!

Debi and Bob-00

[win42]

FMCA Rally Redmond Oregon 2004: We attended our first and so far the only rally two years ago in Redmond OR. The grounds were well prepared with gravel roads & parking. Shuttles were great and ran often. Indoor vendor space were first class. A huge auditorium with excellent evening intertainment. Intering and leaving went like clockwork. This is usually their dry time of year. We had a good time and are looking to repeat Redmond next year. Oregon is a great part of the country to visit.
A discussion at POGII should be had about 2007 FMCA. If we commit as a group early, I'm pretty sure we can do as well as the PP's for space. They offered a power available space that we took, but did not need. Power came from large diesel power units scattered around. ( pretty noisy close to them). Sorry to see the NC FMCA mud bowl you just attended.
Harry & Shirley

[Jerry Winchester]

I just spoke to MangoMike and he said he is dying to attend a FMCA rally, so I think we need to get a POG contingent up and I have a John Deere dozer we can load on the trailer and tow behind the coach...:cool:

And I can bring my ice cream freezer we can pocket some extra LewBucks eh?
115

[lewpopp]

It's amazing that Jon didn't offer to come down to your place and paint the motor you have to run the ice cream churn. Jon's slipping.

[Jerry Winchester]

Lew, you know me. I'm just Old School. I like a nice patina on my stuff. Shows character.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

That's my fault. I took a quick look at the engine and thought it was the one in JDUB's bus. I certainly wasn't going to do anything to help him win the bling award.

Now that I look again at the picture I realize the engine is a newer model.

I also now realize that the use of the word "patina" when discussing the finish on Jerry's engine, can be compared to the use of the word "hair" when describing JPJ's head.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Whos BIG BELLY is that in the rear? With the head so convienently out of the picture? Lew, you been down in Texas?

[lewpopp]

SSSShhhhh, Joe, Jerry hasn't got any idea that I have been down to his hen house. Damn, I wish you guys could keep a secret.

Jerry's a little bit bigger than me and can run faster and normally has some big meat forks in his hand when he eats and chases.

Good ol' Jerry. That certain name slipped out a while ago really shakes the hell out of me. HALLIBURTON. Sleepin with Cheney, huh?

Won't be long before you'll be up grading your coach with a 2000 or so. I can see the handwriting on the wall.