If you’re an RV traveler, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of FMCA. This organization offers a wide range of benefits to its members, but it can be hard to know whether or not the value is worth the cost. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at what FMCA membership offers and help you decide if it’s right for you.
Kenny and I both recently joined FMCA. With so many different memberships out there, you might be wondering why we chose this one and if it’s worth it to you. Whenever I’m considering an RV club or organization, I want to know what value I’m getting for my money. Sometimes it can be monetary, such as savings and discounts, and sometimes in community or education. Either way, I want the value to exceed my investment. Now that I’ve assessed the FMCA membership, I can say it is worth way more than the cost.
The cost to join FMCA is $60 for the first year and $50 for each subsequent year as of this writing. So the question is, can you get $60 of value from the membership? In this article, we will cover both the actual monetary and non-monetary benefits.
What is FMCA?
The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) has been around since 1963 and has issued more than 500,000 memberships. The organization aims to organize social activities, exchange RV information, and supply benefits. For many years, the FMCA was only open to motorhome owners. However, they have changed in recent years and have opened up to towables. I have a fifth wheel, and I sure appreciate the change in the organization’s heart in allowing towable owners.
Monetary Benefits
FMCA offers a lot of benefits to the members. For example, they partner with several organizations to offer exclusive deals for FMCA members. I will highlight three of the benefits that provide the most value, in my opinion. There are many more. Review the FMCA website if you are interested in seeing the complete list of benefits. Some not covered in this article may bring much more value from your perspective.
FMCA Assist
FMCAssist, an emergency medical evacuation, and travel assistance program, is perhaps the best benefit of the club’s membership. You are automatically enrolled in this benefit with no additional cost to you. It kicks when you are more than 75 miles from home. If you are a full-time RVer, you are always considered 75 miles from home. There are several features of this plan. We’ll cover some of the significant benefits we enjoy.
Emergency Cash
Suppose you have a breakdown while traveling, and your breakdown results in travel not being possible. In that case, the policy will reimburse $250 per day for the cost of food and temporary lodging for up to 3 days with a maximum of $1,500 in 12 months.
Emergency Room Cash
Suppose an accident causes you to obtain treatment in an emergency room while traveling. In that case, the policy will pay $250 for a maximum of $500 in any 12 months.
Medical Evacuation and Repatriation
If you incur an injury or illness while on a trip that requires evacuation, the policy will cover up to $500,000 of the cost. In addition, the policy will also cover up to $50,000 if a family member is required to travel with you.
Return Home
Suppose you become ill or injured and cannot continue traveling in the RV due to medically imposed restrictions as determined by a physician. In that case, the program will pay up to $500,000 to return you to your primary residence. In addition, it will also cover the costs of returning your dependents who are traveling with you to their primary residence.
Return of Recreational Vehicle
Suppose, as a result of injury or illness, you or someone traveling with you cannot return the RV to your primary residence. In that case, FMCAssist will pay, up to $5,000, for eligible RV return expenses.
These benefits change periodically, so review what is covered each year and make sure you know how to access this benefit before you actually are in a situation where you need it. The last thing you need is not to follow the program’s rules and lose out on any benefits.
Tech Connect
A strong internet connection and traveling in an RV are two things that usually do not go together. The FMCA has a great program to help out. Kenny recently purchased a hotspot through the FMCA’s Tech Connect Program. The service is provided by Sprint/T- Mobile and is a truly unlimited data plan. This is very important because there is a massive difference between unthrottled data and throttled data limits despite what your cell provider tells you.
An example of this is when we reach our 20 GB limit on our Verizon plan. Our data becomes throttled and unusable for streaming services and Zoom meetings. This is why the truly unlimited plan that FMCA offers is so important. For a one-time fee of $50 for the device and $50 a month for the service, I feel it is one of the best plans out there for RVers.
Kenny has been using the plan for almost a month and has been enjoying the worry-free experience of not having to watch every gig I use. FMCA made signing up for the program very easy. Kenny did everything online through their website, and we had our new hotspot delivered within 4 days of ordering. If you look to improve your online experience while on the road, he highly recommends their data plan. FMCA’s Tech Connect Plus also offers discounts on cell boosters, Dish services, and WiFI Rangers.
FMCA Tire Program
Another feature that could quickly pay for your FMCA membership in one purchase is the tire program. FMCA has partnered with several tire brands for light trucks, passenger cars, and RV tires. Each manufacturer has a unique way to get a discount, so be sure to research this before ordering your next set of tires. We have not used this feature yet, but have heard of people saving hundreds of dollars on sets of tires for their vehicles. Motorhome tires are incredibly costly, so discounts are appreciated.
As of this writing, FMCA partners with Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, and Continental on tires. Review the page on the FMCA website when you become a member to make sure you know how each of the tire discount programs works.
Non-Monetary Benefits
Like the monetary benefits that are valuable to us, I will cover three of the benefits we appreciate. But, like the financial benefits, there are many more, and you may find that some of them are more important to you than the ones below.
Magazine
The Family RVing magazine is one of the better RV-focused magazines out there. It is a monthly magazine, and the part I really like is that it is effortless to access and read the digital version of the magazine on the computer. Being an RVer, having a lot of paper is not ideal, so the digital edition is the way to go for me. The magazine is full of information, including the latest RV-related recalls, RV and equipment reviews, educational articles, destination articles, and classified ads. I find it valuable to keep up with the latest happenings in the RV world and educate on RV topics. It seems in this lifestyle, you can never know too much.
FMCA International Convention & RV Expo
I had the opportunity to attend the International Convention & RV Expo in Minot, North Dakota, a couple of years ago. Bottom line: I was amazed at the amount of stuff going on at this rally. There is an additional cost to attend this event. Still, the value exceeds the cost of the event and membership, in my opinion.
I equate the event to one of the larger RV shows. They had tons of vendors, new RVs and equipment on display, installation of equipment on RVs, fun events, tours, and, my favorite, educational seminars. There were more seminars at the FMCA convention than I have seen at any other event.
In addition to the main convention, there are also some bonus events such as RV Basics and RV Driving School. These are typically before the actual event, so you do not have to miss any action while attending these classes. The RV Basics course is a two-and-a-half-day course centered on what you need to know to be a comfortable RVers, including preparation, operation, and maintenance practices. RV Driving School focuses on making you a safer and more confident driver in your RV using your RV.
Chapters
The chapters in FMCA are all about getting that sense of community and fellowship on the road. There are more than 400 chapters based on location and interests. They have chapters for everyone, including current and former military members, amateur radio enthusiasts, and specific areas specific such as Long Island, New York.
Finding community on the road can sometimes be challenging. Many people struggle with finding a comfortable community they feel part of. The many chapters in FMCA make that a little easier. Also, it gives someone a lot of options to try. If you join a group and do not feel like it is the right fit, there are others to try.
This is not a monetary benefit, but the value is gained by keeping you interested in RVing, making new friends, and being a part of a community. We humans were designed to be communal, so finding a group that is the right fit will contribute to your overall well-being and make adventures more fun.
Putting it All Together
These are just a few of the many benefits offered to FMCA members. The list is very long, including insurance discounts, mail forwarding, chapter rallies, and area rallies. There is no doubt that the membership will pay for itself if you take advantage of just a few of the benefits offered by FMCA. I know that Julie and I intend to stay members for a long time because of the value it brings to us when RVing.
If you are interested, visit the FMCA website. If you are curious what others think about their membership, just look for the oval FMCA plate on an RV. I am sure a friendly face will be somewhere around that RV, and they will be excited to talk to you about the FMCA membership.
We also recorded a podcast with the CEO of FMCA. He really goes in to detail about the organization. If you are really curious and want further details about the history, structure, and benefits of the organization, give that episode a listen.
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