PDA

View Full Version : Owners Group Memberships


djqualls
08-23-2006, 12:27 AM
I am curious as to the advantages and reasons to join Owner's groups.

I sis join Good Sam's and saw that Gulfstream has a club but you need to be sponsored. Also I see that Freightliner has one in which you need to be a member of another group to join as well (I think).

I also saw some MoHo's with these cast plaques on their motorhomes with a member number on them as well. I think it was named Family something.

I would appreceiate any comments concerning these groups.

Thanks

Dave........

GStream40
08-23-2006, 08:17 AM
Dave,

I will try to give a short explanation since we belong to FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association), Good Sam Lifetime Member, GulfStreamers International RV Club, Cardinal GulfStreamers (Ohio Chapter), and Freightliner Chassis Owners Club (must be a FMCA member to belong).

As you can see at times I believe we belong to too many, BUT the advantages are:

FMCA has an excellent monthly magazine, insurance benefits in case one would get sick on the road they will see that you coach is driven to your home or assist where you need it taken PLUS many others. If you like to attend rallies, FMCA puts on some great and large rallies ( for a fee). This is probably the most enrolled club of motorhome owners. Every member usually has the plaques on the front/rear of the coach with there membership number on it, ours is 322748. A directory is sent to each member that if one wants, they can look up the number and know where the member is from and their name.

Good Sam One of the most popular benefit is 10% off camping fees at participating RV parks. It has a great monthly magazine. Good Sam also has great rallies that one can attend (for a fee of course but it is reasonable) What I don't like is the tons of junk mail I get from the Affinity Group that owns Good Sam. :evil:

GulfStreamers Int. This is what I feel is the most important to a GS owner. This gives you access to the GS staff that you can develop great contacts at the factory. We have attended the Back Home Rally every year since we purchased our first GS coach in August 2002 plus some of the other rallies. At the Back Home Rally, the factory techs at there and they do repairs at NO cost to the owner, be warranty repairs or to a coach that is many years old. It has some good entertainment and great food. There is a round table were you get to discuss items with the management of Gulf Stream. There are many vendors that have booths at the BH Rally and I have received great information and also help with operational problems from them. Many of the dealers pay for the first year of membership to GS Int. when one purchases a new GS product. Our GulfStreamers member #9174, here again a directory is published for each member.

Local GulfStreamers chapter We just joined the local Ohio Cardinal chapter so I will have to hold my comments at this time until I see how it works out other than to say it gives you another reason to use the RV and meet people from your own state with the same interests. Usually a spring and fall rally is held by local chapters, some chapters have more.

Freightliner Chassis Owners Club One must belong to the FMCA to belong to the FCOC. The FCOC provides a news letter that is very informational about the Freightliner chassis and updates for it's care and use. FCOC has pre-rallies that are held usually before the big FMCA rallies.

That was a short explanation of some of the benefits of why we belong to some of the clubs. I am sure others can provide their opinions either pro or con of belonging to them. They have provided many sources and contacts that I would have not have made if we did not belong to them. I have also found many useful items in the magazines and information.

Ron

RJ82much
08-23-2006, 09:44 AM
Ron, nice summary of the pro's & con's of the group memberships. Thank you for sharing. Dave, thanks for asking.

How about starting another topic: what roadside assistance, insurance, protection plans work for various members? The pro's & con's. I am, frankly overwhelmed with the best place where to put my money.

Opinions? (other than merely send it to you! ha ha ha)

GStream40
08-23-2006, 10:21 AM
Bob,

Do you belong to any "owner's clubs"? If so we would love to hear which and why?

Also, If you want to start another topic, just hit the "New Topic" type in what you want to discuss. :)

Ron

Retird2Golf
08-23-2006, 04:43 PM
djq, Ron really covered the clubs nicely. Good Sam has always been my
choice and the Trailor Life Directory they publish yearly is great.
They also have the directory on CD Rom for your computer.
The cd version can operate with a GPS. The directory has a wealth of information such as:
towing rules for each State, Hiway and patrol numbers, just on and on .....

To answer your question RJ8, Good Sam Road Service is EXCELLENT.
I've only had to use it Twice, personally, but they took care of everything.
I never even saw an invoice. Their Extended Warranty is very good but a little pricey.
RV Insurance varies from State to State, and they use GMAC as their insurer.

There is a wealth of information on all Forums and it is interesting to
visit the different sites.

NOW, about Gulfstreamers, it is primarily a rally type Club that Gulf
Stream Coach, Inc. sponsers and controls. You will never see an exchange of questions,
problems or solutions like on this (or other independent)Forum.
That is why the Admin started this Forum.

It is Brand Specific, visit IRV2 Forum and see their coverage ... 5 or6
different coaches, but not Gulf Stream. They also cover the different
chassis. Gulstream used Ford, Workhorse and Freightliner Chassis.
Each has it's own QUIRKS from year to year.

SO, as you can see, the more information available, the easier it can
be to solve a problem.

WOW !! that was long-winded. Sorry about that, but, you asked !!

Best Regards, Clyde

P.S. MY CHAT ROOM is for GulfStream Owners and CHAT is in REAL TIME
face to face so to speak. I really enjoy and support this Forum and all
the people I've met, and will continue to visit and post.

Come in the Chat Room any evening at 8pm EDT
and just see what is going on.

GStream40
08-25-2006, 07:27 AM
Clyde,

The GulfStreamers International IS a rally club. It was started for the owners of GS products as another avenue to use their RV's and enjoy the company of other GS owners. There are local chapters in most states. Yes, it is company owned and ran, very well I might add in the last 4 years that we have been members. It's active members have a very good relationship with the company.

Now the issue of the Gulf Streamers forum, the forum was for the club member use and for issues related to our club activities. BUT some tried to get service related issues solved on the club forum. Some of posts got a little heated between the service personnel at Gulf Stream which would monitor the forum and help if they could.

When it got out of hand according to GS management, the decision was made to lock it down and make it for members ONLY by permission for use. This caused some to complain, so the they shut it down completely. Which was too bad, because now the Streamer members had no place to post items for the club. Although some of the local chapters now have their own forum/websites for their club activities.

I hope that I straightened out the misconception of what the GulfStreamers member forum was, I am sorry that it is gone, but I am glad that this forum was started and thank the administator for starting/supporting it, although in reality it is a different forum than what the Streamers forum was intended to be.

Oh, BTW the Gulf Streamers International RV Club has over 10,000 members so it is not a small club by any means. Not all members are as active as others, some are only active in their local chapters.

Ron

Retird2Golf
08-25-2006, 03:23 PM
Ron, Thank You for the reply. I am a recently joined Gulfstreamers member. I joined in January of 2005 shortly after I purchased my first Gulf Stream. At that time I found all of the forums locked. Unfortunately, the rallys that have been available did not coincide with my travel plans.

I have read about the repairs they (GSC) accomplish at the rallys and I commend them for that. Regarding paragraph 4 in my reply to djq did I
mis-represent something? I certainly didn't "Bad Mouth" GSC. I stated only facts. An owner cannot go "on line" as they can on this site, and get answers in a timely manner. It seems to me that perhaps GSC could have
dealt with the situation in a better manner. You and admin do a great job of keeping things "in line".

Now. I enjoy the "Real Time" contact of a Chat Room, not everyone does.
But for an hour or so in the evening a few of us do and it is not only RV
talk, we also get to know each other.

Best regards, Clyde