Wherever You Go, There You Are

During this first month of the new year, do you hear the open road calling? Are you paging through Family RVing magazine or reading FMCA.com’s travel blogs, wistfully thinking of your next trip? Or are you out and about in your RV now, looking to add to your adventures?

Many people prefer to have a plan. It’s just human nature. The planning could involve the number of hours you log on the road each day; atlases and apps that enhance your journeys; podcasts to pass the time; easy campsite recipes; or events and destinations, such as FMCA international conventions and area/chapter rallies.

Our suggestion: Make a plan, however extensive or simple it is, and go for it. We hope the information that follows provides you with some inspiration to do so.

Travel . . . be free . . . in 2023!

The FMCA Team

Know Before You Hit The Road

FMCA provides an RV Checklist for RVers to use as they start planning their upcoming adventures. The RV Checklist is a valuable tool you can use to help prevent setbacks and costly repairs while ensuring your next RV trip starts off with a smooth ride.

Download our newest version here. 

FMCA offers virtual RV classes exclusively to its members through FMCA University, an online hub of RVing resources. Join FMCA today to gain access to the FMCA University 24/7 — anytime, anywhere.

Plan A Trip

There are a variety of tools you can use to plan your next road trip. However, the preparation can be a little more challenging when you intend to vacation in an RV. You face obstacles other drivers don’t, such as locating large enough fuel stations, nearby campsites, water and electric hookups, and more. We have found some of the top RV road trip apps to help you select the best ones for you!

RV Life Pro is a platform/app designed by RVers that gives you info about campgrounds, including reviews, plus tips and suggestions for your next destination. It also provides an RV-safe GPS for navigating, allowing you to add the height and weight of your RV. Quickly access your planned trips and get GPS directions to the next stop.

Roadtrippers Plus lets you create and edit a road trip; estimates your fuel costs; and indicates cool points of interest for your journey. If you prefer, choose from premade road trip itineraries. Live traffic updates are available, as well as hotel bookings if you need a night away from the RV.

The Dyrt Pro features predesigned road trip maps and the ability to unlock discounts. This app includes offline maps and cell-service maps, and it allows you to contact campgrounds and to ask other members for reviews. Many features are free, but it is not accessible in Canada at this time.

Folks who do not enjoy the process of planning trips and booking campgrounds might consider another idea: an RV travel agent. This may be an attractive option for RVers who just want to travel with no fuss, no stress, and to enjoy things as they come. However intriguing as that may sound, this obviously would be more expensive than the do-it-yourself option. Also, make sure your travel agent has the skills to book campsites and to plan an RV itinerary — and knows the difference between campsites, RV parks, and resorts, as well as your preferences in that regard. Check out this post from Drivin’ & Vibin’ to learn more.

3 3 3 Rule Of RVing

While the excitement of picking your next RV destination may be at the forefront of your 2023 plans, it’s also important to consider how you’ll stay safe while on the road. Even if every second of your itinerary is perfectly calculated, you still want to keep safety in mind so you can enjoy every minute of your trip. Try using the 3 3 3 rule while driving! This rule contains three pieces of advice to make traveling by RV more comfortable and to help keep you focused: Travel no more than 300 miles per day; arrive at your destination before 3:00 p.m.; and stay there for at least 3 days.

To a seasoned traveler, 300 miles per day may not seem that long, but driving, especially on long stretches of highway, can be very tiring, no matter how comfortable you are. Since trailers and motorhomes are larger vehicles, more focus and caution are needed to operate them, which can lead to fatigue as well. It’s also a good idea to reach your destination before 3:00 p.m., as many RV parks still have working attendants at this time, and you will have plenty of daylight to set up camp. And because exploring your destination can take some time, staying 3 days or nights will allow you to enjoy the place you are at while taking time to refresh.

Keeping these rules in mind can help you have a successful 2023 travel season!

FMCA's 106th International Convention & RV Expo

Join thousands of RVers at FMCA's "LUCKY 13" convention, March 15-18, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry! 

You can camp on-site, tour RV displays and indoor exhibits, enjoy entertainment, attend hours of seminars, meet fellow RV owners, and more! Registration is open. Don't miss the Early Bird Deadline: January 18, 2023, to save $20. To register, call the FMCA Events Team at (800) 543-3622 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, or sign up online by clicking here. 

What's On Your 2023 Travel Bucket List?

Whether it’s Alaska, Canada, the Lower 48, Mexico, or overseas . . . let us take you there! Fantasy RV Tours offers professionally guided excursions exclusively for FMCA members to some of the most sought-after destinations at discounted rates. Besides taking care of all the planning and camping reservations, we’ll line up the best activities to ensure a stress-free vacation above and beyond your expectations. Book your next vacation at fantasyrvtours.com.

Battle Born Batteries

FMCA members can receive exclusive discount pricing on lithium-ion deep-cycle batteries and related components from Battle Born Batteries. The company’s batteries are said to charge 5 times faster than others and provide a sustainable, dependable source of power — and are backed by a 10-year warranty. Battle Born’s technical sales specialists are headquartered in Reno, Nevada, and stand ready to assist. To learn more, click here.

Northern Lights RV Park, C6690

Dawson Creek, BC, Canada

Looking for a great park to start your adventure up North? Look no further than the Northern Lights RV Park, a locally owned and operated facility near Mile Marker 0 of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. Amenities include a choice of pull-through or back-in sites, 30-amp and 50-amp electrical hookups, and full-service sites (water, sewer, electric, and TV). There’s plenty of room for your slideouts, and pets are welcome. A meeting facility for groups is also on-site. Plus, a golf course is located just one mile away.

FMCA members receive a discounted rate at many FMCA commercial member campgrounds. To find more locations along your route, check out our RV Marketplace!

FMCA Road Atlas

The FMCA North American Road Atlas & Travel Guide includes a variety of features for anyone taking a road trip. It spotlights FMCA-member campgrounds, including big-rig-friendly facilities; fuel stop locations (Love’s, Petro, Pilot/Flying J, TA TravelCenters); Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Cracker Barrel locations; city maps; tourist info; and more. FMCA’s Road Atlas will be your number-one travel companion. Shop the FMCA Store for a closer look.

Road Trips With Autio

Autio presents an amazing collection of stories for life or vacations on the road. Professionally narrated by Kevin Costner, Phil Jackson, John Lithgow, and others, these stories are sent to your phone at the perfect moments to answer your questions about things you see outside the window, such as, “Who was this mountain named after?” Each pin offers info about the area you are discovering — including history, culture, sports, geology, etc. Close to 10,000 audio stories will help you become educated about your surroundings. Download the app today and save $10! Just use code FMCA10 at checkout.

Podcasts To Pass The Time

Reader’s Digest posted an article that RV travelers may enjoy: 30 best podcasts for road trips. When you’re on the road and you’ve been driving for a while, sometimes music just doesn’t cut it. Podcasts have become increasingly popular, and there are endless genres to choose from: History, True Crime, Comedy, Science, Mythology, Pop Culture, Travel, National Parks, and many more. There’s a podcast for everyone!

Travel Journals

Are you making RV memories and wishing you could keep them close? We’ve found some amazing travel journals in which to record your adventures. Etsy can help you to customize your journal however you want: leather, colors, coloring pages, graphs and grids, maps, lined pages, sketch pages, pages for photographs and ticket stubs, and even pages for what and where you ate! Pick your own today and start logging memories along with the miles.

RV Meal Prep

For some RVers, cooking at the campsite is a highlight of their outings. For others, figuring out what to feed the camping crew causes serious stress. Maybe you fall somewhere in the middle. In any case, it seems we all can use new meal-planning ideas from time to time.

To help RVers simplify meal preparation, Julie Bonner from the Trekkn team has compiled a list of 30 Easy RV Meals to Whip Up on Your Road Trip. These recipes come from various sources, and many make use of popular RV kitchen tools – the Instant Pot; a slower cooker; and foil for creating yummy packets of food to cook in the oven, on the grill, or over the campfire.

Among the recipes Julie shares is this Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner from the My Food and Family website by Kraft Heinz. Not only is it yummy, but it also makes cleanup a cinch. An added bonus: The links she shares will lead you to many other great ideas!

With a little planning and preparation, your next RV outing could be carefree when it comes to camp cooking! Bon appetit!

FMCA Area Rally Schedule

January 2023

Western Area Rally — January 11-15 — Indio, California

June 2023

Great Lakes Area Rally — June 7-11 — Greenville, Ohio

Northwest Area Rally — June 7-11 — Albany, Oregon

Midwest Area Rally — June 13-16 — Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

July 2023

INTO (International) Area Rally — July 6-11 and/or July 12-17 — Calgary, Alberta

August 2023

Northeast Area Rally — August 3-5 — Herkimer, New York

September 2023

South Central Area Rally — September 13-16 — Shawnee, Oklahoma

October 2023

Eastern Area Rally — October 4-8 — Lewisburg, West Virginia

Rocky Mountain Area Rally — October 24-28 — Tucson, Arizona

Did you know that you don't have to be an FMCA member to attend our area rallies? That's right; you can join us at any FMCA rally or International Convention & RV Expo. Click here to find our complete list of area rallies and conventions.

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Family Motor Coach Association 8291 Clough Pike | Cincinnati, OH 45244 US

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