You are in control!

Get Fit. Get Going!

As daylight wanes a little more each day and temperatures drop in parts of North America, some folks anticipate a new season. September means fall is coming! It’s an excellent time to be outdoors, experiencing the beauty of late summer and early autumn. It’s also a great opportunity to become, or stay, physically active. As author/entrepreneur Jim Rohn once said, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”

Read on for some ideas about how to stay active on the road or wherever your home is. Go to the gym, hike a park trail, play pickleball. Enjoy your surroundings. In other words, get going, whatever that means to you. This month’s Mile Marker also includes info about upcoming RV events, a few FMCA benefit reminders, end-of-summer celebrations, and more.

And how’s this for a little more motivation, this thought from late tennis great Arthur Ashe: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” We agree!

The FMCA Team

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We switched over to the FMCA T-Mobile plan because it cut our existing monthly cost in half. Additionally, the service is as good as, and in most cases better than, the provider we switched from. We have two phones as well as a hot spot on the FMCA T-Mobile program.

Randy & Shirley Johnson, F451539

Want to Connect?

FMCA’s Tech Connect+ programs offer internet options with unlimited data and no contracts through T-Mobile and AT&T. Visit FMCA.com/techconnect to learn more.

Stay Fit While RVing

Traveling in an RV can cause one to adopt a vacation mentality – I’m on vacation, and I’m going to treat myself and not worry about diet or exercise during this trip. Especially for full-timers, this mindset ultimately catches up with you. So, what can you do to stay fit when your normal routine is altered by travel?

RVing provides options car and hotel/motel travelers don’t have. For one, you can bring along and prepare healthful foods, avoiding the need to eat out for every meal. In addition, opportunities for walking, hiking, biking, kayaking, and more present themselves at campgrounds or nearby parks and trails.

If you have a gym membership, find out whether it includes privileges at other locations so you can work out as you travel. Some health insurance companies offer optional memberships that provide access to a network of fitness locations, so check with your insurance provider. For seniors, the Silver Sneakers program that comes with select Medicare Advantage plans allows folks to take online classes or to visit participating fitness centers at a discounted rate.

Another way to stay fit while RVing is to bring workout equipment that doesn’t require much space – a small set of hand weights, stretch bands, a yoga mat, or a jump rope, for instance. It’s also possible to adapt everyday items for use in a workout – examples include holding canned goods or filled water bottles as weights; using towels for stretches; or grabbing a sturdy chair for doing triceps dips, push-ups, or chair-based exercises.

Using apps or other online workout programs and videos is a great way to stay motivated and maintain your fitness as you travel. Search the Apple App Store or Google Play for options, and check out YouTube for workout videos.

With the right outlook and some imagination, maintaining a healthy lifestyle while RVing may be easier than you think. And, of course, health and wellness are key to enjoying your RV travels well into the future.

RV-Related Recall Information

Looking for the latest RV-related recall information? Visit FamilyRVingmag.com for a list of the most recent recalls issued by RV and component manufacturers. To search for recalls, investigations, and complaints by vehicle year, make, model, and VIN, visit nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline is (888) 327-4236.

Movin' And Groovin'!

The “e” word — exercise — shouldn’t be something we try to avoid. Opportunities to get active, especially outdoors, await around every bend of the road. You’ll rake in a host of health benefits without even thinking about it. Here are some ideas to motivate you.

Pickleball continues to be the fastest-growing sport in America. This combination of table tennis, tennis, and badminton is especially suited to RVers, who can easily tote along pickleball paddles and balls, and find courts at RV resorts, campgrounds, parks, etc. Visit USA Pickleball to view videos about game rules, tips, and strategies and to search for places to play.

Biking, mountain biking, e-biking, and cycling are variations of a theme, depending on whether you prefer a leisurely ride along established paths or an exhilarating off-road spin. Why not consider an electric bike? FMCA members can receive $500 off the purchase of a folding, lightweight Blaupunkt e-bike. Learn the details here.

Walking, hiking, and running can get you moving without a ton of special equipment. If you haven’t explored the fitness app installed on your smartphone (iOS or Android), you might be amazed by the many features it has to help you record walks, hikes, etc. and monitor your overall health.

If you’re interested in weight loss, download the WalkFit app, a step counter and personal walking planner; complete the questionnaire covering myriad aspects of your health and current state of fitness. You’ll also select specific goals: lose weight by a certain date/event; improve sleep, energy, etc. The app will configure and email you a personal walking plan. (Available for iOS and Android. Free to download; requires a paid subscription.)

The Nike Training Club app is available in free and paid versions; it supplies workouts, nutrition, and wellness guidance from Nike trainers, athletes, and experts.

The moral of the story: Get out and move. Go at your preferred pace and exercise level; anything is better than nothing. You can do it!

RV Marketplace

Make the FMCA RV Marketplace your one-stop shopping spot. Look for FMCA commercial member companies offering everything needed to enhance the RV lifestyle: RV manufacturers; RV dealers for sales and service; campgrounds, including many that extend FMCA member discounts; and a long list of products, services, and supplies. Be sure to tell them you learned about them from FMCA!

Ahoy, Matey!

The excitement is building! Registration for FMCA’s 110th International Convention & RV Expo opens on September 12. RV owners will sail into the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter for swashbuckling good times March 12 through 15, 2025. Click here to learn more. Super Early Bird registration ends on September 18 and saves you $71 off the regular registration price.

It's Show Time

Planning to attend America’s Largest RV Show at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, September 11 to 15? If so, be sure to stop by and say hello to the FMCA volunteers who will be greeting folks at the FMCA booth (spaces 408-409). If you have friends who will be there, let them know that this will be a great opportunity to sign up for FMCA membership.

Stay Connected

Although RVing can be a way to get away from it all, few of us these days want to be totally out of touch. FMCA’s Tech Connect+ program provides FMCA members exclusive pricing on reliable internet plans that help them to stay connected to their favorite people, activities, and entertainment. Visit FMCA.com/techconnect to learn more about programs from T-Mobile and AT&T designed to meet the needs of RV travelers.

Sweet Citrus Acres RV Resort , C14398

Crystal River, Florida

Warm Gulf water, spring-fed rivers, and bountiful lakes await visitors in Crystal River, Florida. Explore the many features of this charming coastal town and utilize Sweet Citrus Acres RV Resort as your home base. The resort is located near U.S. 98 in west-central Florida. According to the website, guests enjoy a “comfortable, affordable, and memorable” stay. It operates as an adults-only facility from November through April. Amenities include an oversized pool and spacious sun deck; state-of-the-art pickleball courts; bocce ball courts; dog parks/runs; nature trails; a fish-stocked pond; a fitness center; private bathrooms; laundry facilities; and a clubhouse with a bar and event space. Its full-hookup RV sites include 60-foot-by-20-foot concrete pads and free-Wi-Fi. Nearby are numerous museums, parks, and archaeological sites, plus kayaking, snorkeling, and fishing — even swimming with manatees.

Join FMCA Today for Exclusive RV Perks and a Thriving Community! Learn more here.

What Do You Really Need On The Road?

If you’ve yearned for that liberating feeling of having less stuff, especially when traveling, see how blogger Bradley Williams of Dream Big, Travel Far has managed it. He and his girlfriend, Cazzy, are in the midst of a trip around the world in their self-converted travel van. Two years in, Bradley wrote a guest post for Becoming Minimalist describing 10 items the couple has decided they don’t need in the RV. Several appliances made the list: a TV, a large refrigerator, a microwave, and a washer. And how about doing away with the junk drawer, as they did; could you live without one?

Driving For A Century

Prevost, a Canadian manufacturer of touring coaches and bus shells for custom coach conversions, has turned 100. To celebrate, the company unveiled “Clarisse,” a replica of the original wooden-body coach Eugene Prevost built in 1924. Clarisse has traveled the highways and byways to Prevost events; view part of her journey here. The company also spotlights “100 Years. 100 Stories” on its website. As reported in a story titled “The Rise Of The Motorhome Market,” Liberty Coach was Prevost’s first conversion partner and exhibited its inaugural luxury bus to interested attendees at FMCA’s March 1979 international convention in Del Mar, California.

Last Hurrah Of Summer

Autumn is just around the corner, but if you’re not quite ready for pumpkin spice and cozy sweaters, why not host one final summer celebration to keep those warm, sunny vibes going? The festivities can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. Of course, you’ll want to plan for party must-haves: food, drink, music, and decorations. Beyond that, you can adopt a theme for the event or just host a classic backyard-barbecue-style party and invite your friends or campground neighbors.

For some inspiration, check out 30 imaginative party ideas and 40 end of summer party ideas. Why not wrap up the season with an unforgettable summer soiree!