by Butch Jones
Two thousand and fourteen is officially underway. It has
been fairly warm here in Florida. Liz and I have seen several of our Dogwood
members so far this year and it is only the first week. So this is starting out
to be a busy year.
Don’t forget the first 2014 Rally will be the FMCA National
Convention in Perry, GA. it will be held March 17 – 20th. I hope
that many of our Dogwooders will be able to attend.
We do not have many rallies on the schedule this year. So
this will be a lean rally year. Remember, if you want to host or co-host a
rally contact our VP of Rallies, Dennis Reid.
On a sad note, our thoughts and prayers go out to the
Warthans and Duffs as they are dealing with major losses.
It appears that sales in the recreational vehicle market are
on the rise. After meager sales of 5,900 Class A motor homes in 2009, the
market has risen to 14,500 in 2012 and 14,100 for the first nine months of
2013. Overall motorhome sales are up as well. In 2009 there were 28,300 new units
sold. 2012 there were 28,300 motorhomes sold. During the first nine months of
2013 sales were at 28,900. Attendance at RV Shows is increasing as well. The
California RV show had an increase in attendance of 39% over 2012 numbers. All
of this bodes well for FMCA and potential for Dogwood as well. More sales can
translate into additional people looking for organizations to associate and
enjoy the motorhome lifestyle.
As most of you are aware, Liz and I had a bit of coach
trouble on the way to Florida. As a result we found an excellent truck repair
facility and an outstanding quality truck service network.
W. W. Williams in Savannah, Georgia has 50 amp hookups and a
staff that went out of their way to accommodate us in our time of need. They
are members of the Wheel Time network. Wheel Time requires that all of their
members offer the following:
1. Two hour
initial diagnosis
2. On time as
promised
3. On budget
as quoted
4.
Notification within 30 minutes of completion
5. Fixed
right the first time
Wheel Time has locations all 50 states. You can get more
information at WheelTime.com.
That’s all for now, the temperature has dropped to a
bone-chilling 50o here in Titusville, so Liz and are settling in by
the fire.
