August 2011
By Ron Sliger, F297863
Have you heard of the Freightliner Chassis Owners Club (FCOC)? The FCOC is the largest chapter in the Family Motor Coach Association, with more than 3,500 member families, and has been in existence since January 1995.
The club presents two national rallies a year, usually following an FMCA Family Reunion (international convention) and conducts area rallies throughout the year. FCOC national rallies always include good food, technical presentations, and entertainment. Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) sends a service trailer, a Freightliner chassis, and technicians and discount parts to these national rallies. As a benefit to our members, discounts on parts and labor can also be obtained from the FCCC service center in Gaffney, South Carolina, and from designated Freightliner Oasis dealers nationwide “” just show your club membership card when signing up for service or purchasing parts.
Last year, the chapter was involved in a number of rallies, starting with the INTO Area Rally at Quartzsite, Arizona. Area club rallies were held in Joshua Tree, California; Alamogordo, New Mexico; and Murchison, Texas. Following FMCA’s international convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the chapter traveled to Amarillo, Texas, and after the FMCA international convention in Redmond, Oregon, an FCOC rally was held in nearby Harrisburg, Oregon.
Our first rally in 2011 was an area club rally conducted at the Sacramento Truck Center, in Sacramento, California. Following the FMCA Family Reunion in Perry, Georgia, this past March, FCOC conducted a national rally at Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Following the FMCA Family Reunion in Madison, Wisconsin, the club will travel to the Amana Colonies RV Park and Event Center in Amana, Iowa, for a national rally that will feature the FCCC service trailer with technicians, technical seminars, and tours.
Looking even further down the road to FMCA’s 2012 Family Reunion in Indianapolis, Indiana, the FCOC chapter is already working on a tour of the Allison Transmission factory for rally participants. Smaller area club rallies will be conducted throughout the year, and information concerning these events can be found on the chapter Web site.
This club loves to party, but having a good time is just part of what makes the FCOC such a wonderful chapter. We encourage our members to learn as much about their chassis as possible, and there are numerous ways to accomplish this besides attending the technical presentations at our national rallies and reading information provided in our newsletter. First, you can go to www.irv2.com/forums/f26 and join the Freightliner Motorhome Chassis Forum. Another is Camp Freightliner, a two-day training session in Gaffney. More information about this opportunity can be found at www.freightlinerchassis.com/owner-information/camp-freightliner/menu-id-98.html. There is also a wealth of information available at www.accessfreightliner.com, where you can find a schematic for your chassis, part numbers and serial numbers for components, operator and service manuals, and even workshop and recall information. Last, but certainly not least, technical support is available from Freightliner Custom Chassis 24-7 by calling (800) 385-4357 or sending an e-mail with questions to fcccservice@daimler.com.
At the chapter’s Web site (www.fcocrv.org) you can find more information regarding membership, review our award-winning “Freightliner Flyer” quarterly newsletter, learn about labor and parts discounts at selected Oasis dealers, find the dates of rallies, read service bulletins and recalls, discover technical tidbits, receive safety advisories, and more. Members also are eligible to purchase most Chrysler products at 1 percent below dealer costs. Chapter dues are $10 per year or $45 for five years. With so many benefits available, you would have to work very hard not to get a great return on your club dues investment.
As an FMCA chapter, we believe in supporting our parent organization and advertising all of the benefits available to its members. As a matter of fact, since the “Dozen Does It” program was implemented, FCOC members have signed up almost 40 new member families to FMCA.
Should you be interested in joining the Freightliner Chassis Owners Club or if you have additional questions about the chapter, contact Ron Sliger by calling (321) 704-0695 or by sending an e-mail to president@fcocrv.org.