FMCA University “graduates” its first RVers Extraordinaire.
By John Johnston, Associate Editor’
July 2019
Mike Walsh of Franklin, North Carolina, and Jim Johnson of Altoona, Iowa, don’t know each other, but they have several things in common. They own Type A motorhomes and are FMCA members. They enjoy reading technical articles about RVs. And when they latch onto a task, they see it through.
Mike, F478814, and Jim, F472010, were the first two FMCA members to earn “RVer Extraordinaire” certificates by successfully completing the more than 250 FMCA University online quizzes, which cover more than 40 subject areas.
Mike and Karen Walsh were Chevrolet Corvette enthusiasts before becoming RVers.
“I’m the type of person, when I start a project, I finish it,” said Mike, who achieved his RVer Extraordinaire title on March 27, 2019, about two weeks after FMCA announced via email that the FMCA Curriculum and its quizzes had been added to FMCA University. The retired banker estimated that he worked on the quizzes about six hours a day for most of a rainy week.
Jim, a retired construction project manager, said he read about a dozen FMCA Curriculum articles before he started doing the quizzes. “I was learning quite a bit, and there was some pretty interesting information. That’s what drew me into them. I got enthralled in them, and later it became kind of a challenge — okay, I can finish this up.” He did so on April 1.
Mike and his wife, Karen, who joined FMCA in January 2018, own a 2012 Holiday Rambler Vacationer. They once were Chevy Corvette enthusiasts. “We’ve gone from being 2 feet off the ground to 8 feet off the ground (in a motorhome),” Mike joked.
Jim and his wife, Tris, joined FMCA in July 2017. They own a 2016 Newmar Dutch Star.
Both Mike and Jim said they are motivated to learn as much as possible about their RVs, and they view FMCA University as a valuable resource.
Operating a large motorhome, Mike said, “should never be looked at lightly. It’s my wife’s life, my life, my cat’s life, and people all around me. Anything could happen, but I wouldn’t want my lack of knowledge to cause an issue. So, I think it’s beneficial to learn as much as you can.”
Jim, who described himself as mechanically inclined, said that when an RV problem arises on the road, “I don’t like the helpless feeling of not being able to deal with it myself.” And while he generally doesn’t perform his own service work, “I like to understand what (the technicians) are doing.”
Jim and his wife often travel with other RVer friends. Some are technically savvy and some aren’t, but when a malfunction occurs, everyone’s input is welcome. “It almost becomes a bit of a competition among us, in terms of who knows the answer to whatever problem it is,” he said.
Now Jim, as well as Mike, have proof that they’re pretty darn good when it comes to answering RV questions: their RVer Extraordinaire certificate from FMCA University.
To test your own RVing knowledge, visit FMCA.com, click on the Education tab, and choose FMCA University from the drop-down menu. Click on the Curriculum section, pick a topic, read the articles, and take the quizzes. After you pass all the quizzes in a particular section, you will receive a badge, which will appear on your FMCA University profile. Members who reach RVer Extraordinaire level receive a $10 discount off of a one-year FMCA membership renewal.