Tire Talk
Among the many benefits of FMCA membership is a tire program that can save members a significant amount of money on RV and passenger-car tires.
National President
Rett Porter, F369084
rporter@fmca.com
How familiar are you with FMCA’s member benefits and discounts? For instance, do you know about the tire discount program available to members? After several years of teaching members about FMCA benefits, I had my first experience with the FMCA Michelin Advantage Program just before Christmas and found it so easy to use.
When I discovered that I had some cracking around the edges of my motorhome tires, I didn’t want to take a chance on having a blowout on one of the steer tires. I had been told long ago that I should plan on replacing my RV tires every 5 years from the manufacturing date on the tires. I also have been advised that under no circumstances should RVers drive on tires more than 7 years old based on the manufacturing date. The two tires I replaced were 5½ years old, with a date code of 2517.
To determine the age of your tires, locate the DOT code on the sidewall of the tire, and, yes, it says DOT at the beginning. The first two characters in the tire code represent the manufacturing plant where the tire was produced. The next set of characters denotes the tire size. The next three represent tire brand characteristics determined at the option of the manufacturer. The last four numbers in the DOT code (only four numbers on all tires made after 2000) represent the date of manufacture. The first two digits of that set of numbers indicate the week of the year when the tire was produced, and the last two designate the year. For example, if the last four numbers are 5122, that would mean the tire was manufactured during the 51st week (next to the last week) of 2022.
I winter in Arizona, so I called one of the FMCA commercial members in the Phoenix area — Firebird Tire Center. Unlike most tire stores whose business centers on auto or truck tires, Firebird Tire specializes in RV tires. I had wonderful experiences with Firebird Tire in the past when I needed tires and a full alignment on my motorhome. Previously, though, I had the tires shipped to Firebird from our coach manufacturer, because they were out of stock elsewhere, so I did not use the Michelin Advantage Program. During that first visit to Firebird Tire, I learned from store owner Paul Coronado that Firebird services all types of RVs, from trailers and fifth-wheels to motorhomes. Over 70 percent of their tire business relates to RVs.
This time when I asked Paul whether he had my size tire — 365/70R22.5 — in stock, he surprised me by saying yes. I asked the cost, and he immediately noted that I would get the best price through the FMCA Michelin Advantage Program. Paul said that as an FMCA member, I could get the tires cheaper than he could buy them.
The process to obtain the Michelin Advantage discount is simple. Go to the FMCA website — FMCA.com/rv-tires-discounts — and scroll down the page. You will be asked if you want a quote. Enter the size of the tire and select the one you want, and then print off your quote.
The next step is to contact Michelin customer service at the telephone number provided on the FMCA website. Give them the credit card number that you will use to purchase the tires. The number will be kept on file for 30 days, so you’ll need to make the purchase during that time frame. Contact your dealer to see whether they have your tire size in stock. If not, the dealer can provide you the tire number, and Michelin will ship the tire directly to the dealer.
When you go in for your installation appointment, provide the dealer the last four digits of the credit card you put on file with Michelin, as well as your FMCA membership number. Your tires will be billed to that credit card by Michelin directly as quoted, and you will pay the dealership for balancing and mounting the tires, plus disposal fees and applicable taxes.
When we arrived for our appointment at Firebird Tire Center, I was pleased to see the FMCA commercial member sign displayed on the front door. Inside, we saw the commercial member plaque on a shelf. The employees we encountered are friendly, warm people who want to make your RV experience as safe and painless as possible. Paul told me that Firebird Tire sells more RV tires than any other dealership on the planet.
The program is easy to use, and the savings are terrific. I saved $126.72 per tire as compared with the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
In addition to Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, and Continental tires, the FMCA tire program now includes Goodyear tires, which are considered great for travel trailers and fifth-wheels.
What do you know about the other discounts and benefits FMCA has for members? When you sign up for an international convention or area rally, I recommend that you attend the member benefits seminar. Even if you attended one in the past, it’s good to do so periodically to learn whether benefits have been modified and to hear about new benefits. A complete Member Benefits Guide also appears in the January 2023 issue of Family RVing magazine.
Travel safely, take advantage of FMCA discounts, and we’ll see you down the road. We will be traveling on new, safe tires. Will you? Go check your tire dates.
Let’s Stay In Touch
Email is a valuable way of staying up to date regarding your association and the benefits and services offered. Following is information to ensure that you’re not out of the loop.
Chris Smith
Executive Director
csmith@fmca.com
Some days I wonder what life would be like if email had never been invented. This electronic form of communication has transformed our lives and become key for keeping in touch with friends, family, and business associates; conducting business of various types; tracking packages and deliveries; and even staying up on the news. Email is so ubiquitous now that we take it for granted.
Email dates back to the 1970s. Did you know that controversy exists as to its inventor? Some say computer programmer Ray Tomlinson of Massachusetts was responsible, while others believe that a teenage tech prodigy in New Jersey named V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai deserves the credit. The truth probably is that both warrant recognition for their pioneering work.
Email has become extremely popular in the past couple of decades, and today, aside from Family RVing magazine, it’s the primary way FMCA communicates with members. It enables FMCA to share information about benefits, services, and events in a timely and cost-effective manner.
The FMCA national office staff and the Executive Board have been discussing email quite a bit of late. One thing we’ve talked about is the number of members who have opted out of receiving email communications from FMCA. These folks then miss out on important information that is shared with members. Some seem to have done so inadvertently. Did you know that rather than opting out of all emails from FMCA, it is possible to select the types of emails you’d prefer to receive? We encourage all members to update their preferences by visiting this link: fmca.com/mypreferences.
Simply enter your email address at the top of the page and then check the boxes next to the communication categories for which you want to receive emails. Note that by default, all options will be selected when you click the link.
You also can visit FMCA.com anytime to change your preferences. Sign in using your member account; click the Menu button at the top left; and then click My Account. Click Email Preferences to update the list.
While you’re at FMCA.com and signed in, click Profile under the My Account link to make sure we have the correct email address on file for you. A substantial number of members do not have a valid email address in their records, so we aren’t able to communicate with them in this manner, not even when it comes to dues renewal. This also is a good time to make sure we have the correct postal mailing address and phone numbers on file for you. You also can set a seasonal address here.
Keep in mind that FMCA does not sell or rent members’ mailing addresses or email addresses. FMCA does send sponsored email blasts on behalf of commercial members regarding products, services, or events of interest to RV owners. This is done on a limited basis and is accomplished via FMCA’s email delivery system, so the only way the company gains access to the member’s email address is if the member reaches out to them to conduct business. Note that the sale of these sponsored email blasts helps FMCA to fund member benefits and services. FMCA also sends emails on behalf of member benefit partners that offer special rates and services to members.
To comply with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, all bulk emails the FMCA national office sends include the ability to manage or opt out of communications. Unless you truly want to opt out of all email communications from FMCA — which isn’t recommended — the best link to click at the bottom of the email is Manage Your Preferences. Then you can select what types of email you’d like to receive. If you click the Opt Out link, you will no longer receive any emails from FMCA. You will receive a warning message that reads: “Are you sure you want to do this? By opting out, you will not receive any further communications from the sender.”
We do realize that many folks receive an inordinate amount of email these days and that it takes some time to manage them. However, we also believe that email is an invaluable way for FMCA to stay in touch with members, and to keep you informed about member benefits, area and chapter communications, and events announcements in an expedient manner. So, please take a few minutes to check your preferences and consider opting in to receive most if not all emails from FMCA.
If you need assistance with any of this, feel free to contact the FMCA Membership Department staff at membership@fmca.com or by calling (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Until next month, enjoy the journey!
The mission of FMCA is to bring together RV owners who share similar interests in congenial traveling, recreation, and social activities in order to preserve and perpetuate the traditional ideals and spirit of friendly and wholesome family fellowship as manifested by the founders of FMCA.
Contact An FMCA National Chaplain
Chaplains Connection Line: (833) 458-0778
Email: chaplains@fmca.com