A New Era
As the new year begins, thoughts on what lies ahead for Family RV Association.
By Paul Mitchell, F165576
National President
January-February 2026
Lisa and Paul Mitchell
Family RV Association and 2026; what does our future look like? We accomplished a great deal in 2025, and I predict that 2026 is going to be even better for Family RV Association.
Our new association management system, Horizon, is online and working. The changes are evident as you visit our FRVA.com website and log in to your profile. Even more changes have been made behind the scenes, giving our dedicated staff the ability to exceed your expectations when you contact the office. The website itself is more mobile friendly, which means you can do anything on your phone, iPad, or computer and the format and information displayed will remain the same on each platform.
The biggest change for our members is the new system will prompt you to verify your email address the first time you log in. Following email verification, the link provided will guide you to create a new password, ensuring that you can access and update your login credentials. This process is secure and no one else can see your password, not even our staff.
I would like to express our sincere appreciation and deepest gratitude to the exceptional member volunteers who were instrumental in developing a management system that will meet our needs for years to come. They spent countless hours working with our IT staff, meticulously planning what was needed and testing to ensure everything worked before we took the new system live in December. They were always available to answer questions and provide advice, and they will continue to be a go-to resource. Because Horizon was built by FRVA for FRVA, our IT staff will be able to make changes and updates as needed without going to a third-party contractor, saving time and money.
A 3 percent convenience fee will be applied to all membership join/renew fees and event registration fees to defray the annual six-figure charges the association has absorbed for many years. You will have the option to pay by check or electronically to avoid paying that fee.
Our membership renewal rate has been holding around 76 percent, and we are working diligently to increase the number of new joins. I predict that 2026 is going to be a banner year in the membership department. A lot of our success can be attributed to FRVA members who spread the word and recruit new members. Almost 40 chapters participate in our affiliate program; they bring in new members to the association and receive some revenue for their groups.
If you are not a member of RV Overnights (https://frva.com/rvovernights), now is the time to sign up at the exclusive FRVA annual rate of $29.99, which is 40 percent off retail. The RV Overnights network is growing every day. Stay at over 1,350 locations across the U.S. and Canada and pay no camping fees. While there, just visit your host’s business to show your support. Participating locations include wineries, farms, breweries, museums, and other attractions. Thank you for supporting our association as we move into a new era. We value everyone’s ideas, so please don’t hesitate to email or phone me with your thoughts about how to make the association better. We are the premier nonprofit RV association, and don’t forget: “Just Keep on Having Fun.”
Family Ties
By Doug Uhlenbrock
Executive Director
In the summer of 2001, I saw an ad in the local Cincinnati paper for an associate editor position at Family Motor Coaching magazine. I grew up traveling around the Midwest in my family’s Wayfarer motorhome, so this sounded like an interesting opportunity. I mailed in my resume along with some writing samples and hoped for the best. A couple of weeks later I received an invitation to interview for the position. I guess the editorial staff saw enough in my writing and editing background to offer me the job, which I quickly accepted. Just like that, I was welcomed into the “Family.” Fast forward 24 years. I’m still part of the Family, but now in a position I never imagined I might occupy when I walked into the national headquarters on my first day. After spending 13 years as an associate editor, three years as the Events Manager, and the last eight years as the Director of Events, in late October I added the title of Executive Director of Family RV Association below my name.
I am honored that the Executive Board had the confidence to select me to lead this great association that I have grown to love. I’m excited for the opportunity to introduce the world to a new FRVA that’s centered on the core objectives of education and social interaction, the primary elements that led to the association’s formation back in 1963. Enhanced technology will help us become faster and more efficient, and we will strive to offer members the best benefits available anywhere.
I won’t be doing this on my own. In fact, my job is to set the course for success, provide the personnel and tools to help us get there, and eliminate obstacles that could hold us back. Working alongside me will be a talented group of directors with the knowledge, skill, and ambition to keep us moving forward.
- Penny Gortemiller, our Director of Chapters and Governance, has been with the company nearly 42 years and knows more about the history of the association than anyone. She oversees the organization of FRVA’s hundreds of chapters throughout North America and is responsible for keeping the association’s governing bodies, namely the Executive Board and Governing Board, educated, informed, and on track.
- Robbin Gould, who’s been editor of Family RVing magazine, was recently promoted to Director of Communications. Like Penny, she’s been with FRVA for more than 40 years and has been instrumental in the production of the best and longest-running RV magazine in the world. She will continue to provide readers with educational, informative, and entertaining articles that encourage them to fully participate in the RVing lifestyle.
- Sherry Light was recently promoted to Director of Membership, and she’s quickly impressed those in the RV world with her enthusiasm for FRVA and commitment to our members. She will work with the Member Services Committee to assemble a benefits package that is based on value and not volume.
- Allen Evans joined the staff as our Director of Information Technology in late October. You can read more about Allen, his experience, and the vision he has for FRVA’s adoption of the latest technology on page 75. He has already streamlined many of our processes and has initiated a plan to bring our IT Department up to today’s standards.
- The primary initiative for FRVA is to GROW membership. A healthy, ever-increasing membership base fuels everything we do. Convention attendance grows; companies join as commercial members, advertise in the magazine, and exhibit at events; partners provide better benefits at lower costs; existing chapters flourish and new groups sprout.
You will soon see an increased FRVA presence on social media and other advertising platforms. We’ll be attending RV shows around the country and working with our partners to promote the association through various marketing programs. And we will ask members – our greatest promoters – to spread the word about OUR Family. Exciting times are on the horizon for FRVA and I hope you will join us in this renaissance.
FRVA Medical & Travel Assist in Action
Our Medical & Travel Assist Story
When The Unexpected Happened
Day one dawned sunny and warm in Las Vegas, and my husband pulled out the ladder to get the bugs off our motorhome’s 360-degree camera and windshield. I “felt” a commotion outside. When I poked my head out, I was NOT expecting a “man down” situation. My husband was taken by ambulance to the ER with multiple fractures. I was alone in a campground far from home, family, and friends. In that moment, our trip stopped and I was left to figure out what to do next.
By day three, while balancing hospital visits, phone calls, and paperwork, we contacted Family RV Association’s Medical & Travel Assist program. They stepped in with calm confidence and genuine compassion. They walked me through every required form and made sure nothing fell through the cracks.
They didn’t treat us like a claim number. Every day, someone reached out to check on my husband’s condition and me. They asked if I had a safe place to stay, if children or pets were traveling with us, and what I might need. That simple kindness meant more than words can say.
Throughout the month, representatives stayed in close contact with the hospital staff, my husband’s surgeon, and the rehabilitation facility. They always knew where things stood with his care and recovery. By day 20, they were prepared for his discharge.
Because I had decided to stay in the motorhome, they flew in a professional driver to pick up our coach and towed vehicle and return them to Florida. They covered up to $5,000 for the driver, fuel, and tolls — a huge relief, as I didn’t have to worry about logistics.
On day 21, a professional nurse escort arrived from Chicago to meet my husband at the rehab facility. He assessed my husband’s situation, addressed our questions, and ensured he was ready for the trip home.
On day 22, everything came together. Flights were booked and coordinated seamlessly. The nurse accompanied us from the rehab center, through the airport, and all the way to Florida. He didn’t leave until he had checked our house to make sure it was safe for my husband’s recovery. Every part of the medical transport, including the nurse escort, was fully covered.
I realize how differently this could have gone without FRVA’s Medical & Travel Assist program. They managed the details and offered steady reassurance during one of the most difficult months of our lives. FRVA’s support gave us peace of mind, comfort, and a path home. When you’re stranded far from family, facing fear and uncertainty, that kind of care isn’t just appreciated; it’s life changing.
We will never forget the people behind those daily calls, the quiet professionalism of the team who handled every step, and the compassion that carried us through.
It’s easy to overlook what a safety net like FRVA Medical & Travel Assist truly means until you find yourself depending on it. For us, it meant everything.
— JAN ELZEY, F460482 • Titusville, Florida
Contact an FMCA National Chaplain
Chaplains Connection Line:
(833) 458-0778
chaplains@frva.com