If you are considering attending a Family Motor Coach Association’s (FMCA) convention and RV expo in 2025, let us give you a few good reasons to make plans to attend a convention.
Attending an FMCA International Convention and Expo
Last spring, we attended FMCA’s 108th International Convention & RV Expo at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, Arizona. The Pima County Fairgrounds is an excellent venue because it’s big enough to hold over a thousand RVers and vendors, all of who’ve come to meet other like-minded individuals, attend seminars, visit the expo show, and enjoy some fantastic entertainment.
This was our first convention, so we did not know what to expect, and frankly, we were a little concerned about what our RV accommodations would be like. How would this work with over a thousand RVers coming to a fairground for five days? Thankfully, we learned these events are extremely organized and run with the help of volunteers who are passionate about being a part of an RVing family.
Arriving at the Fairgrounds
When we arrived, we were given the option to fill our water tank or just be guided to our site. We had previously filled our water tank knowing we would have 30-amp/50-amp power options but not full hookups. We also discovered we would have 24-hour access to showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities on-site, which eased our concerns about not having full hookups. We were parked in a grassy area large enough to extend our awnings, put out our lawn chairs, and have some space to call our own.
Bonding Over Live Music
On our first night, we attended a social event at the fairground’s venue, The Cantina. We sat outside under the Arizona night sky and listened to live music. If line dancing or just dancing is your thing, you are going to have a great time at a convention! We quickly found out that when music played, people danced — no matter the time of day.
A small group invited us to join them, and we discovered they were RVers who often traveled together. We instantly bonded with them, having many common interests surrounding RV travel and outdoor adventures. This is an ongoing theme at the FMCA convention. Rest assured, you will find it easy to strike up conversations with others who are passionate about RVing and RV travel. You will often hear RVers say the places we go and what we do are cool, but the people we meet make the adventure special. This is definitely true when attending an FMCA convention. We drove away with many new friends, some of which we’ve already shared new adventures with.
Mastering RV Driving Skills
Besides meeting new friends, an activity we were excited to attend was the RV backing class. This class was run by an RV driving school with over 30 years of experience teaching RVers basic driving and backing skills. This half-day course was led by professional instructors who gave us the tools we needed to level up our RV backing and driving game!
We highly recommend that you check out the RV driving or backing classes if you are new to RVing or want to improve your RVing experience. These classes are offered at a discounted price to FMCA members at the conventions.
Attending Seminars
Every day of the convention, there are multiple seminars you can attend on a wide range of interests, from RV tips to RV travel, RV products, and the RV lifestyle. We were fortunate enough to be invited to give a presentation on work camping in national parks. We had well over a hundred attendees and had a great time sharing our experience of where to find jobs and what types of jobs are available in national parks. We also shared what it is like to live and work in the world’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park.
Attending the RV Expo
The expo portion of the convention was both inside and outside and had the latest and greatest RVs, RV products, health, camping, and RV travel vendors. We took advantage of multiple convention discounts that vendors offered during the convention. We also came to the convention with the idea of increasing our RV boondocking game, knowing several solar vendors would be attending. We found a vendor installing solar equipment and lithium batteries during the event. Taking full advantage of the offerings and discounts, we left the convention with the installation of new batteries and solar equipment.
Getting Repairs On-Site
If your RV needs repairs or upgrades this is an excellent place to not only get it done but also get it done with a significant discount. Multiple repair techs on-site will come to your site to fix, install, or do those upgrades you may have been putting off.
Looking Ahead
Our time at FMCA’s International Convention & RV Expo was fun, and we can’t wait to do it again. If you’re ready to join a community of RVers, you should add an upcoming FMCA event to your calendar.
Want more information about attending an FMCA event? Check out:
- An FMCA First-Timer’s Story
- Adventure Peaks Convention Recap
- Another Day in Perrydise — FMCA’s 102nd Convention
 We are Mark & Teri Nisbett of Next Trekking Adventure, and you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. We are high school sweethearts who sold our bricks-and-sticks home of 30 years to travel full-time. We travel in our 2022 Montana High Country fifth-wheel, towed by our Ford F-350 Super Duty truck. We had a rough start to our full-time travel, as five weeks into our adventures, we lost our RV to a fire at an RV park. But we didn’t give up on our dreams of seeing the United States. We purchased a new fifth wheel and pushed on with our RV life. We love sharing our adventures on our YouTube channel and can’t wait to share our season of adventures in Yellowstone National Park with you. |
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