Motor Home Amendment Invalid

[boblee5244]

Mandalay is a product of Four Winds. I was just using that as an example. Four Winds makes several motorhomes that would be included in the proposal. As I have said, I would be in favor of grandfathering without the restrictions of separate parking and not beeing able to vote or hold office.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by boblee5244

The bottom line is that Airstream is not going to make any more motorhomes. Those of us that have them will have to leave the club.

Whether this proposal passes of fails, those with Airstream motor homes will still be able to be members of the WBCCI. There is nothing that says you will have to leave the club. If the motion fails, the only reason you would have to leave is if you sell your Airstream motor home and don't want to be an associate member. As long as you own an Airstream product you can remain a member as long as you wish.

[wheel interested]

Originally Posted by boblee5244

The bottom line is that Airstream is not going to make any more motorhomes. Those of us that have them will have to leave the club. If everyone is O.K. with this, then so be it. It has been said that there are many Airstream motorhomes on dealer's lots available for sale. The problem is that the ones available are over-priced and out-dated. The Mandalay is a better value and the quality is as good as the Airstream. As I said, I do not think the proposal will pass. If it did probaly no more than 10-15 would ever show up at a WBCCI function. My motorhome will last me as long as I will be around, but I hate to see good members leave because of this issue. We tried to get Thor to re-badge the Mandalay as an Airstream, but it would have upset their dealer network. I do not see the difference in that and and the "Airstream Edition". I'd bet that when Airstream opened the new factory in Ohio that people didn"t want them in either.

Yeah but on the same hand the trailers at dealers are overpriced too. Until the CCD and new models they were dated. I can't say it isn't a good value and ask to bring another trailer into the club because its less expensive.
Those of you that have them (as motorhomes?) will have to leave the club, why? You already have them and are in the club. No one will be forced to change their Airstream that they currently have. Why not just keep your Airstreams? We all need to.

[Minnie's Mate]

You know, I don't understand something. I received the Blue Beret and was showing it to my brother-in-law and in the back there was an add for a dealer that had 2007 Class A Airstreams at a discount!

If these WBCCI officers value their positions in the club so much as to cut a deal (whatever that may be) with the Thor to put stickers on yet-to-be-built Four Winds motor homes so they can retain all the "privileges" of WBCCI membership, why don't they just go ahead and trade for a new motor home now while they are still available...and at a discount at that!

[wheel interested]

During discussion at the IBT meeting it was also reiterated that members could purchase better quality motorhomes for less money if this motion goes through. That seemed to make a lot of people in the audience happy.

So is this an underlying reason for the motion and Airstream not making them anymore has just opened the window of opportunity to satiate this motive?

[ITOWAIR]

The bottom line is that Airstream is not going to make any more motorhomes. Those of us that have them will have to leave the club.

This is what I do not understand, There is absolutly no reason why anyone "wil have to leave the club" with out making any changes what so ever. If you are currently in the club the fact that Airstream no longer makes motorhomes has absolutly no bearing. If you are in the club then you own an "Airstream Manufactured" product be it a motorhome, a trailer or anything else that meets the current requirments.

What they think this change will fix is insignificant to say the least. I did some simple math based on the membership report on the WBCCI website.

Membership Report as of Dec. 31, 2006

Total membership in 2003=7607
Total membership in 2006=6699
total loss = 908

reason for not renewing
"Sold trailer or motorhome or purchased another brand, 16 percent;"
lets assume that all of them bought an SOB, that means we lost a total of 145 members over 3 years, or 48 members a year. This is a drop in the bucket.
So now lets say that they all bought the WBCCI approved Motorhome, now we would have only lost 736 members , WOW that makes a big differance

reason for not renewing
" Due to death, age or poor health, 32 percent;"
Thats a total of 290 twice as many as due to the SOB issue, perhaps we should look into other sources of membership retention .

Let's not destroy this great club by opening up to SOBs, lets keep our current members who wish to purchase new motorhomes and cannot but a new Airstream by grandfarthering them in.

Once and Airstreamer always an Airstreamer

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by ITOWAIR

reason for not renewing
" Due to death, age or poor health, 32 percent;"
Thats a total of 290 twice as many as due to the SOB issue, perhaps we should look into other sources of membership retention .

I think we should make a motion to put an end to loss of membership due to death! Once a member always a member...even posthumously.

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by boblee5244

Most of the people that oppose this also oppose airstream motorhomes being in the club. . .

. . . I believe that most Vintage and Classic members will say "good ridance" when motorhome owners leave the club because they cannot upgrade.

Please do not stereotype those that are against letting non-Airstreams into an Airstream club as MH haters. That is not true for any of the people I know that are vocal about opposing non-Airstreams being added to the club. It is also not true for anyone in the Vintage Airstream Club that I know.

The point is 99+% of us joined this club because it is THE Airstream Club, not a Caravan Club, not some 'ole RV Club. There are plenty of RV club's, and many might say some of them are better than WBCCI in many ways, but they are not AIRSTREAM clubs. It is our Airstream focus that makes us special. Well that and the rich 52 year history of the club that many of us cherish.

Don't take Wally out of the name and don't let other brands in!*

*Exception: I probably could support some sort of "grandfathering" amendment where current members, whether they currently own an AS Class A MH, a B-van, or a trailer are allowed to remain in the club after they no longer own and AS. Actually this is already a rule. The difference is that maybe we change the rules to not "kick them out" if they buy an SOB. But this should apply only to WBCCI members at the time the amendment passes (i.e. it grandfathers current members only, not future members, and not folks that have never owned a product manufatured by Airstream).

[Buttercup]

Just because we oppose destroying the 50 + year history of the club in no way means we oppose any Airstream MOHO owner.
I for one have no issues with any Airstream manufactured product or their owner.

I an vehemently opposed to ending the grand and exclusive history of this club by letting other brands in.

3 years ago the membership responded to a survey stating that they were opposed to bringing in other brands to the club by 77%. Those numbers are most probably the same or greater now. And in all likelihood, if it were to pass, the club would see a greater decline in membership in WBCCI than the small numbers that are trying to protect.

We are about Airstreams and about protecting Wally's heritage. An Airstream is an Airstream. But an SOB which will never be recognized as an Airstream is not an airstream. That's the central issue.

[tincantom]

The bottom line is that Airstream is not going to make any more motorhomes. Those of us that have them will have to leave the club.

I don't know why you originally joined this club, but for me I had long wanted an Airstream for a lot of reasons. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it made me eligible for a great long standing club. I have understood since day one that if I didn't *own an Airstream I was no longer to be elibile to be a member of an Airstream club, much less be an officer. You sir, seem to be set on leaving if this ill advised proposal does not pass. Nothing in the club C/BL or rules mandates you leave the club if the Constitution is not amended to allow non-Airstream mfg products.
* There is a provision for prior members to remain affiliated with the club when they no longer can operate an RV.
I can't help it, I like Airstreams and I like an Airstream club and NO I don't want any other brand RV accepted and I really don't want some individual who has never owned an Airstream becomming a member of an Airstream club just because he purchases a Mandalay (or whatever). On top of that your position would allow this indivual to become an officer and lead the Airstream club. What could you be thinking?

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

*Exception: I probably could support some sort of "grandfathering" amendment where current members, whether they currently own an AS Class A MH, a B-van, or a trailer are allowed to remain in the club after they no longer own and AS. Actually this is already a rule. The difference is that maybe we change the rules to not "kick them out" if they buy an SOB. But this should apply only to WBCCI members at the time the amendment passes (i.e. it grandfathers current members only, not future members, and not folks that have never owned a product manufatured by Airstream).

I meant to say

. . . not "kick them out" if they buy an SOB Motorhome.

Under no circumstances should my comment be interpreted as possibly being for accepting SOB trailers and 5th wheels into WBCCI. The folks that want one of those can easily by an Airstream Trailer instead, and there are a few AS 5th wheels out there if they look hard enough to find one..

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

I think we should make a motion to put an end to loss of membership due to death! Once a member always a member...even posthumously.

That would keep the numbers up! kind of like the church rolls where they have 15,000 members but only 500 are active

Aaron

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

That would keep the numbers up! kind of like the church rolls where they have 15,000 members but only 500 are active

Aaron

The only question remaining would be whether these "late" members would be associate members or full members with the 1m1v privilege and could they be officers?

Also, I guess the IBT would have to allow a vote whether these dearly departed members could have full membership privileges if they didn't have an Airstream Funeral Coach or if they could be grand-fathered in if they had to use an SOB luxury hearse (Caddy or Lincoln) if they couldn't get the Airstream Funeral Coach!

[jimmickle]

I own both a motorhome and trailer, and am opposed to letting other brands in the club. This is an Airstream club and it should stay that way. The person that started this fiasco believes that letting SOBs in will lead to great growth in the club. I believe that he is dead wrong! Why would any SOB motorhome owner want to join this club when FMCA is available? FMCA is less expemsive, offers more perks and rallies. Any SOB owner joining WBCCI would not likely receive a warm welcome.

If we were to really go after Airstream owning non-members, we could make a much greater impact on membership numbers than going after SOB motorhome owners. Unfortuntely, there seems to be little, if any, effort along those lines.