Diesel pusher RVs are big and beautiful, but they’re also among the most complicated machines in the industry. If you feel intimidated by yours, the FMCA’s Ramblin’ Pushers club for diesel-pusher RV owners can help.
As a chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), the Ramblin’ Pushers club exists for one thing: making diesel motorhome maintenance as easy as possible for all makes and models.
Yes! This RV maintenance club for diesel power RV owners offers knowledge and camaraderie.
The group has operated as a special interest group since the 1990s. Last year they entered a new era, by becoming an official FMCA chapter. Ramblin’ Pushers celebrated their new affiliation at the club’s annual Annual Maintenance Session.
Each year at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds in Goshen, Indiana, the club hosts a week of instructional and educational seminars related to diesel pusher ownership. The club welcomes owners of any make or model of diesel pusher. In 2023, 110 of them gathered at the fairgrounds for knowledge, camaraderie and community.
The Florida-based club’s annual event focuses on the club’s core principles: Safety, Operation, Maintenance, and an enhanced Ownership Experience. Examples of the curriculum included learning about the distribution of electrical power (AC and DC) throughout the coach.
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What happens at the Ramblin’ Pushers Maintenance Session?
“We have several engineers and knowledgeable members who can explain which coach systems use DC power and which use AC power,” said Roger Smalley, the club’s president. Attendees also heard from RV electronics professional Mike Sokol of www.RVTireSafety.Net, tire safety expert Roger Marble of RV Tire Safety, and Chris Bayus of M&M RV Electronics.
Another popular aspect of this event is the chance for diesel-pusher RV owners to talk to representatives of diesel-pusher RV manufacturers from companies like Tiffin, Newmar, and Holiday Rambler. Attendees can even get oil changes on-site from local service centers, and purchase RV products direct from manufacturers.
As an FMCA chapter, more diesel-pusher owners had the chance to about the Ramblin’ Pushers event. “Forty percent of our attendees this year were first timers,” said Smalley. Those new to the Maintenance Session are made to feel right at home. “First Timers can find the structure of the event to be somewhat daunting,” he says. To help them navigate through the week, the club matches “First Timers Guides” to all newcomers who want to make the most of the event.
The event isn’t entirely spent in the classroom.
“A very popular event is the Amish dinner. The food is always delicious and our exposure to the Amish tradition is enlightening. Also quite popular were tours of the Newmar and Entegra factories. There we saw how a motorhome chassis becomes a coach full of luxurious furnishings and other welcome features.”
Roger Smalley, Ramblin’ Pushers President
Not everyone who attends wants to dive into diesel-powered RV owners’ education. The club also offers seminars and sessions for partners who are not interested in receiving technical support for their diesel-powered coach.
“We offer a program of crafts, explanations of the various functions of coach systems, tips on interior maintenance, and cooking on the road (slow cookers, convection ovens, air fryers, and pressure cookers (e.g., Instant Pots),” says Smalley. “In addition we have a portion of one of our buildings in which people can visit, work on craft projects, and enjoy the company of others.”
Club Members Get Support Throughout the Year
Smalley’s club doesn’t host other public events. But after the Maintenance Session ends, club members often connect in person outside of the club. They also support each other online within the general RVing community.
“There are many sources of assistance available to RVers who can offer assistance to others who are experiencing problems with their coaches,” says Smalley. From the Monaco owners group (facebook) to the Ramblin’ Pushers Inc. on Facebook, and of course the iRV2 Forums, coach owners who belong to this diesel-pusher RV club often provide insight and suggestions to solve every kind of tricky RV problem.
Historically, the club’s demographics have reflected those found within the diesel-pusher RV owners community. Most club members who travel in these coaches are retired, financially secure RVers. They can afford the higher and more frequent RV maintenance costs. The annual Maintenance Session attendees are no different.
But more non-retired, younger RVers are discovering FMCA’s benefits too. And they are embracing full-time RVing and luxury RV ownership faster than ever before. The Ramblin Pusher’s diesel-pusher RV owners club opportunities are likely to appeal to meticulous and conscientious owners of all ages.
This year’s turnout at the Maintenance Session was half of what it was before the 2020 pandemic. But as awareness grows, Smalley expects the club membership to grow in 2024 and the event to get larger. He welcomes all interested diesel-pusher owners to visit the Ramblin’ Pushers website where they can learn more.
