I love the RV industry. I especially love the people who own motorhomes. They’re a gypsy breed with a spirit of adventure. They are predominantly the kindest and friendliest of people too. I have a thousand friends across the U.S. whom I would never have known if not for my job in this industry. Some are now “family” adopted into the Fanning clan and constantly in thoughts no matter the distance that may separate us. Over the past quarter century that I have enjoyed my tiny corner in this massive recreation vehicle industry, I have accumulated a lot of memories. I have started to put some of them to paper and see where it takes me. As the old CC Destinations magazine masthead said, it isn’t just the destination; half the fun is getting there.
Let the Water Balloons Fly!
At a show in
Billings Montana, my boss who always went to every show and me (who didn't normally go to FMCA shows at that time) got in a
late afternoon water fight with the sales staff just before show’s
close. There were four or five salesmen, water balloons, and ourselves involved
in the fray. Most likely in other companies, it
might result in some heads rolling for not tending to the business at hand til the show officially closed for the day. In
our case it resulted in the company owner himself taking note of the stacked numbers in
favor of Sales staff over Marketing staff. He took it upon himself to man the spicket and
fill the water balloons for us to toss. What a crazy water fight that was! No
damage to coach interiors or exteriors occurred, but there were a lot of wet salesmen…They didn't toss balloons back with nearly the same fervor we exhibited. For that few minutes we played just as hard as we all worked during that show!
After that show wound down my boss said, “We are going to be flying home on the private plane, not commercial.” OK, I thought, that will be fun! Well, that was until we got
to the airport and I realized it was a little four-seater plane not nearly big
enough to appease my apprehension of going from Montana to Oregon in a small
aircraft. It took every bit of self control and "mind over matter" to go ahead
and load up in one of the two back seats of that little plane! I have to say
the scenery was amazing, and the trip was smooth and very entertaining. We landed safely in Eugene Oregon as scheduled with me none
the worse for wear.
In fact I consider it now among the once-in-a-lifetime experiences I
was only able to experience because of where I worked!
What happens at a show stays at a show!
Then there was a CC employee charged with setting up all motorhome rallies sales coach displays and at national shows. He
traveled in ahead of the show or rally and set the coach display area. He rented landscaping, seating, and show display décor. He made sure
there were telephone lines and power set for powering up the display
motorcoaches so they could run a/c or heat as the case may be. He was charged with taking care
of the display throughout the duration of the event. He had a staff who tidied the coaches each early a.m. of the show…He was a jack of all trades.
He was the first in and the last out from the sales and marketing departments
for any show my company attended.
Boy, he had a lot of stories—things
that happen on the road during shows and after hours. The first advice he gave
me was, “What happens at a show stays at a show.” Well, in his case, sometimes it does travel home with someone. We were at a show in Minot North Dakota years ago, and a spark was ignited
between one of the girls he hired through a temporary staffing agency to ‘watch
the doors’ of our coaches. (We’d do this so we could limit the number of people
who got into a coach to look around at a time. They were always outgoing,
and had a certain “look” --the coach door girls. John interviewed them ahead of the show and chose the staff himself.)
At this particular show, a door girl and John struck up a friendship. By show’s end he had decided to rescue this girl from a bad situation by loading her belongings on the show truck and moving her back to Oregon with him. And that's exactly what he did! They went on to marry and I believe have built a good life together. You just never know what might happen at a show.
....Again I say, Country Coach, Thanks for the Memories!
