Lots of travelling, meeting lot's of people and I always ask! And you know what? It's amazing how many people have never heard of MotorhomeFun! (2 Viewers)

[Coastal Cruiser.]

You get blokes who work in quarries driving them

Yes Lenny terrible, they will sell to anyone

 

[Boldly]

Given the current opinion polls I think young(ish) lefties are the majority of people so if you want to grow you need to embrace them.

 

[POH]

It amazes me how often a google search for motorhome related things brings up MHF so regularly as top or very near top answer

But equally amazes me how few stickers we see on MH’s unless on a rally , but I guess a good few members may not have a sticker

I've got one on my back end

 

[Lenny HB]

I don't get this bit about not seen many Funsters about, I can't get away from them I bump into them all over Europe.

I particularly like the ones that knock on the door and give me a bottle of with and say thanks for your help on the forum, embarrassing but it would be rude not to accept.

 

[MattR]

Given the current opinion polls I think young(ish) lefties are the majority of people so if you want to grow you need to embrace them.

Perhaps you need to be a little more precise ... who are these lefties left of?

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[Otter Spotter]

Can I suggest a long banner type sticker for the rear of vans instead of the square or circular stickers as 2 vehicle lengths away in moving traffic the current ones wording may be difficult to read. Possibly the width of a panel van window.

 

[Littlewheels]

This is a new sticker, I just got 10,000 of them on rolls. Its just an indestructable weatherproof permanant small, just 50mm square sticker. But its a grafitti sticker of the kind that you see stuck all over from other clubs on Aire wastepoints, and campsite office windows. . I'll be dolling these out soon.

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Huge improvement

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

I particularly like the ones that knock on the door and give me a bottle

You lucky all I get is funsters drinking my tea and taking my biscuits but I have a cunning plan for this year

 

[Lenny HB]

You lucky all I get is funsters drinking my tea and taking my biscuits but I have a cunning plan for this year

Aviod Germany the biscuit thief rarely goes any where else.
I'm safe since 'er indoors has been on this low Colestrial kick no bickies or treats in the van.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Aviod Germany the biscuit thief rarely goes any where else.

Got caught in Germany and Switzerland

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[Lenny HB]

Got caught in Germany and Switzerland

Stick to France & Spain he no go there, probably safe in Greece to far for him with his short trips.

 

[meanders]

Have to say that we have often bumped into other Funsters in all sorts of places as well as the obvious rallies etc. NT car parks, garden centres, supermarket car parks, as well as places by the sea. Met less when on the continent, but it wasn't totally devoid of Funsters stickers. Did speak to one who had recently bought the van from a dealer complete with sticker but had no idea what the forum was about.

I think Meta and similar like to tell us their platforms are superior to anything else. I had to sign up to Face ache for a local FB group fighting the 100mile scar that National Grid wants to make right down East Anglia, but I still don't see the attraction of FB.

 

[tinkertaylor]

Given the current opinion polls I think young(ish) lefties are the majority of people so if you want to grow you need to embrace them.

I don't think being 'leftie' has anything to do with the opinion polls, just look at the mess the current clowns have got us in, the scandal , law breaking, self serving lying tory party have served us up is more than enough. Being incompetent has a tendancy to put voters off.

The forum does have a DM, Telegraph type of poster that's going to put certain posters off engaging, but I'm guessing once we have leaders who have (hopefully) a small amount of intelligence politics will change and become less toxic.

The biggest challenge to this site is a rival site establishing itself , this sites biggest asset is its forum with all its knowledge from years of posters. The problem is protecting that knowledge from plagiarism.

 

[Bern8]

This is my 2nd year on here. I don’t post very often but like the read of certain threads. I do visit the forum most days. With regards to Jim growing the forum, it maybe worth sending out a welcome pack through the post to new members? Couple of stickers, a few cards they could dish out to their motorhoming friends, maybe an introduction newsletter into being a ‘funster’

 

[alex n]

I've got one on my back end

Try a hot Poultice.that helps

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[Dutch 68]

After one of my first posts which I now know would have been perceived as “ woke” and “leftie” ( I’m more careful these days) I was firmly told my sort werent wanted on this forum …..

Exactly that…….

 

[daventess]

It amazes me how often a google search for motorhome related things brings up MHF so regularly as top or very near top answer

But equally amazes me how few stickers we see on MH’s unless on a rally , but I guess a good few members may not have a sticker

I haven't got one.

 

[daventess]

A site is nothing without a dating app these days.

Just sayin'...

 

[chaser]

Were the Travel Trolls not on at one point?

3 days, he couldn't stand the stress

 

[chaser]

When the Fun forum was born, it was a different era.. internet was in its infancy, social media hadn't been born.. a brave new world was on the horizon

Forums were on the rise, as was motorhoming .. members were mostly baby boomers, in their early 50s..many with money to spend on new motorhomes.

That has changed dramatically .. the boomers are now in their late 60s to mid 70s . mostly retired, and the problem, as I see it, Fun is not attractive to the next generation. .. the "children of the boomers" . now in their late 40s and 50s..

I have two lads with campervans ..neither are interested in motorhome forums , they see them as places for the elderly.. and if they went to a Warners Show it would confirm their belief that the shows and entertainment put on is geared for the OAPs.

They are more interested in attending music festivals with live bands and shows for the van-life generation and the Vdub clubs ..they use TikTok, Youtube, FB etc for sharing ... and showing off

If Fun does not attract that generation it will eventually die ..

It certainly cannot survive being just a 'Motorhome Wiki ' where people pop in and out and leave when they have the info they wanted.. you see that all the time.. the 'five post wonders' who after getting answers, never return, nor can it be a just a place for the boomers to end their motorhoming days and debate the 3rd world war...

That is my kids and their mates to a t.
My eldest lad will sometimes ask me about what folks on here are saying about something but he wouldn't dream of coming on and asking himself

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[scotjimland]

Jim

Having been an active and enthusiastic member of Fun since it's conception in 2007, I was certainly not knocking Fun or how it is run, it's longevity speaks for itself, but merely saying how it doesn't seem to attract the younger generation who own campervans and use other social meadia .. the van-lifers we keep reading about ..

however, on reflection, as they grow older they may start to look for a better place to share their hobby, as you said, they may start to abandon places like Tiktok and FB and look for a forum which offers more than a FB group ever can.

If that, as you predict, happens then the forum does indeed have a bright future.

You may have already read this, it's is a copy-paste from a post in Quora which I think sums up why forums do have a bright future.

Are forums dying?
Yes, facebook groups seem to displace the need for a forum.
But there seems to be a surge in the need for privacy and security, which a privately owned forum can provide.

Also, the general population is likewise becoming more sensitive to being tracked by marketers. Private forums can provide a haven for online communities.
Lastly, with the growing number of people just being kicked off facebook or other hosted platforms for political reasons, a self-hosted forum gives the owner complete control.

I think we will see a revival of forums, especially when one of these massive alternatives, like facebook, damages its reputation beyond repair.

 

[Dolmen]

I'm on a mission to rectify this.

First up and I've been delving into our analytics. It appears we are doing OK. I tested ourselves against Warners Out and about Live. and Practical Motorhome. Warners traffic is high because they cover both motorhomes and the caravan space and have a number of successful mags pulling people in they have forums and shows. Also Practical motorhome have a mag and forums. We trounce these competitors in nearly every metric, so we're getting a lot right. But I need to work on a strategy to make us better known in the Motorhome community.

For those interested..Here are those stats.

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Well you have set yourself a difficult task
You have drawn your lines in the sand, mainly because you don't believe they create growth, including

• Pulled out of the magazine too much work for little reward
• Not going to Warners shows any more, and not replacing it elsewhere
• You don't want young Lefties
• Tik Tok will be as dead as radio Luxemburg
• Younger folk (like my mid 30's son and daughter at least) laugh out loud at he title Motorhome Fun and Funsters comparing it with something from a 1950's advert for Skegness, you are satisfied however that if people do not like it, then they not the type of people you want
• Podcast OK, however, you trounce them in the ratings so why bother, although you might give it a go with Matt
• Forum is OK for the next 20 years in any case so no need for anything you don't like
• The market place is for full members only although it could generate revenue

So, with all these red lines, my simple view is leave well alone, you are knocking on a bit, set in your ways to a certain extent, have a lovely family, why put yourself through the hassle of trying to grow awareness, you not going to shows, your not sweating over the magazine deadline anymore, you are confident the site is set for the next 20 years, why not just settle back, go and see Eddie and enjoy life even more. The additional effort might be worth it if more hits, more members, more sales through marketplace, makes it a more attractive acquisition prospect or necessary for your retirement income, however, if it is a simple mission to make more people aware for the satisfaction that brings, then I would reconsider how much effort I was prepared to put in, not that I wouldn't keep pushing, just not make it my mission

 

[Tombola]

The problem is protecting that knowledge from plagiarism.

Google downgrades you for this like a shot..
It crawls billions or trillions of pages each day.
Rip off pages or articles are soon sussed out and your whole site can soon go in the black book.

Those day were over about 15 years ago.
Ain't no way a rival site will meet these stats of MHF anytime soon.

 

[Swifter]

Did speak to one who had recently bought the van from a dealer complete with sticker but had no idea what the forum was about.

This happened to me . I was so enthusiastic and happy to see another funster but he just looked blankly at me like I was mad !
I still cringe when i think about it .

 

[VXman]

When the Fun forum was born, it was a different era.. internet was in its infancy, social media hadn't been born.. a brave new world was on the horizon

Forums were on the rise, as was motorhoming .. members were mostly baby boomers, in their early 50s..many with money to spend on new motorhomes.

That has changed dramatically .. the boomers are now in their late 60s to mid 70s . mostly retired, and the problem, as I see it, Fun is not attractive to the next generation. .. the "children of the boomers" . now in their late 40s and 50s..

I have two lads with campervans ..neither are interested in motorhome forums , they see them as places for the elderly.. and if they went to a Warners Show it would confirm their belief that the shows and entertainment put on is geared for the OAPs.

They are more interested in attending music festivals with live bands and shows for the van-life generation and the Vdub clubs ..they use TikTok, Youtube, FB etc for sharing ... and showing off

If Fun does not attract that generation it will eventually die ..

It certainly cannot survive being just a 'Motorhome Wiki ' where people pop in and out and leave when they have the info they wanted.. you see that all the time.. the 'five post wonders' who after getting answers, never return, nor can it be a just a place for the boomers to end their motorhoming days and debate the 3rd world war...

We have a similar issue with the VX220 forum. It was a great resource, used widely in the early 2000's and now contains a wealth of useful info. However, no one uses it anymore. The younger folk are all on the Facebook group which is useless for finding historical info. All you get is the same questions being asked again and again. Bit the same here though as people don't search first.

I agree forums have become old hat but I still believe they are better if you want to discuss stuff in depth and keep historical stuff accessible.

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[Tombola]

but merely saying how it doesn't seem to attract the younger generation

In general the masses of younger generation don't have the resources to own a motorhome, that much 'time' to spend on MH "forums"

This generation (most but not all) arent attracted to here..they are used to things served up in an instant, via news feed social media sound bites etc., and don't really wanna hang around forums with old biddies like us. but like I suppose most of us were.

They are quite happy packing up the VW without so much as an oil check...and take any consequences as they happen and just follow a sat nav.

As they age they will have more time and more resources and more inclination to hang around here and rallies etc Instead of festivals with weed or beer.

I don't think Jim is necessarily aiming at gen z, though more about the already millions of exisiting motorhomers, like us....and getting a bigger section of them to learn about MHF.

just as I'm.sure when MHF was set up the same age bracket applied then as it does now
40s, 50 ,60s and more.

 

[scotjimland]

In general the masses of younger generation don't have the resources to own a motorhome, that much 'time' to spend on MH "forums"

If you read my opening post , the one I was referring to , they are the children of the baby-boomers..

as I see it, Fun is not attractive to the next generation. .. the "children of the boomers" . now in their late 40s and 50s..

I used my two "lads". as an example of the younger generation,. one who is 34, the other in his 50s, they are not interested in this forum.. or indeed any motorhome forum.. and they both have plenty of resources , they own VW campers.. one has a California.. better off than I am ..

 

[chaser]

This happened to me . I was so enthusiastic and happy to see another funster but he just looked blankly at me like I was mad !
I still cringe when i think about it .

I have had this more than once and I didn't believe them I'm afraid.

 

[chaser]

To be honest, what's wrong with it as it is , plenty of members to last Jim out, and if a few more come that's a bonus, unless Jim is thinking of getting it more popular and then flogging it, I don't see the need for any change.
Some of the views of folks on here though is never going to attract young people they just want to jump in a van,park where they like, let grey water out where they want and generally have a good time as they see it without being talked down to by the vast minority on here.

 

[Steve and Denise]

To be honest, what's wrong with it as it is , plenty of members to last Jim out, and if a few more come that's a bonus, unless Jim is thinking of getting it more popular and then flogging it, I don't see the need for any change.
Some of the views of folks on here though is never going to attract young people they just want to jump in a van,park where they like, let grey water out where they want and generally have a good time as they see it without being talked down to by the vast minority on here.

Slow day today ?

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