CHRIS DOUGHERTY
Technical Editor
GS Media and Events div. of Camping World/Good Sam
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
I grew up on a horse farm, and started RVing in a 1973 Winnebago when I was 3.
My mother passed in an RV fire when I was 13.
Went into fire service when I was 18.
Went to Marist College to study communications, but left early to follow career in Fire / EMS.
Started RVing on my own, rebuilding a Coleman popup with a friend.
Sold a house and started RVing full time, still working as a FF, but starting in RV / Campground biz.
Wrote for a number of online / print pubs in the RV industry while owning a small RV service company.
Eventually followed opportunity to work as tech editor for industry's largest consumer publications.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Doane Stuart School
Doane Stuart School
Associate's Degree
Marist College
Marist College
Career
Technical Editor
I am responsible to review and create technical content for MotorHome and Trailer Life magazines.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Travel
Journalism
Communicating / Sharing Stories
Day to Day
Every day is great at my job! I work from home mostly, in an "RV" themed office full of tech, but I also have an office in Oxnard, CA at the Good Sam HQ, and I travel to the RV capital of the world, Elkhart, Indiana on occasion for RV tests and reviews. Those are fun. I get to take a brand new RV right from the assembly line and test it for a week and then write a review of it. I also love doing technical articles involving installation of some of the latest 'stuff' in the RV industry.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
The first thing is having a passion for the industry and the RV lifestyle. There are many people in our industry who excel at their jobs, and there are literally a million RVers, but this job takes: 1)excellent communications skills, and that comes from education, 2)Professional level knowledge of the RV industry and Recreation Vehicles, so becoming an RV technician, pursuing the education and training, and doing the job for years, and 3)start writing on a small scale, and work your way up.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Associate's Degree
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Parents:
"My father was a physician, and my oldest brother, who died in a plane crash when I was 3, had been accepted to med school. I was a poor student and didn't measure up. Constant pressure to stay in school / college for a meaningful career."
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
Learning Issues
