RV Forum Caravan

We sometimes caravan to our Newmar rallies in the state and also to the national.  Typically there are somewhere of 5 to 10 RVs n the group.  The secret is to keep the group fairly small.

We use CB to communicate rather than the FRS radios as the distances and mountains really preclude their use.  Many times we stop at various venues to have lunch, sight see and since MT is a large state overnite.  Everyone is responsible for their own reservations for campsites and if we are going to a restaurant as a group, one of us calls and make the reservation for the group. 

If a group wants to do a caravan in MT, I would suggest the Custer Battlefield, several sites in Billings, the dinner train in Lewistown, the Lewis and Clark Intrepretive Center in Great Falls as well as the Charlie Russell and other museums there.  I missed mentioning an old site north of Lewistown for those interested in old pioneer homes, then either west to Glacier or south  the state Capital in Helena and the museums there.  These are just a few of the sites in MT but I would recommend that the group be less than 10 RVs because of the small size of most campgrounds and the high traffic in RVs during the summer and fall months.

In fact if the interest was there, you could spend June through October and still miss many interesting places.  You could have people drop out or come in as desired to make it even more fun.

Just a few thoughts on this.

Roamer and Russ,

Amen to your comments.  That Ron Ruward serendipity caravan rally was "as good as they come."  The places Ron picked and the people in the caravan were great.  As I remember it was only about half-a-dozen coaches.

BTW, I have always believed that was the trip that convinced Gary to move from a trailer to a motorhome.  Sort of the trigger point, i.e., you've been thinking about it so let's do it!

Once we were on 20 coach caravan on the Copper Canyon train trip in Mexico and it worked out great but 8-12 coaches might be better.

JerryF

The Monaco Coach Club has always had a prerally before FMCA and the one in Oregon was always particularly well attended.  They caravan over the Cascades from the prerally in Salem to FMCA in Richmond.  One year we had 350 coaches in the caravan!  Let me tell you, the state and town police HAVE to be in on the act because the coordination required was huge!  They stopped traffic at most intersections so we could proceed through at a relatively good pace.  The town of Sisters said no way so they had to find an alternate route around it which is still used by the Monaco caravan.  That year with 350 we traversed the route fast enough that FMCA told the leaders we needed to find a place to stop so they could get other motorhomes off the adjacent roads and into the fairgrounds before we arrived.  We pulled off into a huge ski area parking lot and waited about an hour before we were told that FMCA was ready for us to arrive.  That caravan was a real kick, but the point is, caravans are best kept small.  Most of the professional caravan providers seem to limit theirs to 20 rigs because they're too unwieldy if they're larger.

We've now done Hop, Skip, and Jump for two years.  We didn't move from one place to the other together as a group which worked better.  For example, some people preferred to take the shorter Zion tunnel route while others had to choose the "long" way from Zion to Bryce because (1) their overall length exceeded the tunnel or height limit, or (2) they only had one driver and couldn't unhook and drive two vehicles.  Then there's the altitude.  Some in the group can't go above a certain altitude because of breathing problems.  Some don't like to start too early in the morning, while others want to leave at the crack of dawn.  I think some of us decided it was more tiring to go to three places and stay a few days at each place than to stay the entire time at one location like we did with Moab.

We and the Ruwards often caravanned together, but like the others have said, sometimes the spontaneous and smaller ones are more fun.  One of our caravans was from Las Vegas to Moab and we went up through Monument Valley which was fun.  That was the year we encountered snow near Jacob Lake.  I think there were about six of us that time.  Other times there were just the two rigs.  All were fun and we had time to explore and play along the way.

Jerry and I move around a lot when we're RVing.  In fact, we just covered over 10,000 miles in 116 days, but I don't think it would have been viable even with a small group.  Trying to find reasonable campgrounds that suited everyone would be difficult because some people want full-service RV parks while others want public parks with minimal cost while others just don't want to drive too far off the route.  Not to mention availability of sites during certain times.  Some want to drive 500/miles a day while others think 300/miles a day is almost too much.  Some people like museums and others hate them.  It seems like these issues would be less important with a smaller group who know one another's likes and dislikes so they're easier to resolve.

Ours with the Ruwards worked generally because we were going from Point A to Point B, for example, Moab to Montana.  We didn't have a schedule and would decide each day about where we wanted to go that day and what we wanted to see along the way.  Some days were short and some were long.  One time they "lost" us in Wyoming because of snow.  We just didn't want to be in the white stuff so said goodbye and headed south - ended up in El Paso!  No white stuff there!

ArdraF

BTW, I have always believed that was the trip that convinced Gary to move from a trailer to a motorhome.

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That was about half the reason, Jerry.  We realized we wanted a larger RV if we were going  to travel like that (and we definitely were!). The other half was we were shopping for newer/larger trailer and couldn't find "The ONE". Found a motorhome we really liked instead, and the rest is history.

Everybody here has their own preferences, concerns, ideas, etc. That's why a committee can't plan a rally or an itinerary for a rolling rally. Somebody has to put a stake in the ground and see who else will go along. Some will gripe it wasn't done "their way", but most will weigh the pros and cons and then say "what the hell" and go for it anyway.

I'll have to pass, not enough vacation for that.  Ask me again in 25 years and I'll likely say yes.

Marc:

I fear that I will not be here in 25 years.  I am currently 62 have had quad bypass, 13 stints, and 36 holes drilled in my heart. In 25 years I would be 87 and I don't expect to see that.

Well as a snowbird in BC ( on the coast) it would be fun to be part of a caravan. small one would be best for us.
so if anyone is going south this Oct/Nov let us know and we shall she what develops.

Foxysdad said:

Well as a snowbird in BC ( on the coast) it would be fun to be part of a caravan. small one would be best for us.
so if anyone is going south this Oct/Nov let us know and we shall she what develops.

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Now there's a caravan with a purpose.....

geodrake said:

Marc:

I fear that I will not be here in 25 years.  I am currently 62 have had quad bypass, 13 stints, and 36 holes drilled in my heart. In 25 years I would be 87 and I don't expect to see that.

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George, I've got you by 10 years and one quad by-pass, but you beat me hands down on the stints and ventilation holes.  (Can I get extra credit for the mini-stroke and the multiple heart attacks?) ???

BTW - pick me out a good parking spot in your new work camping location and I'll be sure to come see you. 

I may not be able to organize a caravan, but sometimes my old Bounder strings enough loose parts along the highway that it appears as one.

I live on the assumption that I'm going to live to 110. If I go earlier, I go earlier but I'd rather think of all the days and years I have up to that 110 year mark.

Wendy
FWIW Great Grandma lived to 105 and was mean and arnry up to the day she died

I will depart Newport OR on Oct 1 to mosy down the coast, through the coastal redwoods, visit the Lynches in Santa Rosa, overnight in Lodi to visit Tom Jones, over the Tehachapi pass and meander on, ending in Happy Trails on Nov 1.

Russ,

I plan on leaving Oregon on 10/1, but should be back at Happy Trails 10/3!
This all assumes we get back out of HT again.

ken

Lady in Japan, reputed to be the oldest in the world, was actually DEAD for 20 years,,,,,,anybody seen Wendy LATELY??>>>D

Are there RV groups that go work on Habitat or projects like that?  I've always wanted to do that and with the motorhome I could.  Sue Anne would have someplace to happily spend her day if she didn't want to come.

geodrake said:

Marc:

I fear that I will not be here in 25 years.  I am currently 62 have had quad bypass, 13 stints, and 36 holes drilled in my heart. In 25 years I would be 87 and I don't expect to see that.

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Medical science evolves all the time, you just never know.  My dad would have died at 16 if he had been born before insulin was available and my son would have died a week or two after birth if he had been born before Hirshsprung disease was discovered and treatment found.

Are there RV groups that go work on Habitat or projects like that?

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There is a chapter of the FMCA that does Habitat for Humanity projects.

http://www.tmbf.org/fmca-hfh/index.html

And the FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) is an excellent club to be in anyway.

My wife and I have done Habitat builds with  RV Care-A-Vanners.  Check them out at http://www.habitat.org/rv/default.aspx?tgs=OS8xLzIwMTAgMTI6MTk6NTMgUE0%3d

utahclaimjumper said:

Lady in Japan, reputed to be the oldest in the world, was actually DEAD for 20 years,,,,,,anybody seen Wendy LATELY??>>>D

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Dan

She looked alive and well a month ago. Wendy, not the lady in Japan ;D ;D

I expected to hear the screams from here to prove she was alive.>>>Dan ;D ;D