July 2004 -- RVers who would prefer to travel or camp with a group can join up with any number of like-minded people for a paid vacation tour in their own rig instead of a tour bus, or a friendly get-together with other owners of the same brand of RV. Caravans are the RV equivalent of a group tour with structured itineraries, sightseeing, communal meals, and many group social functions.
Popular caravan destinations include Mexico, Alaska, and New England at autumn foliage time. To find out about caravan and club tours, read general monthly RV publications such as Trailer Life and MotorHome, available by subscription or from most magazine racks; Family Motor Coaching Magazine (for FMCA members); Highways (for Good Sam Club members); or other club or RV manufacturing company publications.
RV Clubs
American Association for Nude Recreation, 1703 North Main Street, Suite E, Kissimmee, FL 34744 (tel. 407/933-2064; www.aanr.com). For nudist RVers; has RV parks in many states.
Baby Boomers, P.O. Box 23, Stoneham, CO 80754. For RV enthusiasts born between 1940 and 1960.
Escapees Incorporated, 100 Rainbow Dr., Livingston, TX 77351 (tel. 888/757-2582; www.escapees.com). Founded in 1978 by veteran RV writers Joe and Kay Peterson, Escapees is a support system for full-timers. Membership numbers more than 33,000. Members have pooled resources to build their own nonprofit RV parks across the country, as well as create a new CARE (Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees) program that provides parking facilities and support services for temporarily or permanently incapacitated full-timers.
Family Motor Coach Association, 8291 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45244 (tel. 800/543-3622; www.fmca.com). For owners of self-propelled, self-contained vehicles with cooking, sleeping, and sanitary facilities in which the living quarters can be accessed directly from the driver's seat. Members number around 170,000 families, each with its own ID number. The group provides a monthly magazine and other benefits, including insurance. Costs are $35 for a family, including initiation fee and first year dues.
Flying J Real Value Club, P.O. Box 150210, Ogden, UT 84415 (tel. 888/438-3537; www.flyingj.com). A free membership provides fuel (gasoline or diesel) discounts of 1? a gallon at all Flying J stations plus 5? a gallon discount on propane. Additional credit can be gained from non-fuel purchases in their restaurants and convenience stores. Insurance, roadside assistance, and prepaid calling card programs are also available.
Good Sam Club, write to c/o Susan Bray, 2575 Vista Del Mar Dr., Ventura, CA 93001-3920 (tel. 800/234-3450; www.goodsamclub.com). A broad-range club with insurance, campground affiliates, financing, and other services. Members number nearly a million, and the club also has special interest chapters for hobbyists, computer aficionados, singles, hearing impaired, and others.
Handicapped Travel Club, for membership requirements, send SASE with first-class postage to 5929 Ourway, Citrus Heights, CA 95610 (tel. 916/961-1611). For individuals with disabilities who enjoy traveling and camping; also welcomes the nondisabled.
Loners on Wheels, 1060-WB, Cape Giradeau, MO 63702 (tel. 888/569-4478; fax 573/651-8601; www.lonersonwheels.com). Now 25 years old, Loners on Wheels is a club for single RVers, numbering around 3,000 widowed, divorced, or never-married members. While members who subsequently give up traveling alone turn into non-members, they are welcomed back at special anniversaries and rallies. Call for a sample newsletter.
Motor Home America Club, 64 Inverness Dr. East, Englewood, CO 80112 (tel. 800/986-5366; www.motorhomeamericaclub.com). A membership fee of around $15 a month provides a variety of services including discounts in campgrounds, roadside assistance, magazine subscriptions, new RV product testing program, emergency messaging service, toll-free technical assistance hotline, legal help, travel accident policy, and other discounts and services.
Passport America, 18315A Landon Rd., Gulfport, MS 39503 (tel. 800/681-6810 or 228/832-9199; www.passport-america.com). A $39 yearly membership provides 50% discounts at over 400 campgrounds throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Some restrictions apply, depending on the individual campground, the time of year, and the length of stay.
RV Elderhostel, 80 Boylston St., Suite 400, Boston, MA 02116 (tel. 617/426-7788; www.elderhostel.org). Offers study groups for RV owners at universities or on the road in caravans along a historic route.
Vagabundos del Mar, 190 Main St., Rio Vista, CA 94571 (tel. 800/474-BAJA or 707/374-5511; www.vagabundos.com). A club of RV travelers who spend a lot of time in Mexico. Also provides Mexican auto insurance and information on RV parks south of the border.
Computer Online Services
Online RV bulletin boards on computer services such as AOL allow RV enthusiasts or "wannabe" RVers to exchange dialogue, give helpful hints, and discuss the pros and cons of the various vehicle brands. A number of the organizations above, and other special-interest groups also offer message boards, in addition to their other information.
The greatest use of onboard computers is for e-mail connection. More and more campgrounds provide phone jacks to connect to your Internet service, some for free, some for a modest charge if it is a local call to connect. Some upscale campgrounds now have phone connections at the site for those newer motor homes that have phone lines built into the wiring system.
Do you know of another RV organization worthy of mention here? Tell us on Road Trip Message Boards today.