Community Forums

ctcamper · 06-27-2011, 03:30 PM

Say there was a rally for a MH manufacturers club and it was very expensive and didn't have any itinerary that would be of intrest to me. It is in a location that I would love to go to but I would want to do other things than they are doing. Plus I would not be eating all that food, preferring to go to places I would rather eat in that area. ....
Is it in bad taste to show up and just camp and meet people without having to participate in the festivities? providing there was still room in the CG. I imagine they let regular campers in a CG during rallies? I have never been to one so I have no idea.

RickO · 06-27-2011, 03:34 PM

Good question but I would think that if all you wanted to do with them was to introduce yourself and meet folks it should be fine. The danger would probably be if you found that you wanted to attend a seminar or two... have one of those burgers on the grill... you get the idea.

Good luck...

Rick

BZam · 06-27-2011, 03:50 PM

I went to my first with the idea of this is of no interest to me like meeting other RVers, eating, tours, etc. I though maybe we might stay a day or so and just bug out. It was so much fun and I bought more stuff to hang on my coach and stayed to the end.

Guess what. I have been hooked ever since and have been to Newmar rallies, FMCA, Good Sam, local clubs, and on and on.

**NLOVNIT** · 06-27-2011, 05:44 PM

Sure. As long as you don't participate in the Rally activities you'd be fine to just make a reservation at the same campground & mingle with the campers at their or your site.

Any Rallies I've attended required me to show my pass for activities, or if it was a meal I had to turn in a meal ticket, included in my Rally packet, to eat. I couldn't attend activities if I didn't have a pass or badge to show I paid to be there. Even our iRV2 National Rallies require members to wear their badges to show they have access to Rally activities but we don't prohibit someone from making a personal reservation at the Rally location CG.

L-

read & learn · 06-28-2011, 07:25 AM

IMHO, I would find a CG close to the Rally. Go over to Rally CG in my toad, find out who was in charge, introduce myself and tell them I heard about their Rally and just want to see what it was all about, as you had never been to a rally before.
We have had Rallies where someone would show up just for that reason and most become members and if they tell you some other time, you really don't want to be with that group.
If we are having a rally and there are other Coaches from our MFG. we invite them over for a campfire. As the saying goes "we got them, hook, line and sinker" as new members.

ctcamper · 06-28-2011, 08:27 AM

The one I was thinking about is 450 for two people. I emailed the person in charge and the literary is catered food and a lighthouse tour. They may also have a MH on display but none of the above would interest me. I have been in and around so many lighthouses in my day from boats or by foot, I don't need to see another lol It is near Boston and if I am going to spend 450 bucks for four days I can find some nice places to eat for that and skip the catered food.
If it was too tacky to show, I would just go another time, but I figured it might be fun just to talk with some of the folks there

Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43' · 06-28-2011, 11:31 AM

I have been at several campgrounds where groups were having rallies. Meandered over for talk and visiting and never had a problem. I did not attempt to attend any meetings or get togethers, just visited and talked RVing and campgrounds.

Dadeaux · 06-28-2011, 12:45 PM

RVers in gereral are friendly, nice and welcome company to their sites, especially at rallies. Try them I'll bet you get several invitations.

historyljc · 06-28-2011, 03:29 PM

ctcamper,
If you want to go to a Camping Resort at the same time as the Club Rally but don't care to go to the meals or other formal functions and don't want to pay their, IMHO, overly-priced fees just register at the campground and mix and mingle. There will be plenty of time to meet the campers and talk til your jaw falls off without being involved in the club activities. I've been to a couple of the Tiffin Allegro Club rallies. I didn't particular care for the meals or crowded conditions in which they were served. Like any catered meal, you "pays your money, you takes your chances", some good, more so-so, most downright awful. Some of the entertainment was good, some was not so good. In my opinion it would not be in bad taste or morally wrong to be booked into a campground at the same time that a manufacture's (of my brand of coach) rally was taking place without joining, at great expense, that rally. Seldom do they have the whole campground booked precluding anyone outside the rally from staying there.

You may wish to take a look at A Part of the TiffinRVNetwork • Index page (In No Way Connected With Tiffin Motorhomes) for their rallies in your area. They are much more informal and less expensive than the Tiffin Motorhomes sponsored rallies. They have potluck in place of catered meals, karoke in place of paid entertainment (like above: some good, more so-so, most downright awful), and members who may wish to talk about or lead a discussion on a particular subject in place of seminars. The rally fee for the one that I attended last year in Gulf Shores, AL, was $25.00 (this did not include campground fees). I'm signed up to go to the one in Pine Mountain, GA, this October. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends that I've met at other rallies and making some new ones. This type of get-together just might suit your style of rally better. It does mine. Come on down and join us at Pine Mountain (SW of Atlanta) in October.

Tha_Rooster · 06-28-2011, 05:43 PM

I use to own a HR and belong to their club till I became a fleetwood owner. There is no reason why you can't camp at the same campground when a rally is going on to visit. You can even look at their new rigs. I would say eating their food and attending seminars would cross the line and being cheap.

Ray,IN · 06-28-2011, 06:06 PM

Humm, the first week of June we stayed at River Plantation RV park in Sevierville, TN. Upon arrival we discovered the "Suites" national rally was there that week. Sandwiched between over 100+ DRV "Suites", if we wanted to meet our neighbors it almost had to be rally attendees. We had a great time meeting people and making friends. I inquired about touring the "Suites" show models on display and was promptly invited to accompany two couples who volunteered to help educate us on the three models of Suite 5ers.
DW really liked the Elite Suites 5er, but at $158,000 I nearly choked.

njs42 · 06-28-2011, 07:49 PM

Nothing wrong wth going and dropping in as long as you are not sneaking in---introduce yourself and have a good time----they will let you know what you can and cannot do---

I did this once and they had a National Rep there fixing rigs-----they sent him down to mine in the same campground and he left some parts so I could fix what was wrong. I think they charged me 15 bucks or something to make me "legal". As long as you are up front---then things work out fine.

tomwalt · 06-28-2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctcamper

Say there was a rally for a MH manufacturers club and it was very expensive and didn't have any itinerary that would be of intrest to me. It is in a location that I would love to go to but I would want to do other things than they are doing. Plus I would not be eating all that food, preferring to go to places I would rather eat in that area. ....
Is it in bad taste to show up and just camp and meet people without having to participate in the festivities? providing there was still room in the CG. I imagine they let regular campers in a CG during rallies? I have never been to one so I have no idea.

I am glad you asked this question. Being a working man, I can't attend rallies of interest for an entire week, so I just don't stop by. Based on the replies here, I think I'll try visiting the IRV2 rally at Bethpage this summer for a couple days.