FG Rallies: What to do?

[carlkeigley]

I was looking for other things, but ran across this.
It's probably old news (or no news). Just throwing it out there.

10 Things to Do at an RV Rally | News OK

Also ran across a club listing:

http://www.rvpark411.com/find-rv-clubs.html

[Carol H]

Just a word of caution for whats its worth based on actual experience in regards to organizing FG Rallies. If the party doing the organizing hasn't taken out any Rally insurance I strongly suggest they don't organize or negotiate anything on behalf of the group, much other than a pot luck - LOL some might even argue that can be risky ;-) If your going to do an organized event, insurance can be purchased relatively cheaply in the USA & you can charge each event participant a fee to cover it - many trailer rallies outside the FG world are all done that way - as are most car club rallies. Sad but all to real reality of the world we live in.

[Bob Miller]

At least 7 of the 10 items listed are good reasons to leave them out of FGRV activities.....

We went to several of the really big Wally Bynum Airstream Rallies back in the day and my $.02 worth, "Never Again".

Words I would use to describe the Airstream events would be: regimented, militaristic, and run by a group with real power issues, so much so that sub groups would form just to get away from the planned activities.

There was everything from Commanding Generals to doughboy grunts running things, all with appropriate badges and ribbons extoling their senority or place in the chain of command/pecking order.

I can actually remember the "Grunts" banging on trailer doors to harang you get moving so you wouldn't miss out on the next event.

That all said, I like the smaller, informal events to anything that the Airstream or Family Motorhome type/size groups think is "Fun".

[Glenn Baglo]

I bought this DVD from National Film Board of Canada. It is entertaining.

Caravaners

• A film by
• George Johnson
• 
• 
  
• List Price: $19.95
• Add to Cart

The three hundred Airstream trailers that are prowling the highways of British Columbia represent a new breed of nomad. Too active to just sit at home, but too cautious to strike out on their own, these retired couples have signed up for an organized caravan tour sponsored by the company that manufactures the trailers. Few surprises are in store for the group, but then they're never alone, and they don't have to worry about the day's route or entertainment.

Details

ID NO.153C0178008Duration:27 min 42 s

[Carol H]

Glenn that does sound like a chuckle - what year was it filmed????

[Glenn Baglo]

I'm not sure. In the '60s I think from the cars.
Great scene of the trailers lining up to dump ( into a sewer for crying out loud! ).
I will have the DVD and player with me at the Escape Rally in Osoyoos.

[Glenn Baglo]

The price might seem a little steep, but they pretty much burn the DVD for you on request.
A friend with a Trillium and I emailed asking about the flick and they replied that they were converting films to digital according to the number of requests they got. So, we both asked and shortly after had the DVDs.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

The price might seem a little steep, but they pretty much burn the DVD for you on request.
A friend with a Trillium and I emailed asking about the flick and they replied that they were converting films to digital according to the number of requests they got. So, we both asked and shortly after had the DVDs.

gezzz Glenn your going to bring the new PC patrol and no doubt a newly formed copyright gang crashing down on us!

[Glenn Baglo]

How's that? It's an NFB film and the NFB sells the DVD. http://www.nfb.ca/

baglo

[Carol H]

LOL well we could argue that we the people have paid for that film many many times over but have hunch as the feds are involved........ should I say more

[mary and bob]

This June will be our 6th year attending what started as a teardrop gathering, but now includes about any camper and a few tents. Originally it had a pot luck, but as the number of attendees grew that was dropped and replaced by a wine & cheese & snacks thing, followed by a steal a gift event. Someone else in the group decided to start a beer tasting thing on another night, and another couple did a food drive to benefit the local food pantry. But basically it's the one evening thing, the rest of the time you're on your own, wander around and visit, check out other trailers, kayak, bike or whatever. A few campfires will be going and people will gather at those if they want. All the organization we need!

[Sandy W]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Just a word of caution for whats its worth based on actual experience in regards to organizing FG Rallies. If the party doing the organizing hasn't taken out any Rally insurance I strongly suggest they don't organize or negotiate anything on behalf of the group, much other than a pot luck - LOL some might even argue that can be risky ;-) If your going to do an organized event, insurance can be purchased relatively cheaply in the USA & you can charge each event participant a fee to cover it - many trailer rallies outside the FG world are all done that way - as are most car club rallies. Sad but all to real reality of the world we live in.

OK, Carol, I am more than a bit curious about your post. Sounds like you have had some bad experiences organizing a rally? This year is my 9th year for our rallies. I have found out there is NO way to please everyone, but I keep trying! I assume you are joking about rally insurance?
Sandy

[carlkeigley]

"At least 7 of the 10 items listed are good reasons to leave them out of FGRV activities..... " BOB

That's what I thought Bob.
Struck me more of an expo than a rally.

"But basically it's the one evening thing, the rest of the time you're on your own, wander around and visit, check out other trailers, kayak, bike or whatever. A few campfires will be going and people will gather at those if they want. All the organization we need!" MARY AND BOB

Words of wisdom.........Every event is unique in it's own right.

[Donna D.]

I'm not Carol, but an old hand at coordinating hotrod runs. My club put on a yearly (weekend) event for more than 30 years. We charged a participation fee. We carried $1,000,000 liability insurance because people do stupid things. Our club had federal and state non-profit status, but we found out (before the hardway) that each member could be sued. None of us were excited about that! I think the insurance cost was about $150 a year... because we only used it once a year for four days max. We considered that "cheap" insurance.

Carol?

[mary and bob]

I really like Bob Miller's post, #3, and laugh every time I read it. I'm going to have to print it out and take it to the teardrop gathering next month because the Canadian couple that "organize" the event own an Airstream. They claim that they don't really organize the event, and I suppose they don't do much organizing. It gets discussed on Facebook, they maintain a list of participants, and set up the wine & cheese and steal-a-gift. The guy is great with pictures too, and he has taken campsite photos at several NY State parks, many of them multiple views of each site, some with ratings. I'm hoping to get at least a "grunt" rank.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Sandy Webb

OK, Carol, I am more than a bit curious about your post. Sounds like you have had some bad experiences organizing a rally? This year is my 9th year for our rallies. I have found out there is NO way to please everyone, but I keep trying! I assume you are joking about rally insurance?
Sandy

Well Sandy I like you use to be able to say the same. Never had any problems at any meets I organized or helped organize. That was until a bizarre sequence of events took place at a meet - some of them human behaviour related, some animal related behaviour and some of it mother nature related. I cant share the details as unfortunately the story isnt over yet and all the ramifications clearly known. May be another 2 years until the book on that meet is fully closed & I can sleep well again.

Stuff happens at trailer rallys or other events involving people and when it does you can be sure that if someone decides to sue over it, the organizer of the event will be rightly or wrongly named in the legal process along with the owners of the property and anyone else that had anything what so ever to do with putting on the event.

As Donna mentioned these days most organized groups or clubs wouldnt think of putting on any event without having liability insurance in place. Many private camping facilities etc that rent out their facilities as a whole for a trailer meet will also require that you the organizer have liability insurance for the actual meet (not just personal insurance) and they will ask to see a copy of it before they will rent out their facility. Their own insurance companies are wanting to down load as much of the liability/risk concerns as they can - because stuff does and will happen anytime you bring together a large group of people.

Oh I know that we have some folks here who are sure to jump in and suggests its simple fear mongering and the odds of something bad happening at rally are a million to one. Will all I can say to that is there has to be a "one" and how do you know for sure your not going to be that "one"?

[Bob Miller]

Peeps will buy PowerBall tickets with 175 million to 1 odds, so not taking a risk at 1 Million to 1 sounds like a slam dunk to me.

I used to host mini-motorhome gatherings at my home (I have room for about 20 dry campers) When I asked what my liability was, my Ins agent cited several recent cases where "Interest Group" gatherings led to huge law suits, a few over even the million dollar limit.

I might do something on public property in the future, but never again on my own property.

FWIW: There are "Trolls" out there that frequent semi-public events with their own agenda, and it's not about fixing your RV.