WA | Open to others?

[Carolyn N.]

I have a friend in another camping group... we are always looking for just the right "fit" for camping... I have told about being with Fiberglass rallies. Is it strict that one MUST have one of the listed brands? This person has an R-Pod. I was told by one person at a recent Fiberglass Rally who no longer has a fiberglass... that someone said, "It is the people, not the rig." ;-)

[Borrego Dave]

Have to agree Carolyn, it's the people. New folks interested in FG TTs show up at a rally to get info....even members that have gone to the dark side, it's all good .

[rbryan]

Anyone is welcome at a Fiberglass rally Carolyn. We've even had tent campers next to us at some of them. Tell your R-Pod owner friend to beware however: attending a fiberglass rally and touring all the trailers might make them switch.

[Iowa Dave]

We attend a few rallies each year. I would not attend a rally with any form of exclusivity. Ain’t nobody that special. Never look down your nose at another person’s equipment or at the person themselves, you’re not that special either.
That’s how I live my life and how I was raised. My Dad always said “Live and let live.” I’ve found it to be good policy.
Iowa Dave

[Jim Bennett]

I have never been at a rally where an SOB (Some Other Brand) was not allowed. Of course the idea of a fibreglass rally has a focus to either on manufacturer of these trailers, or the whole gambit of manufacturers. Heck, one year between owning moulded fibreglass trailers, and waiting for Escape to finish the new generation 5.0TA moulds, I used a stick built and went to two different rallies with it. I bore quite a few friendly jabs from other participants, but it was all in fun.

[Bruce Thomas]

Not allowing them seems kinda exclusive....they may be considering a change from their current one. Excluding them is harsh.

[MyronL]

Don't think there's ever been any doubt about that.

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

We attend a few rallies each year. I would not attend a rally with any form of exclusivity. Ain’t nobody that special. Never look down your nose at another person’s equipment or at the person themselves, you’re not that special either.
That’s how I live my life and how I was raised. My Dad always said “Live and let live.” I’ve found it to be good policy.
Iowa Dave

Hi: Iowa Dave... At Niagara Wine Escape we have never excluded any one, but "Converts" are accepted!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Deb & Chuck]

Carolyn N. some of the rallies are still brand restrictive like Casita Rallies ( The Bluebonnet rally), from what I have been told. Taidnapum and other rallies don't care because we have had a lot of members that have had to move onto a different type of RV due to health concerns or other life issues. As a former Bigfoot owner for many years I know you have to have a Bigfoot to attend their rallies. No exceptions plus you must join their Bigfoot owners club for a fee. BTW there are R-POD groups for your friend and they have rallies too but I don't know if they allow anyone else in.

Deb

[margeleept]

Haha, I recently had the same experience from the other side. We took our new Casita to our regular teardrop gathering. Nobody acted like we were not welcomed, in fact, a few people expressed envy that we have a Casita! I suppose some people could have been complaining behind our backs, but nothing negative was said to our face. We also went to a fiberglass gathering with our teardrop before we got the Casita and had the same welcoming experience.

[V'sGlassSleeper]

Love this discussion. I own a 1988 Bigfoot but when it comes to attending rallies, I love getting together with friendly, kind-hearted people, period. I don't care what year, brand or model trailer they have, or if they're in a tent or if they sleep in their van. What matters to me is the quality of their hearts. When good people come together across any perceived differences, whether it's politics, religion, race, gender, class, sexual orientation or different modes of camping, traveling, living and getting around...great things happen and a good time can be shared by all. We need more of these rallies everywhere to bring our country together again as a diverse and beautiful commonwealth.


Plus, it's great fun to see all the different ways in which people travel and live on the road, nevermind all the different decor - from high-tech to practical minimalism, from glamping to rustic, from sporty to cute,...and everything in between.

[gordon2]

Every rally has an organizer.. someone in charge. Pose the question to him or her if in doubt.

[Bruce H]

Has anyone tried crashing an Airstream rally?

[Mary F]

Even the Bluebonnet Casita Rally is not brand exclusive. Casitas far outnumber other brands at that rally, but all are theoretically welcome. I say “theoretically” because there are so many Casitas that some of the programming is geared towards that audience... not all, of course, but some.

[Carolyn N.]

Thank you for clarifying on my question... yes, my friend does know about the R-Pod groups but liked what I told her about my experiences with NOG and WAG.
Advice to check with whoever is heading up a rally is good advice though! Like this group now as much as I like my Scamp FB page!

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Deb & Chuck

Carolyn N. some of the rallies are still brand restrictive like Casita Rallies ( The Bluebonnet rally), from what I have been told.

No, not brand restrictive at all. Pretty much every fiberglass RV make is represented at the Bluebonnet Rally, and we've had a great time getting to know owners of the other brands. This year we had a dozen Escapes, a couple Lil Snoozys, numerous Scamps, some Bigfoots, a couple of Olivers, and some Trilliums both classic and newer. There were even some that nobody really recognized and had to ask the owner about. I even saw a Playpac, an Amerigo, and a few others that were very nice. It wasn't restricted to fiberglass only either - there were several stickies who attended side by side with their Casita friends, including a tent trailer parked right next to us.

Of course the main focus of a Casita rally is for Casita owners to get together, but nobody is picky about it. I recall when Reace and Tammy, the owners of Escape Trailer Industries, attended the Bluebonnet in 2015. Not only were they welcomed but they provided several very nice door prizes for the drawings. Quite a few folks bought an Escape after attending that year as well.

Every fiberglass RV rally we've attended is more about fellowship and activities, good food and good friends - not brand loyalty.

[clairemr1]

the larger fiberglass rallies often have long wait lists & their programming is heavily focused on these types of trailers. it's not that others aren't welcome, it's simply a matter of taking up a space/s that then deprives someone who actually has a fiberglass trailer from attending the rally. that's the purpose of specifying a "fiberglass rally", "airstream rally", "teardrop rally", "rpod rally" etc. i would contact the rally host to see what the "rule" is for that rally before i'd "crash" it.
i make other plans to camp with my friends who own other brands of rvs. i don't need to drag them to a "fiberglass rally" to socialize with them

[Chooch]

Love the Idea though.

[Kai in Seattle]

The SAFE (Seattle Area Fall Event) is open to anyone; one of our main interests is seeing the older trailers and what people have done with them. Whether vintage or completely changed inside and out, we love seeing them all. We also love seeing new trailers, too. the Open House and a chance to visit with the people and such a trailer variety is our favorite part.


Some groups prefer to be exclusive. If you don't fit, you don't fit. You can usually attend anyway and eavesdrop or windowshop. As someone said, though, at a bigger rally maybe you're taking someone else's "legitimate" place...but hey, the campgrounds fill up with who they fill up with. Get your seats early...reserve fast or lose out. We all ought to know that.

If you're in WA, come on over to the SAFE September 19 & 20 at Dash Point State Park. Last year they had four overflow slots empty...and some closer in ones empty, too.

Weenie roast Friday at 6 pm at host site and Saturday Open House from 10 AM to about noonish, dog event to follow, then potluck dinner and fire depending on rain situation. If it rains, all bets are off. Open House though. The Dash Point restrooms MAY have slightly better handicapped accessibility features this year...don't know yet. I offered them $500 if they'd install a grab bar and a soap tray...we'll see.


Oregon State Parks don't charge you for a shower, and other than a start button (limited running time) they don't limit how long you wash or how many times you push that button. I say, good for them! Cleaner campers, yaay!


BEST
Kai

(Kathleen & Paul, Cinder and the aging Nimble pug girls)

[Carolyn N.]

Thank you for all the info... I just might come to the SAFE this September!