Is there any interest in starting Local Chapters of a Camp-outs , rally's, and meet and greets among us?
In a former life and with a former trailer we hosted an annual rally in Florida in the Winter months. We did it for years and averaged about 30 trailers at the Rallies.
I would never join a chapter that was willing to have me as a member.
I'd get kicked out. Some of us were just born to be loners in a tin can behind a truck traveling around lost in the woods and waters. ;)
DoctorJJ - You may find enough interest out there to get something like that going, but it might be easier to just have someone volunteer to organize a meet-up in their region, as has been done previously in Oregon and Maine. If someone wanted to organize one in the Midwest or S.E. or S.W., they could certainly raise their hand and begin to plan it. Just my two cents worth!
Thank you all for the input!
Pinstriper, I have you down for a Charter Member.
The group I belonged to was not formal, just a bunch of owners who would meet and show off their mods/hacks and enjoy each other for about 3 days. The whole thing revolved around a forum just like we have here. Putting faces to the posts we already do here and having fun Camping! We wished we could have been in Maine this year, but previous commitments messed that up! Look out 2018 Camping we shall go!
Thanks all!
Yes, I'm sure that there will be additional meet-up's in the years ahead. I am going to try and get one organized down in AZ sometime next year (maybe in the fall of 2018). I hope that we can meet up sometime in the future at one of them!
Having organized the most recent two meetups in New England- Acadia and MWP and participated in the first one in Fundy NP organized by Paul, let me offer some thoughts:
These meetups work more on a social level than on a technical level- sharing mods, etc. At our very first meetup in Fundy, something really clicked. Maybe it was that the environmentally friendly, simple rugged construction of the LL just attracts owners that I like to hang out with. The same was true at the MWP meetup where more owners participated. We just got along very well.
Currently, Paul (the original organizer of the Fundy meetup), Ross (another Canadian) and I are talking about venues for next year's New England meetup. When we figure out a likely place, one of us will take the lead and post a potential meetup notice, to gauge support and start the ball rolling.
That is what I would do if I were trying to organize a meetup in the SW, SE, NE or wherever. Find one or more LL owners that live near where you are planning to meet, discuss locations offline and post a notice to get the ball rolling. It doesn't have to be any more complicated than that and an organization, chapter, news letter, etc dedicated to organizing meetups probably won't help any more than just jumping in and doing it yourself.
That's my take.
David
Quote from: gbpack on August 21, 2017, 12:13:28 PM
Yes, I'm sure that there will be additional meet-up's in the years ahead. I am going to try and get one organized down in AZ sometime next year (maybe in the fall of 2018). I hope that we can meet up sometime in the future at one of them!
Hi gbpack. I'm not much of a joiner, and my wife and I only ever do remote boondocking. But being an Arizonan who frequently camps in northern AZ, southern UT and CO, a southwest meet up would interest me. I have enjoyed the spirit of this forum and would love to meet some CL alumni (Aluminumi?, Aluminati?). Keep me posted if things move in that direction.
Thanks,
Steve
Will do!👍
Leslie, Pinstriper, and Ammobob were the instigators and doers behind the 2016 meeting in Oregon that grew organically, much as David describes for the NE meet ups the last 3 years.
If I find someone else (or several someones) interested in helping organize a midwest meetup in 2018, I'm in. My wife and I just had a wonderful experience at Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan that could be an example of a potentially great meetup place:
Easy access with multiple E-W and N-S Interstates (7 in all) in the area
Nice level campsites (with electricity) in the dunes along Lake Michigan in a large public campground (couple hundred total sites)
A great beach on Lake Michigan with a beautiful trail through the dunes from the campground
Lots of on-site park amenities, including a nature center, hiking trails, bike paths, and did I mention the great beach
An easy-to-use commuter train within walking distance of the park for day trips into Chicago
Adjacent to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore with all the federal park amenities
And, its only an hour and half drive time down Interstate 80 to the Livin Lite plant in Indiana (I wonder if they still do tours?)(I wonder if someone from LL would come over?)
Downsides: Trailers will have sand in them, no water hookups at individual sites (water for RVs is available), can be buggy in the early season, no alcohol in the park, very crowded on weekends (so reservations would be needed months in advance for the busy season- late June to late August)
Anyway, just some random thoughts about next year on the kind of thing that may or may not have legs
Merlin, I was born in Chicago and camped at 16 with a boyfriend by riding the train to the dunes from Chicago. It was a different World back them when we could hitchhike and no one killed or did harm to others. Anyway I know the Dune's very well and I think you have a great idea.
If Dan Miller is hiding in plain site I hope he shares this with LL. It would be FANTASTIC if Thor realized happy owners = more happy owners long after the sticker price falls off the trailer. LL appears to maybe listening to their Customers. LL forget the "Dealer Mentality" and service what you have sold. Bye the way my dealer 10 hrs away - I love THEM!
David you nailed it NO FORMAL CLUB - Never had it at Casita and we had GREAT Rally's with owner clicking with owner all proud; and all learning from one another.
Quote from: gbpack on August 21, 2017, 12:13:28 PM
Yes, I'm sure that there will be additional meet-up's in the years ahead. I am going to try and get one organized down in AZ sometime next year (maybe in the fall of 2018). I hope that we can meet up sometime in the future at one of them!
GD I would be interested in an Arizona trip fall of 2018 so keep me in mind if you decide to go that way.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'd be interested in a meet-up in Arizona fall of 2018.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Will do Ammobob! We just got down here (to AZ) and are moving here from Ohio. Bought a house in the Superstition Mountains area about one hour east of Phoenix but won't be moving in right away because we are going to do some major renovations first. Will be living in our 21BHS from now until about the end of March when the renovations are complete. Hopefully I will find some time to organize a meet-up somewhere around here for the Fall of 2018! If anyone has any suggestions for possible places to have it, please PM me and we can toss around some ideas!
Quote from: gbpack on September 18, 2017, 03:04:23 PM
Will do Ammobob! We just got down here (to AZ) and are moving here from Ohio. Bought a house in the Superstition Mountains area about one hour east of Phoenix but won't be moving in right away because we are going to do some major renovations first. Will be living in our 21BHS from now until about the end of March when the renovations are complete. Hopefully I will find some time to organize a meet-up somewhere around here for the Fall of 2018! If anyone has any suggestions for possible places to have it, please PM me and we can toss around some ideas!
Hmmm.....we should keep this idea alive. I could be interested in a SW trip in the fall we'll after the peak of the summer heat. Jan and I would like to go to Grand Canyon, Arches, Zion, Cedar Breaks NM and lots of other places in the SW. I don't know the SW area at all, but I'll bet there are some interesting places for a meetup and quite a few LL owners are within a 2-day drive of the 4-corners area. When you and Joan get settled in, maybe start a dedicated thread on a SW meetup? Of course anyone else can to! (Like Ammobob ;) )
If you can find a place in the SW without rattlesnakes, we would consider it.
Thisssss issssss not possssssible.
My wife and I would probably come to a gathering somewhere around the southeast.
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Merlin - Yes, good idea. I was planning on starting a separate thread dedicated to a SW meet-up to be held sometime in the fall of 2018. I will do that sometime in the next week or so. Glad to hear that you might be able to join in! Would love to have Pinstriper come down as well, although we won't be able to guarantee no snakes!
Quote from: Pinstriper on September 20, 2017, 12:14:02 AM
If you can find a place in the SW without rattlesnakes, we would consider it.
I missed this earlier. Rattle snake is good eating. Spent many a day in Opp Alabama at the rattle snake rodeo and found them rattlers quit tasty.
Quote from: gbpack on September 18, 2017, 03:04:23 PM
Will do Ammobob! We just got down here (to AZ) and are moving here from Ohio. Bought a house in the Superstition Mountains area about one hour east of Phoenix but won't be moving in right away because we are going to do some major renovations first. Will be living in our 21BHS from now until about the end of March when the renovations are complete. Hopefully I will find some time to organize a meet-up somewhere around here for the Fall of 2018! If anyone has any suggestions for possible places to have it, please PM me and we can toss around some ideas!
Looks like the 1st week of October will be the best for us. We have a 13 year old who will be in school then and will be on fall break 1-5 October.
Quote from: Ammobob on January 01, 2018, 11:10:56 AM
Quote from: Pinstriper on September 20, 2017, 12:14:02 AM
If you can find a place in the SW without rattlesnakes, we would consider it.
I missed this earlier. Rattle snake is good eating. Spent many a day in Opp Alabama at the rattle snake rodeo and found them rattlers quit tasty.
Dude, I spend a LOT of time in the woods, and the only way I'd ever end up eating rattlesnake is if it came already boned, breaded, deep fried and frozen from Trader Joe's.
Snake shot for the rattlers. Would love to visit the SW but I am not retired yet.
Happy New Year! To those of you who are possibly interested in arranging a meet-up (campout) in AZ sometime in the future, I was hoping to be able to coordinate such an event for later this year (like in October). However, due to the remodeling of our home down here in AZ and the construction delays we've been encountering, I am not in a position to organize/coordinate any such event this year. If anyone else would like to try and organize something for later this year, that would be fine. Otherwise, I would be happy to organize something for the fall of 2019. Just throwing that out there. Gregg
Thanks for the update! I hope the house gets done without too much extra hassle. :o
I'm happy to consider a 2019 trip to the SW and it makes a lot of sense to wait until you can more easily fit it in as an organizer. You'll know a bunch more about the region with another year there anyway!
If you do a meetup in Arizona next year (2019) consider Sedona, Az. There are a couple of USFS campgrounds north of town alongside Oak Creek. We camped there many years ago. It was an easy drive into Sedona. There is also a large state park in Cottonwood, about 15 miles west of Sedona which has full hookups.
Sedona is magical when the late afternoon sun reflects off of the red rocks that surround the town. It is also a cutesy town to visit with shops, galleries, nice restaurants and bars.
David
Sedona is absolutely beautiful, but my camper exceeds Southwest Airlines' luggage limits. Maybe after I retire I'll be able to camp out there.
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
I would be more on board for 2019 too. Unfortunately the 2017 move from our old house to our new one wiped out my knees so Feb 8 my left knee will be replaced and April my right. With 6 months of PT 2018 may be a lost cause for us. I retire in May so would be able to help with organizing a SW meet-up if that’s the way we want to roll.
I hope the new knees settle in quickly. I'll bet you can sneak away from PT late summer and get in a bit of camping. Sounds like 2019 will be a lot better year for you in general (including for a meet up), but retirement is a wonderful milestone. Keep us posted on how things go!
Quote from: Ammobob on January 24, 2018, 09:05:57 AM
I would be more on board for 2019 too. Unfortunately the 2017 move from our old house to our new one wiped out my knees so Feb 8 my left knee will be replaced and April my right. With 6 months of PT 2018 may be a lost cause for us. I retire in May so would be able to help with organizing a SW meet-up if that's the way we want to roll.
AmmoBob,
Have faith. You can survive double knee replacement and retirement. I've done both. Your knee success will be a direct function of how hard you push yourself in PT. The sooner you regain full range of motion the more successful the procedures will be. But be aware you will have some pain for two years and may never regain full nerve feeling in the knees. Regardless, it's better than a full time wheelchair. On the other hand you don't have to push yourself in retirement. You've earned it so relax and enjoy it. I find I'm so busy with camping, hobbies, house tasks, and grandkids I don't see how I ever had time to go to work :) . Keep us informed on your progress.
Many years ago I played in a USTA tennis league. The best doubles player on the team was a guy in his 70's who had two artificial knees. He wasn't mobile enough for singles, but he got around on the court pretty good. He always needed a partner who could run back to cover any deep lobs if we were playing up at the net. So you'll probably lose the ability to run.
He told me one knee was better than the other, a lesson learned about his diligence in rehab. The less successful knee was the one where he didn't follow the rehab as much as the first.
OK. Let's plan on doing a meet-up/campout somewhere here in AZ in October of 2019. I can coordinate with Ammobob and we will create a separate thread in this section for it later this year. In the meantime, pencil that in on your calendars (those who are interested) and let us know if you have any suggestions on which area of Arizona you would like to hold it. David's suggestion of Sedona is a great one and let's get a few more ideas as well!
Quote from: gbpack on January 26, 2018, 05:20:54 PM
OK. Let's plan on doing a meet-up/campout somewhere here in AZ in October of 2019. I can coordinate with Ammobob and we will create a separate thread in this section for it later this year. In the meantime, pencil that in on your calendars (those who are interested) and let us know if you have any suggestions on which area of Arizona you would like to hold it. David's suggestion of Sedona is a great one and let's get a few more ideas as well!
Sedona sounds great! I will we could come, but that's too far for us.
Anyone want to do an event in the southeast?
Steve
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Southeast sounds good! We live in the Greenville, SC area.
Quote from: SCBillandJane on January 28, 2018, 06:24:55 PM
Southeast sounds good! We live in the Greenville, SC area.
Hey, welcome back!
Quote from: SCBillandJane on January 28, 2018, 06:24:55 PM
Southeast sounds good! We live in the Greenville, SC area.
Two campers is a good start. Perhaps a nice barrier island on the GA or SC coast. The campground at Stone Mountain or somewhere in the north Georgia mountains could be nice too.
We've got a rebuilt 8.1 that needs its first trip.
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
I might be interested in a S.E. meetup. I'm out of southern Maryland with a 10.0 and am currently planning for some trips down that way this summer.
Quote from: Entropy3XD on January 30, 2018, 12:46:08 PM
I might be interested in a S.E. meetup. I'm out of southern Maryland with a 10.0 and am currently planning for some trips down that way this summer.
Let us know where you are planning to go. Perhaps we can find a location that will work for several owners.
We are in the Birmingham area, but just about anywhere in the southeast would be worth discussing. We took our 6.0 to Key West last June and got our 8.1 near Charleston last July.
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Well things are moving along fine with the left knee. PT is working just not there yet but am fully mobile. Doc will not do the right knee now. Wants to wait until September and wants to hit it with cortisone this Wednesday. OK with me as it will let us get out this summer camping in Utah. Thanks for the kind words of support Charlie. Looking forward to some time away once I retire May 31st.
Some Utah camping this summer should help a lot, both mentally and physically! I hope things work out to get out!