With the Villages RV Club’s first rallies of the year approaching, club leaders conducted educational sessions for beginners interested in learning more about running and maintaining RVs, as well as seasoned members interested in knowing how to lead rallies. On April 12, the group traveled to Rock Crusher Canyon Resort in Crystal River for the first outing.
Newcomers have the advantage of learning from others who have firsthand experience with RVing — and have also done things the hard way.
“It’s great for someone to grab ideas from people like us who have made many mistakes to avoid repeating the same mistakes,” said Ron Frinkley, one of the organizers at the newcomers session.
During the pandemic, recreational vehicles became more popular as a socially distant travel alternative.
According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, amid two months of factory closures at the start of the pandemic, RV dealers saw a surge in popularity last year. In 2021, the industry trade group predicts tremendous growth with more than 507,000 units shipped.
Despite this surge in RV interest, the RV Club remained inactive for the majority of 2020.
Members went on their own RV trips, but club leaders were unable to arrange community trips based on rallies. At least eight of its activities, including a holiday rally at the Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campground, were cancelled in 2020.
During the presentation, the Village of St. Charles resident urged members to double-check that both their RV and the vehicle they’re towing behind it have functioning brake lights and turn signals.
Frinkley and co-presenter Fred Holland spoke about how to prepare your home and motorhome for a journey, what to know while driving an RV, like where to stop for gas, and how to use water, sewer, and electric hookups.
Part of the fun of RVing, according to Holland of the Village of St. James, is sharing ideas and places to visit with several other RVers. For the community of around 17 beginners who attended the newcomers session, such advice was vital.
Last year, David and Madelyn Windmiller took their first RV trips to Tampa and Key West. The couple from the Village of Bridgeport at Miona Shores came to learn more about what they could do before, during and after their trips.
“On our previous visits, we didn’t travel too far because we didn’t know about what we were doing,” David said.
According to Madelyn, when they lived in Europe, they camped frequently but slept in tents on the field. RVs have more convenience when camping, which they appreciate more now that they’re older. Travelers like RVing because it allows them to have all of the conveniences of home while on the road.
Holland explained, “They want to sleep in their own bed and eat their own food.”
This ease extends to taking pets with you. Miss Cookie, a lhasa apso mix, accompanied the Windmillers on their ride to Tampa.
The Windmillers find travelling in a recreational vehicle rewarding because it allows them to explore the great outdoors while still hanging out with other campers.
“It’s really relaxing,” David expressed his pleasure. “It also gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of where you can stay and how long you can stay,” says the author.
– Attributed Source, The Villages Daily Sun