Joining a camping group.

[Paul1944]

DW and I spend 2 months each winter in S Texas and love meeting up with our snowbird friends every year. But the rest of the year we do not have anybody to camp with. We enjoy our camping trips but think that we would enjoy them even more if we had some folks to "hang with". We are located in E Missouri and are looking for a FUN GROUP to join. Any suggestions?

[clikrf8]

DH and I are looking for people with pop ups who like to boon dock or go to USFS/BLM campgrounds to explore off the cement. We are interested in what others use for gear and their favorite places. Our interests are photography, rock hounding, observing wild life, learning about history/culture. Anyone interested? Our planned trips in 2014: Death Valley area late February/early March, Northern Arizona/Southeast Utah in May, and Yellowstone/Western Wyoming/Idaho in September, maybe a Rainier wildflowers in August and maybe a return to Zion in late October for fall color. I am working on blog and images from our recently completed 6 week tour of 8 western states which should keep me busy until February.

[mudmaker]

What kind of camper do you own? Any local interests that others may share locally?

[whencanwego]

We have a Bounder motor home and belong to a couple of camping groups made up of folks who also own Bounders. We camp at least every other month with one group or the other. You might check for a group who own the same brand of camper that you do. That gives you something in common.

[Lowsuv]

there is no substitute to camping with friends .
ours started with one guy loving to boondock camp and organizing a boondock campout .
from 3 originals we draw from about a dozen couples now to notify where and when we are camping .
we have had maybe 10 maximum at one time but often there are a half dozen .
The advantage of group camping and boondocking is that we don't run out of adjacent campsites .
we have never gotten stuck or had a dead battery but it is a comfort to know that help is nearby .
One year I reserved 6 campsites at bullard's beach state park in January for July camping .
I had no trouble filling the 6 and we had 1 that came and camped nearby .
Plus we all pick up little camping tips from our friends .
we change the locations to get variety because each of us has a favorite spot .

[Dtaylor]

Start your own. Find people at church or other places that camp

[#7]

Paul1944
Thank you for time and post! If you will send me an e-mail with your contact information I will have the state director from Missouri get in touch with you. You can contact me by using the e-mail below.

Stacey Rabung
srabung@goodsamfamily.com

[big_bird_2]

Chances are the model RV you have has a club with local chapters. Go on line and input (Your brand) dot com.

[tenbear]

beemerphile1 wrote:
Go to the Good Sam website, go to community, and to local chapters. Your state Good Sam director can hook you up.

We belong to the local Good Sam chapter and enjoy it. During the summer we have campouts every month and in the winter we have a meeting at a local restaurant each month. It's a good bunch of people and we are glad we found them.

[tatest]

Check with local RV dealers. Groups looking for new members will often use dealer bulletin boards. There are actually quite a few groups out there, not all affiliated with Good Sam, FMCA, or brands like WIT.

I've also met new groups by watching who else comes into the campgrounds and RV parks our group has stayed at. Many groups put up banners, and you will find them using club rooms and rental shelters.

Most groups are open to new members, because this is needed to keep them going. Attrition tends to be high among groups mostly composed of retirees. E.G. we've lost five members in the past three years (from a 12 used to be 20 family club) and others have reached a point where they can no longer handle RVing so that we have to find places to go where they can get cabins or nearby hotel rooms. If you've recently retired and are physically active, you would be the new members some club out there is seeking.

[Cottontop]

Like beemerphile1 said

[beemerphile1]

Go to the Good Sam website, go to community, and to local chapters. Your state Good Sam director can hook you up.

[Brucelas]

If you like to cook, search for a Dutch Oven Group,"DOG" here in Las Vegas, the local dutch oven society meets once a month and camp and have a pot luck dutch oven meal.

[sowego]

Most clubs like Good Sam, FMCA, Escapees and others have "local chapters" that meet a few times per year all over the country but not camp together all the time. Most folks simply have different plans to visit areas at different time, time to spend with family and some do caravan into a large rally.

If you want a set group of folks to camp with you all of the time. You can try joining one of the major RVing clubs' chapters in your region and start asking if anyone will be available for what you want to do.

The main deal for many RVers is they are "free spirits", do what they want, where, when and usually on their own without trailing along with someone else. Some do attend annual rallies or go on long distance caravan tours. I think most full-timers have lived on a set schedule, had a large family, worked long hours, etc. that once they head out they want privacy, quiet and sometimes total solitude.

Good luck!

[Dick_B]

We belonged to a camping group of owners of SunnyBrook RV's. This makes it nice if there are problems with the rig; someone in the group has the answer.