I agree, having a rough idea of what's going on is a GREAT idea. I just went to the Medicine Bow Antelope Rally in WY which was a wonderful experience seated in tradition. What I didn't know prior to arrival was that EVERY breakfat & dinner was included in the $80/$95 for 5 days Rally fee. I came with a full fridge...no biggie, it just was a added expense & planning effort that I could have done withiout.
We try to list our upcoming rally schedules in the newsletter prior to the rally. Doesn't mean it can't change...but at least it gives folks an idea of what's going on.
Shari
__________________
Vintage Airstream Club - Past President 2007/2008
WBCCI #1824 - DenCO Unit Past President (2005)
AIR #30 - Join Date: 2-25-2002
Our Unit president is organizing next year and has included the "Spring into Camping" rally. I believe this is a rally to prep the trailers and rv's for the season.
Just a clarification on the "spring into camping" event. There was talk already that this rally would include the following activities (details are still being worked on):
1) Prepping your RV for the season
2) Maintenance and repair
3) Hook-up and towing for women
Stay tuned as we get closer to the rally as more details will be published then.
Just a clarification on the "spring into camping" event. There was talk already that this rally would include the following activities (details are still being worked on):
1) Prepping your RV for the season
2) Maintenance and repair
3) Hook-up and towing for women
Stay tuned as we get closer to the rally as more details will be published then.
Sounds like our Denver Unit's May Maintenance Rally! It's always one of our best attended rallies of the year ~
We also include a:
Polishing Demo - to appeal to the vintage enthusiasts
Wheel Bearing Packing Demo
tongue weighing opportunity
and time to share whatever 'projects' folks have been working on
Also, help out the newbies that get their trailers over the off-season.
Good luck!
Shari
__________________
Vintage Airstream Club - Past President 2007/2008
WBCCI #1824 - DenCO Unit Past President (2005)
AIR #30 - Join Date: 2-25-2002
is there a way to include non a/s owners in the rallies? i know that probably goes against the point of the rallies but maybe by special invitation or something, you invite would be a/s owners to these things. they could either tent camp or visit for the day. the point is to show new people how cool owning an a/s is and how cool/nice the people are. then you hope they buy an airstream, get a membership and come back for more. because of so many distractions today, you have to really reach out there to increase membership and interest and really show people what owning an a/s is all about.
on the other hand, i guess it's hard enough getting current a/s owners involved in rallies, memberships, etc, nevermind someone who doesn't own one.
WBCCI members can invite a guest to a rally twice a year at the "buddy rally", which is intended for non-member, non-airstream owner friends to attend and experience a WBCCI rally.
Our Unit has also been contacted by interested current and future AS owners who don't belong to WBCCI and have invited them to drop in for a visit and meet our members during one of our upcoming rallies. We have actually picked up two new memberships that I know of this year from people who dropped in for a visit.
We would welcome visitors who wish to learn more about AS or the club! We've had drop-ins during the day at all the forum rallys we've held. Airstreamers are a pretty friendly groups.
I'd also like to see a rally to help women new to rv'ing learn to hitch up and tow. Many of us have done this from the get go, but I am shocked at how many haven't taken this on. I've been taking off in the mh for all of the 10 years we've had them, (with and without the husband.) There are fewer older generation women towing and more in my generation. I am not sure about those younger, but haven't noticed that the women have been arriving or leaving doing the driving. Hmmm.
Pam -- I love this idea. Maybe some renegade rallies for the womenfolk too. You know, for practice among sympathetic souls.
Pam --there is sure way of attracting new members of all ages. It's doubtful however this plan will ever come into being. It's this simple, include one year's membership with the purchase of a new AS. No one has more to gain from a club that carries the name AS than the factory themselves. Harley Davidson does that very thing with their club, HOG, or "Harley Owners Group". New member come in with every new purchase. After a year some find it fun, enjoy being a member and renew, others find it not to their liking and drop out. Bottom line there is always new member being introduced to the organization and the membership continues to increase some every year. You would think if any organization would be exclusive it would be HOG but quite to the contrary. With few exceptions "outsiders", brand or otherwise are always welcome to Hog events. I've seen a lot of harleys purchased simply because of that friendly attitude and enclusivess. Airstreams are very much like Harleys in the same way. You can't be around a bounch of them very long before the "bug" gets you! You would think the Factory Folks would be interested enough to do something like this. While those members I have met have without exception been friendly and encourage membership I find the WBCC in general to be just the opposite. Unless you "become one of us you can't read our magazine unless someone gives you an out dated copy, can't get some info from "our" website unless you're one of us"etc. In the last 2 years we have purchased 2 new AS's. A 16' CCD bambi and a 25' classic.
You can do the math $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and they still want more for a membership into their dying club. Give me a BREAK!!!!! Pieman
They did offer a free membership with purchase of any airstream, new or used, as recently as a few years ago. I got in on the last year of the deal. There are several discussions on this forum of why they discontinued the program, but I think it was because they couldn't retain enough of the new trial members.
You would think the Factory Folks would be interested enough to do something like this. While those members I have met have without exception been friendly and encourage membership I find the WBCC in general to be just the opposite. Unless you "become one of us you can't read our magazine unless someone gives you an out dated copy, can't get some info from "our" website unless you're one of us"etc. In the last 2 years we have purchased 2 new AS's. A 16' CCD bambi and a 25' classic.
You can do the math $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and they still want more for a membership into their dying club. Give me a BREAK!!!!! Pieman
I'm relatively new to Airstreaming so far as it goes, but I've gotten the impression that Airstream Co. and WBCCI are more at odds than they are in cahoots. The members of the club are Airstream enthusiasts. The Airstream Co., like any company, is only interested in selling and the club and company only come together in that they are both about Airstreams. Here's a quote from Douglas Keister's book "Silver Palaces": "In this author's 2003 interview with Tim Champ, the head of marketing at Airstream, Champ stated, 'We are looking to break out of our reputation that Airstreams are just for old people. Unfortunately our most visible and vocal customers are members of the WBCCI [Wally Byam Caravan Club International]. They are perceived as a bunch of ex-military guys and frankly they don't contribute much to our bottom line. And the Vintage Airstream folks, well, they don't do anything for us either. At this point we don't need the publicity; everyone knows who we are. We need sales. We want to appeal to the hip twenty-year-olds. Once we get them started with Airstream, we think they will continue buying them."
I don't know a lot of "hip twenty-year-olds" who can afford a new Airstream. And those that are buying vintage trailers because that's the best they can afford, are not the people Airstream has any use for. WBCCI on the other hand is interested in new Airstream owners as well as vintage owners, but they might be hurting themselves by not allowing Airstream Basecamp owners into the club. That may be the foot up into Airstream ownership for many younger potential members. Based on the above quote from Airstream, I wouldn't look for Airstream Co. to be offering a one-year membership to WBCCI with the purchase of a new Airstream.
Wow, I'm really shocked by that quote. If that's accurate, that really changes how I thought AS felt about the WBCCI. Seems like that's a pretty poor attitude. Buy our products, use them, enjoy them, tout them to your friends, but you are of no use to us.
If he thinks everyone already knows who Airstream is, he should come to open house day at a rally and see how many people ask "Do they still make these?" Average joe on the street still doesn't realize there's a factory cranking out brand new Airstreams. I get that question everytime we go camping.
I think I see a marketing job opening up with the philosophy in effect that Tim Champ employs. Seems that people in those positions that do and say stupid things get shuffled out quickly. If not, we'll see Airstream suffer.
I would think that since it is a nostalgic brand, a piece of history, if you will, that their business vision would bring them closer together to form an alliance to keep a good thing going. They couldn't go wrong with the strength in numbers theory.
Considering that most people are cutting way back on their expenditures (except the luckly small percentage), and avoiding things that involve travel with their "big" vehicles, they should be brainstorming how to keep people in the RV market, and keep them in their showrooms and on their membership lists.
And the Vintage Airstream folks, well, they don't do anything for us either. At this point we don't need the publicity; everyone knows who we are. We need sales. We want to appeal to the hip twenty-year-olds. Once we get them started with Airstream, we think they will continue buying them."
yeah, it sounds like this guy is a little out of touch. he's not going to reach the twenty somethings with a 30K bambi. it's not like he's selling a cd or dvd. i guess that's the idea of the base camp, but i have to say i'm one of those rockclimbing/outdoor adventuring kind of guys and that thing doesn't appeal to me in the least. if i want to deal with a tent, i'll deal with a tent. i certainly don't want to tow a trailer and still deal with setting up half a tent when i get to camp. that thing looks like it's more work than it's worth. it reminds me of the ugly pontiac aztec that came out a few years ago with some sort of tent thing in the back, fugly. plus it doesn't have any of that airstream look/nostalgia/history/feel that everyone loves.
the guy is right about one thing. the vintage crowd doesn't put a dime in his pocket today BUT i'm 33 now and want to restore a 60's caravel. further on down the line when i'm older and more money in the pocket, who knows i could spring for a new trailer, assuming airstream learns how to reach out to its current owners both old and new. this guy doesn't have a clue.
Interesting supposition - that vintager's don't buy current Airstream products.....
Airstream brand stuff this vintage owner bought:
Rock guards
orange belt line
Vent covers
logo clothing
cup that fell apart
book that fell apart
assorted sticky stuff in tubes
So.... I can be expecting a refund of the profit from those sales? Geeze!
I know that the profit from these purchases pales in comparison to new trailer sales but still.....
__________________
77 Argosy Minuet, 6 metre
77 Argosy 24, Rear door
AIR 3181, WBCCI/VAC # 5575
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