Caravanning

[GeocamperAS]

I have seen a few threads on why to and why not to join the WBCCI.Please don't let this thread get out of hand with another debate.
Just answer me this: can a non-member participate in a caravan or two, or will you be required to join?

[dwightdi]

In order to participate in a WBCCI Region or National caravan, you will be required to join. You can join as a regular member of one of the internet based units, or you can sign up as a MAL, if you want to spend the extra $19. If you join either way and participate in just one caravan that year, you will have saved well over the price of membership vs taking one of the Good Sam Caravans for a much higher price. At a minimum, it is only $66 for a year to take advantage of all the club's offerings. Now days, that is only one or two days camping fees at commercial parks. Most of us burn more gas than that in a day.

[overlander64]

Greetings tiger!

Originally Posted by tiger

I have seen a few threads on why to and why not to join the WBCCI.Please don't let this thread get out of hand with another debate.
Just answer me this: can a non-member participate in a caravan or two, or will you be required to join?

I see by your profile that you are located in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Unit of the WBCCI is one of the most welcoming and all-inclusive units around -- and they have a very active Vintage contingent and I am sure that another Argosy owner would be welcomed. I have been a Wisconsin Unit member since 1995 and still maintain my membership there even though I now live several hundred miles South of the state line.

While you must be a member to participate in a WBCCI numbered caravan, you can get to know the Wisconsin Unit during their buddy rally. Also, unless things have changed, you can unofficially attend one rally as a non-member (even if it isn't a buddy rally) in order to become acquainted with your local or chosen Unit. I enjoyed the rallys and caravans so much that I upgraded to a WBCCI Lifetime membership several years ago.

I have enjoyed everyone of the Caravans and Rallys attended. I find the Caravans to be an economical means of seeing sights that you might not experience otherwise as the volunteer leader is usually somewhat local to the route or has great experience traveling that area/region.

Good luck with your deliberations!

Kevin

[clicknathan]

What goes on at rallies and caravans like this? For the membership, are camping fees included or is that separate?

[TBRich]

Clicknathan...what goes on at a rally or caravan depends on the rally or caravan and who is organizing it...they are all different. The membership covers WBCCI and a unit unless you want to be a "member at large" — MAL — and not be associated with a unit...(which costs more, usually). Each caravan has a fee that pretty much includes daily camping fees and some activities along the caravan route...some unit rallies have a small fee and members usually pay for their own camping fees. Regional or international rallies have a fee that may or may not include the camping fees.

If you have other questions I'll do my best to answer them for you...give me a PM...

[dwightdi]

To find out particulars on what is offered by WBCCI locals in your area of travel, go to the WBCCI.ORG site and look up the local contacts under the Regions tab. The unit membership chairman or president are listed. You may contact them via email or phone to see how the local rallies and caravans are held and what is going on in the near future. There also is a listing of the national caravans and the individual leaders that you can contract.

[InsideOut]

A WBCCI Caravan costs $XXX for members and $XXX +$75 for non-members.

Shari
Pssst...that extra $75 pays for your membership.

[overlander64]

Greetings clicknathan!

Originally Posted by clicknathan

What goes on at rallies and caravans like this? For the membership, are camping fees included or is that separate?

A typical WBCCI Caravan includes much, if not all of the following in the Kitty Fee:

• Camping fee for each night's stay.
• Admissions to any attractions for which visits have been scheduled.
• A Kick-Off Banquet as well as a Wrap-up Banquet (formality/complexity of these banquets vary from picnics to catered dinners).
• A catered picnic lunch or dinner . . . sometimes two or more.
• Often a potluck where the Kitty Fee pays for the main course.

A typical WBCCI Caravan includes a variety of activities such as:

• Tours of local manufacturer's. During the years, I have had the opportunity to tour a paper manufacturing plant, a plant manufacturing fine cutlery, the Airstream factory, a lead mine, an island with many beautiful Victorian Homes (Put-N-Bay Island, OH), etc.
• Tours of museums, state and national monuments, and little/lesser known local attractions. The methods varied, but for some tours the participants "Suburban-Pooled" on historic tours where a local guide would narrate the tour via CB Radio . . . I have thoroughly enjoyed these opportunities.
• Route selection that will take you through some of the most spectacular scenery available, yet be along roads that RV friendly. Since these routes have been scoped-out by the leader in advance, you will receive warnings if fuel availability is limited - - often particular fuel stops will be recommended where it is known that the station is RV friendly.
• Sometimes, a caravann will include a "group" stop for lunch. In some cases, this is a picnic lunch where each coach prepares their own lunches with a group picnic - - other times it might be a catered picnic or a lunch in specially selected restaurant.

Each caravan is unique, and each leader has his/her particular flair in arranging the itinerary. There is typically a balance of activities such that all participants should find something to enjoy.

WBCCI Rallys can vary in length from three to four days to as much as two weeks. The typical WBCCI Rally Fee includes:

• Camping fees for the duration of the Rally. This can vary as some rallys ask the participant to make and secure his own reservations with the campground; but in most cases, the Rally Host makes and pays for the reservations through the Rally Fee.
• Some Rallys will include a kick-off picknic as well as a wrap-up picnic. Sometimes these are catered activities covered in the Rally Fee, but other times these are just pllaned activities where participants bring their meals so that everyone can eat together as a group.
• Almost every Rally will include a daily social hour where all of the participants meet at a designated hour with a "snack product" to share while socializing . . . these are often called 4 o'clocks.
• Many Rallys also feature a morning coffee gathering where members gather at the Host's rig for coffee and social time.
• Some rallys are completely centered at the campground while others will feature tours of the area. Sometimes these tours will be "Suburban-Pools" with a leader narrating points of interest via CB Radio . . . these are often very interesting looks into regional history.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every caravan and rally that I have chosen to join. There is always something interesting to do . . . even if it is nothing more than relaxing in the campground and communing with nature.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

[Bill M.]

Yes, you have to be a member to go on the national caravans. Pretty sure the clubs insurance requires that in addition to it being a club rule.

The caravans are by a kitty fee, meaning that the leader takes a fee up front, pays the expenses that it covers out of it, and at the end of the caravan re-distributes any money left over from the caravan. I think there is a very small payment to WBCCI for insurance for each caravan.

Leaders negotiate the best rates for services they can get. Typically the leaders fuel and camping expenses are paid for out of the kitty and discount spaces they can negtoiate. Someone from the caravan is generally appointed to check over the books that the leader keeps. We have been on 6 so far. Everyone was good. We got a money back from the initial deposit on each one. Looking foward to going up the Blue Ridge Parkway in June.

Members of the caravan also get some duties, like helping with a cookout, parking, etc. along the way The caravan is somewhat a shared effort. The leaders do not get paid, so you try to help them all you can.

Rallies are different and are run by the local unit or region that is putting it on. Our unit generally has the members pay the campsite directly and may charge for other expenses for the rally. And some rallies there is enough in the treasury to just cover it. Again you do have to be a member to attend, unless it is a buddy rally.

[clicknathan]

Originally Posted by TBRich

Clicknathan...what goes on at a rally or caravan depends on the rally or caravan and who is organizing it...they are all different. The membership covers WBCCI and a unit unless you want to be a "member at large" — MAL — and not be associated with a unit...(which costs more, usually). Each caravan has a fee that pretty much includes daily camping fees and some activities along the caravan route...some unit rallies have a small fee and members usually pay for their own camping fees. Regional or international rallies have a fee that may or may not include the camping fees.

If you have other questions I'll do my best to answer them for you...give me a PM...

Well thank you TB! We've been traveling a long time but have never taken advantage of anything like that, never even caravanned with friends. We're looking into it more now, if you know of any good family oriented ones (that still have a little adult style fun in the evenings of course), I'd love to hear about them.