As the popularity of RVing has grown, so have the number of RV travel clubs and organizations that bring friends and families together for the RVing experience. And part of the uniqueness of many of these clubs is the fact that they cater to specific groups of people.
Look over this list of the various RV travel clubs and it is immediately apparent that many of these groups are formed around one specific commonality: vehicle type. In fact there are a couple dozen based around a specific RV model or as in the case of the Tin Can Tourists, which is made up of vintage RVs, around something to do with the RV itself.
However, there are also RV clubs which define themselves by the people involved. These RV travel organizations were created to provide like-minded individuals a chance to get together and enjoy RV camping.
Six Equal Opportunity Specialty RV Travel Clubs
One of the most important parts of joining a group is finding commonalities. Yes, RVers already have something in common: they enjoying traveling and camping in their RVs. However, nowadays owning an RV isn’t the only reason for RVers to get together. RV travel groups have formed even smaller niche groups.
One RV travel club focuses specifically on the over-50 crowd. Baby Boomer RV Club is a relatively new RV camping group formed in June 2006 and intended primarily for baby boomers and empty nesters located in and around the Texas hill country. Unike the big RV travel clubs such as the Good Sam Club or Family Motor Coach Association which offer a variety of benefits, this group tends to center around online chat with the intent of exchanging stories, ideas, suggestions and articles geared specifically toward baby boomers and RVing.
For gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender (GLBT) individuals there are actually two RV travel clubs: Rainbow RV Club and Traveling Our Way. The first one, Rainbow RV Club, calls itself the largest North American Gay and Lesbian RV Club. Their attractive website offers a whole host of information from U.S. campsite reviews and a calendar of events to photos, chat and articles. On the other hand, Traveling Our Way (TOW) is more like a social networking site that connects GLBT RVers with one another. Rallies are individually organized and advertised in a quarterly newsletter and announced through their Yahoo! Groups website.
Like a page from an equal opportunity handbook, there are also RV travel clubs designed with the handicapped, African-Americans and women in mind. The Handicapped Travel Club has been around since 1973 and is open to both disabled and non-disabled individuals. There is an initial fee, annual dues and an annual rally (this year in Oregon), in addition to a website filled with information about accessible campsites, RVs for sale, links to helpful information and more.
The National African-American RVers Association (NAARVA) was first conceived in the summer of 1993 and has since grown to over 1400 members in more than 50 local clubs. There are annual national rallies with “an ethnic flavor” plus educational tours, seminars and a newsletter.
RVing Women is a support organization that focuses on providing women who enjoy RV travel and an active lifestyle with an opportunity to share information and friendship with other RVing women. With nearly 2500 members, this group offers a website filled with information about chapter and national rallies, an annual convention, seminars, classes, a magazine and more.
Two More Specialty RV Travel Clubs
The Christian-based Campers on a Mission (COM) is a national fellowship of Christian campers who share their faith by accepting short-term volunteer opportunities to combine the outdoors and the ministry while they camp. Operated by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) which has been around since 1997, the group provided disaster relief volunteers to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Their website offers photos and stories as well as information about their 2010 rally.
Last, but not least, Loners on Wheels (LOW) is exactly what it sounds like: single RVers. With 50 regional chapters in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, this 40-year-old club even has a designated RV park in New Mexico as headquarters. Their website offers events and rallies, campground information, photos and information links.
The fact is that RVers connect for a lot of different reasons, not the least of which is their love for RV travel and camping. Add to this an additional commonality and life on the road can offer a good time for all.
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Deborah S. Hildebrand - Deborah S. Hildebrand is a freelance writer & HR consultant with 20+ years in human resources & a Bachelor's degree in Business.
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