Building your RV Community
Whether you are a full-timer or a weekend warrior, you may be wondering how to build your RV community of friends who RV. This is your go-to group of friends you can rely on for great first-hand tips, travel suggestions or companionship on your next adventure.
For those in the know, the recreational vehicle lifestyle can be an exciting (but comfortable) gypsy way of life. Some people gravitate to it for life while others only explore it for a month or two. No matter what, the joys and challenges of RV living vary from technical details to the more subtle issues surrounding the social aspects of a life on the road. Building an RV community can change the loneliness of the open road into a peaceful sense of belonging among a country-wide RV network of people with similar tastes. How does a person build a sense of community among people who can just pack up and leave in the morning? The answer is variety.
Attractions of RV Living
Even people who have never stepped inside an RV have felt the call of wanderlust that strikes when a road winds off into the distance. The opportunity to see incredible sites combined with never being far from “home” has an immense appeal. Meeting new people, visiting historical, natural, and entertainment sites, and escaping the feeling of being tied down all contribute to people hitting the road in their RV. It’s comfortable, versatile, and provides a sense of home-away-from-home for those just trying their RV out for the first time.
Issues to Consider
Sometimes there are issues to consider beyond just tire problems and camping fees. A sense of loneliness can set in. Never seeing familiar faces weeks or months on end can bring on its own kind of ennui. Humans are social animals, some of whom happen to travel in RVs. So how do you build the community network you can thrive on if you never stay in one place for very long?
Tips To Make It Work
Various solutions can work when building an RV network while on the road. The first is to use the internet. Social media has provided Facebook pages for RV lovers. Some people in the RV community maintain their own video blog (or vlog) and love to stay in touch with other RVers. Personal media pages for family allow people to stay up to speed with relatives. Email, texting, and a plethora of chatting tools can help people connect, plan activities, and choose their next destination.
The second tip is to make sure you extend the hand of welcome right in your campground. Say ‘hi’, be friendly, join planned activities and organize a few yourself. Don’t be the camper with the dog that barks all night. Don’t break the rules. Be considerate of others and others will consider you a good neighbor.
Create Some Routine
Plan to have some routine so that you can predict certain activities to look forward to. For instance, visit your favorite attractions in Florida at the same time each year, and maintain a rental presence in your favorite campground so that you build a dependable RV community of neighbors. You can arrange for mail forwarding services to your Florida site as well and become a resident of the state that way. If you prefer to have a friend handle your mail, you still have connections.
Join A Club
Full-time RVers and part-timers both enjoy membership in RV clubs. These clubs often have specialties based on specific interests such as the model of RV, the location for camping (by state or just within a certain campground), family camping, singles camping, empty-nesters, pet lovers, and more. They provide a significant RV network that offers planned activities, experience with common problems, and a sense of being comfortable among friends.
The RV lifestyle has its unique challenges, but it may help to realize that they are no more than the ones that are associated with owning a house. In fact, they may be far fewer because property taxes, mowing, and not being able to travel can all be left behind. It’s a flexible interest that can last just for the summer or become an entire retirement plan. Each RVer finds their personal balance between comfortable predictability and the chance for something new each day.
