Group trips/caravans???

[the5reeds]

My brother owns an airstream and I'm constantly hearing about the group camping trips they take with various airstream clubs. Do we (Escape or fiberglass rv) have group trips, (aside from single location rallys)? I hate the thought of downgrading to an airstream 😁, but would really like to do some organized group trips. I live north of Spokane Washington.

[splitting_lanes]

Originally Posted by the5reeds

My brother owns an airstream and I'm constantly hearing about the group camping trips they take with various airstream clubs. Do we (Escape or fiberglass rv) have group trips, (aside from single location rallys)? I hate the thought of downgrading to an airstream 😁, but would really like to do some organized group trips. I live north of Spokane Washington.

We just took part in the NOG spring rally, it was a blast! Donna D organized it, they have a fall rally that’s getting setup, I’d recommend finding out about it and booking a space ASAP. I think it’s going to be near the ocean west of Portland.

Check the Rallies sub forum for more details

[cpaharley2008]

I believe the OP was referring to traveling in a caravan of tow vehicles from point A to point B..
to me your individual driving skills are too varied to be a in a line of trailers. what happens for fuel and bath room breaks? We all drive a little different.....

[jerryc]

It can be done, but takes a lot of planning and patience by the leader. For about eleven years, 2008-2018, a friend from Salt Lake City led what was know as the Southern Utah Casita Tour. He posted that he would like to lead a tour of his favorite places in southern Utah for no charge, to fellow Casita owners. He did the planning of where to meet, where, and how long we stayed at each location, etc. The length was 10 days. Each participant was responsible for getting their own reservations if needed. It started with about 8 rigs, then gradually grew to a max of 15. We loved it so much that we participated four times. It was a wonderful way to meet people from other parts of the country. Much the same as a rally, but the fun of traveling together made for a great experience.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by jerryc

It can be done, but takes a lot of planning and patience by the leader. For about eleven years, 2008-2018, a friend from Salt Lake City led what was know as the Southern Utah Casita Tour. He posted that he would like to lead a tour of his favorite places in southern Utah for no charge, to fellow Casita owners. He did the planning of where to meet, where, and how long we stayed at each location, etc. The length was 10 days. Each participant was responsible for getting their own reservations if needed. It started with about 8 rigs, then gradually grew to a max of 15. We loved it so much that we participated four times. It was a wonderful way to meet people from other parts of the country. Much the same as a rally, but the fun of traveling together made for a great experience.

So you are traveling together, in separate vehicles?

[EscapeBoulder]

We joined a fiberglass trailer caravan to Alaska in 2010 and it was a blast. Like the southern Utah Casita tour, it was a loosely organized event, conceived by one couple and with no $ changing hands with everyone making their own reservations when necessary. We all had CB radios to communicate gas stops, etc when together. And some days we'd all go our own way, agreeing to meet up at particular place at the end of the day. There were maybe 10 to 12 trailers. It was a lot of fun!

[the5reeds]

Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder

We joined a fiberglass trailer caravan to Alaska in 2010 and it was a blast. Like the southern Utah Casita tour, it was a loosely organized event, conceived by one couple and with no $ changing hands with everyone making their own reservations when necessary. We all had CB radios to communicate gas stops, etc when together. And some days we'd all go our own way, agreeing to meet up at particular place at the end of the day. There were maybe 10 to 12 trailers. It was a lot of fun!

Thanks All. This Alaska caravan in the kind of thing I'm talking about. How did you get involved with that group?

[EscapeBoulder]

Rob & Sharon who lead the caravan (and I use the term "lead" very loosely) just posted on the forums in the fall that they were heading up the Alaska the following June and indicated anyone could join in. I don't remember the particulars, but it was decided we'd join up in USA Glacier Nat'l Park on June 2nd and head north. We'd kind of decide each evening what we'd do the next day, how far we'd travel, or have a stop day. Whatever. And we just kept heading north. We turned back in Whitehorse, and I think the caravan'ers kind of went their own ways over time. It was fun tho'.

[jerryc]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

So you are traveling together, in separate vehicles?

Yes. Everyone had their own rig.

[DanandDaphne]

There are also commercial tours (caravans) available. This is a company https://mexicocaravans.com/ does tours in Mexico. They do Airstream tours as well as non specific RV tours. They are fairly expensive but they have a good reputation.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by DanandDaphne

There are also commercial tours (caravans) available. This is a company https://mexicocaravans.com/ does tours in Mexico. They do Airstream tours as well as non specific RV tours. They are fairly expensive but they have a good reputation.

There's quite a difference between informal tours and commercial tours.

A lot depends on the personality of the folks participating. A few years ago a few other Escapes kinda followed us to Baja. It was a loose arrangement with just a general agreement on the final destination. But folks were free to head off along the way to do their own thing.

But the commercial caravans are a whole other animal. They are very lock-step. That obviously is OK with a lot of folks because they're quite popular. But eat here, leave at this time, go here etc. doesn't work for us.

The loose arrangement for us is much more enjoyable. But everyone's different.

Ron

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

The loose arrangement for us is much more enjoyable. But everyone's different.

Ron

When my buddy and I travel together, we agree where we will meet up. I don't want or need the anxiety of trying to keep other trailers in sight or making "iffy" passes to keep up.

[Centex]

My folks were very active and happy Airstreamers for decades. They hugely enjoyed the gatherings and rally's, were often involved with logistics support at those, but found after only a few excursions that the caravans were not for them.

Though the Airstream caravans were inevitably well-organized, the (understandable) expectation that one stay with the group just didn't mesh with their preferred style of traveling which included lots of spur-of-the-moment tangents to investigate sights encountered while on the road.

They did very much enjoy an Airstream club-arranged caravan to Copper Canyon on flatbed rail cars.

So IMO, caravanning is yet another way to enjoy RV-ing, a good fit for some folks but not for everyone. I suspect much depends on the competence of the leaders / planners, I've no suggestion for how to connect with the better of those.

Happy Trailering, however you do it!

[Keith3]

We like a planned trip and then will flex as needed or desired along the way. I can’t imagine us taking a trip where we didn’t know where we were going to sleep even three or four nights out.

Other people really hate to be tied down to an schedule. I was like that when I traveled as a kid, but then I didn’t mind sleeping on the side of the road in the back of my car. I also had a few 1000 mile days driving by myself.

Me at 19 would hate traveling with me today, and vice versa.

Traveling with one other trailer is typically as complex as we like to get, but I could see that changing after we both retire.

[Selkirk]

I've been following Angie and Ronda's "Adventures in NoMadness" YouTube channel as they have been travelling through Mexico as part of an 3-month organized caravan tour. As an inexperienced traveler, I find the caravan approach a great option for an initial trip of this scale and risk level.

However, I think that once I had gained some experience under my belt and better understood how to plan a trip of this nature/manage the risks myself......I would be inclined to attempt future trips as a solo traveler.

[ghosthunter]

We would love to travel along with others trailers in a loose fashion.

I think a trip to Alaska or some other final destination leep frogging along the way would be fun and be a more secure way to take on big trips.

[Eslie]

I organized several informal trips with other camper vans in 2020-2021 and loved it. The longest was 25 days in Florida last Fall and everything went well. I never thought about doing it with travel trailers but why not!

I could organize one to see your Escape trailers I am looking at buying an Escape 5 or 19 but I haven't seen a real one yet.

[MarkinVan]

We would love to join a group down thru Mexico.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by MarkinVan

We would love to join a group down thru Mexico.

Years ago there was the Copper Canyon Railway where you loaded your camper on a flat rr car and stayed in it while the train traversed some pretty countryside.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Years ago there was the Copper Canyon Railway where you loaded your camper on a flat rr car and stayed in it while the train traversed some pretty countryside.

My brother and his wife took that trip with their camper and really enjoyed themselves.