by Don Magary, editor
Photos by Erin Magary

Meanwhile in Arizona ....

In April several thousand motorhome owners and many industry companies congregated in Oklahoma for FMCA's 2001 Spring Rally. The size and scope of FMCA rallies are legendary, and these rallies have turned into one of the most significant sales opportunities of the year for dealers and manufacturers of high line motor coaches.

Meanwhile in Arizona, another rally was taking place in the "Valley of the Sun" ­ 65 RVs and 135 people.

No, it wasn't as large nor as significant as the FMCA rally if you gauge significance in terms of population and dollars, but there were some important revelations uncovered at this rally that could benefit every industry company and every industry professional. For Dan Holt, publisher of RV News, and me, it was a totally humbling and exhilarating experience.

Let me explain.

It was the international "Rally in the Valley" held at Canyon Vistas RV Resort in Gold Canyon, AZ, 30 miles from downtown Phoenix. Attendees traveled from as far away as England to attend this event. The idea for the rally was borne from seeds planted by visitors to the RV America web site's chat rooms and forums. After meeting regularly to chat and exchange ideas in the forums, people known simply as "CJ" or "Skip" struck up friendships and wanted to meet in person. So they decided to hold a mini rally to get acquainted. The first "RV America Rally," 16-RVs strong, was held in Tennessee in 1998. Since then, several rallies have been held around the country -- the most recent, the Rally in the Valley.

Now, you must understand when Dan and I formed a new company (Web Site Management, Inc.) and launched RV America On Line in 1996, it was a business venture. Our vision was to bring together a lot of RV-related resources in one place to attract visitors, and then host web sites for RV industry companies that could benefit from the traffic. That part is working well.

In the early days of the Internet, there was no concept of "community" ­ that evolved on its own, a surprising and important byproduct of the Internet. So when we included the forums and chat rooms on RV America, it was simply another resource that we thought might appeal to RVers and potential RV owners.

What has happened is these "resources" have changed lives, created life-long friendships and has had a major impact on people's RV buying decisions.

What we inadvertently, but happily, created was the "RV America community."

The Rally in the Valley was the first RV America rally that Dan and I have attended. They really didn't need us. The events developed at the grassroots level ­ organized and produced by visitors to RV America -- and from personal observation, I'm proud to say, quite professionally produced. This year's "rally coordinators" were Patrick and Nancy Gallagher who did a superb job in organizing committees and drawing on the various talents of those attending. Ray Baker, for example, a professional sign maker and 'chat room regular,' volunteered to create all of the signage for the rally.

I personally was unprepared, but delighted, for the "celebrity" status people afforded me. When I was introduced to Bob "Ebs" Eberly who came in from Texas, he looked at me a second then exclaimed with excitement, "Webmaster Don! I've always wanted to meet you."

And I was looking forward to meeting him too as well as others. To me, these were the celebrities ­ people like Dave Peters from California who is the "unofficial mayor" of the General RVers Forum, an honor earned for his willingness to share his vast technical knowledge, his sense of humor, his almost daily involvement in the forum and his peacemaking talents when controversies or fights break out in the forum -- and yes, fights do break out from time to time. But it is normally Dave Peters who leads the way to resolution. Over the past few years Dave has earned my respect and I was looking forward to meeting him.

I also wanted to meet Skip Ferguson from North Carolina. Skip may have been the first person to find our chat room when we launched it in 1996. And since then, he has been a "regular" and brings to the chat rooms many of the same leadership skills that Dave brings to the forum.

And I really wanted to meet Melva King, the feisty grandmother from Seminole, TX, who keeps the 'boys' in the forums on their toes with her quick wit and humorous perspective. She wasn't a disappointment! Besides these, I met dozens of others who help make up the RV America community -- full-timers Linda and Norm Payne, who had worked tirelessly on the rally organizing committee; Melanie Carlisle from Lithia Springs, GA, who had driven across the country solo for the first time to attend the rally; Willie and Betty Sue Nunez, who are on a quest to find the ultimate "williemobile;" and Peter and Kate Pleasance from London, England, who have become citizens of the RV America online community and came to learn more about RVing in the U.S.

Like the FMCA rally, the Rally in the Valley had seminars, product displays, a potluck dinner, impromptu parties, outings to area attractions, and professional entertainment.

To augment the cost and lower the expenses for attendees, several RV America community companies generously contributed funds through sponsorships. Sponsors included Stalkups RV Superstore in Casper, WY; RV Parts Outlet, Sunnydale, CA; World Wide RV, Robert Crist and Co., RV Traders and Kempton's Traveltown, all from Mesa, AZ; as well as RV Town Arizona, Chandler, AZ.

Robert Crist and Co., World Wide RV and RV Traders set up product displays during the rally, showing everything from travel trailers, fifth-wheels, motorhomes and park trailers.

Vocalist and chat room participant Danette Feuerbacher, who has opened for jazz great Spyro Gyra Hiroshima, Freddie Hubbard and Joe Williams, provided entertainment, Danette also recently traveled with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and performed for Meryl Streep at her Connecticut estate. 

In addition to the entertainment, bulletin board regular John Veach spoke on Communications, Blue Ox presented a seminar on Towing Safety, John Ford talked about Traveles, a new emergency assistance program for RVers, and Ron and Barb Hofmeister presented their seminar on full-time RVing.

John Anderson, founder of A'Weigh We Go and the RV Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF), had all his crews at the FMCA rally so Randy Biles, owner of Pikes Peak Traveland in Colorado Springs, CO, and RVSEF board member, volunteered to fly in and present the RV safety seminar.

One of the most popular presentations was the "Dave and Rodney Show." RVer Dave Peters, who was mentioned earlier, joined Master Certified RV Technician and rising tech superstar, Rodney Simmons, owner of Blue Moon Mobile RV in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, joined forces to present "Tech Tips." They delighted and entertained the crowd with their quick wits and educated them with their extensive technical knowledge.

The food was excellent, the programs and events spectacular and the camaraderie was unbelievable.

Canyon Vistas RV Resort sits in the foothills of the Superstition Mountains and scenic vistas greeted the RVers every morning as the sun rose over the nearby mountains. As you looked out over the units of the rally, there were all types of RVs, from Class B motorhomes and small travel trailers to Prevost conversions. But one fifth-wheel stood out among the RVs. It was Bob and Donna Eberly's home on wheels sporting a home-made blue tarp banner across the nose of the fifth-wheel shouting RVAmerica.com in huge white letters.

The Eberly's sentiment was boldly stated; however, it represented the warmth and respect these RVers feel about RV America and what it has meant to their lives. Time and time again, people came up to Dan and me to thank us for the site and tell us stories about how it has helped them. Mike Desch from Grass Valley, CA, had a story representative of these sentiments. He told me that six months before he bought his RV, he started thinking about possibly making an RV purchase. In his research, he came across the RV America web site and ultimately the General RVers Forum. For that six months he was a regular visitor to the forum, asking questions and reading answers to other people's question. Mike said, "When I went to the dealership I knew exactly what I wanted because the forum experiences gave me the confidence that I was making the right choice. I've had my RV for some time now, and am more convinced than before that I did the right thing. I just wanted to tell you how RV America helped me and thank you for having it there."

With each story and subsequent 'thanks,' I had to fight back the swells of emotion churning inside. But the best was yet to come.

A young lady came up and asked, "Are you the webmaster for RV America?"

I answered, "Yes, I am."

"Well, I wanted to ask you if you are coming?" she continued.

Not knowing what she meant, I asked, "Coming where?"

She smiled and said, "To my wedding."

When I looked puzzled she explained, "I met my fiancee on your chat room and we are getting married in a few months."

Then Brenda "Brenny" Barron said, "Thank you, I would have never found Chris (Griffin) had it not been for your web site."

I assured her I had no intention of missing the wedding and we hugged with tears of joy in our eyes. 

I have to say, that week was one of the most exhilarating and humbling weeks of my life. As I mentioned above, Dan and I launched RV America as a business venture to help RV industry companies find visibility on the Internet among the thousands of choices a potential customer has. And yes, it was and is our intention to make RV America a friendly and useful web site. But what has happened on the consumer side far out distances anything our imaginations ever conceived.

By week's end and the Friday night banquet over, everyone's heart seem filled with joy for what they had experienced and sadness that the week had come to an end. There were many tearful hugs and farewells as each person said goodbye to newly-made friends and "old acquaintances" as they prepared to break camp and head home.

But there were few saying, "I'll see you next year." It was more "See you next week in the chat room" or "I'll catch you on the forum in a few days."

This was the second annual RV America rally, the first in Henderson, TX, last year. Plans are already underway for the 2002 rally, all being organized at the grassroots level. RV America plays a supporting role, lending a hand where it's needed.

On any given weekend in any part of the country there may be RV America mini-rallies -- some planned in advance, some spontaneous. These might draw five coaches or 20, the purpose is the same. Friends who meet on the RV America web site deciding to get together in person.

What has happened as a result of the RV America web site might have been unexpected, but it wasn't unimportant. Dan and I have never been thanked so much by so many different people for doing so little. We may have built the "town," but these folks made it a community.

Yet, had it not been for the RV America web site, this group of people would have never found one another and their lives most assuredly would have taken different paths ­ Brenda and Chris might have never found each other and their upcoming marriage would have never happened; Mike Desch may have never purchased an RV and more than likely, if he had, not the brand he ended up buying; and a couple of old RV journalists, Dan Holt and Don Magary, would not have had their lives enriched by all the new friends they made during the Rally in the Valley.

So what are the lessons every RV company and industry professional should learn from this commentary?

* The Internet works for RV industry companies.

* Consumers develop loyalty to web sites that address their specific needs.

* The Internet changes people's lives.

* People are forming opinions and making buying decisions from information they learn from going to web sites such as RV America.

* And potential customers are not simply looking at floor plans and shopping prices while doing their research on the Internet ­ they are drawing on the vast knowledge of the collective experience of those who have already traveled the road they want to travel.

* And finally, if you or your company are not effectively taking your message to this audience you may be missing a chance to attract buyers during this critical decision making process.