Well, it's time to resume camping with our Winnebago group. My wife and I are currently about 1-1/2 hours from home in our motor home. We have a great group of
campers and it's always fun to share stories, unless the story involves equipment
breakdowns.

We were supposed to have 17 coaches, but only 10 showed up. One of our campers
died suddenly. One camper has to have an engine replaced. Others might be sick or
just never explained why they couldn't make it.

But, the ones that did show are fun to be with. Tonight we played 50's trivia, tomorrow
we have 'noodle hockey', 'minute to win it' and a block of time is set aside for 'Tech Talk'
so others can learn from everyone the problems they have incurred (and hopefully
solved).

We also have conversations about fuel prices, but that's not fun.

We have a dinner scheduled one night and plenty of other things to do. I haven't even
turned the TV on. Just enjoying others company.

Mike Dippel

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Hiya Mike,

Thanks for the trip report. I always enjoy them! It sounds like they're a lot of fun. I often dream of what it would be like to have some time to really pursue hobbies and interests in more than short bursts.

When is the next trip?

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On 3/18/2023 2:53 PM, Sbaitso wrote to Mike Dippel:

Hiya Mike,

Thanks for the trip report. I always enjoy them! It sounds like they're a lot
of fun. I often dream of what it would be like to have some time to really pursue hobbies and interests in more than short bursts.

When is the next trip?

April 3 - 6 @ Riverside RV Resort in Arcadia, FL

We belong to a Winnebago group and try to do 3-4 days a month. Fun activities, great
comradery and great food as well. We do side excursions that keep everyone happy and
wanting to come back for more. RV'ers don't have to own a Winnebago to join, so it
does increase the amount of campers a bit.

We will be going to Michigan in late April, like we do every year, and maybe do the
eastern coast of the U.S., but not really sure right now.

Mike Dippel

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On 18 Mar 2023, Mike Dippel said the following...

April 3 - 6 @ Riverside RV Resort in Arcadia, FL

We belong to a Winnebago group and try to do 3-4 days a month. Fun activities, great
comradery and great food as well. We do side excursions that keep everyone happy and
wanting to come back for more. RV'ers don't have to own a Winnebago to join, so it
does increase the amount of campers a bit.

We will be going to Michigan in late April, like we do every year, and maybe do the
eastern coast of the U.S., but not really sure right now.

Do most of the others in group go on all of the trips or only some of them? How did the group originally get formed? How did you hear about it? How many group members are there?

... Shortcut: longest distance between two points

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On 3/26/2023 2:16 PM, Sbaitso wrote to Mike Dippel:

On 18 Mar 2023, Mike Dippel said the following...

April 3 - 6 @ Riverside RV Resort in Arcadia, FL

We belong to a Winnebago group and try to do 3-4 days a month. Fun activities, great
comradery and great food as well. We do side excursions that keep everyone happy and
wanting to come back for more. RV'ers don't have to own a Winnebago to join, so it
does increase the amount of campers a bit.

We will be going to Michigan in late April, like we do every year, and maybe do the
eastern coast of the U.S., but not really sure right now.

Do most of the others in group go on all of the trips or only some of them? How did the group originally get formed? How did you hear about it? How many
group members are there?

Check out the website I did for them at: http://caloosawinnies.org

The 'Schedule' link tells it all, and the 'About Us' page reads:
The Caloosa Winnies of Southwest Florida were founded in 1970. The group was formed
in South Fort Myers with 20 coach families joining before the charter was established.
They were considered the charter members forming the group.

Now there are about 60 families that make up membership, but we only get around 12
or so coaches at the rallies. Some coaches may need some sort of repair or whatever
might keep them from joining us. It's just as well. It would be hard to reserve 60
coaches at the same time.

Mike Dippel

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On 27 Mar 2023, Mike Dippel said the following...

Check out the website I did for them at: http://caloosawinnies.org

Now there are about 60 families that make up membership, but we only get around 12
or so coaches at the rallies. Some coaches may need some sort of repair or whatever
might keep them from joining us. It's just as well. It would be hard to reserve 60
coaches at the same time.

I will check out the website. Do you take trips outside of the rallies as well?

60 coaches would be on heck of a turnout, but I agree, getting that much space at the same campground could be a real challenge, not to mention getting the same time that works for everyones schedule would be pretty much impossible.

... Multitasking: Reading in the bathroom

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On 01 Apr 2023, Mike Dippel said the following...

Bringing the coach home tomorrow to get it ready for the rally. I plug amp outlet to get the fridge cooled down. We load it up and go. My
wife will drive the
car behind me; just a one-hour trip there. But in the future, we have a mobile repair
guy coming to the storage lot to rewire the car so the lights will work
in conjunction with
the coach. This will prepare us for our May trip up the east coast.

That's a really nice setup, being able to take your time and gradually pack stuff up before a trip and get ready at your own pace. Car trips always tend to be a bit of last minute having to throw everything in the car unless you want to drive your luggage around in the car a few days early.

Are you able to do most of the routine repairs yourself? Are most repairs fairly minor?

We may also do Forest City, Iowa for what they call the GNR (Grand National Rally)
where Winnebago coaches can stay for free on their rally grounds to meet other Winnebago owners. Been there several times and it's always great to see the entertainment they provide and to attend some of the
seminars.

How many campers show up for something like that? Is it anywhere near Fort Madison, Iowa by any chance?

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On 4/2/2023 2:41 PM, Sbaitso wrote to Mike Dippel:

On 01 Apr 2023, Mike Dippel said the following...

Bringing the coach home tomorrow to get it ready for the rally. I plug amp outlet to get the fridge cooled down. We load it up and go. My wife will drive the
car behind me; just a one-hour trip there. But in the future, we have a
mobile repair
guy coming to the storage lot to rewire the car so the lights will work in conjunction with
the coach. This will prepare us for our May trip up the east coast.

That's a really nice setup, being able to take your time and gradually pack stuff up before a trip and get ready at your own pace. Car trips always tend
to be a bit of last minute having to throw everything in the car unless you want to drive your luggage around in the car a few days early.

Are you able to do most of the routine repairs yourself? Are most repairs fairly minor?

There are so many different things that can go wrong, so the simple answer is no.

We may also do Forest City, Iowa for what they call the GNR (Grand National Rally)
where Winnebago coaches can stay for free on their rally grounds to meet
other Winnebago owners. Been there several times and it's always great
to see the entertainment they provide and to attend some of the seminars.

How many campers show up for something like that? Is it anywhere near Fort Madison, Iowa by any chance?

There are coaches from across the nation there. Not sure how many, but it is a HUGE
park. 278 miles away from Fort Madison.

Mike Dippel

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