Page 4 - Annual Boat Show    

     Now, on to the RV side of things.
RVing as it’s called has taken on new life in the past few years. Mainly since 9-11, but more and more people are taking a different approach to travel. From pop up campers, to tag a longs, fifth wheels and motor coaches. There was something for everyone.

     My favorite camper was the Keystone Outback. They offer a queen size rear slide out, several options for side slide outs and many front bunk options. Just about any layout to fit your needs could be found in this one camper series. The fit and finish were middle of the road, but so is their pricing. They were cheaper campers on display, but some of those I’d be afraid to look inside after hitting a pothole on the highway they were so flimsy. A few others may have better designs and higher end fixtures but they were also more expensive. The Keystone Outback seemed to have the middle ground covered and they use Fiberglass exterior sides instead of aluminum with a fully covered undercarriage.

     There were also the toy haulers. These are tag along campers than convert to haulers by folding and stowing the sofas and such. Once on site, unload your gear and you now have a camper. These should be in big favor with bikers, hunters and to some extent, tournament skiers. Taking the golf cart to the tournament site just got a lot easier. 

     There was also a good selection of motor homes. This is where you can start dreaming of seeing the country in total comfort and style. Although they look a bit intimidating to drive, the more of them you see on the road makes you realize they’re really not that hard to get accustomed to.  I see some Pro tournament skiers using these more and more at the tour stops I go to.

     These RV’s go hand in hand with the selection of Scooters, Vespa’s, 4 wheelers and golf carts on display as well. An RV show usually has vendors displaying accessories like these to entice you, which isn’t difficult after looking at all the other nice toys.

     Now for a few, what if you could, scenarios:

     Your ski club has several members that go to multiple tournaments away from home, which require an overnight stay. Hotels, eating out, getting around, hauling your ski gear in and out of hotels, worrying that something will get stolen from your car, creating extra cost and anxious moments a skier doesn’t need while preparing for a tournament. And entry fees are steep enough without the added expenses for food and lodging.

     Now; if this same club pooled their resources and bought a nice camper capable of sleeping quite a few people, they would have a much more laid back and enjoyable tournament. Many tournament sites now have some camping facilities, maybe it’s just a fresh water hook up, maybe full hook ups, but with holding tanks on campers these days, a day or two tournament staying on site is possible, and the weekend just became much more relaxing. Pack some bikes and you’ve just combined a camping and skiing trip. Eating and resting just became so much easier.

     With so much time between rounds you can relax back at the camper, get out of the sun and grab some lunch. If several clubs did this the tournament site would resemble a team tournament with each clubs team having its own camper. Put up some banners and show your clubs name, have some evening competitions as well, volleyball or horseshoes. Ideas abound for such a scenario.

     Spread the camper cost amongst the club and you have a very inexpensive way to go to tournaments. The camper can also be used by club members at other times of the year as well for family vacations. A camper time-share if you will. It really wouldn’t be much different than paying boat dues, maybe even less.



     Next scenario is getting a small camper to use to run your tournaments. Usually we are blessed with good weather and we set up most of the scoring under a pop up sun shelter. But we all know how summer storms can wreck havoc on a tournament on short notice.

     A small camper would allow computers, radios and other sensitive equipment to be stored in a dry area during the event. Also you can lock it for over night keeping with little worries. And sometimes after an hour or two in the boat driving or judging you just want a place to flop down, away from everything, even if it’s just a few moments rest.



     One other thing I would like to see at tournaments is changing rooms. Small enclosed utility trailers would work fine for these. The type used by contractors or for hauling motorcycles and golf carts. Most of us are pretty good at changing wrapped in a towel but these inexpensive trailers would make for a little more comfort at minimal expense. But even just a couple of small tents for changing would be nice.

     I could go on and on with possible scenarios but each of us has our own ideas and budgets for what the ideal set up would be. Mine would be a club owned camper for those of us that can’t fathom sleeping on the ground anymore and some tents set up for the kids around the camper, a fairly large group could now enjoy tournament skiing with much less expense. And the camaraderie around a campfire in the evening would probably give you and the kid’s memories for a lifetime.

     So get out to your local boat and RV shows and do a little dreaming, find something that fits your lifestyle and budget. But most of all just get outdoors and enjoy life. There’s a boat or RV out there just for you.


_{Gordon Slingerland}

     

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