RV America Association

Earlier this month at the RV America "Rally In The Valley" (in Gold Canyon, AZ), Web Site Management, Inc., launched a new RV consumer club ­ the RV America Association (RVAA), a division of the also new RV America Coalition (RVAC).

According to Dan Holt, CEO of Web Site Management, RVAA is an Internet club for RVers and is designed to be a grassroots advocacy organization that will support other organizations such as the American Recreation Coalition in protecting access to public lands, national parks and forests and to insure that RVs and their owners are not unreasonably or specifically taxed simply because they chose the RV lifestyle.

Holt said, "Another example of the types of programs that RVAA intends to support is the voting rights issue facing fulltime RVers. Texas Democrats have challenged the voting rights of members of the Escapees Club who have chosen Livingston, TX, headquarters for the Escapees, as their official residence.

"This is a citizen's fundamental right and a Constitutional issue that could end up in the U.S. Supreme Court. We strongly believe that as our citizens migrate to a more mobile society (and RVs help make that lifestyle possible), there ought to be fundamental definitions of who is and who is not a resident of a state or community. The mobile citizen, after meeting that criteria, cannot have their residence rights arbitrarily challenged by special interest groups that don't like the way they perceive these residents might vote. And that's exactly what is happening in Texas. This issue isn't just an Escapee problem, it's a industry problem and RVAC will help champion this cause."

Holt also noted that RVAA is not intended to be an ombudsman for consumers who have issues with dealers or manufacturers over product or service-related issues, but rather totally focused on external threats to RVers and the RV lifestyle.

Like most consumer programs for RV America's visitors, the idea for the Association was spawned at the grassroots level. Holt explained, "We've had many conversations with visitors who come to RV America's Chat Rooms and Bulletin Boards. Those conversations, along with their on-line requests that we design a program whereby visitors can recognize other visitors when traveling or camping, set RVAA in motion.

"Many of our visitors have made lifelong friends through our chat rooms and bulletin boards and decided to get together in person, as evidenced by several RV America grassroots rallies that have been held around the country. Often, it seems, folks who have become on-line acquaintances through RV America are camping at the same resort or campground at the same time, and they frequently don't discover it until later through postings on the Bulletin Board or messages in the chat room.

"The introduction of the RV America Association will satisfy those requests since members of RVAA will have RVAA flags flying at campgrounds and membership decals while traveling down the road."

Holt explained it was not Web Site Management's goal to just start another club, there are plenty of those around, but rather establish an organization with a nobler purpose that gives the average RVer a strong voice in the broader areas where decisions are being made that can enhance, threaten or denigrate the RVers' chosen way of life.  continued