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2012 RV-Dreams Spring Rally Information
Welcome to the information page for our sixth RV-Dreams Rally. Read on for details!
For Spring 2012, we have chosen a great RV park - Buckhorn Lake Resort just outside of Kerrville, Texas in the beautiful Hill Country. This will be our second rally at Buckhorn Lake as they took care of us so well back in 2009.
The itinerary includes several seminars from Linda & I based on our six-plus years of experience as full-timers, our own research, interviews with other full-timers, and the wealth of information from our Forum. Below you will find an itinerary.
In addition to educational seminars, we will have other activities such as rig walk-throughs, a welcome dinner, a potluck, a themed meal, a catered dinner, entertainment, and lots more!
2012 RV-Dreams "Texas Hill Country" Rally
Buckhorn Lake Resort
Kerrville, Texas
April 24 - 29, 2012
Registration Is NOW OPEN!!!
Click Here To Register!
View Buckhorn Lake Resort in a larger map
Rally Details
The Place
Come join us at Buckhorn Lake Resort in Texas. The park is just off of I-10 west of Kerrville.
Due to the excellent experience we had at Buckhorn previously, we are partnering with them again to provide our website visitors, Journal readers, and Forum members - our RV-Dreams Family - with a great location to come together for fellowship and a little education as well.
In addition to the wonderful rally facilities, Buckhorn Lake offers:
Full hook-ups with 30/50 amp service
Big Rig Friendly paved sites
Lots of huge pull-through sites
Free Wi-Fi
Laundry Facilities
2 Pools
2 Whirlpools
Exercise/fitness center
Fishing - catch & release, no license required
Cable TV
Propane delivered each Friday
Daily trash pick-up at site
Cottages (3)
The Area
Buckhorn is located just off I-10 about 70 miles northwest of San Antonio and about 100 miles west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country. It will be beautiful in the spring with wildflowers in bloom.
For those that come prior to the Rally or stay a few days afterward, there are tons of activities for every type of interest. Check out the Kerrville Convention & Visitors Bureau Website for more information.
The weather should be wonderful with daily highs in the upper 70s and cool nights!
Tentative Itinerary - As we get closer, we will likely add additional seminars and may move the seminar schedule around a bit. Also, we typically have various impromptu events that we schedule right before the Rally or even during the first couple of days.
Though much of the content is geared toward the education of full-timers, everyone is welcome and we guarantee even the most part-time RVer will learn something. :)
Tuesday
2:00 - 5:00 Welcome, Check-in, and Social Time
6:00 - 7:00 Catered Welcome Dinner
7:00 - 8:00 Rally Overview & Introductions
8:00 - 9:00 Icebreaker
Wednesday
8:30 - 9:30 No Right Way To Full-time - Evaluating The Options
In this seminar we emphasize there is no “right way” to full-time. We explore many of the different ways people live the full-timing lifestyle and provide some insight into what might work best for you.
9:45 - 10:30 Emotional Aspects of the Full-timing Decision
This seminar is a discussion of what to expect from your heart as you announce your plans to full-time, prepare to full-time, transition to full-timimg, and even after you hit the road. Very few seminars deal with this issue, but everyone goes through some surprising, but normal, feelings in the process.
10:45 - 12:00 What Does It Cost To Full-time?
The cost of full-timing is so important, but it is not easy to find real information on the subject. We'll show you some real numbers and how you can adjust those numbers for your planned lifestyle.
Lunch on your own
1:30 - 2:30 Working On The Road
We pack a lot of information into this seminar. Why work on the road? What are your options for working on the road? What types of jobs might you find? How do you find jobs? How do paid jobs compare to volunteer jobs? What are the tax implications of workamping?
2:45 - 4:00 Selecting A Home Base & Insurance Considerations
All U.S. full-timers have to be a resident of some state. This seminar provides some guidelines on what to consider when making that very important choice. And since the selection of a home base affects insurance rates, we discuss the various types of insurance RVers typically have and how to keep premiums low.
6:00 - 7:30 Group Dinner (to be determined).
7:30 - 9:00 RV Accessories Show & Tell
Thursday
8:30 - 9:30 Buying An RV - Pros, Cons & Must Haves
In this seminar we discuss the pros and cons of the types of RVs in a full-timing lifestyle. In addition, we suggest features to look for that we consider "must haves" in any full-timing rig.
9:45 - 10:45 Weight Safety
This seminar will provide the RV owner with the knowledge required to assure that their RV is operated within all safety limitations. The information is designed to assist owners in managing their existing RV weights as well as purchasing the correct RV to match their personal needs.
11:00 - 12:00 Tire Safety
A major emphasis of this seminar is maintenance and care of tires for optimum safety and durability. Participants receive information to assure that they are well informed consumers when purchasing tires. Tire pressure and proper inflation are covered in depth.
NOTE: We will be offering RV weighing before and after the Rally. Click HERE for more information on the safety benefits.
Lunch on your own
1:30 - 3:30 RV Fire & Life Safety with "Mac The Fire Guy"
Learn the causes of most fires and how to prevent them. Learn how to check, test, and use your fire extinguisher. Learn about different types of fire extinguishers, such as: dry powder, non-toxic, biodegradable, engine compartment and refrigerator compartment extinguishing systems. You will also learn about Smoke, LPG, and CO detectors, driving with propane, how to maintain and use escape hatch/window. There will be a live-fire portion of the seminar where attendees will have the opportunity to fight a fire with various types of fire extinguishers.
6:00 - 7:30 Potluck Dinner
7:30 - 9:00 RV-Dreams Family Feud!
Back by popular demand, we're putting an RVing twist on the popular TV gameshow. We'll divide everyone into teams and all attendees will get to participate. It will be both fun and educational! :)
Friday
8:30 - 9:30 RVing Basics
In this seminar we discuss some very basic RVing tips. What do you need to consider when selecting a campsite? What are some tips for getting parked in a campsite? Once you are parked, what do you need to know about hooking up utilities? What are some common problems? What about dumping tanks at your site and at a dump station? We'll also throw in some driving tips that may help in safely and confidently getting from one place to another.
9:45 - 10:45 Basic RV Maintenance
In this seminar we discuss maintenance of your RV and its components. This is not an RV repair seminar, but rather a class on extending the life of your RV and its many parts for optimum enjoyment and fewer headaches. A dealer service center can do these things for you, but most can be done easily without being a mechanic or handy with tools - mostly, it just takes initiative and the knowledge of what needs to be done.
11:00 - 12:00 Boondocking/Solar
In this seminar, we lay out the basics of boondocking. We talk about what you might need for extended boondocking and touch on solar/battery set-ups. We also discuss holding tank management and other aspects of parking without hook-ups.
NOTE: Jack Mayer (www.jackdanmayer.com) an experienced full-timer and an expert in electrical/solar set-ups, who also happens to be our technical mentor and a respected resource on several RV forums, will be on hand to answer questions beyond the scope of our seminar.
The rest of the day is a "FREE DAY"
We may have some impromptu group activities you can take part in, or you can join your new friends for a get-together or local touring, or you can just relax. It's all up to you.
Saturday
8:00 - 9:00 Internet On The Road
Technology is changing fast. Get the latest information on how to best access the internet on the road keeping in mind costs of equipment, recurring internet access charges, methods of connecting, and how that all fits with your internet needs.
9:15 - 10:15 T.V. Options For RVers
Bill Napier, with 46 years of experience in broadcasting, including work with ABC on two Olympics, discusses television on the road. He'll talk about equipment from basic antennas to HD satellite options and provide recommendations for a set-up that fits your needs.
10:30 - 11:30 Choosing Campgrounds/RV Parks
This seminar includes tips on finding campgrounds and RV parks that fit your RVing lifestyle.
Lunch on your own
1:00 - 5:00 Open Rig Walk-throughs (Voluntary)
This is one of the most popular events at our Rallies. Several attendees graciously open their rigs for inspection and there is an opportunity to tour "lived in" RVs. See what RVers do to modify their rigs for their lifestyle, see how storage space is used, and feel free to ask questions.
6:00 - 7:00 Catered Dinner
7:00 - 10:00 PARTY!! (Theme to be determined)
Sunday
9:00 - 10:00 Full Farewell Breakfast
Time for hugs & handshakes and a few final words from your hosts
Rally Pricing* (Does not include accomodation costs):
$280 for 2 people
$140 for 1 person
$340 for a family of 3
$400 for a family of 4
Prior Rally Attendee Discount: All attendees of the 2012 RV-Dreams Spring Rally that have attended any of our five previous rallies in Branson, MO, Kerrville, TX, Myrtle Beach, SC, Sevierville, TN, or Hershey, PA will receive discounted pricing as follows:
$210 for 2 people
$105 for 1 person
$270 for a family of 3
$330 for a family of 4
* - There are no partial deposits. The entire Rally amount is due at time of registration. Registration must be completed by April 1, 2012 (However, the sites will likely fill up before then). If you cancel, $70 per person is NON-REFUNDABLE. The remainder of the registration is refundable for cancellations prior to April 1, 2012.
The Rally registration fee includes all seminars, three catered meals, entertainment, and use of the conference center for registration, seminars, and meals.
RV Sites
Reservation Information
The Rally registration DOES NOT include RV sites or other accommodations. We have set aside 60 RV sites at Buckhorn Lake, but you must make your own reservations.
Note that reservations will not be confirmed by Buckhorn Lake until you have registered and made your Rally payment. We will provide names of registrants to Buckhorn so they may confirm that those making reservations are properly registered for the 2012 Spring Rally. After you have registered, you can give Buckhorn a call at 1-800-568-6458 to make your reservation. Be sure to tell them that you are with the RV-Dreams Rally. :)
Rally Rate For RV Sites
We have set aside 60 sites for this Rally. All sites are 50/30 Amp electric with full hook-ups.
All sites, are $32.00 per night. That's a $10 - $15 discount off the base nightly rate.
Buckhorn Lake has graciously agreed to give the Rally rate to all of our attendees for up to a total of seven nights including the five nights of the Rally (assuming of course the site is available for all the nights you want before or after the Rally).
Please inquire about the cancellation policy at the time of reservation.
Cottages
There are three cottages on-site at Buckhorn Lake and they have allowed us to set aside all of them. Click on this link for more detailed descriptions: Cottages.
Unfortunately, the cottages are popular and there are no discounts. They will book up fast and reservations require a deposit of one night's rate plus tax. Be sure to inquire about the cancellation policy at time of reservation.
Other Accomodations
For those not bringing an RV or not booking a cottage, there are several hotel and Bed & Breakfast options in Kerrville. Check out the Kerrville Accommodations web page.
Additional Costs
Rally T-Shirts (Optional) - $15 Each
We will be ordering Rally T-shirts based on your selections during the registration process. Those that pre-order T-shirts will be able to pick them up and pay for them at registration on April 24. Please do NOT pre-pay for the shirts with your registration.
An RV-Dreams Rally includes a great mixture of experienced full-timers, new full-timers, savvy RVers, and wannabe full-timers. The time between planned events is as fun and informative as the scheduled parts as we all tend to gather and chat in a common area.
Registration Is NOW OPEN!!
Click Here To Register!
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