Refreshing New Option for RVer Education (2/2017)
Both at our website and through many emails we get inquiries from RVers and those contemplating the RV Lifestyle: Where can we get information about various aspects of RVing — and the lifestyle itself. There are of course seminars offered in conjunction with RV rallies and events at various places around the country. But unless you’re planning to be in that specific place at that specific time, it’s really cannot provide what you’re looking for.
Years ago there was one preeminent source of of such information. “Life on Wheels”, the brainchild of Gaylord Maxwell, was an annual program offered at the University of Idaho. Offering scores of different classes in all aspects of RVing — both technical and lifestyle — this program attracted RVers from literally all over the US and Canada for a very serious one-week course of study using the full facilities and amenities of the University during the summer break. Several hundred rigs would be parked on a large grassy field on University grounds. Classes were given on the hour by a large cadre of volunteer teachers, all carefully prescreened for their expertise in the subject matter. While some teachers were from the RV industry, no commercial presentations were permitted. Classes started and ended on time. And with a full week’s set of offerings on diverse topics, there was simply no way to attend all of them. This was truly the high point of available, quality, non-commercial RVer education. Unfortunately with the loss of Gaylord more than a decade ago, the program quickly faded away.
But there is now something new on the radar. Something that has adopted today’s technology to bring presentations on various topics of interest to RVers wherever they are. It’s been launched by the Escapees RV Club, and is being made available to all RVs — whether members or not. It’s a planned series of webinars on a variety of topics that under the current plan will be expanded to cover all types of topics of interest to RVers. A “webinar” is of course an “online seminar”, where the participant can view a live presentation, and even interact with the presenter. Not quite the same as “being there”; but in this day and age of technology it’s taking advantage of new tools to address RVer education in a new way. A listing of future seminars and more information can be found at: www.escapees.com/knowledge/webinars Moreover the seminar series will also be captured and made available on YouTube for interested RVers who may choose to view the seminars at a later date.
Kudos to the Escapees RV Club for this innovative addition to the knowledge base available now to all RVers and wannabes. If it results in a spike in their membership, it will be well deserved.