You Don't Have to Go it Alone - there's a large community of RVers out there

I've always been a fan of the internet, and so when we decided to go full time and become Workampers, I turned to the forums and vast array of web sites for information.  I googled RV and literally thousands of domains were returned.  When I narrowed my search, I was able to find just about anything relating to RVs and the RV lifestyle.  I found that I wasn't alone, and I'm certainly not crazy - but if I am, I'm in good company.  There are more people living full time in RVs than I ever could have imagined.  Their experience has benefited me immensely and I continue to learn from them each day. For instance, my first weeks in the RV taught me new terms like gray water, black water, Fiver, Gooseneck, inverter, slide out, Workamper and Boondocking. If you're new to the lifestyle, you may or may not know these terms and can find them and more on the Good Sam's Camping Website. 

In addition to searching the web for general interest items, I also had occasion to surf for specific items such as replacement glass when someone busted one of my windows, furniture, refrigerator parts (grrrr!), sewage systems, propane and electrical issues, decorating, towing, campgrounds and the dreaded tv, internet issues. I didn't always like the answer I found, but I always found a myriad of answers, some contradictory, some opinion rather than fact, and others right on the mark. But every answer I sought brought value and increased my knowledge base. I've been full time for four months and have been forced to take a crash course in all things RV. I've got to say that the RV community is a close knit, helpful group for the most part. As with any large group, there's certain to be differences, but I've yet to encounter any "holier than though, snooty" persons who knew everything and didn't want to share it.  To the contrary, each person I asked a question to, each board I posted to, each comment I made -- all were answered with respect and a humble attitude. Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure they exist; I just haven't run across them, and my point is this:  if you want to call yourself a part of a group, it doesn't get much better than calling yourself an RVer, which brings me to two groups that I recently joined; Escapee's RV Club and RVillage. The Escapee's home page proudly displays:  "Escapee members will find help with every aspect of RV'ing; from how to receive your mail, generating income on the road, finding reputable RV services, and locating places to park", and as far as I can tell, they hold up their end of the bargain. I was particularly impressed with their RV Advocacy; fighting for our rights, such as the fundamental right to vote, providing legal domicile information, mail service and especially their BOF (Birds of a feather) groups which establish groups for like minded individuals such as geocaching, computers, boondocking, quilt lovers, and more. One such group is Boomers BOF, a casual social group for those who have a youthful mindset (all ages are welcome to join as long as they are a member in good standing with the Escapee's RV Club). This group led me to look at Xscaper's.

“Xscapers is a support network geared toward a new generation of RVers who have not yet retired and who have already, or are aspiring to, hit the road pursuing a full-time or part-time nomadic lifestyle.” (Xscapers "about" page)

Xscapers is free to join and more information can be found on their website.  Once you join the Escapee's RV Club, you can choose to join Xscapers too, and will then have access to their full website and membership benefits.  

Xscapers led me to a social network site in which they have a large group, RVillage. RVillage is like a Facebook for RVers. But it's not just a social network; it provides a wealth of information and advice via its forums and group boards.  

Whether you're new to RVing or just haven't taken a look at some of the fun and informative sites on the internet, it's never too late.  One thing is for sure; you'll quickly find out "you don't have to go it alone - there's a large community of RVers out there".