Published
Quick answer: to plan an RV rally, set the dates and a headcount target 6 to 12 months out, choose a park that can hold a block of neighboring sites and has a gathering space, sign a simple hold agreement with the park, collect a rally fee for shared costs, publish a one page schedule and staff the arrival day with parkers. At Inez Spring, one minute off I-20 at Exit 343, a club can use more than 70 sites, pull throughs up to 100 feet and the barndominium as rally headquarters. See our group camping and RV rally page.
This guide is for the club member who said yes to hosting. It covers the park side of the job, the part most rally handbooks assume you already know.
An RV rally is a planned gathering of RV owners, usually a club, chapter or group of friends, who camp together at one park for a set number of nights with shared meals, activities and a host who coordinates the sites.
| When | Step | What to get in writing |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 12 months out | Pick dates, length and a target number of rigs | Club approval of the dates |
| 6 to 12 months out | Choose the park and hold a block of sites | Number of sites held, release date for unsold sites, deposit terms |
| 5 months out | Set the rally fee for shared costs | What the fee covers |
| 4 months out | Open sign ups; members book their own sites | Booking instructions and group name |
| 2 months out | Publish the one page schedule | Meal plan and activity times |
| 2 weeks out | Confirm rig lengths and arrival times | Site map with each rig assigned |
| Arrival day | Staff the gate with parkers and a greeter | Welcome packet |
Club handbooks cover the member side well. Two good ones: Winnebago on organizing an RV rally and Escapees on attending a rally.
Start with five questions. Can the park hold a block of neighboring sites on your dates? Are the sites long enough for the biggest rig in the club? Is there a place for the whole group to eat and meet? Is it easy to reach for members coming from several directions? And what happens to unsold sites if sign ups come in low?
At Inez Spring the answers are concrete. The park has more than 70 sites with full hookups, 30 and 50 amp. Pull through sites run up to 100 feet. The barndominium has a full kitchen, BBQ, living space and a movie theater for meetings and meals, and the picnic areas and grills along the Leon River handle cookouts. We hold neighboring sites for a group when they are open.
Location helps a Texas club. From Exit 343 on I-20, Abilene is about 50 minutes, Fort Worth about 1 hour 35 minutes, Dallas about 2 hours, Austin about 3 hours 40 minutes and Houston about 5 hours 40 minutes.
Call the park with your dates, the number of rigs you expect and the range of rig lengths. Ask the park to hold a block and to name a release date, the day unsold sites go back on sale. Then members book their own sites inside the block, so each member pays the park directly and the host is not carrying the whole bill.
Set the release date about 30 days before the rally (our suggestion). It gives late sign ups a fair window and gives the park time to resell what you do not use. Nightly RV sites at Inez Spring start from $40; weekend and holiday rates can be higher, so price your dates on the booking page.
Only the shared costs: the group meals, the barndominium if the club uses it as headquarters, name badges, door prizes and supplies. Site fees stay separate, paid by each member to the park. Publish exactly what the fee covers. It prevents the most common complaint at any rally.
Collect the fee through one treasurer, with a clear refund date. Keep a simple list of who paid and who still owes.
Leave free time. Rally members drive a long way to talk to each other, not to sit through a packed program.
It happens to every club sooner or later. Three moves help. First, send one reminder to members a month before the release date with the schedule attached; a concrete plan sells better than a date. Second, open the rally to friends of members or a neighboring chapter. Third, release the unsold sites on the agreed date rather than holding them and hoping. A smaller rally that fills its block feels better than a big block with gaps, and the park can resell the sites you do not need. Keep the shared fee budget flexible so a smaller group still covers the meals.
Arrival day sets the tone. Send every member the exact address, Exit 343 on I-20, and a target arrival window. Put two volunteers with radios at the entrance as parkers and one greeter with the welcome packets: site map, schedule, office hours and the host phone number. Assign sites by rig length ahead of time so the longest rigs get the pull throughs.
Tell the office your arrival window so they can plan for a run of check ins. The park office number is (254) 629-1197.
Set dates and a target headcount 6 to 12 months out, choose a park that holds a block of neighboring sites with a gathering space, collect a rally fee only for shared costs, publish a one page schedule and staff arrival day with parkers and a greeter.
Six to twelve months. Popular parks and holiday weekends book early, and members need time to plan travel.
The park has more than 70 sites. Tell the office your dates and expected number of rigs, and we hold neighboring sites for the group when they are open.
Yes. Pull through sites run up to 100 feet with full hookups, 30 and 50 amp. Share every rig length with the office when you plan the block.
Only shared costs such as group meals, a meeting space, name badges and supplies. Each member pays the park directly for their own site.
Yes. The barndominium works as rally headquarters with a full kitchen, BBQ, living space and a movie theater, and there are picnic areas and grills along the Leon River.
A rally runs on three things: a block of sites that stays together, one place to eat and meet, and a host who planned early enough to enjoy it. Related reading for group hosts: booking RV sites side by side for a multi-family trip and RV clubs in Texas.
Call (254) 629-1197 with your dates, number of rigs and longest rig length, see our RV sites, or check dates on the booking page.
