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By Pat Stein
Copley News Service
More than 10 million seniors have discovered that travel by recreational vehicle is a great way to enjoy the comforts of home and the adventure of being on the road.
But what if your RV breaks down or other problems pop up?
“It’s best not to be on the road alone, especially if you’re a senior,” says 70-year-old Bernice Beard, author of four books about RVing.
Although Beard and her husband, Paul, have been traveling around the country in their 38-foot diesel motor home for 16 years, they still travel in the company of at least one other motor home and often choose to join a caravan.
“Caravans are great, especially if you’re going someplace you’ve never been before. We joined a caravan to tour Alaska,” Beard said.
There are many advantages to caravaning but security probably tops the list.
“It’s safer to travel in a group and if you’re in a caravan there’s someone to help if there’s a problem. When we went to Alaska we had a problem with the gas line on our RV and the caravan tailgunner helped repair it,” Beard said.
Typically caravans have a wagonmaster or tour guide who leads the caravan and a tailgunner who brings up the rear and helps out with mechanical problems and flat tires. The caravan company plans the itinerary for the tour, makes reservations for campsites and arrangements for special activities along the way, such as river cruises or meals at restaurants. Caravan sizes vary but usually there are 10 to 25 RVs in a group.
“We don’t travel down the road in one long convoy,” Beard said. “Usually we travel in groups of two or three.”
Although the itinerary is set, there’s plenty of flexibility on a well-run caravan. You can choose the time you want to leave in the morning (within certain parameters). Along the way you can stop and take pictures or pull over and go for a walk or take in an attraction that’s not on the itinerary. Chances are, you’ll run into other members of your caravan doing the same thing.
“If there’s a special event or a lunch stop planned, all you have to do is show up at the right time. What you do along the way is up to you. If you decide to stop, you don’t have the sense that you’re interrupting the flow of the trip,” Beard said, adding that it’s comforting to know that even if you drop out of your traveling “pod” because of a spontaneous stop to view a waterfall or take pictures of wildlife, someone will come looking for you if you don’t show up at the next scheduled stop.
Beard feels being in a caravan enriched her trip to Alaska because the tour planners knew the territory well.
“We saw and did things we wouldn’t have known about if we hadn’t been in a caravan. Being in a caravan helped us learn about the territory we were traveling through,” she said.
The 44-day Alaska caravan cost $4,995. Beard allows that they could have saved money by traveling independently since campsites cost only about $30 a night, but the security of traveling in a group and not having to worry about finding a place to spend the night made being in a caravan worth the extra cost. Plus, she says, being in a caravan gives you a chance to make new friends.
“Often, there are potlucks, which are a great way to meet other people in the caravan and make new friends,” Beard said.
Caravan tours are offered by RV clubs, associations and even brand-name manufacturers such as Winnebago, Holiday Rambler and Airstream, which have clubs for owners of their RVs. Organizations that offer caravan tours include the Good Sam Club, the Family Motor Coach Association, the National Recreational Vehicle Owners Club and RVing Women, Inc. In the back of her book, “Alaska at Your Own Pace” (Arbor House Publishing, $16.95), Beard lists names, addresses and phone numbers for caravan tours.
When choosing a caravan tour be sure to find out what it will cost and what it will include, and ask for references. Compare prices and features of various tours. Ask if it’s OK to bring a pet (on most tours it is). Can you tow a car if you want to? What will happen if you sign up and can’t go at the least minute? Is there trip insurance and will you get all of your money back or only a portion of it? What happens if you have to leave the tour before it’s over? Will you get a refund? What happens if your RV breaks down? How many meals and special events (such as river cruises or land tours) are included in the price? Will you be on the road every day or are some stops planned for two or three days to give you a chance to relax or catch up on chores? What are the roads and highways like? What kind of insurance is needed?
The caravan tour operator should provide a checklist of what you’ll need to bring along and the itinerary should spell out whether or not there will be any boondocking or dry camping without benefit of fresh water, electricity or sewer facilities.