2019 RALLY

[hardrock]

Greetings Campers,

 

I would like to extend a hearty “THANK YOU“ to Foy Sperring the food master, Matt Duncan, the PR & Advertising master at Oliver, to all our volunteers and especially, Scott Oliver, President, Oliver Travel Trailers who without his sponsorship of the 2018 Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally, it would not have been possible.

 

Success begets success. Everyone wants to know when the 2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally will occur. Although we have reached agreement with Lake Guntersville State Park on the date, we are finalizing agreement on registration details for next year’s rally. For the 2018 rally, we encountered significant problems and confusion when registering for both Oliver Travel Trailers and Lake Guntersville State Park. For 2019, we want to have a single point of registration, for collection of attendee fees and campground reservations. Until we have the process worked out, we cannot release the exact date.

 

For planning purposes, the rally will occur in May 2019 at Lake Guntersville State Park, Guntersville, Alabama. We will announce the final dates as soon as we have the registration process and a budget completed.

 

The last night of the rally, I made an appeal for assistance in planning and organizing the 2019 rally. This appeal still stands. I can be reached at coy.gayle8115@yahoo.com Please contact me if you would like to be a part of the planning, organizing and executing the 2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally.

Our priority for assistance now is for someone who can assist in accounting. As we plan for next year’s rally, we will incur expenses that will need to be paid. We will need to develop a budget for the rally. Please contact me directly if interested. Most, if not all work can be done via Internet and telephone. We will need to develop a budget before we set the fee structure and this has to be done before we release the date of the rally. I want the income and expense of the rally to be done with transparency and integrity so I need assistance with the budget and accounting of funds.

 

To move the rally from a good rally (2018) to a great rally (2019), I would like to have committees of volunteers. Below is the ideal structure for planning, organizing and executing the next rally. Please give consideration to being a part of the 2019 rally and contact me soonest if interested.

 

Coy Gayle

Chairman, 2017, 2018, 2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

 

2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally

Committees and Responsibilities

 

Communications

Registration process

Attendee Information

Rally notices and e-mails,

Creation, distribution and updating of presentation documents, forms and publications

Develop a logo for the “ Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally”

Support Oliver Webmaster by delivering completed documents that are accurate, on time and meet the needs of 2019 rally attendees

Secure a vendor for Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally merchandise

 

Food & Meals

Coordinate rally breakfasts, cookout and opening & closing dinners

Plan and budget expenses for food and materials needed

Work with Lake Guntersville Park staff and food vendors

Communicate with attendees and set expectations

 

Entertainment and Activities

Coordination of local entertainers, activities within the park and Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Provide a timely budget to the Finance Committee

Oversee and monitor all entertainment events

 

Finance

Develop budget for 2019 Rally

Accounting and monitoring of income and expenses, fees from attendees and fees from vendors on a regular basis

Accountability and transparency of all financial transactions

Pay incurred and approved expenses

 

Programs

Educational programs from vendors – “How To”

Sharing and socializing between trailer owners

Educational programs- by owners, for owners

Scheduling and supporting each program

 

Vendors

Develop program(s) that will attract vendors that will fund activities, meals, door prizes and other financial support for the 2019 rally

Engage vendors early in 2018 to secure support from vendors in 2019

Develop “Bronze, Silver and Gold sponsorship” for vendors that will highlight what vendors will receive for sponsorship.

Support vendors during the rally

 

 

SKILLSET

Ability to develop a rally that will exceed expectations of Oliver owners;

• Ability to work as a committee member and coordinate with other committees;

• Computer skills in Microsoft Office, Access to all social media formats, exceptional Internet skills and ability to diplomatically and tactfully works with others.

• Internet, social media and people skills that support clear, accurate and concise offerings of the 2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally

[JWalmsley]

Good topic to start planning for 2019. Stickied it!

[John E Davies]

Will there ever be an Oliver Owners Rally West, say near Denver or SLC? I have zero interest in coming to the eastern half of the country.  It would be a lot longer haul for the Hohenwald folks, but it would draw in people who probably will never attend one close to TN.

 

BTW, my wife, dogs and I will be attending the NW Overland Rally in central WA starting June 28, we could use the company of another Ollie....

 

Thanks,

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[ScottyGS]

What news of the 2019 Rally?    Dates?

[Mike and Carol]

May 16-19 should be the dates. Thursday - Sunday. I’m sure Coy will weigh in to verify, he’s been traveling but is also already laying the groundwork for next spring. Should be a great time! Mike

[hardrock]

The date that Mike posted is correct. For the 2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally everyone will register at one location, the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge. Last year we had you registering at two locations, one with Oliver to pay your rally fees and the other wth Lake Guntersville State Park to register for your campsite fees. This lead to a great deal of confusion. For the 2019 rally, we have agreement with the Park to collect ALL of the fees. I requested a few owners to "test" the system to see if the process would go smoothly. As with many Beta Testing Trials, we found several problems. We are hard at work with the Park to solve these issues. I have personally traveled to Lake Guntersville State Park to resolve these issues. Please do not try to make reservations at the Park until we resolve these issues. I have a meeting this week to further test the system and I anticipate we will soon release the Rally Announcement. Had we released the date before we had the single point of registration established, we would have had significant issues. I greatly appreciate everyone's patience.

My apologies to Mike for not clearly explaining that this was a Beta Test.

coy

[MDuncan]

We will be frequently updating info about the Rally, be sure to visit the webpage from time to time: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/2019-oliver-owners-rally/

[Raspy]

I signed up about week ago for 2019 and it's already filling up.

 

Last year I was hesitant to go because it was so far.  We live in Northern Nevada.  But we decided to go after talking to Scott Oliver and I am really glad we did!  The thing about trips is you can never judge them before you go and they always turn out to be so much better than imagined.

 

So we took off with the absolute minimum of planning.  We didn't even take a map and only had the destination date in mind.  We wandered around and stopped when and where we wanted too.  Sometimes 500 miles  more east and sometimes a 100 mile detour to see something.  We saw the vast emptiness of Nevada, Valley of the Gods, The Rio Grande and The Johnson Space Center.  We toured the Oliver factory, visited Muscle Shoals Alabama and the Fame Music Studio, where so much music came from, toured the Helen Keller Museum, toured a Frank Lloyd Wright house, camped next to the Tennessee River at McFarland Park and had a marvelous dinner on a floating restaurant on a perfect evening.   Crossed Mobile Bay on the ferry, and played in the Gulf behind the Flori-Bama Bar in Pensacola.  we stopped at a "picnic area" in Texas for the night and the thunder and lightening was so powerful we stayed in the truck until it passed, nobody around for miles, and watched in wonder.  Afterward everything was fresh, a fantastic rainbow and and evening with an endless view.

 

We made zero reservations along the way and found so may beautiful places to stop for the night.

 

Oh, and we had a great time at Guntersville.  Met some great people and made some long term friends.  Oliver went all out to make a very nice, fun and casual event.

 

Coming home we played it by ear again and were able to wander along at a speed we chose.  Cruised through Quartzsite after the rush and stayed in a BLM campsite, by ourselves, for free.  Stopped in Death Valley and soaked in the hot springs for a couple of days as our last major stop before the final leg home.  About 60 miles in on a gravel road and 60 miles back out on another gravel road.  The last 6 miles is across the desert with almost no road at all.  Finally, the Oasis arrives.  Wild burros casually stroll by, looking for a cookie.  Warm clear water fills beautiful soaking pools.

 

Besides our nights at the rally, we only paid for four nights to camp during the month long trip.   Two were $7. and two were $10.  Each with full hookups.    We entered federal parks for free with my Senior Card.

 

If you want some good sippin' whiskey, be sure to get some Kirkland Premium Small Batch Bourbon at Costco before you go.  It's hard to get and twice the price in Alabama.

 

The final couple hundred miles up 395 wander through the eastern Sierra and past Mono Lake.  Then up to 8,000 ft.   A refreshing thundershower rinsed the truck and Ollie.   We left pounds of dirt on the highway and got home with a clean rig.

 

Two months later I eagerly signed up for the next one.  We'll probably cruise through Yellowstone this time and see some different parts of the South that I'm so unfamiliar with.  Alabama is full of beautiful parks. The food is delicious and everyone was very friendly.  Heck, we might even take a map this time!

[hardrock]

Thank you for the kind words regarding the rally

 

we are planning on even more exciting activities and programs for 2019.  I will be posting additional information on the 2019 Rally soon.  We expect an even larger crowd than this year’s rally so everyone get your reservations in soon.

 

Coy Gayle 2017,2018, and  2019 Chairman Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally

[hardrock]

Registration 2019 Rally

 

For those attending the 2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Rally in Lake Guntersville State Park, we have streamlined the registration process so there is only ONE call to make for registration.  To register for the rally and receive the discounts we have secured, you need to call the Lodge.  Without following the process below, you may not be able to secure the discount, or have difficulty having your registration fees adjusted

 

We have had a few attendees register with the campground.  The campground personnel has no way of knowing you are a part of the Oliver Owners Rally.  The Lodge Personnel are currently tracking Oliver Travel Trailer Owners information to see that you receive the discounts.  Below is the instructions as it appears on the Oliver Events page.

 

<i>“Register Now

Registration is now open to owners and to the public, your deposit can be taken care of by calling Lake Guntersville State Park at any of the numbers below. Single options and those interested in lodge or cabin accommodations, can use the same numbers below.</i>

 

<i>Just call and say...

"I want to register for the Oliver Owner's 2019 Rally."</i>

 

<i>(256) 505-6634

(256) 505-6602

(256) 505-6601</i>

 

<i>If you are directed to the state park’s voicemail, please leave them a message as they are committed to returning your call within 24 hours</i>

 

 

 

Thank You

 

Coy Gayle

 

2017, 2018, 2019 Chairman, Oliver Travel Trailer  Owner’s Rally

[CedarForks]

We registered for the rally today.  It was painless and Sandra Tesney was very helpful in also taking the registration fees. We were assigned a site but I 'm not sure whether the Olivers are going to be clustered in a specific area or spread out?

[topgun2]

Cedarforks -

 

This past May most of the attendees were located at sites nearer the lake, but, those seeking shade were more towards the top of the hill - closer to the registration building.  A bicycle is helpful but not necessary since for even those camped all the way to the right (as you look at the lake) it is just a few hundred yards to get to the pavilion where breakfast is served, the vendors are located, and most of the presentations are held.  In addition, there is plenty of parking at all sites where events are being held.

 

Bill

[sakthorp]

We're picking up our new Oliver from the factory on May 14th and will then head to the rally.  Our first time in this part of the country!  We were assigned a space in the 'E' section, near the water.  I spied some Oliver trailers scattered there on the G&J Roaming & Rolling You Tube Video.  Skip ahead to the 9+ minute mark to see the flyover of the area taken at last years rally.  

[BackofBeyond]

For all those planning to attend the 2019 Rally, I'm offering up my place to camp before or after the rally. We have a "farm" with plenty of open space, water, and a place to dump you tanks if needed.  Electricity is available, but most likely just a 20 amp circuit.  We are located on the south side of Tim's Ford Lake, in Winchester TN.

 

Our location is about 20 min to Jack  Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, TN about 40 min from George Dickel Distillery, Winchester, TN. We are about 1 hour to Chattanooga, and 2 hrs. to Nashville.  Lots to do if you have never spent much time in this area.

 

Easy entry off a paved road, and grassy treed area for camping.

 

For more information you can contact me by email : rrbounds  --  at  ----  gmail ----- .com.

[hardrock]

2019 Oliver Travel Trailer OWNER’S Rally

May 16th-19th, 2019

Lake Guntersville State Park

 Guntersville, Alabama

 

Our 2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally is off to a great start with 56 campsite registrations and 100+ owners registered so far.  Lake Guntersville State Park has 300+ campsites with hookups and a primitive camping area so there are plenty of campsites for the Rally.  However, the better campsites are being reserved so make your reservations soon.

The 4-day rally will be packed with plenty of activities, programs, food and most of all fun with all of our Oliver friends, both long term and new. We have several programs and activities beginning early Thursday morning to teach owners about your trailer, accessories, maintenance and special camping information.

At our last rally, I requested assistance in putting together the 2019 Rally.  True to form, I have received an overwhelming number of volunteers.   “THANK YOU”    We now have a Food and Beverage Committee under the leadership of Foy Sperring and a Activities and Programs Committee under the leadership of Mary Kay Cvacho.  Each of these two committees is doing a great job. We are thankful for the volunteers who are already helping. We are still in need of a few more. There are jobs, large and small.  You can do as little or as much as you want. Please contact Mary Kay Cvacho at mkbabies1@gmail.com if you are willing to help.

We have an unusual way in the 2019 rally to introduce yourself and your camper to all attending the rally by sending us a photo with you and your trailer at a favorite location.  We will have a video program running all day Thursday to view everyone’s favorite photo along with your name. Registration will be at the Lodge and you may see all of the photos and introductions via video of everyone attending the rally.  Please take a  photo to share and we will provide details later where to send the picture. The rally opening ceremonies will be in the GrandView Ballroom in the Lodge.  We will have some fun activities for both new and long-term owners to learn about our fellow campers.  Traditional Southern BBQ, a delicious dinner in the GrandView Ballroom, or outside on the terrace overlooking gorgeous Lake Guntersville will top off a day of fun, food and friends. If the weather is fair, we will be treated to a magnificent sunset about dinnertime.  After dinner, there will be time to gather with friends old and new to enjoy the night sounds and the smell of the campfires.

We have had requests to modify the rally schedule to accommodate those that must return to work Monday morning. Therefore, we will have the Buffet Dinner Saturday night. Unless you need to return to work Monday, please stay Sunday for a full day of fun, activities and programs.  From the survey we learned about changes you want in the 2019 Rally and we will be incorporating a number of those requests.

We would like to have the opportunity to communicate directly with you regarding announcements about the 2019 Rally. The best way to do this is using e-mail.  However, the rally leadership does not have e-mail addresses for most Oliver Travel Trailer owners.  We will soon post an e-mail box for you to send us your e-mail address if you would like to be placed on the distribution list to receive rally news in a direct and timely manner. E-mail newsletter and other communications will be blind copied to confidentiality protect your personal information. We will also set up an e-mail box for you to request information on the rally.

The rally planning committees for the rally are preparing for the best rally so far so please make plans to attend.  I hope to see you there.

 

Coy E. Gayle

Chairman Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally

2017, 2018, 2019

 

Correction: It was announced earlier that we would be distributing meal vouchers at the rally.  We have made some changes and upgrades in the food and beverage areas and will not be distributing meal vouchers.

 

</p>

[topgun2]

Due to my own "not getting to it", I only made my reservations last week.  All of the area near the lake is now reserved and most of the next area above that is now taken.  While there are still camping spots left, the choice is getting slim.  So, if you are still thinking about joining the party, I'd plan on making my reservations sooner as opposed to later.  Hope to see you there!

 

Bill

[hardrock]

From all of the Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally volunteers

We wish you a Merry Christmas

 

There are a number of campsites still available at Lake Guntersville State Park located in Guntersville, Alabama.  However, they are going quickly. Currently, we have 64+ campsite reservations for our rally May 16-19 2019.  You can call (256) 505-6634, (256) 505-6602,(256) 505-6601 to make reservations.

 

The rally volunteers have been busy making plans for the best rally ever. Here are some highlights

 

PROGRAMS     Our rally is inclusive, not exclusive. We want everyone to be welcome. All enthusiasts of camping adventures are welcome to attend. We will have a number of attendees that have not attended the rally before and we want to make them welcome and a part of our organization. How will we accomplish this?

 

·      Please send in a digital picture of you, your trailer/ RV/ favorite location/family/ favorite campsite in whatever combination you desire, but most importantly we need a photo of YOU!  Please e-mail the digital photo to rally@olivertraveltrailers.com.   Beginning with registration Thursday morning through the Thursday night activities, we will have the photo presentation running in a loop with your name and photo along with everyone else. You will be able to see everyone attending

 

·      Thursday evening activities will be centered on fun activities to become acquainted with everyone attending the rally

 

·      Our Saturday night buffet of Prime Rib will be followed by a “Sock Hop” featuring music of the 50s, 60s, 70’s so bring your dancing shoes.  We encourage everyone to wear era-appropriate clothing. Pull out your poodle skirts, Nehru jackets, bell-bottoms, mini skirts, blue jeans and tie-dyed shirts, etc.

 

We have been putting together programs that are designed to enrich your camping experiences, learn about servicing your trailer and share your camping knowledge with others. We have assembled an excellent group of volunteers to put together programs that benefits every attendee. Here is just one example:

 

“Hospital Readiness On The Road” Program

One of our Oliver Travel Trailer Owners, Dr. Malcolm Monlezun, will be conducting this informative presentation.  From his personal experience in caring for patients and their families, he will share guidelines to help you prepare for a medical emergency in the event of an ER or hospital admission. He will include samples of pertinent medical documents for each person to complete and retain in a portable folder or thumb drive, which can be carried wherever you go. Malcolm and his wife have implemented this into their own lives, and find it invaluable not only on the road, but at home as well.

 

ACTIVITIES - Here is a sneak peak at some of the events:

Ladder Ball Tournament, Boon-Docking Program, Local Winery Tour, Golf tournament, and Zip lining.

 

For those that will be attending the rally but may have difficulty with lodging, we have a block of rooms reserved with discounts at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge.  Please call the previously noted reservations number.

 

o  Lodging while your trailer is being serviced to attend the rally

o  Attending the rally but does not have a trailer/RV

Need a place to stay while checking out the Elite and Elite II with the sales department

o  Want to know more about camping and want to meet other campers

 

On behalf of all of the rally volunteers, we wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season

 

Mary Kay Cvacho                  Coy E. Gayle              Foy Sperring

Activities Director              Chairman                     Food and Beverage Director

[BackofBeyond]

For those who enjoy a jaunt through the local flora and fauna, there are some good hiking trails in the surrounding countryside. I plan to take a stroll on a few of them during my stay. If interested give me a shout.

[IanG]

Joan and I are really looking forward to joining the Oliver Rally this year.  We had the great pleasure of meeting Coy, Phillip A, Steve, Tali and Deanna at the boler 50th Anniversary last August and they invited us to come visit.  Our trip from Calgary, Alberta, Canada will take us on a round trip though the USA covering over 6000 miles

 

Ian & Joan Giles

 

[snowlakemike]

Looks to be a great trip! We will be doing somewhat the same, but starting at the MS section of your trip. We plan to extend a bit more west to include OR andall  WA states. Once we complete this trip we will have all 50 states and most Canadian Provinces within our experience (not all in the Ollie-but many.

 

Your route will bring you 13 miles from my home.

 

See ya at the rally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mainiac]

Over 36 hours and still have not heard back from them. Maybe closed this week??

[hardrock]

Maniac

 

I am not sure what you are referring to in this message.  If it is regarding registration for the 2019 Rally, please PM me with your contact information.  If not, please leave more detailed information on the Forum about your concerns

 

Respectfully,   Coy E. Gayle

 

Hardrock.  2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owner’s Rally

[Mendofrank]

I just this morning made my reservations. For some months, I have been suffering from a wrenched  shoulder which precluded me from driving; it is now beginning to heal. The pain has greatly diminished and my Range of Motion is coming back, thus I felt optimistic about being able to attend.

 

It is a long trip from California to Alabama but I am looking forward to being at the Rally and meeting some of the inventive folks that made changes to their Oliver that I have emulated.  Thanks so much for sharing your expertise. Additionally, this will give me an opportunity to go to the Mother Ship after the Rally and have some changes made to my TT.

 

I agree that it would be nice to have some form of a Oliver get together in the West. In one of Newsletter articles I solicited other owners to indicate an interest in this but only received one reply. I don't know if it was disinterest in getting together or no one reads my articles. In any case I am still open to that possibility.

 

Perhaps, at the Rally, I can meet others who might have a similar interest.

 

Frank McMichael (Mendofrank) - 2015 Legacy Elite II - Twinbed

 

 

[topgun2]

Frank - GREAT!  Look forward to meeting you.  It really is a nice park.  Be safe on the journey.

 

Bill

[ScentFreeInSC]

As Coy mentioned, there are plenty of places to stay right in the park if you don't have your Oliver for one reason or another.  I wanted to let you know of one option that is offered from one of the park's concessionaires: Camper Cabins.  These are rather pricey, and they won't give a group discount as you would get booking a Lodge Room or Chalet with Sandy when you book for the rally, BUT, these are right down in the camping area where everyone else will be.  They look somewhat newer, and you bring your own towels and linens, but they provide kitchen items and even have a screened porch.  We thought it would be a great way to get our first taste of trailer camping even though we won't have our Oliver until September.  (We'll be watching and learning as everyone does their set-up and tear-down routines!)  Just make sure to call Sandy to pay for your rally participation as well.

 

https://camprrm.com/parks/lake-guntersville/

 

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

 

-Kathryn (& Chad)