iRV2/GNR Meet and Greet - Page 5

firehog10 · 07-22-2008, 01:33 PM

We also missed the gathering on Monday because of service to our coach. Sounds like we missed a good meeting.

Fossilhog · 07-22-2008, 02:36 PM

One of the morning TV shows had a nice segment featuring you guys. Sadly my Winnie sits in the back yard with a fried hydraulic pump! Oh well maybe next year.

John_Canfield · 07-22-2008, 04:16 PM

Tried to catch the Early Show this morning but we couldn't get the local CBS station in the coach and we were too busy with frying bacon to trot down to the end of the row to see it in person

Thanks Mike (DriVer) for the nice summary of our iRV2 gam - it was a lot of fun and I hope this will be a regular feature of the GNR. I had a blast meeting everybody and wish we had more time to chat.

Speaking of the GNR, I wasn't too sure how I would like it, but now I can see why people come back to this year after year - it is a lot of fun with all of the parties, activities, seminars, and entertainment going on and a great opportunity to get the coach serviced. I was delighted to see Roadmaster here with their service truck and they essentially overhauled my tow bar for free (I did tip the tech, though.)

rebelsbeach · 07-22-2008, 04:55 PM

A sincere thanks to not only those folks who had anything to do with "putting on" this event, but to our very own iRV2 members who took time out to attend the event.

Sounds like a good time was had by all.

Say, that Bryan Funke is getting to have my kind of hairdo as well!!

Here's wishing safe travels to each and every one of you at week's end...

Thanks again,

Bob Gregory

BBBEEBOP · 07-22-2008, 05:22 PM

Thanks to Driver and Glenda for organizing the IRV2 gathering this week. It was great to put faces to the names. This is my first GNR and it has been great. The information, friendliness and general help it attitude is just super.
My appreciation goes out to the whole Winnebago Team as well.

AFChap · 07-22-2008, 06:28 PM

It was a great gathering! Thanks for the efforts of all involved, and it was especailly good to see Doug & Bryan there showing once again their sincere care for the good relationship between Winnebago and individual owners!

In talking with other brand owners as we travel around, and seeing comments on several online discussion groups, we are repeatedly reminded how glad we are to be Winnebago owners!!!

jcar6109 · 07-22-2008, 06:39 PM

I also want to thank those who put forth the effort to make this event happen.

I almost got to meet some of you folks. My wife and I were there and just at the beginning of the drawings we received notice that a friend of ours and also an iRV2 member was being taken to the hospital in Mason City by ambulance so we left to drive his wife to the hospital and be with them. They kept him overnight and released him Tuesday morning. To make a long story short he is OK now but we both are disappointed to have missed the event. We are planning to be back next year and hope there will be another event such as this.

We are in one of John's pictures if you know where to look.

glenda1908 · 07-22-2008, 06:52 PM

I have been out of touch the last few days. As some of you know we had to have some service on the new coach, but Winnebago took great care of us.

It was nice meeting everyone and for those of you here for the first time to GNR, now you can see why you want to keep coming back. Two couples in our WIT chapter are here for the first time and they are quite impressed.

Bob, Bryan said to tell you hello. He also said to ask you if a "Winnebago guy" helped you with your SOB awhile back?

Driver, my flag pole awaits your arrival. Thanks for the offer to install it.

Hope to see you everyone around the grounds the rest of the rally. By the way, isn't the entertainment great!

Winnebago always has top notch acts for the rally.

Boris and Natasha · 07-22-2008, 09:13 PM

The CBS Early Show has the segment on their website.

Check it out!.

And just in case this link doesn't work, go to cbsnews.com and click on The Early Show, then click on "Winnebago Season". Very fun!

Jealous at home,
Boris and Natasha

John_Canfield · 07-23-2008, 02:48 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rebelsbeach:
--snip--Say, that Bryan Funke is getting to have my kind of hairdo as well!!--snip--
Bob Gregory </div></BLOCKQUOTE>When I said hi to Bryan last week, I almost didn't recognize him with the goatee - hadn't seen him in a couple of years. Now we both have crumb catchers

Duner · 07-23-2008, 07:28 PM

Here's a nice writeup from the front page of the Globe Gazette ....

"Early Show" celebrity works the crowd

By Bob Fenske, For The Globe Gazette
FOREST CITY "” Dave Price, the weatherman for CBS News' "The Early Show," sure knows how to work a crowd.

Price and a production crew conducted live broadcasts Tuesday morning from the Winnebago-Itasca Travelers Grand National Rally in Forest City.

In between spots, Price chatted up the spectators "” asking a girl who carried a sign announcing it was her 17th birthday if "she got a Winnebago for her birthday"; finding a couple from Erie, Pa., where he once worked; and joking with scores of others.

Not bad for a guy who had to learn to be a morning person.

"I was never one of those people. Just ask anyone who lived with me," he said with a laugh. "But once I got adjusted to this schedule "” it was like, ˜you want me to get up at what time?' "” it's been wonderful to see people come alive and get on with their day."

Price and his crew were in Forest City as part of "The Early Show's" "Early on the Road" program that has partnered with Winnebago for the past three years, during which time Price says he has become a big fan of the RV lifestyle.

"We started with a View," he said of Winnebago's most fuel-efficient model, "and they keep giving us bigger and bigger models.

"The more and more we get out, I've come to love being with this culture, with this group of people. It's a great lifestyle, I can tell you that right now."

As he chatted, someone in the crowd asked him if he ever drove the big units, and his answer was quick.

"They let me drive it once," he said with a laugh, "and then they called security. I'm a rider, not a driver."

For Winnebago Industries, the national exposure garnered from Tuesday's live reports was "” to steal a phrase from a popular commercial "” priceless.

"We cannot buy this type of advertising for Winnebago and our industry," Winnebago Chairman and CEO Bob Olson said as he watched Price prepare to go to live. "It shows the nation that you can't take away this lifestyle. ...

"It's not only that they're right here at Winnebago but, more importantly it shows that people still embrace this life and they're not going to let fuel prices keep them from their vacations and weekends."

Almost on cue, Price began a spot in which scores of motor home enthusiasts followed him down a row of motor homes.

Then while his crew set up for the next shot, Price, talked with the crowd and gave them an update on his own busy travel schedule.

He was in Tampa, Fla., on Friday and in Chicago on Monday before coming to Forest City later that day. As soon as he was done shooting on the rally grounds, he was off to Texas to cover what is expected to turn into Hurricane Dolly. From Houston he will head to Cheyenne, Wyo.

But Price said he would have it no other way.

"I love being our ambassador," he said. "To get out and see the country, to meet people like this ... I know I'm a lucky guy."

Bob Fenske is the editor of the Forest City Summit, a Lee Enterprises newspaper.

JC2 · 07-24-2008, 12:37 PM

Some of us at the IRV2 rally in Perrin Tx heard about DriVer and his families unfortunate incident with lightning and are thankful everyone is ok. We also heard that since that time he glows intermittently at night like a lightning bug. True or false.

DriVer · 07-24-2008, 01:04 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JC2:
We also heard that since that time he glows intermittently at night like a lightning bug. True or false. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Hello Perrin, TX! Yep whatever you heard is true. They have even given me the name, "Sparky" at the party.

I'll probably never get over this rally that's for sure!

Give everyone our best!

glenda1908 · 07-24-2008, 07:33 PM

Well, it's been a great week.

Some of us will have "glowing" memories of GNR this year.

It was fun meeting all of you and we look forward to seeing everyone again...and hopefully before next year. We and two of our group will be pulling out at the break of dawn tomorrow. Everyone have a safe trip and smooth ride to your destination.

Rudolph · 07-27-2008, 05:18 AM

Home again, now to get caught up and leave again. The drive home was a nice change after looking at Mike's back side for so long. Hope your repair work goes well Mike. Do you know how they are going to fix you neighbor's coach yet? I was in service the day of the get together. Good to meet so many of you.

DriVer · 08-01-2008, 07:13 PM

The techs at Winnebago Industries did an excellent job in getting us back whole after the lighting strike. I am very much impressed with their attention to detail.

At the current time the coach has a new:
<LI> 50A transfer switch.
<LI> CB coax cable from the roof to a coiled quantity of cable under the dash.
<LI> A/V switch box. Antenna amplifier now working.
<LI> HVAC ground wire at modular connector.
<LI> TV remote control.
<LI> Street side slide topper.

The tech even took the time to clean the burn marks and soot damage on my firewall. Much appreciated.

I personally replaced my 50A Surge Guard unit ASAP.

We are currently back on the road with stops in Union City, IN and then we are expecting to be on our way to SC early next week.

It's been a very interesting month.

glenda1908 · 08-02-2008, 03:29 AM

Dear Mike and Coleen,
Have a safe trip, and if it looks like it's going to storm.....leave!

Good seeing you again and I am sure we will cross paths soon. Thanks for all of your help at the rally. However, that flag pole is still waiting to be installed!

See you "down the road"

Phil and Glenda