Escapees March-April 2024

camping chair chat

ORVO, Ontario RV Owners Plant a seed, and watch it grow: that’s how ORVO commenced its humble beginnings fi ve years ago as a simple Facebook group for those with a passion for the RV life.

ORVO has expanded from a few dozen RV campers to a member ship of nearly 27,000. The image for the acronym ORVO (Ontario RV Owners), has rapidly grown into a recognizable logo to connect with members of a

community. Its Facebook group is a place for posi tive exchanges of information about living the RV lifestyle. It’s a peer-to-peer group where members reach out to talk about a host of topics relating to the RV experience; to share information about camping destinations and personal adventures, knowledge regarding RV insurance and resources, and RV tricks, tips and troubleshooting in real time. Since its launch, ORVO has been building its representation at RV shows and related functions across the province. Last May, we took a giant step by incorporating a member’s rally. The weekend of events took place at Quinte’s Isle Campark in Prince Edward County. Over 100 people were in attendance. It was such a resounding success that members were already talking about the next one. A second rally was in the cards and, when tickets went on sale, it exceeded the number of 2023 partici pants within 48 hours. Organizers have been work ing diligently behind the scenes to introduce newer and bigger events for the upcoming May rally. ORVO is still operated by a handful of volunteers. With the group’s growth, the time and commitment necessary to represent at the various events and to carry off an annual rally has increased substantially, but our crew is committed to keeping ORVO successful. The group is solely funded by sponsorships and donations from those who support the role they play in the industry. ORVO has become the number one social media in fl uencer representing RV living and has expanded to include a website and Instagram page. But it’s ORVO’s presence on Facebook has become the virtual camp fi re that their members congregate around at the end of a long day. ORVO, OntarioRVowners@gmail.com www.facebook.com/groups/OntarioPrivateRVOwners

especially when taking it off, remember to be careful where you put your feet. At some point, people on the roof may be unable to see their feet beneath folds of loose cover. By keeping your feet fl at on the roof, you can avoid stepping through a roof vent or skylight, but if you accidentally kick the edge of a roof vent, you’ll usually break off a corner and the older the vent cover, the more brittle it’ll be from UV exposure. Also, when applying or removing your cover try not to lay it directly on the ground. You’ll probably be fi ne the fi rst time you apply your cover because the interior side of the cover is rolled up inside itself and it doesn’t drag on the ground. But, the insides of most covers are a softer fabric, and with each subsequent use, it’s harder to keep the interior of your cover off the ground as you manipulate it. If this soft liner comes into contact with the ground, it’ll pick up dirt, sticks, leaves and grass. Crud will cling to it, even on a clean driveway or parking lot. It’s almost impossible to get all that clinging mate rial off once it’s on, and it will wear on the cover and your trailer’s fi nish. My solution was to buy a large tarp and place it on the ground under my cover each time I take it off. Only roll, unroll or move your cover on the tarp so it can be cleaned with a hose and a leaf blower where trailer covers can not. With a little preparation and care, a cover can last for years, even though the sun will eventually destroy it. Of course, it’s better to wear out a cover than your trailer’s roof and fi nish. John Brandt #175937

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March/April 2024 ESCAPEES Magazine