RE: [VAL] Rally Open House for Vintage Trailers

[Kevin D Allen <overlander64@xxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings Wally!

There is nearly always some compromise when it comes to scheduling
activities during the International Rally.  July 4th has been the
culmination of each of the Internationals that I have attended
(1998-2002 and 2004).  Opening ceremonies are typically held on or about
June 27th.  

This year, it would have been very trying for members displaying their
coaches to be prepared for an Open House the first weekend.  As with
many International Rallys, it took some time to get utilities and setup
complete - - the Vintage parking section didn't have electricity until
Monday morning, and with the delayed arrival of the VAC parade onto the
Rally Grounds on Saturday afternoon (a freight train chose an
inopportune time to block a crossing on the parade route for more than
an hour) many members were still trying to get sorted out when I arrived
at the site at about 6:30 p.m.  

The balancing act is one of permitting members who are participating in
the Open House and Concours d'Elegance sufficient time to get setup,
"recover" from the trip to the Rally, clean and prep the coach - -
balanced with trying to find the best date possible from those that are
available.  An issue with the first weekend (June 26-27) was that the
International hadn't officially begun - - the first day (denoted by
opening ceremonies) was Monday, June 28 - - activities held before the
official beginning of the Rally often are sparsely attended.  Another
issue that often arises is that the number of coaches in the Vintage
area peaks within 72-hours of the VAC parade's arrival.  By Sunday, July
4th, there were only around a dozen coaches remaining in the VAC parking
area.

Most of us in the VAC parking area had visitors periodically throughout
the Rally - - both WBCCI members curious about our coaches as well as
members of the greater Lansing community.  I enjoyed visiting with
several about my Minuet, and offered less formal tours (no literature
displays, videos, or PowerPoint presentations). 

While a mid-week Open House and Concours d'Elegance may not have been
ideal, the event seemed to be at least as well attended as any in which
I have participated.  The weather was absolutely fabulous, and I had at
least 70 visitors tour my Minuet.  Having been parked in the last row, I
had a number of visitors throughout Wednesday afternoon as there were so
many coaches in the Open House that visitors were having trouble getting
through all of the coaches that they wanted to tour.

Kevin

Kevin D. Allen
1964 Overlander International/1999 GMC K2500 Suburban
1978 Argosy Minuet
1975 Cadillac Convertible (towcar in-training)
WBCCI/VAC #6359