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Who uses R Village?


Kirk W

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It has now been a while since much was said about this one and I still don't see much activity in that section of the forums so was wondering if more of our forum members have begun using the R Village? If you have, would you mind sharing what it does for you or what you gain from it?

 

Thanks! :)

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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Do you mean RVillage.com? I do. There are currently over 800 Escapees signed up for the Escapee group.

 

"If you have, would you mind sharing what it does for you or what you gain from it?"

 

Different things for different people, I would imagine. I enjoy some of the conversation in group forums facinating. I've learned a lot. I've shared things. Having the group map feature means I can easily look for a group member where I'm traveling to and ask for advice or information, or just arrange a meet up. It's a social site so that's what I use for. YMMV.

Traveling with Shadow and his rubber chicken.

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I tried RV village.com and got camping world. I tried rvillage.com and got something else. Then there is the rvillage topic on this discussion board. I get the camping world deal but I don't get the rvillage on the discussion board VS the rvillage.com. Is it the same thing but accessed in a different way? I didn't want to join rvillage.com just to figure out what it really is. Maybe at some future date.

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www.rvillage.com is the correct url. In talking with Curtis, the owner of rvillage.com this winter, he thought it was quite interesting that Camping World bought both domains, www.rvvillage.com and www.rvvillage.net. I guess Camping World is hoping that people who use the wrong url for rvillage.com, will buy something from them.

 

We belong to rvillage.com but dont get much use out of it. When we travel we keep our location updated with rvillage.com, but so far we have not met anyone by that means.

 

Paul

2005 Winnebago Voyage 38J

 

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To the best of my understanding, the RVillage forum topic was created here to be the 'forum' linked from within the Escapees group on RVillage (a group can choose to have a forum provided by RVillage, or link to an existing one.) It was intended to be a place for RVillage Escapees members to hold discussions if they wished.

 

Overall, we love RVillage and have gotten a lot out of it. We've arrived to many campgrounds to find other villagers checked in and made lots of new friends. When we get to a town, we'll sometimes host an impromptu meet-up using the Get-Togethers feature and invite those within 10 miles of us to come join up. We've had meet-ups with 30-40 people in some locations! In Quartzsite this past winter, Curtis (founder of RVillage) did a last minute meet-up on the site, and over 100 people showed up.

 

It's growing.. just last night it passed 20,000 members. The more people actively involved, the more likely hood there is of finding others already checked into the parks you visit.

 

- Cherie

(Disclosure: while we were involved with the launch of RVillage last year, we are no longer involved in the day-to-day operations.. we continue to use the site because it genuinely aids our travels in meeting new folks, and keeping in touch with friends.)

Cherie & Chris (and Kiki *meow*) / Personal Blog: Technomadia.com
Technomads (technology enabled nomads) since 2006

Our Nomadic Fleet:
RVs:
Zephyr: 1961 GM 4106 bus conversion / Blooper: 2020.5 Winnebago Travato GL Boat: Y-Not: 1999 Bayliner 4788

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I am looking at the RVillage site in another tab and I find no way to look at anything to understand what they offer, unless you first register. Experience has taught me to be somewhat hesitant to join any new form of social media, just on a vague promise that I'll like it. Is there some way to actually see what it consists of before one joins? If there isn't, don't you think making that possible might help to attract new users?

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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RVillage offers several free tutorial videos (linked from the landing page). Just click 'YouTube Channel Link' and get a tour of the various areas. If you like, here's a short video tour we did about a year ago showing off some of the features we love: https://youtu.be/kW-dh-vyIfg (it's a bit outdated - a LOT of new features since then, but it'll get the point across.)

 

Letting the public browse around the site without logging in would violate the privacy of the members who have signed up and are sharing their locations - each member has been promised that their current location won't be shared in an open public place, just behind the logged in area of RVillage.

 

You can keep it anonymous, even use a throw-away e-mail address to sign up if you're concerned about e-mail and such. They don't ask for much to get an account.. just a user name, first name, last name, email address and password. If it's not your thing, just click the 'Delete Profile' option on your profile. If you like it and wish to engage more with others, switch your account around to reveal more about yourself.

 

RVillage isn't for everyone... some folks just don't crave more social interactions in their RVing lifestyle. But if you do enjoy the social side of RVing, RVillage is a great platform for enhancing life on the road.

Cherie & Chris (and Kiki *meow*) / Personal Blog: Technomadia.com
Technomads (technology enabled nomads) since 2006

Our Nomadic Fleet:
RVs:
Zephyr: 1961 GM 4106 bus conversion / Blooper: 2020.5 Winnebago Travato GL Boat: Y-Not: 1999 Bayliner 4788

Hosts of the Mobile Internet Resource Center
Mobile Internet Information for RVers, Cruisers & Nomads
Proud to be recognized as Escapee's Commercial Partners #773 / Escapees RVOU Instructors

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I'm a member, but don't use it much. The members location is pretty useless unless you remember to log into the site and change your location each time you move, which I rarely remember to do. Besides, I'm not sure I want some total stranger to come knocking on my door saying they saw on RVillage that we were in the same location. And I don't really like the way the forums work since there is no way of reading just the new posts since your last visit like there is here. I do occasionally go there to read the forums...maybe once a month if I remember...but it's a tedious process.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

It has now been a while since much was said about this one and I still don't see much activity in that section of the forums so was wondering if more of our forum members have begun using the R Village? If you have, would you mind sharing what it does for you or what you gain from it?

 

Thanks! :)

I joined after reading your post and looking at the website promos. It has been a month. Here are my observations.

 

In looking through the "Escapees Group" I only noticed a few that I recognized from this forum so either folks from this forum are not participating or they are using different screen names. At least some of them do not appear to be updating their locations as the location shown on Rvillage is different from where their blog/website says they currently are. Some still show being at the Tucson Escapade in the Escapees Group and show being in a different location when viewing their information in another group.

 

There were a couple of times there were supposed to be Rvillage members in the places where we were, but there was no RV matching the description given in the member's profile there that I could find. I don't remember seeing anything that indicated when a member arrived at the location listed or when their last login to the website was when viewing a member's profile. I did receive one of what they call an alert that a member had arrived at the location that we had left the day before. I was guilty of not updating our move immediately. I received one spam message that apparently others did also as the sender's profile had been blocked by the admins by the time I viewed it. That was the only contact or profile view in a month.

 

Many of the group forums do not seem to be getting much use with many topics having no responses. I found the default mode of listing the most recent post first annoying until I found the button that put the posts in chronological order so you could read the question before the answers.

 

In regard to registering and security. There does not appear to be any check on the information provided. Unlike this forum and many other sites, there is nothing sent to your email address and requirement to provide that information at the first login to complete your registration. The site does seem to have some capability to know where you are in real time as it shows other members that it thinks are near you even when you select the "on the road" option as your current location. I have no way of knowing if it gives your location to these members when they view their homepage.

 

I really did't find the site useful and have deleted my profile.

 

Hope this information is helpful. Sorry for the delay in responding to this topic, but I wanted to give the website a fair test drive.

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My wife and I enjoy meeting new people. That was one of the things that drew us toward this lifestyle. I think the geographical feature of RVillage is terrific and that is the only feature I have used much. (I spend too much time it seems on this forum as it is, but I should probably go back and take a look at the Rvillage forum.)

 

I have been able to keep our location on Rvillage updated fairly well as we travel. I often check the profiles of fellow RVillage members staying in the same campground to see who we may want to meet. I would never go knock on one of their closed doors unless I had a compelling reason, but if I see them out and about, I have stopped to say hello and tell them that I enjoyed reading their blog, or mention that we share an interest, etc.

 

It seems to have enough initial interest that in time as more people join it will be more useful.

 

I find quite a few members have not shared enough info for me to have any idea if we have anything in common or if they are someone we would enjoy meeting. I also shared minimal info when I joined but when I realized that dynamic, I went back and added more information and photos to our profile. I probably should do more. I hope with time more members will share more information.

 

Jim

Volvo+and+Travel+Supreme+400+x+103.jpg

 

2001 Volvo 770, Detroit 60 Series, Gen 2 Autoshift

Passenger assist elevator to enter cab - for when we need it, or sell it?

'05 Travel Supreme Select 40 RLQSO 5th wheel

2016 smart car

 

We started full timing on December 1st 2014

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness - Mark Twain
Not all that wander are lost - J. R. R. Tolkien

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I am a member but do not use it much because it is not a smartphone app and when on the road there may be weeks I do not turn on my computer because no or real slow WiFi and only use my smart phone and the web site on a smartphone is not very good. I read it at home to see where my friends are camping at, but once I hit the road I stop reading it so I am sure I miss friends sometime.

Dave Watkins

Highland Village, TX

2014 F-350 Dually

Open Range 349RLR

 

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I joined it but dont go there much, but it is relativeley new. Its hard for any new startup to go up aginst Affinity which seesm to have a hold on anything RV in the US. It surprises me they did not protect themselves by registering ,net & ,org. Domains are about $9 a year, so its not a big deal to stop competitors from trying to ride on your coattails.

Paul Beddows

Summer-Abbotsford BC, Winter Jalisco Mexico

Co-Founder of NATCOA

Wagon Master for Caravanas de Mexico RV Caravans

2010 Majestic Class C

 

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I also feel there should be a mobile app for it. However, the site IS set up so that it displays properly on a phone (called a "reactive website"). But that is not as good as a specific app for it. I'm sure it is coming eventually.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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Like Linda, I find it hard to find the forums, and its pretty annoying, then when I find my "groups" there has been no real activity, so after a bit, I stopped looking.

Sue and Paul- fulltimed 2009 -2015 with Dozer, our Gray Tuxedo cat

 2012 DRV Mobile Suites 36TKSB4 pulled by a 2020 F350 Platinum

Our "vacation home" : 2018 Arctic Fox 1150 truck camper

RIP Dozey

http://soos-ontheroad.blogspot.com/

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  • 3 months later...

My feeling is that if you are really into Facebook (or something similar) then this is a good addition for you. It is terribly difficult to navigate - I'm sure there are probably shortcuts, way of streamlining the process, but I'm just not into the 'friends' thing with people I don't know, nor do I care about things happening in some park on the other side of the country, so a lot of the purpose of the site is lost on us.

 

Barb

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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We joined RVillage when it first started, but rapidly became disenchanted as it grew and became more and more labor intensive. Over the years, I've bookmarked a number of web sites that furnish the information I need, but I've found RVillage to be too time consuming to navigate in the time I'm willing to devote to it. And we learned the hard way to be careful of accepting RVillage invitations from folks we don't know when we had a very bad experience. The bottom line for us is that with all of the organizational forums, Facebook, and specialized forums, the all-in-one everything-at-one-location concept of RVillage requires more time than we're willing to spend.

Keith & Brenda

USAF CMSgt (Ret.)
Damn Near Perfect Couple
http://dnpc.blogspot.com

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