Flash back to last spring… we were heading across country from our winter in Florida, had just caught back up with our buddies the Snowmads and were contemplating caravanning down Route 66 with them starting in St. Louis and heading west.
We figured we’d then poke around the western states before our Oregon lighthouse hosting gig in September.
But something was calling us eastward.
Our other RVing buddies Forrest & Mary were heading to the Escapees Escapade in Goshen, IN – and had been telling us that the Escapees rallies were nothing like other rallies we had recently experienced (rallies are really not our thing). RVillage (last year’s big project!) was also hosting a social at the Escapade, and it wouldn’t hurt for us to be there for that too.
So instead of heading west from St. Louis – with a last minute decision – we headed east to Indiana.
Totally not what we expected. But that’s when the best things happen, right?
For all the years we’ve been on the road, we always had a positive impression of the Escapees club. But their chief benefit seemed to be offering a Texas domicile and mail forwarding service – something we’ve referred others to take advantage of, but never needed ourselves.
Our only personal call to joining the Escapees RV Club was so that we could train to volunteer with the DOVEs – their special interest group that works with the American Red Cross to deploy volunteers in their RVs.
So that became our plan… Head to Indiana, join the Escapees and the DOVEs, and help out with the RVillage social.
We honestly weren’t expecting much more than that.
Getting to Know the Escapees
We came away from our first Escapade feeling part of a community. Even if we were amongst the youngest, we all shared a common call to the road that is ageless. And the more we learned about the organization and its history, the more we were smitten.
We started contemplating filing to start a new BoF (Birds of a Feather) group within the Escapees for ‘Working on the Road RVers’ to help bring more of us pre-retirement aged folks into the club.
And then we met Travis and Melanie Carr, and the idea became so much more.
Travis is the grandson of Escapee founders Kay & Joe Peterson – and he and his wife have gotten very active in the family business. The Petersons hit the road in 1970, at the age of 43 with two kids while working on the road. In 1978, they started Escapees without much of a big vision – but it began to grow like wildfire.
Membership in the beginning was 40% under age 50, and working on the road was common.
Today, membership is 85% over 65 – and mostly retired.
Nothing wrong with that of course, many of our closest friends are over 65… except an organization like this won’t have much of a future without bringing in new blood to keep it sustained for the long term.
An Idea is Born
We had the opportunity to join Travis & Mel for dinner during the event – and they asked us why it had taken us so long to join.
‘Well, we’re domiciled in Florida… and, we’re not retired.’
Travis nodded his head and said they hear that a lot from their younger RVing peers, the common perception being that Escapees is a retired RVers club.
Every board meeting Escapee’s has they talk about how to reach a younger demographic, but they kept hitting dead ends.
We talked for hours that night about the sort of benefits and features that might attract a new audience – and we got more and more excited the more we brainstormed.
We talked about mail scanning for their mail service, a more modern and interactive website, adventure caravans to more ‘younger’ things, domicile support in more states (which they already had in progress to offer in Florida and South Dakota), and resources for issues that impact those not yet of traditional retirement age – homeschooling, working on the road, finding healthcare, and living an active mobile lifestyle being tops of the list.
But the problem was, with 85% of the membership being over 65 – and quite happy with the way things are – introducing a lot of new stuff within the existing structure would be two battles at once: Keeping the current membership happy and not feeling excluded AND convincing younger generations that this is a club that has their backs.
So instead, we came up with the idea of a club within a club. And Xscapers was born – co-founded by Travis & Mel and catalyzed by our ideas.
It’s not a new club really, more like a second door into the existing club. The same membership fee applies (now only $39.95/year for the forseeable future) – and members will be able to opt in to Escapees content, Xscapers content, or both by marking their interests in their profile.
There is no age limits on Xscapers membership – it is all about mindset and needed resources. We expect a lot of Boomers in particular will feel called to being involved with both – even if they are retired.
In addition to the big and intensive Escapade rallies, Xscapers intends to also host more casual and spread out ‘convergences’ where there’s time for community & learning AND everyday life (hmmm.. wonder where they got that idea?). Because attending something like Escapade is like taking a week of vacation time for us working on the road folks if we don’t have a business angle for being there.
It’s all about bringing Escapees back full circle to its roots and living up to its tag line of being ‘A Support Network for ALL RVers’.
The Horizon is Our Home
Since last spring, this has been our secret project – working with the Escapees to flesh out this concept. It’s still just getting started, and we’re excited for the vision of what it can be in the future. They are absolutely committed to this vision and have listened from their hearts to every idea.
The Escapees in the past have fought for and won many battles – including perpetual RVers rights to vote and RV parking laws. With all our voices coming together through a single funnel, it is exciting to imagine what we can accomplish in time to help change the entire RVing world for the better.
Imagine the potential possibilities:
- More robust mobile healthcare options for those not yet eligible for Medicare?
- RVs designed with families and workspaces in mind?
- RV Parks that offer more amenities that younger RVers might appreciate?
- Access to vetted legal and financial advisors who know the mobile lifestyles inside and out?
- Awareness within more corporations on the benefits of a mobile workforce?
And of course there’s the existing Escapees benefits of their fabulous magazine, website, events, special interest groups, network of parks, and ongoing advocacy for RVers issues.
We’re super excited and completely honored to have been asked to be involved. A year ago, we weren’t even Escapees, and now we’re part of the team and feel like part of the family.
We’ve certainly made new lifelong friends.
As you may have picked up, we’ve been keeping mighty busy these past couple of years with our work projects and have been seriously lacking in work/life balance.
We definitely weren’t looking for or even open to new gigs when this all came about. It was just an idea we wanted to pass along – but they asked us if we could help them birth it.
This concept spoke to our hearts and souls, and incorporates everything we’ve learned during our last 9 years on the road interacting with our ‘new generation’ of RVing peers. We view our contributions as part of our legacy to help our peers achieve success in this location independent lifestyle we love.
After getting to know the Escapees family – we absolutely know they are THE organization that can make this happen. It’s bringing them right back to where they started with the third generation of their family leading the way. They have the unique experience and resources to make it happen.
So we made time to be involved.
Xscapers debuted last week at the 55th Escapade in Tucson, with Kay Peterson’s endorsement during the opening ceremony. We spent most of the rally with Travis & Mel at the Xsapers booth helping field questions .. and it was a big hit with everyone we talked with.
Our presentations were intentionally planned to help draw in potential Xscapers… and we had quite the contingent in attendance. The first official Xscapers social was quite a blast.
Want to learn more? Meet the fabulous Travis & Mel in this little video we did together last week at the Escapade:
Ready to Join Us?
The brand new Xscapers.com website will be officially debuting on April 1 (appropriately, Chris’ 9th Nomadiversary) and will be open then for accepting new Xscapers memberships directly. It’s up now however, in beta, if you’d like to go browse around and learn more.
In the meantime – to stay ‘in the know’, we welcome you to join the new:
If you want to join now, you can by joining through the current Escapee’s website and then logging into the Xscapers beta website with your new SKP Number. Membership is just $39.95/year and gets you all the benefits of the Escapee’s RV Club PLUS Xscapers.
If you’re already an Escapee’s member, you’ll be able to log into the new Xscapers website and link your SKP number to your login – no extra registration fees involved.
** Disclaimer: While we are paid as strategy advisors to Escapees, they are not paying us for advertising or promoting Xscapers or making this post. But we’re thrilled they did give us the opportunity to be the first to announce Xscapers online! We share this with you because we believe in this organization and what it can offer us all. We wouldn’t have been involved otherwise. **
We just made the decision to make the switch – hubby and I both work from home full time in IT, and now we’re planning on working from an RV. So exciting and scary all at the same time! It will take some time and planning to get everything together – I just found your site and love the info about the Xscapers – sounds like there’s quite a big community of like-minded people out there. Can’t wait to make the break!
My husband started raving in 2014 we had no idea how many full-timers were out there. We mainly toured around New Mexico to see family and explore. Purchased a lot in Las Vegas, NV where learned more about full-time RVing and now are full-time Nomads. My husband is 71 years young and I am 62. We still enjoy working a roaming around the US. We found your site, love reading your stories. Not sure what groups to belong to yet. Thanks for the update about Escapees. We will be attending the Nomadic Movement Rally in October.
I am one of the Old Farts mentioned in an earlier threads, But prefer old-younger mix of friends.( my wife is 12 yrs my junior.I’m an escapees member but would love the input of younger people. The learning curve goes both ways.I never talk to a person young or old that I don’t learn something.Looking forward to seeing both groups living,learning,traveling together. ps. We will be Camp Host in Ark. this season For USACOE
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We joined in on the Xscapers Quartzsite Convergence 2017 and had a blast! Not only meeting like-minded RV travelers but also learning things to make our on-the-road work more rewarding and less daunting. Looking forward to more experiences like this. BTW, this article is excellent. Hope you don’t mind us sharing it on our own blog. Very informative and more outreach. 🙂
So glad you had a fabulous experience, and it warms our hearts that Xscapers continues to grow and meet its intentions. Please, share away 🙂
My husband and I are in our early 50’s. We defiantly want to go full time in our RV but health insurance needs hold us back. Has the escapes come up with a solution for this?
They’ve partnered with RVerInsurance.com – who tracks the options.
Im interested in joining as I recently left my corporate job with Verizon and now my fiancÁ© and I have purchased a 39Ft Class A Diesel RV and plan to travel the US for the next year while working on the RV full-time. As young RV’ers (Im 33 and she is 30), my question is mainly for the job board that is listed on the website, how many companies currently have positions posted on the website? Also any info you can provide regarding the job board would be very helpful. Thanks!
The job board was just launched.. and just getting started. It’s something that should hopefully ramp up in time.
I’m 63, and one of the things about this mobile life that bugs me is the high percentage of old farts. I didn’t hang exclusively with my fellow whitehairs before living on the road, and I don’t want to do that now. I have to get out of the boondocks once in a while in order to be around people of all ages.
On top of that, I’m not a joiner. Groups? Eeeeewwww. Groups of old farts? Quadruple eeeeewwww. So even though I won’t be joining, I appreciate the concept behind Xscapers. But besides providing resources and community for younger people who’ve already hit the road, I would love it if Xscapers actively evangelized and recruited those who wonder why the whole anchored-in-one-place life isn’t making them happy. Get more young blood out here experiencing greater freedom.
Love the possibles. May have to join just for that!
The potential for this is huge and exciting.. we’d love to have you along in creating it!
Timing is EVERYTHING! The Club is blessed to have both of you and it’s been a joy having you at Escapade; we are keeping you! Big hugs and luv ya!!
We just love the synergy of this all.. we definitely have found our fit. Thanks for all you guys do, and hope you’re getting some well deserved downtime. *hugs*
Thanks for your work on this! Definitely going to head over and check out the beta site now!
Fantastic.. looking forwarding to seeing you over there!
Wow – another coup for the 2!
We are so impressed with all you do!
Hey.. nice rhyming 🙂 And thanks.. it’s a joy to be able to provide some useful tools for others.
So awesome! We’re excited by this – an idea whose time has come! Let’s all rock it! can’t wait to meet and connect with more of you!
So glad to have you guys involved.. we will rock it! 🙂
Yay! With more non-retired age folks then ever catching the RV bug this is a much needed resource. So excited to see how it evolves over time.
We sure to have quite the community out here on the road.. so thrilled to have an organization that wants to help us all with the logistical stuff.
Chris and Cherie,
All I can say is Wow! You have been busy, and I recall commenting about your pre-release suggestion of something else big coming shortly, and you’ve delivered. Great work!
My oh my, how busy you’ve been! RVillage. Xscapers. A new Job Board coming soon?! Now, another question does arise with regard to the reason for fulltiming so there’s time to enjoy living, ya know…. 🙂
Here’s hoping you get that time to live life, but also looking forward to that upcoming announcement. Congrats on everything.
We’ve indeed been super busy…. this project was just too awesome to not be involved in. We’re super blessed that the Escapees let us define our role, and they have been so respectful of our time.
But yeah, considering we expected to be coming out of a career sabbatical about now.. we’re way overdue for some reduced work hours. We’ll get there.
BTW, the job board is part of the Escapess/Xscaper new websites.. not a separate project we’re working on 🙂
Good to know, and thanks for the clarification.
Do i have to join both groups?
Nope.. it’s one membership fee, and you choose which content you want (one or both).
We’re in our early 50’s and although we don’t RV (yet!), we are dreaming of the near future when we will hit the road full-time. We’ll be working along the way to support ourselves. Reading about Xscapers gives us hope that we’ll have an ally in our adventures. Plus, I love that there will not be an age limit. Thanks for all of your hard work!!
We’re so thrilled that Escapees wants to be our ally… the work they’re doing behind the scenes to offer up these resources is amazing. We can’t wait to see it all come together.
This is great! I joined Escapees last year, mainly to have access to their resources and the great magazine, but I really love the idea of a sub-group for us folks who are still working, and looking for fun gatherings that are geared more for us non-retired folks. Love this!
Escapees has always offered great resources.. we’re excited to see them committed to continuing to offer resources for folks in different stages of life. See you there 🙂
That’s so refreshing to hear. I was a member of the Escapees 20 years ago and my wife and I were the ONLY young people in the group but we got lot’s of inspiration from the magazine. Years later, in my early 50’s, this is great to see and I will definitely be plugging in to this, good job…
We look forwarding to seeing you on the horizon!
Great idea – despite coming off the road after fulltiming for awhile and loving it, I still keep my membership in Escapees and definitely looking forward to the launch of the new group – still dream of hitting the road again but need to replenish savings and/or find a way ( as a solo ) to make enough to support the lifestyle – still working on it 🙂
Here’s to a bright future.. you may be very excited to hear about the forthcoming job board that they’re working on putting together.
Looks like the new club is off to a good start – and obviously something that speaks to many, many people who saw Escapees as just for retirees from Texas. Having the strength in numbers that Escapees gives to the issues facing those working on the road fulltime will benefit so many people 🙂 Today youth, tomorrow diversity – hope springs for an organization that represents all wheeled-nomads.
The potential is limitless.. and we’re excited for it. Thanks for sharing in it!
Good to see you all at the Escapees Rally in Tucson. We were not members and were on the fence to join….Xscapers is the feature/benefit that pulled us over. We now have our SKP# and are looking forward to the journey.
C U down the road,
Jeff and Deb
http://www.RollingRecess.com
So glad you decided to join us Jeff & Deb!! It was great to meet you guys in Tucson. 🙂
We’ll see you on the horizon!
It was so great to see you guys again at Escapade..and super thrilled that you connected with the Xscapers spirit 🙂 See y’all on down the road!