Anybody have info on the bus'n usa rally

[luvrbus]

has there been any info on the bus'n usa rally I can find out very little as some of us did not attend this year.I guess the Prevost rally is more important to Dave and Dick this year

[larryh]

I rode the GoldWing up yesterday to attend the swap meet a total waste of time but had a nice ride took back roads back to RV Park.

LarryH

[Dreamscape]

 A friend of mine went Saturday and Sunday, he's also looking to buy a coach. The attendance was down to 78 coaches this yea, down from 174 last year. The temp. at the Polk County Fairgrounds was 101 degrees on Sat.

He and his wife toured several coaches and also liked an Eagle for sale that was from Spokane WA.

I'm sure the cost of fuel had something to do with it, but you never know.

That's all I know for know.

I sure hope my wife and I can go one of these years before diesel hits 10 bucks a gallon!

Paul

[luvrbus]

Paul make a Eagle rally it's more fun and we don't have a front row for the elite group

[Dreamscape]

Clifford,

I'm still shooting for the Branson Rally. We'll see how it works out. We can't wait to attend one of those.

I promise I'll park in the last row!

Paul

[Gary W]

We left there yesterday, arrived in Vancouver BC today for a week visiting family.
The rally was great, lots of great friends. The food was fantastic as usual. Dave Gregory and Bob Lewis along with all there helpers put on a great rally. They took us on a tour of the Maraton Plant, that was very interesting.

Gary

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Even though the rally was smaller this year we had a great time.   We once attended a rally and there were only 4 of us there......had a good time at that one too.

[Dreamscape]

Sometimes smaller is better!

At the smaller get togethers it is more intimate, you can spend more time chatting and EATING.

Wish we could have been there this year, but other responsibities, like work, got in the way. Next year I will take a vacation, then they can't mess it up!

Paul

[RJ]

I guess the Prevost rally is more important to Dave and Dick this year.

Luvrbus -


Having flown in to attend this rally for the first time in five years, I think you owe Dave and Dick an apology for that remark.  Altho I was only there Fri pm, Sat & Sun, I saw both of them busy all day making sure those who did make the effort to attend the rally had a good time.

My own seminar was well-attended, and still, Dave came up to me later in the day and apologized profusely for not promoting it better at dinner Friday night.  (Hey, even Ed sat in and listened to me prattle on for 90 minutes!!)

Both were very concerned that the attendance was off 50% from last year, and they held a well-attended meeting Saturday afternoon to address the issue and look for ideas to improve for next year - everything from the timing of the event to changing the venue, among other things.

Personally, I got to put a lot of faces to BBS names, and vice versa.  Picked up some very interesting ideas (J-C's Courier 96 is WAY COOL, and you should see the incredible coach John & Carol Camp built literally from scratch - plus they're neighbors of mine, from the same area of Fresno/Clovis!)  I got to compare notes with other busnuts, met a fellow who used to be as involved with Corvairs back in the '70s as I was, and generally had a good time, even tho I wasn't in a coach myself (not enough time to drive - summer's my busiest season).

And then there was Joe's famous Prime Rib dinner on Saturday night. . . OMG, Outback, Claim Jumper, Black Angus have nothing compared to Joe!

So, Luvrbus. . . since you didn't attend, AFAIC, your comment was completely and totally out of line, and you owe Dave & Dick an apology.

FWIW. . .

[JackConrad]

   I think you are going to see most of the rallies decrease in numbers. We will not set our Bussin' 2009 rally fees until September because many of our suppliers will not give us a confirmed price until then. We fully expect it to be smaller.  Although it is easier to set up seminars and attract vendors for the larger rallies, the smaller rallies are more like "family" with more time to visit and tour other coaches. 
   While some may be able to continue traveling as before, most of us have a limited amount of fuel money available. We can only drive as many miles as our fuel fund allows.   
   Perhaps this will prompt a few others to host small informal rallies close to their home.  We are fortunate to live where there are many things going on that we enjoy within 100 miles of our place. 

[luvrbus]

RJ, I don't think I am out of line Dick and Dave have been friends of mines for years ,but as a charter member of Bus"n USA I have seen it go down hill by changing dates charging the vendors too much (more than FMCA) and the bickering that goes on.

They changed the date this year so it would not interfere with the Prevost rally in Canada,entertainment is a issue also Pat Shepard is the only one that offers things for the women to do and she wasn't there.

I could go on and on about it but enough said  on my part you are right about Joe and his prime rib. Dick,David and Bob know me if I think it I say it just my way so keep the cards and letter coming I can handle it

[lostagain]

Got home last night after a HOT drive!! 108F in the Columbia Gorge and Kennewick on Sunday. Lots of vehicles pulled over overheated, included me twice, reenforcing my desire to recore my rad and build a fan shroud as a winter project...

Busn'USA was totally great this year! Yes down a bit in numbers, but so many people to re-aquaint with from last year, and new ones to meet, buses of all descriptions to look at, very informative seminars, the best prime rib I ever had... I had a great time talking to people, seeing their buses, showing mine off and generally sociolizing with other busnuts for 3 days.

Buy the way, the people parked in the front row were just as easy to talk to as the ones in the back row!

Thank you Dave, Dick and all the others who put on a great event. We appreciate very much.

I'm hoping to make it again next year.

JC

[JackConrad]

They changed the date this year so it would not interfere with the Prevost rally in Canada,entertainment is a issue also Pat Shepard is the only one that offers things for the women to do and she wasn't there.

As a promoter of a large bus rally, it is never good to schedule a rally the same dates as another big rally, both rallies will lose attendees to their rally.
   Entertainment is becoming a bigger issue. As fuel cost cost up, entertainers have to charge more. At the same time, the number attending a rally is going down making the entertainment cost more per coach attending. With rising fuel prices, raising rally fees may reduce the number attending making the entertainment cost per coach even greater.
     As people spend more to get to the rallies, thay have less $$ to spend AT the rally, which means vendors take in less while paying more to get to the rally. Several vendors we know have stopped driving long distances to rallies, simply because they cannot make enough to cover the increased travel expenses.  We were fortuante to have Jim & Pat Shepherd attend several of our Bussin' rallies. Talking to Jim recently, he said that the travel expenses make it very difficult to travel to Oregon or Florida. Although they would love to attend, it is simply cost prohibitive to travel that far.  Jack

[luvrbus]

Jack, yours is always on the same dates every year remember I ask if you would change and you told me the date works best for the majority that is good not changing dates hope to attend next year FWIW the Prevost Rally doesn't start till July 7th I like the original date  4th of July weekend was good for a lot of people

[H3Jim]

Its good to keep the date the same.  BusNUSA date change is one reason I didn't go this year.