Newell Rally in Spearfish, SD

Site of our next Newell Mini Rally

One of the amazing, unexpected benefits of owning a Newell coach are the many friends we have made over the past 5 years.  Friends who also own Newells of varying vintages.  I'm not talking about casual friends, or friends who are friends just because we own the same motorcoach, but friends who are true friends in every sense of the word.  I know from reading blogs of other folks who own Airstreams, or GMAC's, or Bus Conversions, and other RV's made by many other manufacturers, all feel the same about the people who have come into their lives because of their choice in RV.  All I can speak for is my particular users group, and they are an amazing bunch of people.

 Austin, TX

When I was in the process of buying our 1982 Newell I joined the only users group that existed at the time, www.newellclassic.com, and introduced myself.  I was immediately welcomed by half a dozen people who were regulars on the website.  I found out one of them, Michael Day, lived part time in his 1992 Newell in Newport Beach, CA, about 50 minutes from where I lived in Ontario, CA.  I was anxious to meet other Newell owners so I suggested to Michael, while online one day, that TLE and I drive down to meet he and his wife, Georgia, one weekend.  He was very enthusiastic about our visit.  As it turned out another of my eventual good friends, Tom McCloud and his family were on an extended trip in their 1990 Newell that summer and were going to be at Michael's RV park, Newport Dunes, that same weekend.  Little did we know that we would become close friends starting that weekend with not only Michael and Georgia, but Tom, his wife Darlene, and their daughter Heather.  

Tom (Encantotom) and Darlene at Creede, CO

David and Denise - Creede, CO

Since that weekend we have spent time traveling with Tom and Darlene twice on the way back from a Newell Rally held in Austin, TX, and then a second Newell Rally held in Creede, CO, and we have spent 12 days at their home in Arizona at the beginning of our current journey.  We have spent a week at the home of Georgia and Michael in Austin, TX.  Just this past summer our good friend Tom McCloud started a new users group called www.newellgurus.com.  I still visit the other site, but all of my friends have migrated over to the new site, so that is where I spend my most time when online.

Steve and Patricia (Prarieschooner)

This is a story that has repeated itself over and over again on our journey the past 13+ months.  We have been invited into the homes, and on to the properties of Newell owners all across the U.S.  There is just this immediate kinship.....a feeling like I have known these people all my life.  

Denise and Elaine - Austin, TX

This summer from June 22nd to June 29th we will be attending another Newell mini rally....the first since August of 2009.  The location is in Spearfish, South Dakota.....smack dab in the middle of the Black Hills.  The rally was the result of an e-mail conversation with a new Newell owner Todd Flickma, who lives in Sioux Falls, SD and myself.  He recently purchased a 1984 Newell Classic from a guy in Texas.  Over the course of several phone conversations, and many, many emails we have become friends, and we are so much looking forward to meeting him and his family this June.  At first we were just talking about our two families getting together in the Black Hills.  Subsequently this gathering has grown into a 19 coach Newell Rally.  Many of the folks coming I have met in person already, but there will be new people I have not met before, and am looking forward to becoming closer friends with them, too.  We will even have a representative from the Newell factory there at our rally.  

Richard, Rhonda and son - Creede, CO

Information about the rally can be found here: Newell Gurus Mini Rally.  We don't charge a registration fee for these informal rallies.  The only money you will pay is for your RV site at Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort, and your travel expenses to and from the rally.  Now, if you don't need, or want any new friends, then please just ignore this blog entry, because if you come you will gain a whole new family of friends.

TLE and I - Creede, CO

If you have found this blog entry through a Google search, or some other search engine, and are thinking about owning a Newell, or have a Newell and want to get together with a bunch of really cool, genuine folks  who also happen to own Newells, please come and join us in Spearfish!