Rally Time! Food, Tents, Classes, Gals Driving, Plant Tour

CABS for Reflections From the Fence

And, so, our 2011 MOC Rally has begun.

We have two tents, this is the "small" tent, 20 ft X 40 ft.  I will teach two classes here, and will attend several more.  I do not know the size of the "big" tent, but, it holds well over 200 of us with some room to spare.  Pot luck meals and other classes and activities are held in the "big" tent.

Setting up the Meet and Greet, the kick off affair of the Rally, as always LOTS of great eats.  Lots of fun meeting new friends and attendees and refreshing old friendships from prior rallies.

My set up for teaching the MOC novice forum class.

One really special class offered is a driving school for the ladies.  This is to familiarize them with the hitching up process, driving (yes, with a BRAND new Montana in tow! they trust us to NOT wreck them!) and backing up the unit.  I have taken this class once before, it is so well done by the staff of Montana.  I was given the opportunity to take it again this year.  I wanted another go around at backing up.  I am happy to announce that I felt very good about my attempt/practice this year.  No, I am not going to be able to shoehorn Tana into a snarly campsite, but, I do feel I can manage to help Man and not panic if he asks!

Below:  Classroom portion of the driving school.  Our instructor presented the materials with some humor, and succinct discussion/instructions.

Below:  There she goes, yes, SHE, is driving!  It has been amazing to watch the ladies that were truly terrified of pulling their unit after they have attended class.  Many of them post in the weeks after the Rally, on the MOC, "I did it, I pulled our unit for 100 miles on the expressway!"  What a confidence builder this class has been, many thanks to Keystone and Montana for offering us gals such a wonderful opportunity!

Another highlight of our MOC Rally is the plant tour.  It is pretty hard to describe the experience of seeing these units on the manufacturing line!  At the beginning of the line they haul in a frame with some wheels, at the end of the line they wheel out a unit you could live in from that moment on.  Man and I have been coming to Elkhart County Indiana for well over 25 years, and have been going on plant tours for all those years.  I did not take a lot of photos in the plant, but, the one below is kind of interesting.  These are slide rooms being manufactured.   They are built and then lifted into the units.

During our special plant tour we are also given a peak at brand new prototypes, new models, new enhancements, new color schemes.  We are asked to not take photos of the prototypes, and I did not.  We are also asked to not give away any secrets, yet.  Lets just say, there are always some really wonderful new things coming out each year and 2012 will not disappoint.

So far the weather has been favorable, not hot, not cold, not wet, not yet.  Chance of some wet is called for in the forecast for the next couple of days.  No campfires, I for one will take this opportunity to take an extra nap or two!  LOL


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