In my first few years of being on the road, I made far more new RV friends than I ever did in several years of living in my brick-and-mortar home. Not only that, but the new connections I have made are also stronger than connections I’ve had in the past.
This is likely because we have to try a little harder to keep in touch when we’re on the road. After all, it’s not like we’re going to run into friends at the grocery store and catch up that way. No, it takes thoughtful consideration and planning to stay connected with traveling friends.
Here are a few creative ways to make and really connect with some new RV friends.
Join Forums
When you share something in common with someone, it can create a thread. When you have several things in common, the thread becomes a stronger bond. Online forums can help you find those common interests and connect over them.
Whether you RV in the same rig as your friends or you both like to ride bikes, there is a forum for you.
Not sure where to find RV forums? The iRV2 discussion boards are an excellent place to start! This website features communities for those with the same RV brand or type, communities for RVing newbies, and more! Join one or more of these communities with your friends and nurture your connections there.
Connect on Social Media
One of the first things I always do after meeting someone new in the RV world? Add them on social media.
I find this is an excellent way to keep in touch with acquaintances, and it allows me to follow their travels so we can meet up if we happen to be in the same place at the same time again. Often, I am also able to see what a person is interested in by following them on social media, and sometimes this gives me new ways to connect with them.
- I personally like Facebook and Instagram for this, but other social media platforms also work.
- LinkedIn offers a professional angle to RV networking.
- Reddit and X keep the conversation lively with updates and insights.
- Tumblr and TikTok offer creative and visual storytelling.
- Pinterest is perfect for organizing and sharing travel inspiration.
Use Messaging Apps
It can be nice to have a private conversation going in addition to forums and social media. This is where messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger come into play. I use this to stay in contact with pretty much all of my RV friends and even have several ongoing group chats with certain circles of friends.
I appreciate that I can stay in touch with people without sharing my phone number. I also love that we can use Messenger to send videos (which I often don’t like to go through very quickly via text message) and that I’m able to mute certain conversations if they get to be too much while I’m working.
Schedule Video Calls
Another feature of Facebook Messenger that comes in handy? The ability to video call. Video calls are an excellent way to have a face-to-face conversation even when you can’t be together. Facebook Messenger video calls work well for impromptu calls to an individual, but I also really like Zoom for planned group calls, as the quality tends to be better.
Join Online Activities
There’s also the option of joining online activities together. In this digital age, there are countless online clubs, classes, and gaming platforms that cater to a variety of interests.
Some sites where you can find live online classes for adults include:
- For those who love games, platforms like Tabletopia and Board Game Arena provide an excellent array of online board games that you can play with friends, mimicking the cozy and fun atmosphere of game nights.
- On the educational and skill-building front, GetSetUp is an incredible resource, offering live classes on a multitude of topics. Whether you’re looking to learn new technology, pick up a hobby, or engage in health and wellness activities, GetSetUp creates a welcoming environment for growth and socialization.
- SkillShare opens up a world of creative and professional online classes, ranging from photography and painting to business and technology. It’s a great way to dive into new subjects together, offering both you and your RV friends the chance to learn new skills and share your progress, no matter where you are on your travels.
Find one that both you and your friend are interested in, and dive in together. Not only will this strengthen your friendship, but you’ll likely make even more friends while you’re at it since you’ll be joining a group of like-minded individuals.
Plan To Meet Up
One of the things that makes our connections with new RV friends grow is that we regularly meet up with the people we’ve connected with out on the road. We don’t just wait for our paths to accidentally cross, though. Instead, we communicate our travel plans and adjust them in order to cross paths with our friends whenever we can.
RV LIFE Trip Wizard is an excellent tool for this because it makes sharing travel plans with a friend a cinch. All you have to do is look under the ‘wrench’ on your planned trip and select “Share Trip” from the dropdown menu. Using this feature, you can share your plan with anyone you like, and they can send theirs to you. This makes it incredibly easy to match your routes and cross paths regularly.
Attend an Event
There is a very strong possibility you met your friends at a rally. But no matter how you met, this is something to keep in mind for connecting. There are tons of rallies and events across the U.S. and Canada where you can meet up. It just takes a little planning.
Some RV clubs and organizations that host rallies and events throughout the year include:
Check event calendars for the time when you will both be out RVing. If you RV full-time, check a few months in advance. When you find an event that works for both parties, book it!
Wrap Up
The time spent together is priceless, and who knows? You might even find some new RV friends to add to your traveling tribe!
Why not take a little time and effort to keep the connections open with your new RV friends? As you can see, there are plenty of ways to go about it, and the experiences you’ll have will enrich your RV life in more ways than you can imagine. What are other ways you keep in touch with RV friends?
From our trail bike and later sailboat days, I followed on with what I call coach cards. These have a picture of our coach (used to be a picture of the sloop) and relevant contact information. As our coach is a memorable classic (OK, antique) it is a good memory point. The that and the names proudly emblazoned make it easy to connect it to us. It also has a list of organizations and places (like forums) where we might meet. I know from results that this has been a successful effort.
Matt_C