Escapees RV Club
Escapees RV Club was founded by Joe and Kay Peterson on July 4, 1978. Originally there was no detailed plan with five and ten year goals. They were simply two working travelers enthralled with the RV lifestyle who wanted to make RVing the best it could be for themselves, their friends, and fellow travelers. They even thought that “there might someday be a hundred---even two hundred---members!” not knowing that over 100,000 Escapees members would eventually join the club.
Escapees RV Club is now one of the largest clubs in the industry. Escapees provides " a total support network for all RVers" with its eight Rainbow Parks and 11 SKP Co-Op parks, magazine, the largest mail forwarding service in the United States, hundreds of discounted parks, Escapees Care, Inc., and an information-packed website. The RV Club organizes special events for club members and hosts HOPs (Head Outdoor Program) excursions throughout the year and "RV Boot Camp" once a year in Texas to ease new members into the RVing lifestyle.
Founders
Joe Peterson
Joseph George Peterson was born on April 23, 1927, in Carlsbad, New Mexico. His Father, who had immigrated at age two with his parents from England, had no education beyond reading and writing, which he taught himself.
Tom Peterson, Joe’s father, was a laborer building the trails at Carlsbad Caverns, and they lived in Carlsbad Caverns National Park until 1940 when his father lost his job because the government discovered Tom Peterson was not a United States citizen.
Joe spent as much time as he could talking with the tourists. He found they were eager to hear the various stories of the caverns and their discovery by Jim White. They rewarded him for this information by telling him about the town and the state where they lived. Very early Joe discovered there was a vast world “out there” and he was determined to see it. Joe would say, “In school I learned the three Rs: Reading, (W)riting, and Route 180 can get you out of here.” In 1944 Joe Peterson joined the Navy at the age of 17. After being discharged two years later, he headed directly to Alaska where he took the opportunity to enter the Electricians Union apprenticeship program.
Joe’s first full-timing experience was when he and his family moved to Mexican Hat, Utah, in 1957. They lived in a 1946 Kosy Coach built in Michigan. From Utah, he towed the Kozy Coach to Southern California, where he found the work so plentiful that he sold the old trailer and went back to living in a house.
Kay Peterson
Kay Peterson was born on February 28, 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her official birth name is Catherine Melvina Cooper, but has always been known as Kay. Her parents were young, with limited education, struggling to raise three children during the depression and, later, the war. Both of them had debilitating illnesses, but managed to isolate their problems from their children.
Kay’s first big goal started when she was six or seven. Perhaps it was influenced by her mother’s illness, but she decided she would become a nurse when she grew up. When she turned 14, she started her first job, working every day after school and all day Saturdays at Mount Auburn Hospital as a kitchen aid. At the age of 16 she advanced to a ward aid until she finished High School. Kay entered nurse training at the same hospital at the age of 17 on June 1, 1944.
During her last year of training, Kay was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was sent to the county sanitarium. She was released six months later and returned to nurses training. She later graduated and elected to work in another tuberculosis sanitarium. When her disease flared up again, she became a patient in the same sanitarium where she had worked. When she left a year later her doctor predicted she would be dead in five years.
Joe and Kay
Joe and Kay met in 1963 at a Parents Without Partners meeting. There they would meet Susie Dunaway and Todd Paddock, both of whom would later become top employees of Escapees. Joe and Kay married on December 18, 1964, with their children as witnesses .They bought a four-bedroom house in Huntington Beach,CA, and settled into the task of changing two families from different backgrounds into one family.
On April 26, 1970 Joe and Kay, just three months after Kay got the idea that RVing as a lifestyle was possible, purchased a 26-foot Airstream after looking in the paper for used RV Ads. After Kay did some "strong" convincing, they moved into their Airstream on June 13, 1970. They were true full-time RVers for the next 15 years, traveling in every state. During that period, Joe worked in 52 local unions and in 27 different states. The first 2 of those 15 years were also Cathie Carr’s (daughter) introduction to RVing. She would later become the CEO of Escapees RV Club and would represent 60,000 members with RVs. In August 2001 Joe and Kay Peterson were inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame and later named among the top 100 most influential people in the RV industry.
Escapades
The first Escapade took place at Hart Park in Kern County near Bakersfield, California, from February 16–20, 1979. There were 24 families plus nine children who attended. It was a very informal rally with no preassigned duties because there was no idea of who was coming. Joe and Kay knew a few people, but for the most part all of them were strangers. Because of that they felt it was necessary to play several get-acquainted games, share potluck meals, and do an auction with Joe, as the auctioneer, wearing a huge pair of ladies pink panties which all the ladies autographed.
Knowledge about the RV lifestyle was spread through the club’s RV books, discussion groups in campgrounds, and comparing notes around the campfire. However, a more formal method of getting information was necessary. This is done through articles in Escapees magazine and Escapade seminars.
Now the Escapades are such an excellent method of learning that many members call them a college course on RVing. Currently Escapades are attended by as many as 2,500 RVers. Escapades are open to everyone regardless of whether they are a member of Escapees. They come to attend seminars, watch entertainment, socialize, and exchange information about the RV Lifestyle.
Mail forwarding
Established in 1985, the Escapees Mail Forwarding Service claims to have the largest registered mail forwarding service in the country, forwarding mail for 10,000 subscribers. They are a mail-receiving agent specifically designed for RVers. Unlike many other mail services they allow you to set your own schedule and make mail handling choices. They even give their subscribers the option of having them open their mail and read a letter to them over the phone.
The Escapees Newsletter (Magazine)
Escapees magazine started as a five-page newsletter, typed on a secondhand typewriter, and with the word ESCAPEES crudely drawn on the cover. This first newsletter was then photocopied on August 15, 1978 and sent to 34 families. Today the fully colored, 96 page Escapees magazine is received by over 60,000 readers and still contains columns included in the original news letter such as editorials by Kay Peterson.
SmartWeigh
The Escapees SmartWeigh program is an informative RV program created by the Escapees RV Club in order to increase safety, and to allow the RVer to “escapee with piece of mind and confidence".The program was first put into action at Rainbow’s End during Escapees Boot Camp for RVers in Livingston, Texas in 2010.
The SmartWeigh program is comprehensive in that it identifies all the major weight and load management issues. The program also provides data for RV trailer hitch analysis and adjustments so the RVer can determine the best solution for their situation. Using the information given by the SmartWeigh program,the client will also be shown how to set their tire pressure according to the load/inflation chart of their tire, which will give an improved ride and extended tire service life. Once the RV is weighed, the client is not only provided with the resources to allow them to correct any weight or load issues,but also allows them to understand their weight control choices.
Escapees RV Club currently has a permanent SmartWeigh station at two of their parks, National Headquarters in Livingston, TX and Escapees North Ranch in Congress, AZ. The program is also offered at rallies and the Escapees annual Escapades.
Chapters
Chapters are the social arm of the club and were created because members were afraid that, if the club got any bigger, Escapees would lose the close family feeling. They are also the easiest way to get to know other Escapees and form lasting friendships with those who share interests. Chapters allow people to have a place where they can socialize with other members and also allow them to know the others in their small group more intimately. There are currently 51 Escapees Chapters.
BOF
A BOF group is a group of people who share a mutual interest. They may hold rallies, and they generally have their own newsletter and are more informal than chapters and do not require bylaws and officers, but must follow directives and be approved by Escapees Headquarters. Some BOFs only meet at Escapades, while others also hold rallies between Escapades. Although there is no charge to join a BOF, most require a fee to receive their newsletter.
Escapees CARE, Inc.
In April 1992 the idea of a special program for RVers who had to temporarily or permanently stop traveling was introduced. Kay believed since she encouraged so many people to sell their homestead and start RVing full-time, it was her responsibility to find a way for those people to remain in control of their lives for as long as possible. She didn’t want to see her friends with disabilities live in unsuitable living situations so with several thousand dollars in donations, Escapees Care Inc., opened in March 1995. The program has nurses that work 40 hours a week, to assist with health care, medication, laundry, transportation, and provide three nutritious meals a day. Those needing this help live in their RV on site.
Parks
The eight Rainbow Parks consist of ” Rainbow Plantation,” Summerdale, AL” Escapees North Ranch,” Congress, AZ “Sumter Oaks,” Bushnell, FL “Turkey Creek,” Branson, MO “Dream Catcher,” Deming, NM “Raccoon Valley,” Knoxville, TN “Rainbow’s End,” Livingston, TX. “Tra-Park,” Pecos, TX The 11 SKP Co-Op Parks are “Saguaro,” Benson, AZ” RoVers Roost,” Casa Grande, AZ “KOFA Ko-Op,” Yuma, AZ “Jojoba Hills,” Aguanga, CA “Park Sierra,” Coarsegold, CA “The Resort,” Wauchula, FL “Pair-A-Dice,” Pahrump, NV “The Ranch,” Lakewood, NM “Timber Valley,” Sutherlin, OR “Lone Star Corral,” Hondo, TX “Evergreen Coho,” Chimacum, WA
Timeline
- 1978
July 4-Escapees RV Club is formed by Joe and Kay Peterson
August- First Escapees five-page newsletter was published/distributed
- 1979
February - Twenty-four rigs attended the first Escapade
- 1982
September - First SKP Co-Op (Rovers Roost) was built entirely by volunteers in Casa Grande, Arizona
- 1984
February- First chapter formed in California
July - Escapees National Office was opened in Livingston, Texas
- 1985
October - The mail service, which is located at Escapees Headquarters, was up and running
- 1988
April - SKP# 10000 joined
July – Newsletter increased to 52 pages
- 1991
December – Club office expanded to 3,500 Square feet
- 1992
April – The program of Continuing Assistance of Retired Escapees (CARE) was begun
December – SKP# 25000 joined
- 1993
January – Discount parks program begun
December – 6,000 square feet office space added
- 1994
March/April - The “Newsletter”, is now a 72 page Escapees Magazine
- 1995
January – 39 Chapters
- 1996
12,000 square feet added to national office
CARE became a Texas licensed adult Day Care program.
- 1997
December – SKP# 50,000
- 1998
July – 20th Birthday, National Headquarters buries time capsules
July –First Fun Days held
August – The Escapees Internet Website was established
- 2000
July –Total 3,717 lifetime memberships
August – Care became a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation
- 2001
January –Escapees magazine expands to 88 pages, 16 in color
May -46 active BOF groups
July –Computerized equipment in mail service
August –Petersons inducted into RV/MH Hall of Fame
- 2002
January –Escapees receives Baylor University Texas Family Business of the Year Award.
- 2003
July –Lamplighter program begins
July/August – 25th “Silver” Anniversary in Hutchison, Minnesota
- 2004
January –HOP (Head Out Program) introduced
- 2005
February –Pearl’s Place (CARE’s respite cottage) opens
July –Escapees magazine goes full color and expands to 104 pages
July – There are 51 Chapters throughout North America
September – First Escapees RVers' Boot Camp
September – Escapees magazine wins 2005 Nat’l Mature Media Award
- 2006
June –Kay Peterson wins Polk County, Texas, "Senior of the Year Award"
September -45th Escapade in Van Wert, Ohio
December -Club named Baylor University Texas Family Business of the Year for second time:
- 2007
January – First all-chapter gathering
September – 108 CARE volunteers receive U.S. President’s Volunteer Service awards
- 2008
February –SKP# 100,000 joined
April – There are 49 BOFs
July – 48th Escapade/30th Birthday Bash, Gillette, WY
- 2010
August –First permanent SmartWeigh weighing site constructed at Rainbow’s End, Livingston, Tx
December – Joe Peterson SKP# 1, Escapees Club founder, dies
- 2011
January – Celebration of Life ceremonies for Joe Peterson
March – Special tribute issue of Escapees magazine celebrating Joe Peterson’s legacy.
Further reading
Russell, Nick (2001). Meandering Down the Highway: A Year on the Road with Fulltime RVers. Boulder City, NV: Publishing Partners. pp. 110, 112, 115, 125, 133, 141, 166, 169, 208. ISBN 0-9712491-1-3