SO. CAL H2 OWNERS CLUB?

[Steve R]

Hey Gang,

I'm getting a lot of feedback offlist about some of my adventures and people wanting to know about getting together to do some offroading. I think it's almost time to put something together in the form of an offroading club?

I'm a member of The Hummer Club, but the events are very few and far between. I myself would like to get out and do some offroading at least once or twice a month, and I'd like to keep it fairly local (within 2 hours range).

[Steve R]

Hey Gang,

I'm getting a lot of feedback offlist about some of my adventures and people wanting to know about getting together to do some offroading. I think it's almost time to put something together in the form of an offroading club?

I'm a member of The Hummer Club, but the events are very few and far between. I myself would like to get out and do some offroading at least once or twice a month, and I'd like to keep it fairly local (within 2 hours range).

[Allen]

Count Me In. e-mail me with info or to help organize it.
abeggs@qualcorp.com
Valencia, CA

[Steve R]

Darn...I somehow hit the wrong combination of buttons and launched that post before it was done.

Anyways, I'm thinking about a small group of H2er's for convoys, caravans and having some serious fun offroading. We're NOT talking membership, dues, board of directors, elections or any of the headaches we're seeing in the Hummer Club today. Just H2's & offroading.

It has been my experience that an offroad group of 3-7 rigs is perfect...more then that and it gets a bit chaotic. A club of 15-25 assures this sort of turn-out at events.

I live in the San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles. If your area code is 818, 310, 213, 805, 661, 626...and your interested...give me a shout. Let's see what we can put together.

[HeeHaw]

More specifically La Verne......I don't usually go off-roading unless there is a trout stream or lake at the end.....But maybe this will change.

Keep updated and cout me as #2 interested.

HeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeHawwwwwwwwwwwww [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

[MAC]

Steve and Kellymac, why the Hummer Clubs meet so rarely? BAHA(No. Cal) next meet is snow run in Feb. months away. Steve also said Hummer Club meet not often. Why is that? I have been wondering about it.

I am a members in several clubs or different groups, meetings are at least monthly, or even weekly, plus calls and emails, plus parties in members' homes, wedding, kids. One would think Hummer owners want to gather and go wheeling, but according to what I read, it is twice a year. Badly run or lack of leadership? No money or no members?

What Steve is doing and organizing is only natural because of passion for Hummer. (Good leadership, Steve.) Isn't that what a Hummer Club is suppose to do?

[Steve R]

Hey MAC, no idea on the Hummer Club....but from their events agenda/schedule, it would seem they only post "Formal Events" that are sponsored and hosted by the official club itself. I think they have about 2 events in our area each year.

Are you shaking your head in wonder? me too!

As for our club....I just want a pack of Humm-budz to go out and have fun with. Oh sure, we can hang-out, BBQ, bitch about our in-laws and laugh about other vehicles that call themselves "SUV's".

I love my rig and don't want to thrash her; zero-damage is my goal when offroading. Just the same, the nature of offroading dictates that it is not a good idea to head-out alone...and since there's not too many vehicles that can follow us...it just makes sense to head out as a pack of H2er's....PLUS, I LOVE the idea of running with our own law-enforcement officer: HeeHaw, your not only IN the club, your instantly elected as our official ambassador to "the man" (I meant to include 909...just forgot..sorry).

I've got to be forthright: I run my own business and have 3 kids: 3 year old AND 8 month old twins. My life is pretty darn congested...BUT, I'd love to get together and help organize and run an offroad club...but we gotta keep it simple: I don't I can take on another full-time project. I was the president of my college fraternity...so I know how to run a small/medium group.

We'll need radios, a common understanding of how we can fluently and effectively operate as a group, each member should participate in putting together "runs" and we'll especially need to solidify one heck of an "initiation" proceedure for others that join after us, hehehe.

It incredibly helps to pre-run trails to make sure we know exactly where we are heading. I think we should all put together outtings and participate Any more thoughts?

[OLE YLLR]

MAN OH MAN!!! I CAN'T STAND IT ANY LONGER SEEING THOSE PICTURES AND THAT H2 MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'LL NEVER SEE MY H2. EXPECT IT WEEK OF 12/16/02. WILL PROBABLY CAMP OUT AT THE DEALER SO I CAN HELP THE MECHANICS DO THE FINAL PREP. ANY WAY COUNT ME IN FOR THE CLUB. I LIVE IN OCEANSIDE SO I'M NOT THAT FAR FROM SAN BERDO MTS. OR GLAMIS OR OCOTILLO OR MEXICO. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PICTURES. OLE YLLR

[Steve R]

let me take a wild-guess on your choice of color....hmmmm....YELLOW?

Sounds like we're putting together a solid club of hardcore H2er's! Can I get a hell-yeah?

[HeeHaw]

Heading Fresno for the day and if any of ya be driving on the 5 freeway or interstate depending where you are from, give a wave. Making an up and down trip in one day for a fellow cop who is turning 35. Should be a nice run with some stops along the way.

"HeeHaw, your not only IN the club, your instantly elected as our official ambassador to "the man" NO PROBLEM!

HeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeHawwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[Allen]

Steve - count me in! Tell me when, where and if you need any help.
abeggs@qualcorp.com

[kelleymac2000]

Hey guys:

BAHA (Bay Area chapter fo the Hummer Club) meets for formal events about once every three months. Being new to ownership and to event planning, there is a LOT that goes into that. I agree that we'd like to meet more often, but to get trail support, which is a HUGE benefit, we need to coordinate with dealers, and the manufacturers, and that takes time. We'll have more events in the future, but as for official events, this is a ramp up year for us in Nor Cal.

That said, nothing to stop us from posting here, and on the HML and H2ML to organize runs for fun. I was down in Pismo Beach this weekend and did a little sand running for fun. This is the kind of stuff we can be getting together for in addition to formal events.

Kelley

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MAC:
Steve and Kellymac, why the Hummer Clubs meet so rarely? BAHA(No. Cal) next meet is snow run in Feb. months away. Steve also said Hummer Club meet not often. Why is that? I have been wondering about it.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[MAC]

Kelleymac, Understood. What is trail support?

I guess wheeling must be more meaningful if you do it in a small group. I pratically have my own private off-road park right next to my home. Several hundreds acres of dense forest complete with dirt/mud road, stream crossing the road, steep hills and road eventually too steep to pass(Maybe not, I just decided not to risk it.) Not a soul to be found, except deers and other small animals. But I'll be frank with you, I tried it a couple times, I thought it was quite boring. After 30 minutes I was still trying to find the fun in it, rushed back to wash off the mud. Back to the starting point, this offroad thingy must be more fun if there are at least 2 people in the Hummer or a group of Hummers out there.

[Steve R]

Trail support is when there are mechanics available to fix/repair things. They can make adjustments and basically act like a mobile pit-crew.

Kelley is quite correct about what it takes to put events together. From what I gather, the event starts when a group will actually pre-run the entire trail and make certain there is a smooth and precise path to follow. They'll consult with area/park rangers and pretty much coordinate the whole event. It's not as easy as people just showing up and taking a ride like at Disneyland.

Problems arise similar to when you want to see a movie with a huge group of people: when, where, which movie, who has seen it before, it's too scary, it's not good, etc. Sometimes it's just easier to have a small group of local buddies to run with....but I still intend to keep up with the Hummer Club.

[MAC]

Totally agree with you about organizing events.

Every club or whatever associations I am a member of, has a monthly event or meeting, from 100 to 400 people in monthly dinners, or dinner cruise, dinner dance, or stage shows, tours, field/wine trips, pinic, Asia/Europe cruises, etc.. Every event involves the work you correctly described, and I have been involved in those things for 20 years. Each club needs regular/monthly events to keep it alive, otherwise it is a dead or irrelevant club. They meet and talk and try to come up with the best new ideas and review upcoming events. Likewise with national HQs, it is often done with professionalism and excellent management to keep the organizations relevant and alive. HQ pulls the charter of local club if it does not meet monthly. I don't know much about Hummer Clubs, looks half dead to me.

Good luck, Steve, looks like you are the man to pull it off, have fun!!! Let us know the works. BTW, love your pictures.

[kelleymac2000]

For chiming in Steve. Events are a lot of work, and your description of trail support is right on. It's a big deal when you're doing serious off-roading.

Mac, to your point, I agree that it's more fun in groups. Or, more fun to have a destination. When my husband and I took the H2 off-roading in the northern Sierra's, we packed a lunch, and stopped with a beautiful overlooking a lake to eat lunch. It was awesome...and a great way to spend an afternoon.

Kelley

[Steve R]

Kelley......Northern Sierra's, lunch overlooking a beautiful lake.... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

Is somebody confusing an episode of Bonanza with reality??? let me guess...Haas and little Joe will back ya up? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

Just kidding, having fun with ya [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[m998]

SteveR. The informality of the Hummies sounds great. The HOG (no, not Hummer Owners Group) I belong to meets at the dealership every Saturday AM for a ride. If there are 2 people fine, if there are 25 fine. If ya wana go fine, if ya don’t fine.
I wana go.
Count me in
[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Steve R]

M998....you've got no name and no email listed....and you tease me with some details but leave it vague. Not fair!

Get back on this post and throw me a bone. It sounds like a great group already formed. I had no idea there was a dealership in Simi. Could you please give me some more details???

[m998]

Sorry Steve, I'll email you. Here ya go ......