Welcome!

We are happy that you chose to join RVing Women and our FreeWheelers Chapter. In this handbook, you will find some basic information about our organization.

Who We Are

FreeWheelers (FW) is the official name of the Chapter of RVing Women that was chartered on April 13, 2004, by the RVing Women Board of Directors. Our chapter covers Northern California and Northern Nevada, and there are roughly 250 members of diverse ages from 30ish to 90 plus. Any woman 18 and over is welcome to join. There are women who are still working and others who are retired. We drive all types of rigs including motorhomes, trailers, and self-contained vans of varying sizes and makes. Tents and non-self-contained rigs are allowed depending on each park’s policies.  

RVW was established as a women’s group and as such, we leave the men, children and grandchildren at home. It is our time to get together and enjoy RVing and the company of other adult women. You can participate in any or all of the planned activities or sit back and relax for the weekend. The primary purpose of this Chapter is to provide for the social and recreational needs of the members including education, training and safety information related to the use of recreational vehicles.

Many members bring their pets, including dogs, cats, bunnies, and birds. We love our pets and welcome them at all of our camping events. Please read the Pet Policy  for more details regarding pets.

                                                Camp Outings

The FreeWheelers generally meet the first weekend of each month and a calendar of outings is posted on the website and in the FreeWheelers monthly newsletter, the “ReVieW”. When the outings open, the Communications Chair will send out an email with a registration link to all members, and announce the event in our private Facebook Group. As a member, you may attend any outing listed by any chapter. Each outing has a host(s) who has all the information about the event and how to register for it. Prior to the outing, the host(s) sends information to those registered with the itinerary and other pertinent information. All campground rules must be followed.

When you arrive at your first campout, you will be given a temporary name tag to wear and another one to display on your rig. Name tags should be worn at all camping events. Only registered persons may attend group events. Non-member guests are welcome, but the host should be informed of their attendance, and they are required to sign a Liability Waiver. As a guest, you may attend two events before joining RVW.

Regarding pets, we ask that you not bring them to group gatherings,  anywhere food will be served, into the clubhouse or the main campfire. For further information check out the FreeWheelers Pet Policy.

While these are women- only events, occasionally there will be men present. They are instructors, technicians, or service providers that have been invited to the event. They do not attend the activities, but they may be invited to join us for a meal.

To compensate hosts for the terrific decorations and other materials they purchase, we charge a non-refundable but nominal hosting fee, currently $2 per person.

Below is an example of a typical monthly outing. This may vary from Host to Host.

Typical Monthly Outing

Friday PM             “Meet and Greet” potluck with heavy appetizers

Saturday AM          Potluck Breakfast

Saturday PM          Group events such as games, presentations, crafts or field trips

Saturday PM          Potluck Dinner

Sunday AM            “Leftovers”  Potluck Breakfast

Sunday PM             Restaurant dinner (optional)   If staying over ‘til Monday

The potlucks are not meant to be exclusionary. If you’re on a special food plan, bring your own food but join us for the camaraderie. For the potlucks, please bring a dish to serve 6-8 women with a utensil to serve it up. Bring your own plate, cutlery and a beverage for yourself to all meals.

Scheduled activities throughout the weekend are at the Host’s discretion. We encourage you to participate in some of the activities at each event so that you will get to know the members of the group.

While we encourage you to attend as many activities as you can, participation in everything is not required. Sometimes we need to take time to rest, read, or tend to personal business.

Members and Membership

All chapter members of FreeWheelers must also be members of the National Organization of RVing Women (RVW). Prospective members will be admitted to FreeWheelers upon receipt of an application accompanied by payment of FreeWheelers Chapter dues and proof of payment of RVW dues for the current year. Currently, annual chapter dues are $5 per person which are due in January of each year. FreeWheelers dues cover from January 1 through December 31. If not paid by March 31st, you will lose access to emails about events and our Facebook page.

In the Fall of each year, FreeWheelers holds its Annual Business Meeting open to all members. This outing and the issues to be discussed will be posted in FreeWheelers communications beforehand. During this meeting, members can discuss and finalize votes on policies, rules, procedures, new ideas, and vote for new officers. All chapter business will be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order. 

FreeWheelers continues to exist and be successful because of its volunteers. They are the heart of our organization. There is an Advisory Board consisting of seven elected officers who assist with policies and procedures. There are non-Board appointed positions including Communications, Newsletter, Care Committee, Bylaws Committee,

Nominating and Elections Committee, and the Hosts

There are many ways for you to get involved. After you have been with us a bit, we hope that you, too, will step up to volunteer.

Covid policy:  We request that any members feeling ill or showing signs of illness please mask at all indoor functions.

Tips to Consider

1. Register for an outing as soon as the announcement is made in order to get a site.
2. Introduce yourself to your neighbors on either side.
3. If you are interested in a personal guide, ask the host to assign you an experienced FreeWheeler to be your docent for the weekend.
4. Attend as many activities as you can over the weekend.
5. Participate in the FW private FaceBook group to get to know some people you will likely meet at events.
6. Volunteer for various activities, e.g. assist the hosts in outing activities, be an outing host or co-host, write an article for our monthly newsletter.