The heart and soul of the Escapees RV Club is our members, who often refer to themselves as “SKPs” (when you say the letters aloud, it sounds like “Escapees”). Who are they, and what draws them to the Club?

Escapees welcomes and supports all styles of RVing

There are as many different ways to experience the RV lifestyle as there are models of RVs and Escapees RV Club welcomes and supports them all. Because of this, we are certain you’ll find a group of SKPs very much like yourself.

We travel in all types of RVs.

The Escapees RV Club has always welcomed all RVers, regardless of the type of rig in which they travel. You’ll find SKPs in motorhomes, camper vans, fifth-wheel trailers, toy haulers, travel trailers, and truck campers, in sizes ranging from tiny and cozy to large and spacious.

We’re full-timers, part-timers and weekenders.

Many of our members live in their RV full-time. Some travel year-round, while others may spend weeks or months in one location before moving on. Other SKPs maintain a traditional “sticks and bricks” house, and travel only part of the year, or only on weekends or for a few weeks at a time.

We’re multi-generational.

Our membership spans all ages: from Millennials to Gen-Xers, from Baby Boomers to members of the Greatest Generation. In fact, the fastest-growing part of the club is our Xscapers lifestyle group, a diverse community of today’s active and adventurous RVers–many of whom have chosen to see the country by RV years, or even decades, before they retire.

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Many of us work on the road.

While many SKPs are retired, a growing number of our members work full-time or part-time from the road—doing anything from camp-hosting to writing to software development, and everything in between. Today’s sophisticated options for mobile internet make it possible to stay connected and work remotely from almost anywhere.

So, what do all SKPs have in common?

We are all driven by the freedom that an RV life can offer.

We are united by our shared love of travel and exploration. We like being independent, self-reliant, and, yes, sometimes even a little unconventional. We believe in sharing our knowledge and experience, and caring for our fellow members. And most importantly, we enjoy being part of a community of like-minded folks.

Community has always been at the heart of the Club.

Back in 1978, Joe and Kay Peterson were traveling with their children full-time in an RV and wanted to keep in touch with others like them. Postal mail and landline telephones–the primary means of communication at the time–were difficult to navigate for full-timers. To fill this need, Joe and Kay founded Escapees and created the Club’s first official publication: a five-page newsletter, hand-cranked from a portable printer, and distributed to 164 members. Founding members of Escapees RV Club gathered for the first Escapade in Bakersfield, CA in 1978, to celebrate their newfound sense of community.

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Forty years later…

…that tiny organization has grown into one of the largest and most active RVing communities in the world, with more than 60,000 members, about 100 employees, and thousands of volunteers. Our members  participate in the Escapees community in person at our annual Escapade, local chapter rallies and events, organized regional gatherings, Xscapers Convergences, Head-Out Programs (HOPs), and Birds-of-a-Feather group activities. And between these events, SKPs often make it a point to meet up during their travels and to keep in touch with each other through our social media properties and online forums.

Read next: What We Do ►

Ready to join the Escapees community?

You can join the Escapees RV Club online. One annual membership fee entitles you to participation in both the Escapees and Xscapers communities, and gives you access to all of our support services, educational resources, and discount programs!