Editor’s Note: This post is written by a member of LTV’s sponsored content team, The Leisure Explorers. Do you own a Leisure Travel Van and enjoy writing? Learn more about joining the team.
I spent Wednesday night in Walhalla, North Dakota, at Riverside Park Campground. It was a small county campground. Nothing fancy, but it had everything I needed before crossing the border into Canada.
I had electric, water, and a dump station. That gave me a chance to fill the water tanks, charge everything, and empty them before heading north. I also filled up with diesel and stocked up on a few things I needed.
By Thursday morning, the LTV was ready. I pulled out and headed for the Canadian border. The crossing was about as easy as it could get. I arrived around 11:00 am, and there wasn’t another vehicle in line. I pulled up to the booth with Kona beside me and had all my paperwork ready. I had my passport, vehicle registration, insurance information, and all of Kona’s paperwork. That included her rabies certificate and microchip information. As it turned out, the only things they needed were my passport and Kona’s rabies certificate.
The border officer asked a few questions about what I was carrying. He asked if I had alcohol or firearms. I had neither. He was extremely pleasant, and we chatted for a few minutes before he waved me through. Just like that, Kona and I were officially in Manitoba.
This was my first trip to Manitoba, so I could cross another province off my list. It was also my first trip to Winkler. More importantly, it was my first visit to the Leisure Travel Vans factory.
Arriving in Winkler
From the border, it was only about 20 minutes to downtown Winkler. I had some time before my scheduled arrival at the rally, so I drove around town and checked things out. Winkler is a nice community with plenty of restaurants, Walmart, Canadian Tire, fuel stations, and grocery stores.
If you need to stock up before heading to the rally, you won’t have any trouble finding what you need.
From downtown Winkler, it was another short drive to the Winkler Bible Camp. That was where the LTV rally was being held. The communication from LTV was excellent. I had received several emails from LTV before arriving. They included my arrival time, registration information, and what to expect. I also had a QR code on my phone for check-in. With 141 LTVs arriving, that organization would be important.
When I arrived, there were only three vehicles ahead of me. A camp employee escorted each LTV from the entrance to its assigned site. There were people waiting at the sites to help guide everyone into place. Everything moved smoothly. My assigned site was Zone 4, Site 32.
I was actually a few minutes early, but since there weren’t many people waiting, they let me go in. Shania was the first person I met at check-in. It was great to finally meet her in person after working with her for so long.
Once I was parked and hooked up, I headed over to the main building to officially register, and that’s when I discovered there was already an ice cream social going on.
I grabbed some raspberry lemon cheesecake ice cream and started talking to the people around me. That turned out to be a pretty good introduction to the next few days.
You couldn’t stand in line without meeting someone. We talked about where we had traveled, where we were going next, and the places we had discovered along the way.
One of the people I met was a photographer. Later that evening, he showed me some incredible photographs from his trip to Alaska. There were pictures of whales, and from the solar eclipse—they were spectacular.
Those conversations became one of my favorite parts of the rally. The LTVs brought everyone together, but the stories kept us talking.
A Great Start to the Rally
The first evening was a chance to settle in and get to know the people around us.
The Bible camp itself was beautiful. There was a pond with kayaks, bike trails, walking areas, a beach, and plenty of open space. Kona immediately enjoyed exploring. The camp normally doesn’t allow pets, but they made an exception for the LTV rally because so many owners travel with their dogs.
There were activities planned throughout the rally. There was archery, kayaking, a zip line, a petting zoo, and a bonfire at the beach.
There was also stargazing. The first night had several huge professional telescopes set up, but I had skipped it, which turned out to be a mistake. The second night, I went back for stargazing, but the clouds had moved in, which meant the stars couldn’t be seen. I definitely regretted missing the first night.
That first evening also included the welcome presentation. We heard about the history of Triple E and the evolution of Leisure Travel Vans.
One idea from the presentation that really stuck with me was “Unreasonable Hospitality.” The idea isn’t simply about providing good service. It’s about creating a feeling. It’s about making people feel welcome, taking the time to create an experience that people remember and want to share with others.
Looking back over the rally, I think both the LTV staff and the Bible Camp staff did exactly that. They worked hard for several days to make this event happen.
There were 141 LTVs and nearly 300 people to organize, feed, and keep moving through a very full schedule, and they did it with a smile.
The staff at Leisure Travel Vans worked with owners throughout the rally. They answered questions, helped with registration, provided seminars, worked in the service department, and gave factory tours. Along with all of that, they were available throughout the event.
The Bible Camp staff had an equally big job. They had to get all those RVs into their assigned sites, help with activities, prepare and serve all our meals, keep the facilities running, and help make the entire campground feel like home for a few days. That kind of hospitality isn’t about one big moment; it’s all the little things.
It’s the person helping guide your LTV into a campsite, someone answering a question, a staff member making sure you know where to go, a good meal waiting after a busy morning, or someone taking the time to talk with you. Those things create a feeling. For me, that feeling was that we were welcome. More importantly, it felt like we were part of the LTV community.
Thursday: Seminars, Service, and Meeting with More Owners
Thursday was packed with activities.
One of the first things I took care of was service on my LTV. I had been corresponding with Randy Wiebe for quite a while about some service issues, so it was good to finally meet him in person. The service department was fitting owners in throughout the rally. They were working through a standby list because so many people wanted to have something looked at while they were in Winkler. I was fortunate enough to get a spot. I brought the LTV over early in the morning and stayed in the waiting area with Kona. The waiting room was clean, comfortable, and pet-friendly. There was an outside picnic table where Kona and I could sit while we waited.
Of course, I ended up talking with other owners. That’s what seemed to happen everywhere during the rally.
The service department replaced my galley fan and fixed my screen door. The interesting part was that I hadn’t even asked them to fix the screen door, but they noticed the problem. My screen door had stopped opening, along with the main door. I had simply learned to live with it and open the doors separately—they fixed it. It was a small thing, but I appreciated it, and it became a story to tell.
The seminars were another highlight. The LTV maintenance seminar was especially useful. Brian and Ryan went through a variety of maintenance items and explained things that owners should be checking. They used detailed diagrams to explain door adjustments, screen door maintenance, and awning care. They also talked about recommended products. Then came the questions.
There must have been 50 or 60 questions. The presentation could have ended there, but they stayed and worked through the questions. They patiently answered one after another. I also had a chance to offer a couple of suggestions based on almost three years of full-time RV living. One was having the outside temperature displayed on the Firefly system. My morning routine sometimes includes opening the door just to find out what I need to wear for Kona’s first walk. My other suggestion was to add a light to the driver’s side porch. That would be helpful when arriving at a campground after dark or coming back from dinner and trying to find the hookups. After spending this much time on the road, you notice those little things
The Carolina LTVers Travelers Club
The Carolina LTVers Travelers Club had about a dozen people at the rally. We ended up eating many of our meals together. That was a lot of fun because I already knew many of them from home. At the same time, we kept meeting new people at every meal.
The meals at the Bible camp were handled very well. Feeding close to 300 people three times a day is no small job. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner all moved efficiently. The food was good, and there was always someone around to talk with. The French toast for breakfast with strawberry sauce was one of my favorites.
The group dinners were also a good way to hear everyone’s stories. I met people from Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, Maryland, California, and many other places across the United States and Canada. The conversations weren’t always about RV destinations.
One fellow Carolina LTVer owner and I discovered that we both enjoy listening to books on Audible while driving. We exchanged authors and talked about some of the series we had been listening to. That’s one of the things I enjoyed most about the rally—everyone has a story.
Friday: Finally Seeing the Factory
The factory tour was the part of the rally I had been looking forward to the most. I had missed the first two tours. The tours were limited to 50 people, and I wasn’t getting in line early enough.
So Friday afternoon, I made sure I was there. The last tour had only 26 people, which actually worked out perfectly. Dean led our group, and because there were fewer people, we had more time at some of the stations.
Seeing the LTVs being built from the ground up was incredible. I have owned my Unity FX for almost three years. I’ve spent hundreds of nights living in it. But I had never really thought about everything that goes into building it.
We started with the chassis and followed the process through the factory. One of the things I learned was that Leisure Travel Vans builds all of its parts in-house. Not only did we see the floors and walls being built, but we also saw all the components, including wiring harnesses and upholstery. We also saw the vacuum press used to construct the wall sections.
Something that surprised me was how much thought goes into the parts you never see. Wires and plumbing are secured and insulated inside the walls to help reduce noise, and every component must be considered because each adds weight. I learned that there are about 250 pounds of wire in every LTV. Even something as simple as the grooves in a cabinet can help reduce weight. A few ounces here and there may not sound like much, but when you have cabinets throughout the vehicle, they add up. All components must work together to keep the vehicle within its gross weight target.
We also had the opportunity to watch a wall section being glued and pressed in the vacuum press machine—it was fascinating to watch.
Building an LTV is a very labor-intensive process. There are people involved at almost every stage. What I noticed most was how engaged the employees were. People were working under time constraints, but they still smiled and waved as we walked by. They seemed proud of what they were building. After seeing the process, I have a much better appreciation for the LTV where Kona and I sleep every night.
If you’re ever in Winkler, I would highly recommend taking the factory tour. You don’t have to attend the rally to do it. Factory tours are available at various times during the year, although it is a good idea to call ahead and check the schedule. For me, the factory tour was the highlight of the entire rally.
Friday Night and One Last Bonfire
Friday night was our last full night at the rally. We had closing ceremonies and live entertainment by the Big City All-Star Band.
There was another bonfire at the beach. The temperature had dropped, and the wind had picked up, so the warmer clothes came out. It was a good way to finish the evening.
By then, I had spent three days walking around the Bible camp, attending seminars, getting service done, touring the factory, and talking with LTV owners from all over the country and Canada.
The rally was starting to feel like it had gone by very quickly.
Saturday Morning Goodbye
Saturday morning brought the closing breakfast. We had delicious sticky buns. Good enough that I had to give myself some extra insulin for the occasion.
After breakfast, it was time to start saying goodbye. I talked with Randy and Dean before heading out. Staff from marketing, sales, and service were around the rally, and I had the chance to thank many of them for all the work they had put into the event.
I also want to thank everyone at Leisure Travel Vans who worked behind the scenes to make the rally happen.
It takes a lot of people to put an event like this together. The same is true for the Winkler Bible Camp staff. From the people who helped park us to those preparing meals and keeping the activities moving, everyone worked hard throughout the rally. They made nearly 300 people feel welcome. That is what I think the idea of hospitality really means. It isn’t just about what you provide, it’s about how you make people feel.
The LTV and Bible Camp teams created an environment where people from all over the United States and Canada could come together and quickly feel comfortable. People who had never met before were sitting together at meals, sharing travel stories, talking about their dogs, comparing places they had visited, and making plans to meet again. That is how a group of LTV owners becomes a community.
Even on the final morning, I was still meeting people. I talked with a couple from British Columbia and California about future travel plans. We compared places we had visited and talked about where we wanted to go next. That’s probably what I’ll remember most about the rally—the people. Not the number of RVs, the schedule, or even the factory tour. It was the conversations. I met people from across the United States and Canada. Everyone had different backgrounds, different travel experiences, and different plans for the future. Yet we had one thing in common: we all own a Leisure Travel Van, and that was enough to start a conversation.
I can’t wait to see where Kamping With Kona takes us next.
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