RV OLYMPICS

THE ORIGIN AND BACK STORY

After being on the road and camping for 2-1/2 months, we finally decided to do absolutely nothing for the day. Our plans changed when John had to do some work and I was left to my own devices with a lot of time to kill!!  My mind often wanders, sometimes on a fairly straight path and not so at other times.  Like when writing the attached. I promise that there was NO alcohol involved.  

Here’s how it went. We were camped in a very large, open campground with 250 sites pretty close to one another in Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada.  Up until check-out time at 11:00, I watched fellow campers packing up and leaving.  I started thinking that some of them appeared in a hurry. It was as if they were RACING to see if they could get near the front of the line at the dump station or to be fast at dumping when there are 5 people waiting in line behind them. I also watched someone trying to hitch up his travel trailer, apparently without the aid of a back-up camera or a spotter. It took 11 tries before being successful. That’s when TEAMWORK should have been in order. His partner seemed to have no interest or desire to help.

Then the next round of campers arrived. While watching them parking or trying to park, I thought about the times when John had to back into a difficult campsite with numerous people watching. I also remembered the times when the roles were reversed and we often joked about having 1-10 SCORE CARDS, like in GYMNASTICS, to grade their parking.

This is about the time I went off into the deep end combining my thoughts. Race + Gymnastics + Scoring + RV's = RV Olympics.

RV OLYMPICS

RV OLYMPICS PURPOSE: The purpose of the RV Olympic Games is to promote RV’ing and to highlight that the normal, routine, mundane, and often unpleasant tasks of RV’ing can be fun. As in all sports, athletes who learn good techniques, have proper training, practice often, and have a good attitude, can be winners.

CONTESTANTS: All Contestants must be owners or operators of an RV.   There are both individual and team events.

CATAGORIES: The RV Olympics will have four categories in each event: Travel Trailer, Motorhome, Pop-Up, and Truck Camper. 

CLASSIFICATIONS: All categories are separated into Full-timers or Vacationers classifications. Some events may have additional classifications. 

OLYMPIC TRIALS: The trials are held daily throughout the year at any public campground in the country.

THE RV OLYMPIC CHOCK:  The top three finishers in each RV Olympic event will be awarded a trophy. The trophy is designed in the likeness of a wheel chock. The Stainless Steel “Chock” will be awarded for first place, The Wooden “Chock” for second place, and The Yellow Plastic “Chock” for third place. 

THE HAPPY CAMPER: Dog Shows have ‘Best in Show’. Beauty Pageants have ‘Miss Congeniality’. The RV Olympics have the “Happy Camper” award. It is awarded to the Olympian who travels more than 2 weeks per year, participates in each event (winning not necessary), enjoys the journey as much as the destination, remains calm through adversity, feels like the RV is ‘home’, and offers advice and/or assistance to a fellow RV Olympians.

THE EVENTS: 

HOLDING TANK ELIMINATION: Timed event starting with RV in position at the Dump Station followed by several other RV’s waiting for their turn. Challenge is complete when both tanks are empty and hoses are rinsed and stored. Any spillage or failure to complete all steps will result in a disqualification. Current record is 8 minutes.

TOWING: This is a timed event of maneuvering an RV a specified distance through an obstacle course consisting of (1) narrow streets with parked cars on both sided (2) streets with a designated number of POP’s (Phone Obsessed Persons who never take their eyes off of their cell) who have pedestrian right-of-way according to a City Ordinance and choose to cross anywhere they choose without taking their eyes off of their phones (3) streets with a designated number of HTD’s (Hazards To Drivers – persons on bikes and scooters who drive on the road and/or the sidewalk and do not obey any traffic rules), and (4) A designated amount of on-coming traffic consisting mainly of rental Class C’s driven by amateur drivers. Any contact by the RV, toad, or tow vehicle with any object or the receipt of a traffic violation issued by a law enforcement agent will result in disqualification.

Current world record is held by John Howard through the streets of Jasper, Alberta, Canada. He was awarded bonus points by traversing a 5-street intersection with pedestrians.

CAMPSITE ARRIVAL: This is a timed event starting with the RV positioned on the road in front of the designated campsite. Campsite has a 90-degree turn and is at a 6% incline with trees on each side and a picnic table in the back. Challenge is complete when RV is positioned properly in the campsite and the tow vehicle or toad is parked properly. Any contact by the RV, toad, or tow vehicle with any object will result in disqualification. There will be three separate classes:  solo class for units with back-up cameras, solo and team classes for units without back-up cameras.

SET UP IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS: This is a timed event starting with the RV arriving in the campsite during a heavy thunderstorm. Challenge is complete when RV is level side to side and front to back, chocks are in place, stabilizers are down, the RV or toad is unhitched and properly parked, and hook ups for electricity, water, and sewer are connected. Classifications will be broken down between manual and automatic leveling & stabilizing. Water filters, water pressure regulators, and electrical surge protectors are required. 

MOSQUITO STANDOFF: This is another timed event starting when the Athlete removes a lawn chair from its storage, places it outdoors at sunset. Challenge is complete when Athlete has withstood a massive swarm of hungry female mosquitos. Any use of repellants, artificial substances, or foul language will result in disqualification. 

WILDLIFE SIGHTING: Be able to spot wildlife and photograph wildlife along the road or in the woods while traveling and obeying the rules of the road. This is a team sport. Any contact with the wildlife, a pedestrian, or vehicle and stopping traffic will result in disqualification.

NEWBIE RECOGNITIION: Be the fastest to determine that your campsite neighbor is a ‘newbie’ to RV’ing.

CAMPGROUND DESIGN: Be the fastest to determine that the campground and or campsites were laid out or designed by someone who had never towed a trailer of any kind before.

BORDER CROSSING: Timed event to cross the border between the US and Canada (either direction), passing inspection, and maneuvering through the booth with inches to spare and not hitting anything. 

Current Record for the Event is 5 minutes held by John Howard going from Canada to Alaska in 2019. The official record for the fastest time is under review as it may have been broken on 7/26/26 again by John Howard crossing from Canada into Montana. This is great redemption for Mr. Howard as his previous attempt at this event in 1996 was the longest time on record. 

CONVERSIONS: Timed event converting Celsius to Fahrenheit, kilometers to miles, liters to gallons, and foreign currency to US dollars. 

BOONDOCKING: Successfully and comfortably camping for 5 days without hook ups for electricity, water, sewer or generator, no access to cell service or internet, and with temperatures ranging from a low of 38 and high of 85.

REFRIGERATOR PACKING: Event involves loading an RV refrigerator for a lengthy trip. Loading only multiples of a single item (such as beer) results in a disqualification. The winner is determined by the lowest amount of vacant space in shortest period of time. Classes will be divided by size of refrigerator. In the event of a tie, the most number of meals contained with determine the winner.

DISH WASHING: This event requires “doing the dishes” consisting of a place setting for two, a pot, a skillet, and serving utensils, all with a moderate amount of food debris. Winner is determined by the cleanest dishes with the least amount of water used.

SIX-MONTH LOGISTICS: Timed event to plan a 6-month trip. Requirements include destinations, the route planned with campsite reservations made, highlights, events, or features at the destinations researched and suggested, and a budget prepared. The 3,3,3 rule (do not travel more than 300 miles in one day, arrive before 3 pm and stay for 3 days) will be applied. Exceptions to the 3,3,3, rule must be approved by a partner or spouse or disqualification will be imposed.  There will be a required number of national and state park campgrounds and at least two 3-day holiday weekends are required to be included. Bonus points can be obtained if all campsites have at least electrical hook-ups. Current world record holder is John Howard.

UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE EVENTS: 

MOSQUITO STANDOFF: This event, in the future, may be divided into several different levels, such as ‘mild’, ‘severe’, or ‘ruthless’

CAMPFIRE BUILDING: This event is to build campfire with only the natural elements provided. Use of any foreign matter or propellants will result in DQ. No tools such as hatchets, axes, splitters, or saws may be used.

R & T: This event is based on having the knowledge to make a necessary Repairs and having the necessary Tools on hand.

AWNING RETRACTION is a timed event of retracting and stowing the awning. Electric and manual classes are proposed.

ENTERING A POPULAR US NATIONAL PARK: The challenge is to pass through the entry gate quick enough to have time to enjoy the park. Overnight parking at the entry gate and over an hour wait will earn a disqualification. 

GPS PROGRAMMING: The event is complete when the driver exhibits complete faith in the GPS and follows it exactly and arrives at destination happily and relaxed. It requires

setting the GPS for the prescribed destination along with 3 additional stops to avoid unpaved roads, ferries, and other specified avoidances. Restrictions for height and weight will also be included. 

SKILLET DINNER: The winner is determined by how many recipes for a meal that can be made in one skillet can be remembered and the ingredients purchased in an unfamiliar, small, and crowded grocery store without the aid of any technology within a set period of time. 

TANK LEVELS: The winner must be able to manually determine the accurate level of the contents of the black tank, the gray tank, and the fresh water tank. (Having this skill is important as the gauges in most RV’s become unreliable within the first 6 months of ownership.) 

TP Reroll: This is a timed event to reroll a 135 foot of 2 ply toilet paper that has unrolled during a 200-mile trip of roads of varying various surfaces because the cardboard core wasn’t taken out of round before the trip began. Fastest time wins.