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Link to photos All the Gang who came to our first-ever meeting: * Ian & Kay Brown - Lifestyle RV-built Sprinter van - Ian is a partially-retired engineer and IT professional. * Mike & Joan Kenavan (aka "MiKe") - Lifestyle RV Hino bus conversion - completed in 2006. MiKe is a retired Air Force navigator who substitute-teaches in special schools. * BBBarry Powell & Diana Smith - el cheapo DIY Nissan Civilian conversion. Barry is a retired physics teacher, born in Hobart, but spent 30+ yrs in Canada. Forever to be known as "Budget Barry", this fellow is our first Forum LED expert. * Col & Noeleen Higgins - Mazda T4000 1999 Winnebago - travel with 2 mini-dachshunds. Col is another retired engineer, most recently from the car racing field. The engineering background is evident in the many innovations inside the Winnie. * Laurie Hoffman - Sunliner Mirage crawl-through cabover conversion on a Toyota Hilux. All the way from Vic, Laurie was the first CMCA "webmistress" and comes north in her motorhome every winter to enjoy the warmth. This is her first year without a dog on board. * Noel & Jinny Swayn- nicely self-converted Civilian. The Swaynes popped in on their way "round the block". * Val Rigoli - personally designed and built pop-top slide-on camper on a Holden Rodeo. The famous Mr Val, from Fridge-and-Sola,r generously gave of his years of motorhoming conversion and technical expertise. * Brett & Angela Ingram from Brett's Camper Care in Clontarf/Brisbane - day visitors in Brett's own conversion of a fibreglass slide-on camper on a ?Mazda Bravo. * Geoff Crocker - DIY camper body on a former goods truck. "The Sauce Man" spent 30+ yrs in Canada as a marine engineer, now deals in oil additives and sells delicious home-made Worcestershire sauce from his base in Harden, NSW. * Neil & Helen Ross - day visitors in their partially completed DIY Mazda bus. Neil is a self-confessed Forum "purver" who promises to start posting. * "John & Linda" - latecomer friends of Geoff Crocker who arrived for the Sunday night in a brand new Trakka Ducato van conversion. These motorhomers were so new that they didn't know how to fill with fresh water. SUMMARY: It seemed at times that everyone was an engineer, or close to being one. We had a great time getting to know each other in person. - We found out that Mike K & Ian B actually went to school together in Bundaberg at the same time, were in the same grade, even had friends in common -- but did not know each other. - Who has most the toys in their rig? This was a close contest between Laurie & Budget Barry - the latter won by having an extra dedicated MP3 player up front. - Many of those present had multiple computers. - Col Higgins had a great innovation for a fan-forced basement dog kennel, shown in one of the photos. - It was agreed that Lifestyle RV bathrooms showed a particularly good use of normal shower doors, thus saving having shower curtains. + the extra clean up hassle. |