What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

2019 Oshkosh RV Social

DanH

Legacy Member
Mentor
16lzsqp.jpg

2019 Oshkosh RV Social

Monday July 22nd

1366 WEST WAUKAU AVENUE


Starts When The Airshow Ends

Ends When The Kegs Run Dry (or about 10PM)​



Hey, 7 weeks until till Oshkosh! The Beer Fairy has again dragged her butt up the basement stairs, so mark your calendar. The 2019 Oshkosh RV Social is Monday evening, July 22nd. Location is the back yard at 1366 W. Waukau. Grab a shuttle to the shuttle exchange terminal by the control tower, walk two blocks west out through the Waukau EAA gate, and turn right into the second backyard.

2vb34w3.jpg

Official start time is "when the airshow ends", but volunteers have been known to start early. It's a public service; someone has to clear the foam off the top of the kegs.

Our location host is again Arthur J. Gallagher & Co, the world's third largest insurance brokerage, and providers of an excellent specialty insurance program for RV's. The Gallagher Gang will be there all week with refreshments and shade, plus they're hosting their own event on Wednesday evening. You're invited then too, so stop by and say thanks. It has to be the best place in the whole world to get answers to airplane insurance questions.

The Fairy drank all her own money years ago, so your favorite sponsors have again picked up the tab. They appreciate your business; show 'em some love. The lineup includes:

Barrett Precision Engines (Rhonda and Monty Barrett)
Continental/Titan (James Ball, aka JB)
Delta Pop Aviation (Don Pansier)
Flightlines (Tom Swearengen)
Flyboy/Team Rocket (Vince and Blake Frazier)
JD Air (Darwin Barrie)
Kitplanes Magazine (Paul Dye and Marc Cook)
Lycoming/Thunderbolt (Jeff Schans)
SteinAir (Stein and the Gang)
TruTrak (Andrew Barker)


The old lady ordered eleven kegs, eight Spotted Cow and three Fixed Gear. Warning; Fixed Gear is 6.8 ABV, so don't let it sneak up on you.

Which brings us to a serious message. Let's be responsible. Keep an eye on your buddy. Walk or get a designated driver. Make sure all your people get home safe.

Get a name tag when you arrive; the goal is to put faces with names. Social rules are the same as VAF rules; keep it civil, and keep it RV. We'll again have water and soft drinks for the no-hops folks. If you want food, grab something on the way, or try the place next door. No parking on site, unless you bring your miniature Harley. The WalMart bullhorn went in the trash, thus no door prize interruption this year. And please, everyone try to convince Jenny to dance on the picnic table. 'Nuff said. See you there!
 
Last edited:
Brilliant, my fav. night of the week. Thanks for operating the phone Dan and thanks to everyone who contributed.
 
This is my favorite nite too, and one of the things I look most forward to at OSH. Meeting the people I ?almost? know on VAF and conferring them on ?special? stuff we talk about. The Gallagher girls are great, because they are on our team. Can?t wait....
 
Sounds like another ball of fun. Can't wait.

Many thanks to the sponsors. We're pleased to have had the opportunity to do business with 80% of them.
 
OKIE RV'rs will be there

Just need to adjust our "when the airshow ends" watch:D
 
I'll be there. Suzanne, wont be---for some obvious reasons. Its great to put faces with voices on the phone, names with emails, just hanging out with the best people around.

Tom
 
Beer 30

Really looking forward to meeting everyone. This will be the first year my wife has agreed to camp which translates to, I won't have to drive! Had planned to bring the 7A but it's still in phase 1, with an "uncooperative" Garmin G3X system :mad:. So we'll be staying with the outcasts in the north 40 with our Cardinal. :eek:
 
Ran across a few photos from, let's see now...2016:

Folks starting to arrive. Airshow must be over.

IMG_2676.JPG


Jay Pratt, RV Central. Everybody knows Jay.

IMG_2681.JPG


Andy and Boomer. Boomer is the shy type.

IMG_2687.JPG


Jeff has the right idea....safety first!

IMG_20130729_184935_821.jpg


Cookie rides the miniature Harley. Ron is holding her beer.

IMG_2675.JPG


Steve, waiting to see what Figs will say next.

IMG_2689.JPG
 
Cool Pics, Dan!

I'll be there again this year, with my whole family (kids too), so probably won't close it down this year. ;)
 
I seem to recall a picture of you guys crawling under a gate.

It was an enjoyable evening.

We came back from SOS and the gate was locked. A 10' fence wasn't gonna keep a group of homebuilders from the comfort of their tents.

The show-offs in the group went over the fence. Everyone else made like the guys from The Great Escape and went under.
 
This is my first time back to Oshkosh in 5 years??? If you don't remember its been too long right?

This will be my first time with at the RV social. I'm looking forward it very much. Can't wait to meet everyone!!

- Kilroy
 
I?m a OSH newbie too. This will be my first time. Planning to fly in with the 6A and camping with my wife in HBC. Getting excited! Looking forward to meeting some of you at this and other events!
 
beer

Wife and i should be there if weather gods allows. Been a few years but always enjoy fellow rv builders and pilots.
 
Gallagher crew

I am very excited to say this will be my first year going to Oshkosh!!! I can't wait to put faces to the people I've been talking to for the past four years.
Michelle, Shanna, Kelly, Jenny and I will be there this year. We have been looking forward to this event all year so please be sure to seek us out and say hi. We can't wait to see everyone!!!
 
Less than a week to go! The long term weather report for Monday evening is marvelous...70's, 50% humidity, low rain chance. Hopefully I won't jinx it with that report, but just in case, the old lady asked me to remind everyone the RV Social is a rain-or-shine event. So, worst case, pull on your wet weather gear and come on over. We'll cozy up under the big Gallagher tent, maybe even drag a beer trailer in with us.

Beer%20Fairy%20Raincoat.jpg

Quick note; there are eleven kegs to enjoy. With four taps on two trailers, it means I need to change each tap to a fresh keg at least once, and most twice. Last year someone started the rumor we were out of beer after a tap or two failed to deliver. Darned shame, as there were (I think) two kegs remaining, and drinking them would have been a whole lot cheaper than going to SOS. So, when a tap runs dry, find me! Or recruit a few buddies, chant "Beer, beer, BEER!" and I'll find you.

Get a name tag when you arrive. Look for the picnic table. It's about putting names with faces.

Speaking of which, most of our sponsors will be right there in the crowd. Don't miss the opportunity to meet the folks who support your passion (and your party). Obtaining help and ordering products is always better when you know the person on the other end of the line.

Gallagher Insurance (Jenny and the Agents of Vroom ;))
Barrett Precision Engines (Rhonda and Monty Barrett)
Continental/Titan (James Ball, aka JB)
Delta Pop Aviation (Don Pansier)
Flightlines (Tom Swearengen)
Flyboy/Team Rocket (Vince and Blake Frazier)
JD Air (Darwin Barrie)
Kitplanes Magazine (Paul Dye and Marc Cook)
Lycoming/Thunderbolt (Jeff Schans)
SteinAir (Stein and the Gang)
TruTrak (Andrew Barker)
 
Dan & Cohort:

Thanks for putting this on!
When my current build is complete, I will bring a keg to share; this year, it won't fit in the overhead on Southwest....

See you there.
 
Where is this magnificent Mon evening to be held? I can?t find a listing for Gallagher tent on the AirVenture app.
 
Where is this magnificent Mon evening to be held? I can?t find a listing for Gallagher tent on the AirVenture app.


That's because the house is not inside the EAA fence. Head west out the EAA gate on Waukau. Back yard, second private home on the right.
 
That's because the house is not inside the EAA fence. Head west out the EAA gate on Waukau. Back yard, second private home on the right.

OR,,, Follow ME (and Tanya)!! It works, really.

Wonder through HBC an hour before and make a friend. "Hey, are you going to the...."
 
Well, that was fun.

Given the weather Friday night and Saturday (and the subsequent lack of Sunday arrivals), for a while I was thinking there would be a lot of beer to split between the 50 or so Friday arrival crews. However, the sky cleared, the sun came out, and free beer is a reliable magnet. In the end we used more than 500 name tags, and a lot of the crowd doesn't bother with them, as they are already wearing ID. I'd guess we had 600 guests through the evening, more or less. The evening weather was perfect for the ninth year in a row. Sure hope that statement isn't a jinx.

Next year we'll re-arrange the trailers and open more taps, just to ease the crush during peak time. First tap got pulled about 4:30. We ran out of beer (eleven kegs), soft drinks (six cases), and water (three cases), all about 9:30, which is perfect. Thanks to Scott and Tanya for helping with clean-up.

Many of you refer to the Social as "Dan's party", but it is not. I just arrange a few things and change out the taps when the kegs run dry. The Social happens because a group of loyal sponsors make it so. Some have been sponsoring for decades, Stein being a good example. Most of the current sponsors have been in since the first at the Waukau location; 2019 makes seven times. Thank 'em when you can.

Ok, so who has pictures? My phone was dead, but I can host a few of yours.
 
It was a hoot yet again. So many good conversations and so little time. Thanks so much to the beer ferry and the super awesome sponsors!

It is the single best opportunity for "Names + Faces".

We try to help the beer ferry most years when she gets a little goofy footed and needs some help shutting down the party. I do trash pickup in the dark and help "dispose" of the beer trough overflow bucket, and Tanya is "The Sweeper". "Party is over. Time to get a move on. Happy Oshoksh!"

Can't wait until next year. There will be new grand adventures to lie about.
 
Wow!

What a blast! Connecting the names to the faces of folks I have followed, advised, or seen only on the net was fulfilled. The location and weather couldn't have been better. Hats off to those who all put it together!
 
What a blast! Connecting the names to the faces of folks I have followed, advised, or seen only on the net was fulfilled. The location and weather couldn't have been better. Hats off to those who all put it together!

You were there? Darn...it happens every year, people I'd like to meet and totally miss.
 
Exactly!!

You were there? Darn...it happens every year, people I'd like to meet and totally miss.

I am going to have to take a bunch of pictures of people and associate with the names/VAF ailas - - - - otherwise I totally miss talking to people without a name/face association!

It was a hoot, Dan!

Thanks
 
Beer Fairies

Great time again. Thanks to all the sponsors most of which I use. Great people and a fun party. Good to see people we deal with from afar. Thanks again to all the sponsors and to Dan who made it all happen way back when and keeps it going.
 
Great Time

I had a great time and made a few new friends. I barely scratched the surface of all the people there and wish I had met many more. Until next time...
 
Dan thanks again for putting everyone together. I tried to thank the sponsors when I first got there but I know I didn't catch all of them. Then it was too late because I'm a light weight and after a few pours things started to get a bit fuzzy. I blame Kyle ;) . . . but seriously, I had a really good time and met some new folks that I've been wanting to meet for a long time.
 
Love this event!

Man, I only got to talk to 15-20 of my old friends this year, seems like there is never enough time.

This event is still one of my absolute favorite at Oshkosh!
 
Sorry I missed it!!!Having been at OSH since Friday and LOT of walking back and forth----yeah buses are on a LIMITED schedule, I was unfortuneatly got a pretty severe case of inflamed and swollen legs. Guess I wasnt in as good a shape as I thought I was. Hated to have missed it, but will do a better job next year.

Tom
 
A great time as always. Met up with several builders who liked my web log. My daughter was impressed that her Dad was "internet-famous", whatever that means! :D

Some photos of the event

IMG_6841-M.jpg


IMG_6842-M.jpg


IMG_6843-M.jpg


IMG_6844-M.jpg


IMG_6845-M.jpg


IMG_6846-M.jpg


IMG_6847-M.jpg


IMG_6848-M.jpg

Van himself was present!
 
Back
Top