Dave, don't forget about another HUGE element of the VAF/RV experience.
There are many of us now that didn't build the RVs that we own. My son and I are on our third. In my view, VAF becomes even more important when you're dealing with an aircraft that you didn't build but now must maintain, repair or update. For me personally, I cannot count the number of times that I have come to this site for information and guidance. You know, experimentals don't come with a maintenance manual but what we have in VAF is an almost unlimited resource of others that have experienced just about all that can be experienced with RVs. Combine this with the many professionals on here, Walt, Vic and others, and it makes it so much easier to maintain these incredible machines. We just did a recent panel upgrade and I came here many times looking for knowledge. VAF participants always delivered. My "new" panel was completed almost entirely with used avionics. All of them were sourced from VAF participants with one, Walt, sending me a EMS D-10 that I had been searching for for months.