The Future of the IDI Weekend

[argve]

Ok I'm just going to toss this out here. When Ron broke over to the cummins conversion route lets just say that it was not met with the open arms you speak of. I seen from my arm chair in that campground how he was belittled and said to him at the time I'm glad it's you going through it and not me again. Now I did tell him that it will pass and subside as it did for me. But the problem is others seen it as well and they pretty much said in no uncertain terms that they didn't appreciate it. I tried to play the good host and smooth things over but there is only so much a guy can do. As you can tell from this post I'm about as delicate as a brick but I think in this instant a brick is needed.

 

[towcat]

let's step back and take it easy guys.

 

[icanfixall]

Both towcat and I have traveled to the rally from the west coast. In fact I can see the Pacific Ocean from my home. So we understand the drive. For me I enjoyed every mile of it to Kentucky for the 2009 rally. Plenty of great people sharing everything they had. Children playing together nicely probably because they had such great parents. The rallies are not a truck fest nor are they a beer fest. Just a group of like minded people enjoying each others company. I feel its the camping clubs of yesterday.
If the rally was moved more centrally I suppose some west coaster may attempt to attend but they probably cuts out some east coasters that can't or wont drive "that far". For me I can't give a reason that will cause a surge in attendance. I do not feel the rally will die. I do feel there is a natural ebb & flow to everything in life. This may be the lean times for the rally. I'm affiliated with another forum. Its called the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club. We have owners and non owners from all over the world. A few months ago I was helping a member in Moscow find a set of heads for his 812 Cord. I have been contacted by members from the Netherlands and of course here and Canada. Sadly just recently the highest number of members online at one time reached 15.... I sometimes will never get an answer to my questions about my Cord but I can look back to 2003 and I see plenty of questions not answered but sure plenty of looks at the questions. Our forum is well attended. Waiting for a response usually takes seconds. Now that impressive. Its like a spider waiting to pounce of prey.
I would love to attend every rally but I also would love to attend the Indiana Auburn Cord Rally too. I do not feel that will every happen but I still look forwards to it as if I have been there.
Maybe we should have a west and an east rally. then maybe a central meet type rally. I realize there are certain members everyone wants to meet. This club has some really great members and I look up to several of them. I'm always reading to learn something new and its amazing when I "find a plumb" and learn something new. This is a bit long winded but everyone knows that's my style..

 

[OLDBULL8]

Personally I've been trying to attend a rally every year since I joined OB. From the very 1st one I planned to attend, seems like something had always came up to cancell my plans. I'm quite sure in the earlier years when fuel was at $4.00 a gallon, that kept many from attending a rally. Even at this last rally where the attendance was low, I would have dearly liked to have been there. For years I've wanted to see the New England States. But for me, it would have been a two day, one way travel. For the round trip, the fuel cost alone would have been close to $500, even at the lower price of diesel. Just reading some of the posts of those who would like to attend, " hope I can get my rig ready in time" and so on, even months ahead of time. These old rigs have to be road worthy no matter the distance traveled. I'm quite sure that, that is a reluctance, among other things, like the economy, that contribute to a low attendance. Maybe it's the theme of this Forum, (6.9IH & 7.3 IDI Diesels), I think everyone would like to attend with "there" truck, lets get real, " look what I built from junk". A solution to this, I have no idea. But I do praise those who have been a Sponsor of these rallies, it takes a Gawd awfull lot of preparations.

 

[Agnem]

Well, if I gave Ron a hard time, it was because I thought we were good friends, and it was just friendly ribbing. I don't recall if this actually happened or not. Obviously, no one wanted anyone's feelings to get hurt I would hope.

I understand the need to analyze past failures, so we don't repeat mistakes, but we also need to focus one what next years rally would look like. I appreciated the conversation I had with Argve during the course of our rallies, and he made several suggestions that seemed relevant. Historically, we focused on the July 4th holiday, as it allows people to take a full week of vacation, while only using 4/vacation days. If this is no longer important, I would be happy to see it move to another date. This is good discussion. Keep it going.

 

[jayro88]

I'm affiliated with another forum. Its called the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club.

I would love to attend every rally but I also would love to attend the Indiana Auburn Cord Rally too. I do not feel that will every happen but I still look forwards to it as if I have been there.

If you ever do make it to the Auburn Cord Rally make sure you look me up. I am 10 minutes from the Auburn Cord Museum.

As far as the Rally, for me the July 4th date has made it nearly impossible to attend. My wife if required to work holiday weekends and up until recently so was I. Now that I don't have to I am thinking of taking 1 (or all 3) of my sons to a Rally. Make it a father/son trip and give the wife a break from the chaos the kids cause.

 

[no mufflers]

If changing the date of IDI week from the 4th of July to some other month or week would make it easier for people to attend then I would vote for trying it. It could also give the group more activities to attend seeing most places are closed that week. we should probably pick a location that everyone is good with first. I liked new jersey but I've never been to Pennsylvania so that would be new to me. I know we need to keep the location more central but I guess there will always be someone that's closer than the other.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

How about a cooler month.... Not all of us have a/c in our trucks.

 

[icanfixall]

About the most central location in the US is Oklahoma City.. Now I have been there in July several times. EVERY type of weather is possible during that time. One years we had a twister. Golf ball sized hale. Horrible rain. Winds that pushed 6 horse trailers together in the lots. Then humidity like you can't imagine. Nothing will be correct for everyone and to change the rally is a ruff choice. No matter who or how many show up. Its still a rally.

 

[Clb]

Mini ralley?

 

[subway]

If the group agrees, we have talked about possibly throwing our hat in for another Pa rally. We were thinking possibly Bedford or Gettysburg but leaning more towards Western Pa to keep it more central without the hassle of traveling over the Appalachians while towing a camper.

 

[no mufflers]

Gettysburg is a shorter ride for me, just about 400 miles. That would work for me. I would be out for Oklahoma City, that's 1,600 miles, way to far me.

 

[93cc7.3]

I was going to try and do a midwest rally in lake of the Ozarks Missouri next year

 

[gsfloor]

I've only been to two rally's the first that Mel did in pa and wow what an awesome turnout

 

[GENIUSLOERTS]

I was going to try and do a midwest rally in lake of the Ozarks Missouri next year

This one I would be able to make it to.