What We Discovered at the Family RV Association (FRVA) Perry Convention (And Why It Matters for RV Life)

Debbie Burget | Travel Advisor

May 11, 2026

There’s something different about walking into a place where everyone just gets it.

That’s the best way I can describe our experience at the FRVA Convention in Perry, Georgia.

We went expecting to learn a few things, meet some people, and explore what this community might look like.

We left realizing this is something we want to be part of.

Aerial view of the Perry, GA convention area

A snapshot of the scale of this year.

A Community That’s Already Built

What stood out immediately wasn’t just the size of the event—it was how well everything worked.

This isn’t something thrown together.

You can tell this convention has been refined over years:

Transportation teams running golf carts to help people get around
Clear organization between buildings, vendors, and events
Hundreds of RVers navigating the space with bikes, e-bikes, and golf carts

And then there’s the part most people never think about…

The Parking Team

By the time we arrived Sunday evening, there were already a few hundred RVs (250+) in place, with more arriving behind us.

First-timers began arriving Monday—and by midweek, there were over 1,000 RVs on site.

We spent that first night just outside the gate, and by Monday morning—through steady rain—the parking team was already in motion.

What stood out wasn’t just that they were out there in the weather.

It was how smoothly everything moved.

RV after RV was guided into place with efficiency and consistency—no confusion, no bottlenecks—just a team that clearly knew exactly what they were doing.

Later in the week, we learned the officers had actually been on-site since the Thursday before we arrived—and would still be meeting again after the event wrapped to review everything.

That level of preparation shows.

The Lifestyle Side You Don’t Always See

One of the most interesting things wasn’t inside the buildings—it was outside.

Rows of golf carts, bicycles, tricycles, and alternative transportation lined up everywhere.

It gives you a real picture of how people actually live in these environments:

Mobility matters
Flexibility matters
Simplicity matters

We even came across a golf cart alternative that really caught our attention—something we’re still thinking about.

The People (This Is What Makes It Work)

We met so many people over just a few days—and that’s really the heart of it.

This isn’t just about RVs.

It’s about:

Shared experiences
Conversations that start easily
People who are genuinely open to connecting

And sometimes, those connections take unexpected directions.

Craig ended up connecting with a group of HAM radio operators who are part of their own chapter and regularly communicate and meet up through their radios.

That conversation alone got him excited about using his HAM license again—something that hadn’t been on the radar before we came.

That’s how these environments work.

You don’t just find what you were looking for—you discover things you hadn’t even thought about.

We’re Starting a Raleigh/Durham FRVA Chapter

Because we met other RVers from our area, we’re now in the early stages of helping form a local Raleigh/Durham chapter.

That wasn’t something we planned walking in—but it made complete sense once we were there.

If you’re in the RDU area and RV (or are considering it), we’d love to connect.

👉 Comment or message me if you’d like more information.

Workshops That Actually Help

The workshops were another standout.

They weren’t surface-level—they were practical and useful, covering things you actually need to know as an RV owner.

It’s one thing to own an RV.

It’s another to feel confident using it.

This kind of environment helps bridge that gap.

Vendor Conversations That Led to Real Decisions

Some of the most valuable moments came from conversations with vendors—not in a salesy way, but in a “this actually helps us move forward” way.

A few highlights:

We’re having a complete brake job done on our RV, with a vendor who will come directly to our home
We’re seriously exploring solar panels for more flexibility when camping
We met John from Campers Inn in Georgia, who focused on helping us find the right floor plan—and even offered to coordinate options locally in North Carolina

Those kinds of conversations matter.