We’re hitting the road again, this time for Wisconsin. As a member of Car Guy World, part of the ritual that is Ben’s life is to take your wheels where other like-minded people are and look at their vehicles and talk about them. Now that he has entered into RV Guy World, I am learning that the rituals for this brave new world are very similar. We are now off to commune with other RV Guys. First is a brand-specific rally for Monaco owners, in Manitowoc. After a week of communing with fellow Monaconians, we will proceed to the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) rally in Madison. I’m told that the Monaconians (I’m rather pleased with the moniker) will then caravan to the FMCA rally, and will be parking together, to exhibit our solidarity. Clearly, we are joining a Tribe. The question is, will they want us?

What I have learned about our motor home, which is to me insanely luxurious, is it is the starter model of the Monaco line. It is called a Cayman. Those of you who know anything of cars will recognize that the one of the base Porsche models is also called a Cayman. Coincidence?? I think not! Car models aren’t created to help people shop for the features they want; they exist so that others will know how much car people can afford. To say “I own a Porsche” is meaningless, unless you add the model. Owning Cayman says one thing about you; owning a 918 Spyder puts you in a whole other category of Porsche ownership. Back to the whole tribe thing, it makes me wonder what kind of reception we will have from the Monaconians, as newbies. How does the caste system based on the make/model of one’s motorhome work? Ben assures me there is a caste system. I have been told that there are some Monaco clubs that only allow fancier models to be members, So many questions. I know how it is in Car Guy World. Women who think other women are too critical about appearance have never sat with a bunch of guys who are critiquing car builds. “That is a LOT of orange” (translation; hideous color) or “The only thing those wheels do for that car is advertise he has more money than sense!” And, “He spent all that money on a leather interior and didn’t bother to clean off the valve covers.” Car Guy World can be tough. So far, others we have met in campgrounds tend to be a convivial bunch, so we shall see what it is like to try to join a new Tribe.