The Prevost Owners Group Lights Up New Mexico

   The Prevost Owners Group, also known as POG held their second "formal" rally at Santa Fe Skies RV Resort October 11-15, 2006. This  group of coach owners are dedicated to learning about Prevost Coaches, sharing great food with friends, and being part of the fun group of Prevost Owners known as POG. Though the first day of the rally was October 11th, coaches began arriving in Santa Fe early in anticipation for this special event. Meanwhile, throughout the country, groups were caravanning toward Santa Fe, with memorable stopovers in places like the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, where members Tom & Nancy Chilcote snapped the above image of a balloon firing up.

   Wednesday, October 11th was arrival day at Santa Fe Skies RV Park. The coaches starting rolling in and it wasn't long before old friendships were rekindled and new friendships formed. It was great to see members from POG I driving at the resort together after meeting on the road along the way. The California group brought the two coasts together for the first time, arriving in a caravan of six coaches. At 6:00 pm the POG potluck was held at the visitor center. It was a laid-back affair and the food was exceptional. Food and drink are always a great ice breaker as we had many new members arriving at their first Prevost Owners Group rally.

   On Thursday morning a breakfast was sponsored by Explorer RV Insurance Agency Inc. After a nice meal, Jason Sinkovitz and Bob Isbell of Explorer RV Insurance gave a question and answer session about insuring a Prevost Coach. Jason and Bob are uniquely qualified in identifying and covering the bus conversion risk. The foundation of POG is the desire to keep on learning, and the founder of the learning movement within POG is Jon Wehrenberg. At 10:00am, Jon provided members with a seminar about Prevost Brakes and the Norgren Valve. Jon had built a model to demonstrate the function of the valve. The impressive presentation was well attended and very informative. In town, some members chose the Canyon Road Gallery Tour hosted by Anna Heiniger of Standard Art & Antiques in Santa Fe. The wonderful post-tour luncheon was held at the famous El Farol restaurant on Canyon Road in Santa Fe. The luncheon and tour was sponsored by Millennium Luxury Coaches.

   In the afternoon "Mango" Mike Anderson gave a seminar on the Webasto System. Many interested members attended and posed questions to Mike about how the system  works and what replacement parts are available to troubleshoot the system. Members walked away from Mike's seminar with a thorough understanding of how the Webasto works, and how to diagnose common problems associated with it. Thursday night offered the best meal of the rally; the member run Charity Dinner. Though POG members asked to remain anonymous to the extent of their contribution, you know who you are! After our first rally, we were contacted by a member who suggested we make the dinner a charity event. We agreed on the Buckaroo Ball. The Buckaroo Ball awards funds to non-profit organizations that serve at-risk children in Santa Fe County. Members made contributions to the Buckaroo Ball and were rewarded with a fantastic meal of dry-rubbed steak, Maryland Crabcakes and Caesar salad. This Charity Event will remain part of all Prevost Owners Group rallies in the future. The food was great and the company was even better!

   On Friday morning, very early........ members met at the visitor center for a breakfast sponsored by Liberty Coach. POGGERs were headed to the Dawn Patrol and Special Shapes Balloons at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. The early rising was well worth the effort. Hundreds of balloons rose in the cold morning air, offering a spectacle that was enjoyed by all willing to brave the early morning dark and cold.

   Later on Friday afternoon, members were treated to two seminars. The first was put on by Harry Hoppe and Dale Juranek. This seminar was about "Polishing Your Stainless". Harry is an expert on metals and his expertise was appreciated. Harry and Dale borrowed a damaged stainless steel panel and detailed the process of restoration. When the instruction was over and group members filtered back through the park, Harry and Dale remained tirelessly busy at their task and later in the evening presented the restored and refinished panel to one happy Prevost Owners Group member, "Mango" Mike Anderson. The second seminar was hosted by Jerry Winchester. Jerry provided a wealth of information resources vital to the Prevost Owner who wants to understand how his systems function, methods of diagnosing problems and how to access appropriate parts. Jerry offered CDs with detailed information, difficult to obtain otherwise. His efforts were well appreciated among group members. He went above and beyond in order for members to get the information and share it with members. Thanks Jerry! Friday afternoon saw the beginning of the long awaited "BLING" contest. Daylight judging began before dinner by "Mildred" (actress Star Scarraba), made for a very funny afternoon and evening. Dinner was provided by Liberty Coach and the "BLING" award provided by Parliament Coach. Tension rose as the evening judging began. Returning to the visitor center,  Mildred announced the winners, Roger and Micki Foster. It was a fantastic evening with further awards presented by Roger Foster to all attendees of POG I. Harry and Dale also presented Mike with his newly refinished panel which brought a great deal of respect from the crowd and thanks from Mike.

   Saturday morning began with an outstanding full course breakfast provided by Steve and Rhonda Bennett of California Coach Company. This catered affair was welcomed by POG members and was a good way to begin our last full day in Santa Fe. With an open morning, members chose various activities including golf, spa treatments, shopping, exploring the countryside and more. The afternoon saw another informative seminar by Jon Wehrenberg. Jon demonstrated how to drop an axle and fielded questions and concerns about the procedure. The evening brought a pizza party at the visitor center and more awards. Harry Hoppe was awarded the "Wide-Turn Award"  by Mike Anderson. Ray Davis, Ken Zittrer and Mike Simmons were appointed "Rally Masters" after the group decided on Buckhorn Lake Resort in Kerrville, Texas for our next rally.

  Sunday morning and the coaches began to roll out of Santa Fe Skies. It was a fun event and we look forward to Kerrville in April.
The group added new members at the event and two new site sponsors; California Coach Company LLC. and Wipe-Out Systems.  We more than doubled our numbers at POG II and plan to do the same at POG III. The fun didn't end at the rally though. Members traveled together in their respective directions and shared more time together on the journey home. The Prevost Owners Group is a group of Prevost Owners and those interested in Prevost Coaches. For more information click on the Prevost Owners Group Link below or ask a POG member. Details about our next rally in Kerrville will be available in the near future.