About Escapees
Joe and Kay Peterson had been full-timing for eight years before they started
the Escapees RV Club on July 4, 1978. There was no grand idea of what the club
would become; it was started through Kay’s column in
Woodall’s Trailer Travel
magazine. She asked the question that if a club was started to help people enjoy
RVing, would anyone be interested in joining? She received a couple dozen
responses and began to think big: One day there might be one or two hundred
people in the club! Today there are over 32,000 member-families. Those who
joined the club were immediately asked for a name for the club. Escapees was
suggested by Harry and Peg Lewis, SKP #22.
The first Escapade was held in February 1979, near Bakersfield, CA. Twenty-four
families, including nine children, attended. Today Escapades are attended by as
many as 1,500 members. Escapades are open to everyone regardless of whether they
are a member of Escapees. Please view our Escapade pages to see if one is near
you!
Rainbow’s End, in Livingston, Texas, became the Escapees headquarters in April
1984. Located in East Texas, it is six miles from Livingston and approximately
70 miles north of Houston. Rainbow’s End was the first park created, followed by
seven more Rainbow Parks, eleven SKP Co-Op parks and two new Escapees Rainbow
Parks Unlimited parks.
What is a SKP?
SKP was originally used as an abbreviation of Escapees. (Say S-K-P
fast and it sounds like Escapees.) Many members began calling themselves SKiPs
because it was easier to say. It has become a commonly used nickname. Escapees
(SKPs) are Special Kinds of People who are always ready to help each other, but
S-K-P can more accurately be used to designate the three distinct concepts on
which the club is built.
S - Stands for Support
One important benefit of Escapees is the support members get from each other
as they travel. Because some Escapees travel long distances from their home base
and families, and because they may be on the road for many months at a time, it
is important to be part of an extended family of travelers. Support also
includes the many benefits and optional services that the Escapees Club
provides.
K - Stands for Knowledge
Members often say that the money-saving tips they get from Escapees
magazine alone more than pay their annual dues. Learning is also the keynote of
the annual Escapades. Going to an
Escapade is like attending a concentrated five-day college course on RVing.
P - Stands for Parking
One thing that makes the Escapees RV Club different from other RV clubs is that
it offers members places to park. In addition to home-base benefits for those
who join an SKP Co-Op or Rainbow Park, all Escapees members may use short-term
parking at Escapees parks. This includes Rainbow's End campground, located at
the international headquarters in Livingston, Texas.
Helping Each Other
Escapees RV Club has a strong caring tradition that is an important part of our
support network. Escapees members are well known for their volunteer spirit. You
will find Escapees involved in many of your favorite charities or helping
someone who is in need.
We also have an important tradition of helping fellow Escapees; wherever you see
the house-in-a-wagon logo, you know there is a kindred soul. All Escapees are
expected to honor the logo by giving the assistance they can when help is
needed.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide a total support network for RVers. We are committed to
excellence. We are dedicated to providing Support, Knowledge, and Parking and
will never stop striving to improve. We are honest in everything we do.
Escapees offers a multitude of services, which include a mail forwarding service
that caters to your personal needs, discount park system, as well as discounts
on affiliated services. The fee to join Escapees is $60 per year with an
enrollment fee of $10. For applications and more information about Escapees RV
Club, request our
information kit. If you are ready to join, visit our
store or call us at
1-888-757-2582.
We thank you for dropping by and hope to see you at Rainbow’s End soon!