Nearly 12,000 RV Enthusiasts Traveling to Louisville for Biggest Rally of 2003

VENTURA, Calif., June 5 -- This year thousands of recreational vehicle owners, better known as RVers, will be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky for the Great North American RV Rally. This is the first time the Rally will be hosted by Louisville and the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center (KFEC).

Affinity Group, Inc. (AGI), rv.net, and its brand divisions annually sponsor the Great North American RV Rally (GNARR). The four-day event includes hundreds of exhibits, new RVs, RV products, tours to area attractions, entertainment and daily seminars.

U.S. ownership of RVs has reached record levels and nearly 1 in 12 U.S. vehicle-owning households now owns an RV. The "Campfire Canvass" biannual survey reveals that, despite the sluggish economy, 98 percent of RV owners expect to travel more (71 percent) or about the same (27 percent) this spring and summer than they did a year ago.

"We know that RVers are traveling in record numbers because we are sold out for this year's Rally," said Good Sam Club executive director Sue Bray. "We are expecting almost 6,000 RVs which means more than 12,000 people will be in attendance just from those staying on site." In addition to KFEC's parking areas, additional Rally parking will be located at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium and Bowman Field. The rally will provide transportation from these locations to the activities at KFEC.

Opening night will be patriotic in nature, particularly since many of the Rally guests are veterans. The Rally will recognize those serving at Ft. Knox by inviting active duty military personnel and the families of those serving overseas to attend the opening show as guests. As an added bonus, the opening act is Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum entertainer Lee Greenwood. The Country Music Association awarded him Song of the Year honors for penning the words and music to "God Bless the USA."

The Rally's exhibit area has also exceeded expectations with more than 500 exhibitors and at least two major manufacturers unveiling new models. Nearly every division of AGI has a major new product that will be announced at the Rally. The publishing division of AGI is launching a book on technical tips that the average RVer can accomplish easily.

"We even have our own version of the American Idol competition," said Bray. "This year the Rally Idol competition winner will perform for the audience as the opening act for the Oak Ridge Boys. It's a great finale for the event."

There are 25 sponsors for the Great North American Rally, headed by AGI brand divisions: the Good Sam Club, Coast to Coast, Camping World, Golf Card, TLE Publications and Woodall's.

For a complete schedule of the Great North American Rally go to www.calzone.com/rally_schedule/ or call 877.749.7122 or 805.667.4422.