Thousands of RVs make Perry home for weekend gathering

From all across the U.S., recreational vehicle owners came to Perry last weekend for a Family Motor Coach Association Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase.

More than 2,500 RVs were parked at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter during the four-day event.

"We set up a small city," said Robbin Gould, editor of Family Motor Coaching magazine.

The rally first came to Perry in 1996. This was its ninth year there, a record for the group, Gould said.

"It is just about the best venue we have for events," she said.

Several buildings held the 228 exhibitors while there were 275 motor coach units on display outside. Some were modestly priced at $50,000 while others went for half a million dollars or more.

More than 100 seminars from how to do maintenance to arts and crafts were held.

There are two reunions held each year. The next one, in late summer, will be held in Massachusetts.

The FMCA was founded in 1963. Some of the motor coach owners are second-generation users who remember taking trips in an RV.

Others, such as the Rossittoes, who are from Los Angeles, were attending their first FMCA event.

The family of four drove a about 2,500 miles to reach Perry. With their two daughters in tow, Miri and Ryan Rossitto have been motoring since they bought their first RV in 2010.

Their first camper was a pull-behind, but they decided that wasn't as convenient. The pair bought a new RV in 2012 with slide outs, bunk bed, bathrooms and a kitchen with a table. All the comforts of home -- on wheels.

The couple decided they wanted to travel, but as a family. They usually take three weeks at a time before headed back to their home in California.

"Family came first," Miri Rossitto said.

They joined FMCA hoping to find other RV families to connect with.

Vivian Rossitto, 9, and her sister,1 Cora, 7, enjoy the RV life.

They have a bunk bed in the back of the RV and sometimes draw on the RV windows with special window markers.

Vivian's drawings are a little on the dark side, consisting of zombies and vampires, while Cora draws the softer side of life with her butterflies, trees and rainbows.

Since the girls are being home-schooled, trips to historic places are usually on the roster for the vacations.

The next trip will include Zion National Park in Utah. They have already been to the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore.

While the family loves their large RV, it does get expensive.

With an 80 gallon tank getting six miles per gallon, the biggest expense is the gas to the destination.

"We try to land and just stay in one spot," Ryan Rossitto said.

To get to know more people, the family volunteered at the breakfast Friday morning.

Many of the older generation were willing to share tidbits of knowledge to the young family on their first trip to an FMCA event.

"A big component is the socializing. Many of these folks meet up from event to event. It creates a lot of rich friendships," Gould said.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Thousands of RVs make Perry home for weekend gathering ."