R

RV_7A

Well Known Member
Anyone have any good leads on where I could make reservations for Oshkosh? Every hotel I've contacted seems to already be booked. If someone has reservations and decided they cant make it let me know.

-Jeff
 
You won't get within spittin' distance of Oshkosh and most of the hotels are booked for VIPs anyway. But why don't you camp in Camp Scholler. It's totally great.
 
Oshkosh Hotel

Check the classified ads in Sport Aviation. I did over fifteen years ago and have been renting houses from the same family each year since. There's a wide variety of accomodations available from locals who just want to escape the Madness we all love (and make a few bucks in the process). Feel free to contact me off site if you wish.

Bill O'Brien
 
Jeff, you goin' solo?

If so, I got half a dorm room at UW I would be happy to share. Reservations are 7/23 (Sun) thru 7/27 (Thurs)... that gives me at least 3 full days at the show. Cost would be around $20 a day.

PM me if interested.

Regards,
Brad
 
Last Year I went through Orbitz.com

Last year I went through Orbitz.com and found a plain little motel that I was able to get a room at. The problem is Orbitz will confirm it and quote you a rate that usually holds but they can't gaurantee it. I got a call from the manager of the motel later that said there had been a mistake and their rates during AirVenture Oshkosh are about 3.5 times as much as I had been quoted. I was floored by that but I was flying in the AirVenture Cup Race and I had to have a room at what ever cost. We settled on a compromise of around $100 per night. I will fly in the race again this year if they have it - otherwise I couldn't care less about a return anytime soon - so I am reluctant to give the name of the obscure little motel. However, Orbitz.com was the only way I was able to find anything and I spent many, many, hours with alternate search methods.

Bob Axsom
 
Last edited:
An alternative....

RV_7A said:
Anyone have any good leads on where I could make reservations for Oshkosh? Every hotel I've contacted seems to already be booked. If someone has reservations and decided they cant make it let me know.-Jeff
Click to expand...

Flying to Austin Straubel airport in Green Bay always works for me. Whole lot less hassle flying into and out of. Short walk from tie down to terminal to pick up the rental car keys for the daily (45 minute or so) and easy commute to Oshkosh. Call well in advance to reserve a car rental though. Rooms are usually available at all the typical cookie cutter motels and many provide daily commuter service to AirVenture. My favorite place to stay in Green Bay is "The Bay Motel and Family Restaurant."

Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla"
 
Here's a secret. Call the housing hotline at Airventure to get the names of people that put visitors up at their house during the show. I did that six years ago and I've been going back to the same folks every year. I have a room that's air conditioned (very important), dry (very, very important), a hot shower (MOST important), and I'm within walking distance of the gate. They let me borrow their car to get dinner in the evening and they even fix me breakfast in the morning! We are good friends now, exchange Christmas cards, and I even visit them during the year when I'm up that way.

I won't say what I pay but it's way cheaper than any hotel within 50 miles of OSH. I know others have not been as lucky but there are several neighbors that I know who put as many as 10 people in their house all week. It's one big party and a great time.
 
next door,

I just picked my vacation for oshkosh, and need to find something like this,
never been to this before so it should be awesome.. hell I have never ridden in an RV before.. :(
I have no idea if my rv9a will be done by then and if its done I don't know if I will be taking it anyway.. should be close I hope by then, other problem is I might need to get my ppl 1st :) anyway if anyone has a family type thing
friends ect, please private email me, as I want to have this worked out well in advance..

Danny..
 
Good time to interrupt since folks are already making plans. The RV7/7A builders BBQ -- now known as the RV7/7A Family Reunion -- will be held on Wednesday July 26 in Camp Scholler. Same deal, better food (well, more food) and better beer...and we won't run out of relish.
 
When I was there this year, one of the people I met on the shuttle bus from the seaplane base said they were staying at a local YMCA. $15 a night, in an airconditioned gym on cots seperated by curtains. Bathroom and showers right there, and a shuttle bus 10 minutes from the front gate. Not many people know about it, so there is always room.
Me - I'm staying in Camp Scholler again - despite my tent being blown flat and everything in it soaked that tuesday night! I also figured out that car rental is one third the cost by flying into Chicago (flying commercial)and driving up from there - about a 3 hour drive, as opposed to flying into Green Bay and driving the hour south. I found the drive up and back to O'hare quite enjoyable.
If you camp, get there early or you will be camping right up next to the highway with big rigs driving by all night. Not to mention the mile walk up to the front gate. My feet were hamburger after a few days, but even so - I always managed to beat the shuttle busses back and forth. Another tip - and I shouldnt be telling you all because I might cause a run on them before I get there - Wally World has bikes for less then $50 if you get there early. Use it around camp all week, then donate it to charity on the way out - It'll save miles of wear and tear on the feet, and you can peddle right up the entrance gate and park it in the huge bike area.
Now you all have got me all worked up - I can't wait to go again!!!
 
Last edited:
Looking forward to seeing you there at the RV-7 shindig Bob. We plan to drive this year and bring a LOT more camping gear. I was minimalist camping last year since we had to pack it all into airline baggage!

It will also be a lot easier to take "good deals" home from OSH. I was restricted due to the airline travel.
 
Baja_Traveler said:
If you camp, get there early or you will be camping right up next to the highway with big rigs driving by all night. Not to mention the mile walk up to the front gate. My feet were hamburger after a few days,
Click to expand...
Oh, man the shuttle bus drives are terriric and they run all the time. No need to walk. Also a bicycle that you don't like anymore is always good. Bring a lock if you like. We usually find an old bike in a garage sale before we go and then on the last day we leave it unlocked. So far, we're 2 for 2 in not having to bring old bikes back home.

As for the "get their early," it's true, you shoudl get there by Sunday. however, great spots open up all the time. A lot of people only stay 3 days and then pull out by Wednesday or Thursday.

Since the 'checkout" time to get a refund is noon...if you get in by 11 a.m., one would be in fine shape. And when the land yachts roll out, hey, that opens up 4 spots right there.

One thing we might want to think about this year is organizing a "drive-in" and meet on Saturday somewhere and drive in together and stake out a big areae for RV builders. Maybe even grab a few permits for those who won't make it in until Sunday or Monday.
 
Schedule

I'm trying to come up with an idea of when and what I want to see. I have noticed that there is no schedule posted for Osh for 2006 yet. Is it safe to say that the schedules are similiar year to year? If so, what do you guys suggest on how many days and when to go.

Matt Berry
Round Rock, TX
 
Fri-Sat

mgberry said:
I'm trying to come up with an idea of when and what I want to see. I have noticed that there is no schedule posted for Osh for 2006 yet. Is it safe to say that the schedules are similiar year to year? If so, what do you guys suggest on how many days and when to go.

Matt Berry
Round Rock, TX
Click to expand...

My wife and I have only gone once (2005) and we had a blast. We stayed in the camp, arriving on Tuesady, and yes we were close to the highway. We anticipated this and took earplugs -- slept like a baby! An added benefit of being out in the west 40 is there is plenty of space, not cramped like the other areas. Yes it is a hike to get anywhere but we needed and enjoyed the exercise.

We arrived on Tuesday morning and thankfully missed the monsoon that drenched everyone the night before. We stayed through Sunday. Timing doesn't matter on the displays, almost all vendors were there the entire week. The best airshows were Friday and Saturday. The shows tend to be repetitive but Friday and Saturday were the big ones with a gazillion warbirds in the air at the same time. Sunday tends to be a little weak as a large number of the GA aircraft as well as the airshow birds are on their ways home. There is different entertainment each night in the woods and various special flybys almost daily. These tend to be very dynamic in scheduling so you can't really plan for them. Plan on staying the entire week if you can. If you can't, at least include Friday and/or Saturday in your plans to catch the best airshows.

My recommendation is get a big/cheap tent from Wally World, a couple of air matresses, a camp stove and lantern, and a cooler, and stay at the camp. There is a Walmart 5 minutes up the road so getting food and incidentals is not a big deal. My wife and I are not big campers but we had a blast. Living in Houston where camping involves dealing with 95 degree lows and equal humidity, we were in heaven. Do take your own toilet paper; I stole two rolls out of the porta potty and intend to use it place of scotchbrite pads. ;) The weather was perfect while we were there but I guess it can be hot and/or wet so there is some luck of the draw involved. We couldn't have asked for more and had a relatively economical week of vacation. If you go in with an open mind and determined to have a good time no matter what happens, you probably will.

We really enjoyed Sun-N-Fun as well but if you have to pick just one, go with Airventure.
 
The cool part about hiking is that you pass a bunch of people who are sitting at their camp. And you say "hello" and they say "hello" and the next thing you know, you've -- probably -- met an RV builder or someone who sure is fun to talk to.


Generally speaking, yes, the schedule is the same from year to year and what you want to see depends on...well... what you want to see. Some folks have a lot of tool shopping to do...some folks have Forums to hit...others want to do the airshow.

One of my most enjoyable moments from last year was on Tuesday evening I walked (yeah, I walked) from Camp Scholler to the south 40 and stumbled across a group of folks who many years ago started camping together...and it grew and grew over the years....marriages, deaths, graduations to this very large party with corn on the cob, beer, and they had a band. So I started talking with folks and met the most fabulous folks with interesting stories.

And this year I was going to focus on the forums. I never got to a single one. I didn't go to an airshow. I didn't spend that much time tool shopping. But, man, did I ever have a good time just talking to people.
 
One thing that amazed me is that after I got home and started reading and seeing other peoples accounts and pictures of airventure, I realized just how much I didn't see in the week I was there. The day I left - eyes all glazed over, blisters on my feet and 2-1 gig cards filled in the camera - I thought I had seen it all. Boy was I wrong! A week is not long enough to take in 100% of Airventure. Plan to stay as long as your vacation time will allow.

I love the idea of a mass arrival and setting up a "VAF" camping area. Alot of EAA chapters do the same thing with banners waving and a circling of the wagons with a BBQ area in the middle.

I met so many nice people in camp Scholler, that I would not even consider staying in a hotel - even if it was given to me. One day while walking to the gate I struck up a conversation with this little russian guy who was a big time glider pilot. Turns out he also was in the soviet airforce and flight tested Mig 29's. What a great conversation we had - too short, but I will always cherish the moment fondly.
 
Rooms

I took my father last year and we actually stayed at a hotel in Green Bay. Only about an hour and 20 minute drive. It's not as convenient as staying in Oshkosh but it worked out ok.

Most of the rooms you will find in Oshkosh have a 1 week minimum stay during the air show. (Rip off) and as earlier mentioned the rates are jacked.

You might also try looking for a room in Fondue Lac.

Only about 20 minutes or so from Oshkosh.
 
RV_7A said:
Anyone have any good leads on where I could make reservations for Oshkosh? Every hotel I've contacted seems to already be booked. If someone has reservations and decided they cant make it let me know.

-Jeff
Click to expand...
ive got a room for two for Thursday- Sunday I am unable to use very near the field Motel Six
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.