1st Time Tour Guide

[Ten1nis]

This May will be the first time that I will be host for an overnight (300 mile) tour for our club. What will make the tour successful? What unique features/events can I incorperate to into the tour to make it special? Thanks for your ideas!

[Del in NE Ohio]

I have hosted a few trips and have the following suggestions.

1. Drive the route in advance! No surprises!

2. Make note of availability gas and food along the route.

3. Plan stops along the way so that it doesn't turn into a "forced march"

4. Insist that every driver be responsible for the car behind him. Try not to lose sight of the "A" behind you. Everyone will be more secure.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Encourage the drivers to have their cars ready for a tour. Roadside repairs are dangerous and no fun for the whole group. There is really no excuse for a dry front wheel bearing locking up on tour. Many repairs are very preventable.

[Ron/IA]

Make a tour map with written directions. This information will be had during your drive of the route in advance (as mentioned by Del).

Also, since cell phones are the norm today (for most anyway); put a list of names and cell numbers with you map/directions. They, or you, will have a way to contact should someone have trouble.

[700rpm]

Plan an evening event, like board or card games, or a social gathering of some sort so people don't just retire to their hotel rooms.

Plan a rest stop about every 45 minutes, especially if your group includes people over 60.

A visual scavenger hunt along the route can be fun, with token prizes at the end for everyone who spots everything.

Avoid freeways and unpaved roads if you can.

[newshirt]

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Write out some fun facts "cue cards" to share at rest stops. (Historical facts about the tour or the route you're taking.) Historical photos can also be fun.

[1931 flamingo]

Beer....................................
Paul

[Great Lakes Greg]

NO TIMED STOPS! You will only get frustrated. Keeping a tour moving can be like herding cats.

[Ten1nis]

Thanks everyone for the insightful information! I'll put it to good use.

[dlfrisch]

My wife and I both ride our Harley's in the local HOG association. We follow the same basic guide lines as the people above. We have a lead rider (Trained Road Captain) and a last rider (Sweep Captain), each having set group tasks. We are new with our Model A and look forward to joining a near by or somewhat close ride width our '29.

[nhusa]

Make sure there is a potty at the stops.

[AL in NY]

If the tour is going to have 20+ cars, try to avoid congested roads with numerous stop lights. Trying to keep the group together it that environment is very difficult and time consuming.

[Arlen]

One thing people never think about when they first lead a tour is the poor visibility. Not sure how many cars you have going with you but your going to realize very quickly that you can only see behind you about 3 cars back. Because of this, our club always try's to make sure that the very front car and very rear car both have either a cb radio or have each others cell phone numbers. If a car 7 or 8 cars behind you has to pull over, it could be miles before you realize it but with the front and rear drivers in communication, this can be avoided. Also if possible, make sure the very rear car has his own map of the route. Try to be sure that the rear car has at least two taillights with blinkers being even better. Make sure every car in the group has your cell phone number. Nothing will ruin a persons tour like being left behind. Lastly, make sure to have plenty of rest stops. Even though it might not be time for gas, I've notice people on my tours like to stop every 1.5 to 2 hours. Be careful though to not let the rest stop be too long or you will never get to your destination. Let them know that when you sound your horn at gas stations etc, that means its time to load up and move on. Good luck on your tour. I'm sure everyone will have a great time.

[Mike V. Florida]

Congratulations of taking on this venture. I wish I had more of you in our club. It's the same people doing the things because nobody seems to want to take on something new.

It is members like you that make clubs great. May i suggest you take notes and put together a "manual" to help the next guy.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Ten,

1. Even though this may appear very parochial, some Model A's are not everyday drivers, & some may be very similar to National Guard and/or Reserve military vehicles departing for a convoy after not having been exercised very often.

2. And just because everything worked & looked fine last month, & the outing the month before, not a bad idea to issue somewhat of a Check List as follows for Model A owners to check a few days prior to departure & not wait until the last minute prior to departure:

A. Coolant level that sometimes can leak when least expected.

B. Oil level maybe not have been checked in a few months.

C. Tire pressure, not just on all 4, but also on the spare.

D. Proper operation of headlights, tail lights, brake lights, & turn signals if installed.

E. Check Rain-X condition on windshield if applicable.

F. Tightness of all 20 wheel lugs.

G. Visual inspection of fan belt & radiator hoses.

H. Vehicle registration & insurance papers.

I. Horn working -- does maybe the mild corrosion or dust/oil on the commutator need cleaning with a paper towel.

J. Are all cell phones charged? -- perform periodic commo checks en route, between first & last vehicle to insure no communication breakdown.

If someone mentions they are carrying a tow strap, or special tools or special items, find out who has them, & write down their cell phone numbers if needed.

Years ago in the military these simple prior convoy maintenance checks were called First Echelon Maintenance; then the term changed to Driver Maintenance.

Hope this may help a little for a pleasant & smooth trip for everyone involved.

[Fred K-OR]

I also found it a help to have another person in the club to help you out on a large tour with some of the things you need to do. Such as having more than one meeting place to start the tour when your club covers a large area like here in the Portland Or area.

[Pete]

I ran a couple of one day tours several years ago.
The main thing that everyone said that made it enjoyable and successful was, everyone had a radio. Some had cell phones but the radio was the thing they used the most. I made sure everyone on the tour had a hand held FRS (family radio service) radio. There was constant chatter all day and everyone knew instantly if a car had problems or made a wrong turn. These radios are small enough that most people just carried them in their shirt pockets.
The big advantage of these radios over the older CB's is, you don't have to drill holes or use duct tape to mount them.

[Ron/IA]

Our club has had tours with 20 or more cars participating. In cases like that, we divide them into two groups. As stated above, large groups can get strung out, and it becomes difficult when some type of service is needed.

Of course, you will need two leaders as well as follow-up.

[Tom Endy]

Look up the addresses of the McDonalds restaurants along the way on the internet and print them out and pass them out. Use some of them as rally points or pit stops. Most everyone has a GPS or magic cell phone that has a GPS. Give everyone time to load the addresses before you depart. It will help with the navigation and prevent people from getting lost.

Tom Endy

[Clem Clement]

A practice tour of a couple of hours to another town for eggs and back will help sort out tired cars, speeds and people's habits.

Have a handout for everyone. Have a driver's briefing before lunching . Many won't have read your instructions so go over everything again.

Make it fun.