I Know a Guy RV Repair Company Conference 2026

Dauphin Island, Alabama, May 18-25, 2026

These guys—recently retired—spent seven weeks together in November, 2024 at the National RV Training Academy, learning the ins and outs of RV service and repair. Since then, each has built a built a business as a Mobile RV Technician in a different part of the country. But they have stayed connected. Whenever one of them faced a tricky customer question, the answer was often, "I'm not sure, but I know a guy who can help." Their group chat became a lifeline for real-time troubleshooting and support. Last year, the “I Know a Guy” Annual Reunion was born. This year, because we have all formed businesses, our Reunion has evolved into an annual Conference. We met at Bay Palms RV Resort on Dauphin Island in Alabama.

Louie and Lisa were unable to attend this year, and we sorely missed our honorary members Brian Salter and Albert, who we know enjoyed watching our activities from Heaven.

Day 1-May 18

• Set up and welcome activities 

• Work Session 1-class A airbags, electric entry step repair

• Teambuilding session 1-Go @#$% Yourself Competition

• Meals on your own

Even on the first night, the guys immediately settled into a familiar ritual that began in during their training: chasing down minor mechanical mysteries. First on the list was the entry step on Brian and Sandy’s rig, which, thankfully, needed only a little troubleshooting and a quick repair before it was working again.

Day. 2-May 19

• Work Session 2-7-pin trailer light troubleshooting

• Work Session 3-cable drain valves

• Teambuilding Session 2-scouted the five beaches of Dauphin Island, pool time

• Team Meal -chicken Alfredo, garlic bread, peach margarita, beer

I didn’t realize until we reached Dauphin Island that one small strip of sand could house so many different types of beach. Every one felt like its own little world.

The pier leading toward Middle Beach stretched straight out and never covered any water. Instead, the whole landscape below us was wide flats of pale sand, scrub grass, and patches of marsh.

By the time we reached the end, the parking lot and road behind us had nearly disappeared into the heat haze, but the beach itself still felt far away.

The pier carried us over dunes that looked like a pin cushion filled. Finally, the Gulf revealed itself beyond the last rise. Even then, we had to climb down and keep walking, crossing soft dunes filled with the smell of salt and warm grass.

When we finally reached the water, we decided we had earned the right to walk on in.

The farther we walked, the quieter everything became.

The giant boulders at the East End looked almost out of place at first, piled along the shoreline like somebody had dropped part of a mountain into the Gulf. We climbed out on them on our first evening near Fort Gaines while the tide pushed through the gaps in the rocks below us. The stones were sun-bleached and rough, and people scattered themselves across the rocks.

What I remember most was the sound. Waves crashing against rock instead of sand changed everything. The water didn’t roll in softly on this beach; it slammed, and sprayed upward in bursts that smelled like salt and seaweed.

Day 3-May 20

• Work Session 4-air conditioners, tankless water heaters

• Teambuilding Session 4- South Beach, ice cream, pool time

• Team Meal-Shrimp Boil with Boudin & fresh tomato appetizer, raspberry margarita, beer

On Day 3, we spent several hours on the main public beach, which reminded me of summertime in earlier years. We hauled Sandy's wagon through the sand. Our coolers were full, and the sun baked salt and sand into our skin. We spent hours there, going back and forth between the water and our chairs while the afternoon heat settled over everything.

We finished the day with a true Texas Shrimp Boil - a first time experience for the folks from Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Day 4-May 21

• Work Session 5-Trailer Hitches

• Teambuilding Session 5-Girls spa day with Foxy’s Waffle Bar and Sugar Den brunch; guys visit Fort Gaines with lunch at  Capt’n Snapper’s Marina Bar and Grill

• Team Meal-Chicken Fried Rice, grapefruit margarita, beer

Day four turned into a perfect balance of maintenance work and vacation — which seems to happen naturally anytime we meet up. The morning started with another work session, this time focused on trailer hitches. These are not a normal campground repair sessions. There are tools spread out on picnic tables, everyone offers opinions, and eventually the come to a consensus on how to complete the task.

Later in the morning our group split for different versions of relaxation. The girls headed for  brunch at Foxy's Waffle Bar & Sugar Den,

with oversized waffles, followed by a spa outing at Sun Kissed Salon and Boutique , where we received attentive care and all the gossip and cackling of a typical small-town salon. We got a real glimpse into life of locals on the island. This was small-town Alamaba at its best! We ended with a visit to the local farmer's market, Market in Green Park.

Meanwhile, the guys headed to Fort Gaines, and spent time wandering the old brick corridors before settling in for lunch at Capt'n Snapper's Marina Bar & Grill overlooking the water.

Built in the early 1800s and best known for its role in the Civil War during the Battle of Mobile Bay, the fort's design is famous for its thick brick walls and the angled gun positions facing the channel.

At the top, the structure stretches out over the water, like the whole fort was built not just on land, but pressed right up against the Gulf itself.

When we asked about the fort, the guys were completely absorbed in the strange details. It wasn’t the cannons or battle stories they talked about first — it was the long row of solid wooden toilet seats built over the old latrines, lined up side by side with absolutely no privacy whatsoever.

Apparently the tide used to wash through beneath them each day, carrying everything back out to the bay. They were definitely crude and probably miserable to use, but definitely efficient. They said the toilets, especially, made it easy to picture the fort as a place where people actually lived and worked in between moments of fear and preparation.

They also talked about the spiral cement staircase winding tightly upward inside the fort walls.

That evening everyone came back together around the campground for chicken fried rice, cold beer, and grapefruit margaritas as the sun went down.

Day 5-May 22

• Work Session 6-QuickBooks & Tax Planning

• Teambuilding Session 6-Cornhole Competition, pool time

• Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches, On the Rocks cocktails

Day 5 opened with a familiar rhythm set by the week. Our morning work session focused on QuickBooks and tax planning with spreadsheets and projections spread out alongside coffee cups and laptops on the picnic table.

By afternoon, everything shifted back into vacation mode. The cornhole boards came out and quickly turned into a full competition, marked by a variety of skill and friendly trash talk. Jerry is the certified champion of both single and double play.

When we weren't playing, we floated in the pool, talking and listening to music or the sounds of the game nearby.

Later, everyone gathered again for Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, followed by On the Rocks cocktails provided by Brian and Sandy. Who knew there were cocktails with our very own brand?

Day 6-May 23

• Work Session 7-Wheel bearings, brakes

• Teambuilding Session 7-Explore Historic Mobile

• Team Meal-Leftover Potluck

Day 6 began with wheel bearings and brake discussion: jacks, lug nuts, wheels, and all kinds of practical problem-solving tips and advice.

In late morning, we headed into Mobile for some sightseeing. We started at Mardi Gras Park, then moved through History Museum of Mobile

We strolled through exhibits and murals like Power of Education and Local Opinion,

along with civil rights displays that spoke plainly about the value of a human life.

We loved the hollowed-out canoes set up to show the simple, tools that were tied to a much older way of moving through the coastal world.

Next, we visited Colonial Fort Conde and took a guided tour of the Condé-Charlotte Museum House, where narrow rooms and preserved details showcase the city’s long and complicated past as a French, British, and Spanish outpost. TOURIST TIP: We purchased an all-in-one pass a the visitor center. It is not well advertised, but it provides access to 10+ sites for one price. We didn't see them all, but the ticket more than paid for itself.

Lunch was at Squid Ink, where we sat outside at the swinging street tables, watching downtown drift past while enjoying our drinks and appetizers.

Later, we made our way to Battleship Memorial Park, where the USS Alabama and USS Drum are anchored.

Especially cool was the Alabama Poppy Project set up for Memorial Day.

Before heading back, we stopped for a relaxed late-day break at LoDa Bier Garten, which featured more than 100 beers on draft and amazing food.

By evening, back at the campground, we grazed on leftover potluck. No planning, just a spread of whatever remained from the week.

Day 7-May 24

• Work Session 8-RV kitchen gadgets, RV grills

• Teambuilding Session 8-Dutch Blitz Competition

• Team Meal-Dority’s, blackberry peach margaritas, beer

For the final day, the morning work session was all about RV kitchen gadgets and grills, and we shared tips, hints and recipes, along with ideas for storage and packing for travel.

We gathered at Dority's for the final team meal at lunch:  fried rice with shrimp, chicken, and lo mien with egg rolls.

Teambuilding came in the form of one last Dutch Blitz competition. If you've never played, it is fast, loud and very chaotic. Cards flew and people argued over scores that didn't matter.

We spent the afternoon enjoying margaritas with fresh peaches and blackberries from the island market mixed right there between RVs and folding chairs.

The next morning, we said our goodbyes and made plans to meet up for I know a Guy Convention 2027.