About

The Trailblazers began with two families from the Midwest: Gene & Lois Schaffner, and Bob & Leona Drzmala, who both owned Trailmanors, a trailer that pulls like a popup. Both families camped at the same campground in Rockford, Illinois. They were the driving force behind starting our camping club for fellow TrailManor owners.

The first campout was at a KOA in Union, Illinois, on October 8, 1993. On a cold and windy day, they met for an organizational meeting in a small room at the campground. Ron Posselt’s wife, Phyllis, volunteered Ron for the first president. Gene became vice president, Phyllis Posselt became secretary, and Peggy Barry became treasurer. And as Gene Schaffner has said, “to make a long story short, the TrailManor Camping Club grew beyond our expectations.”

There were originally twelve families representing Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Membership fees started at $15/family, and annual Rally fees were $10. As membership grew, the original members created separate chapters. The original group named themselves the Charter Chapter.

Today, there are ten chapters across the United States and hundreds of member families. Each chapter hosts one or more rallies a year—often in the Summer or Fall, at varying campgrounds across the continent. We also gather together every three years for our national Jubilee. The last jubilee was in the Summer of 2024, near Traverse City, Michigan. Our 2027 Jubilee planning committee is forming now.