This blog was written by Samantha Ickes, the social media and video specialist at nuCamp. Photos by Mandy Lea Photo.
When people talk about nuCamp, you’ll often hear it described as a family. At nuCamp, our mission is to build the exceptional — and when you buy one of our RVs, you’re not just buying a camper; you’re joining the nuCamp family.
Nothing illustrates the nuCamp family quite like uCamp. We just wrapped up our ninth annual uCamp rally on August 8, 2025. If you’re not familiar with uCamp, it’s an annual rally held in Ohio, near nuCamp’s manufacturing facility. After eight years at Winklepleck Grove, a rustic campground in Sugarcreek, we moved to a larger facility at Atwood Lake Park in Mineral City.
Atwood Lake Park offers a beautiful, amenity-rich setting, with full-hookup campsites, shower houses, restrooms, and plenty of lake recreation, including boat rentals, kayaks, and a beach. It’s a very different experience compared to the limited amenities at Winklepleck Grove — which will always hold a special place in our hearts!
Interestingly, uCamp originally started as a teardrop rally called Tearstock, which was held at Atwood Lake Park! It’s exciting to return to this location after so many years, now with a bigger, better setup for all attendees.
New for 2025: Welcoming All nuCamp Models
Another exciting change this year was the addition of other nuCamp models. uCamp has traditionally been a teardrop-only rally, largely because Winklepleck’s 15-amp electric service couldn’t reliably support even our larger teardrops like the TAB 400 or TAB 360, limiting the number who could attend the event and preventing truck campers and the AVIA from attending. Moving to Atwood Lake Park allowed us to welcome the full nuCamp family — no restrictions, just pure camping fun!
Several nuCamp team members even camped alongside owners this year, all trying out different models for the first time:
- Julie McComb, Director of Marketing — TAB 360
- Jill Nelson, Marketing Manager — TAB 400
- Samantha Ickes, Social Media & Video Specialist — Cirrus 820
- Janelle Cline, Marketing Admin — TAB 320 LITE
- Karl Brockmeyer, Graphic Designer — TAB 320 LITE
My personal experience in the Cirrus 820 was fantastic! A comfortable bed, air conditioning, and a dinette perfect for catching up on work made it a home away from home during the busy rally week.
A Week Full of Community and Fun
Monday, the first day of the event, is my favorite — even though it’s the start of a packed week! Registration is full of excitement as attendees, both repeat and first-timers, check in. As the point of contact for uCamp communications, I recognize many names and love putting faces to them. The day ended with a relaxing wine and cheese night, giving everyone a chance to mingle and reconnect.
We also hosted a first-timers fire, which brought together over half of our attendees who had never been to uCamp. Groups shared stories, asked questions, and offered camping tips — a perfect way to kick off the week!
Tuesday featured a full slate of informational sessions, including tech talks and a presentation from Battle Born Batteries, as well as the annual Founder’s Story. This year, I interviewed founder Joe Mullet and current CEO Jesse Mullet. Joe shared a memorable story of almost missing an RV show due to a miscut trailer sidewall — and how he stayed up all night to finish it.
The Founder’s Story concluded with an exciting announcement: a new travel trailer in the nuCamp lineup! While details are scarce, we can share that it will be smaller than the AVIA but larger than the TAB 400. Our Senior Leadership Team have been testing it and owners have provided feedback to make it the best addition for the nuCamp family.
Wednesday night brought a taco party and cornhole tournament, and one heartwarming moment stood out. The winners of the tournament donated their $100 prize to the runners-up, who in turn gave it to nuCamp Cares, our charity supporting team members and community members in need. It’s moments like these that truly embody nuCamp’s core values of caring genuinely and providing service over self.
Thursday featured an Amish talk where several nuCamp production team members joined us to answer questions about Amish life and culture. Following the talk, attendees enjoyed a traditional Amish wedding dinner, complete with breaded chicken, mashed potatoes, noodles, green beans, salad, and dessert. We’ve hosted an Amish wedding dinner the last four years of uCamp, and it is always a big hit with the crowd!
After dinner, we hosted our annual awards night. Congratulations to all the winners:
- Ace of Accessories — Martha Burns
- Globetrotter — Al and Jane Parra
- Master of Mods — Leonard Kiel
- Greatest Graphic — Susan Hernandez
- Caring Camper — Mike Jenkins
- Creative Camper Combo — Chuck Force
The nuCamp Ambassador of the Year went to Scott Houseman, a devoted member of our community, known for his generosity, adventurous spirit, and his photogenic dog, Nixie. Earlier this year, Scott hosted a rally in Brown County State Park in Indiana, where 64 trailers came together for a week of fun and connection.
Friday included the recognition of longtime owners Steve and Karen Thole for their contributions to the nuCamp community over the years. Their journey began in 2009 when they purchased a Silver Shadow. The couple likes to say they are “graduating” to pursue international travel after nearly two decades of nuCamp adventures. The day also featured a dog pageant, where attendees showcased their pups in fun costumes and activities — and yes, I pet nearly every dog!
Thank You and Save the Date
We want to thank everyone who attended uCamp this year, as well as our volunteers and sponsors who made the event possible. Organizing uCamp is a lot of work for the Marketing Team and volunteers, but it’s worth it to meet so many nuCamp owners, hear their stories, share meals, and call them friends.
Save the date for uCamp26! We’ll return to Atwood Lake Park from August 3–7, 2026. Visit nucamprv.com/ucamp26 to sign up for updates — and if you’ve signed up in the past, you’ll need to re-register to continue receiving news.
Now, that’s enough from me! Here’s what uCamp26 attendees had to say about this year’s event!
Owner Testimony
Our 2021 320S Boondock TAB has led us on many adventures, but the adventure we had this past week has been the best of the best. Seeing hundreds of nuCamp trailers of all shapes, sizes, and colors. … Venturing away from the rally and seeing where nuCamps are made, seeing more corn stalks than I’ve ever seen in my life, witnessing the world’s largest cuckoo clock, and tasting the best cheese on the planet! AND … Meeting the nuCamp staff that organized this event with their ever-present smiles. What a grand way to spend a week. — Adele J.
Wonderful time at uCamp! Lots of great info, fun trip to see the factory and get some much-needed maintenance. Met lots of great people too!!! Hope to see y’all again next year. — Mary T.
Thank you to everyone that made uCamp possible. We were newbies, and everyone made us feel like family. We had a wonderful time! — Beth B.
I had such a nice time last week and made several new friends. Many thanks to the nuCamp owners, staff, and ambassadors. It was my first rally, but hopefully not my last. — Jill W.
Dear uCamp,
Your outstanding planning, thoughtful activities, and inspiring talks made this rally truly unforgettable. The warmth you share and the family values you live by set you apart in the very best way. You’ve created more than just an event—you’ve built a community where everyone feels welcome, valued, and at home. Thank you for the heart, hard work, and joy you pour into every detail.— Carlos and Maria
As a first timer, I have to say that nuCamp hit this rally out of the park. The activities kept us busy. We never got bored. Thank you to all the nuCamp employees who continuously showed that they cared for their nuCamp owners with their enthusiasm, friendliness ,and helpfulness. I also found that nuCamp owners are a very special group of people. Everyone I met exuded a warmth and friendliness which helped make this rally a very special experience. Thank you, nuCamp!!! Thank you, uCamp owners!!! We will be back. —Susan H.
I can only just begin to tell you how impressed Wendy and I are with the team at nuCamp in hosting happy campers at uCamp! … It was great seeing old friends and making new ones. nuCamp is truly a community of helpful caring people that Wendy and I are so happy to be a part of. We’ll see everyone next year! — Matt W.
This was our first uCamp and hopefully not our last! We had a great time chatting with so many new people as well as a few we have met before. We hope our paths cross again someday! … Thank you to nuCamp, the sponsors, and all who worked so hard to make such a great time happen! Your hard work and professionalism did not go unnoticed! — Donna O.
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