Behind every lot at RoVer's Roost is a story — decades of travel, second careers, volunteer projects, and friendships that started at the clubhouse. This page is where we highlight our leaseholders and share a bit of what makes our community special. Check back often — we'll be adding new profiles throughout the season.
Profiles on this page
Vicki Thompson (and the late Guy Thompson) (newest) · Gerri & John Beckman
Leaseholders since 2012
If you've been to a RoVer's Roost event, you've seen Vicki Thompson, most likely behind a camera lens.
Vicki and her husband, Guy, bought their leasehold in 2012. They chose RoVer's Roost for the nearby golf courses, because it's an Escapees park, and because the dry climate helped Guy's asthma.
Their story began at Warner Robins Air Force Base. She was a clerk, and he was a newly minted second lieutenant after more than a decade as an enlisted man. The first time Guy walked in, just back from the Middle East, she thought, “I bet he's an asshole.” She laughs, “Turns out I was right.” Then one night they had to work late on a project and really talked. That led to dating, and they married a year later.
Besides golf, they shared a love of comedies and science fiction movies. “We both had a warped sense of humor,” she said. They also loved history, so much of their RV travel centered on museums and national parks.
When Guy first suggested RVing, Vicki told him she needed more information. He spent five years researching everything: flat towing a car, handling mail, getting internet on the road, planning trips, and choosing the right motorhome. They bought a Vogue motorhome, parked it next to their house and took “trial runs” for months from their home in Oklahoma. At an RV show in Oklahoma City, they met Escapees founders Joe and Kay Peterson, who signed them up as members in 1999. Vicki still has a five-digit Escapees number. Today the club has more than 100,000 members.
Their outgoing personalities drew them deep into the RV lifestyle. They attended many rallies and later joined the staff of RV caravan tours, including trips to the Canadian Maritimes with Fantasy RV Tours, as “tail gunners.” The tail gunners travel at the very back of the caravan. They make sure no one is left behind, stranded or lost, they're the first to help when someone has trouble on the road, and they do the final campground check so nothing is forgotten and every site is left spotless. Vicki says the best part of the job was the friends they made along the way.
When Guy's diabetes slowed them down, they made RoVer's Roost their permanent home. Guy passed away in January 2021, and that's when Vicki dove into park life. She has served as vice president and then president of the Roof Raisers, worked on many committees and helped with the Follies.
She also took on the park's history. She found a treasure trove of newsletters, photos and magazines that together tell the story of the park. The 2012 flood had damaged many of them: albums were spotted with mold, and photos and negatives were stuck together. With help from Carol Lamb and others, she sifted the useful from the too damaged. Along with the many photo albums in the clubhouse, which anyone is welcome to look through, she has digitized some 7,000 photos and documents.
Vicki is still the park's official photographer, capturing special events and memories. That seems fitting as the park celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2027.
Leaseholders since 2003
Gerri and John Beckman are the epitome of what RoVer's Roost is all about. When they first got their lot in the park back in 2003, Gerri was looking for something to keep her busy. She noticed the park's two phone booths (long since removed) were looking pretty shabby. "You know how things get in the summer here. They were full of crickets and dirt," she said. Gerri jumped right in, cleaning the phone booths from top to bottom — right down to replacing the shades. They haven't stopped working and volunteering since, serving on committees for landscaping, PCM (Park Construction & Maintenance), appraisal, kitchen, and more. Gerri has also served as vice president and president of the park's board of directors, and both have served on Roof Raisers committees, helping bring in funds to support the park and keep M&O (Maintenance & Operations) fees down.
Park members who have taken part in the Follies auction know that each year John carves a boot to be auctioned off, with bids ranging anywhere from $100 to $500. John and Gerri's philosophy is simple: when you're part of a Co-Op, you serve, and you help out monetarily too.
Years ago, John's woodcarving was even more prolific — he made more than 600 wooden watches, each with a working wristband and a real watch face set into a carved wooden recess. Every one was signed and numbered. Plenty of his handiwork is on display in their fifth wheel today, including a carved portrait of Gerri.
Back when they were both still working in Phoenix, they followed their passion for tent camping, getting off work Friday and heading out by Saturday morning to wherever their imagination sent them. Over the years, they camped their way through nearly every nook and cranny of Arizona, one weekend at a time.
When Gerri's mom fell ill and needed dialysis, they bought her a mobile home nearby to be close, and picked up a 16-foot camper so she could share their love of camping. Every Friday, after a grueling dialysis session, they'd pick her up and head out to camp somewhere for the weekend. She'd rest and recover in the camper Friday night, then spend the rest of the weekend enjoying herself with them. By all accounts, she had the time of her life.
Gerri and John began RVing full-time in 2000, deciding their route as they went. Once, at a T in the road, they simply flipped a coin to decide which way to go. A well-worn atlas still serves as the map of their travels, with routes, trips, and years all color-coded inside its pages.
These days they don't travel much anymore, but they're far from slowing down. Volunteering, woodcarving, and going on cruises keep them active and busy. When a back injury kept John from his usual exercise, his doctor told him to simply walk — so when he turned 92, he and Gerri started walking together every day. They keep it to six days a week now. As John puts it, "If God gets a day off, I do too."
Know a leaseholder we should feature?
Nominate a neighbor — or share your own story — and we'll add a profile to this page.