Club History

The Arizona Bus Club was officially chartered in February, 1990 at its first meeting, which was attended by about twenty fans of the split-window Volkswagen Transporter. The club was created as an unaffiliated one whose purpose it was to celebrate the ownership and enjoyment of the beloved bus. It was obvious from the beginning that the members of this new club wanted to plan and organize events for the enjoyment of life with a bus.

The Arizona Bus Club usually has several gatherings each year, but its now signature gathering has become the Jerome Jamboree, which is held at the Gold King Mine in Jerome, Arizona each September. At the first Jerome Jamboree there was only a thin single line of buses camped on the mine plateau's edge. It has evolved to become a large gathering of buses which are driven there from all over. The Arizona Bus Club also began giving away a "Raffle Bus" at the Jerome Jamboree each year. The first raffle bus was towed to the Jerome Jamboree, having been restored as best as was possible that the club's resources would allow at the time. These raffled buses have become more and more restored each year, and lately have been described as "beautiful". And other events have led to the enjoyment of life with a Transporter, such as the Corona de Tucson campout, held in the early springtime.

The Arizona Bus Club has embraced giving back to the community by supporting charities such as the Arizona Children's Burn Camp. The history of the Arizona Bus Club is young, but rich with experiences of families spending time with other families just for the sake of enjoying the Volkswagen Transporter, the bus.