HOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU?
You can email us at vantopia.florida@gmail.com or call 813-400-0638.

ARE FIRES OR BBQS ALLOWED?
Normally, open fires are NOT allowed in the open field where we create our van village campgrounds. However, the Pasco County Fire & Parks Departments have graciously authorized the use of  "solo stoves", BBQ grills, and similar items but you must have a CERTIFIED 2-A:10-B:C fire extinguisher.  Importantly, a brand-new fire extinguisher is NOT certified, you must have a professional company certify it. We will have arranged to have certified fire extinguishers for rent by purchasing the $50 add-on ticket below or you can bring your own.  If you want to rent a certified fire extinguisher, you MUST purchase the add-on ticket at least 1 week prior to the event. We will be removing this option at that time so we can coordinate with the provider of the units. We will not have extra fire extinguishers for rent at the event.  The Fire Department will be there issuing citations to anyone who has an open fire without a certified 2-A:10-B:C fire extinguisher.

We will have a few campfires each evening in the Leafy Lounge and you can also bring your own "solo stove" or BBQ grill to the lounge WITHOUT the need for a certified fire extinguisher.

DO I NEED TO HAVE A VAN TO ATTEND THE EVENT?
Definitely not! All types of rigs are welcome, and so are those that are camping in a tent while they dream about their future rig. Single-day-use tickets are also available for those that want to attend on Saturday or Sunday to be part of the fun and check out all of the van builds. Note that rigs over 25′ are not allowed in the main campground (Groovy Grove) and will be parked in the Big Rig Campground (no hookups), Connected Campground (w/ hookups) or RV Forest (w/ hookups). More information on the various campgrounds/tickets below.

WHO IS VANLIFE OUTFITTERS?
Vanlife Outfitters, based in Sarasota, FL has been helping Vanlifers build their vans since 2016. We produce blogs, videos, wiring diagrams, electrical load calculators, install kits, and a ton of other resources to make building out a DIY camper van suck less. In addition to all the amazing free resources we provide, Vanlife Outfitters has curated an online store that features our recommended products in each category. If it’s in our store we’ve tested it and would recommend using it in our own vans. We are experienced vanlifers with over 30 years of combined experience living in and building out camper vans (we’ve also built over 15 camper vans combined).

WHAT IS VANTOPIA FLORIDA?
Vantopia Florida (formerly the Florida Vanlife Gathering) is a once-a-year event where the van community comes together to create a sort of utopian van village for a weekend in beautiful central Florida. Imagine hundreds of vanlifers and the van curious meeting each other, touring each other’s rigs, meeting professional builders and other vendors, attending workshops and enjoying great food, live music and other fun activities. Hosted by Vanlife Outfitters, Vantopia Florida is held at Withlacoochee River Park (near Dade City, FL) where you can hike, bike, kayak, canoe, camp, fish (permit req.), and much more. The surrounding area has beaches, state parks, natural springs for swimming, theme parks, etc.

WHY FLORIDA?
We love all things vanlife and we especially love the vanlife community. We really wanted to see a vanlife gathering in Florida, and frankly, since no one else was doing it, we decided if we wanted someone to do a gathering in Florida it was up to us to welcome vanlifers to our home state of Florida. As far as we know, Vantopia is the first and only major vanlife gathering the state of Florida. With average temperatures in the mid 70’s and less than 1.5” of rain, February is the obvious choice for a vanlife gathering in Florida.

WHAT IF I SHOW UP AT 6:31 PM ON FRIDAY FOR CAMPING?
The gates to the park close at 6:30 PM on Friday. If you are not inside the park entrance by 6:30 PM you will need to wait until 9:30 AM Saturday to enter.

Entry to the event begins at 9:30 AM and you can begin queueing as early as you would like

CAN I LEAVE AT NIGHT TO GO INTO TOWN?
The event is inside Withlacoochee River Park. The park gates close at 6:30 PM. Once the gates to the park close we cannot open them. We strongly suggest you get all supplies needed before the event and enter the park. We can get the gates open for emergencies only but will need to involve park staff and that will be difficult and they will not be happy.

WHICH CAMPGROUND WILL I BE IN? TELL ME ABOUT THE CAMPING.
There are five types of weekend camping tickets. Please see our ticketing page for more details.

When you arrive you’ll need to show the welcome tent your PDF ticket (digital or printed) which will show which type of campground ticket you purchased. You’ll be provided a permit for that campground and wristbands for your group. Please also have any “add-on” tickets available in print or digital form during check-in.

You can see the location of the various campgrounds on our map. camping areas that you can see on our site map (PDF).

The Groovy Grove is the main campground where most weekend pass attendees will be camping. It’s a grassy field with a few trees spread around. There are no hookups in this camping area. We’ll be arranging rigs into “rows” and “streets” and parking so that van slider doors face each other. Note that you must be in this campground to participate in the DIY Van Contest which is detailed at the bottom of the schedule page. Rigs are limited to 25 feet (including any towed items) in this campground. You will not be assigned specific sites. If you would like to park near/next to friends, we recommend that you meet up outside of the park and drive in together so that you end up being parked next to each other.

The Birds of a Feather Campground is our group camping area located next to the main, Groovy Grove campground. It’s also on a large grassy field with no hookups. If you want to camp with other similar vehicles in this group camp please let the person who checks you in at the welcome know and they’ll give you the right camping permit. We have “streets” for the following groups. Please email us if you’d like to form a new group!

• Go Small, Live Large – Scott Watson
• Winnebago Travatos
• Winnebago Revels
• Storyteller Overland vans
• Embassy RV
• **Note, we will do our best to make sure you’re in your selected group’s row, but you might be parked one row adjacent depending on availability.

Big Rig Park is for attendees with, eh, bigger rigs (well, compared to a van) – anything over 25 feet. Just like the main, Groovy Grove campground, campers in Big Rig Park will be parked in rows in a grassy field located across Mig Ma Road from the Groovy Grove Perfect. You will not be assigned specific sites. If you would like to park near/next to friends, we recommend that you meet up outside of the park and drive in together so that you end up being parked next to each other. This campground is only for bigger rigs and space is limited so please do not purchase this ticket if you have a smaller van.

The Connected Camp is for those who purchased the “water & electric plug-ins” add-on ticket or have rigs over 30′ in length. It’s on the far side of the grassy field and, of course, has hook-ups! If you purchased the add-on, you’ll have a separate ticket for that and you’ll get a Connected Camp camping permit during check-in.

The RV Forest is a wooded and secluded campground across Shakedown Street from the exhibitors. If you purchased a premium, RV Forest ticket you have been assigned a specific spot in this campground and will be given the RV Forest camping permit.

If you’re a tent camper there are three tent sites we’re calling the Woodsville Tent Campground.  You can park with the Groovy Grove Campground and camp at your tent site.

CAN I BRING MY PET?
Yes, pets are welcome; however, you must purchase a pet add-on ticket during registration for each pet, and all pets must be leashed at all times during the event. There is a “Doggie Dumpstation” designated area shown on the site map (PDF) for “pet relief”.

IS THIS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT?
Absolutely! All ages are welcome to attend the event. Please note that a ticket must be purchased for everyone attending, including children over 10 years old.

ARE THERE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE NEAR THE EVENT?
Most definitely! The Withlacoochee River Park offers hiking and biking trails, a river for paddling and floating activities, fishing (permit req.), and much more. Swimming is not allowed at Withlacoochee River Park, but there are numerous beaches, swimming holes and crystal-clear natural springs that allow swimming in the area. But, it’s Florida, kids. Beware of the gators!

WHAT IS THE TICKET REFUND POLICY?
No refunds will be given if you can’t attend the event. If the event is canceled or postponed for any reason you will be given the choice between a full refund or a credit toward a rescheduled event. While we cannot predict the future, there is an extremely low likelihood this event will be canceled.  The event will not be canceled due to weather (This is happening Rain or Shine!)

ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH ASHEVILLE VANLIFE RALLY?
We are NOT affiliated with Asheville Vanlife Rally or any other vanlife expo, festival, or gathering in any way whatsoever. We are completely independent and presented by the team at Vanlife Outfitters.

WILL THERE BE FOOD & ALCOHOL?
Yes, there will be a few food trucks available for lunch and dinner and at least one food truck selling coffee and light morning food on Saturday and Sunday morning.

We will have a few happy hours that are sponsored by our supporters over the weekend (for camping ticket holders only). Free beer/beverages will be provided during the happy hours.

You’re also welcome to bring your own food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages).  We also encourage you to bring your own cups, plates, silverware and other utensils to minimize waste on-site during the event!

WHAT FOOD TRUCKS WILL BE AT THE EVENT?
We have made it our goal to support locally owned businesses as much as possible during Vantopia. We have also made a conscious effort to support minority-owned businesses whenever possible. We’ll be adding the names/details of food trucks that will be attending to the schedule page once we have that information.

ARE THERE PLACES TO EAT OR GET PROVISIONS NEARBY?
Dade City which has restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, Publix, Wal-Mart, hotels, restaurants, etc. is about 10 minutes away. The park gates close at 6:30 PM. Once the gates to the park close we cannot open them. We strongly suggest you get all supplies needed before the event and entering the park.

ARE THERE RESTROOMS/SHOWERS ON SITE?
There will be a few standard restrooms throughout the park but they are not near the camping field. We will have porta-pottis and hand washing stations. If your rig has bathroom facilities, we recommend using that. There is also a water tank fill station and dump station on site that you’re welcome to use during the event (see below). There are showers in the RV campground, but they are for RV campers only. The park staff monitors the RV Campground bathroom and if they catch anyone without an RV campground permit using the showers, that person will be asked to leave the park.

ARE THERE HOOKUPS, DUMP STATIONS, ETC ON SITE?
There is a free dump station (more info on that below) and a water fill at the gathering. We recommend you fill up on water and dump your tanks before you arrive to avoid lines. There are no hookups at each camping spot unless you purchase a hookup add-on space or RV Forest Space.

There is a single dump station available for camper ticket holders across Big Ma Road from the Groovy Grove campground. There are over 300 vans coming to this event. Imagine the line if even 1/3 of those (100 vans) need ten minutes each to dump their tank…That’s going to be a long line.

DUMP STATION INFORMATION
We HIGHLY encourage you to dump your tanks PRIOR to arriving at the gathering for the weekend. Many apps, including iOverlander, can help you locate a dump station on your way.

There is a dump station at the Flying J located at the I-75 exit for our event (exit 285 / SR52). This Flying J has gas, diesel, propane, a truck wash and free potable water! Dumping is $10 and only $7.50 for Good Sam members. If you don’t want to wait in a line to dump at the event, we highly recommend stopping here. The GPS for the Flying J is: 28.32589, -82.32223 and the address is: 29933 State Rd 52, Dade City, FL 33576.

If you ABSOLUTELY must use the dump station at the park upon arrival please do so right after checking in. You’ll check in at the welcome tent and then drive up to our first usher. Let this usher know that you need to dump and they will route you to the dump station from behind. By accessing the dump station area from the backside, we can prevent any restriction to the traffic flow entering the gathering. Do not drive directly to the dump station without being guided by the usher team. After your dump, you can drive back to the ushers and they will help you get to your campsite.

During the gathering, the dump station will only be available for emergency situations. Please do not plan on dumping during the gathering. If you have an emergency situation please find an usher or go to the Vanlife Outfitters Pavillion. They will help you and make sure that someone on our team can safely guide you to the dump station and back to your spot.

Under no circumstances should you enter the dump station without a team member helping.

If you need to dump on Monday morning, you can queue up with other campers by driving up to the day pass parking area and then over to the dump station from “behind”. Do not access the dump station from Big Ma Road. *Again, there are 300 vans coming to this event. Imagine the line if even 1/3 of those (100 vans) need ten minutes each to dump their tank…That’s going to be a long line. We definitely recommend dumping elsewhere if you can.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Along with the stuff you normally camp within your rig, we recommend bringing the following:

• Folding/camping chairs and/or a blanket. Many of the activities will be on lawn areas so you’ll want to have a nice place to sit.
• Insect spray or other insect repellants.
• Flashlights/headlamps. The site of the event is in the woods so it has very limited artificial light.
• Plenty of food and beverage for the length of the event. You’re welcome to bring anything you wish to enjoy during the gathering and with all that we have planned, you probably won’t want to leave to go shopping!
• Costume! We’re encouraging folks to dress up in their grooviest 60’s and 70’s inspired clothes during Saturday night’s live music performance. But, there’s no reason you can’t be far out the entire time, right?
• Your own cup, plates, and silverware. We will be doing our best to eliminate waste and the use of disposable items.
• Sunblock, hats, sunglasses and other forms of sun protection (Florida in February is cool and sunny)
• Hiking gear and/or a bike if you want to explore the wide range of nature trails in the park.

CAN I BRING A GENERATOR?
Generators are only permitted to be used between the hours of Noon to 6PM. We strongly advise against the use of generators. Vans will be parked closely together and your neighbors will not be happy if you are running a generator.

WHAT SHOULDN’T I BRING?

• NO Weapons Of Any Kind: Guns, Ammo, Pocket Knives, Tasers, Pepper Spray/Mace, Toy guns, etc (Including off-duty law enforcement or concealed carry permit)
• NO Discriminative or appropriative items.
• NO Divisive symbols or inappropriate imagery.
• NO Drugs or Drug Paraphernalia (Prescriptions must be in properly labeled containers that match the holder’s ID. (No pillboxes.)
• NO Flammables: Incl. Fireworks, Explosives, Road Flares.

WHAT SPACE AM I ASSIGNED?
Arriving early doesn’t get you a better spot and all spaces are pretty much equal. Please see the information on the various campgrounds above. Parking spaces for camping will be assigned in order of arrival at the event. When you check-in, our staff will direct you to the appropriate camping area based on the ticket you purchased (with hook-ups, without hook-ups, etc.).

If you would like to be parked near someone else, we recommend that you stage your group outside the event and all arrive at the same time so that you’ll be parked together when you are parked. Check-in begins at 2:00 pm on Friday. We do not allow early check-ins and arriving early will not get you a better spot.

WHAT TIME CAN I ARRIVE?
Please see our schedule page for complete details.

Friday, February 16th

• Gates open for camper tickets: 9:30 am
• NO day-pass tickets on Friday
• Gates close: 6:30 pm (Camper tickets must wait until 9:30 am on Saturday to enter if not arrived by 6:30 pm)

Saturday, February 17th & Sunday, February 18th

• Gates open for camper tickets: 9:30 am
• Gates open for day pass tickets: 10:00 am
• Day pass guests should leave by 5:00 pm
• Gates close: 6:30 pm

Monday, February 19th

• Everyone must depart by 11:00 am.

ARE WE ALLOWED TO PLAY MUSIC?
Low-level music is allowed, but please consider those around you. Quiet time starts at 9 pm and will be enforced in the respect of others. Also, there will be live music at the Swingin’ Stage on Saturday and Sunday nights so please be respectful of those musicians.

CAN I FLY A DRONE?
Sorry, drones are not allowed – any drones seen flying belong to media staff.

I DON’T LIKE LOUD NOISES, CAN I HAVE A “QUIET” SPOT?
Unfortunately, we are going to be very busy with organizing the event and it will be very difficult to make special concessions. Here are a few bits of information that might be useful for you.

The later you arrive, the further away you will be from the PA system. (If you like quiet, arrive closer to 6pm)

We are stopping amplified music near the campgrounds around 9:00 pm or 9:30 pm.

Everyone is encouraged to turn in for the night around 10:00 pm but there will be music, fires and fun in the Leafy Lounge later into the night.

IS THERE GOOD CELL SIGNAL AT THE EVENT?
We have visited Withlacoochee River Park several times and have had good cell signal at the location and it’s only 10 minutes from town. We have Verizon. We can’t be sure how busy the cell tower will be for this event.

IS THERE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE EVENT?
The official Instagram for The Florida Vanlife Gathering is @florida.vanlife. The official hashtag for the event is #floridavanlifegathering2023. The Instagram for Vanlife Outfitters is @vanlifeoutfitters. The Facebook for Vanlife Outfitters is here

AFTER CAMPING PASSES ARE SOLD OUT, IS THERE SOMEWHERE NEARBY I CAN CAMP?
We expect the camping passes to sell out so below are some alternatives for people who want to camp in the vicinity. They can also search on apps like iOverlander, Sekr or Campendium

• Lake Panasoffkee Wildlife Management Area (50 minutes)
• Green Swamp West Tract
• Upper Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area

HOW DO I GET TO WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER PARK?
The park entrance is easily searched in Google or Apple Maps. If you don’t have Google or Apple Maps. From I-75 take exit 285 (Dade City/San Antonio) and head East on SR52 (go 5.3 miles). Turn right on Prospect Rd (go 0.3 miles). Turn left on Clinton Ave (go 4.6 miles). Turn left on Auton Rd (go 1.5 miles). Park entrance is on your right. Once at the Park entrance go straight for .75 miles (no turns) and you will see the Vantopia Welcome Tent!