What if I were to tell you that there was a club out there made up
almost entirely of Schimmwagens, Kubelwagens, Motorcycles, and Kettenkrads, and even better, what
if once a year, their owners brought them all together in one wooded, secluded playground that
was perfect for MV owners. Well I'm here to tell you that there is such an association,
and that it just might be the coolest little MV club that you've never heard of. As a matter
of fact, Kubel Korps USA has been around and held yearly gatherings for a long time, and as it
happens, 2014 marked their 26th yearly event. If you notice, calling these events "shows"
has been avoided because technically they really aren't open to the public. The club rents
the park for the weekend, and members pay for camping and meals. Therefore, they have chosen
to call them "Reunions", as the main goal is to get all the owners together once a year to
re-acquaint and have some fun with these fantastic vehicles.
Kubel Korps USA was started in July of 1984 in California, with the goal of bringing together those
who enjoy World War II German vehicles, and to help restore these vehicles by sharing information
and research. Some members don't own a vehicle, but many own more than one. Randy
Smith is the present Obercommander, and has now run the club for close to twenty-five years.
The group also offers their newsletter, Zeitung, which comes with membership and is published
quarterly, containing not only reunion and member news, but also some nice wartime photos of these
vehicles in use.
This club is different in a several ways. For one, it is the only non-reactor based MV club
in the country that I am aware of to be comprised almost exclusively of German vehicles, and further,
it might also be the only club that is centered around a particular type of vehicle, instead of a
geographic location. Club members are located all across the country, and regularly travel
great distances to attend the reunion. Therefore, you're never really sure who is going to
be able to show up, but the other side of the coin is that at least you don't see exactly the same
vehicles all the time. In any given year you will typically find five to eight Kubelwagens
and about the same number of Schimmwagens. There always seems to be one or two Kettenkrads,
and then there are the motorcycles, Zundapps and BMWs, mostly with, but occasionally without
sidecar. Also, there is always the chance that something really unusual is going appear,
like a running Styre RSO, or the Demag Sd.Kfz. 10, which came a year or two earlier.
Since 2008, the annual reunion has been held in Ohio, close to the Michigan border at the Pioneer
Boy Scout Reservation. This is truly a fantastic place to hold their event. There
are miles of wooded and open land to ride on, and for the amphibious vehicles in the group,
there are also several lakes or ponds that enable the Swimmers to do what they were designed
to do. In addition to getting the opportunity to put their vehicle through its paces
in a fairly pristine non-paved environment, an equally important draw for members seems to be
the opportunity to visit and hang out with each other. The reunions are most definitely
total family affairs, and it is obvious that for some folks, this is their vacation. Each
day of the reunion sees scheduled events like trail rides, road rides or swims, but there is
always a lot of time to simply sit and catch up, and this appears to be just as important to
members. It is a friendly, informal group, and like other MV clubs, when someone breaks
down or has a problem, which is not all that unusual with vehicles of this age, everyone pitches
in to help, or offer assistance. If you have a German vehicle, or just an interest, please
contact on of the group representatives listed below.
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Kubel Korps USA Current Officers:
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Membership: $20/year or $30 w/spouse
Juniors under 18 w/parent member: $5 |
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