It is a pun on Camp Jeep, as it was started when it was thought that Camp Jeep was done, 2006. DCX, who owned Jeep at the time, delayed the announcement. Another part was in the early days of the club most of the Jeeps were older, and hardly anyone wheeled newer ones, until Rubicon came out. This is where the play on names became Heep. Camp Heep was mostly the brain child of a former member, Tom Guaraldo. There were there clubs that were involved for a period of time, Maryland Creepers and Off-Camber Crawlers are the other two. All three clubs shared more than a several members including Tom (NoVa and OCC) and there had been a long history of wheeling with MD Creepers as well as OCC. Tom, is the the guy that deserves the biggest credit even though there are several others that had a enough of a hand in it to have been co-creators.
Rausch Creek was chosen for serval factors. The first they were very open to accommodating a larger group, several of the OCC members as well as MC had assisted with getting RC off the ground including several of the sponsors for all three of the clubs. Randy Wood was a huge help and sponsor to Camp Heep, RC and a member two of the three clubs three clubs, I believe he became a member here after he bought his Cherokee, also.
Keep in mind this is pre Save the TaTa's starting. When Tata's started Camp Heep and TaTa's was the same weekend at RC, several years later we were asked to move the weekend for us as they drew a much larger crowd.
Unfortunately we lost Tom in 2008 to a wheeling accident, and lost Randy in 2019. Both were great guys.
*Edited date to reflect 2006 not 2007
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