The RVIP Lounge - The Funnest (and Weirdest) Way to Get Around SXSW

In a town with so many ways to get around, and during a festival where the majority of everything you want to get to you can get there by foot, it figures two youngsters from L.A. would invent a way to make commuting fun. Like most cities, Austin has cabs, buses, rental cars; you can even strap on a helmet and take a spin on a Segway.  But why not hop on a rented RV and take a ride with perfect strangers as they drive you the looooong way to your destination while you drink booze, eat and sing karaoke with the cool kids?

Welcome to the RVIP Lounge & Karaoke, the most fun way to get around SXSW. Only problem: It might take you hours to get to where you want to go, but when you get there you will have a huge smile on your face, a full belly, a pretty good buzz and a story or two to tell.

Pics and video after the jump.

Created by two twentysomethings from Silver Lake who would identify themselves only by the names of their businesses (Dipity, left, and Rubyred Labs), the purpose of the RVIP Lounge is as much art project-party-on-wheels as it is transportation.

Basically one would find out where the RVIP was (via Twitter, e-mail or word-of-mouth), hop on board, party a little and then ride it out to your destination. Hopefully you wouldn't be in a hurry because the RVIP likes to make many pit stops.

For example, say you want to go from one side of town to the other... after a few drinks you might find yourself being driven to the outskirts of town at a party in the Enchanted Forrest. The strange part: You will probably love it. Hours later you might get to your destination, but so what? You came to SXSW to experience new things, so congratulations.

The RV is surprisingly clean for the amount of people who end up in the thing and the hosts are ridiculously nice. Claiming that the vehicle was cheaper than getting a hotel room near 6th Street (rates for average rooms range from $175 to $325), the pair thought of the idea last week and already the elusive RV is a hit.

Yelp Austin has already created a group for the thing. Its only comment (so far) sums it up perfectly, "The RVIP Lounge is the greatest experience you'll ever have. You may think you're having a good time in all those trendy clubs and bars downtown, but how many times have you thought to yourself 'Is this really happening?' At the RVIP Lounge, the surreal is commonplace."

Follow the RVIP through its wonderfully updated Twitter feed.

-- photos, video and post by Tony Pierce

Comments

[Matthew Rampage]

FYI the Enchanted Forest is not on the outskirts of town.
It may seem like it, but it is not.

[rvipfanboy]

The names of the RVIP lounge hosts are Kestrin Pantera (www.kestrin.com) and Jonathan Grubb (www.jonathangrubb.com)!