First RV show

[STANG23L]

First off I did not know what to expect going to my first RV show in Minneapolis. Figured it would be like every other consumer show i'd ever been to (auto, motorcycle and pumper show). Where it is manufacturer based with them showing off there latest and greatest.

I walked out of the show extremely disappointed. What an unorganized scattered disaster. Or maybe its meant to be that way. Divided up by the main local dealers. Showing off there current inventory. If I wanted to see that I would have stopped through there lots.

Went in looking for truck campers and maybe more adventure type options. Felt like we covered every square inch of the place and only ran across seven. Only one viable option out of the bunch a pop up Palomino. The rest were enormous TC's with slides and every bell and whistle you could ask for.

So is this the norm? Are there any other show's around the twin cities to find what i'm looking for? Or are my expectations to high?

[Rog___Nan]

This week is the RV show at Rosemont arena in Rosemont Il near O'Hare. Get entry coupons on line. We bough our unit there 20 years ago. We'll be there tomorrow. Not nearly as big as it was in years past. We go to see what's new in units then if we can we go and do some of the stuff in our old unit. We also are disappointed that there aren't more gadgets for sale.

[Billinwoodland]

When my DW and I were looking for our first Class A, I went to every show in my area over the course of about 2 years. Most of the shows in my area are sponsored by a specific dealer. There are a few big shows that have dealer reps and accessory companies showing their goods. It's funny, I was on first name basis with a few of the salesman from having gone to so many shows. Now to my point, I learned something at every show I attended. And I was honest with the salesman. These folks are commission salesmen and women. I would tell them I am doing my due diligence research prior to buying, and they should spend time with a potential sale. This leg work allowed my wife and I to understand the floor plans we liked, quality of various manufacturers, safety, and costs. When we saw the unit we ended up buying, it was an easy decision. And my final advice, have an independent technician inspect the coach as part of the pre purchase process.

[marquette]

I don't know about other areas but here in the Minneapolis area all types of shows are not what they used to be or no longer exist. The rv show this weekend in Mpls was fairly boring. Booth space, hotels, resturants, fees, etc. have driven most small venders, companies or individuals out. The internet has allowed even a 1 person business to have a great web site and sell online for a fraction of attending just 1 show. We may be lamenting a bygone era of big and fun shows except in a few markets.

[tatest]

Largest RV show I've been to was my first, Florida RV Supershow in 2004. Even that was the same, regional dealers, but with some extra units brought in for the show. My biggest problem with the large show was that many dealers put on extra sales staff for the show, and most of these extras know nothing about RVS.

On the other hand, even at smaller shows (I've been to at least 30 over the past 12 years) many of the manufacturers send representatives, the people from their sales staff who sell to dealers, and these usually know what's going on, but they don't always know what is in inventory back at the dealership.

What is going to be at the show will be what the dealer carries, some representative fraction of the inventory, and that will be mostly what sells well in the region. Tulsa show (at least two a year) this means mostly entry level and/or ultralight travel trailers, large toyhauling fivers, a few Class C and entry-price Class A motorhomes, and a handful of luxury Class A motorhomes in the $200,000 to $400,000 range.

At Oklahoma shows, very seldom do we see truck campers (they just don't sell well in this part of the country) or pop-ups (most dealers have quit carrying them since the price got close to the cheapest TTs). I see truck campers (a few) and a lot of pop-ups when I go to shows in Michigan and Indiana, that's a different market for a different camping environment, different camping tastes.

I don't think there is any show where manufacturers show up with one of everything, especially since there are some models for which few will be built, because they build only what dealers will order. Maybe the largest shows (Hershey, Quartzite, Los Angeles) will be different, but I don't think so. Most states require a dealer license for sales at a show, so even with factory participation you will still be visiting dealer displays.

[azjeffh]

I went to the RV show last year while visiting Minneapolis and agree, it was pretty lame. On the other hand, it was no worse than what we have here in Phoenix.

We have driven to the Pomona RV show a couple times and found it well worth the trip. However this year we were going to be on vacation during the show and needed to make a final decision on a new trailer. We ended up flying to Hershey for the weekend.

[wbwood]

Swell1 wrote:
I have to agree this show was disappointing. If you weren't looking for a 5'er, motor home or BH not much to look at. The lay out was disorganized and the camp grounds that were advertising there were limited. pretty much a waste of time.

Not sure about there, but around here, Camping World have started doing their own shows and was not represented in the last one in Charlotte. I don't mind the dealers being there, but there seemed to be only a handful of them there. I noticed that there was a lack of campgrounds represented as well.

[Swell1]

I have to agree this show was disappointing. If you weren't looking for a 5'er, motor home or BH not much to look at. The lay out was disorganized and the camp grounds that were advertising there were limited. pretty much a waste of time.

[wbwood]

What you described is what they are. Hence why there are so many going on. It wouldn't be feasible for the manufacturers to hit all the places the RV shows are at and move around the inventory. Just for one RV, there could be several different floor plans. Your more than likely to see all of those floor plans with a dealers bringing some of their inventory. However, there should of been manufacturer reps present. At least I know at the last one I went to, there was a Thor rep there.

[bikendan]

if you expect to find a bunch of TCs at a RV show, then you'll always be disappointed.

like others said, mostly you'll see high end stuff.
i've yet to find a RV show that's worth buying something at. but i've only been to West Coast shows.

you'll only find a few lower end units of any type of RV.

[stickdog]

This was a decent RV show years ago https://www.chicagorvshow.com/ haven't I been there in 6 years. We're in Florida 🙂 that time of year and the only show we've been to lately is Tampa.

[DrewE]

If you go to one of the handful of larger shows, you'll probably be more likely to find what you're looking for. (Hershey, Quartzite, and probably a few others; I've never been to any of them, so can't speak from firsthand experience.)

The local show in the Burlington, VT area the last time I went had, as I recall, one class A (or maybe it was two), one large class C, two class B's, maybe a half dozen small trailers such as teardrops and popups and A-liners, and a few dozen each of travel trailers and fifth wheels. There were trailers all over the place, trailers and trailers and trailers. I don't remember there being a single truck camper. There were a few things I liked (some clever bunk arrangements) and a few more that I didn't care for at all ( kitchens with no counters and no ovens, bathrooms and fridges that appeared to be inaccessible with the slides retracted). Especially popular seemed to be having many and/or large televisions; I guess a lot of people must enjoy traveling in order to watch TV in a another state.

[dalenoel]

We go in Michigan every year and you saw what is typical. We looked for Class C a couple years and one year only saw 2. Too many toy haulers and bunkhouses for what we need so we just go and look for mods to be done on my unit.

[dewey02]

We went to the MNPLS show two years ago.
We weren't looking to buy, just to see what was available, and especially had hoped for seeing a lot of camping gadgets and accessories. We saw VERY few gadgets/accessories. I think there were maybe two booths selling stuff and one of them was Camping World but they didn't really have anything new, innovative or inexpensive.

Like you experienced, almost all the units on display were high end, way beyond our reach even if we were interested. We are pretty basic campers and really don't like the power everything. We don't need a fireplace or a jumbotron TV inside and outside. We expect to have a campfire and read books.

I doubt we will attend another RV show, at least in Minneapolis. I can find other things to do on a cold Minnesota February afternoon.

[WNYBob]

You were lucky, I was looking for a TC and saw one in one of two shows! Craigslist only listed 4 locally.