Hershey RV show / silly humans

[steve68steve]

At the Hershey RV show while my wife and where clambering over all the Lance TC's, we overheard several choice comments from other people in the area:

- "wow, this is so small. you could never go camping in this." (wonder what this woman said at the stall with TENTS)

- guy explaining a TC is to his wife: "this is for a guy who goes hunting or fishing by himself. You wouldn't really travel with it."

- "they call that a BATHROOM?"

I've pretty misanthropic, so maybe that explains my annoyance with people's "thinking"... but part of me really just wanted to start slapping people for being stupid.

My wife and I looked at tons of other RV's - TT's, 5ers, MH's. We didn't walk around a MH and say with disgust, "well, geez, you're never going to get THIS ridiculous whale very far off road,"... or in a 5'er say, "wow - people are so fat, lazy, and spoiled that they need a big screen TV inside... AND OUTSIDE their trailer?"

Eventually (if it doesn't already exist), some RV maker will put out a "camper" with a hot tub. Lemmings will flock to it. Other RV makers will have to copy it to compete. Eventually people won't be able to IMAGINE camping without a hot tub.

[dakonthemountai]

Miami Vice wrote:
In the fashion industry there is an expression:
"Less is More".
When some gals get dressed up, they can overdue it with too many bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings etc. Usually the simple look ends up being the more elegant look.
I don't own an RV, but I own a small 20'boat. When I go out on the water here in Miami Beach I'm surrounded with much bigger boats. We never gave out boat a name, but if we did give it a name we would call it "Same Scenery".
Even though we have a small boat we see the same scenery that you would see on a big boat. And we might even get to see more things because we can get into places large boats can't go.
When it comes to RV's a truck camper is the way to go. You see the same scenery that you would in a $500,000 motor home, plus you can go places a big motor home can't go.
When it comes to RV's, the truck camper is the best RV, because less is more.
Miami Vice

"LIKE" 🙂

Dak

[Miami_Vice]

In the fashion industry there is an expression:
"Less is More".
When some gals get dressed up, they can overdue it with too many bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings etc. Usually the simple look ends up being the more elegant look.
I don't own an RV, but I own a small 20'boat. When I go out on the water here in Miami Beach I'm surrounded with much bigger boats. We never gave out boat a name, but if we did give it a name we would call it "Same Scenery".
Even though we have a small boat we see the same scenery that you would see on a big boat. And we might even get to see more things because we can get into places large boats can't go.
When it comes to RV's a truck camper is the way to go. You see the same scenery that you would in a $500,000 motor home, plus you can go places a big motor home can't go.
When it comes to RV's, the truck camper is the best RV, because less is more.
Miami Vice

[racewave]

The last thing I want is for everybody else to be doing the same thing I want to do.

[garryk6]

69 Avion wrote:
Everyone has a different idea of what works for them. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer. If the units didn't sell, the manufacturers wouldn't make them. There is no doubt that the campers have come a long way. Some folks need the slide outs and basements. Some want the simple TCs that are lighter and can be taken back further than the heavy units. Some like the pop ups that can go back even further. Some need a travel trailer with a large floor area or a fifth wheel that is loaded. I have a 34' Avion TT and I don't use it anymore because it is too large for where I want to go. I use my little C-11 on a trailer. What many folks who don't have a TC don't understand is that the TC has the same basic amenities as a large trailer, but they are all strategically located in a small area. When you look at it, a TC takes much more thought in the layout to make it work. My family of 3 can live in comfort in the TC the same as our 34' trailer, but we end up taking much less "stuff".

30 years ago I started in a tent. Then a truck canopy. Then 18 years ago went to a 22' TT when our first son came along. After number 3and 4 came along, we thought we needed something bigger and got a great deal on a 30' TT with a 14' sofa dinette slide. We enjoyed it for 5 years, but after fuel costs continued to go up, and then we moved to an island in Alaska where length costs big $$$ on the ferry. We decided to go with the TC after trying two different Class C MH's. The TC we chose to make work, allows mild off road exploration, was modifiable to fit our family, was affordable, and allowed for two more beds via the front seats of the truck.

I say all that to say we were once ones that thought we couldn't fit in a family of 6 in a TC. Now we do it like its nothing. We are realizing that a minimalist attitude is quite a liberating/freeing experience. Now we didn't go new, but I rarely go new on vehicles, and have never gone new on RV's. Part of that is that I am a "fixer" and enjoy it. The othe part is that I struggle buying new, then loosing the so much value. So I try to find used in good shape, for a decent to fair price.

Now that we have gone to our Avion TC, I don't think I ever want to go back to a bigger RV, even though we still have our 30' TT, (back in the lower 48) we will most likely live in it while we build on a piece of property, and the camp in the TC. And we plan to go minimilistic on the house too now.

The longer we RV, the more we see that TCers tend to have a similar minimilistic tendencies.

Just some of my thoughts...

Garry in AK

[69_Avion]

Everyone has a different idea of what works for them. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer. If the units didn't sell, the manufacturers wouldn't make them. There is no doubt that the campers have come a long way. Some folks need the slide outs and basements. Some want the simple TCs that are lighter and can be taken back further than the heavy units. Some like the pop ups that can go back even further. Some need a travel trailer with a large floor area or a fifth wheel that is loaded. I have a 34' Avion TT and I don't use it anymore because it is too large for where I want to go. I use my little C-11 on a trailer. What many folks who don't have a TC don't understand is that the TC has the same basic amenities as a large trailer, but they are all strategically located in a small area. When you look at it, a TC takes much more thought in the layout to make it work. My family of 3 can live in comfort in the TC the same as our 34' trailer, but we end up taking much less "stuff".

[tsetsaf]

Once ran into a woman who said that raising our children on the road would make them weird. This was after she got done talking about how she works 70-80 hours per week and even works during her vacation (I find that weird).

The thing about other people is that they have differing degrees of backgrounds, experiences, and expectations. The wife and I would love a hot tub in our rig; we installed a tankless water heater to allow for endless hot showers. In the end different strokes for different folks.

[jefe_4x4]

Perspective is everything.
jefe

[silversand]

Sleepy:

That was very well put, and all-encompassing!

Thanks for your multidimensional piece,
Silver-

[67avion]

Sleepy wrote:

So... some of us are lucky enough to have the SUV's of RV's and can avoid the mobile home parks and campgrounds.

A few can have the extreme off road RV's that only the most adventurous will ever experience. No cute little fences and signs in the yard for these guys...no awning lights and roll out matts.... but they'll share the most incredible pictures, the unbelievable adventures, the impossible dreams that come with ultimate mobility.

Classic Sleepy!!!! Best comment of the day.

[mkirsch]

azdryheat wrote:
Is it not OK for people to voice an opinion? Remember, you're eavesdropping; they're not talking to you.

They don't have to be *HATEFUL* about it.

It wouldn't be so annoying/enraging to hear dissenting opinions if they weren't expressed in a *HATEFUL* way.

[SugarHillCTD]

One thing that I find consistent with people that have never been in a TC is that they have no idea what we have inside.

I think that many figure we have a small space with an inflated mattress, an icebox and a wooden bench to sit on.

[sleepy]

We all really know that there is really no comparison between an Bus, a mobile home, and a sports car.

Think about it!

Pound for pound the sports car is often the most expensive.

When people attend a RV Show one of the things that really influences their opinions is the cost per sq ft (or the cost per pound)

Most people don't want to admit they can't afford something... they'll find falt with it instead.

You'll be more than $100,000 out of pocket to buy a top of the line TC and truck... the sports car might go into the $3 or $4 hundred thousands. These are dream numbers to many people... so "it's to small".... trhere are fewer TC's and sports cars built... increasing their costs.

Trailers can be pulled with the daily driver... making them somewat affordable to the masses.. and it's easier for the mfg to build a box when it isn't so tightly packed.

All RV's have to have the same appliances... the main difference is the size of the fridge.

So... some of us are lucky enough to have the SUV's of RV's and can avoid the mobile home parks and campgrounds.

A few can have the extreme off road RV's that only the most adventurious will eve experience. No cute little fences and signs in the yard for these guys...no awning lights and roll out matts.... but they'll share the most incredible pictures, the unbelievable adventures, the impossible dreams that come with ultimate mobility.

So... lets allow the dreamers, and those that are negitive... all that read this thread know that there was only one reason that people went to the Hershey RV Show.... they wanted in on the good life... or wanted to see what the good life was offering this year.

I dream about smaller... the ultimate sports vehicle... but I'll stay with what I have.

Sleepy

[CAJW]

Merrykalia wrote:
You also have to remember that not all the people that attend this show are real "CAMPERS" or even "RVers". There are lots of people that just want to go see what all the hoopla is about campers or RVs. Lots of time, they have never camped and have no idea what is really needed and what is going to just be a drain on their pocketbook. They are being educated by looking around and I am sure that talking about what is in each one is also part of that education.

Getting educated is sometimes an understatement! We all are RV ignorant at one time, for example, we rented a Class C and Class A motorhome thinking that's what we wanted, only to find that the beds in our Arctic Fox are actually larger that those motorhomes which both had slideouts! Like they say, you don't know, what you don't know. OTOH, some people really do need to be slapped as there is no pleasing them!

[Dog_Folks]

AITG wrote:
I've had a similar experience with boats. The wife and I have a Boston Whaler. We were at a boat show and listened to two older men telling each other how stupid and overpriced Whalers are compared to their boat of choice: a Bayliner Trophy.

We just agreed with them. There is no point in arguing with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with their experience.

You were right not to argue. Comparing a Whaler to a Bayliner is like comparing a Cadillac to a Yugo.