We just got back from our 3rd RV show of 2017. THIRD! We’re becoming show junkies or something. The crazy thing is how incredibly different the experience is from show to show. The Tampa RV show, our first of the year, is a manufacturer’s show…it’s huge, it’s a spectacle, and there’s not a model of RV you can’t find there. The Minneapolis show, our 2nd show this year, is sponsored by Good Sam and is old and established, with cabin-fevered Minnesotans packing the house so tightly the lines to enter go down the block. And then there’s our latest show, the brand new Phoenix Good Sam RV Supershow.
The weird thing about this one is that it’s not only an RV show. It’s just as much a rally as it is a show. So there are tons of “rally” things happening concurrent with the show. Live music, BBQ competitions, evening fireworks, seminars (some of which we led), etc. Over 1,000 rigs camped out there in the Phoenix International Raceway parking lot.
We were camped with a bunch of other campervan owners, all Travatos except one AdvancedRV named “Pebbles”. The video gives a look at our whole Phoenix show/rally experience, hope you’ll check it out.
We’re trying this new “thing”… simple videos that give a look at what we’ve been up to. We’re not really known for that, since up till now our videos mostly have an educational component…RV reviews, workouts on the road, etc. We’ve never really shared much beyond that video-wise. So, it’s new territory for us! I kind of like it though, at least for us personally. It’ll be a fun way to look back at various events we did. A much better memento than a trip pic!
Oh and by the way, the background music for the video was an original song from a band James was in called Slinky. Pretty much all the music you ever hear on our videos is original stuff from James and various musician friends and bands he’s been in. All these years married to the guy and I’m still in awe at all his talents and hobbies.
Speaking of James, he’s out in the RV as I type with Lance all torn up. He’s completely removed a cabinet that was above our dinette and is rebuilding it. Not home even one week from the road, and he’s already in project mode. My little tinkerer…
Off to the spin bike I go, hi-ho hi-ho!!! Have a great week, all!
xoxo,
Stef
I like the cool vibe.
Yeah it’s definitely a unique show with a vibe all its own. I bet next year will be even bigger and better!
You guys look like the only ones who had any life at that show. I was at the Hershey Show earlier in the year in Pennsylvania and it was phenomenal. I went to the Atlantic City RV show last month at the Convention Center and it was extremely disappointing, one floor, mostly 5th wheels with only a tiny handful of class B units.
I have a SwiftFolder folding bike – http://swiftfolder.com/ – folding bike. I’ve had it over 10-15 years. The guy who invented them – Peter Reich – (don’t know if this is still true), made each bike by hand, customized, in Brooklyn (and yes, they are affordable). They are very well built bikes compared to the Asian imports, some with cranky hinges and finger catching surfaces.
For those who have a Brompton, I thought about it. The few I’ve seen in NYC remind one of a circus act. The owners look like the Bike riding bears in those old circuses, and then, I watched one hit a NYC pothole … Those small tires … !!
I’ll have to check out your folding bike! They’re on my radar now that I’ve gotten to ride some, they’re just so neat. And yeah, just like you noticed, every RV show has its own feel. We still haven’t been to the Hershey show!!!
I have one myself, but now they’re called Xootr Swift bikes. https://www.xootr.com/folding-bike-8-speed.html
They are not the most compact folding bikes, but have a reputation for having a an inherently stable stiff frame design that rides more like a full sized bike. They also use a lot of standard components and are easy to repair or modify. These are very nimble city street bikes. My only complaint, is the highly responsive fork angle doesn’t allow for “no hands riding”
Now this is one I’d like to try! Love that it rides close to a regular bike, I’d probably feel more at home on this one. And as for the “no hands riding”…I like my hands glued to the handlebars anyways, because I kinda like avoiding, you know, road rash and wipe-outs…so if that’s the only complaint, this bike has me impressed!
It’s good to see how your shows go over in the US. We have the various trade shows too but our main motorhome magazine MMM, (motorhome, motor caravan, monthly) organises 5 big shows a year, spread over 4 days, they combine the trade aspect with vans on show and for sale, together with live bands in huge Maguee in the evenings. Many of the club’s and forums have their own sections yo rally in and up to 2,500 rigs gather for these shows.
They even have a Western themed one…….
I have only been to 3 but they are reasonably priced and a good time. This vid seemed to show a very similar event. Great stuff.
How interesting, Richard! Would love to get the chance to attend one of those shows. Sounds like they’re quite a spectacle, too!
That was so fun to watch! You guys are great!
Awww, thanks, Cathie! xoxo
I like your impromptu and less formal presentations being in the mix. It was James’s brief but compelling coverage of the folding bikes that finally got me off high center last week to the point where I marched out and bought a Brompton. If someone (him or anyone) had instead offered a longer, more technical presentation, I’m not sure that it would have held my attention long enough to see the potential in that product. The unrehearsed and no-frills “here it is” style made me go, well, yeah – there it is, obviously! It works! 🙂
How cool you bought a Brompton! Happy for ya! (…and a little envious, lol) Since James and I have 8 bikes between us at the moment, (and that’s even after giving 2 away awhile back, because 10 bikes????) it’s killing us to resist buying a set of folding bikes, lol. There’s just something so cool about them, and they’re just perfect for tossing in an RV! Appreciate your video feedback…we try to put up things WE like, and I think our readers tend to be like-minded souls. Which is why we so easily connect with them at meetups like this one! Keep us posted on those new bikes! xoxo