I went to my first-ever RV show today at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. I walked through dozens of rigs, visited a number of vendors, picked up literature from several campgrounds, and drank really pricey fresh-squeezed lemonade. It was a good couple of hours.
Of course, we’re not in the market to buy, so it was all strictly window shopping. I expected to walk away feeling envious of all the shiny new things, perhaps deprived because I didn’t have some cool gizmo that the new ones have. I have to tell you, though, that I didn’t see a single RV that has a layout that I like more than mine. I saw ones that were much more expensive, had fancier fixtures, full-size refrigerator/freezers, nicer cabinetry, etc., but not a one of them had the things I like best about my RV all in one unit: the galley-style kitchen, the big living room slide that we were able to convert into an office, huge picture window in the rear, a pass-through bathroom with a utility closet and hamper, and the big dresser in the bedroom.
And I know I paid less for all of these things than any of those buyers at the RV show did because I bought used. Their shiny new RVs will depreciate up to 35% the second they are driven off the grounds. The previous owner of the Big Blue Beast took that hit for me.
I did see some pretty interesting stuff, though:
Fancy bathroom sink fixtures
So pretty! These are the bathroom sinks in an up-market fifth-wheel RV. The entire rig was quite elegant. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to track mud and snow inside or trying to gut a fish in the kitchen sink. The rig did not scream “camping” to me. It really is more for fulltimers or seasonals.
Who's the genius who designed this rig?
I don’t think I’d be comfortable using the restroom in this rig. This one and a few others like it had outer doors opening right onto the throne room. What if the wind blew your door open or someone popped in at an inopportune time? I guess it might be a good idea if you plan on spending a lot of time outside and don’t want to track mud through the entire RV in order to make it to the toilet. Plus you have to admit, you’d never have to light a match again. You just open the door and air out the place.
If I can fit, anyone can!
Thanks to a passing couple, I got this picture of me sitting inside a Little Guy 5-wide teardrop trailer. I am in love with teardrops. Most weigh in at well under 1000 pounds so can be towed by just about anything on four wheels and by a few things on two. There is a surprising amount of space inside, enough for a queen-sized bed, cabinets, light fixtures, 110V and 12V outlets, and, in the rear, a galley and bumper-mounted grill. And this one happens to be decked out in Ravens purple. I would love one of these to take out on weekend trips.
This is by far the coolest rig I saw at the show!
This is a Rockwood Roo hybrid trailer with a built-in deck. How awesome is that? The beds pop up like a regular folding camper, but the trailer itself is full size. The deck is what gets me. It’s so unique!
All in all, a fun day. If you see an RV show advertised near you, plunk down a few dollars for a ticket and go. Show season is February/March and September/October. Who knows? Maybe you’ll end up becoming an RVer yourself.
