Are Shows worth going to?

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Rick_V

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Apr 9, 2012
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Fort White, Fl
Not sure if I should have posted this in here or in the General sub-forum. There is a show this weekend in Daytona at the Speedway in the infield. It is a 2 hour drive for us is it worth the drive? We are in the just looking stage at the moment and after buying a new "used" truck for towing purposes yesterday are funds are slightly depleted and we will not be a position to buy a 5vr for a few months.

Rick
 
Still worth going even if it's only to see the variety of floor plans available and see what you like and don't.  It will help you make a better decision when it's time to buy.

There are so many different floor plans, that it's overwhelming at first.

Also, even if a salesperson tells you that your truck can tow it no problem, never take their word.  Do your own homework.  The GVWR of the trailer should not exceed 80 to 90% of the towing capacity of the truck.  That leaves you a safety margin as the towing capacity does not account for gear and passengers in  your truck.
 
I don't know how the selection will be at the Daytona show, but I think a show is an excellent way to see a lot of different RVs in a short time. And getting exposed to a variety of floor plans, amenities and features is the essence of shopping for an RV.

Not having money to spend is good - it assures you won't get rushed into buying prematurely!  Take your time and look around.

I can't tell from the online ads whether this is a single dealer show or multiple dealers. It kind of looks like a single dealer hawking his wares. This sort of "show"  usually isn't as good as a multi-dealer show (it's really just an off-site sales lot), but if they bring enough new & used rigs its still a good way to shop.
 
Yeah, I know all about the "yeah your truck can handle it" line experienced it a few weeks ago in Ocala at a dealership. The truck I got yesterday is a F-250 7.3 diesel. My old truck is a 1998 Silverado 1500 towing capacity 6000lb and this clown was saying yeah you can pull it and in my mind I was thinking this guy is a scumbag.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
I don't know how the selection will be at the Daytona show, but I think a show is an excellent way to see a lot of different RVs in a short time. And getting exposed to a variety of floor plans, amenities and features is the essence of shopping for an RV.

Not having money to spend is good - it assures you won't get rushed into buying prematurely!  Take your time and look around.

I can't tell from the online ads whether this is a single dealer show or multiple dealers. It kind of looks like a single dealer hawking his wares. This sort of "show"  usually isn't as good as a multi-dealer show (it's really just an off-site sales lot), but if they bring enough new & used rigs its still a good way to shop.
Click to expand...
I have googled and can't find out if it is more then one vendor either. I am not sure if I want to drive 2+ hours to see what I can see on a single lot.
 
The Daytona "show" is not really a show like the one in Tampa for example. It is really a dealer that sets up a bunch of RVs on the Speedway property as a sales lot. There are usually several types (class A, 5th wheel, trailer, etc) but the brands are specific to the dealer so you don't get a cross section of RV brands to compare. And there no vendor display booths. Heck, it might even be one of the dealers closer to where you live and you could save the time and fuel of driving 2 hours.  ;)
 
Seeing as many units as possible while considering is the way to go.... Leave your check book behind during these shows, gives you time to go home and discuss the neat stuff, then go online and see what the same units are going for within reasonable range from you home.  Would it be worth saving $1k or more if you took a Saturday and traveled a couple of hours?  Just some of the things we thought about when we purchased our last unit.
 
It is about the same distance. I am 45 minutes north of Ocala. I can wait until there is a big show it will be a few months until we probably buy something (I don't do the debt thing) and in the meantime we are looking at local for sale units and have made a couple of trips to Ocala dealers looking.
 
The big RV shows in Florida are in the winter and early spring. Most of what you find from now til next winter will be dealer "shows", which are just single dealer sales events.

The Florida RV Trade Assoc is having one of their regional shows in Fort Meyers this very weekend. See http://www.frvta.org/docs/SS-RV-shopper12.pdf


For a list of the major FRVTA shows see: http://www.frvta.org/rv-shows/
 
I'm in the same vote as Rick on this one. We have spent the past month or so now researching the RV world and the more I research online the more questions arise. I'm hoping to catch an RV show myself in southern California if possible. We are also renting an RV for two weeks of camping and road trip in June to see what we think of it 1st. After our RV vacation we will decide if we really want one or not then. Until then, we will just keep doing the research and asking questions.

Josh
 
Are shows worth going to?  It depends.  If you're a total newbie and are just starting to dream about owning an RV but know absolutely nothing about them, then probably going to any show will be useful because going in and out of a variety of RVs will give you a better idea of what you want or need or like or dislike.  For example, you might start out by thinking you want a Class C but find a trailer suits your needs better, or vice versa.

That said, the single dealer "shows" can be useful but you need to leave the credit card and money at home and perhaps be prepared for some high-pressure tactics.  On the other hand, if you've been thinking about it for a while and have seen some RVs previously, then maybe you need to find one of the multiple-dealer shows that have a wider variety of RVs to peruse.  Also, at the bigger shows they'll be more likely to let you take test drives without as much pressure to buy now.  It's also a good opportunity to find out what different dealers say about the same coach or features or whatever.  Shows are one way of doing research.  Renting is another way.  Book learning is great, but hands-on experience is always better.  Of course, the real hands-on part is after you sign on the dotted line and are on your own!

ArdraF
 
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