Southwest RV Supershow 2012

Southwest RV Supershow 2012

                Saturday was a cool windless day but not too cool to ride.  It was somewhere between the high 50’s and low 60’s.  Still, I wore my leather jacket in case we got caught on the bike after dark.

            Let me give you a little background why we even decided to visit the RV show.  We first started attending Rallies using my V6 SUV Ford Escape and pulling a flat trailer with 1-foot railing all around except for the back which was open.  We had plenty of room in my SUV since the back seat also laid down for more storage and the bike and larger items like the smoker and grill went on the trailer.  This was fine for a while but then we decided to buy a 16-foot cargo and convert it into a “Hillbilly Trailer”.  We put in cabinets and shelves, an airbed, AC, electric, tile flooring, and a porta-potty.  We had taken this to Oklahoma and it was fine but our trip home from Loose Wheels in Dennison TX was a different story.  We had cross winds and couldn’t even run fast enough on I-75.  We had to exit and take the backroads back to Garland Texas down SH 5.  That was definitely when we realized we needed a bigger truck.  Bye Bye Escape and hello V8 Ford F-150.  We took our truck and trailer combination up to Sturgis and it made the trip well.  One bad thing though, our neighbors didn’t like our generator running through the night to keep the electric devices running.  The grounds keeper even said we could stay there with the generator.  That was true I guess till someone complained.  The rest of the rally we had no generator at night.  Who sleeps during Sturgis anyway?  We loved our little Hillbilly Trailer but over the past few months since then we just felt like we needed more now that we knew this was what we wanted to do.  Our Cargo/Hillbilly Trailer was primarily an experiment.  Then we heard the RV show was coming to town and figured what better time to check out all the various toy haulers available.

            The RV show was at Dallas’ Market Hall, 2200 N. Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, TX  75207.  It was running from Thursday thru Sunday.  If you were a senior citizen you got special pricing on Thursday or if you went to their website www.thesouthwestrvsupershow.com you could print out a $2 discount coupon per person or pick one up at any Metroplex TRVA member.  It is predicted that more than 10,000 will have attended this event.

            Once we got into the hall I had discovered it was rather warm inside.  I had wished I had stashed my jacket in the saddle bag but instead opted to just carry it around.  It was a shame they didn’t have the jacket check like the bike shows do, but you can’t have everything. 

            I couldn’t believe all the different types of Recreational Vehicles and how many they could squeeze in 350,000 square feet.  I had never seen so many in one place.  They had everything from the “Live like a Rock Star” motor coaches down to popups and the cute little pup trailer.

            There were several of the motor coaches.  I noticed the priciest was set at very close to $400,000 and that was their show price.  Wow!  I could buy 5 of my houses for that but it was so sweet!  One of them even had a fireplace.  Not real, of course but it looked pretty real, slide outs for ample living and dining, stacked washer & dryer, and an island kitchen with a full sized refrigerator.

            With the use of golf carts and small cars such as the Fiat and Smartcar, we noticed more RV’s with cargo space in the back.  What was really fascinating was the way that they would take the ramp and convert it into an elevated semi-screened in patio/porch from about waist height down once the vehicle and been moved out.  I never could see what they had used to prop it up to keep it level with the rest of the vehicle.

            The pup trailer was really neat too.  It was definitely small.  They looked like they could be pulled behind a bike, especially since the peaked top and sides collapse for travel.  If you are claustrophobic I wouldn’t recommend it though.  It was basically a bed and not much more.

            There were also a few Airstreams.  One looked like it could almost be a toy hauler.  It had a back ramp but the top looked like it might be a tad short.  It was really retro and cute.  I wouldn’t have minded that one.  I can see all the younger wannabe hippy kids owning one of those and taking it on vacation.

            On to the toy haulers for us “normal working class biker people”; these ranged from 5^th wheelers also decked out with mock fireplaces and slideout sides down to the 20’ trailers that can be pulled by a V8 Ford F-150 like mine, as long as you had the sway bars attached.

            There was row after row of trailers and coaches both in the hall and outside.  I have never seen so many trailers.  It was mind boggling and there was really great show pricing.

            All-in-all, I would recommend this show to anyone shopping for an RV/toy hauler.  It is well worth the visit and the fee.  Another thing, the RVs were positioned by dealer and not manufacturer.  You find something you like and you will know just which dealer to go to see after the show.  I don’t think any 2 dealers had the same vehicle but it was so mind boggling with all the trailers it was hard to tell.

Ticket pricing for the show:

Adults: $12

Active Duty Military with ID: $7

Children 15 and under free

Daily Special Pricing; may NOT be combined with discount coupon:

• Thursday: Adults: $7

• Friday: Seniors 65+: $7

• Saturday-Sunday: RV Club Members with ID: $7

There will also be a fall RV Show again at Market Hall on September 13 - September 16, 2012 and their 2013 show will be February 21 – 24.

                                   

 Here are ten reasons why bikers love traveling with a Toy Hauler (TH) vs Iron Butt Club. Bikers can:

1.     Sleep in your own clean, fresh beds and use your own clean bathroom. Plus, no more worrying about finding a room during the “peak” travel/rally season.

2.     Pack the TH and then not have to deal with hauling around, packing and unpacking suitcases during the trip.

3.     Have more control over meals and snacks.

4.     Save money on hotel rooms and eating in restaurants. Pets can be taken along, saving money on boarding fees.

5.     Make better time pulling a trailer than riding.  Every couple of hours you need a hinny break.

6.     No more sleeping on the ground in a tent and vying with the critters for the same space.

7.     Air conditioning and heating.  Need we say more?

8.     Bike is protected from the elements and if your bedroom is in the front you do not even have to take out the bike to go to bed if it is a 1-night stay on the way to your destination.

9.     All contained.  No more loading, unloading and reloading the trunk, saddlebags, or whatever with all your travel supplies.

10.  No $1000 cabin fees during Sturgis, but still the warmth of a trailer since it does get cool at night out there and let’s not forget the occasional rain and hail.  Also, the cabins are not heated.  They only have AC units.

With time, a Toy Hauler can nearly pay for itself with the savings.