Winter/Spring RV Shows

[jcanavera]

Well the various RV shows will be starting up very soon. Here in St. Louis the local show will be held at the America's Center Convention Center. I'll be manning the WBCCI table at the Bill Thomas Camper Sales area in the early afternoon. Stop by and say hi!





Sunday, January 16, 2005

January 20-23, 2005

America's Center - St. Louis, Missouri

Click here for directions and maps to America's Center Click here for photos of previous shows

Thursday, January 20th

Noon - 10PM

Friday, January 21st
11AM - 10PM

Saturday, January 22nd
10AM - 10PMSunday, January 23rd
11AM - 5PM
Thursday and Friday, Only the Convention Plaza and Washington Avenue entrances will be used. On Saturday and Sunday, there will be an entrance on Convention Plaza, Washington Avenue and on 9th Street.

Our 28th year will continue the tradition of delivering a quality show!

• The latest and greatest in RVs for the year 2005 from the best St. Louis area dealers!
• Nearly 500 RVs spread around 260,000 square feet. 2004 was a tremendous show with over 20,000 visitors and lots of RV sales!
• RV parts and product booths; campgrounds, resorts, destinations and retail exhibitors
• Attractions that make the show family friendly and fun!

Admission Prices: Regular Admission - $8;

Ages 6 - 12 - $3.50; Ages 5 and under Free.

Senior Days: On Thursday and Friday, ages 60 and over admission only $5.00.





Copyright Let's Go Promotions, Inc. All rights reserved.

[cosmotini]

Jack,

I'm planning on going Friday with some friends. Hope to see you there.

Dennis

[Pahaska]

The Austin show is Feb. 17 through 20 at the Austin Convention Center.

Our local dealer (Camper Clinic II) will be showing one or more Airstream trailers. Several members of our unit (including me) will attend on free passes in our unit T-shirts and caps to greet prospective buyers at the Airstreams. We support our dealer and he, in turn, supports our unit by referrals and door prizes at our rallies.

[M&M CAPECOD]

We just got back from the Boston RV Show at the Bayside Expo. Sorry to say there were no Airstreams represented there. Marty's USRV, which had one of the largest areas at the show, had a lot of their SOB Motor Homes but sadly only a poster showing all of the brands they sell including Airstream. That was the closest we came to seeing an AS today. They did give us the new 2005 Airstream brochure, yippy! That made the $12 parking fee and $16 admission fee worth it, not. Did get to walk thru the new Mercedes DynaQuest that's on the cover of the latest Trailer Life. Nicely appointed.

If you're interested in going the show runs thru next weekend, but don't go expecting to take a peek at the latest in Airstream. Think we'll pass on this one in the future.

[2airishuman]

hello jcanavera

i'm planning to visit the dealership in st. louis very soon to look at the 03/04s on the lot or order a new unit. called this week and they have a 31 and a 34 ltd. eric wasn't sure what long units were on order yet.

usually the dealerships are near empty during a show and as much as i'd like to look around other brands, don't plan to buy anything else. plus the dealer is coming to kc next month for the show here but i hope to have a unit ordered or purchased way before that....

so i'm wondering, any other reason to come? i guess i'm not sure if serious shopping if best during a show? of course i'd look forward to meeting you.

cheers

[scf31]

The RV show in Louisville Kentucky Jan 22nd thru 30th, have not ever saw a AS there but we go anyway,sometimes ya get a deal on supplys,Lights ect, We also try to go to the one in Cincinnati Ohio also, havnt saw date yet, Scott

[Minnie's Mate]

There was an RV show in South Atlanta this weekend, but no Airstreams. The Georgia RV & Camper Show is coming up in North Atlanta the weekend of Feb 18-20 and they will have Airstreams on display from Sagon RV from Jackson, GA. The website for the show is http://www.northatlantatradecenter.com/rv.php

Admission is $6 for the entire weekend for 16 and older (younger is free) and parking is free.

[TheLuvShack]

I went to the Indianapolis show on Saturday in the early evening. It was practically deserted. No Airstreams there. I'm still looking.

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

hello jcanavera
plus the dealer is coming to kc next month for the show here but i hope to have a unit ordered or purchased way before that....

cheers

Bill usually brings more Airstreams to the KC show than St. Louis. He does that because KC is further away from his dealership. I think last year he had about 5 Airstreams here. If you decide to come I'll be there Saturday early afternoon.

Regards,

Jack

[74Argosy24MH]

End of the month for SE Michigan. Last time I was there was 2 years ago, it was a sea of white and very few vendors.

John

[Silvertwinkie]

You can find a good number of show dates and locations at the RVIA site:

http://www.rvia.com/rvshows/index.cfm

There are 2 in the Chicago area in the next 2 or 3 months.

[kposey]

RV show in Chattanooga is February 11-13. Don't know if anyone will have Airstreams there, but do want to take a look.

[flyfisher]

My wife and I went to the RV show in Tampa last Wednesday when we were in Florida. Bates had thier normal, large display of Airstreams just inside the main entrance door, right next to the $1.5 million Prevost's.

I spent quite a bit of time in a 2005 31' Classic Ltd slide-out unit they had on display, comparing the changes in that unit to our 30' 2004 Ltd, non-slide unit.

I was really impressed with the apparent quality of the hickory wood in that trailer (hickory comes in the Ltd's). It looked like it was all clear wood, with no visible knots or imperfections -- not at all like the hickory in our 2004, that has plenty of blems, and a poor quality finish.

I also liked the fact that the outside bottom of the shower is fiberglass all the way to floor, compared to the wood laminate that is used on the outside bottom of our shower - which will soon delaminate and rot as water gets on it. I don't know whether the split shower/bath on the 2005 30' Classics have shower like this 31' model, but it is a much better design/quality feature, so I would hope they do.

The lift-up extension on the end of the kitchen counter, just inside the entrance door, on this unit was wood, rather than corian to match the rest of the counter. I don't know whether this was done to save on cost or weight, or whether someone simply installed the wrong counter extension, but in any case I didn't like the mis-matched piece. I do like the slate gray colored corian in the 2005 Classics better than the off-white color corain in our 2004 though.

I was dispapointed to see some of the same shabby workmanship in this Airstream though, that seems to come out of Jackson Center with some degree of regularity these days - for example, the bathroom vanity cabinet doors above the sink were so mis-hung that the right hand door closed on top of the left hand door, there were many places where caulking was missed, particulary in the bathroom, the outside slide-out drawer at the rear of the trailer wouldn't close properly, etc. I guess they still don't have any quality control at the factory, and Airstream management and the Bates dealership are probably too busy telling everone how many new Airstreams they are selling to bother taking an interest in building quality units (or in even having someone go through these show units before 50,000 potential customers see them).

John

[rluhr]

We were at the same show, Flyfisher ... we should have hooked up. Sneakinup was there too.

Other than the Airstreams, the show seemed dominated by monstrosities. My favorite was the 40 ft fifth-wheel that cost $150,000. It featured a fireplace, 27" TV, full size domestic refrigerator, four slide-outs, and a basement bigger than a college dorm.

That sucker had an interior that looked like a cross between a Roman amphitheater and a Las Vegas casino. "Tacky ain't cheap," was one person's comment. And of course, it weighed 17,000 lbs -- empty.

I just got a call from someone who was planning to go the Boston show to see Airstreams. He was pretty disappointed to hear that there were no Airstreams to be found there (based on M&M Capecod's report), but glad I saved him a three hour trip from CT.

[Big Dee]

The Northern Cal show ended yesterday. It is the largest on the west coast and the size of it is truely amazing. It goes on and on through building after building after tent after tent. Then there is the parking lots outside with thousands of brand new units. Many units are sold on the spot, I wonder how many? My favorite ridiculous one is the massive unit that includes a screened-in porch!

Anyway, Toscano is always there with the western factory rep. It is fun to talk with the reps and ask all those questions that you've always wanted to know. Toscano brings about five units. The Interstate had the most buzz.

There are a lot of RVers that just don't understand the Airstream. I heard more than once: "Look at that price! It is more than twice as much as that other brand we liked. Why would anybody buy this?" These people will never understand.

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by flyfisher

The lift-up extension on the end of the kitchen counter, just inside the entrance door, on this unit was wood, rather than corian to match the rest of the counter. I don't know whether this was done to save on cost or weight, or whether someone simply installed the wrong counter extension, but in any case I didn't like the mis-matched piece.
John

The extension was changed because the corean was too heavy and there was continual breakage or deformanation of the mounting brackets. A friend with a 2004 Limited went through a half-dozen sets of replacement brackets before he finally just took the extension off completely.

You have apparently been lucky enough to not have yours break or bend.

[flyfisher]

Originally Posted by rluhr

Other than the Airstreams, the show seemed dominated by monstrosities. My favorite was the 40 ft fifth-wheel that cost $150,000. It featured a fireplace, 27" TV, full size domestic refrigerator, four slide-outs, and a basement bigger than a college dorm.

That sucker had an interior that looked like a cross between a Roman amphitheater and a Las Vegas casino. "Tacky ain't cheap," was one person's comment. And of course, it weighed 17,000 lbs -- empty.

I have to agree abot the size and the price of the units that dominated this show. Actually, my wife and I both think the $1.5 million Prevost's are pretty tacky (the ones in the $1.0 million range seem to be less so! ), and if I"m thinking about the same $150,000 5th wheel that you're referring to (there were several that I saw, and one was actually about $160,000 as I recall), my college dorm room was actually SMALLER than its refrigerator!! The refrigerator was a $5,000 option, and the cherry panelling was an additional $3,000.

John

[rluhr]

Originally Posted by flyfisher

my wife and I both think the $1.5 million Prevost's are pretty tacky

I agree. Those things were reminders that having lots of money has nothing to do with having good taste. Where is it written that expensive RVs should be decorated with rope lights and fun-house mirrors on the ceiling?

[cosmotini]

Originally Posted by rluhr

I agree. Those things were reminders that having lots of money has nothing to do with having good taste. Where is it written that expensive RVs should be decorated with rope lights and fun-house mirrors on the ceiling?

Traveling clowns might request that package.

[Davydd]

Last year they had three Airstreams on the floor.

"Northwest Vacation, Camping & R.V. Show
MCC Public Events

Located in Exhibit Halls B, C, D, E
2/9/2005 - 2/13/2005
Minneapolis Convention Center

The show for the whole family. See the largest selection of RV's under one roof.

See Exhibits of:
Motor Homes, mini homes, travel trailers, 5th wheels, tent trailers, pick-up campers, canoes, conversion vans and many more.

Event Hours:
Wednesday 5pm to 10pm
Thursday 1pm to 10pm
Friday 1pm to 10pm
Saturday 10am to 9pm
Sunday 11am to 6pm

For tickets and more information visit www.arushows.com"