2017 RV Expo
Hello Everyone! All last week I was psyched about heading to our local RV expo this past weekend. So on Friday, one of my crew members (my youngest daughter) and I headed over to see what new innovations awaited us. You can also watch the video from my You Tube channel if you like.
A little disclosure here: 1) I’m far from an expert videographer, 2) My daughter is busy, busy so she provides a lot of background fun (aka noise), 3) I wasn’t there to capture every RV on display so it’s only a recap of what impressed me or an overview of what the inside of different classes of RV’s look like, etc, 4) I did my best to cover all RV Classes but there were no truck campers or pop-ups at the show. So please have mercy on me, thank you :-). This is a small window into what I saw this weekend.
Now keep in mind that I’m a Class A owner so I went into more of them than any other class. Therefore, you’re going to see a couple Class A’s versus only one or two of the other classes. I did go into quite a few fifth-wheelers but I only highlighted the one that impressed me. This is also a very small expo compared to Florida’s mega show so not as much to see.
If you click on the name of each make/model it will take you to the manufacturers official website. Disclosure: I have zero incentive to show you one RV over the other, I am getting NO kickbacks from anyone. This is just my review, period. Also, most photos are taken directly from the manufacturers websites and are not my own.
Class A Motorhomes
Jayco Precept 36T
I would have to say, being the owner of a Class A, this was the layout I was the most impressed with! I mean come on, two FULL baths. I was pretty shocked. While I’m fortunate to have a Winnebago with two bathrooms, this really blew my mind.
I was drooling over the prospect, since we normally have 4 to 5 crew members at a time, of two showers. And they weren’t itty bitty showers either, they were decent size. If you’re camping somewhere with full hook-ups, this would be s super sweet feature to have for a large crew not wanting to trek to the bath house all the time, huh?!
Another nice feature on the Prospect was a gorgeous pull-out island. When pulled out, it creates a pretty decent amount of extra counter space for whipping up all those delicious meals. This might not be new to the RV world but it’s definitely the first time I’ve seen a drop down television beside the dinette area. At least in a lower end Class A.
The final feature that was kind of unique was doors that closed off the bunk area. I believe this was there in case you want to convert it into a closet. From what I could see, there was a wardrobe bar so I think it can convert fairly easily.
I assume it’s there for extra privacy as well. I’m not so sure how I feel about that one. While I’ve never spent any extended time inside our bunks, when I was squeezed in there trying to redo the curtains, I felt pretty darn claustrophobic. And I don’t suffer from any form of it.
Also, our 14-year old daughters feel smooched into them as well, they’d rather sleep on the couch. So adding doors might not be a wonderful thing for those who don’t like to feel like they’re sleeping in a coffin. But if it’s converted into a closet, pretty awesome so everyone doesn’t see your stuff. I’m sure the doors come off as well. That wouldn’t hinder me from buying this coach.
Forest River Georgetown XL 369DS
One of the first Class A’s I stepped inside of when I started looking was a Georgetown. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with what they could do for the price. And upon entering this Georgetown, I felt the same way. They are definitely keeping up with the higher end competitors. In fact, when I went into a $250k plus coach at the expo, I was definitely NOT impressed. But this Georgetown had double vanity sinks! I don’t even have this in my own home right now folks! And they were pretty ones too, nice porcelain (looking anyway) raised sinks.
The refrigerator was amazing! You can put an entire gallon of milk on the door, just like residential refrigerators. Another cool feature I saw on a couple of Class A’s were a feature built into the sofa. One arm of the sofa pulls out to create another seat. You can take the cushions off and push that entire seat in when you’re ready to hit the road or if you’d like more space.
I thought that was a super sweet feature. And did I mention that fridge!! I want one like that in my house. And to top off this baby, next to the fridge is a fireplace. Not unusual now-a-days in various RV classes but it was the icing on the cake for this one.
Now I’m here to say that even though Georgetown never ceases to amaze me with the features they can pack in, things tend to be on the cheap side. Yes, the fridge and cabinets glitter and shine but the quality is a bit on the shoddy side. When you open the doors and push and pull on things, it doesn’t seem like they’ll last that long. I’m not hating, just my observation.
Tiffin Allegro Gas Model 35 QBA
I was super excited to get inside the Tiffin’s. After all, they’re known for being one of the best on the market as far as quality and reliability goes. And I do believe some of the interior is pretty good workmanship. However, I was sooooo disappointed with the lack of new features that I was totally turned off.
Why? I felt like I was walking into my 2103 coach. There was nothing different, honestly. The dinette was a dinette, the couch a couch and the shower was pretty small compared to what I have. I couldn’t believe there was no drop down t.v. or dual vanity bathroom or a new innovative shape for the dinette. Can you tell I was bummed. Tiffin, you must do better. So nothing unique to report here. On to the diesel model……..
Finally, with a price tag $100k higher than the gasser, there were some improvements. However, they were dull in comparison to the Georgetown and definitely the Precept, which came with price tags similar to the Allegro gasser ~125k. I guess you have to be in a diesel in order to get some innovation.
The Red had the pull-out sofa feature as well as an upgraded dinette. The Red throws in a fireplace but again, this has been around for a few years now. There were dual sinks in the large bathroom which was located near the middle off to the right (looking towards the back of the coach). And that’s about it folks. The quality of the material definitely has a higher end feel. However, for a coach in this price range, they should at least be able to keep up with their competitors lower-end coaches. Again, my opinion only.
My thoughts on the models I toured. The lower-end Class A’s are definitely coming up with some pretty cool features. My favorite for this expo, hands down, was the Jayco Precept. Would I personally choose that coach if I were looking to buy? I would definitely have to do my homework. It depends on their reliability over the years and the opinions of current owners. I have no idea what that looks like. But they definitely caught my attention at the show today!
Please note that even though the Tiffin or some of the others didn’t impress me that much, I’m only looking at layouts and quality. I’m not taking into consideration some other features I don’t know much about. Such as, the Jayco was highlighting a smooth ride feature known as the JRide® Plus which I didn’t research. There was also something about “on demand hot water” which I’m assuming means an overhaul in hot water heater technology. So take that into consideration.
Class C
Coachmen Concord 300 DS
The first RV I seriously considered from the start was a Class C. Once I got to the dealer and toured one, I quickly realized it wasn’t going to work for my large crew. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t work for your situation. The one thing that impressed me about the Concord was how open and bright it felt inside. There were so many big windows in all the right places. Sounds like I could make that line into a song, sing it with me, “so many windows………….in allllllll the right places”, can you hear it, haha! Sounds a little perverted actually, okay, moving on!
No seriously, it didn’t feel as closed in and tight as other Class C’s I’d been in. There were windows above the kitchen sink, a big one next to the kitchen sink, another big one over the dinette and a beauty of a window in the bedroom. I could tell this model would be bright and airy feeling. And the dinette was super sweet with it’s curves and all. This model didn’t have a bunk over the cab but rather storage. And I swear it looked like at least one of those seats in the cab looked like it could turn around and face the living room area. At least they weren’t sunken down into a well like most Class C’s.
Class B
Coachmen Galleria 24 T(M?) that was what the dealer put but I don’t see a TM model
I wasn’t able to go inside this model as there were people having a relaxing chat inside. However, I was able to go around the back and peek over the sofa. The video does it more justice but you can get an idea of the layout by looking at the floor plan. This was a nice lonnnng model. It also had a nice big price tag because it’s a Mercedes.
I personally paid less for my used Class A than they were asking for this Class B. I cannot comprehend why someone would cram themselves into such a small space and pay so much money. I know it’s a diesel, a Mercedes and has the “utmost in quality and luxury” but, but……just my opinion. I know there are people who’d be very content with it.
Towables
Fifth Wheel
Coachmen Chaparral 392 BL
I don’t know if I’ve told you before but I love the layouts of some of the 5ers out there. If I had a truck and thought I’d want to pull a trailer, it would be a 5er. A sweet toy hauler with a big island in the kitchen and an upstairs bedroom just for me (and hubby when he’s there). Because of course that kid I have to sleep with now would be in the garage area (aka garage turned into a dorm bedroom) with her sisters, mwahahahaha! Yes, I love a nice 5er layout. They can do so many unique things with them. Okay, so I’m here to present the coolest one I went inside. Really not all that inventive.
The Chaparral had a nice big bay in the front as well as an outdoor sink/fridge area. The feature I really loved was the bunk room for the kids. Now I know this isn’t a new feature for 5ers but the space was thought out nicely. There was a lot of storage to include a wardrobe. Included in the room was a desk area and couch which turned into a bed. Above the couch was a drop down bunk that could accommodate another kiddo if needed. That’s about it. Maybe I just didn’t know what to look for since I don’t frequent 5ers very often but nothing new to report here.
I was trying to seek out one of the unique toy hauler units I love but either I missed it or none of them fit the bill. Or maybe I was just too distracted by all the “mom, mom, mom” chatter going on in my ear from my 9-year-old! There was a few with the drop down ‘balcony’ but there were people hanging out looking pretty comfortable in them so I didn’t bother to explore. And from what I could see, they weren’t all that impressive anyway. I was kind of disappointed. That’s it for the 5ers. Sorry guys.
Travel Trailers
Forest River XLR Hyper Lite 29 HFS
The Hyper Lite was unique as it had three distinct areas; the garage area (bedroom/dinette space), the living/kitchen space, and another bedroom in the front. While the bedroom/living area in the front was a pretty typical travel trailer set-up, the extra room/garage area in the back was pretty cool. This unit had two entryways, one near the kitchen and one off the side of the garage.
Airstream
Basecamp model
Slightly reminiscent of a teardrop, eh? At least that’s what it reminded me of. This is a teeny tiny trailer but it has a pretty cool feature. You can extend the back end with something called a patio tent (see video for pic). Like all things Airstream, it was very shiny and retro looking.
International Signature 30 (I think that’s the model we toured)
This 
model was so sleek and beautiful on the inside. Some of the kitchen cabinets had lights inside of frosted glass doors. The knobs were cool, the dinette design even cooler. It was just a nice, quality design all around.
They really make good use of a narrow space by designing things to fit in a unique way. It doesn’t feel all that tight even though there are zero slides. If you’re into Airstreams or are curious, check out the video. I didn’t snap any pictures of the one we toured and I can’t capture any from their website.
Gulf Stream Vintage Friendship 19 ERD
Last but definitely not least is the Vintage Friendship trailer. You’ll have to follow the link for a picture of the exterior. Let me just say cute, cute, cute and super duper cute! I saw this baby from across the expo center showroom and I practically ran the length to go check it out.
When I stepped inside I felt like I was in a diner from the ’50’s. The decor is adorable. It makes you want to hitch it up and drive on down the road exploring. I’m not kidding, just a sweet little charmer she is. If I was single, I would definitely consider this snazzy little gem. This was the 23′ model and they also have a 20′ and almost 26′ model. The 26′ model has a small slide out for the couch area.
I toured the red colored model but they also have a teal one. The wheel rims are the color of the outside! The price tag for the one I toured was $20k which I thought was pretty outstanding for a brand new hard sided trailer. However, I have no idea about the quality of Gulf Stream products. But this one was definitely adorable!
And that about wraps it up folks. I hope I did the show a little justice while also providing you with some newish information. My daughter and I had a good time exploring the RV’s and I’m already pining for next years show. Who knows, maybe I’ll be in Florida when the mega one debuts! Hope everyone is staying warm in this March weather and planning their big summer adventures. The journey west for my crew has taken a different route. I’ll report on that next time as well as what you should do if you ever have a tire blow on your RV (or vehicle). I learned some new and good information.
If you plan on doing any Amazon shopping, I’d really appreciate it if you’d click on my Amazon Link before doing so. It will take you into Amazon and any purchases you make will give me a little profit to help me keep this blog running. The best part, you pay the same amount. Thank you, I really do appreciate it!
{HUGS} from the Crew!
Update on e-book for wannabes and newbies: I’m wrapping up Chapter 6, woo hoo!! Two more to go, then editing and publishing! I should be on schedule for either late March or early April.
