Wednesday January 18th 2017

One of the reasons I’ve been staying in the Tampa area this month was to attend the Florida RV Supershow. The show is open to the public today through Sunday.

Show while crowds were light

I got an early start this morning. The weather was forecast to be sunny in the low 80s. My goal was to get in early so I could leave before the real heat of the day settled in. I arrived at 9:30, a half an hour after the opening. The lines at the ticket booth were already long. Inside the early crowds were not bad.

This will be the third year in a row that I’ve attended this show. The first year in 2015 I was looking for my RV home. I used the show to help narrow down my RV choice. The last two years I have attended for the supplier exhibits more than the RV exhibits. Picking up brochures and directories of campgrounds is a valuable planning tool. Camping Clubs and discount programs also have booths at the show. There are also many merchants selling supplies and add-ons they believe every RVer needs.

During the cooler morning hours I roamed deep into the RV displays looking at the brands I was considering during my RV search. I noted several changes, but I’m still happy with my choice of RV. None of the floor plans I saw would work any better for me than the one I have. The crowds early in the morning were also light. It was easy to walk around and get into any RV with out waiting.

By the time I started working my way through the supplier exhibits the crowds had picked up. The aisles were packed with people and dogs. RVers seem bring their dogs like new parents bring their kids. There were dogs on leashes, in carriages and in carriers. How some of the little ones didn’t get trampled is a mystery. The leashed dogs all had to meet the other dogs in the middle of everything and everyone. A couple of acrimonious meetings result in snarling and barking that shook the walls. Many dog owners seemed oblivious.

I collected several pounds of campground directories. I was looking for information about campgrounds out west. Not surprisingly, I didn’t find a lot. Most of the information was for the east coast, but I did find information on Texas and Arizona campgrounds.

The crowds were also too heavy to do much browsing. The two or three big things on my “probably should have” list were difficult to find. A couple of vendors that have been at the show in previous years weren’t there this year. I did find a couple of things, but I didn’t make the purchase. I’ll do some Internet checking and stop back at the show on Friday or Saturday morning if I decide to buy. My ticket is good for an additional day.

The show seemed different this year. Manufacturers were in different locations. Some had less space than last year, some had more. I did find a few things that surprised me. For example, Tiffin Motorhomes had two class C motor homes on display. That seems like a big departure from their business model.

After the noon hour the crowds were very bad all over the show. The dogs weren’t a big obstacle outside, but the entertainers served to provide an even greater obstruction. Roaming musicians, bands and comedy acts would block the walkway to put on acts that a handful of people cared about. Everyone else had to funnel by in single file. I made my way to the exit by two and returned home.