It’s time for the 2010 Hershey RV Show to get the first peek of the 2011 models. The show is in Hershey Pennsylvania and is open to the public from September 15th through the 19th. In its 42nd year, it is said to be “America’s Largest RV Show” and debuts many of next years’ travel trailers and motorhomes from the RV industry.

The show literally covers a lot of ground, over 21 acres, so be prepared to spend a couple of days and wear sturdy shoes. The layout is very friendly to visitors and showcases recreational vehicles by manufacturer rather than by dealer. This is unique to this show and provides the opportunity to see most, or all, of a manufacturer’s offerings all in one convenient spot.

Best Tip

Bring a camera or video camera to take pictures of what you like, or even what you don’t like. This is a very effective way of taking notes because, as the saying goes, a picture’s worth a thousand words. Take pictures of models, prices, dealers, modifications, furnishings, colors, signs – you name it.

Make sure the camera is easy to use and carry, or else it won’t be utilized. If you don’t already have one, check out the sleek Canon SD780IS point-and-shoot 12.1 megapixel camera that shoots HD Video too. It includes a 3x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilizer. The LCD viewer is a large 2.5” that is easy to see, but still fits comfortably into your pocket. This Canon packs big features into a little package and is under $200 at Amazon.

Cost

The entrance fee is $8 for adults each day, but if you go at least 2 days be sure to get a 3-day pass for $16. There is a $1 off coupon on the official website and other pricing information available. If you pay in advance you can use a credit card, otherwise it is cash only at the gate.

Parking during the day is free. Just follow signs to parking locations each day.

Camping

There are more than 30 campgrounds that are less than 60 miles away, including one under 2 miles away that offers a free shuttle to the Show. For more information checkout the campground list with contact details for each location. A list of nearby inns is also provided in case you are there to select and drive home a new RV from the show.

Parking Overnight

Limited dry camping is available for $25 per night at a designated parking lot at the complex. There are approximately 100 spaces for the duration of the show. No reservations are available and you pay at the gate, which is open 7am to 7pm. Be sure to see Overnight Parking Details for more information if you are considering this option.

No Pets

Except for service animals, pets are not allowed at the show. The RV show’s organizers have arrangements with kennels to offer $10 per day services.

Seminars

A history exhibit celebrating the 100-year anniversary of motor homes includes a 1910 Model T with a Telescoping Apartment. The history of commercial RVs is also presented as one of more than 40 seminars scheduled throughout the event. Other topics include: buying tips, travel adventures, maintenance, and working and learning on the road.

Exhibitors and Show Maps

Two exhibitor show maps are available. The first map is the outdoor layout of parking, general facilities and the manufacturers’ allocated spots. There are nearly 60 manufacturers and almost 80 dealers so be sure to look at the listing and map so you don’t miss anything.

The second map is of the indoor accessory exhibitors in nearly 120 booths. These exhibitors include: RV parks and campgrounds, RV finance and loans, RV insurance, mobile satellite and internet services, RV cooking, RV associations, RV accessories, and more.

The Weather

It’s more than two weeks away as of the time of this writing, but predictions are for highs around 72 degrees and lows around 50 degrees. These temperatures are quite comfortable for dry camping, so boondocking might be a great option when the show starts. Whatever you choose – get out and enjoy a tremendous RV show!

Find Out More

The 2010 Hershey RV Show is sponsored by The Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle & Camping Association where you can find more information.

Tennessee Traveler Motorhome from RV-MH Hall of Fame

MSNBC posted an article yesterday about the RV industry turning 100 years old. Seems that soon after the automobile was introduced, people found ways to adapt them for camping. In 1910, campers and trailers were mass-produced for the first time, and the rest is of course is history.

Summertime travel season is upon us once again and as we all head out on our long adventures, we marvel at those who paved the road before. These days of course we follow the turn-by-turn instructions with maps on our GPS to get to our destination. Along the way, we may enjoy some ice cream from the freezer. Once we arrive, it’s time to plug in the electric, and slide out the slides. Ahh, now there’s plenty of room to enjoy a movie with surround sound, or maybe just check email on the computer.

The wanderlust spirit is as alive today as 100 years ago. And while I may joke about our creature comforts as compared to previous generations, our quest for adventure has not changed. Thank you to the RV Industry for 100 years of fun vacations, happy family memories, and for some, a life on the road.

Lower Profile

Compared to its popular Winnebago View, the height is lower by four inches and stands at 10 feet 7 inches. Check out the pictures below to see how the bubble above the cab is removed.

2010 Winnebago View Profile

2010 Winnebago View

The fold down bed over the cab is sacrificed to design a low profile RV, but that won’t matter much to the many who would rather not scramble up and down the ladder to go to slept. There’s still plenty of headroom, which makes it easy to access the front seats, and a large skylight above that brightens up the space.

Rear Slide Houses a Queen Size Bed

New in Winnebago’s Sprinter RV line is the use of a rear slide-out instead of a sidewall slide-out. This creates a space just large enough to walk-around a queen size bed. The bed is not only larger than the corner bed in the View’s “J” model, but is much easier to access as well. The trade off is the loss of the sidewall slide that provides a much roomier feel and function.

Traffic Flow

To offset the loss of the side slide-out, and the resulting narrow isle, Winnebago designed a creative floorplan with attention to traffic flow. The entrance is set back a bit from the front to provide a seating area to the right as you enter. From the entrance, you can also walk straight into the bathroom, or turn left for the kitchen or bedroom.

What makes this so smart is that most of the time you can get where you want to go without disturbing your partner. The traffic flows better overall by not funneling all activities down the same path. This reduces the hug and spin move required in many small RVs…you know the move when you need to get by the other person so you both ‘hug’, and then shuffle spin together to switch sides. See the floorplan below that specifies the various areas of the interior.

2010 View Profile 24DL Floorplan

Worth a Closer Look

The Sprinter RV is an ideal small diesel motorhome that’s worth a closer look. Check to see if your local dealer has one in stock, and then spend a little time in it. Get a feel for the front living area and whether it’s comfortable for dining or relaxing and watching TV. Pay attention to the window locations and how they set your views up while parked. Whether you’re stopped at a nice lunch spot, or stuck inside due to poor weather at the campground…an open view will make it a much better experience.

If you tend to carry passengers, like the kids, then the small sofa, which is really a bench seat, that faces forward appears to be a good option. Many small RV models don’t provide an adequate option for passengers, and Winnebago appears to try to address this here. Check this out carefully to see if this meets your needs. This is a good chance to try the sofa configurations into beds to decide how it would work in your lifestyle. For example, some with dogs might like to drop down the forward facing sofa into a small bed with safety belts, while still providing a walkway to the front cab. Now’s the time to test whether that would work for you while traveling.

When testing out the bedroom area, in addition to seeing how comfortable the bed is, make sure that there is enough space to walk around because its a tight fit. If you won’t always have the opportunity to slide out, like perhaps when dry camping, make sure that the bed is still usable even with the slide in. And finally, when deciding if storage is adequate, keep in mind that having a full time bed area means not having to store bedding elsewhere and therefore frees up valuable storage space.

Fleetwood had several 2010 Quest models at closeout prices at the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa. The Quest is a “value” model class C built on the diesel Sprinter 3500 chassis. MSRP looks to be between $84,000 and $93,000, and you would normally expect to offer 25% off that, or $63,000 to $69,750. At the show the closeout price is shown at $60,000 on the window.

I doubt these models will last at that price, but if you’ve been in the market for this, then head over to the 2010 Florida RV SuperShow. The 2010 Quest is a limited run of only 150 vehicles, and there are reports that they’ve been selling fast. It’s an appealing entry into the 2010 small diesel chassis market and has a lot to offer.

I’m not Fleetwood’s biggest fan, but many people I’ve met have had several Fleetwood models over the years and wouldn’t buy anything else. The Quest comes in two floorplans, the 24L and the 24E. Both floorplans include the cabover bed, but one option instead is a low profile cab with a 26” TV.

The 24L features a front entry that opens into the kitchen/living area. The sofa overlooks the sink, stove and door with small windows. The rear has an interesting corner dinette/sofa/sleeper area that they call Gaucho Dinette. The bath is located in the other rear corner.

The 24E has the entry in the rear, which allows for separate zones a bit better. The rear is an ample sized bath with wardrobe closet. Middle is the kitchen. The front area is the living area with two sofas facing one another. Above each sofa is a nice sized window that provides great views and lighting from either one. In this model, the slideout is longer and so provides more space inside when parked.

Overall these models offer a great entry point into a Class C Mercedes Diesel. The tradeoff is that the “fit and finish” doesn’t feel as polished or substantial as some of the other more expensive models on the market. Take a look for yourself to see if it fits your needs.

2010 Quest 24L Floorplan

2010 Quest 24E Floorplan

Largest RV Show in the country

If you’re in Florida in mid-January, be sure to attend the 2010 Florida RV SuperShow. Every type of RV will be available so it’s a fantastic chance to see a huge variety, all in one place.

For some of the best motorized small RV’s, don’t miss the Born Free, Winnebago, and Road Trek booths. Each has some exciting new products in their 2010 line-ups.

There will be travel trailers galore and even truck campers to explore. Just download the RV Show’s Map and see all the great exhibitors for yourself.

Tips to get the most out of your day

• Wear comfy supportive shows because you’ll want to see all that you can

• Check out the Show’s exhibitor layout first thing to make sure you don’t miss any of your “must see” RV’s

• Also note any seminars that you plan to attend along with the times and location

• Take notes by way of a camera or video rather than brochures and notepads. Take pictures of signs, people, RV’s, floorplans, products, pricing and dealers that you are interested in. The signs in particular are great reference for later research.

• Bring a quality small pocket camera that offers wide angle to get the whole RV layout, but can also zoom in for the details.

• If you prefer video, you won’t go wrong with a small pocket camcorder that slips easily into your pocket or small purse.

Information

Website: http://www.frvta.org/florida_rv_super_show.asp

Dates: January 13 through January 17, 2010

Times: 9am-6pm, except the last day Sunday, which closes at 5pm

Location: Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa

Not in Florida?

No worries, we’ll go for you and add some of the highlights of the show to our site. Let us know if you have a must see RV that you’d like us to cover.

Jonathan Dickinson SP Woodpecker

Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound Florida offers RV and tent camping, cabins, kayak rentals, bike trails, hiking and fishing, and pontoon boat tours. Go for the day or stay for the weekend, you’ll find plenty to do and explore here. It’s situated on over 11,000 acres on the Loxahatchee River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River.

Located in Southeast Florida, between Stuart and West Palm Beach across from the Atlantic Ocean, there are nearby grocery stores and restaurants available. Once you’re in the park, you may not want to leave though. You’ll be captivated by the drive through sprawling acres of pines on the way to camping, the museum, and the river day use and playground areas.

Enjoy the peaceful surroundings and watch wildlife in their natural environment. Bring cameras and binoculars to spot bald eagles, woodpeckers, sandhill cranes, alligators, tortoises, and more. Yes, there are gators in the river here, and in fact you should always assume that any inland water in Florida has them.  Check at the concession store, or talk to a Ranger about precautions to take before letting the kids and dogs near the water.

Watch this four minute video to get a sense of the campgrounds, amenities, and surroundings. This is a wonderful destination or a terrific stopover if you are heading to the Florida Keys for a visit from out of state.

To learn more about this park and others visit Florida State Parks, or check camping availability go to Camping Reservations. Note that the River Campground, one of two campgrounds, is close to the river but there are no campsites on the water.

Call the park concession store, The River Store, at 561-746-1466 for information and reservations concerning

• cabin rentals
• tour boat
• rental boats (canoes, kayaks, motorboats)

Jonathan Dickinson State Park

16450 S.E. Federal Highway
Hobe Sound, Florida 33455
Phone: 772-546-2771

Soccer Players Barely Visible Below Fall Colors

Use your small RV to get away for the weekend and see the beautiful colors of Fall. If you’re not sure where the best colors are, go to The Weather Channel to find out.

The Weather Channel's Fall Foliage Map

The flexibility of a small RV makes this the perfect vehicle to escape to view Fall colors before they disappear. In the blink of an eye, colors are past their peak but you’ll be able to enjoy them before their gone. If the best colors are farther from home, you can still get there by utilizing overnight parking spots along the way.

To see the leaves change we went to North Carolina, and on the way parked overnight at this Walmart Super in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Their phone number, by the way, is (803) 366-9431 if you’re headed that way and want to verify with the manager on where to park. It was a perfect stopover spot. Just a few minutes off Interstate 77 and surrounded by nice restaurants.

Small RV Stopover On Journey to See Fall Colors

We enjoyed a very nice dinner at LongHorn Steakhouse that was practically across the street and stored our generous and delicious leftovers in the refrigerator for later. The restaurant gets very busy, but they allow call-ahead seating at (803) 980-6255.

The morning is even more convenient as you’ll find both gas and diesel located in the parking lot as you leave. You can stock up on supplies at Walmart or nearby grocery stores, or choose to have breakfast at a nearby restaurant.

All of this convenience means that you can pack up and leave home in a moment’s notice because you can get whatever perishable items you need while you’re out and exploring. You can pack a lot into a weekend by taking advantage of your RV.

So get out into the mountains and witness the changing of the Seasons.