RV Expo

I recently went to an RV Expo. I went not looking to buy an RV, but to see what is going on in the RV market and technology. I was not certain what to expect.

I enjoyed looked at the Airstream trailers. To me Airstream, Silver streaks and Argosy are the Cadillac of an RV. They are well designed, hold up well, have a good resale value and are just cool trailers. I do not know if they still make the Silver Streak and was informed today they no longer make Argosy. If I would have found the right deal I would have bought one of the "silver bullets" but I did not have a lot of time to look when I bought my trailer. I learned today there is a group specifically for people who own vintage Airstream trailers. They have these groups throughout the US. These groups offer not only opportunities for socializing and networking but learning what people are doing when they remodel their trailers. Check out their site: www.wbcci.org

The other thing I notice consistently in trailers are the flat screen TV's. Some of the coaches have the flat screen TV in the undercarriage so one can watch TV while cooking out. A majority of the trailers had TV's on a bracket so you could adjust what angle the TV was at. It reminded me of having the TV on the spin table when I was in high school.

A lot of the trailers I looked at today had a great deal of space under the trailer. I guess this is what some people call "the basement." My trailer is so close to the ground there is little room for storage. I call it the belly.

I spent a great deal of time with the State Parks vendors. There are so many people I know that live in an RV and when they travel look for hotels because they are already living such a pared down lifestyle. Right now camping is not only enjoyable but more practical. When I go on a trip I'm looking for peace and quiet and to some extent a way of communing with nature. I enjoyed waking up to the Screach Owl during my last camping trip. Right now my life is full of so much noise it's nice to get away from it. I have begun to look at where I want to go on my next trip and have two parks in mind. Both offer tent camping, hiking, swimming, and are a bit out of town.

Another reason I went was to have a conversation about whether or not I really needed a switch to turn my water heater off when I do not need it. I was getting ready to ask a friend to install a switch. I learned that it really is not worth it, but is more useful to use a water filter that filters the intake water. I also asked questions about the trouble I have been having with my toilet recently. Monday I'll call the repair guy.