If you're considering getting a recreation vehicle - RV, for short - or you're an RV vet thinking about an upgrade, the 42nd Annual Minneapolis/St. Paul RV, Vacation and Camping Show should be on your agenda next weekend. The show, again filling the Minneapolis Convention Center, begins its four-day run (Feb. 5-8) next Thursday.
All the RV types will be represented at the show, from modest $5,000 "pop-up" folding camping trailers to $400,000+ "luxury-lodge" motorhomes equipped with granite countertops, marble floors, numerous "slide-out" rooms and high-tech gadgets.
The show offers something for RV veterans and "rookies" alike. One of the largest consumer shows in the Upper Midwest, if not the largest, the show features many brand name products and offers the largest collection of RVs under one roof in the five-state area. Many area dealers and dozens of RV brands will be on hand, along with a selection of SUVs, pickups and conversion vans.
Attendees can book vacations and comparison shop as they walk through millions of dollars of vehicles and ogle the latest RV features. The show will also have plenty of camping equipment, plus information on many North American campgrounds, parks, lodges, resorts and outfitters. Some state tourism departments and many RV destinations will have representatives there, too.
The show offers seminars on RV-related topics, including information on how to finance purchases. The family show has a kids' arts and crafts area and attendees of all ages can enjoy Ultimate Camp Cooking, featuring the antics of comedians/cooks Mike Faverman and Pat Mac.
As always, the show's focus is the six kinds of towable RVs and three classes of motorhomes on today's market. Most types come with central heat/AC, kitchens, bathrooms and beds. The sport-utility RVs have built-in "garages" to store motorcycles, ATVs and other equipment.
If there's a convenience you can't leave home without, it's probably found in an RV - and will probably be at the show. A partial list includes items such as plasma TVs, satellite dishes, surround-sound CD and DVD systems with individual headphones, power window curtains/shades, touch-screen environmental controls, GPS systems and foldout exterior barbecue grills.
From basic camping to taking the comforts of home on the road - it's all at this year's RV show.
