Thoughts on the RV show

[Jca3]

We attended our yearly RV show. My husband likes to look at all the new "improvements" but we usually walk away more sure we like our setup. We own it and won't have to shell out thousands of dollars more.
This year nearly every large fifth wheel or motorhome had residential fridges. The sales guys assured us with the inverters it would be no problem to boondock.
Well one said if you didn't open the door the batteries would last about 8 hours. First when we are out we have a lot of time to go buy fresh food and don't plan to keep half a beef. (The bottom freezers looked like they could hold one). Second our batteries will last a week and we have just two, not 4 to be dedicated to the fridge. I guess these are not our market, however someday we would like a motorhome. Just not one with a residential fridge. One salesman kind of sniffed, "well we could put one of those gas/electric models in but people have trouble with them." Really? We don't like the newer model that doesn't cool as efficiently as our older 02 but once the dealer got the bugs out of it we have no troubles. Our old one worked like a champ. Put the food in right before we left and off we would go. Now I get it started several days ahead.
Plus they took up so much space.
As to the other changes, I didn't like the floors much or cabinets. Things always seem to get cheaper every year. The rustic look floors aren't my thing. I did like the shiny backsplashes.
Oh well hubby is happy I was not one of the women oohing and ahhing over a bigger rig. Saves us money and we can still get into state and federal campgrounds.

[GaryWT]

We like the rv fridge as well and I am always happy when my wife says she does not see a trailer she likes more than ours.

[dcg9381]

I just came back from the RV show.. Keystone had an entire video deal around "customer service" and quality, so maybe the message is getting through - basically they were outlining 2 at-factory PDIs and a leak-down check. They also outlined "technical support" at the factory - although it's not clear to me if it was call-in support for the consumer or dealer... There was a "customer service" department that was shown, but the fine details were that it was for the dealer.


At least two Keystone execs have broken off in the last couple of years and started their own brands. Nice to see (some) rigs with Sailun tires, factory shocks, wet bolts and not have price tags like DRV.

[Nitka]

We were just discussing whether or not to go this year today. Last year I felt much the same as this. The next upgrade will cost a small coastal house in our area and I'd almost prefer that for retirement. The build quality was not much different than my Cougar; I can always buy new chairs DH is also VERY happy I haven't found a new trailer yet, for one it would mean yet another truck which we upgraded for the Cougar. LOL

[denverpilot]

Jca, I have to agree with you on the fridge. We do have one of the larger double door gas/electrics and we do one trip every year that we can only run the generator part of the day once on site, and we like that the fridge works just fine on propane and battery power.

We also like that it's a little larger than standard, because we don't want to spend any precious time grocery shopping during that week if we can help it.

Groceries are picked up along the way there and I'm one of those perhaps naughty people who lets the gas run the thing while rolling down the road. (I know I know maybe I shouldn't. But it works for us... And I understand the risks.)

Switching to a residential fridge wouldn't be what we would want at all, with our use/mission for our fiver.

Additionally since we sometimes have extended power outages because we live in a rural area, it's nice to know the RV fridge will easily hold whatever's in the house fridge. I've taken stuff out there and stashed it for days with no problems, including the day we had the residential fridge in the stick house fail and the week that we had to wait for the model we wanted to replace it with.

The double sized RV style just fits what we need to a T.