There are several RV shows scattered around the country throughout the year but only a few actually have a massive draw. One of these is the Florida RV Super Show in Tampa, Florida which takes place in January of each year. This year we were fortunate enough to be able to attend the show as a content creator but it didn’t come without problems!

THE CAMPING (RALLY FIELD)

Like many people who attend RV shows we chose to camp. In planning for this we chose to book WAY early with a group (Switch Crew) and camp on site at the show. This reservation was to camp at the Florida State Fairgrounds with 30 amp power, nightly entertainment and donuts each morning for 5 nights. In theory this was a great deal and one we looked forward to for months. Unfortunately upon our arrival things started going down hill quickly. We were WAY overdue getting parked in the field by the staff causing us, and several others, to miss a content creator meeting at the show. After we finally got parked we found that we had no power and no lines were run for the power! No one seemed to be able to give a straight answer about the power or when we would have access.

The next morning, Wednesday, we woke up to find power lines run behind our rigs but no power running through the lines. Again no one seemed to know what was going on or when we would get power. Finally after MANY content creators, me included, went public with videos things started happening. On Thursday morning an email came out from the Florida RV Trade Association that the Florida State Fairgrounds had flown in electrical crews and we should have power that afternoon……….NOPE!!!!!!

Finally late Thursday evening the power came on and everyone rejoiced but we were all demanding refunds by this point since we still were not getting communication back from the show representatives. Hey at least we had power and air conditioning though………until……..

Friday morning we were filming content at the RV show when we got a text message from group members saying the power was out AGAIN!!! This meant that we had to rush back to the camper to check or cat since the temperatures were rising to above 80! Fortunately the power was only out this time for a couple hours.

But wait!!!!! There’s more!!!!! Saturday evening the power went out yet again and remained down for hours but fortunately they had it back up in time for us to have a comfortable final night of sleep before having to depart on Sunday.

THE SHOW

After attending the “America’s Largest RV Show” in Hershey, Pennsylvania last September I knew I had to check out the Florida RV Super Show in Tampa, Florida. I waited impatiently for the time to come and was overjoyed when the time arrived. I had been told by numerous creators that the Tampa show was actually larger so I didn’t know what to expect.

We arrived on Industry Day and got our media credentials allowing us access to the show a day before the public. This process was painless and we were soon on the show grounds and completely wowed by the footprint it covered. Unlike Hershey, this show was spread out among several buildings and across acres and acres of land. This was immediately overwhelming as we didn’t know where to begin! We did have a map of the show but it didn’t exactly match the layout that had come to fruition in setting up the show. Additionally the FRVTA had placed QR codes around encouraging people to use the online map for the show. We did try this but it left a LOT to be desired. The map was basically a copy of the paper map and still didn’t outline where specific vendors were outside of the RV brands. I would love to see an app based system like the Hershey show uses. Additionally due to the expanse of this show a live GPS style map would work well. This would definitely help people navigate their way around the show to see more.

As far as the show itself I would say the Florida show is definitely larger by footprint and vendors but the Hershey show has more units on the ground. The biggest difference I saw between the two shows is that MUCH more is released in the way of new units and products in Florida simply because it takes place at the beginning of the year. We saw several brand new units at this show that weren’t even in full production yet including the new, fully electric Winnebago Class B RV.

The other main difference I noticed between the two shows is the Florida show actually makes space available for YouTubers and content creators to set up at specific times to meet and greet their followers. This allowed creators the ability to publish the meeting times so the followers could make plans to see their favorites!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Initially the experience with power issues in the rally field had MANY of us set on attending the Quartzite show next year due to lack of communication. We all agreed the show itself was wonderful and we gained SO much information but the camping experience had overshadowed everything. Fortunately shortly after the show ended we all received correspondence from the FRVTA that the board had voted to refund everyone’s money for the camping. This showed us all that we actually were top of mind and the association wanted to make things right. It is also my understanding that nothing like this has ever happened in the past. My hope now is that this was a one off issue and things will be great next year. We’re definitely open to giving it another go because we met SO many AMAZING people.

If you haven’t been to a show before you should definitely consider it. Even if you aren’t shopping for a new RV you’ll gain knowledge and experience you didn’t have before. Also if you’re open and social you’ll walk away with lasting friendships! Tampa, Florida; Hershey, Pennsylvania and Quartzite, Arizona are the three largest shows in the country. Check them out and let us know if you plan to visit one. We’d love to meet you. Until next time………