Community Forums

jeanluc001 · 09-16-2021, 02:43 PM

If you plan on attending the hershey show my advice is to get there early.my wife and i went on thursday and arrived at 9 am when they opened. by noon time it was getting too crowded to go in side of the units. we decided to leave and was told by the golf cart shuttle guy that the road going in was closed no taking us to the parking lot. we then just walked out the side gate and saw a line that stretched from the entrance all the way out across the huge parking lot of people waiting to get in. never saw a crowd this big in a weekday. just wait until sat and sun.

Arch Hoagland · 09-16-2021, 04:25 PM

Were there a lot of aftermarket vendors displaying their products?

Over the years they dwindled down quite a bit at shows out here in the west.

**NLOVNIT** · 09-16-2021, 05:57 PM

Don't forget to stop by the RV LIFE booth. Say HI to Andy (iRV2 owner) & Patrick (media liaison).

Keith55 · 09-16-2021, 06:16 PM

What are their distancing and masking requirements?

Not asking for political commentary here. Just the facts of what the show requires.

alv3769 · 09-17-2021, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith55

What are their distancing and masking requirements?

Not asking for political commentary here. Just the facts of what the show requires.

none

jeanluc001 · 09-17-2021, 05:44 AM

all vendor booths were filled. no mask requirements. only winnebago restricting entrance to their units to 3 at a time. no other restrictions

Shutterbug57 · 09-18-2021, 05:47 AM

We went Wednesday & Thursday.

Wednesday 09:00-17:00 - we toured Entegra, Tiffin, Newmar, American Eagle & Fleetwood class As and Entegra plus Renegade Super C’s we also walked around the vendor areas. No waiting for the coaches. The vendors were disappointing. We were looking for a awning mounted sun shade for our Phaeton and found none.

Thursday 12:00-19:30 - toured Winnebago class As - disappointing to say the least. We also toured many 5ers. Also spent time with Freightliner, Spartan & Cummins. We took in a few seminars, the Cummins engine maintenance seminar was worth the price of the tickets. Finally we test drove an Entegra. The crowds after dinner hour died off significantly.

Overall, no masks or other restrictions. Winnebago posted a limit, but everybody was ignoring it when we were there.

rickemo · 09-18-2021, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanluc001

If you plan on attending the hershey show my advice is to get there early.my wife and i went on thursday and arrived at 9 am when they opened. by noon time it was getting too crowded to go in side of the units. we decided to leave and was told by the golf cart shuttle guy that the road going in was closed no taking us to the parking lot. we then just walked out the side gate and saw a line that stretched from the entrance all the way out across the huge parking lot of people waiting to get in. never saw a crowd this big in a weekday. just wait until sat and sun.

A couple years ago we also arrived at 9am and it was crowded. This year we waited until 10:30am and it took 45 minutes to get into the parking lot and another 45 minutes waiting on line. When we left at 3:30pm there was no line to get in and no line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot. Next year we’ll consider going around 3-4pm.

Shutterbug57 · 09-18-2021, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickemo

A couple years ago we also arrived at 9am and it was crowded. This year we waited until 10:30am and it took 45 minutes to get into the parking lot and another 45 minutes waiting on line. When we left at 3:30pm there was no line to get in and no line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot. Next year we’ll consider going around 3-4pm.

Yeah, a 3 day pass doing evenings might be a plan. The only thing that might be an issue is class timing. Some are mornings only.

Shutterbug57 · 09-21-2021, 02:26 AM

A Few Miscellaneous Thoughts Upon Reflection

Well, it’s been a few days since we were at the show. There are a few thoughts I have about the show. FWIW, our current rig is a 2011 Tiffin Phaeton.

1. If you are going to classes/seminars, get there early. They tended to be SRO if you were not there at least 5 minutes early.

2. The manager in charge of bringing the Fleetwood units is nuts, or at least short. Every Fleetwood DP had a bed over the drivers area that drops down. I understand these are an option that Fleetwood likes, however, I cracked my head on getting in the first rig and exited said rig. I went in search of a DP without the feature but all of their DPs at the show had this option.

3. Entegra makes some seriously nice coaches. I had never paid much attention to Entegra, but their offerings were very interesting. We will give these rigs serious attention in 5 years or so when they get down to a price we like.

4. 5ers are for shorter folks. I wanted to look seriously at 5ers as a possible future move when/if we replace our DP. We spent roughly 2 hours looking at various 5ers. In every one we looked at, they appear to prioritize storage over headroom. I hit my head on the ceiling in the upper area in most and in those that had minimal clearance on the ceiling, I could not get through the bedroom or bathroom door without ducking. I am sure there is a rig out there with better headroom, but at 6’5”, most are not for me.

5. When you want the straight poop on a rig, find the factory rep and have a discussion. We had a good discussion with the Entegra factory rep after spending some time with a clueless salesperson (selling DPs and no clue about whether it has an exhaust or engine brake, no clue whether the slides are electric or hydraulic, etc.). In about 10 minutes we learned about the differentiating features of the coach from its competitors as well as what sets the Anthem and Aspire apart. It was a useful time. We also ran into the Winnebago factory rep who was in a rig we were looking at. He also was knowledgeable, but we did not pick his brain much as we were not interested in his offerings.

6. Consider doing a split shift. We went first thing in the morning on day 1 and left before dinner. On day 2 we got there after lunch and stayed into the evening. Given that a 3 day ticket allows for in and out privileges and parking was free, I would consider a morning and evening visit rather than staying for the heat of the day - unless you can be inside in classes or looking at vendors during the heat of the day. It was hot outside and the show is on asphalt.