Why would we go to another RV show, when we already have a great 2010 Tiffin Phaeton that we love? To see what vendors are there, to sign up for free camping stays, to see if we have buyer's remorse, (NOPE!), for something to do, and to eat the candy all the vendors put out! (just kidding on that last one, but I do have a sweet tooth for chocolate like Snickers, M&M's peanut and Tootsie Rolls....)
Here's something you don't see very often any more....a shoeshine guy! I'm trying to remember that last time I did see one, I think it was in Chicago in the fifties, when my dad used to get his shoes shined at the Chicago and Northwestern station before catching his train home to the burbs. These guys were at the show, and look, a cowboy, to boot! (groan!) But I haven't seen very many guys with the cowboy hats around here, guys! That is a touristy stereotype, I'm sure!
We did walk around and go into quite a few RV's...we wanted to see what the Tiffin Phaeton 2011's looked like--dark wood and everything had scrolls on it, dark inside...we wanted to look at other brands like Monaco's slide within a slide (they didn't have one or we missed it), and we looked at a couple Dutch Stars (by Newmar)...there were tons of fifth wheels there and travel trailers as well. We stopped at a well stocked Camping World section and Eldy debated on a satellite dish receiver. He decided to wait....There's ALWAYS something at Camping World RVers could use or something to look at that you put on your wish list....we went a little overboard when we got our first coach..we thought we needed lots of things made for RVers, but things we could have found in our own shopping at Walmart or Dollar Stores...such things as plate separators (use bubble wrap or that rubber shelf liner you can cut up), collapsible trash containers, special dish drainers to fit the small sinks, refrigerator bars to keep your stuff from falling out when you open the door, collapsible lightweight tables (we do use those a lot)...all kinds of shower stick on soap holders, and wood racks for this, that, and the other.....
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| Foretravel Phenix |
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| The Phenix kitchen |
The most interesting part of the show, perhaps, was seeing a high dollar coach, the Foretravel RV, the Phenix. It was the most expensive coach there, and it was the BOTTOM of the line for Fore Travel, price was a mere $934,900.00 plus tax. The only other high end coaches were all under $500,000. (ONLY!!!!!) I've always wondered what you get for that kind of money...this one had a walk in marble shower, Silestone countertops, (is that better than Corian?) a deluxe cooktop stove, solid walnut wood cabinetry, rope lighting in the ceiling and inside the sides of the side windows, heated floors, adjustable king size bed, and more stuff and signs that said, "DON'T TOUCH", "DON'T SIT" "PLEASE DON'T OPEN". The outside was beautiful and so was the inside...There were probably more features that I just didn't notice on the inside, but it was a little over the top with the decor in the ceiling and all around. All in all, after walking around and looking for fun, we just love our own coach with it's cottage colors of teal, tan, beige--the light cabinetry, the residential fridge and all the rest of the features we do have. It's us. The quality is excellent and we are very happy with it, and we really didn't see anything we liked better! ...looking around just reinforced what a fantastic coach we do have, and what a fantastic buy it was when we got it.
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| The Phenix living room |
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| The SHOWER |
Time to go home, Eldo...to our lovely Phaeton! We have to come up with a name for it...maybe we should have a contest! Until later......
I wonder how many people who own the Foretravel are full timers. I've never seen them on the road, but there was a rally or gathering of Foretravels at a KOA I stayed at a couple of years ago. They were party people, that's for sure - when I went to walk the dog the next morning all the rigs had women's panties hanging on them! And bras waving in the breeze from the antennas. You can just imagine - - -
ReplyDeleteI do like that shower! I need to have Greg take a look at that. We love our rig to, it is definitly home. It's now 12 years old, but we love the floor plan and features that it has. I enjoy RV shows to, just to see what's new out there. A slide within a slide, what is that?
ReplyDeleteJan
Amazing again. We went to the Richmond RV show on Saturday the 12th and had the same experience you did. Saw nothing we liked better or even as well as our elderly (2004)Winnebago Brave. Everything seemed much more cheaply made. Even the $250K models.
ReplyDeleteIt did look like the recession had an effect on what they were showing. Last time there were several models $500K and up but not this time. Nothing even $300K. Guess they think, at least in Richmond Virginia, there isn't a market for it anymore.
Also LOVE those peanut butter M&Ms and Tootsie Rolls. :-))