Mind-blown again at the Seattle RV Show
We’ve come a long way in five years since we first attended the Seattle RV Show.
It was back in 2018, and we had yet to even take an RV trip. We simply wanted to see what was out there and the huge display at Lumen Field Event Center left us completely overwhelmed. So many options, so many motivated sales people.
This time around, John walked into the biggest RV show in the Pacific Northwest with a much different mission -- he wanted to see what might be next for us in our ongoing Going Mobile adventure.
It was still mind-blowing. Here’s what he found:
#Vanlife intrigues: Back in 2018, you could barely find a van at the RV show. This time, vans were everywhere and they were drawing significant attention from couples young and old. Wannabe RVers were poking their heads in and whispering to each other, “Could we actually live in this thing?”
Big rigs, little interest: The main floor of the facility was filled with huge class As and fifth wheels, but not many people were actually looking at them. Show attendees were much more interested in vans and small trailers.
Speaking of trailers … Our current crush is the inTech Terra. It’s beautifully built but a bit spendy with a base price of $68,950. The Terra Rover offered by Maple Grove RV in Everett had lots of bells and whistles, including an outdoor kitchen complete with a second fridge. The Terra’s front living space has huge windows, making it feel amazingly spacious. R’nR RV Center in Spokane and Liberty Lake carry inTech products, if you’re interested in checking them out.
Small Class Cs: Also drawing attention were the “small” Class Cs. A 2023 Tiffin Wayfarer 25 LW was the best of the bunch, but John was a bit shocked at the $173,983 price tag. Not to worry, the Poulsbo RV salesperson said -- “We’ll give you a great trade-in.” Right! -- never heard that sales pitch before.
Shoutout to Spokane: John also attended a seminar by Washington State Parks. Kerri Dennis, customer service lead, gave an overview of Washington’s vast array of parks, and she made a special point to call Riverside State Park one of the state’s finest.
Camping memberships: Besides Washington state parks, several campground membership organizations were in attendance. A new one popped onto our radar: KM Resorts, with eight facilities scattered around Washington and a network around the U.S.
New hookup in Chelan: If you’ve ever been shut out from a camp spot at busy Lake Chelan, check out this new-ish option: Summerhill Farm RV Park and Campground. The facility is indeed a family farm -- with full hookups -- and visitors will be “surrounded by apple orchards, u-pick berries, fresh-cut flowers and produce.”
Our final takeaway? We’re still shopping around while continuing to enjoy the layout of our Class B+ Thor Gemini motorhome. We appreciate the skylight instead of a bunk over the cab and the comfy couch seating.
RVs as ski lodging
A recent ski trip to Whistler, British Columbia, reconfirmed why RVs are the best way to beat high resort lodging. John was visiting, but not in the RV, instead staying in the HI Hostel, a bare-bones facility that cost $173 USD for a comfortable, but no-frills private room.
During one chairlift ride with a local snowboarder, high prices came up in the conversation. “You want to know the secret to skiing Whistler on the cheap? Get an RV and stay at the RV park,” the snowboarder said.
Thanks, dude. John did that last year at Riverside Camping and RV Resort, and it was indeed a good place to hang out. Whistler RV Park is another nice facility just down the road.
And in fact, the idea of using your RV for ski lodging was featured in a recent New York Times article, “Where #Vanlife Meets #Skibum.” It calls the Pacific Northwest as one of the best places for ski area RVing.
