New campers and revolutionary RVs have taken middle stage on the Pittsburgh RV Present this week.
“We have everything from tear drops to folding and pop up trailers, lightweight travel trailers, ultralight trailers, fifth wheels, Class B, C, A motorhomes, gas and diesel,” Randy Giancola, producer of the Pittsburgh RV Present on the David L. Lawrence Conference Heart, mentioned Tuesday afternoon.
“The supply chain issues have pretty much subsided, and the dealers have plenty of inventory in stock,” Giancola said.
During the pandemic, consumers bought what was available.
“We are getting into more of a pre-pandemic market. Now the selection is much better. The most popular floor plans are in stock,” Giancola mentioned, suggesting it is a good time to purchase a camper or improve to a mannequin that has the options unavailable a number of years in the past.
“It’s an exciting time in the RV industry because we are seeing a lot of new stuff. They are really catering to make RVs user-friendly,” Giancola said, such as new types of grills and outdoor televisions.
One of the popular units in the 9-acre indoor show area is a fifth-wheel camper, The RiverStone by Forest River. It has a bed that drops electronically.
“If you have guests come in and stay at your luxury lifestyle fifth-wheel, you have a king bed on the bottom, a queen bed on top and a half bath all right here,” said Paul Willis of Best Choice Trailers and RVs of Irwin, describing the back room, which has a 70-inch television and fireplace. The camper is made with thick, three-inch insulated walls that allow RVers to enjoy four seasons of the year.
The campers on hand range from pop-up trailers that cost about $18,000 to solid wall models in the $40,000 range, fifth wheel models that can go up to $150,000 and full motorhomes that cost more than a half million dollars.
There are also ultra lightweight campers that can be pulled by small SUVs; they’re highly equipped with a variety of features that serve as a kitchen and bathroom. Many have solar panels, and internet and satellite access to help people stay connected in areas where they may be off the grid.
They are ideal for people who can work remotely.
“You’re not stuck at your kitchen table. You can be at the Grand Canyon, Pymatuning Lake. You can be in the Finger Lakes in our region. You could really be anywhere off the grid and still connected to work from home or home school,” Giancola said.
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Jeff Williamson of Ansley RV in Duncansville said his top-of-the-line model is a 43-foot motorhome on sale for $549,995. It’s a luxury model complete with heated floors.
Phil Sorrentino of Glassport was looking at the various campers Tuesday evening.
“We just got a trailer last year,” he said. “The outdoors, we like being outside, going places.”
He enjoyed looking at all the inventory that was available and discovered you can buy longer campers for similar prices as smaller units depending on the options you want.
Rick and Jen Carlson of Bridgeville were taking in the annual show for the first time and trying to figure out the multiple level layout of the large show.
They just purchased a camper in the fall to set up on a permanent campsite. They have friends with camps, and they wanted one of their own.
“We like to travel but inflation is killing us, so we put our investment into this,” Rick Carlson mentioned.
As new camper house owners, they’re taking a look at all of the equipment proper all the way down to needing the cleansing provides.
“We’re not solely right here for inspiration, but in addition to see what upgrades are attainable for down the highway,” he said.
The Pittsburgh RV Show concludes at 5 p.m. Sunday. Visit PittRVShow.com for schedule and ticket information. There’s also a variety of campground representatives on hand.
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Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him atbwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website’s homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook@whipkeyoutdoors.
